History TookALevelInBadass / FanWorks

* In the ''VideoGame/Portal2'' fanfic ''Fanfic/BlueSky'' Wheatley goes from a LovableCoward who can hardly even walk...to a LovableCoward who is willing to sacrifice his life to successfully take down [=GLaDOS=], taking his flaw of bad ideas and ''weaponising'' it.

[[AC:''Anime/{{Bleach}}'']]

[[AC: ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'']]

[[AC:''Comicbook/KickAss'']]

[[AC:''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'']]

[[AC:''Manga/{{Naruto}}'']]
* ''[[Fanfic/DreamingOfSunshine Dreaming of Sunshine]]'' gives us a remarkably slow evolution. Starting out, Shikako is considered a sickly child who's [[BlessedWithSuck hypersensitivity to Chakra is anticipated to prevent her from ever becomeing a ninja.]] By the end of the academy, due to her relentlessly grinding levels she is one of the top kunoichi, along with Ino and Hinata and she can water-walk. By the Chunin exams she can make her own seals. By the third round of the Chunin exams, [[StuffBlowingUp she can lay seals at a touch]]. the Grinding continues until [[DoorStopper ninty-five chapters in]] she can give Gaara a run for his money and arguably might have won if she had been going for the kill.
** Ino, who starts out the story slightly stronger than her canon counterpart, suffers serious injuries after fighting [[spoiler: the Sound Four]], and then recovers and becomes a much stronger, more versatile fighter [[spoiler: with the aid of her chameleon summons.]]

* [[spoiler: Future Sakura]] in ''Naruto Mysterious Power'', who manages to defeat over half of the main cast, went from being nothing but the main antagonist's sex slave to using the powers of eight tailed beasts and a cursed seal, along with sonic screams and various Chidori-Raikiri versions.

** [[BlowYouAway Kaze Tate no Jutsu]] : Creates a tornado around the user that works to deflect things thrown at him. More chakra = Raging Tornado defense. Can also be used for offense (Naruto used it to stop a Gatsuuga).
** [[RazorWind Kaze Kiwa no Jutsu]] : Creates a wind sword that Naruto upgrades to be near Rasengan levels. Since it contains nothing but wind and chakra, its tip causes massive damage. Naruto used it to cut through Neji's Kaiten.
* Nicely deconstructed in ''Fanfic/EscapeFromTheHokagesHat'' by Naruto. Instead of just handing him high level jutsu or just working on his chakra control, Tsunade slowly turns him into a BadassBookworm fixing his more LeeroyJenkins impulses, forcing him to plan (he hasn't really got a choice due to a GameBreakingInjury he's been recovering from for at least 20 chapters), working on his chakra control and getting him involved in politics. The end result is that Naruto goes from a UnskilledButStrong bruiser who throws massive amounts of chakra, clones and {{Indy Ploy}}s to solve his problems, to a WeakButSkilled LightningBruiser who can talk and plan his way out of a problem but also get into a fight with 3 Chunin and win by manipulating the fight to his advantage.

* Both Sakura and Sasuke grow far more competent after a month of personal training in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3665921/51/Black-Flames-Dance-In-The-Wind-Rise-of-Naruto Black Flames Dance in the Wind: Rise of Naruto]]''. More importantly, Sasuke loses his [[SmallNameBigEgo trademark arrogance]] and Sakura becomes more serious and professional.
** Hinata becomes considerably more powerful even without accounting for her becoming a [[SpiderPeople Jorogumo]].

* ''Fanfic/ShinjiAndWarhammer40K'' ''tried'' to invert this trope in a manner similar to ''Fanfic/NobodyDies'' but the author wound up overshooting the target and turned Shinji into a very straight (and very '''''EPIC''''') example of this trope instead (Case in point, there's nothing ordinary about an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent with his own gang and the universal respect and adoration of ''his entire hometown'').

[[AC:''Manga/OnePiece'']]

[[AC: ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'']]

[[AC: ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'']]

[[AC: ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'']]

[[AC: ''Literature/{{Worm}}'']]

[[AC:Anime/YuGiOh]]

[[AC: ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'']]

* ''Fanfic/OnceMoreWithFeeling'':

''Fanfic/TaylorHebertMedhallIntern'': Greg goes from being a timid little screw-up to [[spoiler: being able to get the drop on Shadow Stalker]].

* The Naruto/Justice League Crossover ''FanFic/ConnectingTheDots'' does this to most of the Konoha 11, but especially to Tenten. You remember Tenten? Trust me. Not this one.

* Jaune Arc takes one at the start of (and takes a second level throughout) the ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''/''Literature/TheHobbit''/''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''[[note]]And Machinema/RedVsBlue, for some characters[[/note]] FusionFic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11852303/1/Rise-of-a-Star-Knight Rise of a Star Knight]]'', and its sequel ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12404778/1/Knights-of-Remnant-The-Ring-of-Darkness Knights of Remnant: The Ring of Darkness]]''. He starts as an IdiotHero and the ButtMonkey, unlocks his [[SuperpowerfulGenetics inherited]] [[MagicKnight Star Knight powers]][[note]]The four Star Knights are the [[SpearCounterpart male equivalent]] of the Maidens in the story, except their powers are passed from father to eldest living son (or brother to brother, if they have no children), only become active when they turn 18, and they each belong to a specific kingdom, rather than being divided by seasons like the Maidens. And they each have their own army.[[/note]], gets trained by his [[CoolBigSis older sister]], [[FourStarBadass Carolina Arc]], who teaches him how to fight and how to use his new powers, and is the one that the rest of the heroes choose to lead them (over [[TheHero Ruby]], Qrow, and [[HeroOfAnotherStory Coco]]). Also, as the Star Knight of Vale, he has a [[BadassArmy private army]], the Sky Knights of Vale, lead by his aforementioned older sister. By the end of the first story, [[spoiler: he's killed ''Smaug'' and ''Cinder''. In the second story, he kills [[HeroKiller Locus]]]]

* [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom Sam]] in the ''FanFic/FacingTheFutureSeries''. True, she was probably one of the most badass characters in the show, but here, she ups the ante.

* In ''FanFic/NeverHadAFriendLikeMe'', [[spoiler:Bob the boil has gone from just the sentient boil on Elmer's face that he was in the show]] to an EldritchAbomination that intends to take over the world and change it to how he wants it to be.

* [[spoiler: Luso]] in ''FanFic/TheTaintedGrimoire'', after learning how to draw his aura and then again after being given the ability to [[spoiler: channel Mist]].

* Tohru Honda -- no, really-- [[NiceGirl Tohru]] [[ExtremeDoormat Honda]] gets this treatment in the Western [=AU=] fic ''FanFic/{{The Swordsman and the Gunslinger}}''. On the surface, she appears to be a sweet but she can hold her own in a fight. Even a person who knows her very well is amazed that she can handle an enemy.

* In ''FanFic/{{Horseshoes and Hand Grenades}}'', most of the minor characters in the show gets the chance to shine. For example, former Zodiarts Motoyama and Norio become Kamen Riders (Den-O: Sword and Den-O: Wing respectively), while ButtMonkey Chuta Ohsugi beocmes a BadassTeacher willing to take down Dustards, his former love interest and the ''BigBad'' with nothing more than sheer guts and determination. Likewise, comic relief characters like Yuki can now punch a Dustards' light out with a [[CallingYourAttacks "HAYABUSA PUNCH!"]]

* King Sombra in ''FanFic/TheGodEmpressOfPonykind'' duels and [[BreakingLecture lectures]] Luna into submission, taunts Celestia into killing him and then [[spoiler: [[NiceJobBreakingItHero uses his death to ascend and become a Daemon Prince before pulling the Crystal Kingdom into the Warp]]]].
* ''FanFic/TheImmortalGame'': Pretty much ''all'' of the Mane Six over the course of the story, but the crowner has to go to ''[[ShrinkingViolet Fluttershy]]'' of all ponies. During the FinalBattle, she [[spoiler: somehow taps into [[EvilMatriarch Terra's]] old power as "Princess of the Forest", becoming a {{Physical God}}dess with a flowing mane and something akin to the Royal Canterlot Voice who is able to cow ''the most powerful dragon alive'' into a HeelFaceTurn and serving as her mount in a BigDamnHeroes moment]]. Everyone else (both in and out of universe) is shocked at this, and even Rarity admits to being a little frightened of her.

* ''FanFic/TheRiseOfDarthVulcan'': Vulcan's apprentice, Artful Dodger, starts out as a mere street urchin crook. With training (and some magical body enhancements) from Vulcan and [[spoiler: Chrysalis]], however, and he's one of Vulcan's CoDragons, with a fearful reputation of his own amongst the minions.
* Over the course of ''FanFic/WhenAPonyCalls'' and ''Fanfic/TheAlchemistsHeart'', Soren/Silver Script has gone from an inexperienced teenage boy turned female pony, to holding his/her own against Twilight, to fighting monsters in the Everfree, to charging {{Eldritch Abomination}}s with a shot gun in a BadFuture.

* ''[[FanFic/DreamingOfSunshine Dreaming of Sunshine]]'' gives us a remarkably slow evolution. Starting out, Shikako is considered a sickly child who's [[BlessedWithSuck hypersensitivity to Chakra is anticipated to prevent her from ever becomeing a ninja.]] By the end of the academy, due to her relentlessly grinding levels she is one of the top kunoichi, along with Ino and Hinata and she can water-walk. By the Chunin exams she can make her own seals. By the third round of the Chunin exams, [[StuffBlowingUp she can lay seals at a touch]]. the Grinding continues until [[DoorStopper ninty-five chapters in]] she can give Gaara a run for his money and arguably might have won if she had been going for the kill.

* ''FanFic/ShinjiAndWarhammer40K'' ''tried'' to invert this trope in a manner similar to ''FanFic/NobodyDies'' but the author wound up overshooting the target and turned Shinji into a very straight (and very '''''EPIC''''') example of this trope instead (Case in point, there's nothing ordinary about an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent with his own gang and the universal respect and adoration of ''his entire hometown'').

* ''FanFic/ThisBites'':

* ''FanFic/TheSunSoul'' takes this idea and turns it up to eleven... for Pokemon. No really, the author manages to take something as innocent as Pokemon and upgrade it into a grim, gruesome, and nightmare-inducing retelling, without going overboard on the crazy. Each character is leaps and bounds ahead of their original counterparts in terms of sheer badassery and so far the story has consisted mostly of adventure, mixed with politics and romance, with plenty of action and AnyoneCanDie added in.

* ''Blog/BetterBonesAU'': Hallowflight was originally a meek, constantly bullied young cat who stays in the Dark Forest out of cowardice, but he ends up saving a lot of cats by running and swimming from RiverClan to ThunderClan to warn them of how the Dark Forest intends to attack noncombatants.

* ''FanFic/ErisGame'': Eri goes from fashion designer to butt-kicking activist.

* ''FanFic/FallenKing'' has ''everyone'' to some degree, but especially Joey Wheeler, who becomes the hero of the story.

* ''Fanfic/UnbreakableRedSilkenThread'': Heather got Cody in better shape compared to how he was on Total Drama, and do to this, he actually enjoys excersizing and going outside, compared to before when he would just sit inside playing video games all day. Also, his confedents has became much better as well, as he has no problem standing up to Heather when needed.

* Matthew Streika, once the living embodiment of the IdiotBall carrying WideEyedIdealist, now has taken some levels in badass. He threw himself in the way of TheBrute's attack, got some nifty magic, and kicked a lot of ass. Shuuji followed in Chapter 2, redeeming himself by making a HeelFaceTurn, and then reducing [[SmugSnake Medraut]] [[SingleStrokeBattle to a quivering wreck.]] Even little Alina, who in the first Canon was an annoying BrattyHalfPint, became so much more badass as a Biological Superpowered Magical Weapon. Alina's adoptive little sister, Alexandra "Lexie" Ivanov, starts out only able to summon little lizards and heal people...and she is a ShoutOut to ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'''s Summoner Class...wait, what's she summoning now, a bigger lizard? Nope, you're dead, Adrian. What's that sound? Its the world taking a fear shit: [[OhCrap She just summoned Dragon Emperor Andreclav]]

** At the end of the second arc, Dib and Gaz start taking steps to increase their fighting prowess to deal with the various villains' superior skills, by means of learning [[{{Whatevermancy}} Poopmancy]] from Fizzmitz.