History Main / AscendedExtra

** [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Mordred]] started off as just being mentioned in the original VisualNovel. He [[spoiler: (or rather [[GenderBender she]])]] then got a cameo in the anime, being summoned in ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'', and then gets the closest role to a {{Deuteragonist}} amongst the summonable Servants in ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder''.

Compare the BreakoutCharacter, where a supporting character gains a fandom that rivals or exceeds the main characters and thus becomes more prominent in canon. Compare also the EnsembleDarkHorse where in a similar fashion, a supporting character role remains the same but that character receives more fans . See BreakoutVillain specifically for when a would-be one-shot villain ascends to BigBad status, either through Ascended Extra or BreakoutCharacter. A OneSceneWonder is ''not'' an Ascended Extra, at least ''officially''; fanfic, on the other hand...

This also happens somewhat regularly in FanFiction, often when writers feel a character has potential that wasn't fully exploited in the original source. See also OCStandIn, TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter.

* Wrestling/ElixSkipper started his tenure in WCW as a jobber named [[EmbarrassingNickname Skip Over]]. By the end of WCW, he would have become a WCW Cruiserweight Champion (though that title was awarded to him by Wrestling/LanceStorm]] and an inaugural WCW World Cruiserweight Tag Team Champion with Kid Romeo.

This often arises simply due to the creators realizing that said character holds far more story potential than they originally thought, or at the very least, re-purposing this character for a greater role in the narrative is better than making an entirely new character. Of course, if this is an adaptation of an ongoing work, the character may have only been given this status to fill time, and won't be allowed to have a huge effect on the plot depending on how much the writer is trying to follow the source material; this can lead to some bizarre incongruities in planning (e.g. OvertookTheManga, RestrictedExpandedUniverse). And in some cases, aminor character becomes an Ascended Extra solely because the writers want a SacrificialLion, but aren't willing to use characters ''they'' care about for the role, though the audience [[EnsembleDarkHorse might]].

This often arises simply due to the creators realizing that said character holds far more story potential than they originally thought, or at the very least, re-purposing this character for a greater role in the narrative is better than making an entirely new character. Of course, if this is an adaptation of an ongoing work, the character may have only been given this status to fill time, and won't be allowed to have a huge effect on the plot depending on how much the writer is trying to follow the source material; this can lead to some bizarre incongruities in planning (e.g. OvertookTheManga, RestrictedExpandedUniverse). And in some cases,a minor character becomes an Ascended Extra solely because the writers want a SacrificialLion, but aren't willing to use characters ''they'' care about for the role, but the audience [[EnsembleDarkHorse might]].

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', Harald Deathwolf was simply one of the 12 Wolf Lords of the Space Wolves with no backstory. Then the Codex author thought the generic Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf model looked too cool not to have its own backstory, and so wrote the full Saga of Harald Deathwolf in ''Magazine/WhiteDwarf''. The model even comes with a moulded shoulder pad allowing you to represent him specifically, and he was one of two Wolf Lords to get a transfer sheet for their Great Company. (Ragnar Blackmane, ''an actual special character'' didn't) All that, and he wasn't even an official named character. And then in the 7th Edition Codex, he is. So he's well and truly ascended.

** The Cores that only appeared briefly at the end of the original ''Videogame/Portal2'' are prominent characters with defined personalities and backstories. Special mention goes to Space Core, who, in a feat of AdaptationalHeroism, [[spoiler: physically drags Wheatley through the moon-portal at the end of the play]].

** Yukika, Kaede and Kane, [[ThoseTwoGuys those three girls]] who only appear in a single scene of the VisualNovel/FateStayNight VisualNovel become recurring characters in the sequel ''[[VisualNovel/FateHollowAtaraxia Fate/hollow ataraxia]]'', even getting a whole side story to themselves.

** [[Myth/KingArthur Mordred]] started off as just being mentioned in the original VisualNovel. He [[spoiler: (or rather [[GenderBender she]])]] then got a cameo in the anime, being summoned in ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'', and then gets the closest role to a {{Deuteragonist}} amongst the summonable Servants in ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder''.

* ''VisualNovel/MajiDeWatashiNiKoiShinasai'': Oodles and oodles of characters get their own standing drawings and voice actors/actresses in the sequel, such as the NinjaMaid contingent, [[MartialPacifist assistant instructor Ru]], and [[SiblingTeam Gale and Gates]], to name but a few. A handful also get the vaunted [[PromotedToLoveInterest heroine treatment]].

* AscendedExtra/FanFic

** Frank Einstein was a seemingly minor scientist introduced shortly before the Goo Caverns StoryArc, who went on to become [[spoiler:Dino Attack Team's ReverseMole, the creator of Pterisa, and the one responsible for Rex's LaserGuidedAmnesia]].

* ''Thimble Theater'' had been running for about ten years, with the strip focusing on the misadventures of Castor Oyl, his sister Olive, and her boyfriend Sam Hamgravy. When [[ComicStrip/{{Popeye}} Popeye the sailor]] was introduced, he was meant to be a one shot character that took the trio to an island casino, and never seen again after bringing them back home. Instead, he was brought back as regular, [[BreakoutCharacter became the star of the strip,]] and even stole Sam's girlfriend, Olive.
** Though to be fair, Popeye was always faithful to Olive, while [[GoldDigger Sam was only with her because she was well off, and would occasionally dump her for someone wealthier,]] though he came crawling back when the other woman wised up to him.

* In his first appearance in the Myth/RobinHood ballads, Guy Of Guisborne is a bounty hunter in horsehide armour who Robin beheads. Modern retellings have promoted the character being TheDragon to the Sheriff of Nottingham (or sometimes the BigBad himself) because he was one of the few villains from the ballads [[NominalImportance to be given a name]] ([[AlliterativeName and a catchy one, at that]]), and the fact that held his own against Robin in an epic swordfight described as lasting "two howres".

* [[Wrestling/ChristinaVonEerie Toxxin]] was a clerk/manager of a tattoo parlor used by Ink Inc and Mexican America, indifferent to their difference so long as they remained peaceful in her shop. When a fight did break out though, she took Ink Inc's side. ''Christina Von Eerie'' had appeared on a Wrestling/{{TNA}} show the previous year alongside Wrestling/ShannonMoore, but it was a dark match that had no [[AccidentalPun impact]] [[ThreeMonthRule on any angles]].

* Recently, the women of the WWE have become this as the Divas Division was rebranded as the Women's Division due in large part to Triple H as he took over for Laurinaitis as WWE's head of talent. Whereas Laurinaitis hired mainly models, Triple H hired female wrestlers from the indie circuit. Originally used as filler, it is now common for RAW and SmackDown to feature two (sometimes even three) women's matches on the same show due in large part to the rise of the likes of Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Asuka and other female Superstars.

* Toku from ''TabletopGame/LegendOfTheFiveRings''. A simple peasant farmer who became a ronin samurai, he was originally a one-shot character, but he was so loved by the fans of the card game that he was worked in as a seminal part to the overarching story, including having a Clan founded for him (the Monkey) and eventually [[spoiler:dying in a HeroicSacrifice...then serving in the Army of the Dead and being named a minor Fortune (deity) by the Emperor.]]

* ''Theater/Portal2TheUnauthorizedMusical'': Multiple:

* ''Shrek the Musical'' expands the roles of Pinocchio, Gingy, and the rest of the banished fairy tale creatures by introducing a new substory in which they rebel against Lord Farquaad's laws against "freaks". This new story, of course, was included to help further the show's moral of embracing one's uniqueness, and their show stopping number, "Freak Flag", delivers the message perfectly.

* A downplayed example in ''Film/{{Heathers}}'': In the original movie, Martha Dunnstock is just a solitary figure who exists to be the butt of the school, whom Veronica ends up befriending. In the musical, Martha becomes Veronica's longtime childhood friend.

* Something similar happened to characters from ''VisualNovel/{{Kanon}}'': Sayuri Kurata was originally a support character, but not one of the selectable girls, hoever, she became a playable character in ''VideoGame/EternalFighterZero'', where she fights with MagicalGirl powers.

* In ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'', Opus started out in a one-joke throwaway gag where Binkley brought him home thinking he was a German shepherd. After appearing in a few bit parts in other one-strip gags, he didn't appear for a few months, and was later re-introduced and gradually became the main protagonist of the strip.

* ''Theater/Portal2TheUnauthorizedMusical''

** Caroline is a strange example of this. While she is a ''very'' important character, she only has a few short lines in ''Videogame/Portal2''. However, in the musical she's a very prominent character.
* In the stage musical of ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'', the feather duster and the wardrobe are given bigger roles, more developed personalities, and names, Babette and Madame de la Grande Bouche, respectively.

* In ''Series/{{Noob}}'' T-Man was a RecurringExtra that was showed up whenever a scene required a Coalition players that wasn't one of the other established ones. By the time ''Film/NoobLeConseilDesTroisFactions'' and ''NoobLaQueteLegendaire'' roll in, he's the first to benefit from the bigger focus the Coalition has been getting.

* Some characters who are apped in Roleplay/SuperSmashBrothersLifeItself Are either Minor characters or people who did not have enough spotlight in there main games.

** Though to be fair, Popeye was always faithful to Olive, while [[GoldDigger Sam was only with her because she would was well off, and would occasionally dump her for someone wealthier,]] though he came crawling back when the other woman wised up to him.

This often arises simply due to the creators realizing that said character holds far more story potential than they originally thought, or at the very least, re-purposing this character for a greater role in the narrative is better than making an entirely new character. Of course, if this is an adaptation of an ongoing work, the character may have only been given this status to fill time, and won't be allowed to have a huge effect on the plot depending on how much the writer is trying to follow the source material. This can lead to some bizarre incongruities in planning (e.g. OvertookTheManga, RestrictedExpandedUniverse). And in some cases,a minor character becomes an Ascended Extra solely because the writers want a SacrificialLion, but aren't willing to use characters ''they'' care about for the role.

A minor character who is given a greatly expanded role in the later part of the series, a new adaptation of a story, or in the ExpandedUniverse. It is usually safer to do this with an otherwise obscure character without much depth, since the likelihood of creating plot contradictions is lower. On the other hand, the character may or may not be allowed to have a huge effect on the plot depending on how much the writer is trying to follow source material. Can lead to some bizarre incongruities in planning (e.g. OvertookTheManga, RestrictedExpandedUniverse). Sometimes the minor character becomes an Ascended Extra just so the writers can immediately turn them into a SacrificialLion.

This naturally occurs as a series goes on for long periods of time and useful for filler, technically not requiring you invent someone whole cloth. Be warned however that this character might be more liked by the {{fandom}} than the writers, who may have no compunction with [[CListFodder getting rid of them when convenient]].

Also, contrast with DemotedToExtra.

* AscendedExtra/WebComics