History Main / Basebreaker

** Kabuto. All but invoked, Kabuto's actions across series have created multitudes of fans and haters. From his first appearance as a cool nerdy good guy, his betrayal and manipulation of his friends for Orchimaru's sake, to after Orchimaru's [[spoiler: death]] even helping Naruto, but ''now'' [[spoiler: he's actually given ''Tobi'' a run for his money, screwing up part of his plans, has revived a massive number of fallen ninja with Edo Tensei and forced them to do battle against loved ones or run rampant once more, trapped Anko in his jutsu to sustain it while she withers away, and on top of everything he's done, he's now assumed the shape of a serpent.]]

** This can also apply to at least one major villain, namely [[spoiler:[[BigBad Tobi/"Madara Uchiha"]]]]: One side think he's a MagnificentBastard for being able to manipulate everyone and play TheManBehindTheMan, while the others think he fails as a villain for not displaying any impressive powers, [[ReplacementScrappy not being Orochimaru]], and being [[spoiler:[[GuiltByAssociation related to]] Sasuke]]. That seems to have changed during [[spoiler:his appearance in the war, where he shows [[ComboPlatterPowers an array of different abilities]], while still remaining largely a mystery.]]

** This can also apply to at least one major villain, namely [[spoiler:[[BigBad Tobi/"Madara Uchiha"]]]]: One side think he's a MagnificentBastard for being able to manipulate everyone and play TheManBehindTheMan, while the others think he sucks as a villain for being (currently) physically weak, [[OrcusOnHisThrone practically never getting involved in anything personally]], [[ReplacementScrappy not being Orochimaru]], and being [[spoiler:[[GuiltByAssociation related to]] Sasuke]]. However, when [[spoiler: he killed Konan]], this changed: he got control of [[spoiler: seven Jinchuriki, a Rinnegan, apparently can use Izanagi, and he struck a deal with Kabuto, although this is a major hindrance to his plans.]] This established he TookALevelInBadass, and it got even more stunning when [[spoiler: the ''real'' Madara Uchiha was brought back from the dead, released to do battle by a backstabbing Kabuto, and ruined all but the mask of Tobi's disguise.]]
** As of late, Kabuto. He's made it a habit of doing above-and-beyond cruel things: betrayal and manipulation are his best friends, but ''now'' [[spoiler: he's actually given ''Tobi'' a run for his money, screwing up part of his plans, has revived a massive number of fallen ninja with Edo Tensei and forced them to do battle against loved ones or run rampant once more, trapped Anko in his jutsu to sustain it while she withers away, and on top of everything he's done, he's now assumed the shape of a disgusting serpent.]] Because of his irredeemable actions and sadism, Kabuto makes it his M.O. to be the center of hatred under any given circumstances.
** Danzo is also a matter of contention: People are generally split between thinking [[MagnificentBastard he's a great villain]], that he's too much of a traitorous asshole to be any more than a SmugSnake, and that [[DesignatedVillain he shouldn't even be considered a villain]].

*** That last part is a bit debatable. Thanks to the powers of CharacterDevelopment, Naruto's slowly, but surely clawed himself out of this abyss. However, the biggest qualms fans nowadays have about him is his tendency to (for lack of a better word) ''divebomb'' into StupidGood in regards to all matters concerning Sasuke, so Naruto's status as this currently is more or less a byproduct of Sasuke's own base breaking.
** And it's not just the boys either. Mention Sakura Haruno or Hinata Hyuuga, especially where pairings are concerned, on your average Naruto message board and you'll soon have a flame war on your hands. Sakura is either considered to be a [[ThisLoserIsYou flawed]] but likeable enough girl who genuinely wants to do the right thing, or a [[ManipulativeBitch raging bitch]] who treats Naruto like crap while fawning over Sasuke. Hinata, meanwhile, is either a kind-hearted PluckyGirl with not one cruel bone in her body, or a creepy, drippy StalkerWithACrush, depending on who you talk to. Oh, and one or the other, or ''both'', are useless.
** Out of anything that is ever said on a forum, '''''NEVER put Hidan and Shikamaru in the same sentence and glorify one over the other.''''' This is the trigger to an all out [[InternetBackdraft flamewar]].

** Many rival characters qualify, particularly Paul or any of the other Diamond/Pearl rivals.
*** Paul is one of the more extreme examples. While initially designed to be a [[TakeThat salvo]] against the StopHavingFunGuys, he wound up developing a MisaimedFandom. Said MisaimedFandom adore him for being a break from the soft "frienemies" Ash made in Hoenn, while others want to punch him in the face ([[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown repeatedly]]) for the abominable way he treats those around him. There is ''very little'' grey ground in regards to him, ''[[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment AND WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT!!]]''

* TimothyDalton's portrayal of JamesBond in ''TheLivingDaylights'' and ''LicenseToKill'' has divided fans. Some loved his hard-edged portrayal of Bond. Others agreed with Roger Moore's assessment that the role was too preposterous to be taken seriously. Though he has gotten somewhat [[VindicatedByHistory vindicated]] thanks to DanielCraig's similar portrayal.

* [[CuteShotaroBoy Ayumu]] from ''HoshizoraEKakaruHashi''. Either you're [[StupidSexyFlanders gay for him]] or [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling you want to kill him]]. The fact for the later group he borders in CreatorsPet terrtory doesn't help, either.

*** Paul is one of the more extreme examples. While initially designed to be a [[TakeThat salvo]] against the StopHavingFunGuys, he wound up developing a MisaimedFandom (and sadly, [[TheWesley some of the writers may have been in this group]]). Said MisaimedFandom adore him for being a break from the soft "frienemies" Ash made in Hoenn, while others want to punch him in the face ([[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown repeatedly]]) for the abominable way he treats those around him. There is ''very little'' grey ground in regards to him, ''[[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment AND WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT!!]]''

* [[CuteShotaroBoy Ayumu]] from ''HoshizoraEKakaruHashi''. Either you're [[StupidSexyFlanders gay for him]] or [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling you want to kill him]]. The fact for the later group he borders in TheWesley terrtory doesn't help, either.

* Mary Jane Watson-Parker of the {{Spider-Man}} comics is an interesting case, because the split largely occurs between the audience and the creators - most of the fans love her, while many at Marvel hate her. Mary Jane is thus a rare ''inversion'' of TheWesley.

* Kitty Pride of ''UltimateSpiderMan'' is either seen as an interesting, welcome addition to the Spidey cast or Brian Michael Bendis' own personal [[TheWesley Wesley]] [[MarySue Sue.]]
* LukeCage has become this over the years thanks to becoming the pet character of BrianBendis. Much contention has gone over the the fact that Bendis has pushed Cage to be one of the stars of the New Avengers team. Fandom is divided over whether he's been RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap or if he's a [[SpotlightStealingSquad Spotlight Stealing]] [[TheWesley Wesley]].

* Several in the ''HarryPotter'' series:

** Ben Skywalker: CuteShotaroBoy, TheWesley, or extreme case of BreakTheCutie?

* Rose Tyler from ''Series/DoctorWho'' may count. She's not an EnsembleDarkhorse as she was introduced as a main character from the start, but she's definitely split the fandom into people who think [[ShillingTheWesley the writers are shoehorning her into way too many plotlines after her exit from the show]], and people who think they're not doing it enough.
** Anything that applies to Rose also applies to River. CanonSue or the protagonist's perfect match?

* On ''Series/{{House}}'', the decision to have Chase, Cameron and Foreman leave the diagnostics department, and the subsequent story arc in which LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vied to replace them. Several of these characters developed fan followings in their own right, particularly the "Ridiculously Old Fraud," Dr. Cole the black Mormon, and Cutthroat Bitch. Depending on who you ask, a) the new team is fresh blood and exactly what the show needed, b) the show needed fresh blood but they picked the wrong people, or c) they should never have changed teams at all. Many fans agree that new hire Thirteen is TheWesley, however.

* Dick Casablancas from ''VeronicaMars''. Either he's hilarious comic relief, or a [[TheWesley Wesley]] miles over the MoralEventHorizon, being [[spoiler:responsible for Veronica's rape.]]

** This troper is surprised that no one has yet mentioned the show's latest and greatest base breaker, Blaine. Arrogant MartyStu with an overrated voice who merely exists to date [[spoiler: Kurt]] or talented mentor-figure who serves as a pleasant counterweight to New Directions' insanity?

*** The Russell base has since mostly repaired itself. He came back in ''Heroes Vs. Villains'' just as abrasive as before and the producers again [[SpotlightStealingSquad refused to take the camera off of him]]. Combine that with the fact that he was now being compared to ''competent'' players, and he didn't come off so well. And then his [[TheWesley Wesley]] status was made clear a year later, when he and his ''H vs V'' rival "Boston" Rob were brought back to feud with each other - fans (and even Russell's tribe) agreed that Russell couldn't leave fast enough.

* When ''BabylonFive'' was initially broadcast, Marcus Cole caused a lot of trouble in the fanbase, as there were vocal people who believed that he was either (a) both a fun snarker, and incredibly hot in a soulfully tragic way or (b) an irritating Gary Stu who was [[TheWesley superfluous to the story]] and only brought in to be MrFanservice. Things got even more heated when he ambiguously died at the end of the fourth season and some of his fans launched a campaign to have him resurrected while his anti-fans celebrated.

** [[RobotGirl Aigis]] is either a likeable, BadassAdorable with great CharacterDevelopment, or [[{{Squick}} an]] [[FanDisservice abomination]] who doesn't deserve her popularity, [[SpotlightStealingSquad stole the spotlight from the rest of SEES when she joined, in particular, stealing]] [[ImpliedLoveInterest Yukari's]] role and being a RelationshipSue, and shouldn't have been [[TheWesley the main character]] of The Answer

* Godot from the ''AceAttorney''. Half love him because [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome he has style]] and [[FreudianExcuse they feel sorry for him]], while half hate his guts [[WhatAnIdiot because of his actions]] and because [[ShillingTheWesley the writers made all the characters at the end of the third game praise him]] and ignore his part in the final mystery.

* As far as most {{Zelda}} fans are concerned, [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Toon Link]] is either a CuteShotaroBoy who is there to give the [[TheLegendOfZelda franchise]] a [[LighterAndSofter lighter side]], or a big headed, [[TastesLikeDiabetes childish]], [[TheScrappy over]][[TheWesley used]] [[SuperDeformed deformity]] who is only there to [[RuinedFOREVER "ruin"]] the [[TheLegendOfZelda franchise]]. The fact that he also [[ReplacementScrappy took over the designated "alternate counterpart of Link" spot from]] [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime the younger Link from the]] [[MajorasMask Nintendo 64 titles]] in ''[[SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' didn't help matters, either.

* ''CodenameKidsNextDoor'': [[TheLancer Numbuh 5]] is either the best character on the show, or a [[TheWesley Wesley]] [[CanonSue Sue]] who outshines more interesting characters.

*** {{Genesis}}. Depending on your point of view, Phil Collins is either a spotlight-stealing diva who diluted one of the greatest prog rock bands into bland pop, or an exceptionally talented singer/songwriter/drummer who took the band from relative obscurity to a household name by bridging prog rock and pop. Inversely, Peter Gabriel is either a complete weirdo masquerading storytelling, strange imagery and misplaced cosplay as rock music, or an unconventional, innovative showman who pushes back boundaries and took prog rock to the limits of where it could go.

* Lina from ''YinYangYo''.

* Joshua from ''TheWorldEndsWithYou'' is either a hilariously prissy {{bishonen}} or an annoying smarmy {{jerkass}}.

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* As far as most {{Zelda}} fans are concerned, [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Toon Link]] is either a CuteShotaroBoy who is there to give the [[TheLegendOfZelda franchise]] a [[LighterAndSofter lighter side]], or a big headed, [[TastesLikeDiabetes childish]], [[TheScrappy over]][[TheWesley used]] [[SuperDeformed deformity]] who is only there to [[RuinedFOREVER "ruin"]] the [[TheLegendOfZelda franchise]]. The fact that he also [[ReplacementScrappy took over the designated "alternate counterpart of Link" spot from]] [[OcarinaOfTime the younger Link from the]] [[MajorasMask Nintendo 64 titles]] in ''[[SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' didn't help matters, either.

** Not to mention Rainbow Dash too, though most of her broken base has to do with the controversy surrounding Rainbow Dash's treatment of her potential pets in May The Best Pet Win, as well as her [[FlanderizationFlanderized]] ego in The Mysterious Mare Do Well. Basically, most of the fanbase admire her for her bravery, pride, and special abilities, though Rainbow Dash's vocal hatedom translates those traits into brashness, arrogance, and Mary Sueism.

** Not to mention Rainbow Dash too, though most of her broken base has to do with the controversy surrounding Rainbow Dash's treatment of her potential pets in May The Best Pet Win, as well as her [[Flanderization Flanderized]] ego in The Mysterious Mare Do Well. Basically, most of the fanbase admire her for her bravery, pride, and special abilities, though Rainbow Dash's vocal hatedom translates those traits into brashness, arrogance, and Mary Sueism.

** Not to mention Reshiram, the mascot of ''Black'', but to a lesser extent. Some people think it's the most awesome thing ever for being a [[{{OlympusMons}} super-powerful]] [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angelic]] [[PlayingWithFire fire]] [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon]], while others criticize it for its rather silly design (usually drawing attention to a certain [[FreudWasRight fur/feather tuft]]). Its counterpart Zekrom, while more popular, also receives some flak from [[NostalgiaFilter early-generation elitists]] for looking too much like a {{Digimon}} due to its overly detailed design.

** Not to mention Reshiram, the mascot of ''Black'', but to a lesser extent. Some people think it's the most awesome thing ever for being a [[{{OlympusMons}} super-powerful]] [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angelic]] [[PlayingWithFire fire]] [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon]], while others criticize it for its rather silly design (usually drawing attention to a certain [[FreudWasRight fur/feather tuft]]). Its counterpart Zekrom, while more popular, also receives some flak for looking too much like a {{Digimon}} due to its overly detailed design.

* On ''{{House}}'', the decision to have Chase, Cameron and Foreman leave the diagnostics department, and the subsequent story arc in which LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters vied to replace them. Several of these characters developed fan followings in their own right, particularly the "Ridiculously Old Fraud," Dr. Cole the black Mormon, and Cutthroat Bitch. Depending on who you ask, a) the new team is fresh blood and exactly what the show needed, b) the show needed fresh blood but they picked the wrong people, or c) they should never have changed teams at all. Many fans agree that new hire Thirteen is TheWesley, however.

** Gambit was the first X-Men character created without a complex, angsty backstory, designed to run entirely off the RuleOfCool. It could be argued that this either made him [[EstrogenBrigadeBait cooler and sexier]] than [[KudzuPlot the other massively complicated characters on the team]] or just made him shallow and unsympathetic. The base is also broken on [[TheAtoner later]] [[YourCheatingHeart attempts]] at [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder characterization]]...

* Sylar on ''Series/{{Heroes}}''. A lot of the show's fans think he should have been decisively killed off at the end of the first season (mainly due to his constant trips through the HeelFaceRevolvingDoor, as well as his tendency to hand the IdiotBall to anyone who shares a scene with him), while other fans would argue he's the only character worth watching (because Zachary Quinto is a good actor, and the fact that he's [[EstrogenBrigadeBait easy on the eyes]] doesn't hurt either).

* When ''BabylonFive'' was initially broadcast, Marcus Cole caused a lot of trouble in the fanbase, as there were vocal people who believed that he was either (a) both a fun snarker, and incredibly hot in a soulfully tragic way or (b) an irritating Gary Stu who was [[TheWesley superfluous to the story]] and only brought in to be EstrogenBrigadeBait. Things got even more heated when he ambiguously died at the end of the fourth season and some of his fans launched a campaign to have him resurrected while his anti-fans celebrated.

* [[TokenEvilTeammate Bishop]] from ''NeverwinterNights2'': either [[EstrogenBrigadeBait object]] of [[DracoInLeatherPants fangirly adoration]] or [[MoralEventHorizon irredeemable]], [[FaceHeelTurn despicable]] [[StupidEvil piece of scum]].

* MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic: Pinkie Pie. Her LooneyTunes-esque wackiness either makes her the best character on the show, or one of the most annoying, at least as far as the fandom is concerned.

This has a peculiar tendency to happen to {{dark and troubled|Past}} AntiHero MrFanservice types, where some fans find them identifiable and compelling, some [[MrFanservice find them attractive]] and [[TheWoobie sympathetic]], while others think they are [[{{Wangst}} absolutely insufferable]].

This phenomenon tends to put the creators in an awkward position, as they can't increase or decrease focus on the particular character without angering one segment of the fanbase. Depending on how it goes, SpotlightStealingSquad and WolverinePublicity can be the ugly results.