History Main / FutureBadass

** Even more so, judging by his inclusion in [[AlexanderTheGreat Rider's]] Reality Marble, Waver manages to become a full on Heroic Spirit. During an age where it's said to be ''[[BeyondTheImpossible impossible]]'' for a human to do so.

*** [[spoiler: According to Dave, John is even stronger than him in the future.]]
*** [[spoiler: The above statement is ultimately subverted after "Cascade," when it's found that at least Jade and Dave are even more powerful at God Tier.]]

'''Ultimate Ben 10,000:''' "[[CrowningMomentOfFunny From the]] ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny Outside.]]''"

** Actually EVERYONE becomes a future badass, good or bad - Kenji started out as a loser who run a store, and by the epilogue, he had became a symbol for hope, a rock star, and ultimately Messiah.

** What's really amusing about Badass!Hiro is that he's so exactly what Original!Hiro would have thought of as a Badass--it's unclear that he did it consciously, but he's the perfect incarnation of what Original!Hiro ''wanted'' to be. And is pissed about it nonetheless.
** This was actually requested by the actor as a nod to Future Trunks from ''DBZ.''

*** Although, like many of the examples on this page, [[CanonDisContinuity it never comes to happen]] according to ''Alien Force''.
*** Actually, thanks to another step into the future, we find out from Professor Paradox that that was actually an ''alternate'' future, which still exists. It's just not the one Ultimate Alien Ben is going to become. Instead, the new future is looking to be ''incredibly'' Badass.
-->'''Gwen:''' You just landed a spaceship.\\

[[caption-width-right:340:You mean those are...'' [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling the tweebs]]?!'']]

* In {{Psyren}}, the [[spoiler:Elmore Wood kids, after dying repeatedly in the future]], come back with a vengeance, all kicking ass and taking names.
** [[spoiler:Kyle]] didn't take names.

** This trope is also averted in Dexter's other two future versions, a wimpy office drone and a hilarious old man.
*** That was before the former TookALevelInBadass.

* An episode of ''[[GodzillaTheSeries Godzilla: The (Animated) Series]]'' had the protagonist travel to the doomed future, meeting (among others) a BadAss Mendel and his war-N.I.G.E.L.

* In the ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' comic "Death of a Sales-Bot", the Engineer travels to the present from 1999 (the game takes place in the 1960s), and he now has an entirely robotic right arm instead of just his hand, a glowing bionic left eye, a BadassBeard, a [[VideoGame/{{Fallout}} Pip-Boy]], and a robotic Teddy Roosebelt, along with the Pyro, whose head is now preserved in a glass dome on a floating platform. He gives the RED team a warning that in the future the president of the US will be a cybernetically-enhanced pomeranian in a sweater, and to prevent that from happening they must not open the robotic crates full of hats that Grey Mann's robots were trying to sell them. Naturally, the Soldier hears him saying the exact opposite.

* ''[[Webcomic/EightBitTheater 8-bit Theater]]'' recently revealed that Sarda is the FutureBadass version of [[spoiler:Onion Kid, Black Mage's serial victim.]]
* ''[[HarryPotterComics Harry Potter Comics]]'' did this with Deputy Bart and Rosie Weasley travelling back from an apocalyptic future to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong. The trope was partially subverted, though, because afterwards they stuck around as displaced time clones.
* ''{{Narbonic}}'', during the Unstuck in Time arc. The world sucks, [[spoiler:Helen]] is a BrainInAJar, [[spoiler:Mell]] IS Vice President and is planning to become President, and [[spoiler:Dave]] is in charge of Narbonic Labs.
* [[spoiler:Dave]] in ''{{Homestuck}}'', which is pretty impressive considering that his present self is ''already'' one of the most BadAss characters of the series. He's also a bit more emotional than his present counterpart (thanks to being stuck in an UnwinnableByMistake situation [[spoiler: with two of your closest friends ''dead'']] for months on end) and gets pissed off if you refer to him as "Other [[spoiler: Dave]]".

* The MadeForTVMovie of ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'', ''Ego Trip''. In the dystopian future version of himself, he comes to resemble his hero Action Hank: big, brawny, and [[BadassBeard bearded]] (and unlike Hank, [[BaldOfAwesome he goes bald]]), and his MadScientist pseudo-Germanic accent is replaced by an Arnold impression.

*** [[spoiler: At least until his son gets killed, at which point he promptly and goes nuclear.]]

* Not a story-based example, but ''VideoGame/StrangeJourney'' has an example in an early bonus mission, where you're tasked by [[NorseMythology three Disir to calm down the rampaging Yggdrassil]]. This doesn't turn out so well, as not only does he outstrip your team at that point stat-wise, he can also stop time. Before he can kill you, though, the hero blacks out and is saved by a mysterious figure. [[spoiler: A few Sectors later, it turns out that figure was his own future self, sent back in time by the Norns the Disir would become after he defeated Yggdrasil. Bam. Textbook TemporalParadox.]]

* One of the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' books concerned Jake waking up in the future, where all his friends were battle-scarred screw-ups

* The ''FanFic/FacingTheFutureSeries'' shows us the version of [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom Danny]] that replaced his [[EvilMeScaresMe evil future version]], and he's downright badass enough to stand toe to toe with Dark Danny, even able to control Danny's recently acquired deadly SuperMode. [[spoiler: Even better, Sam's his partner. A revelation that began the entire series]].

* The ''FanFic/FacingTheFutureSeries'' shows us the version of [[DannyPhantom Danny]] that replaced his [[EvilMeScaresMe evil future version]], and he's downright badass enough to stand toe to toe with Dark Danny, even able to control Danny's recently acquired deadly SuperMode. [[spoiler: Even better, Sam's his partner. A revelation that began the entire series]].

* Like the ''FairlyOddParents'' example above, the [[WesternAnimation/TheUltimateEnemy Timeline-based]] ''DannyPhantom'' TV movie has several Future Badasses. The biggest is [[PsychoForHire Dark Danny]], who is now the most powerful ghost on the planet or as Sam puts it "...okay, you're ''really'' a [[UnderStatement jerk]]." Well, that is certainly a mild way to put it-he becomes a rampaging [[PsychoForHire Sociopath]] who kills people and destroys things [[ForTheEvulz apparently just for kicks]]. The episode in which Danny sees what he [[BadFuture would become]] and is [[FutureMeScaresMe extremely horrified]] is one of the darkest, yet most highly acclaimed episodes of the series.

* An interesting twist on this in ''Series/{{Stargate SG-1}}'', the episode Moebius. Although it was really an alternate timeline, when the [=DifferentTimeline=]!SG-1 encounters [=RegularTimeline=]!Daniel, it's implied that they see him sort of as a FutureBadass, since in their world, SG-1 had never existed and Daniel was somewhat of a wimp. But for the audience, that's Daniel as we know him, so we're not surprised.

* [[http://brawlinthefamily.keenspot.com/2012/12/21/457-luigis-holiday-vacation/ Strip 457]] of ''WebComic/BrawlInTheFamily'' had [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Luigi]] accidentally taking Link's role in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime''. When he pulls out the Master Sword, his future self is shown to have a HeroicBuild complete with BadassBeard and BarbarianLongHair. He eventually becomes the legendary Hero of Time by [[CurbStompBattle one-shotting Ganon]].

* In a 2004 arc in the ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' comic, the Titans get warped to a BadFuture where the Justice League have all died and been replaced by their sidekicks, who are now uniformly deadly vigilantes: Robin has become Comicbook/{{Batman}} (and now uses a gun), Superboy has become Comicbook/{{Superman}} (and has no compunctions about ripping peoples' arms off), Beast Boy is the feral Animal Man, and so on. And they're all working for Lex Luthor. Overlaps with FutureMeScaresMe.

* Bratty Damian Wayne from {{Batman}} becomes one of these in ''Batman 666'', taking place in the future (or perhaps a possible future). He stretches the no-kill rule to the limits, more than willing to brutally injure and kill his opponents, although he does mention that he promised his father not to kill. He "cheats" by rigging the entire city of Gotham with booby traps and bombs, acknowledging that he won't match his predecessors. And he has made a DealWithTheDevil, able to survive and heal immediately when he was shot with bullets, his soul in exchange for his need to protect Gotham.

* While the cast of GetterRobo were already supreme badasses, the AfterTheEnd {{OVA}} ''Armageddon'' has the characters appear older and more rugged than before and ditch the old SpaceClothes in favour of something more badass. Most notable is Ryoma, who gains a huge red ScarfOfAssKicking, a BadassLongcoat, chain belt and hand wrappings, and his [[HotbloodedSideburns sideburns]] go from "huge" to "have their own gravitational field."

* In [[GetterRobo Getter Robo Armageddon]] TagalongKid Genki Saotome, after the thirteen-year TimeSkip not only grows up to be a badass sufficiently capable of piloting Shin Getter 2 [[spoiler:(and later, Shin Liger)]], but turns out to have been a [[spoiler: very, very, very, very, VERY tomboyish girl, and only now shows how hard she got hit by the pretty stick. It also helps that she's gotten military training of some kind as well.]]

** Another theory(albiet one that hasn't had a SureWhyNot as of this edit) has it that this is what would have happened had [[spoiler: [[HotBlooded Kam]][[LargeHam ina]] [[BeyondTheIMpossible not]] died.]]

* In the ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' comic "Death of a Sales-Bot", the Engineer travels to the present from 1999 (the game takes place in the 1960s), and he now has an entirely robotic right arm instead of just his hand, a glowing bionic left eye, a BadassBeard, a [[Franchise/{{Fallout}} Pip-Boy]], and a robotic Teddy Roosebelt, along with the Pyro, whose head is now preserved in a glass dome on a floating platform. He gives the RED team a warning that in the future the president of the US will be a cybernetically-enhanced pomeranian in a sweater, and to prevent that from happening they must not open the robotic crates full of hats that Grey Mann's robots were trying to sell them. Naturally, the Soldier hears him saying the exact opposite.

* In ''FireEmblem: Genealogy of the Holy War'', a tragedy occurs in the first half of the game. Fast forward 17 years later, two former [[TagalongKid Tagalong Kids]] eventually evolve into two {{Badass}}es:

** Oifaye, though his significance wasn't as big as Shanan and seemed to be a CrutchCharacter but proved not to be. He manages to hold on his own, protecting Celice through years of hardships. Within the Fire Emblem community Oifaye is synonymous with initially powerful characters that remain useful.
* ''CityOfHeroes'' has a few examples. The final goal of Operation: DESTINY is [[spoiler:to ''prevent'' your villain from turning into a Future Badass capable of taking down both the [[JusticeLeague Freedom Phalanx]] and [[EvilVersusEvil Arachnos]] single-handedly (as killing Lord Recluse in this future costs your right arm)]]. Mender Silos may be another example, what violating the underlying laws governing time travel and generally being an mysterious benefactor with [[ThePlan hidden, layered plots]], and certainly commanding a more impressive set of capabilities and army than that modern-day brozned poser Lord Nemesis.

* There's an interesting variation in the ''JakIIRenegade'': [[spoiler:our gun-toting AntiHero Jak meets his adorable [[ChekhovsGunman younger self]] in the future before [[StableTimeLoop he's sent back into the past to grow up safe from harm]].]]
* Not a story-based example, but ''StrangeJourney'' has an example in an early bonus mission, where you're tasked by [[NorseMythology three Disir to calm down the rampaging Yggdrassil]]. This doesn't turn out so well, as not only does he outstrip your team at that point stat-wise, he can also stop time. Before he can kill you, though, the hero blacks out and is saved by a mysterious figure. [[spoiler: A few Sectors later, it turns out that figure was his own future self, sent back in time by the Norns the Disir would become after he defeated Yggdrasil. Bam. Textbook TemporalParadox.]]

* ''GoldenSunDarkDawn'' has Isaac, hero from the previous game that saved the world 30 years ago. He is now 47 years old, but is more buff, boasts a BadassBeard AND a BadassLongcoat, and he ''still kicks major ass'' as he helps his son, Matthew, (the player) and Karis find their friend as he uses a {{BFS}} and retains most of the powerful Djinn and summons he used on his last adventure.

* ''[[VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days]]'' has [[TokenMiniMoe Hanako]], [[TheHero Adell's]] younger, nine year old sister. Ten years later, as the [[DownloadableContent DLC]] reveals, she becomes ''Demon Lord'' Hanako, evidently fulfilling her dream of becoming as "sexy and powerful" as her idol, [[DisgaeaHourOfDarkness Etna]].

* ''{{Bayonetta}}'' one similar to the Jak And Daxter example: [[spoiler:Cereza turns out to be Bayonetta as a child who by the end is sent back in time.]]
* In VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft there is a quest you can get at level 72 in which you have to protect a magical hourglass from the Infinite Dragonflight. Before they attack you find yourself with "Future You" who is level 80 and will assist you in the battle. When you hit Level 80 you can take the next quest in which you have to protect "Past You" in the same battle.
* ChampionsOnline has more of an AlternateUniverse Badass in the character of Clayton Griswold. In the normal universe he's simply an ordinary citizen with a bit of a helpful streak (and a bit of a homage to NationalLampoonsVacation). But when the heroes travel to [[AlternateUniverse Multifaria]], they meet up with "The Grizz", the muscle-bound leader of LaResistance against the forces of [[EvilOverlord Citizen]] [[EvilTwin Harmon]].

* In ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon: Explorers of Darkness/Time'', [[spoiler:the player character, as a human,]] was a future badass! [[spoiler: And to up the ante, his or her partner in the future was GROVYLE.]]

* ''DragonballZ'''s Android Saga features Future Trunks, who wiped out both Frieza and his father King Cold, who up until that time were considered the supreme {{Big Bad}}s of the universe, on his first appearance. He traveled through time to get Goku and the gang ready to fight the Androids, which had all but destroyed the Earth in Trunks's future, as well as give Goku the cure for the heart disease that he got back on Planet Yadrat, which had killed him in Trunks's timeline before the Androids arrived. Note that "normal" Trunks only shows up ''after'' this, ironically turning out to be [[NonActionGuy mostly useless in a fight]] and having horrible taste in clothing.
** Don't forget Future Gohan. He takes this trope to extremes compared to his present day child counterpart. [[spoiler:Even when he loses his arm to the Androids and eventually gets killed.]] [[spoiler: However, he is also a subversion; while he's a more focused warrior than the child Gohan, he is less powerful, having grown up without his father to train him.]]

* ''[[SuzumiyaHaruhi The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi]]'' has Asahina Mikuru's future self. She's clearly more self-confident, [[OlderAndWiser wiser]] (and [[BreastExpansion bustier]]) than her present self, not to mention that [[spoiler: she's actually her own superior]].

** Thus far, most ponies we've seen future versions of qualify. Living in [[CompleteMonster Discord's]] BadFuture probably has this affect on ponies.

** Let's not forget about mild mannered Peter Petrelli either, who turns into a jaded, bitter BadassLongcoat with a [[GoodScarsEvilScars huge scary scar]] and "hasn't had a good fight in years."

*** [[spoiler: At least until his son gets killed, at which point he promptly and literally goes nuclear.]]

** Shanan, who was formerly Ayra's MoralityPet and even started out as a DistressedDude, evolved into an ass-kicking Sword Master, and when combined with the Balmunk Sword, which grants him crazy dodge rates... he's one of the game's GameBreaker.

* ''CityOfHeroes'' has a few examples. The final goal of Operation: DESTINY is [[spoiler:to ''prevent'' your villain from turning into a Future Badass capable of taking down both the [[JusticeLeague Freedom Phalanx]] and [[EvilVersusEvil Arachnos]] single-handedly (as killing Lord Recluse in this future literally costs your right arm)]]. Mender Silos may be another example, what violating the underlying laws governing time travel and generally being an mysterious benefactor with [[ThePlan hidden, layered plots]], and certainly commanding a more impressive set of capabilities and army than that modern-day brozned poser Lord Nemesis.

* In the fan created game ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}} VideoGame/{{MOTHER}}'', [[spoiler: Cirno is [[GoldfishPoopGang a laughably easy recurring boss]] for the first half of the game. Then you're sent forward in time and you encounter her again, and she puts up one heck of a fight.]]

* An episode of ''SamuraiJack'' ended with a guardian who had just spared Jack's life looking into a time portal, seeing [[http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g314/Elijah_Baley/SamuraiJack.jpg Jack's future self]] and saying "Not yet Samurai. Not yet." Make note that Jack is already a Badass dwelling in the future. Alas the image never came to fruition, as the series was cancelled.

** First encountered and least recognizable is [[PluckyComicRelief Michelangelo]] - who within the first couple minutes not only takes out an entire patrol on his own (with [[DarkerAndEdgier spiked nunchaku]], no less), but destroys several tanks and a helicopter with one of the goons' own guns. He is then found to be missing an arm, disturbingly accepting of the fact that the world sucks, and thoroughly willing to bawl Don out for "abandoning" them. This contrasted with the bubbly, hyperactive, superhero-idealizing version of Mike present throughout the rest of the show. It's a little jarring and yet completely Awesome.