History Main / TomboynessUpgrade

** Webby Vanderquack in the original series was very much a GirlyGirl, but in this reboot, she is far more of a tomboy, albeit one with a prominent [[TomboyWithAGirlyStreak girly streak.]] She's an adventuring enthusiast who is the most capable in a fight of all the kids. She also has a bit of a violent edge.

** Gandra Dee is less girly than her 1980s counterpart. Rather than being a feminine receptionist, she is a punk rock scientist, complete with a grunge aesthetic.

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': Downplayed with Princess Daisy. She originally filled the same role as [[DamselInDistress Princess Peach]] and was just as feminine as her early on, but starting with ''VideoGame/MarioParty 4'', to better contrast to Peach, she would be given more tomboyish attributes, including a raspier voice, shorter hair and a more fiery and energetic personality. That said, she still remains [[GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak largely feminine]] in spite of the changes.

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': Princess Daisy originally filled the same role as [[DamselInDistress Princess Peach]], but when her personality was developed further she was made tomboyish as a contrast to Peach.

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': Videl is a {{Tsundere}} girl who has [[GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak a streak for martial arts]] who feels something for her classmate Son Gohan. When they became a couple, she replaced the GirlishPigtails and the skirt for a BoyishShortHair and pants, also becoming more serious with martial arts and even learning the ki attacks of the other Z-Warriors. Averted when Videl became a mother in ''[[Anime/DragonBallGT GT]]'' and ''[[Anime/DragonBallSuper Super]]'', where she got the GirlinessUpgrade with the long hair and more feminine clothes.

[[quoteright:345:[[WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/combine_imagesluna_7.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:345:From Classical Luna to Rocker Chick Luna.]]

[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]

* ''Creator/ArchieComics'': Betty was originally a flighty blonde, usually entirely focused on domestic pursuits, and generally as feminine as Veronica. By the '60s, she starts showing more interests in masculine activities, eventually becoming a WrenchWench with TomboyishPonytail, and a tomboy foil to Veronica's RichBitch. The tomboyish traits are even more evident in the [[ComicBook/ArchieComics2015 2015 reboot comics]], although this will later be inverted in ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'', where she has a GirlinessUpgrade.

* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'': Elizabeth Swann goes from from a ProperLady to [[SheIsTheKing Pirate King]] during the original trilogy.

* ''Literature/LandOfOz'': Many adaptations, such as the ''Anime/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'' anime, portray Ozma as either a TomboyPrincess or a GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak. This is due to a ''long-standing'', decades-old {{fanon}} concerning Ozma being RaisedAsTheOppositeGender. In canon, Tip is reluctant to become a girl but once the transformation happens Ozma is [[SecondLawOfGenderBending nothing but]] TheHighQueen.

* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'': Elizabeth Swann grom from a ProperLady to [[SheIsTheKing Pirate King]] during the original trilogy.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Downplayed with Sakura, who has tomboyish traits early on but keeps them hidden to appear more feminine. At the start of Part I, Sakura represses her more opinionated side in the form of "Inner Sakura", who angrily comments on things that she keeps unsaid. She also uses a qipao-like dress as her ninja clothing. Most notably, she wears [[LongHairIsFeminine her hair long]] due to having heard that her crush Sasuke likes long-haired girls. During Part I, she undergoes an ImportantHaircut and enters to a TrainingFromHell, and by Part II, she is more outspoken and wears more combat-orientated clothing with gloves and elbow protectors. She also gets more screen time in combat, thanks to her training as a CombatMedic and gaining SuperStrength.

This may also be because the parents WantedAGenderConformingChild, and influenced the girl to be feminine in childhood. Once they grew up, they found their own (tomboyish) ways of expressing themselves.

* ''Creator/ArchieComics'': Betty was originally a flighty blonde, usually entirely focused on domestic pursuits, and generally as feminine as Veronica. By the 60s, she starts showing more interests in masculine activities, eventually becoming a WrenchWench with TomboyishPonytail, and a tomboy foil to Veronica's RichBitch. The tomboyish traits are even more evident in the [[ComicBook/ArchieComics2015 2015 reboot comics]], although this will later be inverted in ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'', where she has a GirlinessUpgrade.

* ''Film/ThelmaAndLouise'': While Louise was TheLadette from the beginning, Thelma starts off as a girly housewife with a frilly dress. However, after the road trip experience goes FromBadToWorse, she replaces the dress with jeans and TankTopTomboy outfits, and by the end of the movie she can threaten people with a gun.

* ''Literature/LandOfOz'': Many adaptations, such as the ''Anime/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'' anime, portray Ozma as either a TomboyPrincess or a GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak. This is due to a ''long standing'', decades old {{fanon}} concerning Ozma being RaisedAsTheOppositeGender. In canon, Tip is reluctant to become a girl but once the transformation happens Ozma is [[SecondLawOfGenderBending nothing but]] TheHighQueen.

* ''Series/{{iCarly}}'': In one episode, Carly tries to stay with Spencer and turns herself into a punk chick with full black clothing, metal spikes and chains, and a streak of blue hair. She was back to normal by the end of the episode, because StatusQuoIsGod.

* ''Series/PrettyGuardianSailorMoon'': In the original series ''Franchise/SailorMoon'', Makoto always has the status of the resident Tomboy, but never actually acts masculine-- it is her size and strength, rather than any concrete interests, that are what makes her tough. In this show however, she tends to act more butchy and never wears skirts or dresses where she would in the source material.

* Nikki Bella. After the Wrestling/BellaTwins HeelFaceTurn in 2013, the two started exploring different styles for themselves. Nikki opted for more tomboyish looking wrestling outfits (a t-shirt, baseball cap and soccer socks) and a more power-based offence. Though in a weird way, Brie gets a GirlinessUpgrade - wearing her hair in girlier styles and favouring outfits with ruffles on them. This gave the twins a TomboyAndGirlyGirl dynamic.
* Becky Lynch. While she was already a pretty big tomboy to begin with, her transformation into "The Man" only further increased her masculine characteristics and her aggression levels. She basically became the modern equivalent of [[RatedMForManly Stone Cold Steve Austin]] and adopted all the in-your-face attitude, boisterous nature and violent ways that came with it. She started wearing shirts, pants and sneakers and eventually traded her [[LongHairIsFeminine long hair]] for a TomboyishPonytail. One of her default outfits when wrestling as of 2019 is a black and yellow attire which looks like a colour inverted version of Bruce Lee's battle suit. Affiliated nor paired with any more feminine women wrestlers (unlike other tomboyish women on the roster such as Sonya Deville or Nikki Cross, who have arguably experienced very mild, relative cases of this trope since their debuts onto the main roster) and usually the foil to them (like she was against Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Lacey Evans) in her feuds, Becky has easily become the LEAST girly of all the women in the WWE.
* Wrestling/TrishStratus was MsFanservice when she arrived in WWE, often appearing in [[PrettyInMink fur coats]], tight minidresses and sparkly jewellery. Her ring gear was even styled femininely at first. As she TookALevelInBadass, any overt girliness was dropped in her character and it became quite rare for her to be seen in a dress (outside of the Hall of Fame ceremonies).

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': Downplayed with Kairi. After receiving a GirlinessUpgrade in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', Kairi is at her most action oriented in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'', where her hair is shorter again and she's upgraded to what look like combat boots.

** Lynn Jr. downplays this, as she's always been a tomboy. In early seasons, she also had a [[TomboyWithAGirlyStreak girly streak]], but seems to have dropped the streak in later seasons in exchange for becoming completely masculine (compare seasons one and two where she squeed at the idea of Lincoln having a crush and got involved in Lucy's makeover to season four where she is disgusted by romance and dating altogether). Then there's the fact that she was previously less aggressive and abrasive before going to Middle School in the past. Strangely, her flanderized masculinity has not made her more one-note otherwise, as she experienced CharacterDevelopment around the same time.

* ''Series/VeronicaMars'': In the backstory, Veronica was shown to be a rather typical girl, who wore long dresses and hung out with girls and seemingly lacked interest in solving mysteries like her father did. Then, after the murder of her best friend and the ensuing raping she went through at a party, the show starts a year later, with her new best friend being a guy, her hair shorter, her style more masculine, and her big hobby being to take part in her father's PI work.

** When she was younger, Luna used to be a shy GirlyGirl who played the violin. Now she's an energetic tomboy who likes rock music.
** Lynn, too, in the sense that she was always highly tomboyish but previously had a [[TomboyWithAGirlyStreak girly streak]], but in later seasons she seems to have dropped these traits and become completely masculine (compare seasons one and two where she squeed at the idea of Lincoln having a crush and got involved in Lucy's makeover to season four where she is disgusted by romance and dating altogether). Then there's the fact that she was previously less aggressive and abrasive before going to Middle School in the past. Strangely, her flanderized masculinity has not made her more one-note otherwise, as she experienced CharacterDevelopment around the same time.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Ginny was a shy little girl in ''Chamber of Secrets'', especially around Harry. In later books, after getting over her shyness, she evolves into a tough FieryRedhead and accomplished Quidditch player.

** When younger, Luna used to be a shy GirlyGirl who played the violin. Now she's an energetic tomboy who likes rock music.

* ''Manga/FamilyComplex'': Fuyuki starts out as a demure GirlyGirl with [[LongHairIsFeminine long hair]] and wears dresses. After learning to be more outspoken, she cuts her hair [[BoyishShortHair short]], wears masculine clothes, and becomes a {{Bifauxnen}}.

* ''My Name is Brain Brian'': In this YA novel by Jeanne Betancourt, a girl named Isabel is bullied by her classmates. Midway through the book, she surprises them by cutting her hair short, wearing a leather jacket, and projecting a more "tough girl" attitude. She even tells the main character she wants to start weightlifting.

* Nikki Bella. After the Wrestling/BellaTwins HeelFaceTurn in 2013, the two started exploring different styles for themselves. Nikki opted for more tomboyish looking wrestling outfits (a t-shirt, baseball cap and soccer socks) and a more power-based offence. Though in a weird way, Brie played this straight - wearing her hair in girlier styles and favouring outfits with ruffles on them. This gave the twins a TomboyAndGirlyGirl dynamic.

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': Downplayed with Kairi. After receiving a GirlinessUpgrade in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', Kairi is at her most action oriented in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'', where her hair is shorter again and she's upgraded to what look like combat boots.
* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': Princess Daisy originally filled the same role as [[DamselInDistress Princess Peach]], but when her personality was developed further she was made tomboyish as a contrast to Peach.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': Cindy, from the movie to the series. While shown to be a good fighter during the climactic battle in the movie, the series upgrades her [[TookALevelInBadass skills to the point that she can compete even with a member of a warrior race of aliens]], and in general puts more emphasis on her passion for karate. To match, she trades her GirlishPigtails for a TomboyishPonytail.
* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'': Kai Green. In the original, despite looking like a tomboy (plain shirt, shorts, and casual shoes), Kai is quite feminine in personality, being very soft-spoken and mild-mannered, showing affection for Ben in his werewolf form, and being into ritual dancing. She contrasted very strongly with the more [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl snarky and short tempered]] Gwen. In Omniverse, she changes her [[LongHairIsFeminine long hair]] for a TomboyishPonytail, and becomes a lot more witty and snarky, takes [[TookALevelInBadass several levels in badass]], and herself ends up as the tomboy to Esther's girly girl.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'':
** When younger, Luna used to be a shy GirlyGirl who played the violin. Now she's an energetic tomboy who likes rock music.
** Lynn, too, in the sense that she was always highly tomboyish but previously had a [[TomboyWithAGirlyStreak girly streak]], but in later seasons she seems to have dropped these traits and become completely masculine (compare seasons one and two where she squeed at the idea of Lincoln having a crush and got involved in Lucy's makeover to season four where she is disgusted by romance and dating altogether). Then there's the fact that she was previously less aggressive and abrasive before going to Middle School in the past. Strangely, her flanderized masculinity has not made her more one-note otherwise, as she experienced CharacterDevelopment around the same time.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Ginny was a shy little girl in ''Chamber of Secrets'', especially around Harry. In later books, after getting over her shyness, she evolves into a tough FieryRedhaed and accomplished Quidditch player.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': When younger, Luna used to be a shy GirlyGirl who played the violin. Now she's an energetic tomboy who likes rock music.

[[quoteright:345:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/combine_imagesluna_7.png]]

Sometimes she goes from a GirlyGirl to a GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak. Sometimes she's already a GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak but the tomboy streak is flanderized over the time, which may be in the later parts of a story, or even in a reboot, a sequel, or a later adaptation. In extreme cases, she starts out as a moderate TomboyWithAGirlyStreak who later loses completely the girly streak and becomes TheLadette.