History TookALevelInBadass / WesternAnimation

** After spending most of the first half of the second season doing the HumiliationConga, [[Characters/TransformersPrimeStarscream Starscream]] discovers the [[spoiler: indestructible Apex Armor]]. He then loses it not many episodes later, but afterwards he gains [[spoiler:Red Energon, which he uses to steal the Omega Keys from the Autobots. Then he rejoins the Cons, makes a tactical decision that ultimately denies the Autobots the Omega Lock, and leads a freaking armada to attack the Autobot base, ''shooting Wheeljack down in the process''.]]

** Keep in mind his final moments as Megatron were actually wiping out a good number of key Autobots, and, after an impressive one on one, mortally wounding Optimus Prime himself.

** Prowl was already pretty badass with the whole Cyber-Ninja thing (though technically he never finished the training), but he kicked it up a notch in "[[Recap/TransformersAnimatedS3E04FiveServosOfDoom Five Servos of Doom]]" when he really seemed to get a handle on the Cyber-Ninja powers. Especially when [[spoiler: He destroys a scorebord in a baseball field with only his mind, thus saving himself, Lockdown, and the Starscream clone from being flattened into pancakes.]]
*** During Transwarped, [[spoiler: Sari of all people]] took a level in badass. In fact, [[spoiler: she had to take a level out of badass, because powering up her newly-discovered-to-be-technoorganic self made her an out of control juggernaut that nearly killed Bumblebee and endangered most of the city. Now she just shoots energy blasts from her hands, can program space bridges, and is actually mature.]]

*** More recent incarnations of Megatron have themselves become [[MagnificentBastard far more intelligent]] and [[KnightOfCerebus dangerous]] in their skills and motives to the point where it feels they don't need an army to win. Perhaps the most notable of them is the Animated Megatron, who is so much of a threat that he considers the Autobots as little more than pests for most of the time (even going so far as to not acknowledge them by name).
*** This has been taken to even higher levels (if possible) in [[WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime Prime]], where he's now a [[TheJuggernaut nth unstable]] sadist with AGodAmI.
** Reversing this seemed to be the main point of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', where the Autobots were all workers on a space bridge, and only have a weapon or two each, all of which, with the exception of Prowl's shurikens, had non-combat purposes in mind. This was to keep the Decepticons from suffering from VillainDecay (which is also why there are more human villains). In fact, they're armed to the teeth and it takes all of the Autobots to just take down one or two of them.
** Prowl was already pretty badass in Animated with the whole Cyber-Ninja thing (though technically he never finished the training), but he kicked it up a notch in "Five Servos of Doom" when he really seemed to get a handle on the Cyber-Ninja powers. Especially when [[spoiler: He destroys a scorebord in a baseball field with only his mind, thus saving himself, Lockdown, and the Starscream clone from being flattened into pancakes.]]
*** Waspinator in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'': TheChewToy whose only purpose was to get blown up OncePerEpisode and the weakest Predicon normally. Fast forwards to WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated: A vengeful AxCrazy techno-organic juggernaut and a major threat. Blowing him up STILL doesn't work, but this time, it's an actual plus for him.

*** There's also Arcee, in most continuities she is mostly TheHeart who sits in the sidelines while everyone else does all the fighting. In ''Prime'' she is a straight up ActionGirl who gets into more fights as much as everyone, and she's not afraid in taking on bots who are thrice her size and win.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Hilda}}'': [[StrugglingSingleMother Johanna]] spends most of series sitting at home and worrying for Hilda’s wellbeing because of her adventures. However, when Hilda’s life gets threatened, she will stop at nothing to protect her, starting with making a troll relent by just giving it a stoic DeathGlare, and ending with going full Ellen Ripley when saving Hilda from AnimalisticAbomination.

** Amberley. Similar to Rufus, Amberley was thoroughly useless in the second season, and even in the first had minimal moments of effectiveness, usually playing a DistressedDamsel. In the third and forth season, Amberley becomes more tactical, often forming team strategies, with her and Rufus being the most consistent reason the Urpneys are stopped.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers''

* In the animated version of ''WesternAnimation/LegionOfSuperheroes'', the entire ''series'' takes a level in badass between the first season and the DarkerAndEdgier second season. Several of the male characters bulk up significantly, especially Superman, Brainiac 5, Timber Wolf, and Lightning Lad (who also [[GrowingTheBeard Grows the Beard]]). On top of that, it also introduces a second FutureBadass version of Superman. At least in the case of Superman (the original one) this is justified as Brainiac intentionally went back in time to get him, but not as far back in time, so the Superman he brings back is older and more experienced.