Works with their own pages
- Bakuman。: Aoki Ko started as a ice queen, she was rather cold and distant to the other rivals, and refused to make any adjustement in her manga to make it more appealing to Shonen Jump/Jack audience. As time pass, she progressively start to be nicer and more open with the others character until she become good friend with them, and learn to question her own work and listen to the advices of her editor or her fellow mangakas. She winds up returning Hiramaru's crush on her, and accepting his marriage proposal.
- Berserk:
- Guts, upon finding Casca again and gaining new True Companions, has begun abandoning his cold, ruthless and vengeful Black Swordsman persona in favor of something resembling his original nature for the first time since the Eclipse. Mind you, he still has a rather nasty Enemy Within to deal with due to the vendetta that he was on for two years.
- Even better would be Farnese, who was once a cold, Knight Templar, Pyromaniac who wanted nothing more than to burn people at the stake for her own satisfaction and to see Guts dead. But after the events at the Tower of Conviction, and wanting to atone for her past actions by following Guts, she has grown considerably kinder and is even shown to being sort of naive and manipulable.
- Bungo Stray Dogs: Osamu Dazai starts out as a mafia executive, utterly merciless and relentless when it comes to killing...until his very best friend gets killed. He leaves the mafia and becomes a good guy. Interestingly, he is still very badass at times.
- At the beginning of Black Clover, Noelle is a self-absorbed, pretentious jerk who often denies Asta's attempt to befriend her. But after spending time with the Black Bulls, who treat her with the kindness and love she was deprived of from her family, she becomes a much kinder person while still maintaining pride in her status as a royal. So much so that she helps a little peasant girl find her mother at the Star Festival, a huge difference from the Noelle who detested peasants in the beginning.
- Syaoran Li of Cardcaptor Sakura evolves from an Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy with Tsundere qualities to meek and soft natured Dogged Nice Guy for Sakura. Meiling of the anime adaption goes through a similar evolution. Both cases are largely due to Sakura's own increasingly empathic and innocent aspects (though granted, she was already rather sweet natured by the start of the series' run).
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba:
- Inosuke's first appearance turns into a far cry of how he behaves later in the series, as in the beginning, Inosuke was an extremely fight hungry guy who didn’t seem to care for actually protecting people against demons, and he was more about the thrill of the fight, be a demon or even a fellow demon slayer. Not long after, however, Inosuke faces a few battles where he feels threatened by stronger foes for the first time in his life and he feels completely useless for one quick moment after the battle; but his friends, Tanjiro and Zenitsu, manage to cheer him just as fast, and from there on, Inosuke begins to act quite reliably in that he starts to listen for battle plans and to save people in the crossfire against demons, yet still remains a quite battle-crazed guy but a more reliable one.
- Genya, at first, seemed even rougher than Inosuke, as while the latter was just more of a socially impaired guy due living alone in the mountains for his entire life till he joined the Demon Slayer Corps, the former was just an angry asshole in the beginning; however, even Genya mellows a bit after his past and the reason why he acted like such a thug is revealed, and thus the ever loving protagonist, Tanjiro, manages to finaly befriend him.
- Digimon:
- Ken from Digimon Adventure 02 after his Heel–Face Turn. Particularly appropriate in that Kindness was always intended to be his Crest from the beginning.
- Also Rika from Digimon Tamers gradually becomes less cold-hearted and friendlier towards Takato, Henry, and the other Tamers.
- But only in the dub. That is, Chiaki J. Konaka apparently went out of his way to avoid depicting Rika/Ruki as 'cold' because 'coldness' is often attached to female characters to convey strength. She's mature and stoic, but she's not cold.
- Rika's partner, Renamon, qualifies as well. Originally ruthless, she goes to a general Mama Bear, mostly from her relationship with Rika improving.
- Yamaki is also one from the said series. From a Well-Intentioned Extremist who wants to wipe out Digimon to supporter of the Tamers in battling evil Digimon.
- While not a complete jerkass but a lone wolf, Kouji from Digimon Frontier joins the group after his Big Brother Instinct awakens when Tomoki gives him cotton candy.
- Fairy Tail:
- After Laxus Dreyar's failed attempt to take over the title guild, he Walks The Earth and Tames His Anger. He returns without his trademark Social Darwinist attitude, but he hasn't completely lost his edge.
- This is also a huge part of Mirajane's backstory. She was an Enfant Terrible in her younger days, but the shock of losing her little sister caused a massive shift in her personality, and she evolved into the guild's beloved Team Mom.
- Yui in Fushigi Yuugi goes from Psycho Lesbian to Rival Turned Evil in the series, but at the end redeems herself and spends the OVAs as The Atoner.
- Fullmetal Alchemist gives us Edward Elric, who starts his series a bit of a jerk. Not greedy or cruel, but rather selfish and myopic about his goal of curing himself and his brother, due to the crushing guilt he feels over making them the way they were. However, repeated exposure to the plight of others and the atrocities committed by the villains gradually make him more open and kind, so much that he's practically unrecognizable by the end of the series. This Character Development also makes him a Foil to the Big Bad of the series, who is essentially myopic selfishness personified.
- Good Luck Girl! is about Ichiko Sakura who starts the series as a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing who only wants to use her immense good luck for herself. The goddess of misfortune Momiji initially tries to take Ichiko's good luck by force, but then plays Trickster Mentor when she sees Ichiko is the way she is because of her loneliness. Ichiko slowly learns to care about others as she makes friends and comes to like helping people with her good luck.
- In Haibane Renmei, this is an important part of Reki's character development. Realizing that she has done this is what allows her to escape the Epiphanic Prison.
- Nitta and Hina from Hinamatsuri develop into nicer people during the course of the story. At one point a character even has a checklist that documents all the ways Hina has become less of a jerk.
- Meruem of Hunter × Hunter. He starts as a genocidal monster, who murdered his own mother right out of the womb by tearing his way out of her. He viewed humanity as something to crush, destroy and consume for his own amusement. As he plays Gungi with Komugi, he undergoes giant changes in his world view, admittingly still being a Social Darwinist near the end, but believed certain humans are worth saving and truly wanted to make a perfect world where those special people could live happily. He dies peacefully with the woman he loves, realizing in the end he was born entirely to be with Komugi in his final moments, nothing else.
- Inuyasha: Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Kouga, and Kagura all experience this at varying speeds and to varying degrees.
- Initial D fans know Shingo as an asshole driver who deliberately bumps into his opponents' cars to provoke them and tried to run Takumi off the mountain pass in a last-ditch move. After said last-ditch move fails and leads to Shingo getting into an accident instead, he becomes a lot more polite when Iketani and Itsuki see him again, and in Initial D Extra Stage he's very buddy-buddy with his fellow drivers.
- Tomoe from Kamisama Kiss starts out as a 100% pure Jerkass but it doesn't take long before we start to see hints of a hidden heart of gold.
- Kill la Kill:
- Satsuki Kiryuin, after her Trauma Conga Line at the hands of her mother, Ragyo, came to see her people more as friends and treasured allies than as a Red Shirt Army. She especially got kinder to Ryuko, now that she knew that they were sisters.
- Ryuko herself got in on this. She started out as an Unscrupulous Hero only out for Revenge against her father's killer. But over time, with the help of Senketsu, Mako, and the rest of the Mankanshokus, she became a genuinely good person.
- Little Witch Academia (2017): Diana Cavendish starts as a prideful and snobbish Academic Alpha Bitch who tends to look down on Akko for her lack of respect for tradition. However, it doesn't take long for her to show her more compassionate side, and she eventually warms up to Akko over time, becoming friends with her by the end.
- Ilulu from Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid becomes significantly nicer following her Heel–Face Turn (though it was technically regaining lost levels rather than taking new ones). She goes from being an Ax-Crazy Evil Redhead who tried to blow up the city, to a Rose-Haired Sweetie Friend to All Children who spent an entire chapter trying to find the owner of a lost doll.
- Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Rebellion: Alice Miller was much crueler when she debuted in Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team; drugging Kou and getting him and his team sent on a suicide mission because he tried to find common ground with the Zeon. In Rebellion, Miller's about as ethical as she was during the war, but in the years since she's developed more of a moral center. While she's still fanatically devoted to purging Zeon, she's become more critical of the corruption and infighting within the Federation. Near the end of the series she tries to bring charges against her corrupt superiors and though she's outmaneuvered she does manage to save Kou from jail time and possible execution.
- In My Hero Academia, Katsuki Bakugou is slowly getting better at this, as it has to do with his Character Development. He is quite caring towards Kirishima. Kirishima is the only classmate Bakugo is willing to be rescued by without hurting his pride, and Bakugo has been shown multiple times giving Kirishima good advice without insulting him. After Bakugo and Midoriya's rematch, he seems to be taking steps towards this again, even offering a genuine critique of Midoriya's Shoot Style:All Might: Unlike before, the two of them have become proper rivals.
- In My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! the plot starts off with who should have been an otome game villainess hitting her head and realizing she's the reincarnation of a normal schoolgirl, after which she turns really sweet overnight, if perhaps a little dim. This sets off something of a chain reaction that makes all the people around her a lot nicer and more well adjusted as well. Her adoptive brother would have become a playboy but thanks to his sister being friendlier he becomes a perfect gentleman instead, the feuding twin brothers being plagued by neglect and inferiority are getting along, another male character who has trust issues opens up as someone understands his family, and three of the female main characters Grew a Spine.
- Garai in MW goes from teenage delinquent to atoner priest after having witnessed many people killed at Mafune Island.
- This is the driving force behind the plot of Onani Master Kurosawa: A cynical jerk who sequesters himself from the rest of the world softens over time, beginning with his falling in love for the first time and ultimately culminating in him becoming The Atoner after he realizes that he's badly hurt one of his few friends.
- One Piece:
- Nami. Gradually as the series has gone on, but especially after the timeskip. From forgiving Hachi, to immediately hugging Usopp and Chopper when they reunite, to even immediately forgiving Jinbei for letting Arlong loose on East Blue, she's come a pretty long way from the jerkass facade she started out with.
- Not to mention, she almost never hits her crewmates anymore, starting after the timeskip. Though this maybe because of her crewmates beating her to the punch.
- As seen in his flashback, Jimbei was previously quite brutal when fighting against humans and couldn't care less about humans in general. His interactions with his captain Fisher Tiger and the human girl Koala and being inspired by Queen Otohime helped to change his outlook and become a more kinder person. This was very notable in that he is so far the only Shichibukai whose past changed him for the better.
- Capone Bege was pretty dickish before the timeskip, considering murder over bad table manners and even gouging someone's eye with a fork for suggesting he shouldn't. Later, we learn he used to decapitate animals just to watch their bodies flail mindlessly, and then moved on to try the same thing on entire organizations, always going for the Boss so everything else would fall apart before his eyes. After the timeskip, it'd seem marrying and having a son has softened him up considerably: While he's still quite ruthless and ambitious, with no real problem executing people who get in the way, he's a lot more reasonable and forgiving, and frequently shows his fatherly side in public (even if part of it is teaching his son lessons about how a Don lives, like bringing him to watch one of the aforementioned executions). Even his most ambitious assassination plan was made partly to keep his wife safe (and to avenge several attacks done against her).
- St. Mjosgard was your typical Celestial Dragon. He was a living Hate Sink who cruelly abused his servants and slaves, acted like an Ungrateful Bastard to Queen Otohime and her people (when his own life depended on when he was nearly killed in a shipwreck). When he returns years later, he is virtually unrecognizable in his behavior. He now genuinely protects and sponsors the same fishmen and merfolk that he initially persecuted, praises Otohime for showing him kindness when he didn't deserve it, and it's even remarked that he's currently the only Celestial Dragon that refuses to own a single slave.
- Nami. Gradually as the series has gone on, but especially after the timeskip. From forgiving Hachi, to immediately hugging Usopp and Chopper when they reunite, to even immediately forgiving Jinbei for letting Arlong loose on East Blue, she's come a pretty long way from the jerkass facade she started out with.
- Ojamajo Doremi:
- Onpu Segawa was initially a spoiled, cold, enigmatic, and selfish Jerkass. By Sharp, she's now portrayed as kind-hearted, sweet and caring Nice Girl.
- Witch Rika started off as very brash and rude to Doremi for cursing her into a Witch Frog. She eventually grows to care for the girls as they come under her tutelage while remaining a Jerk with a Heart of Gold.
- Reika Tamaki started off as your stereotypical Alpha Bitch before beginning to question whether her Bumbling Dad really loved her or not. She even took Delicate and Sickly Shiori under her wing. By Motto, she was pretty much a Lovable Alpha Bitch Jerk with a Heart of Gold.
- Hachimaki from Planetes is a hot-headed and less-than-ideal mentor for the overly enthusiastic Ai Tanabe. But Tanabe's virtuousness and upbeat attitude eventually rubs off her colleagues, even with Hachimaki. Their mutual respect as co-workers gradually forms into a romantic relationship, and getting married just before the end of the series.
- Pretty Cure:
- Pokémon: The Series:
- When Ash's Charmander evolved into a Charmeleon, it Took a Level in Jerkass and became disobedient and arrogant, and continued to be so after evolving into Charizard. During their journey through the Orange Islands, however, it would change its tune and become friends with Ash once more after he saved it from freezing to death.
- Gary becomes much nicer to Ash around the Johto arc after his Break the Haughty phase in the Kanto arc. By the end of the Johto arc, he and Ash finally become friends again after so many years of being rivals (which sticks when they meet again in Sinnoh).
- Georgia, Iris's rival from the Unova arc, has been slowly improving, and has been consistently taking levels from Jerkass to Jerk with a Heart of Gold as the arc continues. (Her rivalry with Iris has also eased a little bit, with their bickering starting to sound more good-natured than either of them would probably admit.) When she shows back up for the Pokemon World Tournament Junior Cup she's improved even more, only being bitter about her loss to Iris because Iris's Dragonite beat her when it wasn't listening to commands, so technically Georgia and Iris weren't even the ones fighting.
- Bianca practically drives herself (and everyone else) crazy trying to get at Luke's Zorua during the Club Battle arc. Fortunately for all parties involved, she finally ends up getting to spend some time alone with Zorua and undergoes some Character Development a few episodes later that turns her into a more selfless, charitable person.
- According to "Training Daze" Jessie and James were considerably more somber than they are in the current time.
- Of all characters, Paul has actually become less of the "Stop Having Fun" Guys rival he started out as when he returned in Journeys. He still intimidates Goh, but he's treating the people and Pokemon around him far better while still retaining some of his edge. When asked if his battle against Ash using three of the Masters Eight trainers' aces (Gyarados for Lance, Garchomp for Cynthia, and Metagross for Steven) was to prepare him for what's ahead, he has an extremely rare smile.
- Kyouko from Puella Magi Madoka Magica starts as an Ax-Crazy Jerkass. But after learning the Awful Truth about what ultimately happens to magical girls, she starts showing her Hidden Heart of Gold, more specifically towards Sayaka Miki.
- The Quintessential Quintuplets: Second sister Nino is the one among the titular quintuplets who starts out as the most hostile towards male lead Fuutarou, given that she takes to dislike him only because she sees him as an intruder in their home. After she falls in love and accepts her feelings for him, she becomes deeply ashamed of the way she treated him and decides to make up by being as nice to him as possible.
- Sailor Moon:
- Chibiusa was a massive Bratty Half-Pint towards Usagi in R, to the point of stealing her broach since she felt like she didn't deserve it. In S and SuperS, while still rather bratty, she becomes much more compassionate and mature and even starts to genuinely accept Usagi as her future mom, even if she still has her quarrels with her every once in a while. Crystal takes this a step further.
- Similarly, Rei has become less antagonistic towards Usagi as time goes on.
- Shingo started off as an Annoying Younger Sibling towards Usagi, but he becomes less obnoxious to her over the years, likely because the two of them are growing up.
- Ayaka from Stellvia of the Universe qualifies as she goes from a Go-Getter Girl who's prone to giving people who are better than her accidents to a kind girl who not only has a Pseudo-Romantic Friendship with Yayoi, but also acts as an adviser of some sort to Kouta when it comes to being with Shima.
- Perrine H. Clostermann of Strike Witches starts out as a Clingy Jealous Girl madly in love with Mio and openly resenting Yoshika because of how friendly the two are with each other to not only a really kind person who grows to view Yoshika as a friend and a comrade but also a really generous person more than willing to give all her funds to rebuilding her homeland of Gallia.
- This is one of the major Character Development arcs in Yu-Gi-Oh!, where Yugi's Superpowered Evil Side starts out as a borderline psychopath who uses terrifying shadow illusions to Mind Rape anyone who hurts Yugi, and gradually mellows into a mysterious and brooding but far more heroic and honorable protector of Yugi and his friends.
- Seto Kaiba
- Downplayed, but it's there. When Yami Yugi uses a Penalty Game to shatter his soul in an image of a puzzle while in a coma so that his child self can repair it, his methods are less extreme than what they used to in the manga where he goes out of his way to create deathmatches for Yugi and his friends (but being fair about it), and even invokes a Penalty Game on Mokuba. After restoring his soul in Duelist Kingdom, he is extremely reluctant to help Yugi and his friends (especially helping Jonouchi retrieve his key by dropping it in the pier for him), and even help them get off Pegasus' island after Yugi wins the tournament. He's still an asshole, but not at the same level he used to be since Death-T, but still a loving brother to Mokuba the latter remembers him being.
- The second anime has the same idea across, but without the Penalty Game-induced coma. He's still a reluctant ally to Yugi and his friends, but his rivalry and superiority to Yugi is what he still cares about, but is willing to fight on his side against even worse enemies than him.
- Seto Kaiba
