Depending on the story, Zenigata can be this in Lupin III.

Subverted in that she winds up with some Character Development and getting exactly what she wants at the end while Lina's still Walking the Earth, but then, she had stopped being a villain by that point. Martina from Slayers NEXT is a very obvious example.Lina Inverse actually gave this nickname to Naga at one point, as she constantly insists on calling Lina her partner (or rival, depending on which season/movie you're watching).Officially zig zagged by XY, where they're back to their usual selves, though noticeably more competent than they were before Best Wishes!, and no longer appear in every episode. Subverted in the Best Wishes! series as Team Rocket truly Took a Level in Badass, even ignoring Ash and company sometimes.

On several occasions they've helped Ash out or cheered him on in battle, because, as Meowth put it during Ash's battle with Tobias: 'This is the guy who beats us all the time! So if he loses, think how bad it'll make US look!' This even applies within the fourth wall. When we say they thrive on popularity, we mean that literally: on one occasion they save Ash's life on the premise that if he dies, the show's over and they're out of a job.

Team Rocket from the anime (Jessie, James and Meowth), who thrive on popularity despite no longer posing a threat to Ash and friends.

Occasionally made a threat with Team Rocket Wins. May also fill the shoes of the Unknown Rival, explaining why they keep coming back to annoy the party. Frequently overlaps with being an Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain or Harmless Villain. May overlap with recurring Quirky Miniboss Squads if they're not treated seriously. So it's vaguely loathsome stuff that follows the fish around, just like a Goldfish Poop Gang.

That's because goldfish poop has a tendency to stick to the goldfish. The trope name comes from the Japanese idiomatic phrase kingyo no fun, which literally means 'goldfish crap' but idiomatically means a sycophant or hanger-on. The party (and developers) may take a shine to them, and you won't actually be allowed to kill them off in the end. They quickly devolve from being actual threats to pesky nuisances, something the party may comment on. A comedic version of the Recurring Boss, the Goldfish Poop Gang are characters who keep popping up, requiring you to fight them multiple times through the game.

Goldfishfun movie maker