History TookALevelInJerkass / VideoGames

* Saïx from ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days]]'' goes from being the emotionless bastard we all know and love to smack around in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' to having his behavior borderline monster proportions in regards to Xion. Many were happy to learn that you get to fight him again near the end of the game. His beat down was much deserved. That's what happens when you talk smack about Xion like that. That's right, Roxas kicks your ass. This is especially true because Isa was a pretty decent guy in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth By Sleep]]''. The rest of the Org. doesn't really suffer any drastic personality changes beyond losing the ability to truly care about others, yet Isa goes from a stoic but reasonably friendly boy to the cold-blooded Jerkass Saïx.

* Hubert Oswell from ''VideoGame/TalesOfGraces'' is pretty much the biggest VideoGame/TalesSeries example of this trope and in the fandom. He starts off as a weak, and easily-terrified little boy, but seven years down the line [[TookALevelInBadass he grows the hell up]] due to [[spoiler:being adopted into the military-based Oswell family of Strahta]]. When he reunites with his older brother Asbel, Hubert reveals that [[spoiler:part of the alliance his new nation has with Windor is that they get Lhant, the brothers' homeland. When Asbel argues, Hubert promptly knocks him down a peg, Mystic Artes him senseless, exiles him from Lhant, rejects his own mother when she tries to intervene (as he feels she did absoltuely nothing to help him,) and then [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking sets himself up as the one true leader of LHant]]]]. The reason for his vitriol is less that he's a military man, and more that he felt he was abandoned by his family in Lhant because [[TheUnfavorite they wanted him out of the way]]. Turns out, Hubert's father [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou wanted to spare him from what was going to happen in Lhant as well as to avoid potential strife between the brothers]], although giving Hubert up more or less ended up causing that outcome anyway. Throughout the game, Hubert also [[CharacterDevelopment grows out of it]] and [[TookALevelInKindness takes a level in kindness, too.]]
** Another example from the Tales series is Luke from ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss''. While a {{Jerkass}} from the very beginning, he does try to get along with the party until Van [[AssInAmbassador gave him the role of Ambassador and lets it get to his head]]. Right after that, he's fed a huge slice of HumblePie in a TraumaCongaLine filled with egregious amounts of MindRape, where he's forced to listen to [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech venomous insults]] from Asch. It's not until he gets his ImportantHaircut when he pulls [[TookALevelInKindness a complete 180]], and starts getting a lot better.

** Some fans have suggested from certain changes in Saix's appearance (the pointed ears, lightened hair color, and perhaps most ominously, yellow eyes) that Isa may have been corrupted by darkness ''before'' he turned into a Nobody, which would certainly explain a lot...
*** [[spoiler: Turns out, this is because Saix is slowly turning into a Xehanort clone.]]

* Eric Sparrow from ''VideoGame/TonyHawksUnderground'' went from the Player's friend to the game's antagonist who was taking credit for everything you did. It seems that by the end, even the '''game itself''' is tired of him, considering that regardless of whether you beat him in the final level or not, you still win in the end. [[spoiler: If you lose the final level, while Eric is taunting you, you simply knock his lights out and take the demo tape anyways.]]
** Ironically, between ''THUG'' and ''THUG 2'' he TookALevelInDumbass and is treated as an incompetent loser and general ButtMonkey in the latter.
* Peter Venkman in ''VideoGame/GhostbustersTheVideoGame'' is a huge jerk compared to [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold his occasional niceness]] in [[Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}} the movies]].
** WordOfGod is that this was partly intentional: he and Dana were having relationship difficulties and were apart at the moment, causing him to be a little... grumpy.

** Speaking of ''Legion'' [[spoiler:Varian's death]] has made Genn Greymane considerably more angry and fixated on revenge to the point that his daughter is getting worried there is no way to distinguish the man from the rage.
** Also happens to Sylvanas Windrunner when she is killed and raised as an undead in ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII''. Of course, you might lose some powers of empathy too if your soul was ripped out of your body by a madman and then you were forced to kill your friends.
*** happens to her again after she commits suicide and then comes back to life following the events of Wrath of the Lich King. [[spoiler: as of Battle For Azeroth she's working for a being who wants to destroy the whole universe apparently. yikes!]]

** Also happened to Sylvanas Windrunner as a result of being killed and raised as an undead and then forced to kill her former friends. While she was always a bit arrogant and bitchy, she was genuinely kind in life. After being raised, she goes full-on sociopath with a hatred of everyone living.
*** She takes another level after committing suicide and then coming back from death in Wrath of the Lich King. [[spoiler: as of Battle For Azeroth she is working for an entity who seems to want to destroy the entire universe.]]

* [[VideoGame/SoulSeries Taki]] takes one between ''Soul Calibur III'' and ''IV''. She goes from hunting demons and fighting those like Cervantes who want the power of Soul Edge to hunting demons and fighting those affiliated with Soul Edge, fighting ex-villains and people affiliated with Soul Calibur, and fighting good guys or neutral parties who ''might'' become affiliated with one of the swords. Nearly every character's story path involves Taki trying to kill them at one point. It's certainly not helped that while she does this she accuses ''everyone'' but herself of being evil and delusional and makes some verbal [[KickTheDog low blows]] against [[TheAtoner Siegfried and Ivy]].

* Maggie's father in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''. When you first meet him, he's a pitiable pauper who is distraught over his daughter being kidnapped. But when Maggie comes back with a massive fortune in Skull Necklaces, he turns into a selfishly greedy bastard who won't even let Maggie get letters from her (sort of) love interest.
* Ingo from ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]''. While he was never the friendliest person in the game, he was nothing more than a disgruntled employee who complained about Talon's laziness when Link was a kid. After Ganondorf comes to power, he uses the Evil King's "good" graces to take the ranch for himself, exile Talon to Kakariko Village, and proceeds to generally make life miserable for Malon until Link returns and intervenes.
* Yukari in ''{{VideoGame/Persona 3}}''. She was genuinely {{the cutie}} until FES' "The Answer", where she seems to have gained a [[KnightInSourArmor sour coating]] over her usual sugary sweet self, though she doesn't become a jerk ass so much as go through a brief FaceHeelTurn.

* Anders takes several levels before and during ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''. Being [[HumanoidAbomination possessed]] by an increasingly pissed off spirit that had no idea of being nice to begin with and gradually succumbing to it does not help a bit. In Act I, [[BreakTheCutie he's a bit grimmer than before]], but still kindhearted, snarky, and occasionally goofy. In Act II, he eventually [[spoiler:attacks (and kills, unless you stop him) an innocent mage he just saved from templars]] during a bout of UnstoppableRage, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone panics]], and retreats into a HeroicBSOD. In Act III, he's become completely paranoid of the rest of the party (except for [[TheHero Hawke]] and [[TeamMom Varric]]), quick to swing between manic determination and deep melancholy, is completely obsessed with his cause, and some of the party banter implies he might be hallucinating.
** The Spirit of Justice itself took a few levels in jerkass when it possessed Anders - it's explicitly stated ingame that it was overwhelmed and corrupted by Anders's anger at what was going on, and back in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', it was actually much more reasonable and willing to listen than it is in the sequel. On top of that, it's hard to tell how much of Anders's behavior is this trope and how much is him just plain hugging the IdiotBall, given the increasingly horrible and poorly thought out choices he makes as time goes on.

* Lazlow, a recurring [=DJ=] and radio host of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'', was fIrst introduced as the put-upon host of the call-in radio show ''Chatterbox FM''. Later games showcase the breadth of Lazlow's radio career (now spanning 25 years) and reveal him to be an alcoholic fame-seeker, rather than the OnlySaneMan he appeared to be in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII''. By 2008, Lazlow is middle-aged, divorced, despised by his parents as well as his children, and now ekes out a living as an on-the-street "journalist" in Liberty City, decrying the state of America and insulting pedestrians. As Lazlow's dialogue is written and voiced by real-life radio host Lazlow Jones, this is a form of AdamWesting. By ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', he's even worse off, as his public sexual harassment of Michael's daughter (consensual, quite unfortunately) hits Michael's BerserkButton, humiliating Lazlow in exceptionally funny and degrading ways. His radio career is also at his lowest, now working as the immature, unpopular co-host of ''Chattersphere'' who can't go a few minutes without making catty remarks host Michelle Makes.

* Also happens to Sylvanas Windrunner when she is killed and raised as an undead in ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII''. Of course, you might lose some powers of empathy too if your soul was ripped out of your body by a madman and then you were forced to kill your friends.
** happens to her again after she commits suicide and then comes back to life following the events of Wrath of the Lich King. [[spoiler: as of Battle For Azeroth she's working for a being who wants to destroy the whole universe apparently. yikes!]]

* Also happened to Sylvanas Windrunner as a result of being killed and raised as an undead and then forced to kill her former friends. While she was always a bit arrogant and bitchy, she was genuinely kind in life. After being raised, she goes full-on sociopath with a hatred of everyone living.
** She takes another level after committing suicide and then coming back from death in Wrath of the Lich King. [[spoiler: as of Battle For Azeroth she is working for an entity who seems to want to destroy the entire universe.]]

* The DLC case in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'', Miles Edgeworth ie extremely callous and mean spirited towards Phoenix Wright during the trials, even though he went through CharacterDevelopment several games ago where he grew out of that attitude. It's handwaved by him explaining that he's under a ton of stress from the prosecution office since no one wanted to take on the case, thus he had to do all the work himself and he'll feel better taking his frustration out on Phoenix. His attitude, as well as the supporting characters that are present, are a nod to the first game.

* VideoGame/CrashBandicoot briefly fell into this trope in ''VideoGame/CrashTagTeamRacing''; numerous bonus cutscenes focus on his ScrewySquirrel antics inside Von Clutch's Motorworld, ranging from feeding Park Drones mouldy apples to disintegrating them in rocket engines. Granted this reversed back in the following game, where he goes back to being a KindheartedSimpleton.

* Yukari in ''{{VideoGame/Persona 3}}''. She was genuinely {{the cutie}} until FES' "The Answer", where she seems to have gained a [[KnightInSourArmor sour coating]] over her usual sugary sweet self.
** She doesn't become a jerk ass so much as go through a brief FaceHeelTurn
* Zoey in The Passing in ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2''. Compared to her nicer and more open nature in [[VideoGame/Left4Dead the first game]], she becomes outright annoyed and angry with some of the survivors in both teams. [[spoiler: The reason for her change of attitude is her trying to cope with the recent death of Bill.]]
* ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'' has RabidCop Carter Blake and his boss, Captain Perry, becoming this due to their hatred toward ByTheBookCop Norman Jayden.

-->'''Focused!Musketeer:''' See now? YOu have the heart of a hunter!\\

* Lazlow, a recurring [=DJ=] and radio host of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'', was fIrst introduced as the put-upon host of the call-in radio show ''Chatterbox FM''. Later games showcase the breadth of Lazlow's radio career (now spanning 25 years) and reveal him to be an alcoholic fame-seeker, rather than the OnlySaneMan he appeared to be in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV''. By 2008, Lazlow is middle-aged, divorced, despised by his parents as well as his children, and now ekes out a living as an on-the-street "journalist" in Liberty City, decrying the state of America and insulting pedestrians. As Lazlow's dialogue is written and voiced by real-life radio host Lazlow Jones, this is a form of AdamWesting. By ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', he's even worse off, as his public sexual harassment of Michael's daughter (consensual, quite unfortunately) hits Michael's BerserkButton, humiliating Lazlow in exceptionally funny and degrading ways. His radio career is also at his lowest, now working as the immature, unpopular co-host of ''Chattersphere'' who can't go a few minutes without making catty remarks host Michelle Makes.

** Liara acts cold and distant in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', even if you were lovers by the end of the first game. She also has developed a ruthless streak, and both threatens people with violence and casually has her enemies murdered. If you persist, help her out, and make effort to get her come out of her shell, [[JerkassFacade she eventually reveals that most of her current behavior is a mask,]] [[SurvivorGuilt resulting from losing Shepard in the beginning of the game.]]

* [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Used as a game mechanic]] in ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon''. If a hero gains a certain amount of stress, they have a chance to become afflicted. Afflicted heroes will be heavily affected both stats are personality wise as they become paranoid, selfish, hopeless, or even abusive towards the other party members. This includes verbally abusing or proclaiming TheEndIsNigh to increase others' stress, or to refuse to give heals or cures even if heavily needed, among other things.

* [[TropesAreTools Used as a game mechanic]] in ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon''. If a hero gains a certain amount of stress, they have a chance to become afflicted. Afflicted heroes will be heavily affected both stats are personality wise as they become paranoid, selfish, hopeless, or even abusive towards the other party members. This includes verbally abusing or proclaiming TheEndIsNigh to increase others' stress, or to refuse to give heals or cures even if heavily needed, among other things.

** Tails, inexplicably, does this in ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld''. The [[ThePollyanna childlike naivete]] and [[HumbleHero humility]] that defined him in previous titles was spontaneously replaced with a [[InsufferableGenius smug]], [[ItsAllAboutMe self-centered]], obnoxious, whiny, and snarky attitude. [[spoiler: He had a falling-out with Sonic because he was interested in teaming up with Dr. Eggman to corrale the Deadly Six, even though he was [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 perfectly]] [[VideoGame/SonicHeroes fine]] [[VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog with it]] before!]] The worst part is that he never owns up to it at the end of the game.

** Shadow in ''Videogame/SonicBoom''. Shadow may be pretty agressive and destructive at times, but he's ''never'' cruel. He has a strong devotion to protect Earth, and has developed friendships with several characters. His ''Boom'' incarnation has none of these redeeming qualities and appears to be a downright evil villain, with no care for anyone but himself.
** Knuckles is usually humble and easy-going, even if he is slightly blunt and hot-headed, but in games like ''VideoGame/SonicBattle'' and in the ''VideoGame/SonicRivals'' series, he's more hot-headed and a bit hostile towards others compared to his usual self.
** Amy started off as sweet and helpful in her earlier appearances, but in the later games due to {{flanderization}}, she has become more aggressive, bad-tempered, and is prone to hit people with her hammer with little provocation. This can be DependingOnTheWriter, however.

* The Grandmas in ''VideoGame/CookieClicker'' start out as sweet {{Grandma Classic}}s, but as you buy more and more their messages become more and more hostile and ominous, until they reveal their true forms as {{Eldritch Abomination}}s if you initiate the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Grandmapocalypse.]] If you sell one of them, they drop the nice act immediately and begin insulting you.

* The titular ''{{Mercenaries}}'' took a page from this in the sequel. What was once a PowerTrio of balanced personalities (Chris the cool customer, Jennifer the conniving money-grubber, and Matthias the pyromaniac) tipped into all three of them behaving like Matthias. ...Who is incidentally [[WolverinePublicity featured on the cover]]. Though with the game this time around being less about the pay day from a job well done and more about the [[RoaringRampageofRevenge "payback"]] for being betrayed by their employer and shot in the ass, it's pretty understandable that they're 'pissed'. These are not very nice people.

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':

* The titular ''{{Mercenaries}}'' took a page from this in the sequel. What was once a PowerTrio of balanced personalities (Chris the cool customer, Jennifer the conniving money-grubber, and Matthias the pyromaniac) tipped into all three of them behaving like Matthias. ...Who is incidentally [[WolverinePublicity featured on the cover]]. Though with the game this time around being less about the pay day from a job well done and more about the [[RoaringRampageofRevenge "payback"]] for being betrayed by their employer and shot in the ass, it's pretty understandable that they're 'pissed.' These are not very nice people.

* Franchise/CrashBandicoot briefly fell into this trope in ''VideoGame/CrashTagTeamRacing''; numerous bonus cutscenes focus on his ScrewySquirrel antics inside Von Clutch's Motorworld, ranging from feeding Park Drones mouldy apples to disintegrating them in rocket engines. Granted this reversed back in the following game, where he goes back to being a KindheartedSimpleton.

** [[TheScrappy Garrosh Hellscream]] went from being an obscure emo kid trying to find his purpose in life in ''The Burning Crusade'', in spite of his initial faults, he was not discriminating and was even friendly with the player when he was first introduced. Then in the sequel, ''Wrath of the Lich King'' he becomes the disrespectful, belligerent, loudmouthed JerkAss he is well known for. He suffers it again in ''Cataclysm'', and randomly becomes racist.

** Garrosh Hellscream went from being an obscure emo kid trying to find his purpose in life to being a disrespectful, belligerent, loudmouthed JerkAss. He suffers it again in Cataclysm, and randomly becomes racist. Despite not discriminating and even being friendly with the player in Nagrand. In short he's a walking ConflictBall. At the same time, he also seems to get rid of a few Jerkass elements too, ironically. For instance, while he is one of the major reasons as to why the war between the Alliance and Horde has reemerged, there are things he simply won't stand for. First off, he specifically does ''not'' approve of Sylvanas raising the newly dead on the battlefield to replenish the ranks of the Forsaken. He also gets really pissed off when he finds out that one of his commanders has been attacking night elf settlements to kill civilians.
** Garrosh will be taking this trope to its logical conclusion in ''Mists of Pandaria''. The final raid dungeon is a siege on Orgrimmar itself by both Alliance and Horde, because everyone is digusted by him [[spoiler:dropping the magical equivalent of a WMD on Theramore, killing many known characters, including [[CanonImmigrant Rhonin]], after killing several Blue Dragons to get the necessary power source for the bomb]]. Many of the Horde factions are ''not'' happy about Hellscream's rule but stay out of fear (trolls, tauren) or greed (goblins). In his speech in ''Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War'', he doesn't even pretend that the other leaders are his equals and expects them to obey him or die. He wants the Alliance gone and take the lands he believes are rightfuly his (even though orcs are not native to this world). Jaina begs Thralls to take leadership back from Garosh, knowing that many would support him, but Thrall refuses. This, in turn, has an after effect of Jaina finally taking one herself. She loses her [[AllLovingHero all-loving]] part and her rage against the Horde goes to extreme FantasticRacism levels as she tried to flood Orgrimmar with her magic, only to be called out of it by Thrall and Kalegcos. Then when she tried to wind down, she's betrayed again that she initiated the Purge of Dalaran with a glee. [[spoiler:She's gone as far as suggesting the assassination of the new Horde after Garrosh is defeated, which would mean the death of Thrall... something that even Varian ''refused''. In other words, while Varian TookALevelInKindness, Jaina ended up doing the reverse.]]
** As of ''Legion'' [[spoiler:Varian's death]] has made Genn Greymane considerably more angry and fixated on revenge to the point that his daughter is getting worried there is no way to distinguish the man from the rage.

* Shadow the Hedgehog gets this treatment in ''VideoGame/SonicBoom''. Outside of the ''Boom'' universe, Shadow was a ByronicHero who had his own goals, his own set of friends, and didn't care much about anything beyond that, but ultimately could be counted on to do the right thing. He considered Sonic his [[TheRival rival]], but was willing to [[EnemyMine work with Sonic and friends when a bigger threat came along]]. In ''Sonic Boom'', Shadow is [[FlatCharacter little more]] than a {{Jerkass}} who taunts Sonic about needing help from his friends, and attacks Sonic and Tails for no reason other than "because I can." It makes his ''Boom" incarnation come off more as an arrogant bully than an AntiHero.

* Lazlow, a recurring [=DJ=] and radio host of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'', was frst introduced as the put-upon host of the call-in radio show ''Chatterbox''. Later games showcase the breadth of Lazlow's radio career (now spanning 25 years) and reveal him to be an alcoholic fame-seeker, rather than the OnlySaneMan he appeared to be in ''[=GTAIII=]''. By 2008, Lazlow is middle-aged, divorced, despised by his parents as well as his children, and now ekes out a living as an on-the-street "journalist" in Liberty City, decrying the state of America and insulting passerby. As Lazlow's dialogue is written and voiced by real-life radio host Lazlow Jones, this is a form of AdamWesting. By GTAV, he's even worse off, as his public sexual harassment of Michael's daughter (consensual, quite unfortunately) hits Michael's BerserkButton, humiliating Lazlow in exceptionally funny and degrading ways.