History TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter / DannyPhantom

* Several new villains like Undergrowth and Nocturn had interesting looks but botched by typical "rule the world" plots and more Danny and Sam shipping. To be fair, Undergrowth had an excuse.

* Valerie almost completely stopped appearing outside of cameos midway through Season 2. Though she had one major role in Season 3, otherwise it seemed as though the writers didn't know what to do with her. Fans find it especially galling that, considering an misunderstanding regarding Danny Phantom is why she became a ghost hunter to begin with, we never see her properly react to the reveal of Danny's identity: she never appears in "Reality Trip", while "Phantom Planet" has her in the background giving the same generic clapping and smiling reaction as everyone else in the crowd.

* Harriet Chin. An old college classmate of Jack, Maddie and Vlad and was introduced in Vlad's introductory episode as a reporter who finds out that ghosts are real and is fired for being a "crackpot." Outside of a cameo appearance, she never shows up again.

* Ember [=McLain=] is at best a secondary antagonist. She has only 3 major episodes, and is only the star in her debut episode.

* Ember [=McLain=] was definitely more of a secondary villain at best. Her appearances were already pretty few and far between; out of her six total appearances, she only played a major role in three of them, and she’s not even the star villain in two out of those three episodes. Butch Hartman even made the distasteful decision to have Ember as Skulker’s girlfriend, even though she could definitely do better than the snot-in-the-can incompetent hunter, just so Ember could be Kitty’s plot device for a single episode. Ember had made several cameos as Danny’s unappreciated helper: when he escaped Walker’s jail, the fight against Ghost Writer, and finally saving the earth from the asteroid. It’s also incredibly cruel for Butch Hartman to decide [[HopelessSuitor Ember’s in love with Danny (for no reason) and to give her no chance of ever having Danny because of his single-minded obsession with having Danny and Sam hook up]]. If written well, Ember [[HeelFaceTurn could have become]] an HonoraryTrueCompanion of Team Phantom, since she wasn’t actually evil. Ember could have decided that since Danny was too strong for her to fight, she’d give up and stay in the Ghost Zone, and Danny would reassure her that as long as she didn’t mind control her audience he wouldn’t hunt her.

* Ember [=McLain=] was definitely more of a secondary villain at best. Her appearances were already pretty few and far between; out of her six total appearances, she only played a major role in three of them, and she’s not even the star villain in two out of those three episodes. Butch Hartman even made the distasteful decision to have Ember as Skulker’s girlfriend, even though she could definitely do better than the snot-in-the-can incompetent hunter, just so Ember could be Kitty’s plot device for a single episode. Ember had made several cameos as Danny’s unappreciated helper: when he escaped Walker’s jail, the fight against Ghost Writer, and finally saving the earth from the asteroid. It’s also incredibly cruel for Butch Hartman to decide [[HopelessSuitor Ember’s in love with Danny (for no reason) and to give her no chance of ever having Danny because of his single-minded obsession with having Danny and Sam hook up]]. If written well, Ember could have become an HonoraryTrueCompanion of Team Phantom, since she wasn’t actually evil. Ember could have decided that since Danny was too strong for her to fight, she’d give up and stay in the Ghost Zone, and Danny would reassure her that as long as she didn’t mind control her audience he wouldn’t hunt her.

* Ember [=McLain=] was definitely more of a secondary villain at best. Her appearances were already pretty few and far between; out of her six total appearances, she only played a major role in three of them, and she’s not even the star villain in two out of those three episodes. Butch Hartman even made the distasteful decision to have Ember as Skulker’s girlfriend, even though she could definitely do better than the snot-in-the-can incompetent hunter, just so Ember could be Kitty’s plot device for a single episode. Ember had made several cameos as Danny’s unappreciated helper: when he escaped Walker’s jail, the fight against Ghost Writer, and finally saving the earth from the asteroid. If written well Ember could have been redeemed and join the heroes, since she’s not actually evil. Or have her come to the realization that Danny is too strong for her to defeat and she’d give up her plans in favor of staying in the Ghost Zone (thus explaining her absence). It’s also incredibly cruel for Butch Hartman to decide [[HopelessSuitor Ember’s in love with Danny (for no reason) and to give her no chance of ever having Danny because of his single-minded obsession with having Danny and Sam hook up]].

* Ember [=McLain=] was definitely more of a secondary villain at best. Her appearances were already pretty few and far between; out of her six total appearances, she only played a major role in three of them, and she’s not even the star villain in two out of those three episodes. Butch Hartman even made the distasteful decision to have Ember as Skulker’s girlfriend, even though she could definitely do better than the snot-in-the-can incompetent hunter, just so Ember could be Kitty’s plot device for a single episode. Ember had made several cameos as Danny’s unappreciated helper: when he escaped Walker’s jail, the fight against Ghost Writer, and finally saving the earth from the asteroid. If written well Ember could have been redeemed and join the heroes, since she’s not actually evil. Or at have her come to the realization that Danny is too strong for her to defeat and she’d give up her plans in favor of staying in the Ghost Zone (thus explaining her absence). It’s also incredibly cruel for Butch Hartman to decide [[HopelessSuitor Ember’s in love with Danny (for no reason) and to give her no chance of ever having Danny because of his single-minded obsession with having Danny and Sam hook up]].

* Ember [=McLain=] was definitely more of a secondary villain at best. Her appearances were already pretty few and far between; out of her six total appearances, she only played a major role in three of them, and she’s not even the star villain in two out of those three episodes. Butch Hartman even made the distasteful decision to have Ember as Skulker’s girlfriend, even though she could definitely do better than the snot-in-the-can incompetent hunter, just so Ember could be Kitty’s plot device for a single episode. Ember had made several cameos as Danny’s unappreciated helper: when he escaped Walker’s jail, the fight against Ghost Writer, and finally saving the earth from the asteroid. If written well Ember could have been redeemed and join the heroes, since she’s not actually evil. Or they could’ve made her a major antagonist. It’s also incredibly cruel for Butch Hartman to decide Ember’s in love with Danny (for no reason) and to give her no chance of ever having Danny because of his single-minded obsession with having Danny and Sam hook up.

* Ember was definitely more of a secondary villain at best. Her appearances were already pretty few and far between; out of her six total appearances, she only played a major role in three of them, and she’s not even the star villain in two out of those three episodes. Butch Hartman even made the distasteful decision to have Ember as Skulker’s girlfriend, even though she could definitely do better than the snot-in-the-can incompetent hunter, just so Ember could be Kitty’s plot device for a single episode. Ember had made several cameos as Danny’s unappreciated helper: when he escaped Walker’s jail, the fight against Ghost Writer, and finally saving the earth from the asteroid. If written well Ember could have been redeemed and join the heroes, since she’s not actually evil. Or they could’ve made her a major antagonist. It’s also incredibly cruel for Butch Hartman to decide Ember’s in love with Danny (for no reason) and to give her no chance of ever having Danny because of his single-minded obsession with having Danny and Sam hook up.

* Ember was a definitely more of a secondary villain at best. Her appearances were already pretty few and far between; out of her six total appearances, she only played a major role in three of them, and she’s not even the star villain in two out of those three episodes. Butch Hartman even made the distasteful decision to have Ember as Skulker’s girlfriend, even though she could definitely do better than the snot-in-the-can incompetent hunter, just so Ember could be Kitty’s plot device for a single episode. Ember had made several cameos as an unappreciated helper the Danny: when he escaped Walker’s jail, against Ghost Writer, and finally the asteroid. If written well Ember could have been redeemed and join the heroes, since she’s not actually evil. Or they could’ve made her a major antagonist. It’s also incredibly cruel for Butch Hartman to decide Ember’s in love with Danny (for no reason) and to give her no chance of ever having Danny.

* Ember was a definitely more of a secondary villain at best. Her appearances were already pretty few and far between; out of her six total appearances, she only played a major role in three of them, and she’s not even the star villain in two out of those three episodes. Butch Hartman even made the distasteful decision to have Ember as Skulker’s girlfriend, even though she could definitely do better than the snot-in-the-can incompetent hunter, just so Ember could be Kitty’s plot device for a single episode. Ember had made several cameos as an unappreciated helper the Danny: when he escaped Walker’s jail, against Ghost Writer, and finally the asteroid. If written well Ember could have been redeemed and join the heroes, since she’s not actually evil. Or they could’ve made her a major antagonist.

* Ember McLain was a definitely more of a secondary villain at best. Her appearances were already pretty few and far between; out of her six total appearances, she only played a major role in three of them, and she’s not even the star villain in two out of those three episodes. Butch Hartman even made the distasteful decision to have Ember as Skulker’s girlfriend, even though she could definitely do better than the snot-in-the-can incompetent hunter, just so Ember could be Kitty’s plot device for a single episode. Ember had made several cameos as an unappreciated helper the Danny: when he escaped Walker’s jail, against Ghost Writer, and finally the asteroid. If written well Ember could have been redeemed and join the heroes, since she’s not actually evil. Or they could’ve made her a major antagonist.

* Ember McLain was a villain in her debut, and a plot device for Youngblood and Kitty in her next 2 real appearances.

* Remember [[spoiler:Dark Danny]]? Danny's evil counterpart who was more powerful than him, had a complete lack of any sense of good in him and, considering he exists outside of time now, no longer needs Danny alive so he can easily kill the ghost boy? The character is the other notable example, as there were plans to have the character return as the main villain in a GrandFinale plot that never happened. It would take a comic book continuation over 15 years later for the character to make a return.

* Remember [[spoiler:Dark Danny]]? Danny's evil counterpart who was more powerful than him, had a complete lack of any sense of good in him and, considering he exists outside of time now, no longer needs Danny alive so he can easily kill the ghost boy? The character is the other notable example, as there were plans to have the character return as the main villain in a GrandeFinale plot that never happened. It would take a comic book continuation over 15 years later for the character to make a return.

* Freakshow, the only villain in the series who is human (the other human villains are either a half-ghost or just amoral ghost hunters who [[FantasticRacism see ghosts only as monsters]]), could've been a cool re-occurring villain, especially since (unlike the other humans, including Vlad) he doesn't use technology but magical items. Also, he's shown having "ghost envy" and feeling everyone cares more about ghosts than him, which made an interesting foil to Jazz, who noted the same feeling at times. He's only used in the Season 1 finale and in the third two-parter of the series...and that was it.

* Danielle, for those who don't consider her TheScrappy. Had the series continued along with her subplot given more than two episodes, [[spoiler:she was to eventually be accepted by the Fentons and become Danny's little sister]]. Considering the episode she debuted in featured Sam and Tucker tired of being sidekicks, Danielle could have easily filled this role too. Doing this might have also developed Danny's character further as [[BigBrotherInstinct a big brother]] and [[BigBrotherMentor a mentor]].
* Remember [[spoiler:Dark Danny]]? Danny's evil counterpart who was more powerful than him, had a complete lack of any sense of good in him and, considering he exists outside of time now, no longer needs Danny alive so he can easily kill the ghost boy? Did you know he was supposed to be the main villain of the season finale? Apparently, Butch Hartman and the new co-producer, Kevin Sullivan, decided that we needed more reminders that Danny liked Sam in Season 3 instead of bringing [[spoiler:Dark Danny]] back.
* Valerie almost completely stopped appearing outside of cameos midway through Season 2. Though she had one major role in Season 3, otherwise it seemed as though the writers didn't know what to do with her. Even during "Reality Trip" where everyone in Amity Park found out that Danny was a ghost, we never see Valerie's reaction. Let's not forget "Phantom Planet," where Valerie was shown to have a generic reaction (clapping and smiling) along with everyone else.