History Main / MidSeasonUpgrade

** Being based on Gundam, ''BBSenshiSangokuden'' would hand out {{Mid Season Upgrade}}s at several different points in time, turning characters into mechas related to their archetypes. Ryuubi Gundam turned from the classic RX-78-2 into the Perfect Gundam, Shiba-I Sazabi evolved into the Nightingale, the list goes on.

** He does it again, this time UpToEleven, in ''Film/IronMan3'' with ''42'' suits. It's explained as his coping mechanism to deal with the PTSD of his near-death experience in ''Film/TheAvengers''.

* In {{Smallville}}, [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark]] gets new powers (XRayVision, [[EyeBeams heat vision]], [[SuperSenses super hearing]], etc.) as mid season upgrades usually just in time to use it to save the day. It is not NewPowersAsThePlotDemands as they are all [[SuperpowerLottery established powers of Superman]].
* ''SuperSentai'', and by association ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', often add to the heroes' arsenal about midseason... usually just in time for the Christmas shopping season. The most common additions come in three flavors:

*** Interetsing only Duo and Wufei actually get their upgrades mid season. Heero doesn't get to keep Wing Zero for good and Trowa and Quatre don't get their upgrades until the very final arc.

* Happens at various points in ''CodeGeass'', though rarely with actual upgrades.

* ''Franchise/{{Zoidfs}}'':

* In ''{{Zoids}} Chaotic Century'', Van's Shield Liger was magically transformed into a Blade Liger after getting trashed in a battle.

** This happens in every Zoids series, really, given the MerchandiseDriven nature of the show. A notable subversion is Bit Cloud's Liger Zero in New Century/Zero, which could be transformed into various specialised units thanks to its Changing Armour System, but defeated the final, ultimate antagonist (the Berserk Fury) in its original basic armour.
*** The scene where they show an X-ray of Liger Zero's Organoid system imply that it may in fact be Van's original Liger permanently fused with Zeke, which, if true, would make it a Between Season Upgrade.
*** In the same series Brad upgraded in a similar way to Irvine, from a Command Wolf into a prototype Zoid called the Shadow Fox.
** ''Zoids Genesis'' to most of the protagonist units - except the main one, which already had its own [[TransformingMecha powers]].

** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam The V2 Gundam]] is a straight example of this, even though the protagonist would occasionally pilot the previous model or even an enemy unit.

*** Their rival, Tatsuki, also goes through an upgrade from the Zaku Amazing to Kaempfer Amazing.

* ''{{Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann}}'''s most obvious upgrade is [[MechaExpansionPack hijacking a flying Gunmen and converting it into a jetpack/mega boomerang]]. Since the jetpack was attached to Guren's body, Guren is also now able to fly on its own, but the series only depicts this once: [[spoiler: right as Viral is forced to detach Lagann and throw it at Granzeboma when Gurren is pinned by its CombatTentacles]].
** From the beginning, it starts off as just Simon with the Core Drill. Then, he finds Lagann, finds out the Core Drill activates it, and now has a MiniMecha. Next episode, Kamina hijacks the Gunzar, totals an arm and both legs, and tears apart two other mecha piloted by Beastmen mooks. Littner village salvages enough parts from the two wrecked mecha to rebuild Gunzar with better, more humanoid limbs, and Kamina has the mecha stylishly repainted, emblazoned with Team Guren logos, and the swords reforged into a giant pair of boomerang glasses. He re-dubs the Gunmen "Guren," and no faster than its debut episode, does Kamina get the idea to wedge Lagann on top to match up with Viral's two-headed Enki... and Gurren Lagann is born. On top of that, Kamina tears off Enki's helmet head by accident, plunders it, [[AwesomeMomentOfCrowning places it atop Lagann]], and completes the transformation.

** The protagonists' base also upgrades throughout the series: first is the captured Dai-Ganzan (repainted red, given a new control watchtower and a team flag, and renamed Dai-Guren), then the Arc-Gurren (and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rfKf8JLnbY Arc-Gurren Lagann]]), then Cathedral Terra (and Super-Galaxy Gurren Lagann), and finally the [[TitleDrop Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]].

** The second movie, ''Lagann-Hen'' goes as far as to not only give Yoko another new Space Gunmen take of the Dayyakaiser in the original series, but has a major alteration in plot that [[spoiler: [[SparedByTheAdaptation spares all six Space Gunmen pilots killed in episode 24 of the original anime]]]], and a huge change to the FinalBattle. This time around, Granzeboma [[CurbstompBattle tears apart Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]], only for all the pieces to form scaled-up Tengen Toppa versions of Lagann, the Space Gunmen, a fusion form of Gimmy and Darry's Grapearls, and a fused form of the Dai-Guren and Super Galaxy Dai-Guren. Lordgenome, however, doesn't assume a Tengen Toppa Lazengann (mainly because he's such a badass he can both fight on his own ''and'' survive the ''vacuum of space'' on his own and generate a Gunmen at will), but according to series concept drafts, one was made; basically his mecha fused with his generals' mecha and Viral's Enki. Kittan also got a Tengen Toppa mecha concept design... [[spoiler: but unfortunately, [[HeroicSacrifice his role in the series did not change...]]]]

* ''SailorMoon'' had these. Some of them are lost at the end of the season, which somewhat justifies the following SoLastSeason.

* In {{Smallville}}, [[{{Superman}} Clark]] gets new powers (XRayVision, [[EyeBeams heat vision]], [[SuperSenses super hearing]], etc.) as mid season upgrades usually just in time to use it to save the day. It is not NewPowersAsThePlotDemands as they are all [[SuperpowerLottery established powers of Superman]].

* In the {{Dragon}} Magazine series "Voyage of the ''Princess Ark''", the titular flying ship is accidentally upgraded when it gets possessed by a powerful, sphinx-like extraplanar entity. Not only does the ''Princess Ark'' become sentient in the process, but it rebuilds itself into the shape of a gigantic sphinx, with sails mounted laterally for wings and a separated bridge/head that floats above its shoulders, turning side to side to 'look' at things or deliver a lightning-blast roar.

* Then there are the Alter upgrades in ''{{S-Cry-Ed}}''.

* The first two seasons of ''OjamajoDoremi'' had this. The first season just upgraded their wands, but ''Sharp'''s was a magic upgrade(complete with a brand new outfit) that could be only be used on Oyajide when he kidnapped Hana-chan.

** Way before them, ''Series/KamenRiderStronger'' and ''Series/KamenRiderSkyrider'' got new abilities in the middle of their seasons. Stronger's Charge Up form is the ''KamenRider'' franchise's ''first'' form change, but it'll explode if he doesn't finish the job and discharge the extra energy under a minute. Skyrider's upgrade is permanent, resulting in the original darker colors lightening to their more familiar version.

** ''KamenRiderWizard'' also gets this. His first four forms are all usable from the outset unlike Kuuga, but then he gets "Dragon" versions of each. Their powers can be combined into "All Dragon." Beyond that is the true SuperMode, Infinity Style.

Not to be confused with the acquisition of a new SuperMode. See also ShonenUpgrade. If it's not in the middle but in the beginning of a new season, it's SoLastSeason. Compare and contrast MechaExpansionPack, where they just tack new stuff onto the old mech.

* ''SuperRobotWars'', while a game series, follows this trope almost to the letter. Almost every game will feature the main character (and sometimes even characters from existing anime beyond the ones featured in the shows themselves) getting at least one of these. Most notably, in the OriginalGeneration games and the AnimatedAdaptation, Ryusei goes through 2 and a half of these (the half being finding out the units of his squad actually make up a CombiningMecha.)
** It should also be noted that {{Mazinkaiser}} was originally created as a Mid Season Upgrade for MazingerZ in ''F Final''.
** In a PSP exclusive mission for ''SuperRobotWarsMX'', [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7j659VjfIQ Aqua pilots a Dragoon for the second time and together with the Dragonars, have to take on a large force of Martian Successors]]. More enemies show up and wreck Aqua's Dragoon. As a result, the Dragonar team and Aqua are outnumbered. Hugo shows up with an upgraded robot and shows how powerful it is. This instance was supposed to show that Hugo and the mecha got improved after the Medius Locus wrecked it 2 missions ago.

** Way before them, ''Series/KamenRiderStronger'' and ''Series/KamenRiderSkyrider'' got new abilities in the middle of their seasons, though unlike modern Riders their forms didn't change.

* GaoGaiGar to Star [=GaoGaiGar=]. In addition to gaining giant engines (the better to operate in space), [=GaoGaiGar=] used the nacelle cowlings ''on'' the engines to beef up its RocketPunch and the Protect Shade.
** Guy starts out ''FINAL'' in the replacement mecha [=GaoFighGar=], which gets utterly totaled early in the series. After a few episodes centering around the SixthRanger King J-Der, he comes back in the [[GameBreaker patently overpowered]] [[PhysicalGod Genesic GaoGaiGar]].

* The BraveSeries, which the above-mentioned Gaogaigar belongs to, all make heavy use of this trope. In general, the series feature one main mecha and one or two teams of combining support mecha, though occasionally this is switched up with one team of support mecha and one other stand alone mecha. Each series runs 52 episodes or there abouts. By episode 18, one of those two support mecha teams will have gained an additional (usually fourth) member, allowing all four to combine into a larger mecha. Around episode 25-27, expect the main mecha to get knocked out of action somehow, and a new hero mecha introduced to replace him in fighting evil. By episode 32, you can look forward to the original hero mecha and the new one combining into a new form (usually named "Great" Hero mecha). The other support team doesn't usually get an upgrade. Occasionally, new mecha are introduced who are either stand alone guys, or who turn into weapons for the hero mecha, giving him a second mid-season upgrade.

* With its reliance on {{Swiss Army Hero}}es in recent years, ''KamenRider'' often gives its headlining Riders a LightningBruiser form in the middle of the season. Sometimes the secondary Riders get new forms as well.
** Way before them, ''KamenRiderStronger'' and ''KamenRiderSkyrider'' got new abilities in the middle of their seasons, though unlike modern Riders their forms didn't change.
** ''KamenRiderKuuga'' plays this a little differently, as instead of just getting shiny new forms that are stronger than their original ones, he ''also'' have those original forms enhanced, I.e. Kuuga's Mighty Form becomes Rising Mighty Form. He then of course got the even more upgraded LightningBruiser (Amazing Mighty Kuuga) and SuperMode (Ultimate Kuuga) form later on.

* In ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'', Season 2 had the Winx earn Charmix, which was a simple power-boost that occurred late in the season. Season 3 had Enchantix, which was gained by the characters separately throughout the season. Season 4 had Believix, which was gained early in the season. Season 5 had Harmonix early in the season and Sirenix in the middle.