History CharacterPerceptionEvolution / VideoGames

*** Maiko's parents from the Hanged Man Social Link were initially ignored by the fandom for being generic NPCs who mainly served as a driving force in Maiko's story. However, after the console rerelease of ''Portable'' and ''VideoGame/Persona3Reload,'' newer players have taken a dislike to them for how awful of parents they are. They get Maiko caught in the middle of their nasty divorce, which could go on for months depending on how long it takes for the player to complete the Social Link, and [[NotNowKiddo refuse to explain to her why]]. When Maiko tried to get answers, her father [[AbusiveParents hit her]] and her mother [[BlamingTheVictim victim blamed her for it]]. After Maiko runs away, the only opportunity the player gets to call them out on their behavior gets quickly brushed off, with only the divorce itself getting brought up in their reconciliation. ''Portable'' adds an extra problematic aspect with Maiko's father where in the epilogue, [[{{Ephebophile}} he flirts with the female protagonist]], which makes his accusations of the male protagonist grooming Maiko [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocritical]].

** Ryuji Sakamoto from ''VideoGame/Persona5'' was originally more divisive for his [[NoInsideVoice lack of an inside voice]] often [[TheMillstone resulting in the Phantom Thieves having their identities exposed to outsiders]] and his [[InnocentlyInsensitive tactlessness]]. However, fans have come around to him for being a NiceGuy with UndyingLoyalty, the fact that the other Phantom Thieves were just as guilty of risking their identities as Ryuji at times, and for coming off as UnintentionallySympathetic for his DesignatedMonkey treatment.

** Nero's debut in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' as that game's main protagonist saw him facing an uphill battle with fans who preferred the original protagonist, Dante, who now filled the role of {{deuteragonist}}. While Nero's gameplay gained him some fans, it was [[VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry the controversial reboot]] that caused most fans to feel the hatred towards Nero was ill-placed, accepting that he was at least an original character rather than Dante in the reboot, whose [[YouDontLookLikeYou appearance]] and [[AdaptationalJerkass personality]] were very different -- and considered [[UnintentionallyUnsympathetic much less likable]] -- from the original Dante.

** Rosalina from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' was loved for having an established backstory, which is something not often found in Mario games. But in the mid-2010s, she has been appearing in a number of games thanks to her EnsembleDarkHorse status. However, this caused fans, especially fans of Princess Daisy to be upset of how much attention Rosalina has been getting. This is very apparent when Rosalina became playable in ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' and the fourth ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' title, in which many fans think Daisy deserves a spot. One example of the upset over Rosalina was during the release of ''[[VideoGame/MarioStrikers Mario Strikers: Battle League]]'', when she was present in the base roster while Daisy wouldn't joined later until the game's first post-launch update. It should be noted, however, that this mostly refers to Rosalina's appearances in spinoffs--her original appearance is still held in high regard, and a major part of the criticism comes from accusations that Nintendo ignored a lot of what made the character interesting in favor of turning her into "just another princess."

** Likewise, the Quarians have been reevaluated more positively in recent years. Initially, many players hated them by ''3'' because their actions are what led to the geth rebelling and forcing them to abandon their homeworld. While most players do still think the quarians hold at least some responsibility for their actions, the passage of time from the last game's release made many of them reconsider what happened to them after the rebellion. The quarians, according to the codex, lost 99% of their population to the geth rebellion, which is seen as far too much in many players' eyes to be justified as retribution. Likewise, the surviving quarians are now forced to live in poverty in a crowded flotilla,[[note]] (which, mind you, is ''a dangerous predicament'' as Tali points out, since their current homes are just a hull-breach away from causing a major disaster and killing everyone on a ship)[[/note]] and face heavy discrimination from the rest of the galaxy, who bar them from employment and largely treat them like dirt even though they are also victims of what happened. Another thing that helped change the perception of the Quarians was the Covid-19 Pandemic. With the widespread risk of infection, face-mask enforcement, sanitation concerns, and perpetual lockdowns that came about during the pandemic in the early 2020s, a lot of of gamers note how the plight of the quarians greatly mirrors what happened in the real world. Nowadays, many players feel sorry for the quarians for what they constantly have to go through, and fully understand why they are so determined to try and fix their mistakes (even if they feel it's too extreme in several regards). On a more humorous side, during & after the pandemic, players have joked that ''of course'' the quarians would be catty and paranoid about everything.

* When ''VideoGame/Halo2'' was released, the Arbiter [[BaseBreakingCharacter was a contentious part of the game]]. Many saw his storyline as an unwanted distraction from beloved protagonist Master Chief and the epic war on Earth the marketing had built up (not helped by his presence being kept completely under wraps), and his levels were perceived as boring slogs. Likely as a response to the controversy, the character's role was heavily downplayed in ''VideoGame/Halo3''. However, as the controversy faded, fans and outlet writing on ''Halo 2'''s legacy have had a warmer response to the character, praising his complex and dramatic plotline and that his portion added some much-welcomed depth to the setting by giving players a look at Covenant society. Indeed, his return in ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'' was one of the few things from that game to receive unanimous approval from the fanbase.
** Like the Arbiter, the Gravemind was a character that sparked no end of controversy when he debuted in ''Halo 2''. Some fans and critics criticized his appearance, likening it to a Venus Flytrap and drawing unflattering comparisons to ''Film/LittleShopOfHorrors''. Others felt he was introduced out of nowhere and reduced the concept of the Flood to generic "space zombies." Despite the initial backlash, the criticisms towards the Gravemind have subsided since ''Halo 2'''s debut. Over time, fans have grown to appreciate his [[CreepyAwesome sinister]] and [[WickedCultured eloquent]] [[FauxAffablyEvil demeanor]], as well as his many memorable lines. The [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome upgraded cutscenes]] by Creator/BlurStudio in ''Halo 2: Anniversary'' also played a role in making the Gravemind [[NightmareFuel more]] [[BodyOfBodies terrifying]], resembling Bungie's [[TruerToTheText original vision for the character]].

** Rosalina from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' was loved for having a established backstory, which is something not often found in Mario games. But in the mid-2010s, she has been appearing in a number of games thanks to her EnsembleDarkHorse status. However, this caused fans, especially fans of Princess Daisy to be upset of how much attention Rosalina has been getting. This is very apparent when Rosalina became playable in ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' and the fourth ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' title, in which many fans think Daisy deserves a spot. The most recent example of the upset over Rosalina was during the release of ''[[VideoGame/MarioStrikers Mario Strikers: Battle League]]'', when she was present in the base roster while Daisy wouldn't joined later until the game's first post-launch update. It should be noted, however, that this mostly refers to Rosalina's appearances in spinoffs--her original appearance is still held in high regard, and a major part of the criticism comes from accusations that Nintendo ignored a lot of what made the character interesting in favor of turning her into "just another princess."

** Rosalina from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' was loved for having a established backstory, which is something not often found in Mario games. But in the mid-2010s, she has been appearing in a number of games thanks to her EnsembleDarkHorse status. However, this caused fans, especially fans of Princess Daisy to be upset of how much attention Rosalina has been getting. This is very apparent when Rosalina became playable in ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' and the fourth ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' title, in which many fans think Daisy deserves a spot. The most recent example of the upset over Rosalina was during the release of [[VideoGame/MarioStrikers Mario Strikers: Battle League]], when she was present in the base roster while Daisy wouldn't joined later until the game's first post-launch update.

** Likewise, the Quarians have been reevaluated more positively in recent years. Initially, many players hated them by ''3'' because their actions are what led to the geth rebelling and forcing them to abandon their homeworld. While most players do still think the quarians hold at least some responsibility for their actions, the passage of time from the last game's release made many of them reconsider what happened to them after the rebellion. The quarians, according to the codex, lost 99% of their population to the geth rebellion, which is seen as far too much in many players' eyes to be justified as retribution. Likewise, the surviving quarians are now forced to live in poverty in a crowded flotilla,[[note]] (which, mind you, is ''a dangerous predicament'' as Tali points out, since their current homes are just a hull-breach away from causing a major disaster and killing everyone on a ship)[[/note]] and face heavy discrimination from the rest of the galaxy, who bar them from employment and largely treat them like dirt even though they are also victims of what happened. Nowadays, many players feel sorry for the quarians for what they constantly have to go through, and fully understand why they are so determined to try and fix their mistakes (even if they feel it's too extreme in several regards). Another thing that helped change the perception of the Quarians was the Covid-19 Pandemic. With the widespread risk of infection, face-mask enforcement, sanitation concerns, and perpetual lockdowns that came about during the pandemic in the early 2020s, a lot of of gamers note how the plight of the quarians greatly mirrors what happened in the real world. On a more humorous side, during & after the pandemic, players have joked that ''of course'' the quarians would be catty and paranoid about everything.

** Cullen. For years, Cullen was seen as a dark-hose character in terms of popularity, gathering a fanbase who saw him as the ideal of what a Templar should represent and a conventional pretty boy who was a popular request by fans to be made a romance option thanks to some flirtatious dialogue between himself and a female Mage Warden until the wish was granted in ''Inquisition.'' In the years since ''Inquisition,'' however, Cullen's reputation has taken a hit due to more people criticizing his writing[[note]]Cullen in ''Origins'' is written as a borderline stalker of a Female Mage Warden, with any romance between them having an uneven power dynamic by nature. Even Cullen's writer never understood the appeal of the character, as their idea of what happened to him after ''Origins'' was that he became a frenzied serial killer[[/note]], feeling his role in general post-''Origins'' was included to pander to fans.

* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'': Upon his introduction in ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys2'', [[Characters/FiveNightsAtFreddysWilliamAfton William Afton]] (then known only as Purple Guy) was widely praised as an effective, intimidating, and enigmatic antagonist for his role as the games' GreaterScopeVillain, being a ruthless SerialKiller whose murders of several children set the series' events in motion, and the mystery surrounding him only made him [[NothingIsScarier that much scarier]]. However, his reputation would grow increasingly divisive as the franchise trucked on, with later installments both expanding upon his previously enigmatic character by giving him and name and revealing him to be one of Fazbear Entertainment's co-founders, while granting him JokerImmunity by having his ghost repeatedly return to torment the protagonists. Nowadays, Afton maintains a position as the franchise's biggest BaseBreakingCharacter, with fans being split on whether or not his numerous reappearances undermined his initial appeal as a villain.

** Like the Arbiter, the Gravemind was a character that sparked no end of controversy when he debuted in ''Halo 2'' as part of the Bungie trilogy's cast. Some fans and critics criticized his appearance, likening it to a Venus Flytrap and drawing unflattering comparisons to ''Film/LittleShopOfHorrors''. Others felt he was introduced out of nowhere and reduced the concept of the Flood to generic "space zombies." Despite the initial backlash, the criticisms towards the Gravemind have subsided since ''Halo 2'''s debut. Over time, fans have grown to appreciate his [[CreepyAwesome sinister]] and [[WickedCultured eloquent]] [[FauxAffablyEvil demeanor]], as well as his many memorable lines. The [[VisualEffectsofAwesome upgraded cutscenes]] by Creator/BlurStudio in ''Halo 2: Anniversary'' also played a role in making the Gravemind [[NightmareFuel more]]] [[BodyOfBodies terrifying]], resembling Bungie's [[TruerToTheText original vision for the character]].

** Likewise, the Quarians have been reevaluated more positively in recent years. Initially, many players hated them by ''3'' because their actions are what led to the geth rebelling and forcing them to abandon their homeworld. While most players do still think the quarians hold at least some responsibility for their actions, the passage of time from the last game's release made many of them reconsider what happened to them after the rebellion. The quarians, according to the codex, lost 99% of their population to the geth rebellion, which is seen as far too much in many players' eyes to be justified as retribution. Likewise, the surviving quarians are now forced to live in poverty in a crowded flotilla,[[note]] (which, mind you, is ''a dangerous predicament'' as Tali points out, since their current homes are just a hull-breach away from causing a major disaster and killing everyone on a ship)[[/note]] and face heavy discrimination from the rest of the galaxy, who bar them from employment and largely treat them like dirt even though they are also victims of what happened. Nowadays, many players feel sorry for the quarians for what they constantly have to go through, and fully understand why they are so determined to try and fix their mistakes (even if they feel it's too extreme in several regards).
*** Another thing that helped change the perception of the Quarians was the Covid-19 Pandemic. With the widespread risk of infection, face-mask enforcement, sanitation concerns, and perpetual lockdowns that came about during the pandemic in the early 2020s, a lot of of gamers note how the plight of the quarians greatly mirrors what happened in the real world. On a more humorous side, during & after the pandemic, players have joked that ''of course'' the quarians would be catty and paranoid about everything.

** [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrange In the first game]] while Chloe Price had her detractors upon release, they were a minority in the fandom. Fans initially liked her for her tragic background, her snarky attitude, and for her chemistry with Max. However, over time, she became more of a BaseBreakingCharacter as many players got older and started to notice Chloe's more toxic traits. These include her tendency to use Max's powers for personal gain, her clinginess towards her, often acting like an EntitledBastard to her whenever the player chooses to disagree with her, and the fact that the player is expected to enable her if they want Max and her to get together[[labelnote:Explanation(Ending Spoilers)]]If the player has chosen to side with Chloe in the majority of a certain number of key decisions, then has Max sacrifice Chloe to save Arcadia Bay, Max and Chloe will kiss before Max goes back in time. Unfortunately, the decisions that Chloe approves of include stealing from a fund for the disabled and refusing to take a phone call from Max's suicidal friend Kate while Max is with Chloe[[/labelnote]].
** Cassidy in ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange2'' was well-liked for her friendly demeanor in her introduction and being the more moral option between her and Finn. Over time however, her possible relationship between her and Sean has raised a lot of eyebrows due to the possible age discrepancy and how she gets upset if Sean refuses to sleep with her. There is also how many people dislike how easy it is to romance her compared to Finn who, while not the most popular character, at least the game doesn't hide the fact that he has plenty of flaws. Nowadays, while she still has her fans, there are more people who label her as a BaseBreakingCharacter and wish that Finn has equal attention and/or rather have Lyla as the female love interest.
** Daniel has gone towards the opposite direction of his reception. At the start of the game, many people see him as an ungrateful brat who doesn't listen to Sean all the time and cause some issues during their journey to Mexico. Over time, more fans, especially those with siblings of their own, come to realize that his behavior is very realistic and despite his behavior at times, does care about Sean and see him as a kid who is confused about the situation he is in. Tellingly, the fans have gone from seeing him as annoying to a very sympathetic kid whose interactions with Sean is seen as one of the best parts of the game.

** Originally, a sizeable-portion of players sided with the geth over the quarians (37% geth, 27% quarians, 36% both) due to the latter race spending the trilogy [[NeverMyFault refusal to consider their hostility to the geth caused them to fight back]], their [[NiceJobBreakingItHero continually endangering themselves over it]], and ''3'' proving the quarians omitted they started and other wrongs in the conflict from their history. By the time of the ''[[UpdatedReRelease Legendary Edition]]'' a decade later, players siding with the geth were far fewer (11% geth%, 9% quarians, 80% both) due to the reveal in ''3'' no longer being fresh and feeling in hindsight the games were whitewashing the geth's actions which FridgeHorror since suggested were far worse than could be deemed pure self defense. [[note]]similar space-faring races have populations of tens of billions but the quarians were reduced to around 17 million meaning the geth killed around 99% of them, far more than can be realistically assumed all were willing or able to threaten the geth (the cultural conformity causing nearly all modern quarians to do so only emerging afterward)[[/note]] There's also the fact that the geth chose to remain explicitly isolated for nearly three centuries, not trying to make any form of contact with ''any'' of the Space-Faring Races which in the long run damages their reputation.
** Likewise, the Quarians have been reevaluated more positively in recent years. Initially, many players hated them by ''3'' because their actions are what led to the geth rebelling and forcing them to abandon their homeworld. While most players do still think the quarians hold at least some responsibility for their actions, the passage of time from the last game's release made many of them reconsider what happened to them after the rebellion. The quarians, according to the codex, lost 99% of their population to the geth rebellion, which is seen as far too much in many players' eyes to be justified as retribution. Likewise, the surviving quarians are now forced to live in poverty in a crowded flotilla,[[note]] (which, mind you, is ''a dangerous predicament'' as Tali points out, since their current homes are just a hull-breach away from causing a major disaster and killing everyone on a ship)[[/note]] and face heavy discrimination from the rest of the galaxy, who bar them from employment and largely treat them like dirt even though they are also victims of what happened. Nowadays, many players feel sorry for the quarians for what they constantly have to go through, and fully understand why they are so determined to fixing their mistakes (even if they feel it's too extreme in several regards).

* ''VideoGame/SilentHill4'': Henry Townshend was once the least popular PlayerCharacter in the series [[TheScrappy by far]]. This hatred was due to his lack of a substantial backstory, not being connected to the story in any way besides happening to live in Room 302, [[DullSurprise unemotional responses]] to the horrors surrounding him, and [[VanillaProtagonist not having much in the way of personality]]. However, as [[VindicatedByHistory reception to the game warmed over the years]] and its controversial post-Team Silent sequels continuously copied the "emotionally tortured protagonist with a {{dark secret}}" formula to diminishing returns, many fans started re-evaluating him for the better. Quite a few began to appreciate how different Henry was from most of the franchise's protagonists before and since, while his [[FlatCharacter lack of development]] was viewed as more justified (or at least tolerable) due to the story really being about the game's villain, SerialKiller Walter Sullivan. The latter point was underscored by the fact that the game's various monsters are reflective of Walter's psyche, not Henry's. Nowadays, there are many people who consider Henry a good SupportingProtagonist and opponent to Walter, and his simple motivation of just wanting to get out of his apartment suddenly seems downright refreshing. While he's still hardly a fan favorite and [[BaseBreakingCharacter retains a sizeable number of detractors]], you'll still see a lot more people defending him today than you would have for the first few years after the game came out.

** When ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' was first released and for a decade or two after, the BigBad Exdeath was derided by the fandom as a cartoonishly one-dimensional villain, being considered one of the worst villains in ''Final Fantasy'' as a result. However, his reappearances in the ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' series and the new script of the Game Boy Advance port more overtly put his [[EvilIsHammy hamminess]] on display, making it easier to see that he was meant to be a ''parody'' of cartoonishly one-dimensional villains. Nowadays, he's considered one of the series' ''best'' antagonists, with fans praising him for adeptly balancing self-aware {{camp}} and genuine menace.

* ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange'': While Chloe Price had her detractors upon release, they were a minority in the fandom. Fans initially liked her for her tragic background, her snarky attitude, and for her chemistry with Max. However, over time, she became more of a BaseBreakingCharacter as many players got older and started to notice Chloe's more toxic traits. These include her tendency to use Max's powers for personal gain, her clinginess towards her, often acting like an EntitledBastard to her whenever the player chooses to disagree with her, and the fact that the player is expected to enable her if they want Max and her to get together[[labelnote:Explanation(Ending Spoilers)]]If the player has chosen to side with Chloe in the majority of a certain number of key decisions, then has Max sacrifice Chloe to save Arcadia Bay, Max and Chloe will kiss before Max goes back in time. Unfortunately, the decisions that Chloe approves of include stealing from a fund for the disabled and refusing to take a phone call from Max's suicidal friend Kate while Max is with Chloe[[/labelnote]].

*** Another thing that helped change the perception of the Quarians was the Covid-19 Pandemic. With the widespread risk of infection in the early 2020s, face-mask enforcement, sanitation concerns, and perpetual lockdowns that came about during the pandemic, a lot of of gamers note how the plight of the quarians greatly mirrors what happened in the real world. On a more humorous side, during & after the pandemic players have joked that ''of course'' the quarians would be catty and paranoid about everything.