If you’re a fan of The Office or have only seen a single episode of the comedy, then you’re aware that Jim and Dwight have a love/hate relationship. People often note that Dwight usually doesn’t do that much to endure the pranks that Jim unleashes on him, but then again, he’s annoying in his own way, just like Jim. There have been countless pranks throughout this show, and some of them are more outrageous than the last. Also, Dwight has his fair share of pranks back on Jim, such as sending Pam an expensive bouquet of flowers from Jim’s credit card. Digital Trends did an estimate of how much Jim spent over the years on pranking Dwight, and the total comes out to be more than $5,000. So, here’s a list of the best pranks that Jim pulled on Dwight, ranked.
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8 Wrapping Paper Desk
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This is one of the more mundane pranks against Dwight, since it doesn’t actually harm him all that much. It’s Christmastime and Jim wrapped Dwight’s desk completely in wrapping paper, or so he thinks. Dwight proudly states that it will only take him five minutes to uncover his desk, thinking this prank is stupid, until he tries to sit in his chair. It completely collapses under his weight, along with his desk, once he throws his briefcase on it. Jim had replaced Dwight’s actual things with cardboard, adding another layer to the wrapping paper prank.
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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 Stapler in Jello
This is one of the first pranks we see Jim play against Dwight, and it drives him nuts. Especially since Michael makes a big joke of it all, not taking Dwight seriously, which he rarely ever does. Michael goes on to make tons of gelatin puns, infuriating Dwight even more, and the whole thing isn’t a great impression for new employee Ryan. This prank is actually duplicated later on in the series, when Jim does it to Andy Bernard, thus giving the audience a view into his extreme anger issues.
6 Jim’s Turns into a Vampire
When a bat gets loose in the office and flies around the ceiling, Dwight takes it upon himself to capture and dispose of it. Meredith gets trapped in a bag while the bat attacks her face, but Jim decides to take it a step further and convinces Dwight that he was bitten by the animal. It’s no secret that Dwight is a gullible character, so it’s easy for him to believe what Jim is telling him, especially when he starts to act like a vampire. ScreenRant states that this episode was directed by Joss Whedon, who was involved with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
5 Future Dwight
While Jim is at the Stanford office, the pranks don’t stop, even though there’s a significant amount of distance between them. Before he transferred, Jim stole pages of Dwight’s stationary, meaning that he would be able to send faxes from Stanford as if he were “future” Dwight. The prank is so good because of what Jim writes in the fax, alerting Dwight that the coffee is poisoned, leading him to “saving” Stanley.
4 Fake Jim
Randall Park guest starred in this episode as Asian Jim, with Dwight not believing it at first until things start to become too real. Such as the picture of the family, Pam and their two kids that look identical to Steve, the actor Jim hired to be a fake version of him. Dwight questions everything when Pam goes as far as kissing the fake Jim, sending Dwight into a spiral as none of his fellow employees help him out.
3 Jim Impersonates Dwight
One of the most quotable lines in this entire series is delivered by Dwight in this episode, once he realizes what Jim is playing at. “Identity theft is not a joke, Jim!” He’s so serious about it; fearful that Jim was actually taking over his life, since his clothes, hair, and glasses now resemble Dwight’s. Dwight decides it’s too far, though, when Jim brings out a similar bobble head to his own, losing his cool as he calls for Michael, which Jim mimics.
2 Pavlovian Training
In this cold open, Jim explains to the viewers of this fake documentary that over the past few weeks, he’s been training Dwight like Pavlov’s dog. Whenever his computer makes a certain noise, Jim would offer Dwight a mint, thus creating the effect that Jim was going for over time. Eventually, Jim doesn’t have to offer the mint anymore; with Dwight holding out his hand, waiting for the treat. Jim is delighted, but keeps his cool as he asks Dwight what he’s doing, leading the man to be confused as to why his hand is suspended in midair. Dwight then claims that there’s a bad taste in his mouth, looking uncomfortable and confused, as Jim basks in the prank win.
1 Best Man Switch
Perhaps the most wholesome prank of the entire show, Jim is able to give one last epic switch-around in the series finale. Despite being somewhat work enemies for the entire nine seasons, they clearly have a friendship that runs deep, especially when Dwight makes Jim his best man at the wedding. However, Jim comes up with some kind of lie, as he tells Dwight that he can’t be his best man anymore, revealing Michael Scott to be his replacement. As Dwight and Michael reunite, Jim looks at the camera and says, “Best. Prank. Ever.”
