Line #74 Main/CharacterCheck


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6	->''"Can't any one of your damned little Scooby club at least ''try'' to remember that ''I '''hate''' you all''?"''
7	-->-- '''Spike''', ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', making a heartfelt plea to his scriptwriters
8
9	A Character Check is when a character displays or makes reference to a personality trait that hasn't been brought up in the narrative for quite some time. Very common with {{Jerkass}} and/or antagonist characters who have since [[TookALevelInKindness taken a level in kindness]] or a turn for the comedic, this trope is often a quick affirmation that despite recent developments, what used to be a defining aspect of the character is still very much present, even if it doesn't come up in the story as often as it used to. Or maybe it is simply because old habits die hard. Alternatively, if the check is themselves or someone else pointing out or realizing that they ''don't'' act that way anymore, it can serve as a declaration of how much a character has changed. It can also serve as a self-aware CallBack to [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness the early days of a work]], when the writers were still trying to figure out the personalities of their creations.
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11	Can sometimes result from DependingOnTheWriter, as one writer may emphasize some facets of a character that another may ignore. Can overlap with AuthorsSavingThrow if the fans missed the old characterization to some degree, and the check signals a return to form. See also ForgotFlandersCouldDoThat, for when a character displays an old skill or talent, rather than behavior, that the audience may have forgotten about.
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13	----
14	!!Examples:
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16	[[foldercontrol]]
17
18	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
19	* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'': Zenitsu Agatsuma became considerably more serious and focused at the end of the Hashira Training arc, having received a shocking letter regarding [[spoiler:the death of his master Jigoro Kuwajima]]. Zenitsu remained focused all the way to his match against [[spoiler:Kaigaku, whose betrayal of the demon slayer corps was directly tied to Jigoro’s death]]. That event greatly developed Zenitsu into a fully-realized hero, but right after the narrative made sure to ground Zenitsu in his loud whining as he and his friends, move towards the next battle in an extremely tense and serious arc. As such, Zenitsu grows more brave and knows how to act serious during battles, but his core comedic antics outside battle remain firm.
20	* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
21	** A textbook example from ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' is how Vegeta behaves in the Buu Saga, where he lets himself fall under the MindControl of Babidi just to feel "like himself" again.
22	** Topically, this is what happened to Goku in the West: the Creator/{{Funimation}} dubs [[AdaptationalHeroism portrayed Goku as a hero with a strong heart of justice]] (to the point that many Westerners still consider him to be equivalent to Japanese ComicBook/{{Superman}}). While heroism was certainly an element of his character, in the original version he's ''far'' more interested in [[BloodKnight challenging anybody who'll give him a good fight]] (they just happen to be the villains), and he often tries to let villains go for this reason despite the atrocities they've committed. ''Anime/DragonBallZKai'' fixes this, while ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' makes it stick with the newer ''Dragon Ball'' tales, although the sheer popularity of ''Z'' means this will never go away for many fans.
23	* In ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', Endeavor, the #2 Hero, not only is a unpleasant jerk, but was so obsessed with raising a child who could surpass All Might (the #1 Hero) that he married a woman with an ice Quirk to breed a SuperiorSuccessor. This obsession led to him abusing his son and chosen successor Shoto by giving him TrainingFromHell, neglecting his other children [[spoiler:save for Toya, who was heavily wounded in a training accident [[CreateYourOwnVillain and eventually became a supervillain]]]], and abusing his wife, resulting in her having a breakdown and scarring Shoto's face. Eventually, Endeavor [[spoiler:becomes the #1 Hero after All Might's retirement, and, realizing his triumph is a hollow one,]] seeks to become a better hero and father. That said, the narrative reminds the viewers of Endeavor's past misdeeds, and shows that he's still a jerk. For example, when Midoriya and Bakugo intern for Endeavor at Shoto's request, Endeavor says he only took them on because his son asked, and despite mentoring them well, coldly says their success or failure won't affect his hero work.
24	* Due to being a LongRunner, the ''[[Anime/PokemonTheSeries Pokémon]]'' anime frequently fazes in and out with characterisations:
25	** During Team Rocket's phase as more dangerous, serious-minded villains in the ''[[Anime/PokemonTheSeriesBlackAndWhite Best Wishes!]]'' arc of the anime, they still had odd NotSoAboveItAll moments as a reminder this was the same bumbling Team Rocket trio. ''[[Anime/PokemonTheSeriesXY XY]]'' then reversed it around -- they're back to being buffoonish, but still have several moments of being genuinely sinister and cold-blooded.
26	** For most of his later run, Brock was demoted to lovesick comic relief and MrExposition. However, occasional limelight episodes did still demonstrate the coolheaded battle competence he had in his earliest appearances. This is especially apparent in most of his one off reappearances since being PutOnTheBus.
27	** Kiawe of the ''[[Anime/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoon Sun and Moon]]'' series was a more situational case. He similarly started off a serious-minded battler in the vein of [[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon his game counterpart]], though as the series itself transitioned to more lighthearted SliceOfLife, his comical traits were put in the limelight more often. Most times the series returned to more intense plots, however, he returned to form.
28	[[/folder]]
29
30	[[folder:Comic Books]]
31	* The writers of the tie-in comics for ''ComicBook/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' turned Yellowjacket back into ComicBook/AntMan.
32	* [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] and [[ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} Selina Kyle]] have been [[DatingCatwoman engaging in a hot and steamy affair for a while]], and it has even reached the point that [[SecretKeeper he trusts her with]] his SecretIdentity and she helps out fighting Gotham's criminal element. Several issues have shown her ''still acting like a criminal'' as a message to Bruce that she isn't a member of his "little club", and never really will be.
33	* ''ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy:''
34	** During ''Guardians of Infinity'', Drax -- who during Bendis's run had reverted to being the DumbMuscle he was in the 90s and early 00s -- suddenly shows of a display of intelligence, pointing out the situation and how the Guardians should handle it, much to Rocket's amazement. And then goes right back to being an angry idiot.
35	** Similarly, a major plot point of the miniseries is Rocket's tactical genius, which had also fallen out of favor after the Abnett and Lanning run, with Rocket mostly just being perpetually angry and violent.
36	* ''ComicBook/Prez1973'': The title character's talent for fixing clocks is used as a plot point in his first issue and then never mentioned again until he appeared in an issue of ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}''.
37	* ComicBook/{{Suzie}} was originally a DumbBlonde and CuteClumsyGirl, not to mention the protagonist of the comic named after her, but after her boyfriend Ferdie [[SpotlightStealingSquad took over the book]] she was reduced to being the StraightMan LoveInterest in stories about ''his'' cluelessness and clumsiness. Occasionally though, especially in stories were Ferdie wasn't around, she'd revert to her original personality.
38	* ''ComicBook/TheUnbelievableGwenpool'' gives out Character Checks to several villainous {{Memetic Loser}}s, reminding readers that in-universe, [[ForgotFlandersCouldDoThat these characters are serious threats and always have been]]:
39	** Batroc the Leaper, long dismissed by modern fans as a silly villainous French CaptainEthnic, is depicted as nothing less but a consistent ''badass''. Which is only natural, since his entire schtick has always been he's a savate prodigy skilled enough to go toe-to-toe with ComicBook/CaptainAmerica despite never having taken any sort of SuperSerum.
40	** Gwenpool herself has her first defeat when she goes up against [[Characters/MarvelComicsAIM M.O.D.O.K.]], dismissing him as "that lame supervillain who looks like [[{{Cephalothorax}} a giant floating head]]." Unfortunately for her, whilst that's his MemeticLoser reception, the comics have always portrayed M.O.D.O.K. dead seriously as a super-smart sadist who is always CrazyPrepared for opponents, wields PsychicPowers with extremely destructive capabilities, and actively revels in killing and torture.
41	** A non-villainous example? ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}. When Gwenpool brings up that she never really cared about Deadpool due to his memetic status as a random-wacky meme-spewing nut, this bites her ''hard''. As Deadpool naturally lampshades; yes, he is a 4th-wall-breaking lunatic, but he's also a legitimately skilled warrior, genuinely intelligent beneath the madness, and most importantly of all, he's both far more experienced at abusing his 4th-wall-break powers ''and'' has greater PopularityPower at his disposal.
42	* ''ComicBook/XMen:'' The villain of the ''ComicBook/NewXMen'' arc "Planet X" was ''meant'' to be this; Magneto reverting back to his silver age CartoonishSupervillainy, since Creator/GrantMorrison disagreed with the NobleDemon characterization he'd received from the 1980s onwards. Fan reception was anything but positive, and soon enough in ''[[ComicBook/ExcaliburMarvelComics Excalibur]]'' Magneto appeared and was written as being confused when the storyline was brought up (with good reason - the story ends with "him" being decapitated, and yet there's Erik, head still attached to his neck). Later retcons suggest the "Magneto" the X-Men fought was someone else possessed or brainwashed, but it's never been fully clarified one way or another.
43	[[/folder]]
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45	[[folder:Fan Works]]
46	* After Calvin gets LaserGuidedAmnesia in ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'', he ends up with his original personality -- that being the excitable little kid he was in [[ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes the comic strip]].
47	* After a surprising but understandable amount of cowering, [[Literature/{{Slayers}} Lina Inverse]] invokes this ''on herself'' in ''FanFic/FlamGush'' as a reminder that she is no longer the scared little girl she once was when facing [[spoiler:Erik]], glaring back to make him look away.
48	* The early chapters of ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'' made a half-hearted attempt to keep [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone Professor Quirrell's]] canon feigned nervousness, but gave up very quickly and he basically just turned into an OCStandIn after that.
49	* In ''Fanfic/MyImmortal'', Dumbledore -- who [[IncomingHam introduces himself]] [[EstablishingCharacterMoment by yelling]] "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU MOTHERFUKERS!" -- is shown "crying wisely" while delivering the news of Draco's suicide, [[LampshadeHanging with the author asking readers if that is out of character for him]].
50	* In the epilogue of ''Fanfic/NeonGenesisEvangelionGenocide'', Asuka is reintroduced after a four-year TimeSkip having a loud fight with an airport valet that she doesn't trust to park her ridiculously expensive sports car, and there are also references to her entitled and bratty behavior in other respects (such as once having kicked a security guard in the groin for getting into her personal space). It's then revealed that much like the original series, a lot of this is just for show or to cover up her insecurities, and she's considerably [[CharacterDevelopment changed and matured since her piloting days.]]
51	* ''Webcomic/SonicTheComicOnline'': In a few comics, Amy [[TheTease teases Sonic]] like how she did prior to the {{executive\|Meddling}}-mandated CharacterizationMarchesOn in [[ComicBook/SonicTheComic the original comic]].
52	* In ''WebVideo/SwordArtOnlineAbridged'', Asuna is introduced as so HopelessWithTech that she didn't know how to open ''SAO''[='s=] menu. While this characterization gets dropped as the series goes on and she adjusts to two years trapped in TheMostDangerousVideoGame, it rears its ugly head in the second season when she tries to escape from another VR prison, finds a system interface, but mis-clicks to call Tech Support while trying to hit the "Logout" button.
53	* Desdemona from ''Fanfic/TotalDramaStranded'' is introduced as a manipulative strategist who will desperately do anything to keep herself in the game. She then begins a relationship with [[spoiler:Elijah]] and mellows considerably. However, in an extreme act of desperation, she is willing to [[spoiler:convince the others to vote him out]].
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
57	* In ''Film/Paddington2014'', Mr. Curry, while he dislikes Paddington like in the books, is portrayed more as grumpy than as a jerk, even alerting the Browns to Paddington's whereabouts near the climax. In ''Film/Paddington2'', he is much more antagonistic to the bear, even using Paddington's wrongful arrest to his own advantage.
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Literature]]
61	* ''Literature/HighSchoolDXD'' plays this for comedy by having Issei perform a CharacterCheck on ''himself''. [[TheGadfly Azazel]] compliments Issei on the maturity of a decision he just made, specifically noting the notorious ChivalrousPervert had left a woman's bust size out of it (ItMakesSenseInContext). Issei is startled to realize he's right, and looks to the teammate who most reliably calls out his perversions. She has nothing to add. Issei's narration meanders off into existential angst for a moment as he wonders how he forgot the things of beauty he's repeatedly professed to live for, before deciding [[IResembleThatRemark there are more pressing issues right now]].
62	* In the ''Franchise/{{Star Wars\|Legends}} Corellian Trilogy'', the group travels for a time with an astromech that can speak Basic. After being damaged, the droid becomes exceedingly paranoid and aggressive; when Anakin [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness points out that "Q9 is acting funny"]], the droid runs diagnostics to get back to normal.
63	[[/folder]]
64
65	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
66	* ''Series/BabylonFive'': Delenn was introduced into the series as a fierce character of hidden depths, spiritual strength, and elegant beauty. As the series progressed, we saw her be more comedic, even somewhat docile when next to her beloved John Sheridan. But multiple episodes reveal that the fierce Delenn is always there, with the Earthforce Fleet in Severed Dreams, the Drakh in Lines of Communication, and the Warrior Caste during the Minbari civil war act suffering the consequence of underestimating her.
67	* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
68	** Spike had a lot of these, with the most jarring and noticeable being the [[spoiler:attempted rape of Buffy in Season 6]]. Only slightly less subtle was the scene in which he [[spoiler:plays poker with other demons for kittens]].
69	** Willow reverted back to her perky early season self in a ''Buffy''/''Series/{{Angel}}'' crossover in one of the later seasons, after several BreakTheCutie moments mostly took away those qualities.
70	* ''Series/{{Deadwood}}'': After a full season of working on the side of the good guys and [[TookALevelInKindness taking a level in kindness]], Al Swearengen reminds everyone that he's a ruthless and sadistic throat-cutter by brutally torturing one of Hearst's {{Mooks}}. Along the way, he admits that he's just doing it for fun and holds no illusions that he has any sort of moral high ground over the man.
71	* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
72	** The Fourth Doctor story "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS18E4StateOfDecay State of Decay]]" does this for ''two'' neglected personalities of the Doctor. After several serials of the Doctor's characterisation being unusually dark, grumpy and [[TheChessmaster Chessmasterly]], "State of Decay" returns him to the witty and capricious mode he'd been in for the previous three seasons -- but the story itself is written with all the characteristic tropes of his ''first'' three seasons, being a GothicHorror {{Pastiche}} about weakened ancient godlike beings attempting to regain power. (Partial explanation: "State of Decay" was a recycled script. It was originally from the Gothic Fourth Doctor period that had been scotched at the time by ExecutiveMeddling and was later resubmitted; by that time the show's management had changed twice.)
73	** The Sixth Doctor was intended to be this -- after the Fifth Doctor, an extremely kind-hearted, subtle and humanlike incarnation, the desire was to return the Doctor to being a [[ComicalOverreacting flamboyant]] and [[NoSocialSkills socially tone-deaf]] character (similar to the popular Fourth Doctor [[DependingOnTheWriter in some of his madder characterisations]]) who was more threatening, morally ambiguous, and borderline impossible to deal with (similar to the UrExample of the character, the First Doctor). Unfortunately, the writers failed to execute this with the subtlety it required, leading to a EstablishingCharacterMoment of him trying to choke his own companion during his post-regenerative trauma that cast a long and poisonous shadow over his personality in the eyes of fans.
74	** The TARDIS started out broken; completely unsteerable to the point where the Doctor can never leave a place and time that he's not completely done with, because he can never return. During the Fourth Doctor's tenure, he switched to using the "secondary control room", which allowed him to steer the TARDIS for the first time ([[FanWank onscreen, anyway]]), although due to his personality he often wouldn't and even installed a "Randomiser" to make control of it impossible again (albeit because he'd pissed off the Black Guardian, one of the Whoniverse's godlike entities). The new series establishes right from the very beginning that the Doctor knows how to fly his TARDIS now, showing it capable of maneuvers stated to be completely impossible for most of the Classic Doctors (the earliest example being the Ninth Doctor's AndAnotherThing rematerialization in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E1Rose Rose]]"), but every so often a story will start with the Doctor mis-steering the TARDIS and ending up somewhere unwanted, such as "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E7TheIdiotsLantern "The Idiot's Lantern"]] ('50s Britain and not '50s America), [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E2ToothAndClaw "Tooth and Claw"]] (the Victorian era rather than the '70s), and completely [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed]] in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E4AliensOfLondon "Aliens of London"]] (twelve months after Rose left instead of twelve hours). This is lampshaded during the Eleventh Doctor's tenure; the TARDIS briefly gains the ability to talk, and at one point the Doctor accuses her of never taking him where he wanted to go. She retorts that she always took him where he ''needed'' to go.
75	** After literally decades of the Doctor being depicted as young(ish) and often romantic (especially since the series' return in 2005), the introduction of the Twelfth Doctor was intended to be a return to the type of the character that led the show in the 1960s and early 1970s -- older, wiser, grumpier, and less likely to fall in love with his companions. As the next item on this list shows, that last point ultimately didn't take.
76	** After two and a half seasons depicting the Doctor as "besotted" (Creator/StevenMoffat's term) with companion Clara Oswald, to the extent of obsession over her safety in Series 9, with feelings for her that caused him to abandon his principles, the Series 9 finale, "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E12HellBent Hell Bent]]", sees the Doctor's core memories of Clara erased and ends with him, at least for now, returning to being the indomitable Time Lord we've come to know. Only to zig-zag immediately with "[[Recap/DoctorWho2015CSTheHusbandsOfRiverSong The Husbands of River Song]]" placing the Doctor into ''another'' romantic, bittersweet scenario in which he acts like a lovesick puppy, though it's implied he's taken some of the lessons from his experience with Clara to come out of it less damaged (justified in-universe by the fact he [[spoiler:has had most memories of Clara erased, most specifically anything related to being in love with her, but he still remembers he went down a dark path with her]]).
77	* Mary and Edith from ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' spent most of Series 1 engaged in TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry, only for various deaths, intrigues and the First World War to make them realize there were far more important issues at hand. At times they seem to get along quite well, only for writer Julian Fellowes to remember they're supposed to dislike each other and throw in a barbed comment or two between them.
78	* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': A giant complaint of the last season is that Jaime reverts back to his Season 1 persona, pre-CharacterDevelopment, not only reigniting his UndyingLoyalty to Cersei but also making the absurd claim that he never cared about innocents when one of the most pivotal of his character moments was the reveal that he stained his reputation to save a city's worth of innocents.
79	* Sylar in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' was prone to these in Season 3, as the writers veered erratically between portraying him as TheWoobie and remembering, "Oh, yeah, this guy was a ''psychotic serial killer'' in Seasons 1 and 2." The utterly gratuitous [[spoiler:murder of Elle]] was a case in point.
80	* One of the biggest complaints of the series finale of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' is that [[spoiler:Barney returns to his womanizing ways from seasons 1-5 after he and Robin get divorced, though his cameo on sequel series ''Series/HowIMetYouFather'' reveals that he is in "recovery" and actively trying to avoid womanizing after becoming a father]].
81	* Sawyer from ''Series/{{Lost}}'' started out as the resident JerkAss with occasional glimpses of a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold heart of gold]] and gradually moves toward outright heroism over the course of the series. Throughout, however, he has moments reminding everyone that he is at best a HeroWithAnFInGood who WantsAPrizeForBasicDecency. One of the most notable examples occurs in the episode "The Long Con" in which he performs an elaborate con to get posession of the castaways' guns. Charlie asks Sawyer why he did it, and his response is that he's "not a good person. Never did a good thing in my life."
82	* In ''Series/{{MASH}}'', the whole Margaret arc. She went from Hot Lips to Margaret. At first there was some homage paid to Hot Lips, then the writers just gave up. Margaret underwent a lot of genuine CharacterDevelopment as the series progressed, becoming friendlier and less antagonistic. However, a rather noticeable Character Check occurred in the fifth season episode "The Korean Surgeon", in which Hawkeye and B.J. attempt to save a North Korean doctor who is a P.O.W. by [[PaperThinDisguise shaving his beard and giving him a haircut]] and telling everyone that he is South Korean, so that he can join them at the camp. Margaret and Frank discover what's going on, and threaten to go over Colonel Potter's head to resolve the matter; something they'd frequently do to Henry Blake, but not to Potter as he was far more competent, extremely well-connected, and Margaret respected him a lot more (as Potter was regular army). The threat (and indeed the whole plot) seems more suited to an episode from the first three seasons (when Blake was in charge), so it comes off as a bit jarring.
83	* ''Series/RedDwarf'':
84	** The Cat was originally introduced as a DropInCharacter, somebody who was caught up in his own self-obsessed world, only occasionally interacting with the other crew, and sometimes even being a nuisance. This got forgotten over time, as he became more and more a part of their adventures, piloting the ship and making use of his SuperSenses to get them out of trouble. But the plot of the reunion special "Back to Earth" effectively hinges on reminding us of the early Cat, complete with a hilarious CallBack to an episode in the very first series.
85	** He also lost most of his intelligence for a season or two (he was never the brains of the operation, but 'ultra stupid' wasn't the joke with him, until it was.) This too was dropped with the return to his old self, though he remains a full part of the team and their adventures.
86	* Lionel Luthor of ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' started out as a prime example of a MagnificentBastard. He was cruel, manipulative, and gloriously evil. In Season 5, he started acting like a good guy while acting as the "Oracle" for Jor-El. In Season 6 the writers wanted to "slap [the audience] in the face" with a reminder of who he used to be, so they had him blackmail Lana into marrying Lex. Then, sad to say, he went back to being a good guy.
87	* This was done subtly in the ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' episode "[[Recap/StargateAtlantisS03E08McKayAndMrsMiller McKay and Mrs. Miller]]". Rodney [=McKay=] calls Samantha Carter "blue eyes" and insists on checking some mathematics himself. While [=McKay=] has always been condescending (and there's nothing out of character about him wanting to check the work himself) it's out of character for the ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' version of [=McKay=] to talk to a female scientist in this manner. It is however completely in character for the original version of [=McKay=] when he was introduced in ''[[Series/StargateSG1 SG-1]]'' (fitting since working with Carter in Stargate Command like he was doing in this episode was how he was originally introduced). Keep in mind, the original character was before he developed from "jerk the audience hates and wants to see fail while Carter wins" to "jerk with a heart of gold whom the audience sympathises with and even enjoys seeing charging in to save the day, even if it's still funny sometimes to see him suffer".
88	* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'':
89	** Q was introduced as a threatening god-like being who had judged humanity, found them wanting and had decided to exterminate the entire race. Almost immediately after his introduction, he was rewritten as an omnipotent prankster akin to [[Characters/NorseMythology Loki]]. Picard even stopped seeing him as a threat and more of a nuisance. But then there was the final episode, "All Good Things...", where Q was suddenly ready to destroy humanity again.
90	** Then there was Worf. In the first two seasons, Worf literally growled a lot, and smiled like a predator whenever it looked like violence might break out. Later in the series, he simply became a strict, honor-bound warrior with a more martial outlook to any situation, who never growled and never smiled. Occasionally the writers would write in a battle-lust scene for him, and once, quite jarringly, had him let loose with a belly-laugh as other Klingon characters might do. Aside from these brief touches, he was practically stoic.
91	** For that matter, it happened to an entire race. When the Borg were first introduced, they were supposedly only interested in advancing themselves technologically, and correspondingly it made sense for them to ignore organic beings unless they considered them a threat. But after assimilating Picard, the writers forgot about the idea that the Borg only care about the tech of the races they encounter and basically turned them into techno-zombies, assimilating everyone they came into contact with. And yet, for some reason, when it was more convenient to explain how the characters escaped the Borg, they would bring back the idea that individual Borg drones "will ignore us unless they consider us a threat!"
92	* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'':
93	** An entire group of people had this happen to them. The Maquis crew aboard ''Voyager'' initially had some serious problems trusting the Starfleet crew they were supposed to work with. By the time of the seventh season this had largely disappeared, as is natural considering how long they were stranded together. For some reason, the writers then decided to have an episode devoted to the mysterious murder of Maquis crewmembers, and immediately all the old distrust came out. Suddenly, all Starfleet officers couldn't be trusted, even to the point where they objected to Tuvok handling the investigation. Naturally, once the episode was over, the mixed ''Voyager'' crew became one big happy family again.
94	** In "Message In A Bottle", the Doctor gets transmitted to a Starfleet ship in the Alpha Quadrant, the USS ''Prometheus''. Unfortunately, he soon discovers that Romulans have taken over the ship. So, he dampens their suspicions by claiming that he's the ''Prometheus'''s own EMH program, invoking his original personality from the start of the series.
95	** In "Live Fast And Prosper", the crew discovers some con artists who are posing as Janeway, Chakotay, and Tuvok. This leads Tom and Neelix in particular to ponder this. They both had sketchy backgrounds, and a hefty dose of cynicism, before they joined ''Voyager'' -- their CharacterDevelopment has made them a lot less abrasive over the years, but after getting scammed, they're justifiably embarrassed, and start believing that they've lost their "edge".
96	* Chelsea from ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'' TookALevelInDumbass [[{{Flanderization}} as the series progressed]]. The sequel ''Series/RavensHome'' presents her as more in-line with her Season 1 persona, if not even OlderAndWiser.
97	* Lola from ''Series/Zoey101'' was a originally a snarky JerkWithAHeartOfGold, similar to her predecessor Dana. In Season 3, Lola TookALevelInKindness and became more cheerful. However, she would still show signs of her original character from times to times by being a bit snarky with people.
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Music]]
101	* Music/{{Eminem}}:
102	** After Slim Shady got (first) significantly more evil and twisted than usual, to the extent of TooBleakStoppedCaring, in ''Relapse'', and (second) significantly LighterAndSofter than usual, in line with Eminem's CreatorRecovery, in ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', "SHADYXV" is a big homage to his old style -- rapping over an [[LyricalDissonance inappropriately perky sample]], snorting coke, [[SelfHarm self-harming]], killing and assaulting people, [[TheDissTrack dissing]] celebrities who don't deserve it for no reason (from Music/{{Macklemore}} to Music/LindaRonstadt to Santa Claus), and even rapping a passage in the NerdyNasalness voice he used on ''Music/TheSlimShadyLP'' and had [[VocalEvolution long since stopped using]]. Slim's [[EraSpecificPersonality personality continued to move with the times after this song, though]].
103	** After backlash to Eminem's album ''Revival'', which was blasted for its overuse of PopRap features and empty, hypertechnical rapping, he released "Chloraseptic (Remix)", which has a TakeThatCritics verse from the old Slim -- pitching his voice up, running over kids in his car, raping women with brooms, and even making deliberately TwoDecadesBehind references to TurnOfTheMillennium villains like Jack Kevorkian and Osama Bin Laden to drive the point home.
104	** After increasing MessiahCreep reached its full expression in Eminem's 2010 ''Recovery'' lead single "Not Afraid", resulting in something that [[CondemnedByHistory fell out of fashion hard]] and was now regarded as an AudienceAlienatingEra, Em's 2018 album ''Kamikaze'''s lead single "Fall" warns the audience they'll forget that he was the guy who did "Not Afraid", before returning to his 2000 ''The Marshall Mathers LP'' theme of [[TakeThatCritics savaging everyone who criticised him]]. While Em has retained many of the more socially conscious aspects of his mature personality (in particular, he pledged in 2018 to stop using a particular homophobic slur), his persona since ''Kamikaze'' has become somewhat meaner, edgier and more playful.
105	* Music/TheBeatles song "One After 909" on ''Music/LetItBe'' was one of the earliest songs that John Lennon and Paul [=McCartney=] wrote together, but it appears on their last-released album (it wasn't intended to be, but the project fell into DevelopmentHell for a while). Accordingly, it has a rather simple and poppy throwback feel that sounds quite different to many of their later tracks, which tended to be more complex, multilayered and intricate. The whole album was originally intended to be this, as the project was initially seen as "back to basics" approach after the band had been focussing more exploring what could be done in the studio, but it didn't quite pan out that way (due in part to the CreativeDifferences between the band that partly resulted in the whole DevelopmentHell situation).
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
109	* Wrestling/{{WWE}}'s use of [[Wrestling/LisaMarieVaron Victoria]] warrants a mention. First she was a hoe, then a silly dancing ex-ho, logical. Suddenly she was psychotic, obsessive, evil, held a grudge against Wrestling/TrishStratus of doubtful justification, claimed to hear voices in her head and saw things that were not there, such as carrying an imaginary title belt... not so logical. Then after Wrestlemania XX Victoria was silly dancer again, her seeming split with Wrestling/StevieRichards, who she claimed "needed help" was about the only nod to how she was prior. Then she turned heel and dropped all prior characterization but went crazy again for a feud with Wrestling/MickieJames (who transitioned into sanity much more sensibly). As the feud with Mickie went on though Victoria stopped being psycho and started being a goof, the only thing missing from her original character being the dancing.
110	[[/folder]]
111
112	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
113	* ''Series/TheMuppetShow'': As the series progressed, Scooter made fewer mentions of his uncle-who-owns-this-theatre until the gag was seemingly phased out. So in later seasons it was something of a jolt to hear him manipulate Kermit by playing that card, such as in the Anne Murray episode in season 4.
114	[[/folder]]
115
116	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
117	* Da Orks in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' have a gestalt psychic field that allows them to impose ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve onto the material universe, mostly for the purpose of making their ramshackle technology actually ''work''. Occasionally a writer would try to make an Ork pick up a tree branch that he thought looked like a gun, and start magically firing bullets with it. These days this doesn't happen so much, partly by clarifying that [[BookDumb Orks aren't quite that stupid]], and partly by establishing that most if not all Ork technology do work in human hands, they just work ''better'' in an Ork's hands.
118	[[/folder]]
119
120	[[folder:Video Games]]
121	* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
122	** A series-wise one involves Gilgamesh, the wandering warrior from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' who has managed to appear in multiple entries in the franchise (and yes, is confirmed to be [[DimensionalTraveler the same person nearly every time]]) despite being in a series that runs heavily on [[ThematicSeries Thematic Sequels]] for the most part. When he first appears, he mostly behaves like a dragoon from the series, using a spear and doing powerful [[DeathFromAbove jumping attacks]]. He later takes on a MultiArmedAndDangerous form that functions like a WalkingArmory, with this form most famously falling for using [[JokeWeapon Excalipoor]]. This was [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] into being obsessed with swords in particular in his second appearance, in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', and "multi-armed guy who hunts for swords" became his schtick for a long time. However, later appearances have him going back to using Dragoon tactics much more, and one of his "hunt for a weapon" sidequests was for a halberd. ''VideoGame/StrangerOfParadiseFinalFantasyOrigin'' even gives a possible justification for his obssession with swords (and armaments in general), with a Tonberry blacksmith named Mid explaining that Gilgamesh's oftentimes careless navigation of TheMultiverse causes him to lose his (quite valuable and powerful) weapons in various other dimensions. Games like ''VideoGame/{{Dissidia\|FinalFantasy}}'' also establish that one of his bigger priorities is finding a way back to his home world... even if the idea of facing strong opponents and claiming their weapons as his own [[BloodKnight sidetracks him]] every now and then.
123	** In the very beginning of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', Cloud has a difficult and rude personality, characterised by various points where, in conversation, the player can choose between a couple of responses -- usually a rude or abrasive one, and an apathetic or kind one. These scenes get fewer as the plot gets moving and Cloud's personality develops, and are completely abandoned after Cloud develops an agreeable, intentionally funny personality after reconstructing his memories, except for a scene towards the end of the second disc if the player chooses to have Barret in the party while hijacking the submarine -- Barret will point out to Cloud that Cloud's whole personality is [[LampshadeHanging completely different]] to how it used to be and that he's come a long way, to which the player can have Cloud respond with either a rude or apathetic comment.
124	*** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRebirth'' chronicles the parties journey from Midgar to the Ancient Capital. While a lot of characters got the spotlight in this section, a few plot critical characters did not and a sidequest, dungeon and boss is added to flesh out their characters and remind players of certain traits. In particular Hojo gets two, in Costa del Sol he sends out fiends to mutate the robed men and capture them in a tank and then captures the rest of the party in the same tank for the research data with the subtext he hopes the female members will be impregnated by them. Showing his extreme measures to find the mysteries of experimental life, and that he has in interest in superhuman offspring. In Nibelheim, the Shinra manor is safeguarded by an AI that looks after the remains of his studies and keeps an eye on his old research specimens, reminding players of his interest in artificial intelligence and that he keeps more than a few skeletons in his closet.
125	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'', serves as one for Aerith. While originally depicted with a free-spirited, slightly tomboyish personality, that made her something of a ManicPixieDreamGirl, later works in the ''Franchise/CompilationOfFinalFantasyVII'' franchise leaned into her being a beacon of IncorruptiblePurePureness, lacking her previous edge. ''Remake'' brings back the playfulness, snark, and feistiness that she had in full force. This continues in ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRebirth Rebirth]].''
126	* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'': Rosaria was introduced in Version 1.2 as a vigilante who was stalking Albedo because she suspected that he was a threat to the city of Mondstadt. In spite of showing up in a couple of [[TemporaryOnlineContent Version Events]] afterwards, she was conspicuously absent in the follow-up to that story, and it wasn't until 3.5's Windblume Festival event that she was shown tracking down a potential threat again. This doesn't last for long, since [[spoiler:while Scarlett was acting suspiciously, she simply wanted help fulfilling the prophecy her mentor left behind and didn't do anything wrong]].
127	* In ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}} 2'', Durandal was far less of a nutjob than the first game. Still, he does briefly stop to remind you that "If you [[TakeYourTime insist on stumbling around when our time here is limited]], I may just decide that you're not all that special after all and [[ThrownOutTheAirlock teleport you out into space]]." Probably justified in that he was going through the early stages of Rampancy in the first game (which includes a "psychotic anger" phase), and by the second game has calmed down and stabilized a great deal.
128	* In the first two ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'' games, GoodIsNotNice was in full effect for the title character, as she is noticeably more abrasive and short-tempered towards her friends and allies when their goofball behavior gets in the way of her objective. Later games would make her NotSoAboveItAll and tone this down in favor of better emphasizing her EndearinglyDorky and AllLovingHero traits, but ''[[VideoGame/ShantaeAndTheSevenSirens The Seven Sirens]]'' returns to this original characterization, with Shantae getting more and more annoyed by Sky's apathy as the game progresses.
129	[[/folder]]
130
131	[[folder:Webcomics]]
132	* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'':
133	** Many characters had drifted to being more serious, as the events of Act 5 became very stressful and worrisome. This meant characters were less prone to cracking jokes, and more prone to simple kindness, depression, anger, etc. After a year's TimeSkip in Act 6, they were shown to act more similarly to their original characterization, though with their new characterization still lingering. The most notable characters this occurred with were John, Dave, and Karkat, though it occurred with everyone affected by the TimeSkip to some extent, with the exception of Terezi.
134	** A whole two-page sequence shows Rose, who had been becoming far more serious and dark, being "returned" to her original self by John in which he expresses concern about how she hasn't been making many jokes lately, and she kids along with him, pretending to be a StrawVulcan-type character.
135	[[/folder]]
136
137	[[folder:Western Animation]]
138	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' portrays ComicBook/TheWasp as energetic, witty, and caring, like in ''ComicBook/MarvelAdventures''. However, one episode, "459", inexplicably reverts Wasp to her [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] personality. She desperately wishes her teammate ComicBook/AntMan would love her, and flirts with other male superheroes to make him jealous. Unlike most instances of the trope, she ends up regretful of this by the end of the episode and apologizes for her meanness after Ant-Man is hurt in the field.
139	* WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck has two very clear personalities: the Screwball CloudCuckooLander -- which is how he originally was during his debut and early years, followed by the {{Jerkass}} with a big case of SmallNameBigEgo and an intense greed streak. Nowadays, it is the latter personality -- the perpetual arrogant loser -- that takes center stage and has become the one most audiences are familiar with, thanks primarily to director Creator/ChuckJones making ample use of it. However, some productions attempt to merge the two personas, such as the Creator/RobertMcKimson shorts making him a more grounded trickster who will enter "screwball mode" to gain an edge or ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'' presenting him as a snarky egotist with a thin grasp on reality.
140	* Rufus and Amberley were mostly diluted to {{Hero Antagonist}}s after the pilot episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone'', however odd episodes made attempts to return them to center spotlight. Shades of their original characterizations also re emerged throughout Seasons 3 and 4.
141	* Occasionally Stewie from ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' will go back to his evil genius persona from the earlier seasons, usually for a quick joke or the occasional odd episode.
142	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
143	** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E16TwentyEightPranksLater 28 Pranks Later]]" has Rainbow Dash back to her Season 1 self by pranking Fluttershy even if she knows that she doesn't like it.
144	** In Season 8, we get a refresher course in what MadGod Discord can be like when rubbed the wrong way. In the end, they had to [[KarmaHoudini give him what he wanted, no strings attached]] to appease him.
145	** Season 9 has Twilight Sparkle acting the way she did at her absolute worst back in Season 2, with Pinkie Pie even coining the term "[[PersonAsVerb Twilighting]]" to describe when she goes completely off her nut for no good reason.
146	** In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'', the usually kind and emphatic Sunset Shimmer also started out as the spin-off series' first BigBad. The character still has the HairTriggerTemper she boasted prior to reforming, with stressful situations sometimes making her fling volleys of insults and threats until calmed down.
147	* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': Even though Mitchell had been [[TookALevelInKindness taking a level in kindness]] in Season 2, in "[[Recap/ReadyJetGoS2E16SunspotsSunspotOurSunIsAStar Our Sun is a Star!]]", he's just as mean as he was in Season 1. However, this episode takes place in January, and Mr. Peterson is shown taking down Christmas decorations, so it's possible that this episode could have taken place ''after'' "Holidays in Boxwood Terrace", where it was revealed that he only pretends to be a jerk, and Mitchell becomes part of the group. That episode was one of the very last Season 1 episodes, and Mitchell didn't start becoming nicer until "Try and Try Again", a Season 2 episode.
148	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': When the Ice Cream King debuts in "Patrick's Coupon", he is shown as [[TheDitz a total idiot]] whose job is to ensure Patrick is worthy of redeeming his expired coupon. His next two appearances, "The Nitwitting" and "[=SpongeBob=] on Parade", don't have anything to do with ice cream. This only comes back in "The Goobfather", where he calls off Mr. Krabs and the Goobfather's fight in favor of wanting ice cream to be shared with everyone.
149	* Done to a few of the engines throughout the long run of ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'', despite {{Flanderization}} altering a lot of their personalities drastically, their old forms from the original novels and episodes do occasionally return. For example, Thomas, now more a KindheartedSimpleton, will occasionally act cheeky or pompous, while Toby, now altered into a LovableCoward, will show glimpses of his BigBrotherMentor persona.
150	[[/folder]]

Context Main / CharacterCheck