History AscendedExtra / WebOriginal

* WebOriginal/FalloutIsDragons is a streamed podcast of a tabletop role-playing group. As would be expected, a significant portion of the cast are [=NPCs=] the players took an unexpected interest in and adopted.

* ''WebAnimation/DSBTInsaniT'': Fire Guy is the '''biggest''' example out of the entire cast from the earlier eras, because all he did was just ''exist'' in an unknown story in the actual DSBT, as revealed in the Special Info Episode.

* ''Literature/EntirelyPresentingYou'': Minor side characters like Lawrence and Harrian come back in unexpected, and sometimes devastating, ways.

* ''Literature/EntirelyPresentingYou'' Minor side characters like Lawrence and Harrian come back in unexpected, and sometimes devastating, ways.

* In ''Podcast/WithinTheWires,'' Season 1's {{Narrator}} of the Institute's Relaxation Cassettes, in passing asides about her life, talks about a favorite, underappreciated artist whose work she owns. This painter, Roimata Mangakāhia, is the principal narrator of Season 2, where she analyzes the works of her own favorite artist in museum audio guides.

* Tim from the youtube horror series WebOriginal/MarbleHornets is a huge example. He begins the series as merely one of many extra characters who are actors for the "Marble Hornets" independent film being made within the series' own universe. Others include Brian, Sarah, and Seth, and none of these are given much development. Tim only speaks a few random lines in the first few entries, such as Entry #12, and does not stand out, excepting the protagonist Jay's interviewing him of what he knows. However, he becomes even more important in the second series of entries when we find out that [[spoiler: He is The Masked Man who has been stalking Jay (presumably under possession by The Operator/The Slenderman).]] He continues to become a more prominent character in the series, eventually becoming somewhat of a sidekick to protagonist Jay. By the end of the series, following [[spoiler: Jay's death at the hands of The Hooded Man, Tim takes over his role as the series' protagonist]]

* Shinji Ryougi, of ''YukariIsFree'', originally started as a one-shot gag character to insult a Supporting Character, simply being addressed as Gang Member 122. By the next season, he had elevated to a full-blown member of the Main Cast and actually being referred to by name. The same has happened to other characters, most notably Rei Kakizaki, Kasumi Chiba, and Elesia Rumiko, all of whom started out as extras and were elevated to Supporting Roles and given unique subplots.

* Starting to be a regular thing in the ''WhateleyUniverse''. One of the campus jokes, the kid with the spirit of the squirrel, got a role in the ''Phase'' novels, and then her own story. Side character and campus nuisance Greasy is getting a Christmas special. BigBad Don Sebastiano got a point-of-view story, and has gotten more screen time. And on and on...

* Doctor Tomorrowland, currently a member of the Disney-sponsored hero team Imagination in the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'', started out as part of the team's background extras. She rose to the rank of AscendedExtra, and then supporting character, and then to featured player, all because one of the players decided to start including her more nad more in the story. She later became a full-blown player character.

** Bowser Junior once appeared in an episode of ''Mario and Luigi's Stupid and Dumb Adventures''. He later appeared in the "Bowser Juice" infomerical. He then appeared in "Bowser Junior's Macaroni" and is now a main character, [[UpToEleven to the point of taking over Mario's position]].

* ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'': Intern Chad was an NVCR [[RedShirt Intern]] that everyone assumed died after being sent to investigate a store that was allegedly a front for the world government in a ''very'' early episode. In the ''September Monologues'', the Faceless Old Woman's segment revolved around him [[spoiler:summoning some kind of EldtritchAbomination that frightens [[EveryoneHasStandards the Faceless Old Woman]] out of his home]] (though it wasn't made clear at the time that it was indeed the same Chad). And it later turns out that [[spoiler:he is the BigBad of Year Four, being behind the Strangers and somehow wrapping Maureen into his plans]].
* Tim from the youtube horror series WebOriginal/MarbleHornets is a huge example. He begins the series as merely one of many extra characters who are actors for the "Marble Hornets" independant film being made within the series' own universe. Others include Brian, Sarah, and Seth, and none of these are given much development. Tim only speaks a few random lines in the first few entries, such as Entry #12, and does not stand out, excepting the protagonist Jay's interviewing him of what he knows. However, he becomes even more important in the second series of entries when we find out that [[spoiler: He is The Masked Man who has been stalking Jay (presumably under possession by The Operator/The Slenderman).]] He continues to become a more prominent character in the series, eventually becoming somewhat of a sidekick to protagonist Jay. By the end of the series, following [[spoiler: Jay's death at the hands of The Hooded Man, Tim takes over his role as the series' protagonist]]

* There is a Youtube user called [[http://www.youtube.com/user/WTLNetwork WTLNetwork]] who makes WebAnimation/{{YouTube Poop}}s of ''ThomasTheTankEngine''. A lot of his poops involve the one-shot character of the Fat Controller's Butler (originally a OneSceneWonder) as a full-blown character and the Fat Controller's lover!

* Happens all too often in ''SurvivalOfTheFittest'', when characters thought only to be minor characters manage to survive to the end thanks to sheer luck, or simply becoming well-noticed. Two examples:

* ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'': Intern Chad was an NVCR [[RedShirt Intern]] that everyone assumed died after being sent to investigate a store that was allegedly a front for the world government in a ''very'' early episode. In the ''September Monologues'', the Faceless Old Woman's segment revolved around him [[spoiler:summoning some kind of EldtritchAbomination that frightens [[EveryoneHasStandards the Faceless Old Woman]] out of his home]] (though it wasn't made clear at the time that it was indeed the same Chad). And it later turns out that [[spoiler:he is the BigBad of Year Four, being behind the Strangers and somehow wrapping Maureen into his plans]].

* In ''TheGunganCouncil'', [=LiSah=] Mao and Deagan Hunt were introduced as [[NonPlayerCharacter NPC's]] but are now their own [[PlayerCharacter player characters]].

* [[SonicTheHedgehog Dr. Robotnik]] (in his ''AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' incarnation) has gone on to become one of the most popular WebAnimation/YouTubePoop characters, spawning hundreds of videos. This also happens with other characters from other sources, though LargeHam villains seem to get this the most.

** After going through a ChuckCunninghamSyndrome period following his debut, Jeffy reappeared in "Bowser Junior's Game Night 3", and has started to ascend to recurring character position, very much like the Brooklyn Guy did.

* WebOriginal/FalloutIsDragons is a streamed podcast of a tabletop role-playing group. As would be expected, a significant portion of the cast are [=NPCs=] the players took an unexpected interest in and adopted.

* Similarly, Drew Pickles from ''{{Rugrats}}'' has become the icon of the WebVideo/BarneyBunch, thanks to an AlternateCharacterInterpretation PlayedForLaughs (specifically, a closet semi-StraightGay).

* One example is ''EvangelionR'', in which Maya Ibuki goes from a [[BridgeBunnies Bridge Bunny]] to a major character.

* Doctor Tomorrowland, currently a member of the Disney-sponsored hero team Imagination in the ''GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'', started out as part of the team's background extras. She rose to the rank of AscendedExtra, and then supporting character, and then to featured player, all because one of the players decided to start including her more nad more in the story. She later became a full-blown player character.

* In ''DarwinsSoldiers'', Dr. Zanasiu's assistant originally didn't even have a name, and was planned to get killed off rather quickly. He didn't, however, and after earning a name (Zachary) he soon became one of the most important characters in the series.

* WebOriginal/FalloutIsDragons is a streamed podcast of a tabletop role-playing group. As would be expected, a significant portion of the cast are [[=NPCs=]] the players took an unexpected interest in and adopted.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Australian bunny girl Velvet appeared for one short scene in Episode 11, where [[TheBully Cardin]] is shown painfully tugging on her ears to demonstrate the setting's FantasticRacism against Faunus and to show [[KickTheDog what a jerk Cardin is]]. She very quickly became an [[EnsembleDarkhorse unexpected fandom favorite]] and Creator/MontyOum was so impressed by the fandom's reaction to her that he has promised a larger role for her in volume 2. As of that volume, she's getting her own team, Team CFVY ("coffee").

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': British bunny girl Velvet appeared for one short scene in Episode 11, where [[TheBully Cardin]] is shown painfully tugging on her ears to demonstrate the setting's FantasticRacism against Faunas, and [[KickTheDog what a jerk Cardin is]]. She very quickly became an [[EnsembleDarkhorse unexpected fandom favourite]] and Montyoum was so impressed by the fandom's reaction to her that he has promised a larger role for her in Season 2. From previews, it appears that she's even getting her own team.

* In the ''Fanfic/NineteenEightyThreeDoomsdayStories,'' a BroadStrokes AU of ''Literature/NineteenEightyThreeDoomsday,'' there's Sopron. Originally just a border area in the source material, she's become a veritable Survivor-Nation in her own right [[spoiler: as well as being [[Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia Austria and Hungary's daughter]].

* In the ''NineteenEightyThreeDoomsdayStories,'' a BroadStrokes AU of ''NineteenEightyThreeDoomsday,'' there's Sopron. Originally just a border area in the source material, she's become a veritable Survivor-Nation in her own right [[spoiler: as well as being [[AxisPowersHetalia Austria and Hungary's daughter]].

* Pretty much the entirety of the cast of ''WebVideo/{{Arenas}}'', which in the Quake and Doom universes were just selectable characters for the players.

* Similarly, Drew Pickles from ''{{Rugrats}}'' has become the icon of the BarneyBunch, thanks to an AlternateCharacterInterpretation PlayedForLaughs (specifically, a closet semi-StraightGay).

* Pretty much the entirety of the cast of ''WebVideo/Arenas'', which in the Quake and Doom universes were just selectable characters for the players.

* In the ''NineteenEightyThreeDoomsdayStories,'' a BroadStrokes AU of ''NineteenEightyThreeDoomsday,'' there's Sopron. Originally just a border area in the source material, she's become a veritable Survivor-Nation in her own right [[spoiler: as well as being [[AxisPowersHetalia Austria and Hungary's daughter]].