History FaceHeelTurn / VideoGames

* ''Everybody'' in ''{{Warcraft}}''. The only creatures who were evil from the start are the [[EldritchAbomination Old Gods]] of Azeroth and some of their servants. Everybody else started good and was corrupted by some means.

** Pictured in the main page: Arthas in ''{{Warcraft}} III'' falls to due to to Lich King's EvilPlan.

* In ''{{Starcraft}}'' you have Sarah Kerrigan, who go from being the protagonists girlfriend to becoming the queen of blades, then you have Arcturus Mengsk who seems like a nice guy then turns into a genocidal dictator. Followed by Samir Duran who firstjoins up with the United Earth Directory to bring down Arcturus Mengsk, and then betray's them to the Serg, then he betrays the Zerg to some unknown higher power.
* Not to mention the Wanderer from ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' who is heavily implied to be the protagonist from the first game. In fact Blizzard (who makes Warcraft Starcraft and Diablo) is so fond of thi trope that it has become known as the Blizzard Principle when in a video game you have to take on lasts games protagonist (or other good guy) who have gone mad.

* ''BatenKaitos'' has a fantastic example in the first game, where [[spoiler:''the main character'', Kalas]] pulls a FaceHeelTurn. [[spoiler:He later pulls a HeelFaceTurn, though]].

** Speaking of Mario games: at the end of ''PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'', the BigBad asks you to do this. You can actually say yes - it gives you a NonstandardGameOver.
** In ''MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'' [[spoiler: Birdo]] pulls out a FHT after helping the Mario Bros. earlier. Another FHT happens in ''[[MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Bowser's Inside Story]]'', when [[spoiler: Sergeant Guy, Corporal Paraplonk and Private Goomp]] betray [[VillainProtagonist Bowser]] and switch over to [[BigBad Fawful's]] side.

* The MegaManZero series gives us Elpizo in the second game.

* It's stated that [[spoiler: Gol and Maia]] from the original ''JakAndDaxter'' were good once, but exposure to [[BadPowersBadPeople Dark]] [[GreenRocks Eco]] caused a faceheel before the beginning of the game.
* [[spoiler: Bastila]] in ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic''. Can also happen to anyone you have a high influence with in the sequel, if you're [[KarmaMeter going]] [[VideogameCrueltyPotential dark]].
* Arguably, both [[spoiler: Kreia]] and [[spoiler: Atris]] in ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic II''. Yes, both were already Grade-A bitchy, but neither was definitively evil until the end of the game.

* In ''StarOceanTheLastHope'', [[spoiler: Faize pulls a big one. He doesn't just become a villain, he becomes ''the final boss''.]]
* ''[[{{Gradius}} Gradius ReBirth]]'' retcons Venom into an example of this--he starts off as James's CO, but becomes a heel after you complete the game's third loop. He goes on to become the BigBad of ''[[GaidenGame Nemesis 2]]'' and ''[[GaidenGame 3]]'', two lesser-known installments released on the MSX over 20 years before.

* In a rare example of the ''player'' doing this, the original ''StreetsOfRage'' has, near the end of Round 8, Mr. X asking you if you want to join him. In a 2-player game, if one player answers "yes" while the other answers "no," they will fight to the death, with the winner being asked again if they want to join. If the winner says no, and defeats Mr. X, the winner gets an alternate ending in which he or she becomes the new syndicate leader.

* In ''GuildWars'', [[spoiler:Vizier Khilbron, who appears about halfway through the Prophecies campaign, provides indispensable assistance to the players on several occasions in fighting the White Mantle and their Mursaat allies, and turns out to be the BigBad who has been manipulating the player all along to set up the proper conditions for his Titans to assault Tyria so he can take it over.]]

* In ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', [[spoiler:Neeshka, Sand and Qara will betray you at the end of the game if their influence is too low. And if you manage to keep Sand, Qara will automatically betray you and vice versa.]]

* [[spoiler:Aribeth de Tylmarande]] of VideoGame/NeverwinterNights does this. [[spoiler:Bastila]] was [[spoiler:Aribeth]] dropped into an alternate setting and given a more active role in the story.

* In KidIcarusUprising, [[spoiler: Pyrron]] is just your everyday, LargeHam, [[KillItWithFire fire happy]] [[spoiler: sun god]]. He's just about the only guy who knows what the [[spoiler: Auron]] are all about, and while he's mostly an idiot, he certainly knows how to make them hurt. [[spoiler: Until you reach the Auron brain, and in the middle of the boss fight he dives right in and completely takes over the alien hive mind.]]

* Both Big Boss and Zero certainly qualify with regard to the entire series. One became the leader who of a mercenary nation who start war and is the antagonist for the first two game, while Zero and his Patriots are the antagonist behind the other numbered games. All because the Boss died.

* The Boss in ''MetalGearSolid3: Snake Eater'', who switches from United States allegiances to the Soviet Union. [[spoiler: It turns out that The Boss was really doing this to help the United States regain The Philosopher's Legacy. ''Naked Snake'' kills her, taking her position as Big Boss, only afterwards learning the truth.]]
** It's more of a FakeDefector really.
** In a sense, both Big Boss and Zero certainly qualify with regard to the entire series. One became the leader who of a mercenary nation who start war and is the antagonist for the first two game, while Zero and his Patriots are the antagonist behind the other numbered games. All because the Boss died.

* In KidIcarusUprising, [[spoiler: Pyrron]] is just everyday, LargeHam, [[KillItWithFire fire happy]] [[spoiler: sun god]]. He's just about the only guy who knows what the [[spoiler: Auron]] are all about, and while he's mostly an idiot, he certainly knows how to make them hurt. [[spoiler: Until you reach the Auron brain, and in the middle of the boss fight he dives right in and completely takes over the alien hive mind.]]

* Not to mention the Wanderer from ''{{Diablo}}'' 2 who is heavily implied to be the protagonist from the first game. In fact Blizzard (who makes Warcraft Starcraft and Diablo) is so fond of thi trope that it has become known as the Blizzard Principle when in a video game you have to take on lasts games protagonist (or other good guy) who have gone mad.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' has this seemingly innocent line, if it wasn't for its [[DissonantSerenity dissonantly gleeful]] delivery:
--> '''[[spoiler: Your partner]]:''' ''"The world of darkness is going to be wonderful.''

* EVERYONE in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne''. Hikawa was evil to begin with, then Isamu sacrifices Hijiri to summon Noah and Chiaki does the same thing to Futomimi to summon Baal Avatar.

* How have we missed [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/NeverwinterNights Aribeth de Tylmarande]]]] thus far? [[spoiler:Bastila]] was [[spoiler:Aribeth]] dropped into an alternate setting and given a more active role in the story, after all.

* Possible in ''{{Spider-Man Web of Shadows}}'' if you choose to let the Symbiote have its way. In the end of an all villain story, Spider-Man becomes the emperor of the Symbiotes and rules over New York City.

* Happens to [[spoiler: Salem]] in {{Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel}}, and he is also the final boss in the game.

** In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' [[UpdatedRerelease Golden]], ''the protagonist himself'' can go through one if he makes friends with [[spoiler: Tohru Adachi]] before realizing he's the killer. [[spoiler: It finishes with Adachi becoming a KarmaHoudini for the murders, and even taunting the protagonist before leaving Inaba.]] Doing so actually gives a decent reward for a NewGamePlus. At the very least, it's much more cost effetive than what you get in the true ending.

** In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' [[UpdatedRerelease Golden]], the protagonist himself can go through one if he makes friends with [[spoiler: Adachi]] before realizing he's the killer, and doing so actually gives a decent reward for a NewGamePlus. At the very least, it's much more cost effetive than what you get in the true ending.

* Hardin and his cronies from ''[[FireEmblemAkaneia Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem]]''. In ''[[UpdatedRerelease New Mystery of the Emblem]]'', his cronies can be [[HeelFaceTurn re-recruited]]. Hardin himself, however, cannot.
** Alvis from ''[[FireEmblemJugdral Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War]]'' though he never was part of your party.
*** Orson from ''FireEmblemTheSacredStones''.

** Arthas in ''{{Warcraft}} III'' falls to due to to Lich King's EvilPlan.

** And there's also Jin, TheHero for about three games, then at the beginning of the sixth game, takes over the mega corporation and uses it to start WorldWarIII and try to TakeOverTheWorld, which prompts Kazuya to speed up his plan for world domination.
*** To be fair though, it's heavilly implied that Jin is doing this just so that he can kill off his own bloodline by any means necessary, bringing both Kazuya and Heihachi out for him to fight up front. Though [[spoiler:no one is aware of Lars, Heihachi's illegitimate son.]] Though quite villainous and menacing still, this does make Jin more of an AntiHero.

** Also, thanks to a case of LoveMakesYouCrazy and some mental manipulation from [[BigBad Hazama]], [[spoiler:[[LadyOfWar Tsubaki Yayoi]]]].

* ''VideoGame/DoubleDragon'', in which Billy and Jimmy fight side-by-side through everything to rescue the girl, only to find that Jimmy is indeed the BigBad

* In ''SlyCooper: Thieves in Time'', the villainous Black Knight terrorizing Medieval England is revealed to be [[spoiler: Penelope, a supporting character and ally in the previous game and love interest of Bentley. She has gotten tired of Bentley "wasting" his brain power with the Cooper Gang, and gives her boyfriend's time machine plans to the BigBad in order to gain profit, kickstarting the entire plot of the game.]]

* In ''MOTHER 3'', [[spoiler:Claus is brainwashed by Porky and becomes the Masked Man (also the FinalBoss)]].

* EVERYONE in ''ShinMegamiTenseiNocturne.'' Hikawa was evil to begin with, then Isamu sacrifices Hijiri to summon Noah and Chiaki does the same thing to Futomimi to summon Baal Avatar.
** In ''{{Persona 4}}'' [[UpdatedRerelease Golden]], the protagonist himself can go through one if he makes friends with [[spoiler: Adachi]] before realizing he's the killer, and doing so actually gives a decent reward for a NewGamePlus. At the very least, it's much more cost effetive than what you get in the true ending.

* The [[BigBad villain]] from the very first ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI Final Fantasy]]'' Garland's {{backstory}} states that he was once a famous hero. [[FaceHeelTurn That all changed]] when he kidnapped [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses the princess of Cornelia]] in a bid to take over the kingdom.

* ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'' sees Kabal actually ''reverting'' to his bad guy ways and ''running'' with it. After being rescued from death by the Chaos cleric Havik, Kabal hunts and kills Mavado (the Red Dragon thug who put him at Death's door) and hires young, methodical killers to rebuild the Black Dragon as a nihilistic organization determined to overthrow civilization, instead of just plundering ti like the old days. And Heaven help you if you don't fit Kabal's criteria of what a Black Dragon should be.
-->'''Kabal''': Never again will I deny my devotion to the Black Dragon. ...It feels good to have hookswords in my hands once again.

* ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'' sees Kabal actually ''reverting'' to his bad guy ways and ''running'' with it. After being rescued from death by the Chaos cleric Havik, Kabal hunts and kills Mavado (the Red Dragon thug who put him at Death's door) and hires young, methodical killers to rebuild the Black Dragon as a nihilistic organization determined to overthrow civilization (instead of a mere band of pirates).
-->'''Kabal''': [Havik] convinced me to return my clan to its former glory. Never again will I deny my devotion to the Black Dragon.

* In ''SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration'' and ''SuperRobotWarsAlpha'' [[spoiler:Ingram Prisken, leader of the SRX team and Ryusei's mentor, reveals halfway through the game that he is an alien spy who was trying to strengthen the earthlings so they would make better weapons for the Balmar. He afterwards becomes ThatOneBoss.]]
** Captain Lee in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars: OriginalGeneration 2'' pulls one of these, after spending his entire time [[KickTheDog kicking dogs]]. Even a dead family, doesn't protect him.