History Flanderization / WesternAnimation

* Many of the characters in ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' began taking rather [[TookALevelInJerkass large levels of jerkass]] in season 2, with Darwin being the most notable offender. On the flip side, Darwin also showed an increase in intelligence, as he was sometimes the first one to call out Gumball whenever they were doing something they weren't supposed to. He isn't as bad as he was in season 3, but he still has he moments. Unfortunately, by seasons 5 and 6, he has reverted back to his ditzy self, to the point that "The Choices" stabilished that his brain needs a list in order to keep track of his ''breathing''.

* Roger's affinity for costumes and dress up acts in ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'', to the point some [[BecomingTheMask take over]] [[FunnySchizophrenia his personality]]. His {{Jerkass}} traits also initially just came with [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} the quirkiness]] of his personality and were much more toned down. As time progressed, his callousness is canonically accepted as his defining trait (to the point [[BizarreAlienBiology he'll actually die]] [[ThePowerOfHate without acting consistently cruel]]). Most of his complexities from early episodes such as his loneliness and the fact he is an ''extraterrestrial'' are barely referred to in favor of making him a cross-dressing version of [[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy Peter Griffin]].
** This seems to be downplayed in the last season of the original run on FOX, as Roger is hardly shown and is seen joining in for the most part with the other characters and acting less like a sociopath (that is until the last episode before the move to TBS, in which Roger did nothing in that episode but be as loathsome and sociopathic as he could be).
** The flanderization of Roger's jerkassery and sociopathy became more and more obvious with each passing season but around seasons 7 through 9, the writers somehow decided to make Roger as despicable as possible and decided to have Roger flat out commit heinous crimes without any second thoughts in many episodes. In this case the flanderization on Roger's jerkiness is so blatant in those seasons that it can't possibly be seen as anything but intentional.
*** Klaus, while somewhat pitiful at first due to his transformation, was more upbeat and quite the Jerkass at times. As episodes progressed, his depression and loneliness kicked in more and more, along with becoming more and more a consistent ButtMonkey from the Smiths' neglect and abuse. However, it should be noted he is still treated with a lot more respect and dignity by the family, the writers and the fans in comparison to say, Meg from Family Guy.
*** A big part of Klaus's character in early seasons was his sexual obsession with Francine, which has completely vanished over time. Two particular episodes seem to indicate where Klaus gave up and where Francine started disliking him: "Finances with Wolves", where Klaus gets a human body and tries to seduce Francine (and she finds out) and "Big Trouble in Little Langley" where Francine commits SnubByOmission after the house catches fire and, when she tries to correct her mistake, is told by an angry Klaus "Too fucking late." Admittedly this may have been for the best, as before then he was a German version of Brian Griffin.

* In the first half of Season 1 of ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' Cheryl goes from being unstable and mildly neurotic to insane and psychopathic. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools She's actually funnier and more endearing post-Flanderization]].

* ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead'' started out as immature, {{Jerkass}}, not-particularly-bright teenage delinquents. Eventually the "not particularly bright" part of their characters consumed them--Beavis became TheDitz, while Butt-Head was only TheSmartGuy compared to Beavis. They both go through life completely oblivious to the world around them and ignore important things said to them to [[HehHehYouSaidX point out sexual innuendoes]]. This [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools made them much funnier]]. In the revival, there's a case of a De-Flanderized trait; Beavis and Butt-Head, while their stupidity remains, are genuinely seen as smarter and more self-aware of the world.

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' has an unusual case of an inanimate object being flanderized over the course of the show's run. The Omnitrix's tendency to turn Ben into the wrong alien or time out at exactly the wrong moment is slowly exaggerated over the course of the show's run; in early episodes, it's fairly reliable, only doing this once every few episodes, with the implication being that Ben's inexperience with and ignorance of [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum a mysterious and complex alien device]] is the culprit. In later seasons, the watch screws him over so many times in a single episode that one can't help but wonder if it hasn't developed both sentience and a malicious sense of humor. It could even be a case of FridgeBrilliance if the device [[EmpathicWeapon has indeed gained a mind of its own]]. The Omnitrix could be subtly training him, thinking "Yes, I'm sure that powerset would be the perfect way to get you out of this mess. However, let's see how creative you can be if I instead, hand you ''this'' powerset." Doesn't hurt for Ben to not become too set in his ways of thinking how to use these powers, after all.

** Kevin changed a lot with time. At first he was a delinquent that stole Ben's powers but then, by ''Alien Force'', he becomes completely the opposite. He is overly responsible after recovering from his dark past, falls in love with Gwen on the first scene and is ready to give his life for any minimal chance to help Ben find his grandpa. In other words, he became a very nice dude, trying to be with the good guys and become a Plumber. This is all forgotten by season 3. Right in the first episode, Kevin tries to hack the Omnitrix (both he and Ben should've known better), he keeps self-loathing about his form and blames it on Gwen, and he sells weapons of war and never tells Ben and Gwen about it.
*** He was flanderized again in ''Omniverse''. Kevin loves cars, but in this iteration, it is just ridiculous; he talks about machines and cars almost the time. It is even revealed in a flashback sequence that he even agreed to marry a female Tetramand princess just to get the perfect engine for his car.
** Ben himself was Flanderized in an ''[[WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien Ultimate Alien]]'' episode where his ten-year-old self appeared. Somehow, ten-year-old Ben is even less well behaved than how he was back in the original series.
** Indeed, in later episodes of ''Ultimate Alien'', his teenage self has turned into a BrilliantButLazy, AttentionWhore, ItsAllAboutMe {{Jerkass}}, who only gets serious in the last ten minutes of the episode.

*** ''Omniverse'' slowly pushed Ben out of the flanderizing traits he developed in ''Ultimate Alien,'' as evidenced with the episode "Malefactor." Ben used to be all about fame, but here, he calls out a fan for not realizing that his job involves a very real sense of danger. However, his flanderization comes back in later episodes, especially in the third story arc: he neglects the danger represented by ''his own ArchEnemy'' in "Vilgax Must Croak", starts acting cocky again, and his CharacterRerailment is generally undone. Even the Omnitrix is flanderized further when it turns out it has ''an entire function'' to cause Ben to turn randomly into various aliens without any control.

* Scoutmaster Lumpus from ''WesternAnimation/CampLazlo'' was initially characterized as something akin to Squidward; [[JerkassWoobie a stern and grouchy but amiable fellow who just wanted peace and quiet from Lazlo's antics]]. In later episodes, he became a selfish, dull-witted, and irresponsible {{Jerkass}} PsychopathicManChild who couldn't care less about Camp Kidney's outstandingly poor quality. It got to the point where Joe Murray said [[OnlySaneMan Slinkman]] was the real scoutmaster of the later seasons in all but job title. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools This made Lumpus a lot funnier though]].

* Panini from ''WesternAnimation/{{Chowder}}'' -- yeah, you wouldn't think it judging from the short run, but... compare her actions towards Chowder in "Chowder's Girlfriend", where she was just simply clingy and overeager about her love, to the 2nd season episode "Panini for President", where she practically goes ''[[{{Yandere}} insane]]'' and flatout admits that she wanted to be president so she can pass laws making Chowder "her property." This is lampshaded by Panini saying "I need a new hobby." after being rejected by Chowder in an episode. In her first appearance, she actually rejects Chowder when he asks her out, saying that "I need my space." Yet the Panini seen in later episodes seems determined to be around Chowder at all times.

* ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' Flanderizes several characters:

** Speaking of Eustace, he might as well be the epitome of this trope in the whole show. While Eustace has always started off as a greedy, selfish jerk, he was mostly just annoyed and indifferent in the first season like the typical old man. Then in the later season, he became cruel and abusive, primarily towards Courage, and showed him no gratitude after the dog went through all that trouble to save his life many times.
*** It isn't until "Ball of Revenge" where he goes from downright cruel to pure evil when he finally hires a group of villains to ''murder'' Courage, going as far using ''his own wife'' as bait to do so. [[WhatDoesSheSeeInHim To this day, many still wonder why Muriel never contemplated divorce after this]].

* While there were a few characters in ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'' who had this happen, the two most notable were probably Jake Morgendorffer and Tiffany Blum-Deckler. Jake went from being an ineffectual, easily-confused father with clear family issues to being an obsessive, infantile rageaholic {{Cloudcuckoolander}} and the show's ButtMonkey. Tiffany, conversely, was initially portrayed as being a somewhat narcissistic yes-woman to either Sandi or Quinn, depending on which one she was speaking to at the time. By the time the third season came around, though, her self-absorbed nature and incredibly slow speech patterns has developed to the point where it's a miracle that she's even made it through elementary school without having to repeat a few grades.

* Zigzagged for Rufus and Amberley of ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone'', who started off with distinctive wackier personas (CloudCuckooLander and short fused AdorablyPrecociousChild respectively) in the pilot episode. Episodes after downplayed almost all their slapstick qualities, their personalities diluted into sometimes interchangeable {{Cheerful Child}}ren. The later half of the series started to revert them back however.

** Though we don't see him until the Movie, this arguably applies to [[spoiler: Eddy's brother]], who was initially presented as merely kind of a con-artist and something of a bad influence, but as seasons went on and Eddy's own {{Jerkass}} behaviour increased, the implications of what [[spoiler: Eddy's brother]] was actually like got worse and worse. This is a JustifiedTrope - the writers needed Eddy to have a suitable FreudianExcuse for all the crap he pulls over the series that will [[spoiler: make the cul-de-sac kids forgive him]], so [[spoiler: his brother]] ''had'' to be as nasty as he was in order to justify why Eddy behaved how he did. It also retroactively explained Eddy's increasing jerkassery in later seasons as him doubling down on attempts to emulate his "cool" big bro.

* WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget, mainly his intelligence. It's different in each episode. For example, he's smarter than usual in "Haunted Castle". And his main problem in "The Boat", where he actually almost pulled off an ObfuscatingStupidity-esque stunt but got caught at the last second, was that he suspected everyone and thus didn't find the real bad guys in time. But the trend is as follows: He started off as InspectorOblivious, then progressed to TheDitz. His pride and vanity are exaggerated as the series progresses, too. Gadget's stupidity and obliviousness were taken up to eleven where spin-offs like ''WesternAnimation/GadgetAndTheGadgetinis'' were concerned.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'': Rico and Mort's one scene moments in the first ''Madagascar'' movie have been cranked up in [[WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar the spin-off]]. In one scene in the first movie, the penguins were trapped in a cage, so Skipper commands Rico to break them out. Rico coughs up a hairpin and sets them free. This has been completely flanderized into making Rico [[StomachOfHolding regurgitate anything]] when given the chance. In another scene, the lemurs were hiding in the shrubbery, and at one point, Mort clings King Julien's feet for security. This evolves into a running gag, and an ''obsession''. In fact, there was even an episode where Julien had it up to his crown with Mort's obsession of touching the former's feet that the latter was banished temporarily.
** Also Julien's selfishness, incompetence, ego and stupidity (and his [[WhatTheHellIsThatAccent weird accent]], although this could be chalked up to Danny Jacobs [[TheOtherDarrin replacing]] Sacha Baron Cohen), Maurice's ButtMonkey status, Kowalski's [[TheSmartGuy intelligence]] and Skipper's paranoia. Everyone bar [[OnlySaneMan Private]] was Flanderized. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Although this isn't particularly a bad thing]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'', the four Ghostbusters are based on the characters from the [[Film/Ghostbusters1984 film]], plus their exaggerated traits. Egon is even more scientifically minded, characterized with more "typical nerd" behavior.

* Surprisingly inverted on ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'', which has actually downplayed some of the cast's defining traits. Benson and Muscle Man have grown increasingly kind to Mordecai and Rigby (and have abandoned their respective {{catch phrase}}s of "You're ''fired''!" and "MY MOM!"); Skips has gone from a stoic TheAce to showing actual emotion; and Margaret has evolved from the token female to a caring WomenAreWiser type.

* In the original Creator/JohnKricfalusi episodes of ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'', Ren was a JerkWithAHeartOfGold who despite his greedy and egotistical behavior and physical abuse towards Stimpy, deeply cared for his best friend. The episodes produced by Games Animation after John K's firing greatly reduced Ren's most sympathetic traits, turning him into a JerkWithAHeartOfJerk with no real affection towards Stimpy. Also, while Ren in the Spumco episodes would be only driven into psychotic rage in the most mentally taxing of situations (i.e. "Space Madness"), Games Ren would yell and scream at the slightest provocation.

** Fred used to be somewhat intelligent (though not as much as Velma) and serious about the mysteries. However, beginning with ''WesternAnimation/APupNamedScoobyDoo'', Fred was "dumbed down", and thus began to constantly use the "LetsSplitUpGang" catchphrase, believe in wild crazy theories about aliens and monsters, and blame the neighborhood bully [[MeaningfulName Red Herring]] at the end of each mystery for being the monster (99% of the time, it wasn't Red.) This also carried over to ''WesternAnimation/WhatsNewScoobyDoo'', when in addition to his trademark ascot, his seriousness and intelligence had also disappeared, and was now in ''love'' with the Mystery Machine, and was somewhat not very cool anymore (any attempts to impress the others usually failed miserably). Daphne wasn't immune to this either; she changed from the sexy "danger-prone" eye candy she originally was into a rich valley girl that was paranoid about messing up her hair and clothes, and would often be the one to get the gang out of trouble when Fred would fail to do so.
*** Fred's love of the Mystery Machine came to a head in ''[[WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooFrankencreepy Frankencreepy]]'', when it gets destroyed during the first few minutes and sends him into a state of depression for the rest of the film until he tries to replace it with a wooden carriage.

** Daphne was never as intelligent as Velma, but she wasn't STUPID in the original show, just clumsy. This did not stop ''WesternAnimation/BeCoolScoobyDoo'' from making her a ditzy {{Cloudcuckoolander}} [[{{Expy}} a la]] [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Pinkie Pie]] or [[WesternAnimation/GravityFalls Mabel Pines]].
* Antoine of ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'' was originally rather pompous and cowardly, but had some amount of lucidity and nobility. By Season Two however he is more or less a full time StrawLoser for Sonic, barely able to spend five seconds without saying or doing something stupid or narcissistic and acting like a full blown DirtyCoward. In retaliation Sonic's originally more playful rivalry towards Antoine evolved into flat out naked contempt (though the lengths of his other traits were usually more a case of DependingOnTheWriter).

* Space Ghost in ''WesternAnimation/SpaceGhostCoastToCoast'' had his {{Cloudcuckoolander}} tendencies, narcissism and occasional bouts of [[HeroicComedicSociopath comedic sociopathy]] dialed up more and more as the series went on, until he went from a hero who's a bit of a {{Manchild}} to a NominalHero who's certifiably insane by the final season.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' actually for the most part managed to avoid flanderizing its core characters - many that could have very easily been flanderized to the high heavens. Pearl's OCD tendencies and trauma never became her whole character, neither did Amethyst's silliness or Greg's care-free attitude. However, this show was not immue to flanderization:

* The Warden of ''WesternAnimation/{{Superjail}}'' started off as a goofy yet crafty and sadistic type, and was considered a powerful force in the jail to the point where he took over the ''world'' in a possible future timeline. In season 2, his childish side became more of the focus than his sadism, with him winding up easily getting his jail taken over twice, getting beaten up by his own inmates and made to cower from them, and generally becoming more outgoing yet naive). These changes [[BrokenBase have been met with mixed reaction]], while season 3 continued the emphasis on his man-child nature, showing him to drink grape juice and depicting him as clueless as to how sexual intercourse works.

* While the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 1980s animated version]] of the [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Ninja Turtles]] were always wisecracking heroes who would [[NoFourthWall occasionally break the fourth wall]], they overdid it a bit in ''WesternAnimation/TurtlesForever'', much to the chagrin of their [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 2k3 counterparts]]. The movie even goes as far as to {{lampshade|Hanging}} their version of April O'Neil's habit of [[DamselInDistress getting kidnapped a lot]] to point that one of the turtles make the claim that they "save April at least once a day".

* Many characters on ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'' have been hit hard with this trope, but special mention goes to Percy and James. Percy was initially intelligent and mischievous, if a bit naive. Since season 7, he has been smacked upside the smokebox with Flanderization, becoming incredibly clueless and naive, and always needs help from someone else. James, similarly, started off the series as a cheerful and hard-working (if somewhat snobbish and conceited). As time went by, he gradually became a lazy, spoilt narcissist.

*** Thankfully, much of the flanderization has been reversed in Seasons 17-24. Some added facets (such as Thomas' [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny attention deficit]] and Henry's [[TookALevelInKindness softer personality]]) still remain, though mercifully don't overtake their entire personality.
* One of the problems with the [[AudienceAlienatingEra audience-alienating]] Creator/GeneDeitch era of ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' was that back in the original 1940-1958 era, Jerry only used extreme violence if he was protecting himself and when he was a {{Jerkass}}, he was a JerkWithAHeartOfGold. Even if he did attack for no good reason, he would at least get his comeuppannce. However, in the Gene Deitch era, he became a JerkWithAHeartOfJerk with almost no redeeming qualities, was a KarmaHoudini in nearly every short, and liked to see Tom get pummeled by his owner and would never help him. Tom was originally a JerkWithAHeartOfGold but then got reduced to a huge punching bag and more of a {{Jerkass}} as well (he shoots Jerry in the head at the beginning of "Mouse Into Space"). Jerry won in any episode, though it could be argued that Tom wins in "Calypso Cat" because he still pursuits Jerry but that is what Jerry wanted all along.

* Grimlock and his Dinobots from ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' went from being strong, but unintelligent wild cards in the first two seasons to comic relief in [[WesternAnimation/TransformersTheMovie the movie]] and onward.
** In TheMovie, at least, the Dinobots were still pretty badass, though they were suddenly happy to take orders from Optimus Prime and work with the other Autobots (possibly intended as CharacterDevelopment to show that the Dinobots had come to embrace the Autobots as friends, or maybe they just enjoyed any chance to fight the Decepticons, maybe both). In the third season their badassness evaporated entirely, and went from being DumbMuscle to outright idiots.
** Fortunately their final appearance in "Call of the Primitives" returned them to their brutish and freakishly-powerful standing.
* Optimus Prime has arguably been Flanderized since his original incarnation in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers''. Originally depicted as a regular kind of guy (interested in ninjas and able to trash-talk with the best of them) with a slight Creator/JohnWayne quality to his voice who leads the resistance on Cybertron, modern portrayals such as ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' have amplified the reverence and seriousness - and the associated vocal gravitas - to almost godlike qualities, with characters falling silent when he walks into the room, while lighter qualities, such as playing basketball in the original series, have been replaced by the edict that "Primes don't party". [[spoiler:Indeed, a retcon to the ''Prime'' character cast this version as an ''actual'' god, from the Thirteen Original Transformers]].

* ''[[WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012 Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' has one in J. Jonah Jameson. In most versions he's simply a somewhat {{jerk|ass}}y newspaper man with a somewhat justified hatred to Spider-Man. Here all he does is go on for hours on various Bugle Jumbotrons about what a menace Spider-Man is despite knowing full well that he's now working for S.H.I.E.L.D. It's also shown that his negative PR campaign is working better then normal and has turned almost [[NeverAcceptedInHisHometown the whole city against him]].

* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'': Diaspro started as a princess who Bloom attacked with very flimsy justification (she thought Diaspro was Icy in disguise) and only fought back to defend herself. She was also completely unaware her fiance Sky was seeing another woman, and so her anger at being attacked by a total stranger was quite reasonable. However, in her next appearance in the show she was derailed into a {{Jerkass}} {{Yandere}} who eagerly brainwashes Sky in order to marry him and wants to kill Bloom.

* Saranoia in ''WesternAnimation/YinYangYo'' Initially, she loathed Yang and men and loved Yin because she was TheUnfavourite compared to her brother Mark, and incorrectly projected that situation onto the siblings, even calling Yang "Mark". Over the course of the series... this backstory started to fade and her already over-the-top idolization of Yin and hatred of Yang was flanderized to the point that she started to come across more like a [[PsychoLesbian creepy pedophiliac lesbian]] StalkerWithACrush, peaking in one episode where she posed as a popular girl to become "Sweat Sisters" with Yin -- everyone ''in the show'' even commented on how creepy that was. After that episode, though, she reverted to her original characterization, in an unusual reversal of a Flanderization.

* Many of the characters in ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' began taking rather [[TookALevelInJerkass large levels of jerkass]] in season 2, with Darwin being the most notable offender. On the flip side, Darwin also showed an increase in intelligence, as he was sometimes the first one to call out Gumball whenever they were doing something they weren't supposed to. He isn't as bad as he was in season 3, but he still has he moments.

** Gumball Watterson had his selfish moments in season 1, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold but he was still a nice and likable kid]]. However, he became a bigger jerk in season 2, but was actually toned down since Seasons 3 and especially 4, but it varies in Season 5 depending on writer. His intelligence is more moderate as seasons gone by to the point he aced an exam by studying.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'' Master Shake's laziness, ego, and delusional view of the world were upped as the series went on. The first season had him as the only Aqua Teen to try to get things done in spite of his own laziness and, while he did have a big ego, much of it seemed to stem from him viewing being a detective as a serious job even if he often jumped to conclusions, while later seasons have him as a LazyBum who lounges around the house and refuses to do even the most minor of tasks, believes in things that are utterly nonsensical even by the standards of the series, and can't go a second without bragging about non-existent achievements.

** Gumball Watterson had his selfish moments in season 1, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold but he was still a nice and likable kid]]. However, he began showing signs of jerkass in season 2, and it seems to have become fully expressed in season 3 but toned down since Season 4 but it varies in Season 5 depending on writer. His intelligence is more moderate as seasons gone by to the point he aced an exam by studying.

** Wilt went from an overly polite and [[ApologizesALot apologetic]] but perfectly sane and approachable nice guy to an ExtremeDoormat and a [[TheWoobie total neurotic who's about five seconds away from a nervous breakdown]].

** 'Arry and Bert, the steelworks diesels, had an almost nightmarish first appearance in season 5, but by the time they showed up again in season 6, they were minor nuisances. Though they ''did''regain their nightmarish demeanors for their appearance in season 7, by season 8 they go back to their season 6 characterizations as plain bullies.

*** Peter Sam went from a hard-working but occasionally arrogant engine to a even ''harder'' worker who never complains.

** 'Arry and Bert, the steelworks diesels, had an almost nightmarish first appearance, but by the time they showed up again, they were minor nuisances.

*** Skarloey and Rheneas went from old and wise engines to a couple of juvenile pranksters.

** Rusty started off as a [[ThePollyanna kind, helpful engine who rarely let personal gripes get in the way of work]], but became much more careless and ruder later on.

** Rusty started off as a [[ThePollyanna kind, helpful engine who rarely let personal gripes get in the way of work]] became much more careless and ruder later on.

** Also Dib, who was always something of the StraightMan (at least compared to Zim) but who still seemed a bit manic and gullible in early episodes. By the end he seemed far saner (though still a bit naive), as well as far less optimistic that anyone will ever believe him about Zim. Arguably counts as CharacterDevelopment, however, since a lot of this would fit with his experiences fighting Zim throughout the series. As well as Dib's (an everyone else's) awareness/obsession/neurosis about the size of his head. This is all somewhat justified, as Dib was initially not considered funny enough by the higher-ups, resulting in [[https://zim.fandom.com/wiki/God_Save_the_Dib drastic changes]] to his character and design to make him more wacky and cartoony.

*** The Mad Hatter started out a quite menacing and fairly serious villain (at least by the standards of the show). He did grow more dangerous as time went on - but unfortunately he also got sillier, so that by the end of the series he was a ridiculous (if still sadistic) fruitcake constantly spouting Joker-like puns. He also physically shrunk, so in his last episode he looks barely taller than an Ewok.

** ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': Somewhere between the early seasons and the later "new look" seasons, Batman went from a caring and compassionate man with some anger issues to the mostly cold grim vigilante who has no conception of ''happiness''. It works mostly (unless he goes the full Jerkass route) but its a bit odd when you're rewatching the series. Some of the villains go from conflicted neurotics who seemed like they could be saved to simpler hardened criminals although this is usually justified as them giving up on a normal life after failed attempts at reform. This could be attributed to the growing number of youthful, idealistic foils introduced by ExecutiveMeddling. The higher-ups became increasingly convinced that Batman was too old for the TargetAudience to relate to, hence the addition of Robin, Batgirl, the other Robin and very nearly Creeper. Some of Batman's worst Jerkass moments resulted from his use as a foil for the sidekicks, as seen in the episodes "Old Wounds", "Never Fear" and "Growing Pains". This had the effect of making Batman considerably less likable and, ironically, less relatable, although it worked in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' when he was 80. It's at least justified for "Never Fear" considering Batman was [[NotHimself under the effects of]] Scarecrow's gas.