Line #148 CharacterizationMarchesOn/VideoGames


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7	* Several of the characters in the first ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars'' had very different personalities early on.
8	** Andy was a NaiveNewcomer taken to the extreme. While he's still somewhat innocent and excitable in later games, you'd never see him [[TooDumbToLive asking what an airport is.]]
9	** Olaf filled the role of the [[GeneralFailure incompetent]] StarterVillain, who was stated to be a former Orange Star CO who defected to Blue Moon, and vaguely implied to be Nell's father. While he had been tricked into fighting Orange Star, he still acts far more antagonistic than he does in later games, where he's a JerkWithAHeartOfGold at worst who's more than willing to help out the other nations if they're in danger, albeit grudgingly. Later games also seem to retcon his origins, giving him PatrioticFervor towards Blue Moon (now stated to be his homeland) and dropping all hints of connection to Nell.
10	** Eagle was TheRival to Andy in a manner that borders on BloodKnight. In later games, he's a lot less cocky and smug, though still prone to rushing into things.
11	** Kanbei was a [[LordErrorProne total moron]] who needs his daughter's advice to do anything right... and he ''still'' screws it up. (Told he should have bases to deploy units? Makes a base on an island where his units can't do anything) In later games he's more of your typical honorable samurai, his only remaining comedic trait being his [[HelicopterParents extreme over-protectiveness of Sonja.]]
12	** While Sonja was still TheStrategist, her methods are a lot more morally-grey in the first game, where she knocks out and kidnaps the Orange Star commanders just to test her theories.
13	* ''Franchise/BaldursGate'':
14	** Jaheira in the first game played the role of the nasty and strong-willed wife with a timid husband, a couple whose relationship was mostly played for laughs. In the sequel the husband is no more and she becomes a wise, straight woman with a leading attitude, potentially romanceable.
15	** The entire character of Imoen is this. Originally a last minute addition built from some vocal demos, not even fleshed out to the point that she didn't have interaction with other companions, and her lines were something of a childish woman. Her popularity grew to the point that for the sequel she became a central character in the plot while her dialogues matured, acquiring a darker tone.
16	* In ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', Ragna was far more belligerent and unheroic in the original Calamity Trigger than later on. Notably, the pre-release short stories for CT showed he murdered indiscriminately. After ''Continuum Shift'' however, his more common traits began to show, to the point of that ''Continuum Shift's'' retelling of Calamity Trigger retconned his initial acts of violence and personality.
17	* Several cases occurred in the ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' series, especially due to the series constantly trading hands:
18	** In his first appearance, Tiny was a more terrifying silent associate of N. Brio working to stop Crash from helping Cortex. From ''Warped'' onwards, he is Cortex's most loyal follower, and upon gaining his HulkSpeak patterns, more emphasis is put on his childish, clumsy personality compared to his fierce one as games go on. The Radical Entertainment games reinvent Tiny completely, making him a soft spoken, intelligent, and somewhat wimpy cohort of Cortex, almost a complete antithesis of his original self. Later developers reverting him back to his ''Warped'' era characterisation.
19	** The multiple developers of the series couldn't seem to agree on a characterisation for Nina. In ''Twinsanity'', she was initially conceived as a HeroicMime without much of a personality. In ''Ripto's Rampage'' she was an infantile baddie with a fondness for cute things. The Radical Entertainment games established a more consistent personality for her, a bratty, conniving villainess who plots to usurp her uncle's position.
20	** Most of the villains to some degree became more goofy and hammy as games passed, especially Cortex and N. Gin, with earlier titles treating them more as [[TheComicallySerious straight forward bad guys that kept getting undermined by the comedy]]. The exception to this is N Tropy in ''Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time'', who went the other way, going from a ReplacementFlatCharacter for Cortex in earlier games to a KnightOfCerebus who is genuinely as grand and menacing as he originally only ''[[SmallNameBigEgo thought]]'' he was. He keeps ''some'' comical narcissism, but unlike previous games, it rarely bites him the same way as [[TheChewToy the other villains]].
21	* [[FortuneTeller Yasuhiro Hagakure]] from ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' starts off a bit weird, but gradually grows [[CloudCuckoolander even dopier]] as the game goes on and other characters start [[AnyoneCanDie dropping like flies]], leaving him with the "comic relief" role. The page quote is provided when one of his classmates notes his change in behavior.
22	* ''VideoGame/DetectiveGrimoire'': In the second game, Sally Spears is a flirty and peppy woman who loves to flaunt her beauty at any opportunity. Starting in the third game, alongside her elevation to {{deuteragonist}}, she was reworked to become a DeadpanSnarker who actually dislikes when attention is brought towards her curvaceous figure.
23	* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
24	** Dante back in ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 DMC1]]'', was a laidback guy who spouted a more than a few one liners ("Flock off Feather Face"), but mostly took his journey seriously. In ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry2 DMC2]]'', he dropped even the quips and besides the very occasional GrinOfAudacity, was sullen and emotionless. For ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening DMC3]]'', ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 DMC4]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 DMC5]]'' however, Dante is an outright FunPersonified BloodKnight ManChild who given the opportunity [[LargeHam will happily chew the scenery to pieces]] with massive dance numbers to the immense embarrassment of his allies.
25	** Trish was more the traditional LoveInterest in her debut in ''[=DMC1=]'' pulling a HeelFaceTurn over to Dante's side once he saves her life and ends the game expressing child-like wonder at the blue sky above her. In her later game appearances, Trish is JustFriends with Dante and displays a sassy and confident attitude, being the mature and soft spoken [[LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine compared]] to Lady, especially in the [[Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries anime]]. Her being a IdenticalStranger to Dante's mother Eva, which was a key plot point of the first game is also downplayed, with Trish at one point unemphatically telling V [[spoiler: Vergil's SoulJar]] in ''[=DMC5=]'' she's ''not'' his mother.
26	** Lady in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' was a much darker character (besides the occasional GrinOfAudacity while fighting demons), being a rageful BrokenBird out [[YouKilledMyFather to avenge her late mother]] killed by her father and antagonistically shot at anything that got in her way. In her later appearances, Lady is a LighterAndSofter ActionGirl who joins in on the quips and antics of Dante and isn't nearly as harsh and cold as she was in the third game. In ''[=DMC5=]'', Lady is even the one who urges Nero not to kill his father [[spoiler:Vergil]] like she did her own, [[BleedEmAndWeep since the act broke her]].
27	* ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'':
28	** All of the enemy factions (except for the Taken) went through this, sometimes as result of [[WorldBuilding their lore being expanded on]], other times just to make them more interesting. [[VestigialEmpire The Fallen]] became much more sympathetic, going from mere SpacePirates to a DyingRace of [[AntiVillain Anti-Villains]] just fighting for survival. [[TheEmpire The Cabal]] had their {{Determinator}} and WorkHardPlayHard traits played up more. The Vex went from [[AIIsACrapshoot evil robots]] who [[ReligiousRobot worship the Darkness]] to [[NonMaliciousMonster Non-Malicious Monsters]] that [[ObliviouslyEvil don’t really understand that they’re hurting people]] (though their TimeTravel gimmick remained). The Hive’s ReligionOfEvil aspects have become their primary gimmick, while the whole [[TechnicallyLivingZombie techno-zombie]] angle has largely been dropped in favor of them merely being InsectoidAliens, to the point that they’re established as thinking {{Necromancy}} is a sin.
29	** Back in the very early days of the first game, when [[ExcusePlot there wasn’t much in the way of plot]], the various Guardian-aligned [=NPCs=] didn’t have much characterization and were mostly [[FlatCharacter Flat Characters]] with no purpose beyond being vendors. It didn’t take long for them to start developing personalities and quirks; Cayde-6 became a [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] LovableRogue, Zavala became TheComicallySerious, Lord Shaxx became a [[LargeHam hammy]] BoisterousBruiser, and so on. The most jarring example by far, however, is Uldren, who went from being nothing more Mara Sov’s [[{{Jerkass}} snide]] lackey to the Young Wolf’s {{Archenemy}} and one of the competitors for the title of BigBad.
30	* Lucian, the main character of ''VideoGame/DivineDivinity'' appears throughout the Divinity series. However, if one were to play the series Chronologically, getting to ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'', will be ''very'' surprising to find that, rather than being a BigGood who only made a few mistakes and was very affable, [[spoiler: he comes off as a total AntiHero (at best) and a JerkAss at worst -- willing to allow his own son to be assassinated, happily attempting genocide, lying, and betraying some of his closest followers]]. Larian has in fact admitted this -- given that ''Divinity'' has had somewhat loose continuity and the world changed to a much more CrapsackWorld... yikes.
31	* Some character quotes got changed from ''VideoGame/DontStarve'' to ''Don't Starve Together'' to reflect both how the survivors are coping with not being alone anymore and their better comprehension of how the Constant works.
32	* While Anders's personality shift from ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening'' to ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' can be explained by his [[MesACrowd passenger]], Merrill changes from a serious, sensible minor character in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' who calmly greets Duncan in the elven ruins to a cheerful Cloudcuckoolander who can [[NoSocialSkills barely get out a complete greeting to Hawke and company]], for no overt reason beyond the implicit suggestion that spending months working in the company of nothing but an ancient magical mirror tends to do that to you. It certainly did a lot to [[EnsembleDarkhorse endear her to players]], in any case.
33	* Occurred often in the ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' and ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'' franchise as they added new playable characters, even if they had previously been generic [=NPCs=] in the games in look and voice.
34	** Cao Pi (son of Cao Cao) was Zhen Ji's generic NPC husband in ''3'' and ''4'', only to later acquire a unique look, weapon, and personality in ''5'' when he was promoted to both a major playable character. (Amusingly, one hentai doujinshi author put out a Zhen Ji-centric doujin based on ''[=DW3=]'' with Cao Pi looking like one of the game's generic NPC general templates, only to later release another doujin based on ''[=DW5=]'', now with their ''[=DW5=]'' versions.)
35	** Likewise, Sima Zhao (second son of Sima Yi) is somewhat "Sima Yi Lite" in his mannerisms and speech in ''Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends'' (in Meng Huo's Legend Mode stage), ''5'' (Battles of Jieting and Chencang) and ''6'' (in Sima Yi's ending cutscene), only to get a complete revamp in personality befitting his central role in the Jin storyline of ''7''.
36	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
37	** The [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orcs]] have experienced this as a race. Originally, were simple "hurr durr smash hoomies" Tolkien-style Orcs with nothing particularly noteworthy about them (they weren't even playable in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsArena Arena]]'' or ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]''). ''Daggerfall'' set the ball rolling on shifting their characterization through the orcish character of Gortwog, his goals and his arguments for ''why'' Orcs tend to act like that, and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' solidified their characterization shift. Rather than just being dumb, they've been severely marginalized for ages -- even their patron deity reflects this. The [[BadassArmy Imperial Legion]] of [[TheGoodKing Emperor Uriel VII]]'s time, among other things, however, helped them to begin to properly integrate into the Empire better - thus [[PromotedToPlayable making them playable]].
38	** The [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Princes]] cross this over with EarlyInstallmentWeirdness. The personalities of many of the Princes are ''very'' different in their first appearance in ''Daggerfall'' than they would go on to be depicted in later games. Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of [[MadGod Madness]], is a notable example he didn't seem to settle into his MadHatter-esque characterization until his ADayInTheLimelight episode in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'''s ''Shivering Isles'' expansion. (Even his vocal appearance in his quest in vanilla ''Oblivion'' didn't match in voice or temperament.) For details on the other Daedric Princes, see their entries on the series' [[Characters/TheElderScrollsDaedra Daedra Characters page]].
39	** This is also the case for many of the types of [[OurDemonsAreDifferent lesser Daedra]] which have made multiple appearances in the series. Please see the series' [[Characters/TheElderScrollsDaedra Daedra Characters page]] for specific examples.
40	* ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'': all of Nazuna's early cards feature him glaring or looking angry, presuming in reference to his tendency of getting annoyed when anyone calls him cute or treats him like a kid. However, it swiftly became clear that most of the characters - especially his juniors in Ra*bits - were simply too nice to annoy him like that. Instead, he became more of a genuinely helpful BigBrotherMentor and an OnlySaneMan among the third years. As a result, his cards swiftly changed to instead typically feature him looking friendly and earnest (or, at best, flustered). Since most characters typically use their original one star card as their profile image, Nazuna is the only one who has a totally different personality than most people initially think.
41	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'':
42	** Tseng, as portions of the game and especially spin-offs like ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'' suggest that he has a somewhat paternal attachment to Aerith, developed over the time they spent together while Shinra was studying her Ancient abilities...which makes his first appearance, where he slaps her while taking her hostage, stand out like a sore thumb. ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'' addresses this by changing the scene: while Aerith still gets captured, Tseng tries to ensure her safety and the worst he personally does is call a {{Mook}} to haul her away.
43	** Cloud in the original ''FFVII'' was a very different hero from the modern version of him. 1997 Cloud was a much more lighthearted and somewhat dorky character (see his [[NarmCharm cheesy]] “Let’s Mosey” line) when not suffering HeroicBSOD and FalseMemories, being insecure underneath his cocky mercenary persona about the fact he wasn’t able to become a cool hero like he swore he’d become. Cloud could also be goofily enthusiastic about things (doing squats or posing) and openly flirt with his love interests. In modern media like ''[[Franchise/CompilationOfFinalFantasyVII Compilation]]'' and ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' Cloud is TheStoic, full of brooding angst and keeps even his allies at arm’s distance. ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake Remake]]'' retains a lot of this later more introverted characterisation for Cloud, but gradually brings in his original dorkier and upbeat side as the game goes on, [[CharacterDevelopment to show he’s opening up to people]].
44	** Aerith was very different in the original game, while still sweet and innocent she was also a ManicPixieDreamGirl and a tomboy who talked in slang in the original Japanese script and could be InnocentlyInsensitive, flirtatious and prepared to rip a mafioso’s balls off. In modern Final Fantasy media starting with ''Anime/AdventChildren'' Aerith is depicted as nothing short of PurityPersonified always being gentle and saint-like, in ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'' she’s scared of violence and fighting (despite growing up in a slum) and has ingénue traits. ''Remake'' brings back Aerith’s original personality with a vengeance, to the surprise of those unfamiliar with her 1997 version.
45	** Tifa in the original game in spite of her appearance was ironically a ShrinkingViolet who had a bad case of CannotSpitItOut and was generally calm, modest and [[TeamMom motherly]]. Tifa’s modern appearances have her be more outgoing, spunky and even sassy, in ''Dissidia'' she boldly tells her opponents ([[DynamicAkimbo hands on hips]]) she’ll crush them if they mock her, acting much more like the typical HotBlooded monk. ''Remake'' splits difference with Tifa, bringing back her gentler and empathic 1997 characterisation while retaining a few of the more confident ActionGirl traits she’s been depicted as having in other games.
46	** Sephiroth in the original game was a classic TragicMonster [[GoMadFromTheRevelation who went insane]] learning about his birth and even before becoming a FallenHero devoted to his “mother” Jenova was capable of breaking out into eerie laughter. He was also quite affable besides from his destruction of [[DoomedHometown Nibelheim]], MindRape and [[KickTheDog manipulation]] of Cloud and [[KillTheCutie his murder of Aerith]], Sephiroth wasn’t actively cruel or insidious considering himself beyond good and evil as the “saviour” of the planet. In his modern appearances such as ''Dissidia'' Sephiroth is a SmugSmiler and NobleDemon who considers Cloud (whom he is fixated on) as a WorthyOpponent, unlike the original game where he mainly wanted to torment Cloud in revenge for defeating him. ''Remake'' keeps Sephiroth’s obsession with Cloud seen in later media, while also upping his cruelty and psychotic traits, making him a more [[CardCarryingVillain overtly evil villain]] compared to his original depiction. [[spoiler: This last bit is [[FridgeHorror made more chilling]] since it turns out that ''Remake'' is a StealthSequel (of sorts). It is heavily implied that Sephiroth ''knows'' about the events from the original game and trying to change his fate, and that Cloud has beaten him at least 3 times.]]
47	** Barret in the original game was unmistakably a caricature of Creator/MrT. A LargeHam BigScaryBlackMan who knocked his allies around when annoyed and was only gentle to his adoptive daughter Marlene whilst being antagonistic to others especially Cloud, it took a lot of the game for him to mellow out into a nicer guy who appreciates his companions and regrets the damage he caused sticking it to Shinra. ''Remake'' depicts Barret as a AFatherToHisMen who displays multiple HiddenDepths showing he has a scholarly side to him, being excited at the Shinra library and unlike the original he’s the one who to encourage his allies and keep their spirits up, he still has his HotBlooded traits but is even-tempered when not fighting and face to face with his foes.
48	** Yuffie in the original game was a huge brat, being mischievous and obnoxious. She was perfectly happy with [[SoLongAndThanksForAllTheGear robbing the party of all their Materia]] for sake of restoring Wutai to its former glory and didn’t drop her antagonistically rude behaviour until Cloud and co saved her from Don Corneo. In later media like ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'' Yuffie is much less irascible and annoying, being outspoken at worst. In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake Intergrade'' Yuffie is a friendly GenkiGirl who gets along with people and doesn’t actively steal from everyone, only robbing Materia from Shinra Robin Hood-style.
49	** Vincent in the original game while still RuleOfCool personified, had a lot of CharacterTics like the rest of the cast. He frequently displayed LargeHam overly dramatic poses and had a fair share of goofy lines and moments himself. Vincent’s later characterisation however seen in both ''Anime/AdventChildren'' and ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'' is decidedly more somber and gothic, being rigidly serious and brooding, showing no zany quirks like his 1997 version.
50	* Captain Falcon of the ''VideoGame/FZero'' games never had much development character-wise that differed from his lawful bounty hunter racing driver look. Then ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' gave him the [[MemeticMutation FALCOOOON PAUUUUNCH]] and other such moves, to the point that he [[AscendedMeme even uses it]] in the official anime of the series.
51	* One of the first pieces of ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' media was ''The Cortana Letters'', a series of emails sent to a ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'' fansite. They show that early on, Cortana was an expy of Durandal from ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'', being contemptuous of the Master Chief and wanting to achieve godhood. Fragments of these letters were eventually used in ''VideoGame/Halo3'', but re-purposed and with the unused parts declared non-canon. [[spoiler:The "achieving godhood" part was repurposed for ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'', though unlike in the ''Letters'', Cortana still has a soft spot for the Chief.]]
52	* Compare and contrast the way the characters are in ''VideoGame/{{Harvest Moon 64}}'' to how they are in games ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonBackToNature'' and afterward. Karen, for example, was a cold woman until you [[DefrostingTheIceQueen befriend]] or court her who wanted to leave the small town she was raised in for the city. In future games she works at a grocery store instead of a bar, loses all of her attitude, and becomes a CoolBigSis. Even ''Back to Nature'' to ''Friends of Mineral Town'' has this, to a far lesser degree. Kai was a JerkAss who intentionally bugged Rick but in later games Rick is just an overprotective brother towards Popuri and Kai is a NiceGuy.
53	* [[VideoGame/{{Neptunia}} Nepgear]] was a somewhat bland and very VanillaProtagonist in [[VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptuniaMkii her debut]]. There was an attempt to remedy this with her lack of defining features being a RunningGag in [[VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptuniaVictory the sequel]], along with being ButtMonkey for a vicious and humiliating universe, but to no avail[[note]]Her original appearance included the option of Nepgear willfully perpetrating the ''horrifying'' events of the Conquest [[DownerEnding Ending]], which cast a long shadow on her popularity[[/note]]. After three {{Video Game Remake}}s worth of progressive retrofits to her character, her next fully original appearance in ''VideoGame/MegadimensionNeptuniaVII'' is as a well-rounded, well-liked mecha-nerd.
54	* In ''VideoGame/{{inFAMOUS}}'', [[KarmaMeter Evil]] Cole was an actively malicious {{Jerkass}} who thrived on causing pain and trouble and saw Empire City as his personal playground to do whatever he wanted. In ''VideoGame/{{inFAMOUS 2}}'', if one plays the evil route, Cole is simply unconcerned with the consequences of his actions rather than actively sadistic.
55	* ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'':
56	** In the first game, Kirby lacks the [[PowerCopying power absorbing ability]] which would later become his most well-known characteristic. Not to mention in the box art he was white rather than pink.
57	** Also, King Dedede in the early games is portrayed as an outright villain, rather than the AntiVillain he would become for most of the games.
58	* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' originally started with an ExcusePlot based around a titular CombatByChampion-enforcing league, but after it became increasingly apparent to Riot Games that such a FramingDevice became narratively [[TheArtifact superfluous]] and [[PerpetuallyStatic limiting]], [[ContinuityReboot the continuity was rebooted without it]], and thus the world became more of a free-for-all SharedUniverse. Consequently, pretty much every character needed to be rewritten without conflicts of the League, and several characters were given [[{{Retcon}} continuity relaunches]] that [[ReimaginingTheArtifact reinvented their character to be much more ambitious in scope]], and some grew to be complete InNameOnly overhauls. Just a few examples out of an ever-expanding character list:
59	** Several champions were revamped to have drastically higher power levels following the undoing of the League. [[BearsAreBadNews Volibear, the Thunder's Roar]] went from a bear-shaped ProudWarriorRaceGuy with [[ShockAndAwe lightning powers]] to [[PhysicalGod an immortal Freljordian demigod of the storms]]. Evelynn, the Widowmaker, went from being a vampiric, [[AmazingTechnicolorPopulation blue-skinned]], {{Dominatrix}}-esque assassin with a MysteriousPast into [[OurDemonsAreDifferent a full-blown ancient demon]] who feasts off of lust and agony.
60	** [[BigRedDevil Aatrox, the Darkin Blade]] was originally a (canonically-ambiguous) NobleDemon of [[FamedInStory myth]], his shtick being that [[BigDamnHeroes he appeared whenever armies were losing wars]], fuelling their bloodlust until they devolved into [[UnstoppableRage unstoppable barbarism]], played equally as a wise HopeBringer and a monstrous manipulator that left carnage and sorrow in his wake. In 2018, this was completely rebuilt, turning him into a once-proud PhysicalGod who [[FallenHero fell]] after the horrors of war warped him into a perpetual SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum, played as an unambiguous -- if still [[TragicVillain tragic]] -- villain.
61	** [[OurGargoylesRock Galio, the Colossus]], used to be known as "The Sentinel's Sorrow", a GentleGiant who acted on eternal penance after failing to save his master. Nowadays, he's [[BoisterousBruiser a much more bombastic and openly excitable fighter]] that protects the kingdom of Demacia from magic, albeit one with [[SadClown a tragic undercurrent]] as said magics are the only things that keep him awake, reverting into an inanimate statue during times of peace.
62	** [[{{Outlaw}} Graves, the Outlaw]], and [[CardSharp Twisted Fate, the Card Master]], were originally written as [[WeUsedToBeFriends former partners-turned-enemies]] after Twisted Fate sold Graves out for personal gain, both of them played as fairly dark, morally grey characters. When their lores were rebuilt in 2015, Riot took the opportunity to not only change the circumstances of the [[PoorCommunicationKills "betrayal"]], but additionally have them make up and become partners again. Nowadays, they're [[TookALevelInCheerfulness a much more lighthearted duo]] of [[BanteringBaddieBuddies equally-badass, equally-bumbling crooks]], almost always shown [[ThoseTwoGuys getting into criminal hijinx together]]. And eventually, after much pressure from the fanbase and disgruntled writers, Riot made them a canonical gay couple.
63	** [[ThePaladin Kayle, the Righteous]] and [[FallenAngel Morgana, the Fallen]] were originally [[CainAndAbel duelling angelic sisters]] on [[BlackAndWhiteMorality a purely black/white war of morality]], but their 2019 reboots -- instead making them descendants to the Aspect of Justice -- made them [[GrayingMorality much closer to grey]]. On Kayle's side, her stoic pursuit of an "objective" form of justice [[PureIsNotGood makes her increasingly detached from humanity]] and leads her to act on [[KnightTemplar technically just, yet heartless retribution]], while Morgana chose to abscond such an abstract, heavenly ideal [[DarkIsNotEvil in favor of embracing humanity]], making her more of a WarriorTherapist who believes [[SympathyForTheDevil humans are capable of redemption]] and helps them purge through their wickedness.
64	** [[WinterRoyalLady Lissandra, the Ice Witch]], was originally introduced as a GenericDoomsdayVillain, leading [[GrimUpNorth The Freljord]] into apocalypse by ushering in the return of her masters, "The Frozen Watchers", to bury all of Runeterra in ice. This dynamic was completely flipped due to rewrites in 2018 -- nowadays she's more of an AntiVillain who wants to ''stop'' the Frozen Watchers (and was in fact the one who froze them in the first place), and [[WellIntentionedExtremist all of her schemes are done to protect as much of Runeterra as possible]] before their eventual (and in her eyes, [[YouCantFightFate inevitable]]) escape and return.
65	** [[WhenTreesAttack Maokai, the Twisted Treant]], was a magical tree accidentally given sentience thanks to the League, [[AbsoluteXenophobe expressed open contempt for humans and life itself]], but cooperated in becoming a champion entirely on the promise that [[DeathSeeker he would eventually be allowed to lay to rest]]. Once the League was excised, he was given an entirely new backstory as one of the ancient trees of [[UnholyGround the Shadow Isles]] from before [[TheCorruption its corruption]], making him a much more heroic character [[GaiasVengeance that seeks to rid the isles of their curse]].
66	** [[PirateGirl Miss Fortune, the Bounty Hunter]] was always a badass, but she used to be played as more of [[HeroicSeductress a flirty femme fatale]] whose backstory (wanting revenge on Gangplank, the Saltwater Scourge [[YouKilledMyFather for killing her father]]) was secondary to [[MsFanservice her more fanservice-y aspects]]. With the 2015 "Burning Tides" event, however, she ended up displaying a ''vastly'' more [[TheChessmaster cunning]] and [[PragmaticHero pragmatic]] side of her, turning her into [[ManipulativeBitch a morally complicated yet hypercompetent chessmaster]] who successfully usurped Gangplank's throne, becoming the new pirate queen of Bilgewater in the process. While she keeps up [[TheTease her outwardly flirty persona]], [[TheChainsOfCommanding her trials of maintaining order in Bilgewater]] and [[HeWhoFightsMonsters shaky moral highground]] are much bigger centerpieces of her character.
67	** [[HornyVikings Olaf, the Berserker]] was a fairly plain BloodKnight character; an angry, ax-wielding viking [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy that kills everything in front of him for glory]]. Following lore expansions in 2015, however, he was recharacterized into being an angry, ax-wielding viking that kills everything in front of him for glorious ''[[DeathSeeker death]]'', with a new shtick that he constantly hurls himself at giant monsters for a DyingMomentOfAwesome, but constantly "fails" because [[SpringtimeForHitler he's simply that good at killing and that terrible at dying]]. As you would imagine, [[HeroicComedicSociopath he's played a lot more nowadays for black comedy]].
68	** [[AllTrollsAreDifferent Trundle]] used to be known as "The Cursed Troll", a PintSizedPowerhouse inflicted with [[BodyHorror perpetual leprosy]], who in his neverending search for a cure became a champion to his people, fighting with [[CarryABigStick a giant club]] and [[MuckMonster contamination powers]]. Following a 2013 relaunch, he was almost completely reinvented into [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership "The Troll King"]], a brutish self-declared king of [[{{Retcon}} what now became]] a race of frost trolls, also gaining [[AnIcePerson "Iceborn"]] heratige and [[GeniusBruiser a sharper sense of intellect compared to others of his race]] ([[DumbMuscle though one not quite on par with humans]]).
69	** [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Warwick]] used to be "The Blood Hunter", a purely evil man who was cursed into becoming [[SavageWolves a savage beast]] and [[CursedWithAwesome ended up enjoying it]]. He was drastically reinvented in 2017 as "The Uncaged Wrath of Zaun", a ReformedCriminal who by bad luck was plucked off the streets and [[PainfulTransformation brutally transformed into the beast]], one attempting to channel [[BloodKnight his uncontrollable bloodlust]] into [[PayEvilUntoEvil hunting down and killing criminals]], making him more of an UnscrupulousHero à la ComicBook/ThePunisher.
70	** [[CastingAShadow Zed, the Master of Shadows]], was originally just an EvilCounterpart to [[TheParagon Shen, the Eye of Twilight]], killing his father and committing atrocities across their home of Ionia. This gradually toned down, and he's since been written as an AntiVillain driven by nationalism towards his country, [[WellIntentionedExtremist killing those who threaten the rest of Ionia]] because [[NecessarilyEvil someone has to]], and especially not a symbol of order like Shen. Zed and Shen [[RivalsTeamUp have even teamed up to combat shared threats]], including the mass-murdering MadArtist, Jhin.
71	* Zant was portrayed in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' as a stoic, almost menacing figure whose facade only broke when he was on the verge of defeat. In ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', his PsychopathicManchild traits are more prominent from the start and he's more prone to bouts of histrionics and hysteria, though he still retains his moments of smartness, [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass being particularly cunning as a battlefield commander.]] The end result is that he comes off as more eccentric than truly frighteningly insane. This may just be because, in the context of ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', Zant is no more the main antagonist, but one of Ganondorf's second-in-commands, sharing his spotlight with Ghirahim, so it's harder to be frightened by the man when you keep the child-like mood swings and temper tantrums, but remove the creepy music, the build-up and the army backing him up, and then [[OvershadowedbyAwesome put him in a game where Ganondorf is one of the playable characters.]] Context is mostly what made Zant menacing. [[https://youtu.be/au4ZGt1MReA?t=109 In a retrospective video on ''Twilight Princess'' by the game's developers]] on the game's characters and story, it's revealed that this is the reason for Zant's change in characterization before his boss fight.
72	-->'''Yoshiyuki Oyama''': This is kind of a tangent, but Zant received a lot more characterization in the end, and that's why we had the last boss battle against Zant end on a bit of comical note.
73	* ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'': When introduced, Goro Majima was a notorious madman who liked to bash on his underlings for laughs. As the series progresses, his more insane traits are gradually downplayed: while he is still nuttier than a squirrel, he's more an eccentric genius, becoming the leader of one of the biggest and most powerful branch families in the Tojo Clan and inspiring UndyingLoyalty in his ranks.
74	** Series protagonist Kiryu was a rude thug who wasn't above using threats of physical violence to get what he wanted in [[VideoGame/Yakuza1 the first game]], even threatening civilians that got in his way. In the later games, Kiryu is largely defined by his sense of honor and respect for the GoodOldWays, only ever fights those that have directly antagonized him in some way or another, and never even thinks about attacking civilians.
75	* In the first two ''VideoGame/{{Lufia}}'', the Sinistrals were typical evil gods without much to distinguish them from each other in terms of how they wreaked their havoc. Come ''VideoGame/LufiaTheLegendReturns'', Amon and Daos develop differing methods suiting their powers of Chaos and Terror respectively, while Gades gets his ([[MemeticMutation frue]]) destructive tendencies exemplified. This carried over into the remake of ''[[VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals Lufia II]]'', ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals''.
76	* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
77	** [[KarmaMeter Renegade]] Shepard could be ''way'' more unsympathetic in the first game, openly proclaiming [[FantasticRacism anti-alien racism]] (especially towards turians), acting a lot more [[EvilIsPetty petty]], and [[TeethClenchedTeamwork treating the rest of the Normandy crew so horribly they would avoid talking to you]]. Subsequent games would tone it down significantly; Renegade Shepard is a ruthlessly pragmatic AntiHero who doesn't always bother looking for a better way, but they are anything but racist, typically only [[ShootTheDog do what they feel is necessary]] and while they may not necessarily get along with all of the crew, all of the time, it takes ''a lot'' to make any of them actively dislike you.
78	** [[TheLancer Garrus Vakarian]] is first introduced as an aggressive, violent, and uptight CowboyCop who seethes constantly. When he's reintroduced in the second game, he's become a lot more laid-back, friendly, and [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]], to the point that him acting more needlessly violent in his personal quest is treated as [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness a sign something is very wrong]]. His marksmanship and use of a sniper rifle as his signature weapon is also totally absent in the first game. But the most jarring difference by far is his relationship with Shepard... or rather his lack of it. In ''1'', Shepard and Garrus are working together and can get along well, but never seem especially close and Garrus can actually end the game disliking you; contrast that with ''2'' onwards, where Shepard and Garrus are [[HeterosexualLifePartners nigh-inseparable best friends]] (and potentially lovers) who agree on almost everything, with Garrus being arguably the one crew member you ''can't'' totally alienate in some way. Lampshaded by Joker in the second game:
79	-->'''Joker:''' It seems like Garrus has finally worked that stick out of his butt, but now he's beating people to death with it.
80	** The entirety of the Terminus Systems got this between the first and second games. From the way everybody talks about them in ''1'', you would get the sense that they're a rival government in something of a Cold War with Citadel Space, such that fear about sparking open hostilities by sending forces after [[BigBad Saren]] is a minor plot point. In ''2'' onwards, it is established that the Terminus Systems are merely the area of space outside Citadel jurisdiction, and the idea that they have any kind of unified government or pose a major threat to Citadel Space is almost laughable, with their population mostly consisting of pirate gangs and some tiny independent colonies.
81	* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
82	** Solid Snake has a {{Camp}}y-cool, suave side to him in ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'' and ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', cracking witty one-liners, and being quite friendly in overall demeanour, giving sincere compliments to his radio contacts and attempting to [[TheCharmer sweep all the women he meets off their feet]]. (Creator/HideoKojima even said he was inspired by Franchise/LupinIII.) In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' this is mostly dropped, and he becomes more of a dry, serious character, and StraightMan to the more comical [[ThisLoserIsYou Otacon (and, later, Raiden)]].
83	** Ocelot in is introduced as being an unsympathetic and somewhat [[{{Otaku}} nerdish]] villain; he's a sadistic torturer, screws up most of his plans, sexually harasses his female coworker, and his boss fight is a simple chase-and-shoot affair while he breathes heavily over his cool gun. TheReveal that he was really working for the President the whole time plays less like he's a manipulative genius, and more like his obsessive toadying to Liquid is taken to its logical extreme. Come ''Metal Gear Solid 2'', though, and he's much cooler and more intimidating, getting a BigEntrance, and disowning his previous stated motivations as a lie in a WhamLine. His backstory as revealed in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' makes him a fairly sympathetic, even dorky AntiHero, as well as gay (making his apparent attraction to Wolf in ''1'' seem very weird in retrospect).
84	** Otacon's introduced as being shy, awkward, and quite thoughtful and sad. He's responsible for several humorous moments, but they are largely unintentional. In ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' he is suddenly much more funny and playful, and displays a detached, cynical reading of situations in contrast to his naive personality in the original. His brief scene of [[NeverLiveItDown crying]] about the death of a woman is also {{flanderiz\|ation}}ed into a CartwrightCurse and a tendency to break down into tears. Also, in ''Metal Gear Solid'', he has a consistent theme of being deeply superstitious, obsessed with curses, bad luck and general magical thinking - this side of him is all but scrapped with no explanation, save for his conviction in ''4'' that Vamp's powers are based on magic, while Snake thinks [[DoingInTheWizard otherwise]] and is proven right.
85	* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'':
86	** ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1992'' features a ''very'' different [[PhysicalGod Raiden]] from the rest of the series. In every other game, he's the protector of Earthrealm, the mentor to [[MessianicArchetype Liu Kang]] and the other Earthrealm warriors, and one of the most powerful forces for good. In the first one? He's a ChaoticStupid {{Jerkass}} who enters the tournament simply to show he's not afraid of Shang Tsung, thinks nothing of the mortals he's fighting, and in his ending bans anyone but gods from entering the tournament [[spoiler: and blows up the Earth as a result]]. Whenever a work references the events of the original, they just pretend the second characterization is what happened.
87	** Kung Lao's first appearance and later games including him prior to ''VideoGame/MortalKombatShaolinMonks'' characterized the monk as a MartialPacifist who faked his death during the old trilogy so that he wouldn't have to fight again and even made peace with Goro, the Shokan prince who slew his ancestor. Come ''Shaolin Monks'', Kung Lao is shown as more of a hothead and to have a rivalry with Liu Kang that wasn't mentioned in earlier lore. While the game's status in canon is dubious, elements of it still resurfaced in later games (in this case, Kung Lao's characterization).
88	* ''VideoGame/{{Pico}}'':
89	** Darnell was originally portrayed as a {{Sadist}} who burned down cities for fun. While later appearances retained his pyromania, he's less likely to take it to that extreme, or at least keeps it to smaller scale destruction. In addition, he was given a friendlier side in games like the ''Pico 2'' demo and an ambitious streak based on his campaign poster in ''Pico's School''.
90	** Nene's early appearances put a lot of emphasis on her SuicideAsComedy tendencies, with her first game outright being about her attempts. Like Darnell, this aspect of her was downplayed in later games in favor of a more confident, actionized portrayal.
91	** Pico was a very talkative boy in his first game, and often at least tried to talk to his opponents, even if just to trash talk or chastise them, before fighting. Due to starring in fewer action/adventure titles, he was given a "shoot first, ask questions later" attitude.
92	* ''VideoGame/PizzaTower'': Gustavo was much less of a NiceGuy in early demo builds, with him [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/pizzatower/images/d/d0/Pummel.gif furiously beating the stuffing out of Peppino]] for failing to deliver a pizza in early versions of Gnome Forest for example. In the final game, despite one of the Pizza Grannies trying to convince the player otherwise, Gustavo is a genuinely nice little chef who befriends Brick and is [[UndyingLoyalty undyingly loyal]] to Peppino.
93	* ''{{Franchise/Pokemon}}'': The second ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' game infamously portrayed [[spoiler: Darkrai]] as the world's SatanicArchetype. However, later games, most notably [[spoiler: ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'']] had that role be given to [[spoiler: Giratina]] instead, while [[spoiler: Darkrai was instead changed into a more sympathetic Pokemon that, [[DarkisNotEvil despite appearances, isn't even vile at the slightest.]]]]
94	* ''VideoGame/PunchOut'':
95	** Aran Ryan (don't think too hard about his name) was just a generic opponent, more or less, in the SNES incarnation of ''Super VideoGame/PunchOut''. Then Next Level Games decided to play up the "hot-tempered Irishman" stereotype for the Wii game and made him a ''[[AxCrazy complete lunatic]]''.
96	** In the Wii game, Kid Quick was probably ''going'' to be this... but his [[CampGay new characterization]] got so out of hand that the developers just called him a new character, Disco Kid. %%Needs better indentation.
97	* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'':
98	** Albert Wesker in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil RE1]]'' was nothing more than the mole in the S.T.A.R.S. unit working for (and also working against) the Umbrella corporation and was also the one who was in cahoots with the other scientists when the mansion incident releasing the T-virus happened. In his original incarnation, Wesker just wanted to take the results of the research for himself and was using his teammates as guinea pigs. In Wesker's later appearances, he's a cold, calculating, and very cunning villain with superhuman powers that manipulates ''everyone'' to further his own goals and by the events of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'', he attempts to annihilate the world to "save" the human race from their own self destruction.
99	** Chris Redfield in the original game was made out to be a cocky troublemaker and MilitaryMaverick who argued with his superiors and [[SmokingIsCool smoked]]. When he learns the aforementioned Wesker’s plans he actually laughs and mocks the traitor. In Chris’s later appearances he is [[TheStoic sensible, stoic and rarely cracks jokes]], he’s also more superhuman compared his debut appearance being built like a linebacker and actually capable of punching boulders out of his way like a superhero in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil5 RE5]]''. In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'' Chris is a case of DarkIsNotEvil being a brooding rogue commander, [[CallBack although he is seen smoking like his original version]].
100	** Leon S. Kennedy in the original ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' wasn’t the typical 90s ActionHero, unconfident and gullible he actually [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nnrSNSMfOt8 moans]] at one point “Man, why does nobody is listen to me?” when Ada and Claire run off without answering his questions. By the time of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' Leon is a super slick secret agent and wise cracking [[TheCasanova ladies’ man]], who you wouldn’t guess had lived through a ZombieApocalypse if he didn’t mention it, later titles such as ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 RE6]]'' do acknowledge the trauma he’s been through and strongly imply Leon’s quips and cocky attitude are just a cover for how [[BrokenAce messed up and depressed he is]]. The [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake 2019 remake]] of ''[=RE2=]'' brings back a lot Leon’s original characterisation but also makes him less gullible and reasonably composed. The [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4Remake remake]] of ''[=RE4=]'' continues Leon’s characterisation in ''[=RE2make=]'' for consistency’s sake although he’s still not above some quips and one-liners like the original.
101	** Claire Redfield in the original ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' was a classic tomboyish biker chick who, according to Hideki Kamiya, had multiple bikes and [[DudeMagnet boyfriends]] prior to Raccoon City. By the time of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilRevelations2'', Claire is a somber 30-something woman who drives a SUV instead of a motorcycle, and her dating life has been either unsuccessful (Leon) or [[CartwrightCurse tragic]] (Steve and Neil). ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake'' touches upon Claire’s tomboyish and flirtatious qualities, but also has her [[SirSwearsALot swear a lot]] and be more realistically aggravated by the actions of Chief Irons and Annette Birkin.
102	** Ada Wong in her debut in ''[=RE2=]'' was closer to a DamselInDistress, she also had similarities to Film/{{Nikita}} being a troubled spy who doesn’t like lying and manipulating to her LoveInterest Leon and only wanted him to leave her alone to do her job. Her epilogue screen in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis'' depicts her as a BrokenBird BeneathTheMask. Yet in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 RE4]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 RE6]]'' Ada is a carefree and conceited FemmeFataleSpy who is unbothered by her work, being totally okay to use, manipulate and betray Leon to her own ends and even after countless people die, looks forward to her next assignment and payday. ''[=RE2make=]'' however brings back Ada’s sympathetic traits and implies in the ending of Leon’s scenario that she knows she’s a bad person and hates herself for it.
103	* The ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'' series' eponymous heroine had a much shorter temper in the first game and was prone to throwing around (sometimes quite harsh) insults when she started getting frustrated. By ''Risky's Revenge'' she'd eased up on the nasty names, but was still a bit of a grouch. It wasn't until ''VideoGame/ShantaeAndThePiratesCurse'' that she would fully evolve into the cheery [[NiceGuy nice girl]] she's known as today.
104	* ''VideoGame/ShinSuperRobotWars'': Ryusei Date, one of the "mascot" characters from the franchise, was an outright JerkAss in his first appearance. Almost all his in-battle dialog when dodging an attack amounts to "Wow, you suck. Just give up already, loser." And at one point, he goes around telling the other characters that his teammate Rai is gay (which earns him the beating of a lifetime when Rai finds out), and several of the official {{Yonkoma}} end with the two of them [[MexicanStandoff pointing guns at each other]]. In fact, Banpresto actually {{lampshade\|Hanging}}d this in the ''Original Generation'' storyline, where Ryusei's rival Tenzan Nakajima essentially has Ryusei's old personality, demonstrating that he's a better person thanks to opening up and making friends instead of obsessing over [[IKnowMortalKombat video games]] like he did in ''Shin''.
105	* ''VideoGame/SlyCooper'':
106	** Murray was a radically different character in the [[VideoGame/SlyCooperAndTheThieviusRaccoonus first game]], being meek and cowardly, described by Sly in the opening as "part-time driver and [[TheLoad full-time burden]]", and all of his missions were {{Escort Mission}}s where he'd run away at the first sign of trouble. Starting with the [[VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves second game]], thanks to a two year TimeSkip, he became TheBigGuy of the team and a LargeHam who insists on being called [[SpellMyNameWithAThe "The Murray"]], whose missions are always combat-heavy. [[spoiler:But Murray's confidence is fragile and will revert back to his cowardly ways if separated from his friends, as shown in Chapter 4. [[CharacterDevelopment He gets over it]]]].
107	** In ''VideoGame/Sly3HonorAmongThieves'', [[spoiler:Penelope]] was a sweet and caring character who helped the gang on multiple occasions, even saving Murray from a bomb and towing his van out of a river. Come ''VideoGame/SlyCooperThievesInTime'', [[spoiler:she becomes a greedy, power hungry backstabber willing to kill the gang including Bentley, [[DidYouActuallyBelieve whom she pretended to love]] [[GoldDigger to get his skills]]]].
108	* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
109	** The series has a pretty shaky history of consistent characterization, which makes sense since multiple writers are working on the series and some never communicate with each other. Because of this, characters tend behave very differently between games DependingOnTheWriter, with very broad traits to keep them recognizable. This especially evident when one compares how the plot is handled through years. Starting out, the games had as much plot as you would expect from a 2D platforming series in the '90s (As in, [[ExcusePlot barely]]) and characterization was very minimal (Sonic was the MascotWithAttitude, Tails was his sidekick, Knuckles his rival, etc) but starting in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'', the series adopted a more cohesive and serialized narrative not unlike common Shonen Anime/Manga, and characters and relationships became much more dynamic. (Series BreakoutCharacter Shadow the Hedgehog debuts here, and has the most fleshed out background of any character to date,) but after much criticism over that direction, starting with ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' the series is back to simpler characterizations and plot to allow for more broader narratives but mostly ignored the character development that took place before. (I.e. Tails is mostly back to being Sonic's sidekick despite his bout of independence before.) However, after the pre-Unleashed type of narrative ends up becoming vindicated, and a backlash against the LighterAndSofter type of storytelling grew, ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'' went back to the more cohesive and serialized narrative, and the core quartet of the series regained their character development.
110	** A couple of characters have some rather notable changes in characterization from their first appearances:
111	*** Amy Rose in ''VideoGame/SonicCD'', while clearly having romantic feelings for Sonic, doesn't display much of the StalkerWithACrush personality that would infamously become her main character trait for the next two decades starting with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''. She's also a rather generic DamselInDistress incapable of fighting for herself in this first outing, rather than being an AllLovingHero in her own right with a signature weapon [[CarryABigStick in the form of a giant hammer]].
112	*** Knuckles in ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'' is seen [[TheHyena laughing incessantly]] every time he sets off a trap on Sonic. This aspect of his personality was completely dropped later on, with most of the games portraying him as borderline having NoSenseOfHumor. His theme song in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' even outright says "Unlike Sonic, I don't chuckle".
113	** ''VideoGame/SonicBoomRiseOfLyric'' portrays Sticks the Badger as a somewhat naive and childish character who uses YouNoTakeCandle-style dialogue, a far cry from her later appearances in the rest of the ''Franchise/SonicBoom'' sub-franchise where she's a pint-sized ConspiracyTheorist who speaks in proper English.
114	* ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'': The English localization initially portrayed Marina as more bitingly sarcastic to contrast her co-host Pearl. The 1.2 update toned her sass down to show her softer side, making the Pearl/Marina dynamic less of a rehash of the [[BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine Callie/Marie dynamic.]]
115	* Raynor as seen ''VideoGame/StarcraftII''. His CharacterDevelopment over the course of the original ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft\|I}}'' games leads to a breaking point where he finally sees Kerrigan for the monster she has become after she murders his BashBrothers partner Fenix, and swears a death vow on her. Enter a four year TimeSkip, and he's in love with her again and wants her back. This was intentional, as a result of stress over the ineffectual rebellion and [[MyGreatestFailure the whole Kerrigan thing]] led him [[OffTheWagon drink way too much]] and suffer a protracted HeroicBSOD. His NumberTwo, Matt Horner, actually points this out in a cutscene later in the game, which inspires Raynor to [[CharacterRerailment pull himself together]].
116	* ''Franchise/StarFox'':
117	** Compare the first ''VideoGame/StarFox1'' game with its ContinuityReboot ''VideoGame/StarFox64''. Fox and Falco didn't change much, if at all, but the other two members of the team are noticeably different. Slippy had a VerbalTic and showed no signs of the GadgeteerGenius tendencies he would eventually develop, but Peppy is almost a completely different character. In the SNES game, he was far more excitable and came off as HotBlooded in some instances, demanding to know "Who's next?!" after each stage. In ''64'', he's the oldest member of the crew and typically acts as a calm mentor figure of sorts.
118	** Star Wolf are shown as more obviously villainous {{Evil Counterpart}}s in ''VideoGame/StarFox2'' and ''Star Fox 64'' than in ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault.'' Between the presence of arrogant [[TheRival rival]] Wolf, [[SoftSpokenSadist smooth voiced assassin]] Leon, Andross' nephew OverlordJr Andrew and [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder treacherous]] Pigma, their mocking and/or murderous dialogue, and accepting a job from Andross to hunt the Star Fox team, Star Wolf were introduced as the series' PsychoRangers. Come ''Assault'', we learn that Andrew left Star Wolf to lead Andross' leftover forces while Pigma was kicked out of the team for being a treacherous swine, [[DashingHispanic dashing rogue]] Panther joined the team, and Wolf himself was presented as more of a WorthyOpponent who even saves Fox from the Aparoids.
119	* In ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'', [[CulturedBadass Dudley]] was GentlemanSnarker, spewing a surprising amount of trash talk (''[[CatchPhrase Gutter Trash]]'' talk, to be precise). In ''Super VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'', [[QuintessentialBritishGentleman he is much more dignified and respectful toward his sparring-mate]]. This gets even more confusing when you consider that ''SFIV'' takes place [[AnachronicOrder before]] ''SFIII'' in the timeline. Essentially, Dudley goes from an out-and-out NiceGuy whose only criticism is against a rival boxer who is a legitimate disgrace to the sport (i.e. Balrog) to something of a rich jerk in ''III'', only to ease into his [[FountainOfMemes more well-known]] GentlemanSnarker characterization by the time of ''Third Strike''.
120	* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
121	** In addition to caging Donkey Kong out of a sense of malice-fueled revenge, Mario's history before entering the Mushroom Kingdom has rarely been addressed, despite having gone through a variety of career changes: military service in ''Mario's Bombs Away'', construction work in ''Wrecking Crew'' and ''[=Mario's Cement Factory=]'', plumbing in ''VideoGame/MarioBros'', and warehouse work in its similarly-named VideoGame/GameAndWatch counterpart.
122	** Live-action, animated and comic adaptations have gone with the premise of Mario and Luigi as two Brooklyn plumbers who ended up stuck in the Mushroom Kingdom, making references to life on Earth as if they are longing to return to their home at some point. The games have not been focusing on this characterization, and have implied the two were originally born in the Mushroom Kingdom. ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' is one of the few productions since the mid-1990s to reflect the brothers' early backstory.
123	** Luigi was originally just a PaletteSwap of his older brother, Mario. The early ''Mario Bros.'' anime and other promotional art depicted him as taller and thinner than Mario early on, but this depiction would take until the US version of ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' to show up in the actual games. He also gained divergent gameplay traits in both, ''[=SMB2=]'' and ''[[VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels The Lost Levels]]'', jumping higher and, in the Japanese game, having less traction while stopping.\
124	Additionally, the CowardlyLion traits and fear of ghosts first displayed in ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion1'' also stuck through later games, going a long way to distinguish his personality along with his physical characteristics. Later games (especially the ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' series) would have quite a bit of fun with this.\
125	Many of Luigi's distinctive character traits came from Western sources like ''Series/TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow'' and were eventually introduced into the games, in a rare example of Mario canon [[AscendedFanon embracing rather than contradicting fanon.]] Even the character's voice has gradually come to sound more like his cartoon counterpart.\
126	It's interesting to listen to the openings to battles in the ''Mario and Luigi'' games-- it's always "Let's-a go" and "Okie-dokie", but the tone of the latter (Luigi's line) changes over the three games, and goes from fairly-reluctant to... well, pretty confident. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bighor6Lclo The scene where Luigi joins the party]] in ''Super Paper Mario'' is also worth mentioning.
127	** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' was the first game to give Mario any sort of personality (well, with as much as they could get away with for a HeroicMime) and it's extremely jarring compared to his current one; Mario tries to run in fists flying against Bowyer in the Forest Maze, and has to be restrained by Mallow so he doesn't get himself wrecked via LeeroyJenkins. When Gaz talks about how his Geno doll is cooler than his Mario doll, Mario looks like he's about to punch the kid in the face. The dialogue options also paint Mario as pretty mean spirited and/or sarcastic if you choose to make him that way. Future games would heavily tone it down. It was also the first game to give [[BigBad Bowser]] any sort of personality, who was a fairly generic villain until that point, and future games would flesh out his character even further.
128	** Yoshi gained a host of abilities in ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'' (swallowing enemies to make and shoot eggs, the GroundPound, shooting his tongue up, the variation on the DoubleJump), that became an inherent part of his character in his later appearances. As such, it's a bit of a shock when one plays the severely limited Yoshi in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', especially since said game was set chronologically after ''Yoshi's Island''.
129	** Princess Peach was also a more generic monarch figure in earlier games. Later, she was changed to a girlier, ditzier character with a high voice and a SweetTooth. This change happened between ''64'' and ''Sunshine'', with ''64 DS'' keeping the old characterization for remake's sake.
130	** [[EvilCounterpart Wario]]. Compare the greedy AntiHero of ''VideoGame/WarioLand'' and ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' to his first appearance in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand2SixGoldenCoins''. "''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhB8XG9_5Rc&feature=related Obey Wario,]]'' '''''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfYhLi7SqIA&feature=related DESTROY MARIO!]]'''''"
131	** [[DastardlyWhiplash Waluigi]]. In his first appearance he had little personality beyond being Luigi's angry and rude rival who wants to beat him in any competition. Some time later, we have this [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} comical and lunatic]] [[TheTrickster Trickster]] who wants to ruin the days of everyone else and wants to take over the world (you can expect him to [[HarmlessVillain fail hilariously]]) because he wants things to go right for him at least once. It's kinda amazing how a simple SatelliteCharacter can evolve into something much deeper (and funnier).\
132	Conversely, Waluigi was somewhat ''scary'' in his original appearance in ''VideoGame/MarioTennis''. Note his [[https://mario.wiki.gallery/images/7/7e/Waluigi_MT64_glowing_eyes.png glowing eyes]]. While the glowing eyes did make a brief reappearance in ''VideoGame/GameAndWatchGallery 4'', Waluigi's scary side was dropped to make him a [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain comic relief villain]].
133	** When DamselInDistress [[VideoGame/SuperMarioLand Princess Daisy]] made her reappearance in ''VideoGame/MarioTennis'' for the Nintendo 64, she was made out to be an adorable [[TheKlutz Klutz]] as shown in her [[https://youtu.be/ctpvor3o8jw?t=2m44s trophy celebration]]. This characterisation was kept until the [[Platform/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] era, which gave her a more energetic, tomboyish personality while dropping her clumsier moments. It's best shown with her [[https://youtu.be/70xFTWguDOc?t=1m18s trophy celebration]] in ''Mario Power Tennis''.
134	** [[TheHighQueen Rosalina]]. In her debut in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'', she was portrayed as the calm, reserved cosmic guardian with a tear-jerking backstory. Her later appearances have put much more emphasis on her carefree, fun side (coupled with [[VocalEvolution giving her a younger-sounding voice]]).
135	* Leon Magnus in the PSX ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'' was a short-tempered JerkassWoobie who enjoyed shocking his teammates (especially Rutee) when they wouldn't listen to him. When he appears in the [[VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny2 second game]], he's a much calmer snarker with more of a SugarAndIcePersonality. The remake of the first game sticks closer to his [[spoiler: Judas]] characterization, while keeping some of his short temper but removing any of his more sadistic qualities.
136	* The Medic from ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''. What his in-game lines and a laconic bio provided by Valve revealed was not much more than "swaggering MadDoctor with fairly CampGay mannerisms". The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36lSzUMBJnc "Meet the Medic"]] video released 4 years after the game not only deepened his character, but also nearly completely changed what he was originally perceived as -- he turned out to not be cold and grumpy, but much, much more outspoken and affable than first thought. He isn't even an ounce less insane than before, though.
137	** The Scout's unsuccessful attempts to hit on Miss Pauling were first introduced in [[SupplementalMaterial/TeamFortress2 the TF2 comics]], and treated as nothing more than macho posturing by him that was ignored by her out of disgust. Three years later, ''A Cold Day In Hell'' hinted his attraction to her might be sincere, since in it the Scout turns down sex from a horny {{Sensual Slav\|s}} upon thinking staying chaste might give him a bigger chance with Miss Pauling. The short film ''Expiration Date'' then completely recharacterized their relationship. In it the Scout's swaggering pickup lines turn out to be because he doesn't know any other way to treat girls aside from as stereotypical "chicks", a problem he recognizes. As for Miss Pauling aversion to him, she's actually ObliviousToLove and hadn't noticed his feeble attempts to ask her out. Unlike the comics, she has no personal aversion to the Scout [[spoiler:and they end up planning ''one'' date at the end of the short (since she works literally 364 days a year.)]]
138	* ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'':
139	** Paul Phoenix in the first two games was (barring Marshall Law's ending in ''2'') a serious fighter with Ken Masters-vibes, being TheRival to Kazuya. Come later titles however and Paul is firmly placed in the PluckyComicRelief role having wacky hijinks with Marshall Law and Kuma. He no longer has any connection to the Mishima conflict beyond being treated as an nuisance by Kazuya and his legitimate strength, having defeated Ogre in his first form isn’t even considered noteworthy InUniverse.
140	** Lee Chaolan went through a similar journey, in the first two games he was portrayed as a menacing SmugSnake rival to Kazuya who was planning to overthrow his adoptive father and brother Heihachi and Kazuya as head of the Mishima Zaibatsu. His overtly evil depiction in ''Anime/TekkenTheMotionPicture'' reflects his more sinister role in the early games. By the time of ''VideoGame/Tekken4'' however, Lee's sillier LargeHam "EXCELLENT" personality got established and he became a LighterAndSofter character who helps the good characters out, making his earlier depictions almost unrecognisable compared to the character he is now.
141	** Eddy Gordo took much longer to become a goofier character like aforementioned two [[RuleOfThree but still became one]] by the time of ''VideoGame/Tekken7''. Starting in ''VideoGame/Tekken3'', Eddy was a serious hero who got framed for the murder of his father by Kazuya and spends at lot of the later games seeking vengeance, before shifting gears into looking after his sick OldMaster the grandfather of his LoveInterest Christie, even joining Jin's Tekken Force to get resources to cure him. In ''Tekken 7'' however, he's only there to have goofy hijinks with Lucky Chloe with his vengeful pursuit of Kazuya being used a bait for Chloe to goofily mess with him.
142	** Asuka Kazama while always a light-hearted character still had pretty damn important plot significance in ''VideoGame/Tekken5'' being able to suppress the Devil Gene like Jun giving her a strong connection to Jin. However by the time of later games, Asuka's ties to Mishimas is [[AbortedArc severely]] downplayed in favour of her beating up gangs as a HotBlooded vigilante and having LesYay [[DesignatedGirlFight Designated Girl Fights]] with Lili as a goofy side character. ''Tekken 7'' even mentions her role in ''5'' as "getting dragged into the Mishima mess" like it's a minor detail.
143	** Ling Xiaoyu compared to Asuka is actually an inverted case of this, having a non-serious role in the story at first before getting a real connection to the Mishimas in later titles. In ''Tekken 3'', Xiaoyu’s entire goal was winning enough money to build her own theme park, in later games she’s presented as a granddaughter figure for Heihachi ([[PetTheDog who genuinely cares for her]]) and is a DoggedNiceGirl towards Jin, acting as his MoralityPet in ''4'', ''5'', ''6'', ''8'', and ''Anime/TekkenBloodVengeance''.
144	** Nina and Anna's SiblingRivalry was much less violent and more playful earlier on, with Nina stealing one of Anna's shoes and taking photo of her in the shower. In later games, they're outright trying to murder each other, with only Anna's ''Tekken 6'' ending having the sisters spend non-murderous time together. This marked a change in Nina's personality too, with her being a more lighthearted and less cruel character in the first two games who actually smiles after meeting Anna at their father's grave in ''2''. From ''Tekken 3'' onwards, Nina is decidedly crueler and more abusive to Anna with her sociopathic DarkActionGirl traits getting played up to the hilt.
145	* Lara Croft in the Core Design era of ''Franchise/TombRaider'' started out as a cheeky but bold woman. This is in contrast to Lara's later appearances in the series where she's deep in DeadpanSnarker territory and is prone to using violence to achieve her goals.
146	* While some vestiges of her original personality remain, the ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' character Marisa Kirisame was significantly different in the first five (PC-98) games. She was originally fairly bland, distinctly feminine, and moderately evil. Following the shift to Windows, she became the tomboyish LovableRogue we know and love. To some extent, Reimu had it worse, as she didn't really have a defined personality in those games at all.
147	* ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'':
148	** In the first game, Calypso, the demonic figure who runs the titular tournament, was less of a JackassGenie and granted the contestants' wishes more or less as they intended without twisting it, playing to the ExactWords, or otherwise [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor screwing them over]]. The only exception was Carl Roberts, the driver of Outlaw, and his wish (for a world without the Twisted Metal competition, Roberts being a cop who entered the tournament to stop it) was a direct middle finger to Calypso, so it made sense for him to respond with a middle finger of his own. When Captain Spears, the driver of Roadkill, makes a wish (to go back in time to save his unit from an ambush) that will probably get him killed, Calypso even warns him what will likely happen and tries to talk him out of it. In the sequels, save for those drivers who simply kill or arrest Calypso without making a wish, the only drivers who are so lucky are AxCrazy psychopaths whose wish is to kill people. ''Twisted Metal: Black'' returns him to this more fair-minded characterization (ironically given its DarkerAndEdgier tone), but that game takes place in an AlternateContinuity.
149	** Needles Kane, the driver of Sweet Tooth, was also less of a MonsterClown. He was still an insane murderer, to be sure, but it was presented as a mix of sinister and [[AffablyEvil kind of goofy]] rather than monstrous. He didn't even get his FlamingHair until the second game. It wasn't until ''Black'' that he got his most recognizable characterization as an irredeemably evil SerialKiller straight out of a SlasherMovie. ''Series/TwistedMetal2023'' [[RevisitingTheRoots did go back to]] portraying him as LaughablyEvil, however.
150	* In the first ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' installment, ''[[VideoGame/UnchartedDrakesFortune Drake's Fortune]]'', protagonist Nate's relationship with Sully is not nearly as close as it is in the rest of the series. They're essentially friendly but not incredibly close business partners rather than Sully being essentially his father as he is in the others. When Sully seemingly dies in the first one, Nate is upset but doesn't take it too hard. In the [[VideoGame/Uncharted3DrakesDeception third game]], Nate completely loses it when he thinks Sully has died. Nate's eventual wife Elena is also a bit different in the first one. She's the reckless one in the relationship whereas Nate takes up that role as the series goes on.
151	* ''VideoGame/YokaiWatch2'' is essentially a SoftReboot that changed a lot of elements of ''VideoGame/YokaiWatch'' to [[RetCanon match]] the [[Anime/YokaiWatch anime]] more:
152	** The first game implies that Eddie likes Katie, while Nate and Katie are (not particularly close) friends. In the second game, Nate has a crush on Katie.
153	** Whisper is more serious in the first game.

Context CharacterizationMarchesOn / VideoGames