History Main / JerkToNiceGuyPlot

!This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16752778880.73091400 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.
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[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mitchell_jerk_to_nice_guy.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[Characters/ReadyJetGoMitchellPeterson Mitchell Peterson]] -- [[GetOut from kicking others out]] to [[CharacterDevelopment playing golf with them]].]]


Our protagonist is first introduced as a self-centered {{Jerkass}} who doesn't care about the feeling of others. Expect a series of scenes of our soon-to-be-hero being rude to subordinates, ditching his nerdy friend or kicking a woman out of his house in the morning. He is usually rich, good-looking, successful and/or charming, but lacking in friendship and love.

Then the plot happens, our hero undergoes some trial and tribulations, eventually saves the day, and in the process discovers how much of a jerk he's been, learning a lesson in humility and kindness. Yay! He'll also find love and/or true friendship in the process.

This is a specific CharacterDevelopment plot and a subtrope of both BreakTheHaughty and TookALevelInKindness. It is a form of [[HeelFaceTurn redemption story]] where the protagonist was never actually evil, just self-centered and unpleasant. A Jerk To Nice Guy Plot is more common in one-shot stories such as movies or single novels than long-runners, such as TV shows.

Overlapping sister trope to JerkassRealization. A sudden moment of clarity when they realize for the first time what a Jerkass they have been may propel this character on their journey. But maybe they only gradually recognize their faults, and maybe only near the end of their struggle do they look back and understand how much they have changed.

This character arc is likely to happen to an InsufferableGenius or JerkJock. Compare with DefrostingIceQueen, SuddenHumility and RedemptionQuest. Often, when a sequel is made, the character suffers AesopAmnesia and returns to the old, {{Jerkass}} ways (only to [[SamePlotSequel learn the same lesson again]]). This can be one explanation for a BullyTurnedBuddy plot. Compare PrideBeforeAFall. Contrast TookALevelInJerkass.

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!!Examples:
* JerkToNiceGuyPlot/AnimeAndManga
* JerkToNiceGuyPlot/FanWorks
* [[JerkToNiceGuyPlot/LiveActionFilms Film - Live-Action]]
* JerkToNiceGuyPlot/{{Literature}}
* JerkToNiceGuyPlot/LiveActionTV

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Attempted with ''The Irredeemable ComicBook/AntMan'', who started as a guy that did such things as petty theft and (on the series' advertisement) shrink in order to get on girls' bosoms, and eventually would become a more conventional hero. Unfortunately, Marvel's mishandled advertisement and the blatant, not-really-played-for-laughs-that-well {{Jerkass}}ery of this opening part of the character's arc (he uses his shrinking powers to sneak into the Avengers' bathroom and peek at Carol Danvers taking a shower ''in the very first issue'') meant that the series fell straight into AudienceAlienatingPremise territory (Evangeline Lilly, who played Hope Pym in the ''Film/AntMan1'' movie, even went as far as saying on interviews that she had read the series for research and considered it "garbage") and the series got a pretty quick death.
* ''Franchise/TheFlash'': Wally West's run is one twenty-year-long example. As Kid Flash, Wally was a self-centered {{Jerkass}} with a nasty attitude. While becoming the Flash made him mature a bit, he was still arrogant, greedy, and lecherous. It didn't help that he won the lottery soon after gaining the title, and the money kind of went to his head. However, when he lost it all and ended up temporarily homeless, he gained a new sense of perspective, ending up befriending some of Barry Allen's old villains, becoming more of a WorkingClassHero, and generally mellowing out, though he was still a bit brash and rude. He further matured when Barry seemingly returned, only for it to be revealed that it was Eobard Thawne in disguise, forcing him to realize that he needed to live up to the name of the Flash and do it justice. Over the next decade he grew even more, and by the time Barry returned for real he was a complete NiceGuy and a loving father of two children.
* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'':
** Done to Peter Parker himself in ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15. After a childhood of bullying, Peter had a massive chip on his shoulder and little inclination to use his powers for something else than his family's benefit. Then he let a thief walk past him because it wasn't his problem, said thief murdered his beloved uncle, and Peter became one of the most selfless and humblest heroes in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse.
** Flash Thompson. Originally nothing more than TheBully, Flash took the slow and steady path from jerkass to (more or less) nice guy, ultimately befriending his former victim Peter Parker and becoming a hero in his own right, first as a war veteran and then as an actual superhero, Agent ComicBook/{{Venom}}. He hasn't had the smoothest of character arcs -- lazy writers have often succumbed to the lure of StatusQuoIsGod and reverted Flash to his original JerkJock characterization -- but as Marvel redemption stories go, his is among the most enduring. He even tried to SaveTheVillain when Eric O'Grady, the Irredeemable Ant-Man above, inevitably went bad.
* A fairly recurring plot in ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} stories. Peter David's series was a lenghty myth arc about Matrix bonding with a downright vile teenager and influencing her into becoming a hero. [[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 Sterling Gates' run]] had Kara, who had been depicted as an immature brat by preceeding writers, evolve into a kind-hearted young woman. In ''ComicBook/RedDaughterOfKrypton'', [[ComicBook/Supergirl2011 Post-Flashpoint Kara Zor-El]] learns how to move past her angry, rotten attitude and goes back to be the kind, nice girl she was before losing her world and most of her family.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* The Beast's character arc in ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' is this. In the beginning of the movie, he's a selfish, vain prince, who gets turned into a literal monster until he can change his ways. First he is really harsh with Belle, but gradually softens up to her and becomes a nice, selfless person, ultimately breaking the curse.
* The first ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' movie has Lightning [=McQueen=] start out as an egotistical rookie race car who clearly dislikes his job advertising Rust-eze medicated bumper ointment and having to be around rusty cars, and longs to be the new spokesman of [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory1 the Dinoco gas station]]. He ends up lost in Radiator Springs and put on community service after accidentally destroying the main road, and over the course of the movie, he learns to be more humble, becomes friends with Mater, a rusty tow truck, and [[spoiler:turns down the Dinoco sponsorship when it is offered to him as a reward for helping Strip "The King" Weathers cross the finish line after a nasty accident]].
* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'': Gru becomes a better person and a father after he adopts three orphan girls, intending to use them for his evil plan.
* Davey Stone from ''WesternAnimation/EightCrazyNights'', at the start of the film he is a rude, obnoxious, trouble making, alcoholic jerk who bullies people and vandalizes property, he eventually turns around after getting a vision of his deceased parents and realizes how mean he is and he was acting out because he never got over losing them to a car accident when he was a kid.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'': Spoiled, vain Emperor Kuzco is turned into a llama, has to endure a difficult journey to return home and makes friends with a peasant named Pacha, and becomes a better ruler in the end.
* ''WesternAnimation/IsleOfDogs'': Chief starts out as a tough and proud stray dog who wants nothing to do with being owned by a human. But then he reveals that he doesn't want anything to do with humans because he's afraid that he'll bite them like he did with a child who wanted to pet him. After bonding with Atari, he eventually sheds his gruff personality and becomes a kinder dog, ultimately becoming Atari's new bodyguard dog. It even shows with his ImportantHaircut: he starts out with [[DarkIsNotEvil black fur]] while being gruff, but then he has a more kinder and innocent look when he's revealed to have [[LightIsGood white fur]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleKing'' is about Maximilien, a pompous lion that behaves as an asshole to everybody. After being kidnapped, escaping and saving his kingdom, he learns from his brother (who was impersonating him) thay he must be nice to his people.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Klaus|2019}}'': We're treated to the story of Jesper Johanssen, initially an entitled, smug jackass who was being pandered to all of his life, until a forced work experience causes him to rethink and change his behavior and makes him more compassionate as a result.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOBatmanMovie'', Franchise/{{Batman}} starts out as a selfish jerk who enjoys working alone, but he eventually learns to trust his friends and to bond with them properly, becoming a lot nicer by the end of the film.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'': Megamind starts out as a jerk but through the events of the film discovers the power of good and realizes he is better as a hero. This is both a Jerk-to-Nice-Guy Plot and an actual HeelFaceTurn.
* Jim Hawkins of Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'' starts out as a cute urchin, then undergoes a fifteen year TimeSkip to be seen as a sailboarding ne'er-do-well poised for juvenile incarceration. His trip to Treasure Planet as the ward of astrophysicist Delbert Doppler, and the time Jim spends as the ship's galley boy slowly file down his {{jerkass}} tendencies. Jim proves his mettle in saving the ship and surviving crew from certain doom, earning a place in the republic's starfleet academy. His mother beams with pride.
* ''WesternAnimation/MissingLink'': Sir Lionel Frost starts out as a self-centered GloryHound who is willing to put others in danger for his own reputation, but during his journey with Mr. Link and Adelina, he learns to care about others and becomes Mr. Link's true friend.
* ''WesternAnimation/SongOfTheSea'' begins with Ben being a petty BigBrotherBully towards his sister Saoirse, mostly due to him [[MaternalDeathBlameTheChild blaming her for their mother's disappearance]]. However as Ben finds out what really happened to his mother, he ultimately realizes how wrong it was to bully Saoirse. By the film's end, Ben becomes a [[TookALevelInKindness nice and more responsible big brother]].
* ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'': Vanellope when she first shows up comes off as, to be it in Ralph's words, rude since she heckled Ralph. We later see that Vanellope was just being lonely, she doesn't have a friend to talk to and that she's capable of showing Ralph the amount of affection and care nobody has ever shown him before.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Manhua]]
* The award-winning 2004 Manhua, ''Manhua/MyBelovedMother'', have RaisedByRobots the protagonist Sinbell repeatedly being a disrespectful dickwad to his robot mother due to being prejudiced towards robots. He had a JerkassRealization after finding out his robot mother ''still'' cares for him, and has been his MysteriousProtector for over two years after he ran away from home, and decides to return home to make amends.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* Music/{{Eminem}}'s discography follows his development as a person from a drug-addicted and immature LowerClassLout using his songs to humiliate his family and bully the world (''Music/TheSlimShadyLP'' & ''Music/TheMarshallMathersLP''), to a man trying to shoulder his responsibilities as a father and role model but overpowered by his HairTriggerTemper and insecurities (''Music/TheEminemShow'', the 2003 mixtapes), to a thoughtful adult able to walk away from his conflicts and apologise for his wrongdoing (''Encore''), a RecoveredAddict still terrified of relapsing and what he'd done to himself, (''Relapse'') and then to a mature adult proud of his successes, regretful of all the hurt he caused and [[TheParagon hoping to spread his strength to the listener, too]] (''Recovery'', ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', ''Revival''). GoodIsBoring has unfortunately become a main criticism of Eminem's later discography. ''Kamikaze'' halted the progression, with Eminem realising it was ALessonLearnedTooWell and that he's happier being the [[DramaQueen Drama Setter]] and [[InsultComic insulting people]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'': Byakuya Togami, The Ultimate Affluent Progeny, has been raised believing that he is meant to stand above all others in any battleground either physical, social or otherwise. He spends most of the game sneering at everyone else for attempting to cooperate at all, as the Killing Game is competitive in nature. It's only at the point where [[spoiler:Sakura's trial comes up and Byakuya is completely in the dark about what actually happened, convinced that Aoi herself was the culprit, when in reality this was what she *wanted* them to believe so they could suffer retribution for Sakura's death, which was a suicide]] that he realizes he is not as infallible as he believed himself to be. Downplayed slightly as he still remains self absorbed and very arrogant for the rest of the game, but is noticeably far more receptive to cooperation than he was before. This is pushed even further following the later reveal that [[spoiler:The Togami family completely fell due to the Tragedy, meaning Byakuya is just as lowly as everyone he has mocked. Makoto's hopeful messaging allows him to realize he can rebuild the empire in a far better way where it won't fall once he leaves]]
* ''VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry'': The Dante from the 2013 reboot goes through this during the plot of the game. At first, he's only interested in defending himself and openly tells Vergil he doesn't care what happens to humankind. As the story develops, he begins to witness the way that humans are suffering too, not just him, and expresses sympathy. By the end of the game, he steps up to their defense unprompted.
* ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002'': In his debut game Ratchet doesn't start out as a complete {{jerkass}} per say, rather he is more self absorbed and isn't interested in being a hero. The major reason he decides to help Clank initially is because he wants to see the rest of the galaxy outside of his home planet of Veldin and often sidetracks their mission to find Captain Qwark for his own self interest (such as helping out Skidd [=McMarxx=] so he can get a hoverboard). However his personality changes for the worse after Clank inadvertently almost gets them killed by a trap set by Captain Qwark, who is working for the game's BigBad Chairman Drek, and for the second act Ratchet is more obsessed with getting revenge on Qwark then stopping Drek and starts bullying Clank, at one point telling him [[KickTheDog that he will sell him for scrap]]. By the games third act however, after seeing a planet destroyed because of his own obsession against Qwark, [[HeelRealization Ratchet finally realizes how important stopping Drek is]], and apologizes to Clank before the two set out to stop Drek once and for all. By the end of the game their experience together turns the two into [[HeterosexualLifePartners life long friends]] and by the sequels Ratchet has become a far more heroic and selfless hero.
* The main character of ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', Neku Sakuraba, starts out as a selfish, anti-social JerkAss who actively hates having to interact with other people. He tries to block people out by wearing headphones, and his rude attitude causes issues early on since the Reapers' Game requires cooperation with a partner. He slowly gets better over the course of the game thanks to [[PositiveFriendInfluence influence from his partners]], especially [[GenkiGirl Shiki]], to the point where he's willing to help Shiki out with her own personal problems. During Week 2, Neku slowly comes to understand that most other Players are fighting for reasons just as valid as his own, and becomes much more openly friendly and heroic. [[spoiler:As it turns out, Neku's CharacterDevelopment ends up derailing the {{Big Bad}}'s entire plan. The whole point of the current Reaper’s Game was due to [[PhysicalGod Joshua]] and [[WellIntentionedExtremist Kitaniji]] making a wager over whether or not Shibuya and its people deserve to continue existing, with Neku, a jerk who had no regard for anyone but himself, essentially as the representative of what Joshua hates about the city. If even a selfish loner like Neku can change for the better, then perhaps Shibuya isn’t so lost after all.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Weiss starts off as a spoiled {{Jerkass}} who consider her teammates beneath her level and is openly distraught over the fact the young PerkyGoth Ruby is her team leader. After being called out by Professor Port as a SpoiledBrat, she realizes that she should work in being a better teammate than try to be the leader. After that, she befriends the rest of the team and acts overall nicer to everyone, even becoming VitriolicBestBuds with Ruby. [[spoiler: By Volume 5 she's practically another person entirely: a pleasant girl who brings her friends coffee, offers them emotional support and endures gentle ribbing for how terrible she used to be with a smile.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': This is [[spoiler: Belkar Bitterleaf's]] character arc, which comes into focus in books 6 and 7. For most of the story, he was a HeroicComedicSociopath who lived to annoy his teammates and amuse himself through violence. However, once he meets Lord Shojo and his MoralityPet Mr. Scruffy, he begins an arc towards "fake character development" that has him pretending to be helpful in order to get what he wants. But at the end of ''Blood Runs in the Family'', after [[spoiler:Durkon sacrifices his own life to save him, Belkar is stricken to the core, and beings to genuinely try to be better. Book 7 has a number of moments of him sincerely trying to be nice and helpful, and then humorously realizing he's not doing a very good job.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' features {{deuteragonist}} and DiscOneFinalBoss Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, who -- to grossly oversimplify ''his'' character arc -- goes through this.
* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'': It happens very slowly, but the eponymous [=BoJack=] goes through one of these over the course of the series. He starts out as a selfish, rude, washed-up actor with alcohol and drug addictions, but after having to face how his behaviour ruins the lives of people around him as well as his own, he tries to genuinely change for the better. By the sixth season, he's basically a whole new person.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'':
** In "Squeaky Boots", Mr. Krabs tried shortchanging both Pearl and then [=SpongeBob=] by only getting a pair of $2 squeaky boots for Pearl for her birthday and then manipulating [=SpongeBob=] into paying off the shoes. But then the shoes are too squeaky, so he decides to get rid of them and in the process he redeems himself:
### He pays [=SpongeBob=] the wages he earned (he at first added a bonus, but retracted).
### He buys Pearl the glossy shoes she always wanted to match her friends' shoes.
* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': Mitchell's character arc over the course of the show involves him going from an overly harsh and snarky detective wannabe to an intelligent yet shy ally to Team Propulsion. His debut episode, "Mindy's Moon Bounce House", establishes him as an amateur detective who isolates himself from the other neighborhood kids. Episodes following that illustrate his humongous ego and rude demeanor. As the show goes on, it's gradually revealed that Mitchell is a lonely kid who just wants to have friends, but he has very low self-esteem and a serious lack of social skills, so he builds up an egotistical, snarky front to hide all his pain deep inside. Jet, Sean, Sydney, and Mindy gladly welcome him into their circle. Mitchell is still snarky here and there, but by the end of the show, he's a sarcastic sweetheart with a true heart of gold and an HonoraryTrueCompanion of the team.
[[/folder]]
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[[index]]

[[/index]]

* ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002'': In his debut game Ratchet doesn't start out as a complete {{jerkass}} per say, rather he is more self absorbed and isn't interested in being a hero. The major reason he decides to help Clank initially is because he wants to see the rest of the galaxy outside of his home planet of Velden and often sidetracks their mission to find Captain Qwark for his own self interest (such as helping out Skidd [=McMarxx=] so he can get a hoverboard). However his personality changes for the worse after Clank inadvertently almost gets them killed by a trap set by Captain Qwark, who is working for the game's BigBad Chairman Drek, and for the second act Ratchet is more obsessed with getting revenge on Qwark then stopping Drek and starts bullying Clank, at one point telling him [[KickTheDog that he will sell him for scrap]]. By the games third act however, after seeing a planet destroyed because of his own obsession against Qwark, [[HeelRealization Ratchet finally realizes how important stopping Drek is]], and apologizes to Clank before the two set out to stop Drek once and for all. By the end of the game their experience together turns the two into [[HeterosexualLifePartners life long friends]] and by the sequels Ratchet has become a far more heroic and selfless hero.

* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'': Byakuya Togami, The Ultimate Affluent Progeny, has been raised believing that he is meant to stand above all others in any battleground either physical, social or otherwise. He spends most of the game sneering at everyone else for attempting to cooperate at all, as the Killing Game is competitive in nature. It's only at the point where [[spoiler:Sakura's trial comes up and Byakuya is completely in the dark about what actually happened, convinced that Aoi herself was the culprit, when in reality this was what she *wanted* them to believe so they could suffer retribution for Sakura's death, which was a suicide]]. Downplayed slightly as he still remains self absorbed and very arrogant for the rest of the game, but is noticeably far more receptive to cooperation than he was before.

* ''VideoGame/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'': Byakuya Togami, The Ultimate Affluent Progeny, has been raised believing that he is meant to stand above all others in any battleground either physical, social or otherwise. He spends most of the game sneering at everyone else for attempting to cooperate at all, as the Killing Game is competitive in nature. It's only at the point where [[Sakura's trial comes up and Byakuya is completely in the dark about what actually happened, convinced that Aoi herself was the culprit, when in reality this was what she *wanted* them to believe so they could suffer retribution for Sakura's death, which was a suicide]]. Downplayed slightly as he still remains self absorbed and very arrogant for the rest of the game, but is noticeably far more receptive to cooperation than he was before.

* The first ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' movie has Lightning [=McQueen=] start out as an egotistical rookie race car who clearly dislikes his job advertising Rust-eze medicated bumper ointment and having to be around rusty cars, and longs to be the new spokesman of [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory1 the Dinoco gas station]]. He ends up lost in Radiator Springs and put on community service, and over the course of the movie, he learns to be more humble, becomes friends with Mater, a rusty tow truck, and [[spoiler:turns down the Dinoco sponsorship when it is offered to him as a reward for helping Strip "The King" Weathers cross the finish line after a nasty accident]].

* The first ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' movie has Lightning [=McQueen=] start out as an egotistical rookie race car who clearly dislikes his job advertising Rust-eze medicated bumper ointment and having to be around rusty cars, and longs to be the new spokesman of [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory the Dinoco gas station]]. He ends up lost in Radiator Springs and put on community service, and over the course of the movie, he learns to be more humble, becomes friends with Mater, a rusty tow truck, and [[spoiler:turns down the Dinoco sponsorship when it is offered to him as a reward for helping Strip "The King" Weathers cross the finish line after a nasty accident]].

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Noelle Silva from ''Manga/BlackClover'' is the {{Deuteragonist}}, and much of the early series revolves around her evolving from a haughty royal to a friendly girl thanks to the efforts of Asta and her fellow teammates.
* ''Manga/BungoStrayDogs'':
** Osamu Dazai starts out as a mafia executive, utterly merciless and relentless when it comes to killing...until [[TragicBromance his very best friend]] gets killed. He leaves the mafia and becomes a good guy. Interestingly, he is still very badass at times.
** This seemed to be happening to Kyouka Izumi...but is ultimately [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] because [[ForcedIntoEvil she didn't want to be a bad guy in the first place at all]].
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': Vegeta is introduced in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' as an egotistical, genocidal asshole who loves murdering innocents and is perfectly willing to [[BadBoss kill his own allies]], and only hangs around with the heroes because [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou he wants to defeat Goku.]] As the show goes on, though, he starts to soften, partly thanks to starting a family with Bulma and partly due to dying [[DeathIsCheap twice.]] In the Majin Buu saga, he performs a HeroicSacrifice in an ([[SenselessSacrifice failed, admittedly]]) attempt to stop Majin Buu's rampage and [[PapaWolf protect his own son]]. By the end of the series, and carrying into ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', he's become a genuine hero who, while still prideful and occasionally prone to holding the JerkassBall, is more than willing to swallow his pride and help others in need.
* ''Manga/GoodLuckGirl'' is about Ichiko Sakura who starts the series as a BitchInSheepsClothing who only wants to use her immense good luck for herself. The goddess of misfortune Momiji initially tries to take Ichiko's good luck by force, but then plays TricksterMentor when she sees Ichiko is the way she is because of her loneliness. Ichiko slowly learns to care about others as she makes friends and comes to like helping people with her good luck.
* Nitta and Hina from ''Manga/{{Hinamatsuri}}'' develop into nicer people during the course of the story. At one point a character even has a checklist that documents all the ways Hina has become less of a jerk.
* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': The {{Deuteragonist}}, Katsuki Bakugo, starts off as the protagonist's [[TheBully bully]] who takes pride and joy in torturing and ridiculing him and destroying his things, at one point even telling him to go kill himself. After entering UA High, he becomes TheFriendNobodyLikes because no one wants to hang with a bully, gets showed off by his former victim and the class's [[TheAce ace]] and [[spoiler:gets kidnapped, unwittingly causes the retirement of his own childhood hero]]. While he's still greatly unpleasant to everyone but [[OnlyFriend Kirishima]], he is far more humble and less prone to violent outbursts.
** Thus far, the biggest culmination of this character development is the Joint Training Arc, where he leads a team against a team from Class 1-B, led by one of their best strategists. [[spoiler: However, said strategist's plan relied on Bakugo being the same nigh LeeroyJenkins-esque loner he started the series as, expecting him to leave his teammates behind, and allowing them to get picked off one by one. However, while he's still a massive Jerkass about it, Bakugo has by this point at least learned the importance of helping his teammates, and in turn accepting help from them. Thanks to this, his team demonstrates incredibly cohesive teamwork that effortlessly plows through everything 1-B's team attempts, and defeats all of them in a matter of minutes without taking any losses themselves.]]
* When Neji from ''Anime/{{Naruto}}'' first appeared he was a mean, cold hearted, arrogant jerk, who hated the other members of the Hyuga clan because he blamed them for his father's death, and was especially cruel to his cousin Hinata to the point where he nearly beat her to death during a match, he also lived by the philosophy that everyone was bound by destiny. After being defeated by Naruto he realizes that you are not bound by destiny and can exceed limitations, he works on becoming a better person and strives to fix his relationships with others, especially Hinata, he becomes so close to her that he eventually ends up sacrificing his life to save her.
* In ''Manga/Naruto1997'', the titular character starts out as a much bigger jerk than his most popular incarnation, and the story is about him learning to make friends.
* ''Manga/FailedPrincesses'' shows Fujishiro becoming a better person.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* Commonly used plot point in many ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'' Prince Hans' redemption fics. Exiled from home to become an unpaid servant as punishment for attempting to kill Elsa and Anna in a selfish desire to become the King of Arendelle, he starts out as a grouchy man who is baffled on how the sisters found happiness while he remains miserable, but as the fics progress, [[HeelRealization it takes a long adventure]] for Hans to realize how being deceptive and greedy made him an enemy of the sisters, that LoveRedeems, and that he should enjoy life rather than be obsessed with power in general. Sometimes, he even gets a lengthy KirkSummation from the heroes, with his response to this being a lame IDidWhatIHadToDo excuse. His HeelFaceTurn causes him to soften up towards the sisters, and he even genuinely falls for Elsa. The reason [[FreudianExcuse why]] he turned out this way is because when he was younger, he was often in the shadow of 12 older brothers, some of whom were {{Big Brother Bull|y}}ies towards him, causing him to develop an obstinate desire to be the king of another country as payback for the years of humiliation he received from them. Given his backstory, Hans hasn't met too many nice people in his childhood, causing him to think LoveIsAWeakness and SillyRabbitRomanceIsForKids.
* At the beginning of ''Fanfic/ACrownOfStars'', Asuka is too psychologically damaged to open herself up to someone, let alone be nice. After much-needed psychological counseling and soul-searching she becomes kinder and less embittered.
* ''Fanfic/DannyPhantomStranded'': [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom Star Strong]], in the first two stories goes from a selfish, shallow, spoiled brat who looks down and bully those that are below her, to a kind and caring girl willing to defend those she once look down on.
* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/ExtremelyNice''. In a plot to get Adrien back, Chloe turns to Marinette and Charisse to learn how to be likable under the guise of seeing the error of her ways.
* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' tale ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12321109/1/Gap-Year-Adventures Gap Year Adventures]]'', by Creator/AAPessimal, a sub-theme involves a classic {{Jerkass}} who has spent the previous seven years being utterly despised and derided by his peers at the Assassins' School, with good reason. When his path crosses that of two far better former Guild students than he was, he realises he is pretty much dependent on the goodwill of two people who have no particular reason to love him. The day is saved for him by his former student peers, in fact; his role is minimal, but earns him a little grudging approval. He inevitably grows up - a near-[[TheGrimReaper Death]] experience or two help - and a newer, better, version emerges at the end. The fact he is not-so-secretly in love with one of his rescuers adds a bit more bite - he realises he has to grow up and shape up, or lose her. Or [[FieryRedhead she'll lose what wasn't a great amount of patience to begin with]], and ''she'll'' definitively lose ''him''.
* In the ''Anime/{{Bleach}} '' Fanfic series ''Fanfic/{{Heirverse}}'' this is very downplayed with Aizen's arc but it's still the crux of the story.
* In ''Fanfic/KaraOfRokyn'', Jasmine is introduced as an unpleasant, arrogant asshole who is perfectly willing to beat people up for turning her down. Through the first story arc, and as her dark and troubled past is revealed, the [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} main character]] comes to pity her and want to reach her out. Jasmine starts to soften gradually, and at the end of the story she's a nicer and more understanding person.
* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' series ''Fanfic/MonsterChronicles'' is one for Duncan, as Voodoo's Disciple Duncan is a jerkass bully who cheats on his girlfriend. Then, when a supernatural serial killer has appears and [[spoiler: forces Duncan to work for him]], despite the danger he and the other contestants are in, Duncan is more concerned with his bad boy rep and avoiding being seen as good than using his knowledge to expose Cedric to the others. In the third act, he realizes how dumb that is and [[spoiler: decides that stopping Cedric is more important then being seen as a bad boy, even performing a HeelFaceTurn.]] In the sequel, Malevolence Duncan has become nicer, become friends with Cody, broken up with Gwen but stayed friends with her, gotten a new girlfriend and it looks like he has turned his life around, unlike his canon counterpart.
* A main subplot in ''Fanfic/SOE2LoneHeirOfKrypton'' has Asuka gradually stop being rude and self-centered in an effort to become the courageous, selfless hero she believes her biological father would want her to be.
* ''Fanfic/SupernaturalSerialKillersWhyNot'': At the start of the story, Yasuhide actively avoids spending time with his family and, despite claiming he wants to make friends, frequently treats others in decidedly negative ways (i.e. punching Yosuke in the stomach, causing him to piss himself). After confronting his Shadow, however, he is much more sociable and a generally nice person.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/TheBronze'': Hope goes from a spoiled, self-centered asshole to a mature, far nicer (but still prickly) adult over the course of the movie.
* ''{{Film/Clara}}'': At the start, Isaac has become a bitter, unfriendly man due to losing his son. By the end, through knowing Clara, he's gotten over it and sees the brighter side.
* ''Film/GhostTown2008'': Pincus is initially a jerk to everyone he knows. Over the course of the film, he grows into a nice man.
* In the [[WhenItAllBegan origin story]] of ''Film/TheGreenHornet'', Britt Reid is just a SpoiledBrat that makes whatever he wants, usually parties, being a shame for his father, who wants to manage the family business that is the newspaper. When his father dies mysteriously, Britt not just get the newspaper business, also he becomes the vigilante known as the "Green Hornet". Also, during the movie, he changed his ways to be a better person and a best hero in general.
* ''Film/GreenLantern2011'': [[JerkJock Hal Jordan]] learns a lesson about responsibility and being a better friend when he is chosen as the bearer of the Franchise/GreenLantern Ring.
* ''Film/GroundhogDay''. Phil Connors is contemptuous toward almost everyone and makes no attempt to hide it. Fate decides to put him in a GroundhogDayLoop (TropeNamer), causing him to re-live the same day over and over again. He decides to help other people avoid being hurt, betters himself by learning to play the piano and create ice sculpture, and falls in love. When he has improved his personality enough he's freed from the loop.
* ''Film/HappyDeathDay'': Teresa "Tree" Gelbman is a snooty college AlphaBitch who finds herself trapped in a GroundhogDayLoop where a masked killer stalks her on her birthday. Over the course of relieving her own murder many times she becomes a nicer, more sensitive person, finds true love and eventually defeats her nemesis. Amusingly, when another character in the story explicitly points out the similarities of her story to ''Groundhog Day'' a confused Tree doesn't get the reference having never seen the film.
* ''Film/JesusBro'' is about famous internet celebrity (and {{Jerkass}} HollywoodAtheist) Rick "The Rickhead" Whitehead who meets Santa Christ after passing out drunk. He becomes a {{Jerkass}} [[TheFundamentalist fundamentalist]] Christian who is set to convert all of his followers and [[spoiler:accidentally causes [[CaughtUpInTheRapture the Rapture]]]] in the process. It is only then when he realizes the consequences of his selfish actions does he decide to be selfless and [[spoiler:risk being damned for eternity by God when Santa Christ promises to save his friends if he takes the blame for his involvement]]. God hits the ResetButton and Rick learns that [[AnAesop it does not matter what religion you follow or what God you worship, only that you are a good person in the end]].
* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:''
** ''Film/IronMan1'': After rich, egotistical genius Tony Stark is kidnapped and held prisoner by a ring of terrorists, he has a change of heart and becomes the superhero Iron Man, learning in the process how to be less of a jerk. On a greater scale, he also has one of these over the ''entire'' MCU, with a lot of ups and downs from film to film but a constant progression anyway. He's hardly a team player for most of ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', and is an UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom due to his arrogance in ''[[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron Age of Ultron]]'' and ''[[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Civil War]]'', but by the time of ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' he's developed enough to be full-on TheMentor, continuing to demonstrate his massively-grown heart throughout ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''. The comes full circle in ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.
** ''Film/{{Thor}}:'' After having been banished to Earth for starting a war with the Frost Giants, Thor has to learn humility and compassion before he becomes worthy of his godly powers again.
** ''Film/{{Doctor Strange|2016}}'': Having lost mobility in his hands due to a terrible car crash, formerly prestigious and arrogant surgeon Doctor Stephen Strange is humbled and placed back down to earth when he learns the Mystic Arts in Kamar Taj.
* ''Film/TheMightyDucks'': Gordon Bombay (Creator/EmilioEstevez) starts off as a cocky, smug attorney who rarely loses a case until a DUI sentences him to community service to coach a misfit pee-wee hockey team who are perennial losers. At first, Bombay and the kids can't stand each other, but when he actually starts teaching them legitimate hockey, he begins to be kind, compassionate, and fatherly. By the end, Gordon and the team deeply love and respect one-another. {{Flashback}}s reveal Gordon was a talented hockey player as a child and he UsedToBeASweetKid until a traumatic game-losing shot coupled with the death of his father made him abandon his pro-hockey dreams and hardened him into a {{Jerkass}} as he grew up. Being with the kids brought out his long-lost sweet nature.
* ''Film/{{Sam}}'': In a variation, Sam is a HeManWomanHater who begins his journey to being a nicer person when he suffers a KarmicTransformation [[GenderBender into a woman]]. He slowly goes from a woman-hating HandsomeLech to being the sweet-natured, thoughtful young woman Samantha genuinely in love with someone. [[spoiler: She ends up choosing to stay as a woman, having both fallen in love with Doc and grown to like being a woman for its own sake.]]
* ''Film/{{Scrooged}}''. In this update of ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'', Frank Cross is a selfish, sleazy and greedy television executive. He's put through a series of ghostly encounters that teach him the error of his ways and becomes generous, honest and loving.
* Zach Siler in the movie ''Film/ShesAllThat'' is a popular jock who makes a bet that he can turn the ugliest girl in the school into prom queen. He pretends to befriend Laney Boggs, who is a dorky artist. Zach's intentions change, however, after he falls for Laney.
* In ''Film/TradingPlaces'', Louis Winthorpe III starts the movie as a classist and racist [[UpperClassTwit jerk]] who has a homeless man arrested over a misunderstanding. The Duke brothers, wanting to settle a bet over NatureVsNurture, arranged for the two men to swap circumstances, which involves [[TraumaCongaLine ruining Louis' career, kicking him out of his home, and turning all his friends against him]]. Spending some time broke, homeless and friendless [[BreakTheHaughty finally breaks down some of Louis' arrogance]], and he starts becoming noticeably less mean.
* ''Film/WhatWomenWant'': Suave womanizer Nick Marshall gains the power to hear women's thoughts, and after a series of wacky misadventures resulting from his newfound power, he learns to see women as people and finds true love.

[[folder:Literature]]
* The titular character in Literature/TheAdventuresOfPinocchio starts out as a selfish BrattyHalfPint who doesn’t appreciate what others do for him and would rather go off and do whatever he wants, as the story goes on and he suffers a series of mishaps and humiliations after his self-centered behavior gets him into trouble over and over, he slowly becomes a better person and by the end of the book he eventually earns the right to become a real boy.
* ''Literature/BazilBroketail'': Count Trego gradually turns from vain, myopic nobleman convinced of his superiority over foreigners and common people — women in particular — to a genuinely well-meaning, genial and open-minded knight. When we meet him for the first time, he can hardly stand the fact that women participate in a strategic meeting, as he deems them suitable only for housework, raising children and looking pretty. Later, though, he has no trouble cooperating with Lessis and grows a great deal of respect towards her after personally seeing her in combat.
* In Rafe Martin's ''Birdwing'', Ardwin grows from a jerk who wants to lose his best friend so he can seduce a woman they're both friends with to a thoughtful person.
* Ebenezer Scrooge from ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'' may be the TropeCodifier—a classic Christmas story about a rich old curmudgeon who is taught a lesson and learns to be a good guy and appreciate the joy of Christmas.
* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'':
** Eustace Scrubb from ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'' starts off as a whiny self-obsessed jerk, but after getting turned into a monstrous dragon due to his own greed, he grows out of it and becomes much more helpful and considerate as a result, earning a transformation back into human from [[CrystalDragonJesus Aslan]]. In the later ''Narnia'' books, Eustace becomes unambiguously one of the heroes, transformed by this experience on the ''Dawn Treader''.
** Edmund Pevensie goes through one in [[Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe the first book]]. At first, he lies to his siblings about having seen Narnia, not to mention wanting to sell them out in exchange for [[GRatedDrug Turkish Delights.]] He grows out of it after [[BigBad The White Witch]] get angry with him for not bringing his siblings to her castle and then seeing her turn animals to stone for celebrating Aslan's return.
+ In ''Literature/ThatIrresistiblePoison'' by AlessandraHazard, Ksar was a total douchebag to Seyn, belittling and mocking him, and treating him like a child. But Ksar grows to love Seyn and cherish him.
* The ''Literature/MrMen'' series has a lot of these:
** Mr. Uppity starts off his story as a RichBitch with no friends in the town he lives in, causing everyone to call him "Miserable old Uppity", but then he meets up with a goblin who punishes him by shrinking him every time he's rude to someone and and by the end of the book, he becomes far more of a nicer guy and makes friends with the people of Bigtown.
** Mr. Mean starts off his story refusing to show any kindness and gives his brother coal as a gift, when he meets a wizard that transforms his body parts into other vegetables every time he's mean to somebody, he becomes a lot more generous by the end of the book and fixes up his house.
** Mr. Grumpy is, well, a grumpy man who destroys a book and pulls flowers out of his garden because like doesn't like them and [[AgonyOfTheFeet physically harms Mr. Happy]] when Mr. Happy tells him that people like him need to change their ways. After getting tickled by Mr. Tickle whenever he's rude to somebody, he calms down his anger and at the end of the story, he only tears one page out of a book instead of all of the pages.
** Little Miss Bossy starts off her story [[ControlFreak bossing people about and telling them not to do stuff that they like doing.]] She eventually stops when a wizard makes her wear boots that don't listen to her and make her march across the countryside.
** Mr. Grumble starts off complaining about everything regardless of whether or not it's a lovely day and complains about people having fun at a party. He soon stops when a wizard transforms him into a pig every time he grumbles.
** Mr. Rude starts off mocking people for their flaws and hurling insults at people while driving around in his car, he stops being rude when Mr. Happy pays him a visit and slowly but surely, he starts showing manners towards him.
* ''Literature/TheMummyMonsterGame'': In book 1, the story largely revolves around Josh undergoing character development, growing out of his obsession with always winning after realizing his attitude is a danger to himself and his family when they find themselves in an actual dangerous situation. It's also shown in his attitude towards the new kid in town -- when they do an undeclared race, Josh doesn't care that the other boy fell off his skateboard. In the end, they meet up again, and Josh offers to just have a friendly skateboarding run alongside him.
* In Natasha Friend's "My Life in Black and White", Lexi is so beautiful that she is on her way to a successful modeling career. She is very popular and charming, but she has become vain, haughty, and self-obsessed with her looks and is viewed as an [[AlphaBitch Alpha Bitch]] by many of the less popular students at her school. She becomes permanently disfigured in a car crash, and all her beauty is gone for good. She at first laments the loss of her beauty and struggles to adjust to going from being the popular school beauty to being a lot less attractive than her former popular, pretty friends and even some of the girls she used to tease for their looks. However, she becomes a much better person as she learns that she is more than just a beautiful face.
* ''Literature/TheReluctantKing'': Jorian goes through a lot of this, becoming wiser and more mature during his toils. [[spoiler:When he ultimately learns that his beloved Estrildis found another paramour and got pregnant by him, he decides to let her live happy with him and wishes them both well, contrasting the very beginning of the novel where he swears to chop her hypothetical lover into ribbons.]]
* ''Literature/TheSilerianTrilogy'': Ronall slowly goes from being an abusive, lecherous drunk and becomes a hero.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' features Jaime Lannister, who -- to ''grossly'' oversimplify his CharacterArc -- goes through this.
* ''Literature/TellMeHowYouReallyFeel'': Rachel starts out pretty hostile and unkind to Sana, along with the people who work on her film project. Over time while getting closer to Sana she gets much nicer.
* ''Literature/TheTrialsOfApollo'': The overarching plot of the series centers around Apollo growing out of his self-centeredness and maturing.
* Nils Holgersson from ''Literature/TheWonderfulAdventuresOfNils'' is a lazy, mischievous BrattyHalfPint who [[BadPeopleAbuseAnimals torments animals just for fun]]. After a magical elf turns him only a few inches high and capable of talking to animals, and a flock of wild geese take him on a journey over Sweden, he learns humility and respect for nature, and becomes a kind and selfless person by the end of the book.

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Cleverman}}'': A {{downplayed}} example, as Koen starts out as a JerkWithAHeartOfJerk but eventually becomes a JerkWithAHeartOfGold. With much cajoling.
* ''Series/{{Community}}'': Jeff Winger starts off as a walking EvilLawyerJoke, a guy who is lazy, vain, and ruthlessly devoted to getting what he wants. Over the course of several seasons, he learns to respect others around him more due to his relationship with the study group, becoming less manipulative and increasingly takes the role of a leader who will go go lengths to protect his friends and help others.
* ''Series/ControlZ'': Gerry evidently progresses at this by the second season, coming to genuinely regret his mistreatment and murder of Luis, even visiting his tomb and leaving in it his dog tags as a way to apologize for hurting him, even refusing to help Raúl locate the avenger if he brings a gun, as he doesn't want more people to get hurt because of him. Try and imagine the Gerry from season 1 rejecting such suggestion.
* ''Series/TheGoodPlace'':
** UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist Eleanor starts out as an unrepentant {{Jerkass}}, but she slowly grows into a better person in an effort to learn ethics in order to hide her identity from the people in charge of [[{{Heaven}} the Good Place.]]
** Michael invokes this via NearDeathExperience when [[spoiler:sending the humans back to their lives on Earth. Eleanor (now back to her jerkass characterization in the pilot) is rattled enough by being saved from her death to legitimately make an effort to become a better person,]] which was Michael's intention.
* ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'' is this to [[TheStoic Hiiro]] [[DefrostingIceQueen Kagami]], [[NominalHero Taiga]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Hanaya]] and [[ManipulativeBitch Nico]] [[LivingEmotionalCrutch Saiba]].
** Hiiro starts out as cold, hypocritical DoctorJerk scolding people for feeling anything only to fly off the handle the moment he sees Taiga. He picks up some social skills, humility and healthy ways to handle his emotions through the time, mostly thanks to his colleagues, [[IncorruptiblePurePureness Emu]] and [[GenkiGirl Poppy]].
** Taiga is established as a cynnical BackalleyDoctor and Hiiro's ArchEnemy, who actively tries to remove other people from the game so he could be the OnlyOne. This lasts only until he gets stuck with [[MoralityPet Nico]]. She made him care and resolved some of his selfloathing just by being with him. It all helped to dull his edges.
** Nico is every bit as immature, irresponsible and selfish as her introduction would suggest. That is pretending to have contracted a lethal disease only Taiga and a few others can treat to see his reaction. Then, she inserted herself into his life because she wanted him to fight Emu to sate her childish grudge against the guy. She picked up something about responsibility and selflessness from Taiga (he is a complicated person) and became mature enough to work as his assistant and generally act like a proper adult instead of a [[ManChild Women Child]].
* ''Series/MotherlandFortSalem'': Petra Bellweather gets this.
** She warms up considerably to Raelle after the latter manages to bring Abigail home from the suicide mission. Initially she had viewed Raelle and Tally, Abigail's squad mates, as just impediments keeping her from success.
** Her relationship with Abigail also improves when she grows more understanding of her and less pushy about her success, becoming much warmer to her daughter over time.
* ''Series/TheOutpost'': Talon started off as a cold, cynical, loner-type of AntiHero who only really cares about herself, until she makes a few friends, in which she brightens up over time, becomes more willing to help other people, and ends up [[spoiler:being chosen as leader of the outpost]].
* This is the premise of ''Series/SchittsCreek'' which follows the once-weathly Rose family after they lose all their money and move to a small rural town.
** Johnny might be the most polite of the Roses at first, but he's still condescending and critical until he defends the town and his friends Roland and Jocelyn in his epic TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to his former friends.
** Moira is snooty, arrogant and makes suicide jokes the moment she arrives in town. She never truly adjusts, but she does gain affection for the town and its residents, showing compassion for and becoming friends with Jocelyn. When she does insult the town in later seasons, she's genuinely sorry for hurting people even if she isn't lying.
** David does not hide his disgust and contempt for the town's aesthetics, insulting everything around him. He's rude, critical and condescending, even as he befriends Stevie immediately. He eventually opens his own store in the town [[spoiler: and in the penultimate episode realizes that his BestFriend, his husband and his business are all in the town. He has an IChooseToStay moment.]]
** Alexis is the most outwardly friendly of the Roses, but she deliberately breaks up Mutt and Twyla so she can have Mutt, shattering her fiancé Ted's heart. All of this is done thoughtlessly rather than maliciously, and Alexis learns to be a kind, empathetic person who puts others first.
* ''Series/TheShannaraChronicles'': Being around Amberle and Wil gradually changes Eretria from a selfish thief to a loyal and trustworthy friend.
* ''Series/SingleDrunkFemale'': Well, jerk-to-nice girl plot, or back to nice girl, anyway; this is effectively the MythArc of the series, in part, with Sam becoming much nicer when she sobers up after being more of a jerk while drinking. Part of AA involves making amends to people whom you've harmed, which she's shown doing.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
** When introduced in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Q is an adversarial omnipotent entity who holds humankind in contempt and would love nothing more than to see the race wiped out. Over time, however, his interactions with Captain Picard and the crew of the ''Enterprise'' cause him to develop a fondness for humanity. While he still remains fairly unpleasant to be around, his demeanor changes from a JerkassGod to a TricksterMentor (who still enjoys making Picard squirm from time to time).
** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': The Ferengi that are introduced on the station start out as typical Ferengi: Quark, the owner of the station's bar, is a cutthroat capitalist while his brother Rom also aspires to be rich and take over his brother's bar, and is shown to be rather racist. Quark's nephew, Nog, is also introduced as TheNapoleon; short for his age, loud-mouthed, and chauvinistic. Over the course of the series, their rough edges are smoothed out. Quark is shown to be not as cutthroat as others of his race, and while he is still interested in getting rich, he has business practices that are considered downright ''philanthropic'', from offering credit to customers to giving ''vacations'' to his employees. Rom eventually gives up on becoming an ideal Ferengi to pursue his true calling as an engineer [[spoiler:before being named the next Grand Nagus]]. And Nog becomes the first Ferengi to enter Starfleet, and is shown to be a model officer, even having a ship named after him in the DistantSequel season of ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery''.
* ''Series/TroyFallOfACity'': For the first few episodes, Paris is a selfish, immature, man-child who starts the war because he's horny and then runs away from any real responsibility. However, after his duel with Menelaus he goes on a spiritual journey that results in him becoming much more serious, focused, and dutiful.
* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'': In "Wong's Lost and Found Emporium", the title character David Wong is rude, obnoxious, self-centered and condescending. He is completely disinterested when Mrs. Whitford tells that she is in search of lost time. When the mice that she believes represent this lost time scatter, she breaks down in tears on the floor. David is entirely unsympathetic and makes no effort to help her. He similarly mistreats an elderly man who wants to regain his children's respect. When Melinda confronts him about his callous behavior, he admits that he is looking for his compassion, which he gradually lost because of the racism that he and other Asian-Americans have to suffer on a daily basis. After David helps her to find her sense of humor, Melinda is able to locate his compassion as well as his integrity and the details of his happiest childhood memory, a family picnic. David [[JerkassRealization realizes all of the mistakes that he has made]] and decides to take over the management of the Lost and Found Emporium with Melinda's help. The two of them then help Mrs. Whitford and the elderly man find what they are looking over.
* ''Series/WhyWomenKill'': Simone starts out as a haughty, shallow woman who's very rude to most people. However, over the course of the series she grows into a much nicer person, and even [[spoiler:becomes a philanthropist]].
* ''Series/TheWilds'':
** Ivan goes from an abrasive and judgmental teenager whose own character flaws sometimes blind him to the suffering of other people, even those who have more social privilege than him, to someone who becomes more tender and empathetic to the needs of others. By the end of the second season, Ivan seems to have become VitriolicBestBuds with Kirin despite everything.
** Scotty initially begins with an Us vs. Them mentality in regards to the group and wants to hide food away from everyone but Bo. However, he gradually starts to become a team player and becomes more mindful of his best friend.

[[folder:Music]]
* Music/{{Eminem}}'s discography follows his development as a person from a drug-addicted and immature LowerClassLout using his songs to humiliate his family and bully the world (''Music/TheSlimShadyLP'' & ''Music/TheMarshallMathersLP''), to a man trying to shoulder his responsibilities as a father and role model but overpowered by his HairTriggerTemper and insecurities (''Music/TheEminemShow'', the 2003 mixtapes), to a thoughtful adult able to walk away from his conflicts and apologise for his wrongdoing (''Encore''), a RecoveredAddict still terrified of relapsing and what he'd done to himself, (''Relapse'') and then to a mature adult proud of his successes, regretful of all the hurt he caused and [[TheParagon hoping to spread his strength to the listener, too]] (''Recovery'', ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', ''Revival''). GoodIsBoring has unfortunately become a main criticism of Eminem's later discography. ''Kamikaze'' halted the progression, with Eminem realising it was ALessonLearnedTooWell and that he's happier being the [[DramaQueen Drama Setter]] and [[InsultComic insulting people]].

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry'': The Dante from the 2013 reboot goes through this during the plot of the game. At first, he's only interested in defending himself and openly tells Vergil he doesn't care what happens to humankind. As the story develops, he begins to witness the way that humans are suffering too, not just him, and expresses sympathy. By the end of the game, he steps up to their defense unprompted.
* ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002'': In his debut game Ratchet doesn't start out as a complete {{jerkass}} per say, rather he is more self absorbed and isn't interested in being a hero. The major reason he decides to help Clank initially is because he wants to see the rest of the galaxy outside of his home planet of Velden and often sidetracks their mission to find Captain Qwark for his own self interest (such as helping out Skidd [=McMarxx=] so he can get a hoverboard). However his personality changes for the worse after Clank inadvertently almost gets them killed by a trap set by Captain Qwark, who is working for the game's BigBad Chairman Drek, and for the second act Ratchet is more obsessed with getting revenge on Qwark then stopping Drek and starts bullying Clank, at one point telling him [[KickTheDog that he will sell him for scrap]]. By the games third act however, after seeing a planet destroyed because of his own obsession against Qwark, [[HeelRealization Ratchet finally realizes how important stopping Drek is]], and apologizes to Clank before the two set out to stop Drek once and for all. By the end of the game their experience together turns the two into [[HeterosexualLifePartners life long friends]] and by the sequels Ratchet has become a far more heroic and selfless hero.
* The main character of ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', Neku Sakuraba, starts out as a selfish, anti-social JerkAss who actively hates having to interact with other people. He tries to block people out by wearing headphones, and his rude attitude causes issues early on since the Reapers' Game requires cooperation with a partner. He slowly gets better over the course of the game thanks to [[PositiveFriendInfluence influence from his partners]], especially [[GenkiGirl Shiki]], to the point where he's willing to help Shiki out with her own personal problems. During Week 2, Neku slowly comes to understand that most other Players are fighting for reasons just as valid as his own, and becomes much more openly friendly and heroic. [[spoiler:As it turns out, Neku's CharacterDevelopment ends up derailing the {{Big Bad}}'s entire plan. The whole point of the current Reaper’s Game was due to [[PhysicalGod Joshua]] and [[WellIntentionedExtremist Kitaniji]] making a wager over whether or not Shibuya and its people deserve to continue existing, with Neku, a jerk who had no regard for anyone but himself, essentially as the representative of what Joshua hates about the city. If even a selfish loner like Neku can change for the better, then perhaps Shibuya isn’t so lost after all.]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Weiss starts off as a spoiled {{Jerkass}} who consider her teammates beneath her level and is openly distraught over the fact the young PerkyGoth Ruby is her team leader. After being called out by Professor Port as a SpoiledBrat, she realizes that she should work in being a better teammate than try to be the leader. After that, she befriends the rest of the team and acts overall nicer to everyone, even becoming VitriolicBestBuds with Ruby. [[spoiler: By Volume 5 she's practically another person entirely: a pleasant girl who brings her friends coffee, offers them emotional support and endures gentle ribbing for how terrible she used to be with a smile.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': This is [[spoiler: Belkar Bitterleaf's]] character arc, which comes into focus in books 6 and 7. For most of the story, he was a HeroicComedicSociopath who lived to annoy his teammates and amuse himself through violence. However, once he meets Lord Shojo and his MoralityPet Mr. Scruffy, he begins an arc towards "fake character development" that has him pretending to be helpful in order to get what he wants. But at the end of ''Blood Runs in the Family'', after [[spoiler:Durkon sacrifices his own life to save him, Belkar is stricken to the core, and beings to genuinely try to be better. Book 7 has a number of moments of him sincerely trying to be nice and helpful, and then humorously realizing he's not doing a very good job.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' features {{deuteragonist}} and DiscOneFinalBoss Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, who -- to grossly oversimplify ''his'' character arc -- goes through this.
* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'': It happens very slowly, but the eponymous [=BoJack=] goes through one of these over the course of the series. He starts out as a selfish, rude, washed-up actor with alcohol and drug addictions, but after having to face how his behaviour ruins the lives of people around him as well as his own, he tries to genuinely change for the better. By the sixth season, he's basically a whole new person.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'':
** In "Squeaky Boots", Mr. Krabs tried shortchanging both Pearl and then [=SpongeBob=] by only getting a pair of $2 squeaky boots for Pearl for her birthday and then manipulating [=SpongeBob=] into paying off the shoes. But then the shoes are too squeaky, so he decides to get rid of them and in the process he redeems himself:
### He pays [=SpongeBob=] the wages he earned (he at first added a bonus, but retracted).
### He buys Pearl the glossy shoes she always wanted to match her friends' shoes.
* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': Mitchell's character arc over the course of the show involves him going from an overly harsh and snarky detective wannabe to an intelligent yet shy ally to Team Propulsion. His debut episode, "Mindy's Moon Bounce House", establishes him as an amateur detective who isolates himself from the other neighborhood kids. Episodes following that illustrate his humongous ego and rude demeanor. As the show goes on, it's gradually revealed that Mitchell is a lonely kid who just wants to have friends, but he has very low self-esteem and a serious lack of social skills, so he builds up an egotistical, snarky front to hide all his pain deep inside. Jet, Sean, Sydney, and Mindy gladly welcome him into their circle. Mitchell is still snarky here and there, but by the end of the show, he's a sarcastic sweetheart with a true heart of gold and an HonoraryTrueCompanion of the team.
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** Edmund Pevensie goes through one in [[Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe the first book]]. At first, he lies to his siblings about having seen Narnia, not to mention wanting to sell them out in exchange for [[GRatedDrug Turkish Delights.]] He grows out of it after [[BigBad The White Witch]] throws him in her dungeon for not bringing his siblings to her castle and then seeing her turn animals to stone for celebrating Aslan's return.

* Ebenezer Scrooge from ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'' may be the TropeCodifier- a classic christmas story about a rich old curmudgeon who is taught a lesson and learns to be a good guy and appreciate the joy of christmas.

* Music/{{Eminem}}'s discography follows his development as a person from a drug-addicted and immature LowerClassLout using his songs to humiliate his family and bully the world (''Music/TheSlimShadyLP'' & ''Music/TheMarshallMathersLP''), to a man trying to shoulder his responsibilities as a father and role model but overpowered by his HairTriggerTemper and insecurities (''Music/TheEminemShow'', the 2003 mixtapes), to a thoughtful adult able to walk away from his conflicts and apologise for his wrongdoing (''Encore''), a RecoveredAddict still terrified of relapsing and what he'd done to himself, (''Relapse'') and then to a mature adult proud of his successes, regretful of all the hurt he caused and [[TheParagon hoping to spread his strength to the listener, too]] (''Recovery'', ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', ''Revival''). GoodIsBoring has unfortunately become a main criticism of Eminem's later discography. ''Kamikaze'' halted the progression, with Eminem realising it was ALessonLearnedTooWell and that he's happier being the [[DramaKing Drama Setter]] and [[InsultComic insulting people]].

* Music/{{Eminem}}'s discography follows his development as a person from a drug-addicted and immature LowerClassLout using his songs to humiliate his family and bully the world, to a man trying to shoulder his responsibilities as a father and role model but overpowered by his HairTriggerTemper and insecurities, to a thoughtful adult able to walk away from his conflicts and apologise for his wrongdoing, a RecoveredAddict still terrified of relapsing and going back, and then to a mature adult proud of his successes, regretful of all the hurt he caused and [[TheParagon hoping to spread his strength to the listener, too]]. ''Kamikaze'' did walk this backwards slightly, in which Eminem realises it was ALessonLearnedTooWell and that being the [[DramaKing Drama Setter]] is who he is, deep down.

* ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002'': In his debut game Ratchet doesn't start out as a complete {{jerkass}} per say, rather he is more self absorbed and isn't interested in being a hero. The major reason he decides to help Clank initially is because he wants to see the rest of the galaxy outside of his home planet of Velden and often sidetracks their mission to find Captain Qwark for his own self interest (such as helping out Skidd [=McMarxx=] so he can get a hoverboard). However his personality changes for the worse after Clank inadvertently almost gets them killed by a trap set by Captain Qwark, who is working for the games BigBad Chairman Drek, and for the second act Ratchet is more obsessed with getting revenge on Qwark then stopping Drek and starts bullying Clank, at one point telling him [[KickTheDog that he will sell him for scrap]]. By the games third act however, after seeing a planet destroyed because of his own obsession against Qwark, [[HeelRealization Ratchet finally realizes how important stopping Drek is]], and apologizes to Clank before the two set out to stop Drek once and for all. By the end of the game their experience together turns the two into [[HeterosexualLifePartners life long friends]] and by the sequels Ratchet has become a far more heroic and selfless hero.

* ''Manga/BinboGamiGa'' is about Ichiko Sakura who starts the series as a BitchInSheepsClothing who only wants to use her immense good luck for herself. The goddess of misfortune Momiji initially tries to take Ichiko's good luck by force, but then plays TricksterMentor when she sees Ichiko is the way she is because of her loneliness. Ichiko slowly learns to care about others as she makes friends and comes to like helping people with her good luck.