History Main / AdrenalineMakeover

* Scaramouche gets one in ''WeWillRockYou'' when her and Galileo make it to the Bohemians. However she started out as a DeadpanSnarker and became a stripperific deadpan snarker after the makeover.

* Over the course of the three films, Elizabeth Swann of ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' loses the corset, lets her hair down, and gets the upgrade from DistressedDamsel to ActionGirl ([[spoiler:Captain Swann]]!), which debatably results in better outfits in the process.

[[folder:Theater]]
* Scaramouche gets one in ''WeWillRockYou'' when her and Galileo make it to the Bohemians. However she started out as a DeadpanSnarker and became a stripperific deadpan snarker after the makeover.

* Dana Scully of "{{The X-Files}}" started off the series as a painfully serious, straight-laced, everything-by-the-book agent who wore unfashionable blazer/skirt combos. By the end of the series, she no longer as uptight and has embraced the idea of the paranormal. On top of that, the frumpy plaid pantsuits are gone and in their place are more flattering clothes.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* After [[spoiler: she saves Athrun's life and ends up having to defect from ZAFT as a consequence]], [[BridgeBunnies Meyrin]] [[NaiveEverygirl Hawke]] from GundamSEEDDestiny switches from a rather modest cadet uniform and GirlishPigtails to a tighter jacket/pants combination and [[ExpositoryHairstyleChange wearing her long hair loose]].
* Youko Nakajima from TheTwelveKingdoms is a more subdued version. She starts shy and mousy [[{{Joshikousei}} in her dark grey school uniform]], becomes a DarkSkinnedRedhead ActionGirl in Chinese clothing after being TrappedInAnotherWorld, later is seen in regal clothing when crowned as the Queen of the Kei Kingdom (but switching to her traveler outfits whenever she leaves the palace).
* In UFORoboGrendizer, when the YamatoNadeshiko Hikaru Makiba decides to [[TookALevelInBadass toughen up]] and become an ActionGirl, her wardrobe changes from flowing dresses to miniskirts and boots.

* ''{{Blade of The Immortal}}'' has Rin Asano, who starts out so weak that she hired [[{{Badass}} Manji]] in order to protect her life while she tracks down the man who ordered the [[YouKilledMyFather murder of her father]] and rape of her mother. Cut to about 20 volumes later, when Manji has vanished without a trace. Rin starts kicking ass and taking names ''all the way into Edo Castle'' and doesn't stop until she's in Manji's cell. When he finally sees her again, he actually ''[[SheIsAllGrownUp doesn't recognize her right away.]]''

* [[{{Anime/Monster}} Tenma]] is a rare male example, which is odd, considering that the hotter he gets, the more the other characters will tell him that he looks [[InformedAttribute awful and too skinny]].
* [[spoiler: Homura Akemi]] from PuellaMagiMadokaMagica, who [[LettingHerHairDown lets her long hair down]] and [[TheGlassesGottaGo gets rid of her glasses]] [[spoiler: after going though several different timelines and failing to save her beloved Madoka in every single time.]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]

[[folder:Film]]
* Chris in ''AdventuresInBabysitting'' is played from a slightly different angle. She finds out during a night of running from gangbangers and criminals that her boyfriend is cheating on her because she won't put out. She gets everybody safely home, parents none the wiser, and gets a nicer, new, upgraded boyfriend when all is said and done -- all ''without'' changing her look.
** Then again, she doesn't really ''need'' to change her look -- a running gag/subplot of the film is the IdenticalStranger who is the current Playmate of the Month, for whom she is repeatedly mistaken.
* ''Film/FantasticFour'': Sue Storm, AKA the Invisible Woman. She was acknowledged as extremely beautiful from the very beginning but she was the "hair in a bun, glasses on the face" science girl. Starting from the moment they get back to earth, she starts wearing the hair down and ditches the glasses. The movie progresses through her reconciling with Reed, and by the end of the movie they're an AdventureCouple plus two. By The Sequel, she's [[TookALevelInBadass way more skilled with her powers]] and takes no crap, even from Reed.

* In ''TheIncredibles'', there's no LoveInterest involved, but it's fighting for her life and her family that causes [[IJustWantToBeNormal Reluctant Hero]] Violet Parr to come out of her shell, learn a [[PowerUp new power]], and quit hiding behind her hair.
** In the same movie, getting back in the hero game inspires her bored father Bob to slim down (and bulk up) and have more fun with his family.

* Lucy in ''The Frighteners'' starts out as a beleaguered widow, a little frumpy, and a doctor who's not taken seriously by the patients of the male doctor she occasionally replaces. After the events of the movie, she ends up with Frank, the hero, in more ways than one.

** The "letting her hair down" bit amuses this editor - you'd think that if you're slinging a sword around, you'd want your hair up and out of the way.
*** Out of the way and up are not the same thing, and experience has proven that out of the way is vastly more important.

* Arguably, ''{{Mulan}}'' is a somewhat reverse example of this, as in order to become a kickbutt swordswoman she has to hide her beauty, but that doesn't stop her from looking fantastic in the final battle with Shan-Yu.

* A male version of this happens in ''TheThiefAndTheCobbler'', combined with ClarkKentOutfit.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* Willow from ''{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}'' starts out as a wimpy, {{Hollywood Homely}} nerd, and becomes one of the most powerful characters in the series by the end of the show. Although she has a few romances along the way, her transformation isn't a direct result of any one of them.

[[folder:Theatre]]
* Scaramouche gets one in ''{{We Will Rock You}}'' when her and Galileo make it to the Bohemians. However she started out as a DeadpanSnarker and became a stripperific deadpan snarker after the makeover.

[[folder:VideoGame]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Pictured above: Katara begins the series as the TeamMom, dressed practically (she ''is'' from the South Pole), but as the series progresses and the seasons/latitude/climates change, she literally lets down her hair, and we get occasional shots of her in underwear or [[BareYourMidriff midriff-baring outfits]]. It should be noted her regular Water Tribe outfits (the clothes she wears most often) are still very practical, and she bares a lot more skin in the Fire Nation islands, which are mostly tropical and volcanic.
** Aang and Sokka, too. [[http://piandao.org/screencaps/ep9/ep9-227.png First]] [[http://piandao.org/screencaps/ep9/ep9-236.png season]], and [[http://piandao.org/screencaps/ep50/ep50-928.png third]] [[http://iroh.org/screencaps/ep58/ep58-583.png season.]]
* Hiccup in HowToTrainYourDragon suits himself up with dragon-riding gear, gains some confidence, and finishes out the movie looking even more hardcore with [[spoiler:a prosthetic limb]].

[[folder: Web Comics]]
* Completely Zig-Zagged with ''[[CiemWebcomicSeries Ciem: The Human Centipede]]'': Candi undergoes so many transformations that are either straight adrenaline makeovers or attempts at hiding, that it gets downright confusing. When she dyes her hair red and cuts it, she could [[YourMileageMayVary arguably]] be said to look ''less'' attractive.

----

By the end of the movie, she's come out of her shell, cast off her shyness, and come into her own in her own field. Occasionally, she [[TookALevelInBadass takes a level in badass]], amps all the way up to ActionGirl, and [[InHarmsWay joins the guy in his field]], and they become a BattleCouple.

* Shirin Bakhtiar from ''{{Gundam 00}}''. After being an assertive and outspoken adviser to her princess, Marina Ismail, in the first season, while wearing presumably typical flowing court dresses, she switches to baggy pants and tight T-shirts when she becomes a rebel against the {{Federation}} in the second season

* Shirin Bakhtiar from {{Gundam 00}}. After being an assertive and outspoken adviser to her princess, Marina Ismail, in the first season, while wearing presumably typical flowing court dresses, she switches to baggy pants and tight T-shirts when she becomes a rebel against the {{Federation}} in the second season
* [[{{Monster}} Tenma]] is a rare male example, which is odd, considering that the hotter he gets, the more the other characters will tell him that he looks [[InformedAttribute awful and too skinny]].

* A male version of this happens in ''TheThiefAndTheCobbler'', combined with ClarkKentOufit.

* A male version of this happens in 'TheThiefAndTheCobbler'', combined with ClarkKentOufit.

* Evey Hammond of the ''VForVendetta'' film begins as a meek, conventionally pretty pushover of a women, but after V's done with her (most noticeably her shaved hair) she is independent, fearless, and (if I do say so myself), much more striking.

* Arguably, ''Mulan'' is a somewhat reverse example of this, as in order to become a kickbutt swordswoman she has to hide her beauty, but that doesn't stop her from looking fantastic in the final battle with Shan-Yu.
* Evey Hammond of the V for Vendetta film begins as a meek, conventionally pretty pushover of a women, but after V's done with her (most noticeably her shaved hair) she is independent, fearless, and (if I do say so myself), much more striking.

->'''Donald:''' You see what you've done? You li'l squirts have this poor old man all agitated!\\
'''Scrooge:''' I '''do''' seem to recall a li'l squirt who agitated part of me some years ago...\\
'''Donald: [[LiteralAssKicking WAK!]]'''\\
'''Scrooge: Thank you,''' nephew! I almost feel like....like '''me''' again!\\
'''Donald:''' ''Don't mention it.''
-->-- '''''TheLifeAndTimesOfScroogeMcDuck'''''

[[caption-width-right:240:Can you see the difference? [[hottip:*:[[CompletelyMissingThePoint Her hair-loopies are gone?]]]]]]

* Shirin Bakhtiar from {{Gundam 00}}. Always been more assertive and outspoken than her companion, Marina Ismail, and after wearing flowing dresses in the first season she switches to baggy pants and tighter T-shirts.

** In the comics he changes his haircut from some blond dreadlocks into an {{Eminem}}-style crewcut, in order to emphasize his ascension to a CompleteMonster VillainProtagonist.
** Wesley's complete change by the end of the movie is personified by the ending sequence: [[spoiler: after killing most of the Brotherhood, we're suddenly back in his old office, as he describes his boring life, and for a moment, we're tricked into thinking he's gone back to the life he so hated after finding out the assassin life was even worse. Then the actual villain shows up behind him, turns him around, and as Wesley's narrative states: "This is not me." Suddenly the villain gets his brains blown out, and we trace the bullet's flight back to Wesley in his sniper position miles away, ending in the final line, "This is me taking control of my life. ''What the fuck have '''you''' done lately?''"]]

** One of the final episodes of the series features [[spoiler: the reincarnations of the main characters fighting Ares in the present day. Xena's reincarnation starts off quite prim and proper before becoming someone much similar to her ancestor.]]
* Arguably Willow from ''{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}''. Starts out as a wimpy, {{Hollywood Homely}} nerd, and becomes one of the most powerful characters in the series by the end of the show. Although she has a few romances along the way, her transformation isn't a direct result of any one of them.

* Somewhat of a subversion with Annie from ''TheInvisible''. She starts out brutal, violent, and dressed in guys' clothes, no to mention the leader of the school bullies. As she realizes the consequences of her violent life, her bad choices, and the fact that Nick was more like her than she gave him credit for, she feminizes -- beginning to wear her hair down, and her clothing less gender neutral.

* Annie from ''TheInvisible'' starts out brutal, violent, and dressed in guys' clothes, the leader of the school bullies. As she realizes the consequences of her violent life, her bad choices, and the fact that Nick was more like her than she gave him credit for, she feminizes -- beginning to wear her hair down, and her clothing less gender neutral.

* Somewhat of a subversion [[{{Flashback}} happened]] with Juliet from ''{{Lost}}''. She had some traits of someone before the makeover: meek and [[ExtremeDoormat somewhat of a pushover]]. Her hair was even styled very intricately. Then she joined [[GoingNative the Others]]. Flashforward to her introduction in the series where she [[LettingHerHairDown let her hair down]] and was the BadAss [[TheStoic Stoic]] who didn't take crap from anyone. [[HeelFaceTurn Not even]] [[MagnificentBastard her boss]].

[[caption-width-right:240:Can you see the difference?]]

* ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Pictured above: Katara begins the series as the TeamMom, dressed practically (she ''is'' from the South Pole), but as the series progresses and the seasons/latitude/climates change, she literally lets down her hair, and we get occasional shots of her in underwear or [[BareYourMidriff midriff-baring outfits]]. It should be noted her regular Water Tribe outfits (the clothes she wears most often) are still very practical.

** Wesley's complete change by the end of the movie is personified by the ending sequence: [[spoiler: after killing most of the Brotherhood, we're suddenly back in his old office, as he describes his boring life, and for a moment, we're tricked into thinking he's gone back to the life he so hated after finding out the assassin life was even worse. Then the actual villain shows up behind him, turns him around, and as Wesley's narrative states: "This is not me." Suddenly the villain gets his brains blown out, and we trace the bullet's flight back to Wesley in his sniper position miles away, ending in the final line, "This is me taking control of my life. [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome ''What the fuck have '''you''' done lately?''"]]]]

** Wesley's complete change by the end of the movie is personified by the ending sequence: [[spoiler: after killing most of the Brotherhood, we're suddenly back in his old office, as he describes his boring life, and for a moment, we're tricked into thinking he's gone back to the life he so hated after finding out the assassin life was even worse. Then the actual villain shows up behind him, turns him around, and as Wesley's narrative states: "This is not me." Suddenly the villain gets his brains blown out, and we trace the bullet's flight back to Wesley in his sniper position miles away, ending in the final line, "This is me taking control of my life. ''What the fuck have '''you''' done lately?''"]]

* Sandy in "Grease". Starts out as an innocent, goody-two-shoes, hopeless romantic; turns into a total badass hottie.