History Main / MorePopularReplacement

* On ''Series/MiamiVice'', Capt. Marty Castillo is considered a far more popular character than the series' original Metro-Dade police department head, Lt. Lou Rodriguez, due to his calm demeanor and being AFatherToHisMen (and women). It was to the point of him being seen as the series' arguable tritagonist and remaining quite popular with fans to this day. Being played by Creator/EdwardJamesOlmos certainly helped.

* ''ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'': Similarly to the JLA and JSA situation, the second/modern incarnation (Star-Lord, Rocket, Groot, Gamora, Drax and Adam) are far more popular than their predecessors (Charlie-27, Major Victory, Martinex, Nikki, Starhawk, Vance Astro and Yondu Udonta) especially thanks to MCU making them household names. While the original Guardians show up now and again they’re firmly supporting characters, which is a shame since the newer Guardians take much of their quirks and chemistry from their forebears with even the scene from ''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Infinity War]]'' of the Guardians finding Thor drifting in space and marvelling over him — actually being carried out by the original team in the comics. Out of the first team only Yondu has gotten real exposure, but he’s so radically different from his comic version that Marvel had make a [[DecompositeCharacter separate]] movie-inspired Yondu to necessitate.

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'': Alejandro, one of the two newcomers of ''Total Drama World Tour'', replaced Justin as the MrFanservice of the cast. Alejandro is generally better remembered, having a manipulative side and serving as a SpearCounterpart to Heather, while Justin was almost exclusively defined by his looks (''Action'' tried to make Justin a more villainous character, but gave up after one episode and made him a ButtMonkey instead).
** Wayne and Raj, The Hockey Bros, replaced Katie and Sadie as TheDividual in the reboot, they performed better in challenges, had less one-note personalities and [[DivergentCharacterEvolution could carry storylines separate from one another]]. [[spoiler: Raj was even one of the first openly-gay characters in the series and Wayne won his second season]].

** The second incarnation of the team that debuted in ''Giant Sized X-Men'' brought a few of these but none more so than [[Characters/MarvelComicsStorm Storm]] who replaced [[Characters/MarvelComicsJeanGrey Jean Grey]] as the powerful flying female teammate and [[Characters/MarvelComicsLogan Wolverine]] who replaced [[Characters/MarvelComicsBeast Beast]] as hairy bruiser. While Jean and Beast will always be loved by the mainstream and relevant to the team (''ComicBook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga'' being seminal for Jean) their successors Ororo and especially Logan simply had immense runaway appeal and always tend be more popular ([[https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2022/02/02/top10done-1643777628806.png just see this 2022 IGN popularity poll]]). Jean also has to contend with [[Characters/MarvelComicsRogue Rogue]] who’s insanely popular herself and for a long while took Jean’s part in the TwoGirlsToATeam alongside Storm. Though ironically Jean is still far more popular than her original intended replacement Polaris, who’s been largely sidelined for years until Krakoa.

* In ''Series/{{MASH}}''. B.J. is better received than his predecessor Trapper, for being a more-rounded and fleshed-out, as well having a contrasting personality to Hawkeye, whereas Trapper was much like a mirror of Hawkeye though reduced to a sidekick.

* ''ComicBook/{{Black Knight|MarvelComics}}'': The villainous Black Knight (Nathan Garrett) is usually forgotten in favor of his RedeemingReplacement (and nephew) Dane Whitman. Nathan was a recurring Avengers villain from 1963 to 1967, but received relatively little development. Dane has been a relatively major character since the late 1960s, with emphasis on how his cursed sword is affecting his mentality. Dane has been a long-time member of the Avengers, an early member of the Defenders, and a member of several other teams. He has had several story-arcs focused on his romantic relationships, and a 2020s mini-series added to him a complicated relationship with his estranged daughter. He is much more connected to the cast of the Marvel Universe than his uncle ever was.

* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue: [[WebAnimation/RedVsBlueTheShisnoTrilogy The Shisno Trilogy]]'': While Ray Schilens as [[BigBad Chrovos]] wasn't exactly ''hated'' during ''The Shisno Paradox'' and is still viewed as having done a good job, Lee Eddy's take on Chrovos for ''Singularity'' has proven to be significantly more popular with fans due to a greater focus on DeadpanSnarker humor, Eddy's EvilIsSexy vocal performance, and Eddy already being a big fan-favorite among the greater Rooster Teeth fandom. What certainly helps is that Eddy's take on the character being a LaughablyEvil yet strangely maternal MechanicalAbomination proved to be far more memorable than Schilens' more AffablyEvil GrandpaGod portrayal.

* ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', After team founder, TheMole, and DecoyProtagonist Alex Wilder was killed off at the end of the first arc, his role as the second male Runaway was replaced by Victor Mancha. Victor, being a genuine good guy (despite his possible future as a BigBad), the son of [[Characters/MarvelComicsUltron Ultron]], and having far more connections to the greater Marvel Universe than Alex, and being a true hero who fights alongside the others as a surrogate family, he's generally more popular than his predecessor. He's also the only one to consistently be a member throughout all iterations since his induction, compared to Xavin and Klara being PutOnABus.

* In a bizarre case from ''Series/Primeval'' where the original and replacement were played by the same actress, Jenny Lewis is better remembered than her predecessor Claudia Brown. As a PR person completely out of her depth (whilst at the same time largely averting TheLoad), it lent itself to many funny moments and characterization beyond Cutter's love interest.

* ''ComicBook/AntMan'': The original Ant-Man is Hank Pym, but many nowadays prefer his successor to the title, Scott Lang. Hank is a brilliant scientist on par with the likes of [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]] and [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]], and founder of ComicBook/TheAvengers, who is very important to much of the Marvel mythos. That said, he's also well-known for [[NeverLiveItDown hitting his wife once]] in a scene that gets taken out of context, and which ComicBook/UltimateMarvel drove to {{Domestic Abuse}}r levels with {{Flanderization}}. He also created ComicBook/{{Ultron}}, and can be kind of a jerk at times. Because of his infamy, the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse chose to star Scott, who in comparison is less controversial but also far less important to the comics, and since then Scott has been promoted as the ''main'' Ant-Man of the Marvel Universe. Many would say they prefer Scott even aside the controversial stuff involving Hank, if only because he's a more down-to-earth guy and relatable as someone who's an average Joe without the suit.

* The original ComicBook/AntMan is Hank Pym, but many nowadays prefer his successor to the title, Scott Lang. Hank is a brilliant scientist on par with the likes of [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]] and [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]], and founder of ComicBook/TheAvengers, who is very important to much of the Marvel mythos. That said, he's also well-known for [[NeverLiveItDown hitting his wife once]] in a scene that gets taken out of context, and which ComicBook/UltimateMarvel drove to {{Domestic Abuse}}r levels with {{Flanderization}}. He also created ComicBook/{{Ultron}}, and can be kind of a jerk at times. Because of his infamy, the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse chose to star Scott, who in comparison is less controversial but also far less important to the comics, and since then Scott has been promoted as the ''main'' Ant-Man of the Marvel Universe. Many would say they prefer Scott even aside the controversial stuff involving Hank, if only because he's a more down-to-earth guy and relatable as someone who's an average Joe without the suit.
* In contrast to his/their Marvel [[AlternateCompanyEquivalent counterpart(s)]], when people think of ''ComicBook/TheAtom'', they usually think of either Ray Palmer or Ryan Choi, with the original Al Pratt only being remembered as a member of the ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica''. Even in the context of the JSA, Pratt is ignored in favor of another successor, Atom-Smasher (who has appeared in ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' as a cameo and in ''Film/BlackAdam2022'' as a major character). Pratt is probably ignored in favor of successors because he is merely a PintSizedPowerhouse BadassNormal without his successors' SizeShifter powers. Choi might have become the de facto modern Atom, given his appearances in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', ''VideoGame/Injustice2'', and ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'', but Palmer has managed to hold on to the spotlight for a bit longer courtesy of his starring role in ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' as the only major live-action portrayal of the character to date (especially since in the ''Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse'' Choi has yet to assume the mantle).
* ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} is best known for Barbara Gordon. However, a few years prior to her creation, Bat-Girl (real name Elizabeth "Betty" Kane) originated as Batwoman's sidekick. She was quickly retired due to her unpopularity but appeared again years later under the mantle of Flamebird, and it's no longer canon that she was ever Bat-Girl. Likewise, within the comic community, Barbara's successors Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown, were very well-received as Batgirls during their runs.
* ComicBook/CaptainAmerica:
** Helmut, the second ComicBook/BaronZemo, is far more popular and beloved by the fanbase than his father Heinrich on top of being seen as just a [[EvilIsCool cooler villain]]. This is due to Helmut having actual depth and values, whereas Heinrich, though important to the lore as the one responsible [[{{Retcon}} initially]] for killing ComicBook/BuckyBarnes and putting ComicBook/CaptainAmerica on ice, is often considered a lesser ComicBook/RedSkull and is very easy to hate as a mad and extremely amoral [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazi scientist]]. Tellingly, much of what makes Helmut's backstory tragic and sympathetic was the [[AbusiveParents abuse]] he suffered at the hands of Heinrich, and a major part of his character is that fact that he disowned his father, the Nazi ideology and all prejudices associated with it.
** ComicBook/RedSkull believe it or not is a case of this as the first [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] Red Skull was actually a devious American known as George Maxon while Johann Schmidt the true and most well known Red Skull was introduced not long after with Maxon retroactively being treated as a decoy in the first of many ActuallyADoombot moments for Kirby-created villains.

* The villainous ComicBook/BlackKnight (Nathan Garrett) is usually forgotten in favor of his RedeemingReplacement (and nephew) Dane Whitman. Nathan was a recurring Avengers villain from 1963 to 1967, but received relatively little development. Dane has been a relatively major character since the late 1960s, with emphasis on how his cursed sword is affecting his mentality. Dane has been a long-time member of the Avengers, an early member of the Defenders, and a member of several other teams. He has had several story-arcs focused on his romantic relationships, and a 2020s mini-series added to him a complicated relationship with his estranged daughter. He is much more connected to the cast of the Marvel Universe than his uncle ever was.
* ComicBook/BlueBeetle is best-known as either the quirky billionaire BadassNormal Ted Kord or the [[PoweredArmor Scarab-wielding]] Mexican-American teenager Jaime Reyes, but most people only know Dan Garrett as the original Blue Beetle from the '40s, and little else. Kord himself is subject to this trope as well, as most modern portrayals make Reyes the de facto Blue Beetle over him, with Reyes having appeared in multiple media such as ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', and ''VideoGame/Injustice2''. Aside from being an instance of AffirmativeActionLegacy, he also brought a new spin on the costume as a suit of alien (or magical) PoweredArmor, which granted him a much more interesting and diverse powerset compared to his predecessor. It also allowed for further DivergentCharacterEvolution both superpower and characterization wise compared to similar characters such as Batman.
* Franchise/TheFlash:
** The third Flash, Wally West, is considered by a lot of readers to be an improvement over his predecessor, Barry Allen (who was generally seen as TheGenericGuy). In fact, he is seen as the main Flash by a considerable chunk of the fanbase (especially given his starring role in the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' cartoon) and it's not uncommon for modern interpretations of Barry to [[CompositeCharacter incorporate some aspects of Wally's personality to his own]].
** Barry himself despite generally being considered bland, is '''far''' more well known and popular than his predecessor the first and original Golden Age Flash Jay Garret with Barry’s design instantly becoming iconic when it debuted in the 60s. Any person with even a passingly knowledge of superheroes will instantly recognise Barry as the Flash while showing someone a picture of Jay will produce “Who’s that?” results.
** Similarly when it comes to Reverse Flashes, Eobard Thawne is way more popular than Edward Clariss the original EvilCounterpart. While Thawne is [[MemeticMutation memetically evil]] and well known: “IT WAS ME BARRY!” people just forget Edward Clariss exists at all barring his appearance in ''Series/TheFlash2014''.

** Hal Jordan is technically the second ''Green Lantern'' and is more well-known than the first one, Alan Scott. Granted, since the Green Lantern mythos being reinvented with Hal, Alan Scott comes off as an in-name-only Green Lantern. [[HistoryRepeats Funnily enough,]] Hal ended up getting this treatment himself years later;
** In [[ComicBook/EmeraldTwilight 1994]], Hal infamously went mad with grief after the destruction of Coast City and became the supervillain Parallax. He was succeeded by Kyle Rayner, who remained the "main" Green Lantern until [[ComicBook/GreenLanternRebirth 2004]]. Kyle wasn't too popular at first, thanks to a lot of early CharacterShilling, but [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap he grew on people]], and eventually most comics fans under a certain age had only read about Hal in the past tense.
** John Stewart was chosen to appear in [[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague the Justice League cartoon]], [[UnexpectedCharacter to the surprise of pretty much everyone]]. Since the cartoon was [[SmallReferencePools the only exposure to Green Lantern most people had in the late 90s and early 00s]], he quickly became an A-lister. John remains incredibly popular to this day, and is now the most well-known human Lantern after Hal.

* While Jim Hammond, the android Human Torch, is Marvel's first superhero, he has long since been surpassed by Johnny Storm, the Human Torch of the ComicBook/FantasticFour. To illustrate this point, Hammond is all but forgotten in modern Marvel and only appears whenever Marvel's World War II superheroes are brought up, and his only appearance outside of comics to date was his LawyerFriendlyCameo in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger''.
* Arguably the biggest example in comics is the ''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'', who have long since eclipsed their predecessors in the ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'' in the eyes of modern popular culture. To illustrate the shift in popularity, the JSA has been removed from the DC Universe several different times while the JLA has always remained present, and this has carried over into adaptations and derivative works which sometimes ignore the JSA and omit them from continuity, demote them to being the retired predecessors of the JLA, or make the JSA's members [[TeamMemberInTheAdaptation part of the JLA]].
* Similarly to the JLA and JSA situation, the second/modern incarnation of ''ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' (Star-Lord, Rocket, Groot, Gamora, Drax and Adam) are far more popular than their predecessors (Charlie-27, Major Victory, Martinex, Nikki, Starhawk, Vance Astro and Yondu Udonta) especially thanks to MCU making them household names. While the original Guardians show up now and again they’re firmly supporting characters, which is a shame since the newer Guardians take much of their quirks and chemistry from their forebears with even the scene from ''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Infinity War]]'' of the Guardians finding Thor drifting in space and marvelling over him — actually being carried out by the original team in the comics. Out of the first team only Yondu has gotten real exposure, but he’s so radically different from his comic version that Marvel had make a [[DecompositeCharacter separate]] movie-inspired Yondu to necessitate.

* ComicBook/HarleyQuinn is of course so titanically popular it’ll come as shock for most people to learn she was not ComicBook/TheJoker’s first sidekick, that being a Gaggy a DepravedDwarf and acrobat who was used an EvilCounterpart to Robin who was long forgotten after the Silver Age. Cleverly this trope actually helped Gaggy make a reappearance as a villain for Harley with Gaggy naturally being pissed a psycho barbie has so brutally stolen his limelight.
* Even compared to other members of the JSA, the original BadassNormal Terry Sloan Mr. Terrific has long since been forgotten by DC in favor of his AffirmativeActionLegacy ScienceHero replacement Michael Holt.

* Franchise/{{Superman}};
** ComicBook/LexLuthor is so ingrained in the public consciousness as Superman’s ArchEnemy it’s staggering to think he was actually the replacement antagonist to the initial big bad Ultra-Humanite. UH possessed many of the traits that would go one to define Lex such as BaldOfEvil and EvilGenius wit to counter Superman’s great powers yet when Luthor was introduced in Action Comics 23# he soon became the BreakoutVillain despite not gaining his signature look until a year after his debut. Thanks to this Ultra-Humanite would go through DivergentCharacterEvolution to Lex getting the big white gorilla body and unfortunately for him falling to the lower tier of Supes’ RoguesGallery.
** Similarly General Zod has absolutely blown his predecessor Jax-Ur out of the water in terms of popularity and long-standing as a villain. When first introduced in the Silver Age Jax-Ur was meant to be Superman’s true Kryptonian {{foil}} and nemesis with Zod just being one of his flunkies. Thanks to Creator/TerenceStamp’s portrayal in ''Film/SupermanII'' as Zod however the general exploded with popularity and taken all Jax-Ur’s traits while the latter has been heavily DemotedToExtra and is mostly subservient to Zod. Notably there was confusion and disappointment among fans when ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' pointedly didn’t feature Zod at all but rather the less popular Jax-Ur in stead, as the showrunners wanted to more be faithful to the Silver Age era.
* ''ComicBook/MsMarvel2014'': Kamala Khan was not the first Ms. Marvel - that would go to Carol Danvers, now known as Captain Marvel, Kamala's idol. There were also multiple Ms. Marvels running around now and then. However, Kamala has eclipsed all of them in terms of modern popularity. In fact, before Carol got her own movie, Kamala's book would consistently out-sell hers. While there’s plenty of people who do genuinely miss Carol in the Ms. Marvel role, the usual reason for any lament from fans is how iconic and fanservicey Carol’s Ms.Marvel LeotardOfPower was.
** Carol herself is nowadays considered the most popular holder of the Captain Marvel mantle, eclipsing the multiple holders of the mantle before hand such as Mar-Vell, Genis-Vell, and Monica Rambeau.
* ''ComicBook/{{Robin}}'': Tim Drake was much more warmly welcomed by fans compared to Jason Todd. This is mostly because Jason himself was a ReplacementScrappy for Dick Grayson and also due to his excessively angsty nature. In contrast, Tim was the NiceGuy who meshed well with the rest of the Bat family. Though Jason himself would end up undergoing a case of RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap after coming BackFromTheDead and took up the identity of Red Hood.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', there is team founder, TheMole, and DecoyProtagonist Alex Wilder was killed off at the end of the first arc, and his role as the second male Runaway has been replaced by Victor Mancha since then. Victor, being a genuine good guy (despite his possible future as a BigBad), the son of ComicBook/{{Ultron}}, and having far more connections to the greater Marvel Universe than Alex, and being a true hero who fights alongside the others as a surrogate family, he's generally more popular than his predecessor. He's also the only one to consistently be a member throughout all iterations since his induction, compared to Xavin and Klara being PutOnABus.

** Though [[Characters/MarvelComicsMilesMorales Miles Morales]] will never outplace [[Characters/MarvelComicsPeterParker Peter Parker]] as the iconic Spider-Man, he is a much more popular and accepted take on the "[[LegacyCharacter next generation Spider-Man]]" concept than Marvel's first attempt in the '90s: [[ComicBook/ScarletSpider Ben Reilly]]. Ben is primarily associated with ''ComicBook/TheCloneSaga'', the biggest AudienceAlienatingEra of the ''Spider-Man'' brand, and while he does have his share of fans (some seeing Scarlet Spider as one of the few ''good'' things about ''The Clone Saga''), him being made the new Spider-Man did ''not'' take. Miles, on the other hand, did. It helps that he's not replacing Peter (both share the identity), that he has a distinct power set, brings a new supporting cast to the table, and [[AffirmativeActionLegacy adds a new perspective as an Afro-Latino teenager]] as opposed to someone who is ''literally'' a clone of Peter. His popularity continued to soar when he had [[WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse his own movie]] and also [[Videogame/SpiderManMilesMorales his own game]].
* ComicBook/SquirrelGirl's squirrel sidekick, Tippy Toe, was preceded by Monkey Joe, who was featured in Squirrel Girl's debut in an ''ComicBook/IronMan'' story and was killed off in the ''[[ComicBook/GreatLakesAvengers GLA]]'' miniseries. Given that Squirrel Girl made no appearances in between, Tippy is far more prominent than Joe was, even having her own [[ADayInTheLimelight limelight story]] where she teamed up with ComicBook/RocketRaccoon.
* When people think of the wielder of the Cosmic Rod, they usually think of Courtney Whitmore AKA ComicBook/{{Stargirl}}. She is more recognizable than previous wielders Ted Knight (Starman) and Sylvester Pemberton (the Star-Spangled Kid), making her a double example as she is a LegacyCharacter to two different identities. The fact she got her own [[Series/Stargirl2020 live-action series]] only serves to cement her presence. Said series also serves to push Ted Knight further off public perception, as in that series Pemberton is the only firmly-established wielder of the Cosmic Rod before Courtney.

** In general ComicBook/KittyPryde tends to be less widely popular in the mainstream than her replacement [[Characters/MarvelComicsJubilee Jubilee]], largely due to Kitty being absent during the team's peak in the 90s (best selling comic in the world) as she was in ''ComicBook/{{Excalibur}}'' in the time and Jubilee also being in ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'' which is the AudienceColouringAdaptation of the team. A lot of Marvel writers clearly took this as an insult to Kitty with her getting pushed harder and harder ever since (starting with ''ComicBook/AstonishingXMen'') while Jubilee got temporarily turned into a vampire and DemotedToExtra. Still the layman/non-comic reader is far more likely to recognise Jubilee than Kitty. Funnily enough both Jubilee and Kitty are far more popular than their replacements Pixie and Hisako with only ComicBook/{{X 23}} (Wolverine's OppositeSexClone) beating them out.
** The second incarnation of the team that debuted in ''Giant Sized X-Men'' brought a few of these but none more so than [[Characters/MarvelComicsStorm Storm]] who replaced ComicBook/JeanGrey as the powerful flying female teammate and ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} who replaced ComicBook/{{Beast}} as hairy bruiser. While Jean and Beast will always be loved by the mainstream and relevant to the team (''ComicBook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga'' being seminal for Jean) their successors Ororo and especially Logan simply had immense runaway appeal and always tend be more popular ([[https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2022/02/02/top10done-1643777628806.png just see this 2022 IGN popularity poll]]). Jean also has to contend with ComicBook/{{Rogue}} who’s insanely popular herself and for a long while took Jean’s part in the TwoGirlsToATeam alongside Storm. Though ironically Jean is still far more popular than her original intended replacement ComicBook/{{Polaris}}, who’s been largely sidelined for years until Krakoa.

* ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'': When Kara Zor-El was introduced in ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton1959'', she completely eclipsed the former Supergirls (Lucy of Borgonia and Super-Girl), who were completely forgotten by comic fans. In the 80's and 90's DC would try to replace Kara with several short-lived non-Kryptonian Supergirls (Matrix, Andromeda...) due to the ComicBook/PostCrisis editorial mandates making Superman ''the'' only surviving Kryptonian, ultimately opting for reintroducing a modern version of Kara Zor-El in ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton2004''. This modern Kara quickly became more successful than her barely-remembered predecessors, even making the leap to non-comic media, making appearances in different animated DC shows and even having [[Series/Supergirl2015 her own TV Show]].
* Zatara was a member of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica and actually debuted shortly after Superman, but has been completely overshadowed by his daughter, ComicBook/{{Zatanna}}.
* Another villainous example involves the Beetle identity in Marvel stories. The original user of the identity was Abner Jenkins, who was a fairly notable recurring villain from 1964 to 1996. After he quit the identity to become a hero, Leila Davis (the Ringer's widow) was introduced as a replacement in 2001. She served as an important supporting character for the Thunderbolts until her violent death by the end of the same year. After several short-lived Beetle imposters, Janice Lincoln was introduced as the new Beetle in 2010. Janice is depicted as the daughter of long-running super-villain Tombstone, as a brilliant lawyer in her civilian identity, and as an on-and-off love interest for Ant-Man. Due to receiving plenty of character development, Janice has increasingly become more popular than Abner and Leila ever were.

* On ''Series/TheVampireDiaries'', the character of Finn Mikaelson was generally considered a bland MamasBoy. However, fans took so well to Yusuf Gatewood's portrayal of him on ''Series/TheOriginals'', that Gatewood stayed around even when Finn was no longer possessing him.

* ''Series/{{Legacies}}'': Creator/KayleeBryant and Jenny Boyd are technically the second pair of actresses to play the teenaged versions of Josie and Lizzie Saltzman in the [[Franchise/TheVampireDiariesUniverse franchise]], after replacing Bella Samman and Allison Gobuzzi, who played them briefly on ''Series/TheOriginals''. However, due to how briefly the latter two played them and how the current two would define the twins more as characters, most of the fandom tends to forget that the two from ''The Originals'' played them at all and act as if they have always played the teenaged versions. Any fanfic that features the two will be based on their personalities in ''Legacies'', like Josie being shy rather than a spoiled brat like ''The Originals'' suggested.

* On The Vampire Diaries, the character of Finn Mikaelson was generally considered a bland Mama's Boy. However, fans took so well to Yusuf Gatewood's portrayal of him on The Originals, that Gatewood stayed around even when Finn was no longer possessing him.

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
** When it comes to the villains, Vergil ever since the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3 third game]] has beaten out both Mundus and Argosax in terms of popularity (despite Vergil himself being ReforgedIntoAMinion by the former). Vergil’s SiblingRivalry and role as foil to Dante on top of his own IaijutsuPractitioner badassery is simply more engaging than the aforementioned eldritch demon lords who are closer to [[GenericDoomsdayVillain Generic Doomsday Villains]] in comparison. The fifth game affirms Vergil is the greatest and most significant antagonist in the series [[spoiler:with his return after being split into two characters given truly immense grandeur.]]
** PlayedWith in regards to Lady, she’s definitely more popular than Lucia from the reviled [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry2 second game]] being an EnsembleDarkHorse yet Trish from the first game remains the most popular girl overall having had the most appearances including both ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'' and ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 MVC3]]'' on top of being technically PromotedToPlayable before Lady was. Other fans (especially those familiar with the story) still prefer Lady to Trish solely because they find her being identical to Dante’s late mother Eva and a flirty MsFanservice uncomfortably weird.
** Weapon-wise Dante’s [[{{BFS}} huge]] CoolSword Rebellion is far more popular than its multiple predecessors Force Edge, Alastor and even Sparda (despite its {{MacGuffin}} status) appearing with Dante across all titles since its debut in 2 and even showing up in Ninja Theory’s attempted reboot. [[spoiler:Its [[WreckedWeapon destruction]] at Urizen’s hands in ''[=DMC5=]'' is given the same weight as an actual character’s death.]]

** Averted when it comes to Claire and her predecessor Jill. While it’s easy to assume like with Leon and Chris, Claire would become more popular than the previous heroine, Jill has instead managed to keep her place as the franchise’s most acclaimed ActionGirl (which can be partially attributed to fact she got a game all to herself). Claire is undeniably beloved of course but still isn’t as revered as Jill is. Claire also has to contend with Ada who’s also extremely popular herself (despite being a secondary character in ''[=RE2=] '') and got to join Leon in ''[=RE4=]'' which is a perennial fan favourite.

*** JP the new BigBad has been far more better received than the other attempts to create a new villain in the wake of M. Bison or Akuma such as Gill, Seth and Necalli who were all very divisive for [[ReplacementScrappy being M. Bison's very first replacement]], being a particularly cheap SNKBoss, and [[InformedAbility being trumpeted as an unstoppable force only to be repeatedly beaten]], respectively. JP’s laidback menace complete with devastating projectile game have made him better accepted right out of the gate.

** When it comes to the cast barring Ryu and Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, Cammy, Blanka, Zangief, E.Honda, Balrog, Vega, M.Bison and Akuma whom debuted in ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterII SFII]]'' have all beaten out the original ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterI SFI]]'' cast Retsu, Geki, Joe, Mike, Lee, Gen, Birdie, Eagle and Adon in popularity. From the original game only Sagat the original BigBad and to a lesser extent Birdie, Gen and Adon have managed to stay relevant. In Gen’s case he fittingly acts as mentor to Chun-Li, his successor.

* The New Age Outlaws weren't part of the original line-up of D-Generation X - which consisted of Wrestling/TripleH, Wrestling/ShawnMichaels, Wrestling/{{Chyna}} and Wrestling/RickRude. In the second incarnation, the Outlaws were added and they're considered a classic part of the group. Some even forget that Rick Rude was even associated with them.

* When people think of the wielder of the Cosmic Rod, they usually think of Courtney Whitmore AKA ComicBook/{{Stargirl}}. She is more recognizable than previous wielders Ted Knight (Starman) and Sylvester Pemberton (the Star-Spangled Kid), making her a double example as she is a LegacyCharacter to two different identities. The fact she got her own [[Series/{{Stargirl}} live-action series]] only serves to cement her presence. Said series also serves to push Ted Knight further off public perception, as in that series Pemberton is the only firmly-established wielder of the Cosmic Rod before Courtney.

** ComicBook/SpiderGwen to the original Gwen Stacy. While most people accept that the original was a very important character due to her death, many don't like her inconsistent characterization over the years from a high maintenance woman to a pure ingénue. In contrast, many enjoy this version of Gwen for having more of a consistent characterization as an excitable tomboy drummer who is still shaken over her greatest failure, on top of being a Spider-person herself. As a result of this, most current adaptations featuring Gwen Stacy tend to lean towards the personality of this version of the character as opposed to her original incarnation.
** Mary Jane funnily enough was this for Betty Brant and Liz Allen, Peter’s previous two love interests being far more popular and of course only really rivalled by the aforementioned Gwen and Black Cat. This was even acknowledged InUniverse as prior to MJ’s full reveal she was TheFaceless just being a girl Aunt May and Anna are planning to set up with Peter but when Betty and Liz see MJ (who’s off panel) they both instantly throw in the towel claiming she’s simply too beautiful and they can’t hope to compete. This effectively built up hype for the readers and cumulated in the famous “Face it Tiger you hit the jackpot” moment.
** Though ComicBook/MilesMorales will never outplace Peter Parker as the iconic Franchise/SpiderMan, he is a much more popular and accepted take on the "[[LegacyCharacter next generation Spider-Man]]" concept than Marvel's first attempt in the '90s: [[ComicBook/ScarletSpider Ben Reilly]]. Ben is primarily associated with ''ComicBook/TheCloneSaga'', the biggest AudienceAlienatingEra of the ''Spider-Man'' brand, and while he does have his share of fans (some seeing Scarlet Spider as one of the few ''good'' things about ''The Clone Saga''), him being made the new Spider-Man did ''not'' take. Miles, on the other hand, did. It helps that he's not replacing Peter (both share the identity), that he has a distinct power set, brings a new supporting cast to the table, and [[AffirmativeActionLegacy adds a new perspective as an Afro-Latino teenager]] as opposed to someone who is ''literally'' a clone of Peter. His popularity continued to soar when he had [[WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse his own movie]] and also [[Videogame/SpiderManMilesMOrales his own game]].

** Weapon-wise Dante’s [[{{BFS}} huge]] CoolSword Rebellion is far more popular than its multiple predecessors Force Edge, Alastor and even Sparda (despite its {{MacGuffin}} status) appearing with Dante across all titles since its debut in 2 and even showing up in Ninja Theory’s attempted reboot. [[spoiler:Its [[WreckedWeapon destruction]] at Urzien’s hands in ''[=DMC5=]'' is given the same weight as an actual character’s death.]]

*** JP the new BigBad has been far more better received than the other attempts to create a new villain in the wake of M.Bison or Akuma such as Gill, Seth and Necali who were all very divisive. JP’s laidback menace complete with devastating projectile game have made him better accepted right out of the gate.
*** A.K.I is certainly this for F.E.N.G the LargeHam SmugSnake newcomer from ''[=SFV=]'' who was interesting at best and loathed at worst. A.K.I’s more interesting (and attractive) appearance and refined use of poison attacks compared to her predecessor have garnered her way more popularity. Though ironically InUniverse she’s a die-hard fangirl for F.E.N.G her mentor, similar to how Sakura is for Ryu.