Line #9 TookALevelInKindness/VideoGames


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13	* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'':
14	** Miles Edgeworth goes from being the ruthless Demon Prosecutor, concerned only with maintaining his perfect prosecution record even through shady means, to pursuing the truth for truth's sake and being a genuine friend and ally to Phoenix, Maya, and others (most notably, [[spoiler:making an impromptu international flight and taking on the role of defense attorney -- something he could get into trouble for if caught -- simply because Phoenix needed him]]). By the time we see him in ''[[VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth Investigations]]'', he's willing to risk loss of career and arrest in order to help Kay Faraday and pursue the truth of what happened to her.
15	** Ema Skye managed to slide all the way from one end of the scale to the other and then back again. In the original game's fifth case, she's introduced as a 15 year-old forensic investigator-to-be with all the enthusiasm in the world (this is also the characterization used in the ''Investigations'' games). Seven years later, in ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'', she TookALevelInJerkass and acts like a belligerent grump to newcomer Apollo Justice, frustrated that her career got sidetracked and that she's stuck in criminal affairs (though she still pursues forensic science with her younger self's enthusiasm under the radar). Come ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'', she's now completed her forensics qualification exam and is working as a full-time forensic investigator, once more cheerful and enthusiastic about her work.
16	** During ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney - Justice for All'', Adrian Andrews is introduced as an aloof, disinterested manager for Matt Engarde who is quick to brush people off and scoff, which we later find out is [[spoiler: all an act she puts up in order to cope with her mentor's death by trying to act like her.]] Come ''Trials & Tribulations'', the sequel, after [[spoiler: the circumstances of her mentor's death have been truly uncovered and the man responsible was sent away to prison,]] she's become a cheerful employee of Lordly Tailor who is truly grateful to Phoenix and can actually genuinely smile now (at least when she's not panicking as a CuteClumsyGirl).
17	** In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'', Simon Blackquill is introduced as a murderer and makes his first appearance manipulating the judge into letting him have his way, interrupting Apollo, and generally being the jerk most prosecutors are expected to be. In the third trial though, he [[spoiler:joins in with everyone else to break Athena out of her HeroicBSOD, reminding her of the reason she became a lawyer and how she must not let a certain someone down]]. After [[spoiler:he's acquitted in the last trial, he is then incredibly cooperative with Phoenix, backing his requests, sending his hawk to keep the Phantom from hacking Athena's Mood Matrix, and ripping the Phantom's mask to reveal his deception. In fact, the most antagonistic moments he has is when he gives the occasional reminder for the defense to provide evidence to back up their claims, which Phoenix reminds his colleges is what Simon ''has'' to do as prosecutor.]]
18	* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'': The Cranky, Snooty and Peppy villagers have become nicer with each game ([[DubPersonalityChange at least in the various overseas localizations]], [[AmericanKirbyIsHardcore as they were always quite friendly in the original Japanese version]]). The cranky villagers have gone from [[ScrewPolitenessImASenior jaded jerks]] to [[CoolOldGuy just being rough around the edges]], snooty villagers have gone from [[AlphaBitch narcissistic and elitist]] to [[LovableAlphaBitch kind but with refined tastes]], and peppy villagers have gone from unpleasant [[SpoiledBrat spoiled brats]] to [[GenkiGirl happy and energetic girls]]. In addition, none of the villagers steal from the player's pockets or try to scam them out of their money and items anymore.
19	** In the first game and ''Wild World'', Gracie the fashion designer is a snobbish and stuck-up woman who wouldn't shy away from insulting the town and its residents whenever she stopped by for a visit. Later games have Gracie be a bit nicer to others, while still very much thinking highly of herself. It's even stated that she took Label in as a pupil when she left home and 100% supported her when she decided to start her own clothing brand.
20	* ''VideoGame/Case02ParanormalEvil'': In ''VideoGame/LoserReborn'', Marty was willing to use headpatting to effectively brainwash women into joining his party. In this game, he treats Sally as a genuine friend rather than an object. It helps that he's going through a [[TheApocalypseBringsOutTheBestInPeople zombie apocalypse]] rather than a wish-fulfillment reincarnation plot this time.
21	* ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'':
22	** In ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'', Byakuya Togami is a condescending SmugSnake who participates in the killing game with a perverse sense of gamesmanship, treating the murders of his classmates like an opportunity to amuse himself by manipulating the crime scenes and goading Naegi into doing all the work in solving them. But during chapter 4 he realizes that he unintentionally had a heavy hand in [[spoiler:Sakura's suicide, which was meant to unite the students against the killing game: he made it clear from day one that he didn't care about anyone else's wellbeing, and he even told her to her face that he hoped that she died. This realization seems to knock him down a peg, shit-eating attitude-wise, and he's still kind of a dick afterwards, but he's less malicious, and obviously much more on his fellow classmates' side. Most importantly, during the final class trial, when everyone realizes that the apocalypse happened outside the school a year ago and their memories were wiped so they'd forget, [[BigBad Junko]] tells Togami that his family was completely decimated during the chaos, along with their company he's spent his entire life working tooth and nail to command, and now he's the only one left. This new knowledge paralyzes him for a while, but he and the rest of the students are roused back into hope by Naegi, and they band together to defeat Junko and leave to face the world outside. Come ''VisualNovel/DanganRonpa2GoodbyeDespair'', he puts his position in the Future Foundation on the line, along with Kirigiri, to secretly help Naegi rehabilitate the Remnants of Despair. When the time comes to defeat Junko during the finale, he goes into the simulation along with Naegi and Kirigiri to help the students not lose hope when they figure out that [[HeelRealization they willingly went into the simulation and helped Junko cause the apocalypse]]. When all's said and done, he tries to keep up a veneer of superiority, but it's obvious that he's very much warmed to his friends and is willing to take huge risks to help them.]]
23	** [[{{Yakuza}} Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu]] in ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', who starts off distant, aggressive, and regularly threatens to kill his classmates. After [[spoiler:Peko's execution and learning his sister is dead]], he decides to make amends and changes his behavior. While he is still rude and hot-headed, he becomes one of the most loyal and steadfast members of the group.
24	* ''VideoGame/DiceyDungeons'': [[spoiler:After she's beaten, Lady Luck, the sadistic host of the dungeons, gets a whole lot pleasant. She stops rigging her games against the heroes and lets her them and go, and even allows them to visit the dungeons anytime.]]
25	* Dante in ''VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry'' initially starts out as an uncaring, dickish guy. As the game progresses, however, [[spoiler:he begins to mature and his interactions with Kat, especially the lengths he goes to just to save her, are pretty much the best indications of him invoking this trope. By the end, he has inherited several of the old Dante's traits, kindness and sense of justice included.]] He will, however, still take the time to fling insults at his enemies.
26	* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
27	** [[AscendedExtra For someone who starts as such a minor character]], Cullen goes through quite the arc throughout all three games. Starting ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' as a naive young Templar who might have been infatuated with a female PC, some MindRape when the circle he's stationed at gets overrun by demons drives him to hatred of all mages, advocating putting every one of them down. By ''Dragon Age II'', he's calmed down a bit and is one of the few reasonable people in the story, but still has a very large amount of FantasticRacism and is willing to overlook some of the greater atrocities committed by his fellow Templars to innocent mages. However, once his commander, Meredith, goes too far off the deep end with her fanaticism, he turns on her and is willing to let a mage-supporting Hawke go. Come ''Inquisition'', where he apparently went through some soul-searching in between games, having left the Templars, feeling that they had lost their way, and is firmly disgusted by the actions they are now taking. While he still feels that mages are dangerous, almost all traces of his FantasticRacism (bar a few insensitive comments) are gone, and he is fully willing to work with them, and work loyally for a mage Inquisitor. He's also a romance option, whether or not you're playing a mage.
28	** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'':
29	*** If he survived ''Origins'', [[HitmanWithAHeart Zevran]] has been spending most of the time frame that ''Dragon Age II'' encompasses only killing the [[MurderInc Crows]] that try to track him down. Okay, nothing too new, and Zevran was always much more [[HiddenHeartOfGold laid-back]] than one would expect from an ex-assassin, but [[spoiler:then when the Dalish offer him sanctuary in Act 3, he turns them down to hide out in the nearby caves so that none of them will get caught in the crossfire]]. Considering that this is the man who casually admitted he [[TokenEvilTeammate enjoyed killing]] ([[EvenEvilHasStandards to an extent]]) and has killed innocents, or gotten them killed through his actions more than once, in the first game, this is quite the CharacterDevelopment.
30	*** [[PerpetualFrowner Fenris]] thaws out towards the end of the game towards Varric, Aveline, Isabela, and Donnic, and particularly Hawke (especially if he's romanced).
31	** In ''Origins'' [[LadyOfBlackMagic Morrigan]] is cold, sarcastic and abrasive to almost everyone. If [[PlayerCharacter the Warden]] takes the time to befriend or romance her, then by the time she appears in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', she is much nicer and more gracious. Her [[DeadpanSnarker verbal jabs]] are a lot less vicious, and even former teammates remark on the change. Depending on player choice, she may even be [[spoiler:a loving mother]].
32	* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'': Prince Harry starts off a spoiled, insufferable brat. Then his stupid antics get him and the Hero kidnapped and the latter's father killed off. Harry and the Hero spend ten years working as slaves until they manage to escape, whereupon Harry has become considerable calmer, kinder and more thoughtful.
33	* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, Sheogorath, the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] of [[MadGod Madness]], seems to take a level between the events of ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'''s ''Shivering Isles'' expansion and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]''. Rather than causing [[GreatGazoo random chaos]] like in previous games, Sheogorath's Daedric quest in ''Skyrim'' has you [[PetTheDog helping to cure]] the late [[TheCaligula Emperor Pelagius the Mad]] of the madness which has long plagued him. It probably helps that [[spoiler:Sheogorath implies that he is [[PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo the Champion of Cyrodiil]], who takes up the mantle of Sheogorath at the end of the ''Shivering Isles'']].
34	* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
35	** Although it's less "taking a level in kindness" as it is "not being '''as''' evil as they were before", the Enclave is ''significantly'' downplayed in Fallout 3 compared to Fallout 2. In Fallout 3, their main objective is to rule over the wasteland with an iron fist, with [[spoiler:President John Henry Eden wanting to exterminate all mutated life in the wasteland, which would spare those in the Enclave and those in the Vaults]]. In other words, they are obviously very bad in Fallout 3. In Fallout 2 on the other hand, their goal was to [[spoiler:release a modified FEV virus into the atmosphere to kill off '''all humanoid life on the planet other than themselves'''. And unlike in Fallout 3, they don't give a shit about non-radiated Vault Dwellers either, kidnapping and performing heinous experiments on the residents of Vault 13]].
36	** The Great Khans in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', compared to the Khans of ''VideoGame/Fallout1'' and ''VideoGame/Fallout2''. The Khans of the first and second games were all about the RapePillageAndBurn, and any interaction was pretty much guaranteed to end in violence. The Great Khans, in contrast, make a living selling drugs and can be dealt with entirely through diplomacy. Sure, they aren't angels, but the Great Khans are far nicer than the Khans ever were.
37	* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
38	** Adelbert Steiner from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' starts out as the most reluctant member of the party, only going along to protect Princess Garnet. He has a big grudge against [[TheHero Zidane]] for "kidnapping" her (it's complicated) and for being a no-good scoundrel, but he eventually realizes that Zidane is actually a good person.
39	** [[TheHero Lightning]] from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII''. She starts off as rather cold to her comrades, especially Snow, her future brother-in-law, but becomes a [[BigGood full-blown hero]] later in the game and in the sequel ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2''. Fang also goes through similar development.
40	** A merchant in a Dark Knight quest in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' asks the [[PlayerCharacter Warrior of Light]] recover goods that were stolen from him and he demands that they go fetch the stuff right now. When the Warrior returns with the goods in hand, the merchant gets very snobby with them because his goods are covered in blood (from the enemies that stole the items) and says he can only pay them half of the intended reward because of it. This get's the Warrior's companion Fray [[spoiler: who is a projection of the Warrior's anger and frustrations]] to give them a ''scathing'' TheReasonYouSuckSpeech before walking away in anger. You meet the merchant again in a much later quest and he is a lot nicer to the Warrior after having gone through several events that made him rethink his attitude and he apologizes for his past behavior.
41	* Between the end of ''VideoGame/GodOfWarIII'' and the beginning of ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'', Kratos has noticeably mellowed out. While he still has his moments of UnstoppableRage, it's no longer his default emotion. Kratos is also trying to be a good parent to [[MoralityPet his son]]; even if he does sometimes snap, it's out of ToughLove instead of genuine anger. Apparently, the fact that he forgave himself for his past sins, combined with awakening hope from inside of him, had a big impact on Kratos as a whole.
42	* Hijikata Toshizo in ''VideoGame/{{Hakuouki}}'' is called the "Demon Vice-Commander" of the Shinsengumi for the iron fist with which he commands and for his unflinching willingness to enforce the group's rules of conduct and command or personally perform morally distasteful actions. He gets worse following [[spoiler:Kondou's capture and execution]], to the point that during the assault on Utsunomiya Castle, he kills a soldier who tries to flee, but by Hakodate, he manages to make peace with the inner turmoil that's been driving him and he becomes a much gentler and more approachable leader who says that the men under his command are "[[AFatherToHisMen like sons]]" to him.
43	* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonBackToNature'' was originally an outsourced port of ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon64'', but it eventually became its own game. Several characters [[NotAsYouKnowThem changed personalities]], both to this trope and the [[TookALevelInJerkass opposite]]:
44	** Karen was originally a standoffish and mean BrokenBird until you befriended her. In ''Back To Nature (For Girl)'' and ''(More) Friends Of Mineral Town'', she's lost virtually all of her attitude, is somewhat less of an alcoholic, and has become a laid-back CoolBigSis.
45	** Gotz was Karen's aggressive father in ''64'', but he's substantially nicer in other games.
46	* Buggs from ''VideoGame/{{Kindergarten\|2017}}'' is a BarbaricBully who throws food at Nugget during lunch and will outright beat the protagonist to death if you refuse to give him half of your money at the start of the school day or provoke him by bringing up his DisappearedDad. In ''VideoGame/Kindergarten2'', he's still a bully and troublemaker who's all too happy to start a FoodFight, but he generally acts nicer towards the protagonist than in the first game.
47	* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
48	** Riku goes from ArrogantKungFuGuy to RivalTurnedEvil in [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI the first game]], but at the end snaps out of it and spends ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' as TheAtoner.
49	** Axel eventually does the same by the end of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', beginning his HeelFaceTurn, [[spoiler:which is cemented for good when he, now using his original name Lea, saves a comatose Sora from Master Xehanort in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'']].
50	** Several other former members of Organization XIII are shown to have done this in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII''. Most prominently, Ienzo, formerly the [[ManipulativeBastard Cloaked Schemer]] Zexion, now serves as MissionControl while spearheading the effort to give Roxas a body of his own, and is nothing but friendly and helpful. [[spoiler:Vexen and Saïx both rejoined the Organization only in a bid to [[TheAtoner atone for their wrongdoings]] behind the scenes; they were likewise instrumental in creating and securing the replica bodies for the lost Nobodies. Furthermore, once the latter is defeated again and returns as Isa, he is shown in the ending spending time with Xion and Roxas, both of whom he despised as Saïx.]]
51	* ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'': King Dedede started out as Kirby's ArchEnemy, but he's mellowed out considerably since then. Nowadays, he is one of Kirby's greatest allies, with most of their feuds happening over a [[PoorCommunicationKills misunderstanding]] or [[BrainwashedAndCrazy King Dedede getting mind controlled]].
52	* ''VideoGame/KnightEternal'': Ned is more polite than in the previous games, where he was somewhat [[InsufferableGenius snobbish]] about his knowledge of the future.
53	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
54	** The whole Gerudo race undergoes this over the course of multiple games. In ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'', they're a race of warrior thieves feared by the other peoples of the land because of their ferocity and tendency to kidnap people (though they're still bound by a code of honor that forbids them from, among other things, robbing from children or killing people). In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwordsAdventures Four Swords Adventures]]'', in contrast, they're considerably friendlier with non-Gerudo, if a bit standoffish due to Ganondorf's recent actions. By the time of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'', they're no meaner than any other race, with the [[TeamMom motherly]] Urbosa and WiseBeyondHerYears Riju in particular being two of the nicest characters in the game. Even their culturally-enforced [[LadyLand "No boys allowed" rule]] appears to be now done out of tradition rather than actual hostility toward men, as most are willing to look the other way so long as a male visitor [[WholesomeCrossdresser makes the effort to blend in]] and doesn't cause trouble.
55	** [[DeadpanSnarker Midna]] from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' starts off as ''very'' selfish, pushy, and [[NotInThisForYourRevolution only out to save her own world]], without really caring about Hyrule. After seeing the kindness and bravery of Hyrule's people -- especially Princess Zelda -- she evolves into more of a JerkWithAHeartOfGold. [[spoiler:After restoring her true form, when she shatters the mirror that connects Hyrule with the Twilit Realm, she expresses a bit of remorse that she'll never see Link again.]]
56	** Mido is the resident jerkass in Kokiri Village in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', giving Link shit over not having a fairy, even going as far as calling him "Mr. No-Fairy". When you meet him seven years later, he's guarding the entrance to the Forest Temple, but his tone is very different. He says that he wishes that he could take back everything he said about Link (unaware that he is actually talking to Link as an adult) and tells you that if you ever meet Link, to tell him that Mido is sorry for being such a jerk to him.
57	** Mila's father in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]''. During the first half of the game, he's an arrogant rich man who demands the rescue of his daughter from captivity in Forsaken Fortress. Tetra's pirates rescue Mila, but ask the father for a lot of money, leaving him and his daughter poor. This changes his viewpoint on life, and he becomes much more modest as a result.
58	** Groose from ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]''. He starts off as a typical arrogant and pompous JerkJock who has it in for Link, but at one point he follows Link to the land below the clouds and witnesses Link fighting and resealing the game's SealedEvilInACan. Though he's at first disillusioned over his own apparent uselessness, he comes to respect Link and begins to grow considerably more noble, even becoming a crucial ally to Link in a number of boss battles. You know he's changed considerably when you find yourself cheering him on when he jumps into the fray and helps Link.
59	* ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'': Osamu Kashiwagi, the Kazama family captain, appears in ''VideoGame/Yakuza0'' as a very strait-laced, stern, and strict figure who isn't afraid to lay down the law or beat down idiots personally. By the time the first ''VideoGame/Yakuza1'' rolls around, he has mellowed considerably and prefers thinking and planning to violence (though doesn't hesitate to knock Nishiki on his ass when he screws up considerably in ''Kiwami'').
60	* ''VideoGame/MarioParty5'': Compared to the previous game's Story Mode, Bowser isn't as ruthless towards the Koopa Kids when they fail as usual. He also accepts his defeat in the FinalBoss battle, telling the player's character that he'll get better and come back for a rematch before leaving the dream world.
61	* Several characters in ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series move or have the potential to move this way as the story progresses, the latter depending on the player's decisions.
62	** Many of your crewmates [[CharacterDevelopment can do this over the course of the series]], particularly for Paragon Shepard.
63	*** You can turn [[FriendlySniper Garrus]] from a pure CowboyCop into someone who generally respects the rules and no longer believes that the ends justify the means.
64	*** [[TheBigGuy Wrex]] starts out as a typical [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Krogan]] [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch who is also disillusioned by them]], and then ends up doing something about it by strong-arming himself into becoming the de facto leader of all Krogan kind, demolishing many of the more self-destructive Krogan traditions to unify his people.
65	*** Miranda goes from an IceQueen and KnightTemplar to being a NotSoStoic {{Atoner}} in the third game.
66	*** [[{{Tykebomb}} Grunt]] becomes much more respectful, especially if you do his loyalty mission. By ''3'' he has become a capable and (while rough around the edges) [[AFatherToHisMen caring]] combat leader to a multi-national squad of krogan.
67	*** [[PsychoForHire Zaeed]] learns to put the team first if you choose to save the workers on his loyalty mission (and have high enough charm skills).
68	*** [[GenderBlenderName Jack.]] By the end of the series, she's taken at least eleven levels. When you first meet her, she is a severely BrokenBird and a psycho who wants to kill everyone she meets because "every times someone that's not me dies, I figure my chances of survival go up a little". Shepard, particularly Paragon Shepard (and even more particularly if you romance her), starts to peel away her layers, gradually getting her to be more trusting and cooperative. In her loyalty mission, she finally comes to terms with what happened in her childhood, and starts to become a lot more of a team player, especially in the suicide mission, going so far as to respectfully refer to Shepard as "Commander" if chosen for the biotic shield role. By ''Mass Effect 3'', she's toned down the wild look and become a BadassTeacher who is loved by her students and will do anything to protect them. She even has a [[SirSwearsALot swear jar]], not that it helps much. According to her, she learned the value of teamwork on the suicide mission, and Shepard him/herself has taught her a lot about leadership.
69	** Shepard can be played this way if you picked the Ruthless trait and/or imported a heavily Renegade save from the [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 first]] or [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 second]] game, then incline more towards Paragon choices in the second or third game.
70	** ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'':
71	*** Over the first two games, Turian Councilor Sparatus is an ass to Shepard and to humans in general. Come the third game, when it's been made clear that Shepard was utterly correct all along, he's the first one of the trio to provide Shepard aid in the form of vital intel, and is the only one of the three who doesn't start off as cold and dismissive toward Shep.
72	*** [[AssInAmbassador Udina]], after being such a dismissive jerk in the previous game, is surprisingly supportive and polite toward Shepard... [[spoiler:only to [[FaceHeelTurn orchestrate an attempted Cerberus coup of the Citadel later on]], resulting in his death at Shepard's hands. Though even then, he pulls the attempted coup because he feels that Cerberus are willing to help him save Earth's people where the Council apparently aren't.]]
73	*** Admiral Zaal'koris becomes a lot friendlier towards both Shepard and Tali in the third game after being a jerk towards them both in the second; if you played it right, Tali is now his main ally on the Admiralty Board, which goes a long way towards making people less obnoxious, especially since Tali and Shepard are now pretty much the only hope of getting out of a bad situation without most of the Migrant Fleet being destroyed in the process.
74	*** Aria can have a downplayed example during the Omega DLC if you choose to play Shepard as a Paragon consistently. Being the "queen" of the [[OutlawTown criminally-rampant Omega Station]] has taught her to be ruthless and dismissive of the factions that she has control over and that they are to be treated as mere chess pieces rather than people, and she has an ego to match. Consistently choosing the Paragon options in actions and dialogue for Shepard, combined with the presence of a MoralityChain in the form of her old turian lover Nyreen, causes Aria to gradually understand how their compassion and care spurs loyalty to them, something no amount of credits could possibly buy, as they all work together to retake control of the station from Cerberus. By the end, Aria's personality can shift to a JerkWithAHeartOfGold (which is about as much as can be plausibly hoped for someone in her position), most exemplified in what she does to General Petrovsky -- [[spoiler:she had been planning to choke him to death with her own hands, and normally the player must perform a Paragon interrupt to stop her, but if the player chose enough Paragon options beforehand, she spares him out of her own volition]] -- and the different speeches she gives to Omega Station's residents afterwards ([[spoiler:she will normally talk up the glory of Omega Station and by extension her own ego, ending it with "Don't ''fuck'' with Omega" as a ContinuityNod to the one law of Omega she mentioned back in the previous game of "Don't ''fuck'' with Aria"; in contrast a relatively softer Aria tempers her ego in the speech and talks about the people more, ending it with "We are Omega" to make a more contrasting ContinuityNod to another line Aria gave back in ''2'' of [[IAmTheNoun "I am Omega"]]]].)
75	*** [[spoiler:The Reapers]] in the Extended Cut Synthesis ending. [[spoiler:Since their mandate to protect organic life from synthetic life no longer applies because those boundaries [[TheSingularity don't really mean anything now]], they start bringing the accumulated knowledge of the societies they've destroyed and helping with the reconstruction of all the worlds they've devastated, and are even shown putting a mass relay back together]].
76	* In an interesting example, because it happens in AnachronicOrder, Ocelot, over the course of the ''VideoGame/MetalGear Solid'' series, goes from being a contemptible, toadying CombatSadomasochist TortureTechnician in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', to a sympathetic and [[WorthyOpponent worthy]] AntiVillain in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'', to a NecessarilyEvil UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans AntiHero in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', to TheHeart and inarguably a better person than Snake in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidV''.
77	* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'': Starting with [[VideoGame/MortalKombat9 the reboot]], Johnny Cage undergoes CharacterDevelopment that sees him graduate from a pompous Hollywood actor entering a life-or-death tournament just to give his career a boost to, in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'', a PapaWolf and AFatherToHisMen in the Special Forces, whose easygoing personality contrasts with his comparatively straight-laced no-nonsense ex-wife Sonya Blade. This comes to a head in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'', when the Time Merger brings Johnny face to face with his past self, [[IHatePastMe whom he cannot stand]].
78	* ''VideoGame/NaufragarCrimson'': Athena starts out very self-absorbed in her status as a church clergywoman, as shown when she rudely scolds Kyo for a misunderstanding she started when she tried to question him. She becomes more hostile towards Kyo when the latter impersonates Hyo to trick her into letting him out of prison. [[spoiler:After Hyo kills her father, she becomes more empathetic towards the suffering of others, including Lance, who lost his own father figure.]]
79	* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
80	** Blue is a bratty, snotty JerkAss of a bully in ''Videogame/PokemonRedAndBlue'', who takes every opportunity to mock the player and rub his accomplishments in your face, but thanks to getting his butt handed to him by [[PlayerCharacter Red]], a ReasonYouSuckSpeech from his grandfather Professor Oak, and subsequent offscreen CharacterDevelopment and maturing, he becomes less so by ''Gold'', ''Silver'', and ''Crystal'', despite his arrogant streak still being there due to it being a fundamental part of his character. By the time you meet him in [[spoiler:''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'''s post-game]], he seems to be on much better terms with Red (though he does get a bit mad if you chose to battle Red instead of him).
81	** TheRival, AKA Silver, from ''Videogame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'', as well as ''Crystal'' and the remakes, full stop. He is initially a cruel, harsh young man and an ArrogantKungFuGuy in every sense of the word, but after many crushing defeats courtesy of the player and in one instance Lance, he eventually becomes friendlier towards the player and his own Pokémon -- to the point where his Golbat evolves into a Crobat after reaching high happiness. This is upped even more in the remakes, where he takes several levels in it to the point that by the time he battles the player in the Indigo League, any antagonism towards the player in his speech is gone, and he reacts to losing with nothing but almost doting concern for his Pokemon and words of encouragement for the player, even going so far as to heal your party for you.
82	* ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002'': In his debut game Ratchet doesn't start out as a complete {{jerkass}} per say, rather he is more self absorbed and isn't interested in being a hero. The major reason he decides to help Clank initially is because he wants to see the rest of the galaxy outside of his home planet of Veldin and often sidetracks their mission to find Captain Qwark for his own self interest (such as helping out Skidd [=McMarxx=] so he can get a hoverboard). However his personality changes for the worse after Clank inadvertently almost gets them killed by a trap set by Captain Qwark, who is working for the game's BigBad Chairman Drek, and for the second act Ratchet is more obsessed with getting revenge on Qwark then stopping Drek and starts bullying Clank, at one point telling him [[KickTheDog that he will sell him for scrap]]. By the games third act however, after seeing a planet destroyed because of his own obsession against Qwark, [[HeelRealization Ratchet finally realizes how important stopping Drek is]], and apologizes to Clank before the two set out to stop Drek once and for all. By the end of the game their experience together turns the two into [[HeterosexualLifePartners life long friends]] and by the sequels Ratchet has become a far more heroic and selfless hero.
83	* The Boss in the ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'' series goes from merely taking part in criminal activities [[TookALevelInJerkass to a borderline sociopath]] whose possibly only saving grace is caring about the other Saints. ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' has the gang become LighterAndSofter, and the Saints and Boss really only fight other gangs, corrupt police, and soldiers who place the city under martial law. Boss also becomes a lot more caring throughout the game, and by ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'', s/he begins as utterly heroic and only gets better from there, to the point where s/he would actually make an off-kilter but still fine President.
84	* Morte takes off a few of her rougher edges over the course of ''VideoGame/SandsOfDestruction''. While she's quite selfish and interested in nothing but the destruction of the world at the start, by the end she's capable of empathy, stating that if any of her teammates have a problem, it's her problem, too, and she will help solve it with [[GenkiGirl just as much gusto as she puts into solving her own issues]]. She even [[spoiler:recants her path of destruction, vowing to rebuild the world instead, and]] genuinely falls for Kyrie, instead of just seeing him as a PersonOfMassDestruction she could use for her own ends. She ''is'' still very impulsive and prone to acting without thinking, and still has a tough demeanor on the outside, but it's clear that a softer heart has grown under there.
85	* Josephine in ''VideoGame/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents2004'' is a mild example. Unlike in [[Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents the books]] and [[Film/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents2004 the film]], she doesn't offer the Baudelaires to Count Olaf to save herself from being killed by him and she's a bit more honest about eating less than an hour before setting out on Lake Lachrymose.
86	* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsX'':
87	** [[Anime/CrossAnge Ange]]'s interactions with [[Anime/CodeGeass Lelouch]] and [[Anime/MashinHeroWataruSeries Wataru]] play a role in making her character more benevolent and reasonable in this game. [[spoiler:So much that when she finds Sylvia walking on her own, she offers her a hand to restore order to Misurugi and establish Cafe Ange in her old home.]]
88	** [[Characters/SuperRobotWarsX Hopes]] starts off with rather kind of JerkAss, SmugSnake, and ItsAllAboutMe attitudes, but staying with the protagonist and X-Cross makes him become softer and nicer.
89	* ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'':
90	** In ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'', Leon Magnus is a huge JerkassWoobie who uses shock tiaras on his teammates, snarks about everything, and rages at any kind behaviour shown towards him. He ends up [[spoiler:betraying the party and dying, though for sympathetic reasons]]. He returns in [[VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny2 the sequel]] [[spoiler:as mysterious swordsman Judas]], and he's matured into a quieter snarker clearly devoted to the party (especially Kyle, his [[spoiler:nephew]]), going so far as to apologize to a character for not telling her that [[spoiler:her brother would die]] and praying that his new friends will stay safe [[spoiler:when he's erased from existence and can't look after them anymore]]. The remake of the first game makes this a case of CharacterizationMarchesOn, as he's retconned into a much nicer character all-around who acts like a jerk as his defense mechanism.
91	** ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'':
92	*** This is a big part of [[IdiotHero Luke's]] character arc. He starts out as a certified {{Jerkass}}, selfish, irresponsible, disrespectful, and childish. One ''hefty'' WhamEpisode and an ImportantHaircut later, he resolves to change for the better. He starts thinking for himself, respecting his comrades, and actively trying to win back their trust to the point where he's willing to [[spoiler:pull a HeroicSacrifice to make up for his misdeeds.]] That said, Luke was always [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold kind]], he just didn't know how to express it due to [[spoiler:being actually [[YoungerThanHeLooks seven]] as well as massively [[ShelteredAristocrat sheltered]] and [[SpoiledBrat spoiled]] due to them believing that he just has amnesia from the trauma of his kidnapping]].
93	*** [[BrokenAce Jade]] [[TheGadfly Curtiss]] is a subtle take on this. Even Jade doesn't really notice until it's pointed out by another character that he's become a better person. When he does, he attributes his change to [[MoralityPet Luke]]'s own development and influence.
94	*** [[BadassNormal Guy]] [[StepfordSmiler Cecil]] is this as well, though in backstory, [[spoiler:as he originally was a {{Revenge}}-obsessed jerk underneath his facade. But caring for [[MoralityPet Luke]] brought out his inherent kindness and made his mask genuine.]]
95	* Happens before the game in ''VideoGame/TearsToTiara2''. [[spoiler:Hamil was a very cold and distant child. He didn't think twice about resorting to scorched earth tactics or destroying his own capital city in order to win a battle simulation, and he didn't understand why his father found this sad. In the seven years after Hasdrubal's death, having had to watch the Canaanites suffer under the rule of TheEmpire, he learned why. He now does his absolute best to protect everything and everyone. He will still use those tactics, but only if there is absolutely no other choice.]]
96	* ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'': Battler is rather insensitive to others at first. He improves as he continues and [[spoiler:discovers the truth]].
97	* ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'':
98	** Compared to Season 3, having AJ back in Season 4 results in Clementine acting more like her old self. Of course, as noted above, the player can still pick abrasive and/or aggressive dialogue options.
99	** After Episode 2 of ''A New Frontier'', Conrad finally cools down and returns to his usual nice demeanor. In fact, after Badger's death, he opts to leave Richmond to find some composure.
100	* The main character of ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', Neku Sakuraba, starts out as a selfish, anti-social JerkAss who actively hates having to interact with other people. He tries to block people out by wearing headphones, and his rude attitude causes issues early on since the Reapers' Game requires cooperation with a partner. He slowly gets better over the course of the game thanks to [[PositiveFriendInfluence influence from his partners]], especially [[GenkiGirl Shiki]], to the point where he's willing to help Shiki out with her own personal problems. During Week 2, Neku slowly comes to understand that most other Players are fighting for reasons just as valid as his own, and becomes much more openly friendly and heroic. [[spoiler:As it turns out, Neku's CharacterDevelopment ends up derailing the {{Big Bad}}'s entire plan. The whole point of the current Reaper’s Game was due to [[PhysicalGod Joshua]] and [[WellIntentionedExtremist Kitaniji]] making a wager over whether or not Shibuya and its people deserve to continue existing, with Neku, a jerk who had no regard for anyone but himself, essentially as the representative of what Joshua hates about the city. If even a selfish loner like Neku can change for the better, then perhaps Shibuya isn’t so lost after all.]]

Context TookALevelInKindness / VideoGames