History AscendedExtra / VideoGames

* Peter Grogan is a very minor character in ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' lore, usually as the police commissioner between [[ComicBook/BatmanYearOne Gillian Loeb]] and [[TheCommissionerGordon Jim Gordon]], with the only thing known for sure is that Gordon notes in Grogan's initial mention in ''Year One'' that Grogan was even more of a DirtyCop than Loeb. In ''VideoGame/BatmanTheTelltaleSeries'', he's the commissioner throughout the first season.
* In ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'', [[{{Shapeshifter}} Clayface]] appeared as a cameo shuffling between using three other characters' models, unimportant to the story, while Ra's al Ghul showed up as a tagged corpse. In [[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity the sequel]], [[spoiler: Clayface is the FinalBoss]] while [[spoiler: Ra's al Ghul is one of three {{Big Bad}}s.]]

Franchises with their own pages:

* In the original ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'', the Golden Freddy was an EasterEgg, and it was possible to finish the game without even seeing it. In [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys2 the sequel]], however, that's not the case; Golden Freddy is likely the most difficult enemy in the game.

* The Legendary Chalice from ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' was a minor character who showed up a few times throughout the game in mausoleums where she gives you super abilities. However, in the DLC "The Delicious Last Course", she takes on the form of Ms. Chalice, a third playable character.

* ''Series/TheAddamsFamily'' game for the UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16 stars ''Tully Alford'', of all people, as the main character. Confused? Tully was the villainous Addams family lawyer in the 1991 movie (played by Dan Hedaya) making him an example of a VillainProtagonist, as well.

* The UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' has a feature where, if you connect a UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance to your console, then you can access the island, which has its own set of unique villagers. Later games removed the island[[note]]''New Leaf'' has ''an'' island, but it's a MinigameZone with online multiplayer[[/note]] and promoted many ([[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome though not all]]) island villagers to regular villagers.

* The hero's main LoveInterest Luna from ''VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar''. In the original game for the UsefulNotes/SegaCD, she fought with the protagonist as the WhiteMagicianGirl (with a MagicMusic power) for the first dungeon and returns home, not appearing again until [[spoiler:the BigBad kidnaps her and it's revealed that she is a [[TomatoInTheMirror routine human incarnation of the world's goddess]] and has to be saved.]] In the game's subsqent remakes, starting with the one on the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn, she stays with the group [[spoiler:until the mentioned kidnapping]], but it doesn't wholly matter because the player gets three [[BlackMagic far]] [[ShockAndAwe more]] [[WhiteMagic useful]] spell casters along the way, and the main character can also obtain powerful magic later in the game.

** The ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' series expanded some of the badnik enemies from the original games and converted them into recurring henchmen for Dr Robotnik. Scratch (based largely on Clucker from Sonic 2), Grounder and Coconuts frequently appeared as comic relief in the show. This position was reversed around with the promotional UsefulNotes/SEGAGenesis title ''Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine'', that not only includes said recurring characters as opponents, but uses numerous original badnik characters from the show, the large majority of them background characters from the pilot episode that weren't even given a name or speaking role in the show itself.

** Gooigi was first introduced in the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS port of the original ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' as the 2nd player in the co-op mode. In ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion3'', he's essential to progressing through the hotel, solving puzzles and defeating many of the bosses.

** In ''VideoGame/YsIVMaskOfTheSun'', Karna is only a minor character that Adol runs into a couple times. However, in the UsefulNotes/PCEngine CD version, ''VideoGame/YsIVTheDawnOfYs'', she is a badass ActionGirl and a major plot driver. And then in ''VideoGame/YsMemoriesOfCelceta'' she got ascended ''again'', and became fully playable with her own unique fighting style, and not just a GuestStarPartyMember.

* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'':
** Pocket Circuit Fighter from ''Yakuza 0'', one of the characters from a mini-game, re-appears in ''Kiwami'' [[JustifiedTrope alongside said minigame]]. However in ''6'' he only appears as part of a sidequest, and in ''Like a Dragon'', he returns alongside a different minigame.
** Onomichio from ''Yakuza 6'', even though he is the mascot of a city that appears in a single game, he appears as a DLC character for the Clan Creator minigame in ''Kiwami 2'', there are also [[DistaffCounterpart female versions of him]] as hostesses that appear as pre-order bonuses in the Cabaret GP minigame. He later appears in a substory in ''Judgment'' where the costume is used to commit a robbery. In ''Like a Dragon'', Onomichi appears as summoned Poundmate, as well as a bootleg version of him being part of a side-story.

** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'''s EDI was never precisely an extra, being your ever-present SpaceshipGirl VoiceWithAnInternetConnection, but nonetheless receives a major step up in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' when she hijacks a Cerberus robot body and becomes a full squadmate. A optional scene near the end of ''3'' takes this even further by revealing that Edi [[spoiler: was the rogue VI in Luna in the first game, or at least she was built from it.]]

** While many of the characters and mooks introduced in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' would eventually become mainstays in the series (especially Shy Guys, Bob-Ombs, and Birdo), Ninji wasn't initially one of them. After their debut, they only appeared very sporadically in minor roles throughout the 1990s (enemies [[Recap/PhineasAndFerbCheerUpCandace unique to a single room]] in Bowser's Castle in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', as minor characters in ''VideoGame/PaperMario'', etc.) and disappearing almost entirely in the 2000s. Then they returned unexpectedly in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar'' in 2012, and from that point forward they would continue to appear routinely in the franchise, eventually returning to the mainline ''Super Mario Bros.'' series in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRun'' and later ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder''. One would even be a playable character for the first time ever in ''VideoGame/MarioGolf: Super Rush''

** Acht is the player's guide through the ''Side Order'' DLC campaign, aiding Agent 8 and Pearl in augmenting their abilities as they ascend the Spire of Order. Similarly to Harmony, she was also an in-universe musician, with promotional material simply identifying her by her stage name "[=DJ Dedf1sh=]".

** Similarly, [=DJ Dedf1sh=] was also an in-universe musician, known only through promotional artwork as being the one behind all the music heard in the Deepsea Metro, the location of the second's game ''Octo Expansion'' DLC campaign. The ''Splatoon 3: Side Order'' DLC campaign has her serve as a guide for Agent 8 and Pearl as they ascend the Spire of Order, aiding them in augmenting their abilities.

* ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'': Harmony acts as the shopkeeper of Hotlantis, a store that sells miscellanous items to decorate your locker and splashtag. Harmony is also the vocalist for Chirpy Chips, one of the in-universe bands, and as such, her existence was relegated to promotional artwork in the [[VideoGame/Splatoon1 first]] [[VideoGame/Splatoon2 two]] games. Her acting as a shopkeep marks the first time a non-idol band member from the ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' universe has appeared in-game.

* Rick in the ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' series. In ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon64'', he was just another shopkeeper. In the [=PS1=] ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonBackToNature'' titles, however, he was promoted to being a rival slash LoveInterest, and has retained this position for the rest of the series.

** The ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates's'' [[spoiler: second generation]] characters were given the DemotedToExtra treatment in-story, but the ''Heirs of Fates'' DLC stages make them the protagonists.

* ''VideoGame/{{Absinthia}}'': Ruthea was an optional boss in ''VideoGame/Celestial Hearts'' with little impact on the main story. In this game, she's an important person in Freya's backstory [[spoiler:as Freya's ex]]. She's also a GuestStarPartyMember in a flashback, in the Typh Village sidequest, [[spoiler:and in Lilith's final phase]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Absinthia}}'': Ruthea was an optional boss in '''Celestial Hearts'' with little impact on the main story. In this game, she's an important person in Freya's backstory [[spoiler:as Freya's ex]]. She's also a GuestStarPartyMember in a flashback, in the Typh Village sidequest, [[spoiler:and in Lilith's final phase]].

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'': Tulin was mostly a SatelliteCharacter to Teba in [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild the previous game]], with his only focus being a brief sidequest where Link helps him practice his archery. In the sequel, Tulin is the primary supporting character of the whole Rito Village questline, and [[spoiler: at the end of it, he becomes the Sage of Wind.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Absinthia}}'': Ruthea was an optional boss in '''Celestial Hearts'' with little impact on the main story. In this game, she's an important person in Freya's backstory [[spoiler:as Freya's ex]]. She's also a GuestStarPartyMember in a flashback [[spoiler:and in Lilith's final phase]].