History FromNobodyToNightmare / Literature

* ''Literature/TheDevilIsAPartTimer'': [[VillainProtagonist Sadao]] [[MaouTheDemonKing Maou]] began life at the very bottom of the demonic peking order [[spoiler:until his life was saved by an angel -- Emi's mother, Laylah. While he was recuperating, she tutored him in various things to pass the time, mainly politics, diplomacy and the proper use of military power]], which he used to rise up through the ranks and become the Demon King, nearly conquering Ente Isla until he was defeated by Emi and forced to retreat to Earth. Now, he plans to work his way up through the ranks at [[BlandNameProduct MgRonald's]] to eventually conquer the Earth.

** Harry himself was a unwanted boy who as per mentioned slept under the stairs but went onto to being the MessianicArchetype Wizard who killed Voldemort and became one of the great Aurors to ever live. Subverted if you look Harry’s ancestry as whole though and see he’s descended from the Peverells creators of the Deathly Hallows, so he was always predestined for some greatness.

** The Kingdom of Friedonia on a national stage. Elfrieden as a nation suffered from a devastating SuccessionCrisis two decades ago and, under the care of a kind but passive king, hadn't recovered much. Corruption ate away at the kingdom due to the lack of royal oversight, with several nearby nations ready to take advantage and invade. Then they summoned Souma Kazuya, a Japanese university student aspiring to be a civil servant, and made him their king. He changed the course of the kingdom leading it to absorb its hostile neighbor Amidonia. The combined nations declared themselves the Kingdom of Friedonia and became a technological, economic, and military powerhouse in a few short years, nearly able to stand up to the Empire and having forged alliances with the most powerful nations on the continent.

** The main character of was just a salary man with no friends, lovers or family, obsessed with a video game his guildmates had all long since quit. Then he gets pulled into a world that operates on that game's rules, in the body of his character, a Level 100 [[OurLichesAreDifferent Elder Lich]] EvilSorcerer, with all his guild's NPC's (Including demons, dark elves, vampires, and more) becoming his [[UndyingLoyalty fanatically loyal]] [[TheLegionsOfHell army]]. The New World never knew what hit it.

** Kyouya was a normal higschool boy, if [[BornInTheWrongCentury somewhat maladjusted due to having a strong sense of justice in modern conservative Japanese society.]] One death later, he was reborn into [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent a lowly, but happy and loving family of goblins]] . One ''extremely'' [[TearJerker gut-wrenching tragedy]] later, ThePowerOfHate eventually lets him become [[spoiler:''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Wrath]]'']], [[PersonOfMassDestruction a monster regarded as a walking calamity who spreads mass terror and destruction]] before [[PhysicalGod a literal God]] had to step in to stop him. After ''that'', [[spoiler:the now-ascended protagonist]] steps in, [[SanityHasAdvantages helps him restores his sanity]], takes him under their wing and sets him up as [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership one of the ten Demon Army Generals who answer directly to the Demon King.]]
** There was once a MadScientist who [[ImmortalitySeeker sought to live forever,]] and for some of his many unethical experiments to achieve it, he [[HarmfulToMinors sired children to use as fodder.]] Several of the survivors would go on to [[ShroudedInMyth become legend in the present story]], but one stood out: [[HalfHumanHybrid a spider-human hybrid girl]] who was [[DelicateAndSickly constantly weak and ill]] due to [[PoisonousPerson the poison produced by her own body;]] she was so weak she spent most of her time bedridden. This same, pathetically weak girl would go on to be known as [[RedBaron "The Oldest Divine Beast"]], revered as the messenger of the Goddess, [[MonsterProgenitor the progenitor of the Taratect species that the protagonist reincarnates into]] [[note]]A species that is feared far and wide for being capable of producing Queen Taratects, beings regarded as ''stronger than Dragons''[[/note]] and then becomes [[spoiler:Demon King Ariel]], a being so powerful she could [[PersonOfMassDestruction single-handedly destroy the entire world on a whim,]] and indisputably [[WorldsStrongestWoman the most powerful living being on the planet]] short of the Gods themselves.

** Surprisingly, Coriolanus Snow as seen in ''Literature/TheBalladofSongbirdsAndSnakes''. Snow starts off as the son of a Capitol family which had fallen into poverty but eventually becomes the dictator of an entire oppressive regime and the [[BigBad mastermind]] of the events of the entire trilogy.

** There was once a MadScientist who [[ImmortalitySeeker sought to live forever,]] and for some of his many unethical experiments to achieve it, he [[HarmfulToMinors sired children to use as fodder.]] Several of the survivors would go on to [[ShroudedInMyth become legend in the present story]], but one stood out: [[HalfHumanHybrid a spider-human hybrid girl]] who was [[SicklyAndDelicate constantly weak and ill]] due to [[PoisonousPerson the poison produced by her own body;]] she was so weak she spent most of her time bedridden. This same, pathetically weak girl would go on to be known as [[RedBaron "The Oldest Divine Beast"]], revered as the messenger of the Goddess, [[MonsterProgenitor the progenitor of the Taratect species that the protagonist reincarnates into]] [[note]]A species that is feared far and wide for being capable of producing Queen Taratects, beings regarded as ''stronger than Dragons''[[/note]] and then becomes [[spoiler:Demon King Ariel]], a being so powerful she could [[PersonOfMassDestruction single-handedly destroy the entire world on a whim,]] and indisputably [[WorldsStrongestWoman the most powerful living being on the planet]] short of the Gods themselves.

** Alaya, Dread Empress Malicia I of Praes. Born as the daughter of a tavernkeep in the breadbasket of the empire, she later became Empress of the country, and the most sucessful one for centuries (cutting the nobility's power, giving rights to the different species that live in Praes, covertly destabilizing the biggest rival country, providing for a flourishing economy, and, above all, occupying the neightbouring country, something nearly every ruler before her tried and failed).

** Inigo and Fezzik whom Vizzini gathered to form his TerribleTrio are also cases of this albeit more sympathetic and heroic. Inigo comes from a backwater village in Spain being the son of a lowly (yet superb) sword-maker while Fezzik was a Turkish peasant whose parents tried to turn into a fighter despite his GentleGiant nature. They grow up to be the WorldsBestWarrior and WorldsStrongestMan respectively being unbeatable when it came swordplay and strength... until the Man in Black aka Westley comes along.

* ''Literature/TheNeverendingStory'': Bastian starts out as an overweight, ugly, unathletic scared little boy who tells stories to himself. He reads the Neverending Story and gives the childlike empress a new name, propelling him into the world of Fantastica. He is granted the power to make wishes using Auryn, the symbol of the empress, and his first wish is to be strong, handsome, athletic and brave. This first wish also robs him of the memory of ever being that overweight, ugly unathletic, scared little boy. Each subsequent wish removes his memory of something vitally important to Bastian's character that made him a good person, and so he slowly transforms from the savior of Fantastica to a bloodthirsty conqueror who seeks to depose the empress and sit on her throne.

** Thaegan similarly came from a minor village in Deltora, being the beautiful but cruel daughter of the wise woman and sorceress of the village. Finding that GoodIsBoring and [[DrunkWithPower being intoxicated with the magic]] she inherited from her mother Thaegan fought against the pacifism the former tried to instil and when her mother could control or contain her she escaped the Shadowlands and became the major DarkChick of the Shadow Lord’s forces.

** Christine is more a heroic example, coming from poverty in Sweden she had no prosperity and just so happened to be taken in along with her violinist father by a rich family (her classless social status was the reason Raoul a Viscount was unable to marry her when they were teenagers). Despite this Christine manages to become TheDiva of the Opera House and famous across Paris for her vocal talent (aided by Erik’s teachings).

** Speaking of which the Pevensie siblings count as this, before entering Narnia they were just a bunch middle-class children sent away from London bombings to stay at a wealthy professor’s house. After stepping through the wardrobe they would defeat the Jadis White Witch and become the kings and queens of all of Narnia. Though considering ''Literature/TheMagiciansNephew'' the prequel book this seems all par for the course, to wit the very first king of Narnia was Frank ''a cabby from London!'' Who just so happened to be dragged into the plot along with his equally low-class wife Helen whom got transported to Narnia by Aslan for the sake of there being a queen.

** Lief is himself is seemingly case of this for the first book series, being a street kid and son of a blacksmith who becomes wearer of the belt and saviour of the land. [[spoiler:Though it’s subverted after the ReallyRoyaltyReveal.]]