History CharacterDerailment / Film

** John Kramer, better known as the "Jigsaw Killer". He made a huge point that he never killed anyone, merely put them in position where they had to fight and occasionally compete to live. Then in ''Film/SawVI'', he suddenly was fine with letting Hoffman use his traps, which ''did'' kill people outright.

*** In ''Film/Saw3D'', flashbacks show that he became a willing accomplice to John after the latter nursed him back to health when he attempted to cauterize himself with a boiling pipe and fell unconscious in the process. This may seem acceptable, but in the first scene we see Lawrence in during the present, he delivers a cheesily villanous-sounding monologue to Bobby, which greatly contrasts with the distrought husband/father he had become throughout the first film. Whatever real change occurred apparently happened completely offscreen, and what's more, apparently happened in the span of about two months, as we see Lawrence smiling whilst placing a key behind Michael's eye in a flashback to ''Film/SawII''. At no point in ''Saw 3D'' does he mention his family, his affair interest Carla or Adam, and he only looks at the latter's corpse rather dully in the climax when he returns to the Bathroom; this is still pretty weird with WordOfGod saying that Lawrence was still going to save Adam after his recruitment, before Amanda got before him and performed a MercyKill on Adam.

* ''Film/HeiseiRiderVsShowaRiderKamenRiderWarsFeaturingSuperSentai'' is an infamous example among {{Toku}} fans. Unlike most "Versus" movies, this isn't a fake-out; the Showa Riders have a major quarrel with their juniors, attacking them while [[Film/KamenRiderZX Badan]] raises a literal [[CavalryOfTheDead undead army]]. And even after Badan is defeated, they ''still'' insist on fighting the Heisei Riders. What's their beef with the younger heroes, you may ask? The fact that they remember and honor their deceased friends. Ignoring the fact that this makes the Showa Riders look heartless[[note]]or how it makes them look stupid; the Heisei Riders' attachments to their dead friends helped Badan bring back dead enemies, but they didn't bother explaining this until ''after'' Badan was defeated, instead jumping straight into attacking the Heisei Riders[[/note]], it completely ignores the fact that practically '''EVERY''' Kamen Rider has lost a friend or family member somewhere along the line (creator Creator/ShotaroIshinomori envisioned them as "[[HurtingHero crying heroes]]"). The Derailment actually bothered Creator/HiroshiFujioka (the star of the original ''Series/KamenRider'', who returned in ''Heisei vs. Showa'') so much that he ended up co-writing [[Film/KamenRider1 his own movie]] to do justice to his character.

* Loki got hit with this in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' [[ArtifactDomination the moment he picked up the Mind Stone]], going from being a trickster with a treacherous streak who nonetheless cares deeply for his adopted family to being a mad fascist hellbent on taking over Earth beginning with the Big Apple. He's ultimately [[CharacterRerailment rerailed]] beginning in ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', where he returns to being the habitually-treacherous trickster and a more sympathetic figure overall.
* Steve Rogers deciding he'd rather stay in the past is infamously one of the most hotly divided aspects of ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' due to being considered an example of this. Many fans felt that his subplot in this film about his overwhelming desire to reunite with Peggy is a hasty about-face after previous films placed a lot of emphasis on his desire to adjust to the modern era and his efforts at finding a SecondLove in Sharon Carter, who is [[DerailingLoveInterests inexplicably absent]] from the film, and after every past appearance of his focused on his efforts to rescue and help his best friend Bucky, whereas in this film he makes the decision to leave the now-heartbroken Bucky completely offscreen.

* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:
** Loki got hit with this in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' [[ArtifactDomination the moment he picked up the Mind Stone]], going from being a trickster with a treacherous streak who nonetheless cares deeply for his adopted family to being a mad fascist hellbent on taking over Earth beginning with the Big Apple. He's ultimately [[CharacterRerailment rerailed]] beginning in ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', where he returns to being the habitually-treacherous trickster and a more sympathetic figure overall.
** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' - or more specifically, the plot point of Steve Rogers staying in the past - is infamous for this among some critics and/or fanfic writers, saying it's selfish and him abandoning his best friend Bucky. Of course, [[BrokenBase there are also a number of people]] who say he deserved that ending.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': ''Film/TheLastJedi'' is '''incredibly''' controversial among Star Wars fans for the film's reveal that Luke Skywalker seriously thought about killing his student [[spoiler:and nephew]] Kylo Ren when he sensed the Dark Side of the Force in him, with a flashback showing him ''igniting his lightsaber while he was still sleeping''. Most fans pointed out how this was ''wholly'' out of place with how Luke was shown throughout the Original Trilogy, always trying to see the best in others and never giving up in spite of overwhelming odds, with ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' focusing on Luke trying to save his fallen father, Darth Vader, from Emperor Palpatine's influence.

** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' - or more specifically, the plot point of Steve Rogers staying in the past - is infamous for this among some critics and/or fanfic writers, saying it's selfish and him abandoning his best friend Bucky.

* ''Film/TheNeverendingStory'':
** [[GentleGiant The Rock Biter]] is a mostly serious character, who has some tragic moments ("[[DespairEventHorizon They look like big, good, strong hands, don't they?]]"). In the sequel, they give him a child. In [[{{Sequelitis}} the third]], Rockbiter (now [[InNameOnly even referred as "Rockchewer"]] at one point) is a doofus [[WTHCostumingDepartment wearing a rock wifebeater]], with sitcom-like scenes with his full family, and having [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp7aOzkAWr4 a terrible, off-key musical number]].
** Unfortunately, Falcor also got this treatment in the third movie. He was initially a wise, gentle creature that would gladly lend a helping hand, but in this one, he's the dragon equivalent of Franchise/ScoobyDoo.

** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' is infamous for this. Many critics and fanfic authors have derided the plot point of Steve Rogers staying in the past as selfish and abandoning Bucky.

* Mary Jane Watson in ''[[Film/SpiderMan2 Spider-Man 2]]''. In ''Film/SpiderMan1'', she was fairly similar to her comic self; save for being [[{{Chickification}} less independent, her insecurities played up, and essentially a]] DamselInDistress, she retained MJ's signature flirty exterior, essentially what MJ would have been like in High School. In the sequel, however, [[TookALevelInJerkass MJ loses her ability to empathize with Peter's troubles]], lashes out at him when he tries and fails to reconnect with her, then [[RunawayBride leaves her fiance at the altar when she finds out Peter is Spider-Man]], [[{{Jerkass}} with only a note saying goodbye]]. She gets a little better in ''Film/SpiderMan3'', but is still fairly selfish and quick to lash out although [[IdiotPlot she was FAR from alone from being that way in that movie]].