Listen up folks if you’ve watched Family Guy for any amount of time you’ve definitely seen those crazy, over-the-top battles between Peter Griffin and Ernie the Giant Chicken. These fights have become one of the show’s most iconic running gags, stretching across multiple seasons and creating some of the most absurd and destructive sequences in animated comedy.
But have you ever wondered why the heck these two keep fighting? What started this whole mess? Well, grab a Pawtucket Patriot and get comfy, cause I’m gonna break down this epic rivalry for ya
The Origin Story: It All Started With a Coupon
The whole feud began with something incredibly trivial – an expired coupon! As revealed in the episode “Da Boom,” Ernie gave Peter an expired coupon, which provoked Peter to attack him. Yep, that’s literally it. A simple expired coupon sparked one of the longest-running and most destructive feuds in animation history.
However, there’s a timeline twist! In the episode “Meet the Quagmires,” when Peter meddles with his past, he accidentally punches Ernie while dancing at “Enchantment Under The Sea.” This creates an alternate origin for their rivalry, suggesting their beef might have been destined to happen one way or another.
The Evolution of Their Epic Battles
Over the years, these fights have become increasingly elaborate and destructive. Let’s look at their most significant showdowns:
1. “Da Boom” – The First Fight
The inaugural battle took Peter and Ernie all over a downtown metropolis. Peter seemed to win by slamming Ernie’s head into a photocopier repeatedly, but in classic Ernie fashion, he opens his eye at the end, showing he survived
2. “Blind Ambition” – The Train Station Fight
Their second major battle happened when Peter was defending Quagmire. This fight spanned a train station, cruise ship, and airport. Even though Ernie’s head got chopped up by an airplane propeller (spoofing a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark), he still survived!
3. “No Chris Left Behind” – The Almost Reconciliation
This fight took them from the Griffin house through sewers, a subway, building site, airplane, and Ferris wheel. Interestingly, they actually stopped fighting and realized they forgot what they were fighting about! They even went to dinner together with Ernie’s wife Nicole (this is where we first learn his name is Ernie).
But just when peace seemed possible, another fight broke out over who would pay the dinner bill. SMH.
4. “Internal Affairs” – Time-Traveling Fight
This absolutely bonkers battle started because Peter accidentally backed into Ernie’s car. During their struggle, they landed on Stewie’s time pad and fought across time itself! They ended up in a genetic research lab, space, and finally crashed back to Earth on an oil rig, which they subsequently destroyed.
5. “Yug Ylimaf” – The Reverse Fight
Thanks to Stewie’s broken time machine, we got to see a chicken fight played in reverse. This included flamethrowers, plane crashes, and a military surplus store destruction – all played backwards!
6. “Fecal Matters” – The Hospital Reconciliation
When Peter works at a hospital, he finds Ernie as a patient and refuses to care for him. But when he learns Ernie is dying, Peter declares himself the victor. Later, Peter actually saves Ernie with some violent CPR and admits he enjoys their battles but doesn’t want to be solely responsible financially for the damages.
7. “PeTerminator” – The Mistaken Identity
In this episode, Ernie confuses the Peter Terminator for the real Peter and was about to fight him, only to have his head blown up by a shotgun. Even then, he survived!
8. “The Chicken or the Meg” – The Family Drama
Despite his beef with Peter, Ernie welcomes Meg into his family when she starts dating his son, Nugget. But when Ernie gives Meg an ultimatum to choose between her family and dating his son, Meg beats him up and decapitates him!
Why These Fights Are So Important to Family Guy
These chicken fights serve multiple purposes in the show:
- Comedic Value – The sheer absurdity and escalation of these fights is hilarious
- Animation Showcase – They allow the animators to go all-out with action sequences
- Signature Running Gag – They’ve become one of the show’s most recognizable recurring bits
- Pacing Tool – They often provide a break from the main storyline
- Cultural References – The fights frequently parody action movies and fight scenes
The Deeper Meaning (Or Lack Thereof)
What makes these fights so funny is that they’re completely disproportionate to the initial offense. An expired coupon leading to years of epic battles that destroy cities, planes, and oil rigs? It’s absurdist humor at its finest.
In a way, the Peter vs. Ernie fights represent how some people hold onto petty grudges forever, taking them to ridiculous extremes. Or maybe I’m overthinking it and it’s just funny to watch a fat guy fight a giant chicken. Probably the latter.
Interesting Facts About Ernie the Giant Chicken
-
Family Life: Ernie has a wife named Nicole and a son named Nugget. We also learn in “Yug Ylimaf” that one of Ernie’s kids is in Stewie’s preschool.
-
British Counterpart: In “Family Guy Viewer Mail No. 2,” Ernie’s British counterpart is an English Pheasant who gets into a brief slap fight with Neville (the British Peter).
-
Chicken Community: In “Life of Brian,” a headless chicken tells Peter not to talk to him because Peter “has a bad reputation in the chicken community.”
-
Almost Killed Off: According to DVD commentary for “The Simpsons Guy,” Seth MacFarlane intended to have the fight in “Internal Affairs” result in Ernie’s death, but Peter Shin convinced him to keep the character for inclusion in the planned Family Guy movie.
-
Frenemies: In “Fecal Matters,” it’s revealed that Nicole left Ernie for a “bigger cock” (lol), but in “The Chicken or the Meg,” they appear to be back together.
-
Lois Connection: In “Follow the Money,” it’s shown that Ernie and Lois are actually good friends, which neither Peter nor Nicole appreciate.
Fan Theories About The Chicken Fights
Some fans have come up with their own theories about why these fights continue:
-
They secretly enjoy it – As mentioned in “Fecal Matters,” Peter admits he actually enjoys their battles
-
It’s all about pride – Neither will back down or admit defeat
-
It’s an outlet for Peter’s aggression – Peter needs these fights as an emotional release
-
They’re actually friends – Their relationship is complicated, and the fights are just their way of communicating
-
It’s a metaphor for Peter’s inner struggles – OK, this one’s a stretch, but some fans really overthink things!
The Future of Peter vs. Ernie
Despite being “killed” several times, Ernie always survives to fight another day. The chicken fights have become such a signature part of Family Guy that they’ll likely continue as long as the show does.
The beauty of these fights is how they keep evolving and finding new ways to top themselves. From simple street brawls to time-traveling, multi-dimensional battles, who knows where they’ll go next?
At the end of the day, Peter and Ernie fight because it’s funny. That’s the real answer. In the absurd world of Family Guy, an expired coupon is as good a reason as any for years of city-destroying combat.
But maybe there’s something a little deeper too. Maybe they fight because they’re both stubborn, prideful, and unwilling to let go of a grudge. Or maybe, as “Fecal Matters” suggests, they’ve actually grown to enjoy their rivalry, and it gives meaning to both their lives.
Whatever the reason, I hope they never stop. These ridiculous chicken fights have given us some of Family Guy’s most memorable moments, and I can’t wait to see where they’ll take us next.
So, next time you’re watching Peter and Ernie duke it out across town, remember – it all started with an expired coupon. Or maybe an accidental punch at a dance. Either way, it’s one of the pettiest and most entertaining feuds in television history!
Personality[]
Ernie is very hostile, ruthless, and bitter, but only when it comes to Peter Griffin. He and Peter always attack each other on sight ever since Peter started their conflict. This is all without worrying about the massive damage, destruction, and even death that he and Peter cause to Quahog in their bouts, even going so far as to trying to kill each other.
When he and Peter briefly ended their rivalry, Ernie showed an effervescent and sympathetic side, and even apologized at Peter for hurting him before inviting him to dine with him and his wife, Nicole, to be forgiven. In spite of his argumentative and obnoxious attitude to Peter, Ernie also showed much love to Nicole, because he did not like Peter being disrespectful and ill-behaved to her, as both were fighting to figure out who to pay before they start fighting again.
As Peter is the only Griffin family member he despises for their differences, Ernie respects all of the rest of Peters family even more, as they have nothing to do with his conflict between him and Peter. Unfortunately, his wife, Nicole, and even Peters wife, Lois, whom Ernie befriended, ended up following the unstoppable mistakes he and Peter had done, as he tried to stop both housewives from repeating this, although the housewives chicken fight turns out to be completely contrasted from Peter and Ernies original extreme and brutal chicken fights, as all that they do is relentlessly slap each other.
All in all, Ernie served as Peters arch-nemesis with the latters father-in-law Carter Pewterschmidt serving as his archenemy.
In the series[]
Their rivalry started when Ernie (possibly unintentionally) gave Peter an expired coupon, leading Peter to assault Ernie and start a massive battle, causing chaos, destruction, and deaths in the crossfire. Despite Ernie seemingly dying from falling off of a building and Peter landing on top of him, in the aftermath of the conflict, he is later revealed to be alive.
Their second fight starts when Ernie ambushes Peter when the latter is trying to defend Quagmire. Ernie ends up getting chopped up by an airplane propeller, but he survives again.
After the third battle, they actually stopped fighting and Ernie took Peter to dinner with his wife Nicole. They then started their feud again when Peter wouldnt let Ernie pay and insisted that he pay and also because Peter spoke badly to Nicole. The fight ends with Peter bashing Ernies head with a frying pot.
One time when Peter traveled back in time to the 80s he accidentally punched a young Ernie in the face at a dance angering him but another guy stopped Ernie saying “whoa calm down youre probably never going to see him again”.
In “Big Man On Hippocampus”, Ernie was gardening and greeted an amnesiac Peter who was walking by. After he was ignored, he confronted him and hit Peter (when he insulted his yard) with an object giving his memory back. Peter recalled Ernie but got hit again with another object after insulting, blanking his memory again but Peters memory was restored because Ernie had an odd number of objects to hit him with.
In the second Star Wars parody episode Something, Something, Something Dark Side, Ernie is Boba Fett while Peter is Han Solo. He returns in the third, and falls into the Sarlaccs mouth offscreen rather than having an epic battle with Han/Peter as they do in the series.
In the episode “New Kidney in Town”, Dr. Hartman tells the Griffins about his failed cloning attempt, which resulted in a violent and destructive man-sized chicken that ended up escaping the lab. That prompts Peter to tell Dr. Hartman that they need to have a talk. In “Trading Places”, Chris taunts Meg for being a chicken for not wanting to go on Peters dirtbike and even going so far as clucking like one. This makes Ernie perk up his ears and call the clucking fake.
In the episode “Internal Affairs”, Peter has another run-in with Ernie leading to another epic fight, this time because Peter accidentally backs into Ernies car. During their struggles, they land on Stewies time pad and fight their way across time itself, eventually ending up in a genetic research lab and in space. Crashing back to Earth on an oil rig, they continue to fight. Their struggle destroys the oil rig and Ernie is hanged, pierced and then roasted by the rocket engines. But as Peter struggles to shore, Ernie shows he survived.
In “Yug Ylimaf”, Stewie and Brian witness Peter and Ernie fighting in reverse, which started when Peter hit Ernie with his car door while Ernie was riding a bicycle. Stewie also revealed Ernie has kids, with one going to the same school as him.
Ernie also appears in two Family Guy games, Back to the Multiverse as a boss/minor antagonist, who appearing in a parallel universe and in Quest for Stuff as the main antagonist, his purpose is to cancel the series “Family Guy” takes to defeat Peter.
Ernie has a cameo in “Trump Guy”, where he is seen visiting the Smithsonian Museum with his son, not noticing the brutal fight between Peter and Donald Trump behind them because of the headphones.
In “Follow the Money”, its revealed that Ernie is friends with Peters wife Lois. In that same episode, Lois and Nicole get into a similar fight at a coffee shop, with Ernie trying to convince them to stop. Instead of having excessive violence and causing massive destruction and deaths, they just slap and tackle/wrestle each other, breaking a tip jar and dislocating the character RJs right arm in the process. Peter is revealed not to like the friendship and told Lois not to associate with him again.
For the “Viewer Mail 2” Segment “Chap of the Manor”, which shows a British version of the series, Ernie is replaced by a giant English Pheasant, who accidentally hits Peters Counterpart Neville with his chair. The two get into a similar fight except for a few differences: Its a 3 second long slap fight with their arms and they exchange pleasantries when its over.
In “Fecal Matters”, it is revealed that Ernie is suffering from “bird flu”, a disease that is leading to his death. He refused the vaccine because it was loaded with mercury and antifreeze. Peter, who was working as a hospital nurse at the time after a flu outbreak, refuses to give Ernie medical attention due to their rivalry. However, he is convinced by Dr. Hartman to do so. Ernie also reveals that his wife, Nicole, left him for a chicken bigger than him, and mentions that it would be best to him to die. Peter shows no concern, saying that he finally won their conflict. He leaves the hospital, almost letting Ernie die.
At home, Peter foolishly decides to celebrate his final victory with champagne, but his family criticizes him for his obsession with the feud. Lois convinces Peter that he needs the Giant Chicken as a rival, and that if he lets him die, a part of him will die as well. Remembering his previous fights with Ernie, Peter decides to save the Chicken from death by giving him a violent CPR. Ernie eventually wakes up, and Peter admits that he saved him because he hates him, as well as not wanting to be solely responsible financially for the damage the two of them have caused during their fights. At night, Peter turns on the outside light before going to sleep, seeing a cured Ernie through the window. With this, Peter confirms that “all is right on the world” before turning off the lights.
In “PeTerminator”, Ernie confuses the Peter Terminator for the real one and was about to fight him, only to have his head blown up by a shotgun. Even then however, he was shown to have survived once more.
In “The Chicken or The Meg”, when Meg sees an ad for a new reality dating show, Sex Farm, she decides to sign up in hopes of finding her significant other. She initially has no luck until she meets a guy in a chicken suit, though ultimately, the two are the first couple to be eliminated despite their chemistry. Megs partner soon reveals that he actually is a chicken, going by the name of Nugget, and is the son of Ernie. Despite apprehension regarding what their respective fathers would say, the two decide to date in secret until Peter catches Nugget sneaking into Megs room.
Peter refuses to tolerate Nuggets presence even after witnessing his caring side at dinner, prompting Meg to move in with him. Despite initially brushing it off, Peter quickly becomes despondent after realizing how much he misses his daughter, especially after seeing how well she gets along with Nuggets family. After the latter pokes fun at Peter, Meg cant help but feel bad for him and confesses to Ernie that she still loves her dad despite also loving Nugget. Ernie orders her to leave if she doesnt renounce Peter, and she responds that he is a bad tomato. Before they can engage in a fight, the Giant Chicken realizes that Meg is a girl and he won’t hit her, Meg settles the fight in a whole new way by completely cutting off his head and killing him presumably for real this time, finally giving Peter the true victory he deserves and ending the long lasting rivalry for good, though considering this is Family Guy, where most of the characters die only to come back (except for many exceptions) its possible he might not truly be dead for good and could possibly come back to life next time.
Family Guy: The First Chicken Fight (Clip) | TBS
FAQ
Why did Peter and the chicken fight?
It is important to note that the reasons for their seemingly irrational grudge against Peter Griffin was very simple. What started as a minor annoyance quickly spiraled into all-out war. While they are in a constant battle, no one knows the origin behind it. How often do Peter and the Chicken fight?
How did the Peter Griffin vs chicken fight affect Family Guy?
The origin and evolution of the Peter Griffin vs. Chicken fights within Family Guy. The humorous elements that make these fights so appealing, including slapstick, absurdity, and pop culture references. A detailed analysis of some of the most iconic fight scenes. The impact of these fights on Family Guy’s overall success and fan base.
What makes Peter vs chicken a good fight?
In addition to their reliance on physical comedy, the Peter vs. Chicken fights also incorporate verbal humor and witty dialogue. Peter and Ernie often exchange insults and taunts, adding another layer of comedy to the battles. The use of pop culture references and inside jokes further enhances the verbal humor.
Why is Peter vs chicken so popular?
One of the primary reasons for the enduring appeal of the Peter vs. Chicken fights is their heavy reliance on slapstick comedy. Slapstick, characterized by exaggerated physical violence and absurd situations, has been a staple of comedy for centuries.
Why does Peter hate the chicken?
If you understand Peter, food is a sacred thing, so I get his lifelong hatred of the chicken. There was also a great cutaway that showed what food means to Peter. He took the vacuum cleaner to be repaired and the guy tells Him that a meatball was lodged in there blocking the air intake, it was covered in dust and dog hair, Peter asks him
Why did Peter & Homer fight?
According to a flashback in Da Boom, the fight started because the chicken handed Peter an expired coupon. The scene can be seen in this YouTube clip. In Meet the Quagmires, it is revealed that Peter actually started the fight when he traveled back in time. The Simpsons Guy features a similar fight between Peter and Homer.
When did Peter start fighting the chicken?
The First Chicken Fight | Season 2 Ep. 3 | FAMILY GUY.Jan 27, 2024
Why does Peter not like the chicken?
The First Encounter
The chicken, named Ernie, is also depicted as a customer. – The Conflict: The fight begins over a misunderstanding when Peter refuses to pay the chicken’s bill, leading to a series of over-the-top fight sequences that parody classic action films.
What is the meaning of chicken fight?
Chicken fight, also known as shoulder wars, is an informal game, often played in a lake or swimming pool, characterized by one team member sitting on the shoulders of their teammate or riding piggy-back. The object of the game is to knock down or separate an opposing team through team effort.
What does the chicken mean in St Peter?
Its a rooster. The rooster can symbolize repentance and resurrection and it’s associated with Peter’s denial of Christ, as Jesus predicted Peter would deny him three times before the rooster crowed, and it also symbolizes the call to repentance and the light of a new day (as the rooster crows at dawn).