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| 3 | %% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks! |
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| 6 | There will always inevitably be characters who the fandom must say farewell to, leaving a vacancy for someone new to take their place. Quite often [[ReplacementScrappy this replacement will be detested]], but sometimes the newcomer is received better than the original. |
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| 8 | Perhaps their predecessor was [[BaseBreakingCharacter polarizing]] or [[TheScrappy outright hated]], which necessitated an AuthorsSavingThrow to get rid of them. Or maybe the new character has simply [[OvershadowedByAwesome overshadowed]] their predecessor by being a [[EnsembleDarkhorse fan favorite]]. Whatever the case, the change is generally welcomed. |
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| 10 | See also SuperiorSuccessor for InUniverse examples. Compare RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap where the fan response is for the same character. Related to SurprisinglyImprovedSequel and MorePopularSpinoff for when this trope applies to a show as a whole. See ThePeteBest for one of the RealLife versions, especially in the case of bands who manage to have more than one successful replacement. See also SecondEpisodeSubstitute when a character gets replaced very early in the show. |
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| 12 | Sometimes actors who are TheOtherDarrin for a character can become this - if their portrayal is considered superior. |
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| 14 | ---- |
| 15 | !!Examples: |
| 16 | |
| 17 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 18 | |
| 19 | [[folder:Anime and Manga]] |
| 20 | * ''Manga/DoronDororon'': The initial heroine of the story, Ginchiyo, wasn't very well liked due to what many saw as a duplicitous nature and an uninteresting design. After she gets PutOnABus, the role of major female character gets passed to Naotora Kamiizumi, who is vastly better received, with distinct looks, being strong in battle, and a cute crush on the main character. |
| 21 | * ''Franchise/DragonBall'': |
| 22 | ** For the west (especially America) Cell is waaay more popular than his predecessor Frieza as a BigBad with western fans finding his LoveToHate SmugSuper antics as well as his initial “escaped the lab” creepiness simply more engaging than Frieza’s RoyalBrat douchery. In Japan it’s the exact opposite with Frieza being an all-time favourite whereas Cell is considered a major step-down in comparison. Toriyama and Toei don’t like Cell simply because those spots are a pain in the ass to draw and animate. |
| 23 | ** In terms of [[SuperMode transformations]] it's undeniable that the Super Saiyan form has historically blown Kaio-Ken and the previous Great Ape/Oozaru out of the water in terms of popularity and iconicness. Kaio-Ken has popped up now and again, and was even celebrated for getting a resurgence in ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', while the Great Ape form has been left OutOfFocus barring ''Anime/DragonBallGT'', where the [[GoldenSuperMode golden version]] is used as the catalyst for the very popular Super Saiyan 4. |
| 24 | * ''Manga/DrStone'' began with a PowerTrio of Senkuu, Taiju, and Yuzuriha. The latter two and their romance were criticized for being boring, and they were PutOnABus at the end of the first part. Senkuu ended up finding a new supporting cast in the Ishigami villagers and two new best friends in Kohaku and Chrome, who were praised as being much more fun. |
| 25 | * ''Toys/{{Jewelpet}}'': [[Anime/JewelpetTwinkle Akari Sakura]] is a lot more popular and iconic than her predecessor [[Anime/Jewelpet2009 Rinko Kougyoku]]. |
| 26 | * ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'': |
| 27 | ** [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency The second]] [=JoJo=], Joseph Joestar is a lot more popular than his predecessor and grandfather Jonathan Joestar, mainly because Joseph is a great {{Troll}} and GuileHero who undergoes some development and has a memetic ability of predicting his opponents' lines while Jonathan is a fairly standard good-hearted hero. |
| 28 | ** In the Japanese fandom, [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders the third]] [=JoJo=], Jotaro Kujo, is more iconic than either though [[AmericansHateTingle in the West, he has more divisive reception]]. |
| 29 | ** Americans were more fond of [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable the fourth]] [=JoJo=], Josuke Higashikata, than Jotaro due to being a NiceGuy with some amusing quirks. The BigBad of Part 4, Yoshikage Kira, was considered a worthy successor to DIO. |
| 30 | * ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': |
| 31 | ** Halfway into [[Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries the original series]], Jessie's Lickitung was accidentally traded for a Wobbuffet, who quickly became a popular PluckyComicRelief for Team Rocket and ended up a mainstay in the anime series, compared to Lickitung, who made only sporadic appearances beforehand. |
| 32 | ** Dawn is this to her immediate predecessor, May, who was deemed a ReplacementScrappy by some to Misty for being too similar in personality while not living up to the original. In contrast, Dawn had a more refreshing straight-up NiceGirl personality and lacked the previous girls' {{tsundere}} side. While Dawn originally didn't quite surpass Misty's popularity, she is still held in quite high regard by the fanbase. In recent years, Dawn is usually placed within the top 2 of Ash's female companions, often by a landslide compared to anyone below her. |
| 33 | ** Serena is this to Iris, who is one of the least popular female companions to date. While Serena is not without her detractors for her RomanticPlotTumor and being retconned into being ChildhoodFriends with Ash, most in the fandom agree that she's an improvement over Iris. She also further won fans for having an arc of CharacterDevelopment that helped to have her RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap, although how it ended [[BrokenBase is a point of contention that you REALLY need to tread carefully around.]][[note]]For the curious, the reason shippers have such a bad reputation is because of Pokémon in the first place. Thus, the need to tread very, very carefully. You won't tread carefully enough no matter how hard you try.[[/note]] In recent years, Serena is often placed as the fans' most popular female companion of Ash, with only Dawn being remotely close to her popularity. |
| 34 | * ''Franchise/SailorMoon'': |
| 35 | ** Chibi Chibi is introduced in the series' last season to replace Chibiusa as the resident TagalongKid. Many western fans like her better than Chibiusa, mainly because she's sweeter and less of a BrattyHalfPint. |
| 36 | ** The episodes dubbed by Cloverway replaced Chibiusa's original voice actress, Tracey Hoyt, with Creator/StephanieBeard. While most of the other replacements were poorly received, most fans prefer Beard's performance over Hoyt's. |
| 37 | * ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'': Sinon serves as the ArcHero of the ''Phantom Bullet'' arc, where she takes over from Asuna as the female lead much like Leafa did. However unlike Leafa who ended up being a ReplacementScrappy, Sinon ended up being a welcome change and would go on to become a BreakoutCharacter. Fans praised her for her [[TheStoic compelling]] [[DeadpanSnarker personality]], her much deeper backstory, having a more realistic motivation for taking up gaming, as well as being the first female protagonist who is ''not'' defined by having an interest in Kirito. There's a large group who wish Sinon was the solo protagonist of the GGO arc without having to share the limelight with Kirito. |
| 38 | [[/folder]] |
| 39 | |
| 40 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 41 | * ''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 [[Characters/MarvelComicsUltron 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. |
| 42 | * ''ComicBook/TheAtom'': In contrast to his/their Marvel [[AlternateCompanyEquivalent counterpart(s)]], when people think of ''The Atom'', 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). |
| 43 | * ''ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}'': The best known version of the character is 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. |
| 44 | * ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': Characters/{{Harley Quinn|TheCharacter}} is of course so titanically popular it’ll come as shock for most people to learn she was not [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker the Joker]]’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. |
| 45 | * ''ComicBook/BlackCanary'': |
| 46 | ** Black Canary's original co-star and love interest was Johnny Thunder. Black Canary was a bit villain in his books, but became a BreakoutVillain and soon eclipsed Johnny Thunder. Black Canary's series replaced Johnny's and she was given a new male lead: detective Larry Lance, her eventual husband. |
| 47 | ** The second Black Canary, Dinah Lance, is more well-known than her mother Dinah Drake. She was the Black Canary from 1986 to 2011 (before becoming a CompositeCharacter for the New 52 reboot). She is also the one most associated with the supersonic scream, which she started out with while her mother only gained nearly two decades after her creation. |
| 48 | * ''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. It's also worth noting that neither of the two was Marvel's original Black Knight: That was Sir Percy of Scandia, star of a more traditional knight comic set during the times of King Arthur in the 1950s. It was cancelled and the Black Knight-moniker brought back with Sir Percy now being included as an ancestor of both Nathan and Dane in the modern Marvel universe. |
| 49 | * ''ComicBook/BlueBeetle'': The Blue Beetle 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. |
| 50 | * ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'': |
| 51 | ** Helmut, the second Baron Zemo, 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 [[Characters/MarvelComicsBuckyBarnes Bucky]] and putting [[Characters/MarvelComicsSteveRogers Captain America]] on ice, is often considered a lesser [[Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull Red Skull]] 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. |
| 52 | ** Believe it or not, the [[Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull Red Skull]] 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. |
| 53 | * ''ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers Carol Danvers]] 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. |
| 54 | * ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': |
| 55 | ** The third Flash, [[Characters/TheFlashWallyWest Wally West]], is considered by a lot of readers to be an improvement over his predecessor, [[Characters/TheFlashBarryAllen 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]]. |
| 56 | ** [[Characters/TheFlashBarryAllen Barry Allen]] 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. |
| 57 | ** Similarly when it comes to Reverse Flashes, [[Characters/TheFlashEobardThawne 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''. |
| 58 | * ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'': |
| 59 | ** [[Characters/GreenLanternHalJordan 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; |
| 60 | ** 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 [[Characters/GreenLanternKyleRayner 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. |
| 61 | ** [[Characters/GreenLanternJohnStewart 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. |
| 62 | ** [[CyclicTrope Hal has now returned to being the most popular/well-known Lantern]], thanks to his resurrection in the comics and his appearances in [[Film/GreenLantern2011 the Green Lantern movie]] and quite a few [[WesternAnimation/DCUniverseAnimatedOriginalMovies animated movies]]. |
| 63 | * ''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 HouseholdNames. 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. |
| 64 | ** Funny to note the original Guardian are actually from the 31st century with the modern Guardians being technically the first incarnation of the team. So InUniverse the FirstInstalmentWins. |
| 65 | * ''ComicBook/{{The Invaders|MarvelComics}}'': 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''. |
| 66 | * ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'': Arguably the biggest example in comics is the ''Justice League of America'', 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]]. |
| 67 | * ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'': 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. |
| 68 | * ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'': The Dalton Brothers (Bob, Grat, Bill and Emmett) were introduced in an early story as {{Historical Domain Character}}s, and killed off at the end. Then the writer, realizing the potential they could have had as antagonists, introduced the Dalton Cousins (Joe, William, Jack and Averell) who were identical in appearance but had more personality. The new group went on to be ''the'' most popular recurring antagonists of the series, appearing in dozens of stories (and often taking the wheel as the story-driving element). By comparison, Billy the Kid only appears in a couple of stories and most of the others are one-shots. |
| 69 | * ''ComicBook/MsMarvel'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsKamalaKhan Kamala Khan]] was not the first Ms. Marvel - that would go to [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers 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. |
| 70 | * ''ComicBook/{{Robin}}'': [[Characters/RobinTimDrake Tim Drake]] was much more warmly welcomed by fans compared to [[Characters/BatmanJasonTodd 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. |
| 71 | * ''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. |
| 72 | * ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': |
| 73 | ** ComicBook/SpiderGwen to the original ComicBook/GwenStacy. 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. |
| 74 | ** [[Characters/MarvelComicsMaryJaneWatson Mary Jane Watson]] 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. |
| 75 | ** 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: [[Characters/MarvelComicsScarletSpider 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]]. |
| 76 | ** A villainous example involves the Beetle identity. 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. |
| 77 | * ''ComicBook/SquirrelGirl'': Tippy Toe, Squirrel Girl's squirrel sidekick, 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. |
| 78 | * ''ComicBook/{{Starman|DCComics}}'': 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. |
| 79 | * ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'': When [[Characters/SupergirlTheCharacter 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]]. |
| 80 | * ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': |
| 81 | ** [[Characters/SupermanLexLuthor Lex Luthor]] 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. |
| 82 | ** Similarly [[Characters/SupermanGeneralZod 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. |
| 83 | * ''ComicBook/XMen'': |
| 84 | ** In general [[Characters/MarvelComicsKittyPryde Kitty Pryde]] 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|MarvelComics}}'' 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 [[Characters/MarvelComicsLauraKinney X-23]] (Wolverine's OppositeSexClone) beating them out. |
| 85 | ** 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 the 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. |
| 86 | ** [[Characters/MarvelComicsGambit Gambit]] is ultimately this for Longshot who debuted several years before him. Before Remy showed up Longshot was supposed to be the resident [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTjyVFMBcwgieBWn846jH-HgfPEQnnP8ZAY8g&usqp=CAU female swooning]] cool PrettyBoy with energy based-powers based around throwing things who had a romance with Rogue. Then Gambit came along and exploded with popularity being probably the most badass x-dude next to Wolverine and took over all Longshot’s traits with Longshot himself fading into obscurity alongside Dazzler. Lampshaded by Mojo in ''ComicBook/MrAndMrsX'' where he creates a fantasy scenario of Gambit being the cool scoundrel who steals princess Rogue from prince Longshot. |
| 87 | * ''ComicBook/{{Zatanna}}'': Zatara was a member of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica and actually debuted shortly after Superman, but has been completely overshadowed by his daughter, Zatanna. |
| 88 | [[/folder]] |
| 89 | |
| 90 | [[folder:Film -- Live Action]] |
| 91 | * The second ''Film/AgentCodyBanks'' sequel isn't considered as good as the first one by most metrics, but one area where fans give it the upper hand is with the female lead, as Hannah Spearitt's ActionGirl role was more positively received than Creator/HilaryDuff's DamselInDistress character. |
| 92 | * ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'' chose to feature Gwen Stacy as Peter's girlfriend instead of Mary Jane Watson from the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy''. In the Creator/SamRaimi trilogy, Mary Jane wasn't too well thought of - both for being [[{{Jerkass}} too bitchy]] and [[DamselScrappy getting captured too many times]]. Gwen was beloved for Creator/EmmaStone's chemistry with Creator/AndrewGarfield and proving [[BadassBystander quite useful in the climax]]. [[spoiler: Killing her off in the second movie]] was met with outrage, although everyone familiar with the comics [[ForegoneConclusion saw it coming]]. |
| 93 | * ''{{Film/Carrie 2002}}'' has a few casting choices that are considered superior to those from the [[Film/{{Carrie 1976}} original film]] - though given how beloved the original is, this is in BrokenBase territory. |
| 94 | ** Creator/AmyIrving's Sue is very divisive, with some finding her portrayal quite flat, wooden and unsympathetic. Creator/KandyseMcClure's take on the character makes her unambiguously heroic and she's far more of TheAtoner. It's made clear in this version that Sue was not in on the prank. |
| 95 | ** Creator/BettyBuckley's portrayal of the gym teacher is considered {{Narm}}y and lacking in the necessary fire - not to mention getting a scene where she [[NiceJobBreakingItHero throws Sue out of the prom while she's trying to warn about the prank]]. Creator/RenaSofer captures the CoolTeacher persona of someone who is willing to fight for Carrie perfectly. She's also seen helping people escape from the prom disaster. |
| 96 | ** Edie [=McClurg=] is seen as a weird casting choice for Helen, given that she was in her thirties already and doesn't fit in with the GirlPosse. Chelan Simmons gives the character a HeelFaceTurn so that she becomes Carrie's friend at the prom and nearly stops the prank. As divisive as the remake is, she's considered one of the better things about it. |
| 97 | * ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'''s portrayal of the bratty kids are, with the possible exception of Veruca Salt, generally considered a vast improvement from the [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory 1971 movie]]. On the other hand, fans do tend to prefer the older Charlie to [[Creator/FreddieHighmore the newer one]], and ''definitely'' like Creator/GeneWilder's Willy Wonka a lot more than Creator/JohnnyDepp's. |
| 98 | * ''Film/FantasticBeasts'': |
| 99 | ** Newt Scamander is considered by some to be a more engaging protagonist than Literature/HarryPotter. Harry is by no means disliked but he’s definitely an EscapistCharacter and in the mold of an archetypical hero, which can make him a bit hard to relate to. Newt, on the other hand, is a very atypical lead character for a fantasy series. He’s socially awkward, sensitive, and empathetic which makes him very relatable. Some just appreciate the fact that there’s a big budget movie series led by such a character. Newt also chooses to be a heroic person rather than Harry who has his destiny thrust upon him as TheChosenOne. |
| 100 | ** Creator/JudeLaw’s younger Dumbledore is widely considered to be the highlight of the divisive second film and an improvement on Creator/MichaelGambon’s take on the character (though most agree he got better as the films wore on). This is was cemented by the third film which about tripled his screen time from it. |
| 101 | ** Creator/JohnnyDepp’s take on Gellert Grindelwald had been a sticking point since the first movie. His odd character design and stoicism had been singled out as weak points since in the books he’d always been described as very conventionally handsome and charming but with a nasty temper. The fact that he was actually in love with Dumbledore never quite came across the same way it did when Creator/ColinFarrell played him in disguise in the first one. When Depp was fired after the second film due to a loss in a domestic violence related civil court case, he was replaced by Creator/MadsMikkelsen. Mikkelsen’s take on the character was much better received. His look was toned down significantly, he was shown as being more emotional and torn, and he and Law have great chemistry. |
| 102 | * Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse: |
| 103 | ** Bruce Banner was played by Creator/EdwardNorton in his debut movie but replaced with Creator/MarkRuffalo for ''Film/TheAvengers2012''. Fans near unanimously prefer Ruffalo in the role, and he was [[StarMakingRole catapulted to the A-list because of it]] (there had previously been a trope [[TropeNamer called]] ''"Mark Ruffalo Syndrome"'' - about an actor who's always stuck in supporting roles). |
| 104 | ** To a lesser extent, few people even remember that the role of James Rhodes was formerly played by Creator/TerrenceHoward in ''Film/IronMan'', with Creator/DonCheadle replacing him by ''Film/IronMan2''. While the choice was [[BrokenBase divisive]] at the time, he would slowly become a fan favorite by the time ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' came around. With many being excited to see him everytime he makes an appearance. Essentially outgrowing Creator/TerrenceHoward in popularity for the role of War Machine and has become something of a regular in the [=MCU=], with many people being [[UnexpectedCharacter pleasantly surprised]] when Creator/DonCheadle made an appearance as James in the first episode for ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier''. |
| 105 | ** Creator/ZacharyLevi replaced Creator/JoshDallas as Fandral for ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld''. His [[FakeBrit accent was much more authentic]] and his performance was better received. He was actually the original choice for ''Film/{{Thor}}'' himself, but he was committed to ''{{Series/Chuck}}'' at the time. |
| 106 | ** Creator/TomHolland is the third actor to play Spider-Man (though the first two were not part of the MCU) on the big screen. His portrayal is generally considered superior to his immediate predecessor Creator/AndrewGarfield, although the opinions tend to get split when he is compared to Creator/TobeyMaguire. Ironically, Garfield's take on the character gets vindicated when he, Maguire, and Holland appeared together in the IntraFranchiseCrossover ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'', with many even claiming he stole the show. On the subject, the aforementioned trio's respective take on the character are far and away more iconic than [[Series/TheAmazingSpiderMan1978 the original live-action incarnation of the Web Slinger]] played by Nicholas Hammond. |
| 107 | ** Ned Leeds is seen as this filling the role of Peter’s best friend. Both versions of Harry Osborne have been viewed as UnintentionallyUnsympathetic, with Raimi-verse Harry being seen as taking advantage of Peter and not being a good boyfriend to MJ, while Webb-verse Harry came off as creepy and entitled. Ned’s friendship is viewed as a lot more genuine, even wanting to help Peter in his crime fighting and attempts to impress Liz, all wrapped up in an adorkable personality. |
| 108 | * ''Film/NowYouSeeMe2'' saw the departure of Isla Fisher's Henley, due to the actress's pregnancy. A new character Lula, played by Creator/LizzyCaplan, joins the cast in her place. She was extremely well received, and critics called her one of the best parts of the movie. |
| 109 | * The 1937 version of ''Film/ThePrisonerOfZenda'' received a ShotForShotRemake in Technicolor that's not exactly fondly remembered. Creator/DeborahKerr however is considered a better Flavia than Madeleine Carroll. |
| 110 | * ''Film/AQuietPlacePartII'': Even though he's constantly criticized by the other characters for not being like Lee, a lot of critics and fans found Emmett's more flawed and rounded personality, character arc, and the relationship he develops with Regan to make him a far more interesting and compelling male lead than Lee was. |
| 111 | * In ''{{Film/Scream 2}}'' fans find Gale's replacement camera man Joel far more entertaining than his predecessor Kenny. |
| 112 | * Likewise in ''{{Film/Scream 4}}'' Kirby was meant to be an {{Expy}} of Tatum from the first film - as the snarky best friend of the FinalGirl. Critics called Kirby the best part of the movie and [[spoiler: like to imagine HesJustHiding]] unlike Tatum (though she's not disliked). |
| 113 | * Human friends of Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog have not really been sold well. [[Anime/SonicX Chris Thorndyke]] was disliked for being an unrelatable SpotlightStealingSquad and [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Princess Elise]] was disliked for being a DamselScrappy and having romantic interactions with Sonic. [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020 Tom Wachowski]], on the other hand, was warmly accepted by the fan base for having a more relatable and dynamic personality, more moments of badass, and a cute fatherly relationship with the blue blur. |
| 114 | * Penny Benjamin (Creator/JenniferConnelly) of ''Film/TopGunMaverick'' is vastly preferred in the fandom over Charlie Blackwood (Creator/KellyMcGillis) from ''Film/TopGun'' as a love interest for Creator/TomCruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, thanks to Penny's significantly deeper and more well-rounded relationship with him and Connelly's much stronger romantic screen chemistry with Cruise. |
| 115 | * ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'': |
| 116 | ** ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'' replaced Mikaela Banes with Carly Brooks-Spencer as Sam's love interest, due to actress Creator/MeganFox getting fired between movies. Carly is generally regarded as an improvement over Mikaela, being a NiceGirl and having more charisma courtesy of Creator/RosieHuntingtonWhiteley, and going through a lot more story-wise than she did. It helps that her real life actress isn't nearly as hated as Fox. |
| 117 | ** The [[Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction next]] [[Film/TransformersTheLastKnight two]] films in the series replaced [[Creator/ShiaLaBeouf Sam Witwicky]] with [[Creator/MarkWahlberg Cade Yeager]]. While the quality of the films did not increase much, fans would tend to prefer Wahlberg's performance and characterization over [=LaBeouf's=], as Cade was less whiny and more mature and badass. |
| 118 | ** Of course, given how said film is viewed as TruerToTheText and as such has a more positive reception among both fans and critics alike, many fans view Creator/HaileeSteinfeld as Charlie Watson in ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}'' as the best lead in the live action films so far eclipsing both [=LaBeouf=] and Wahlberg, if not one of the best human leads in ''Transformers'' history. |
| 119 | * ''Film/WestSideStory2021'': |
| 120 | ** Creator/RachelZegler has received universal praise for her role as Maria and been described as better than Creator/NatalieWood, particularly because Zegler is Latina (albeit of Colombian rather than Puerto Rican decent) and has a great singing voice, while Wood was of Russian descent and dubbed over. |
| 121 | ** While opinions of his performance in and of itself has been mixed, Creator/AnselElgort has still been described as more believable as Tony than Richard Beymer. In addition, his chemistry with Zegler is much better than the chemistry between Beymer and Wood, who famously didn't get along during production. |
| 122 | ** Creator/RitaMoreno has been acclaimed for her role as the new character Valentina, who takes Doc's role from the original film and stage production, especially for her performance of "Somewhere." |
| 123 | ** Moreno is also one of the actors from the original that this did ''not'' happen to, with Creator/ArianaDeBose's performance being cited as equally good, just different. |
| 124 | * ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'': |
| 125 | ** ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' features a version of Scott Summers that is better received than his portrayal in the previous trilogy (not that Creator/JamesMarsden was bad; he was just not given much to work with). Creator/TyeSheridan's portrayal widely redeemed Scott in the eyes of movie fans. |
| 126 | ** ''Apocalypse'' also features a [[DarkActionGirl much cooler]] and comic accurate version of Psylocke - as her appearance in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' was Psylocke InNameOnly. Her actress Creator/OliviaMunn also fought for the character to wear her famous LeotardOfPower. |
| 127 | [[/folder]] |
| 128 | |
| 129 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 130 | * In ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' |
| 131 | ** Creator/CaityLotz [[TheOtherDarrin took over from]] Jacqueline [=MacInnes=] Wood in playing [[InconsistentSpelling Sarah/Sara Lance]]. In her initial appearance, she was a fairly forgettable throwaway character serving simply as the deceased sister of female lead Laurel. But upon her return and recast to Caity Lotz, she became a BreakoutCharacter who was beloved by the fandom to the point where her PopularityPower had her be brought BackFromTheDead and given [[Series/LegendsOfTomorrow her own spin-off show]]. |
| 132 | ** Creator/KatieCassidy as Earth-2 Laurel Lance. While the original Earth-1 Laurel was eventually {{vindicated|ByHistory}} and RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap, she was originally met with a lot of naysayers and only really enjoyed fan-appreciation during her last few episodes and [[spoiler:posthumously]] during her aforementioned vindication. Black Siren, meanwhile, is a fan-favorite from the get-go, even in-spite of her questionable actions. Her PopularityPower eventually leads to her HeelFaceTurn. |
| 133 | ** Ricardo Diaz replacing Cayden James as the BigBad of Season Six. Cayden was immensely divisive due to being an [[CanonForeigner original character]] and felt like a poor fit for a Green Arrow villain, instead feeling like he was intended as an EvilCounterpart to Felicity. While Diaz wasn't really met with open arms, due to the contrived plot twist, he did win back his fans and restored investment in the season as of "The Dragon" when his backstory was revealed and he shows off just how dangerous he could be. |
| 134 | * Emma Peel was the third of four people to costar with John Steed on ''Series/TheAvengers1960s'', but the chemistry between actors Creator/PatrickMacnee and Creator/DianaRigg made her by far the most popular choice. |
| 135 | * In-universe in ''Series/BandOfBrothers''. Lieutenant Jones arrives fresh out of West Point as a replacement for the incompetent Lieutenants Dike and Peacock. Initially disliked by the men, he proves himself an effective leader and quickly earns their respect. |
| 136 | * ''Series/BarneyMiller'' had as one of the detectives for the first two years Chano Amenguale, an excitable Puerto Rican who didn't really make as much of an impression as other characters like Yemana or Harris or Fish. When actor Gregory Sierra left the cast after two seasons, he was replaced by Steve Landesberg as detective Arthur Dietrich, TheComicallySerious DeadpanSnarker who became a fan favorite and stuck around for the rest of the show's run. |
| 137 | * ''Series/Charmed1998'': |
| 138 | ** Season 4 had to deal with the sudden departure of actress Shannen Doherty, who played the lead sister Prue. Rather than recasting, she was killed off and replaced with a long lost half-sister Paige Matthews. Despite how that sounds on paper, not only was Paige existing justified from an in-universe point of view[[note]]Season 2 had revealed there was an affair between the sister's mother and her whitelighter, which was forbidden by the Elders, and thus making it plausible that a child from that affair would have to be kept secret.[[/note]] but the show wisely avoided making her a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute. She was her own character and, while Prue tends to be preferred among the fandom, there are plenty who prefer Paige, and loads who happily accept a fourth sister as part of the canon. |
| 139 | ** Paige's final love interest in the show Henry is also the most liked out of her boyfriends. The chemistry between them is so good that fans don't mind [[StrangledByTheRedString how quickly they were paired up]]. |
| 140 | * ''Series/CriminalMinds'': |
| 141 | ** Rossi started out as a ReplacementScrappy for Gideon, but he became more well-liked by fans as the show went on and now many fans prefer him over Gideon. |
| 142 | ** Prentiss quickly established herself as part of the team and was well-liked by fans after effectively replacing Elle Greenaway, who was not exactly a fan favorite. |
| 143 | * In Season 3 of ''Series/DiagnosisMurder'', Dr. Jack Stewart is replaced with Dr. Jesse Travis. This change was generally seen for the better, as Jack was largely played for laughs with his CasanovaWannabe tendencies, while Jesse is more enthusiastic and [[JumpedAtTheCall proactive]] about solving cases. |
| 144 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': |
| 145 | ** While each of the first three Doctors were popular in their own right, the [[Characters/DoctorWhoFourthDoctor Fourth Doctor]] rapidly became the most popular incarnation in the entire series (rivaled only by Ten), thanks to a mix of his resonance with '70s counterculture and his comparatively behemothic seven-year tenure. |
| 146 | ** Creator/SylvesterMcCoy's [[Characters/DoctorWhoSeventhDoctor Seventh Doctor]] was this to Creator/ColinBaker's [[Characters/DoctorWhoSixthDoctor Sixth Doctor]], who among [[TheNthDoctor/DoctorWho the Doctor's regenerations]] was easily TheScrappy for his [[DirtyCoward cowardice]], crudeness, and was overall considered obnoxious. The Seventh Doctor, on the other hand, is one of the more popular regenerations for bringing an air of mysteriousness and mischief to the role that revolutionized future Doctor portrayals. |
| 147 | ** Later on, Creator/DavidTennant's [[Characters/DoctorWhoTenthDoctor Tenth Doctor]] became this to Creator/ChristopherEccleston's [[Characters/DoctorWhoNinthDoctor Ninth]] with Ten possibly being the most popular Revival era Doctor and the closest rival to Four for the position of most well-known Doctor. Still, plenty of fans still appreciate Nine, hence the adage "don't skip Nine" to new viewers who might be inclined to overlook Eccleston's respectable (if short) tenure just because Tennant ended up overshadowing him. |
| 148 | ** Vicki was seen not so much as a replacement for Susan, but an improvement, being smarter, more capable and less prone to screaming (it helps that Creator/MaureenOBrien was a much better actor than Creator/CaroleAnnFord). |
| 149 | ** The brainy and playful Zoe was seen as a great improvement over the rather wet Victoria. |
| 150 | ** The first incarnation of Romana, played by Creator/MaryTamm, wasn't widely disliked by any means, but her IceQueen personality was a turn-off for many fans. Her second incarnation, played by Creator/LallaWard, was way, ''way'' more popular, and widely considered to be the Fourth Doctor's most popular companion after Sarah Jane Smith (who in turn is generally agreed on as the show's absolute most popular companion of all-time) and Harry Sullivan. |
| 151 | ** Ace has a very, very committed personal fanbase, and outside that group is mostly remembered affectionately. She followed Peri and Mel, who are probably the two most widely-disliked companions in the history of the series. |
| 152 | ** Amy Pond was this to some for the [[BaseBreakingCharacter divisive]] Donna Noble, who rubbed many fans the wrong way with her anger outbursts and belittling of the Doctor. Amy, on the other hand became a fan-favorite of modern ''Doctor Who'' and was only rivaled by Rose Tyler, with Amy being loved for being one of the most complex companions and having very compelling chemistry with the Doctor. |
| 153 | ** Bill Potts was wholeheartedly welcomed by the fandom after she takes over from her [[BaseBreakingCharacter polarizing predecessor]] Clara Oswald, who got criticized for being a SpotlightStealingSquad and being involved in a RomanticPlotTumor. Bill also wins points from the LGBTFanbase for being the first openly gay main cast member.[[note]]earlier seasons had already featured ExtremeOmnisexual Jack Harkness as a recurring character, but he never became a regular companion, though he did get his own spinoff show ''Series/{{Torchwood}}''[[/note]] |
| 154 | * ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow'' had Mr Bell in season one, who was unseen as Drew Carey's boss [[spoiler:until the season finale]]. From season two onward, he was replaced by Mr Wick, who became an [[Main/EnsembleDarkhorse Ensemble Darkhorse]] soon after. Being played by Creator/CraigFerguson helps. |
| 155 | * ''Series/{{Farscape}}'': Sikozu was in every way designed as an upgrade to Jool, who was originally created as a replacement for fan favourite Zahn. But where Jool was a stuck-up, spoiled princess whose main feature was a scream that could melt metal (yes, really), Sikozu was more of a frustrated genius coping with being surrounded by crazy people, which made her all the more sympathetic, despite her abrasive personality. |
| 156 | * ''Series/GoodGame'' originally featured P-Nutz a stuffed monkey as a sidekick host, but he was [[TheScrappy reviled by fans]] which eventually led to the character [[TakeThatScrappy being killed]]. A few years down the track, another non-human sidekick, a robot named D.A.R.R.E.N., showed up on the spin-off sister show ''Good Game: Spawn Point'' who became very popular especially among kids for how funny he was and the amazing chemistry he had with the human hosts. |
| 157 | * ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' weathered two changes of showrunners after Harry Friedman's retirement in 2020. The first, Mike Richards, became hated almost instantly. Fans were not happy with two questionable Final Jeopardy! rulings in his first two weeks, his poor treatment of longtime staff members, the guest host parade after Creator/AlexTrebek's death and his alleged promotion of himself to succeed Trebek. After his firing, Michael Davies was announced to replace him. Davies has so far been a much more formidable executive producer, limiting the hosting rotation to Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik, adding episode statistics to the show's website, introducing Second Chance tournaments, and bumpers showing the next day's contestants during the credits. He continued this in Season 39 by announcing an overhaul to the Tournament of Champions format, which fans felt was long overdue. |
| 158 | * ''Series/KeepingUpAppearances'' had Rose played by Creator/ShirleyStelfox in Season 1, and she was replaced with Mary Millar in Season 2. The sitcom is considered to [[GrowingTheBeard have grown the beard]] at that point, and Mary Millar is seen as a funnier Rose. |
| 159 | * Surprisingly common on ''Franchise/LawAndOrder'': |
| 160 | ** On [[Series/LawAndOrder the original show]], there was both Detective Lennie Briscoe and ADA Jack [=McCoy=]. The former was more well-liked than ''both'' of the detectives he replaced (Greevey and Cerreta) due to his DeadpanSnarker personality to the point that most fans look at him as the best character on the show (if not the entire franchise) and believe his demise caused the show to JumpTheShark. The latter, even through his more controversial antics, is leaps and bounds more popular than ADA Stone just because of how charismatic he is. Both men are considered the heart of the show to the point that it doesn't truly feel like ''Law & Order'' without them. The same goes for Lt. Van Buren, ADA Kincaid and ADA Rubirosa, with the former two being the rare example of ExecutiveMeddling going ''right''. |
| 161 | ** On ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'', Detective Tutuola is considered a superior replacement for Munch's previous partners Cassidy and Jeffries as well as his appearances surpassing Munch himself. Anytime a storyline focused on him, it would catch fans' attention. |
| 162 | ** ADA Cabot is an interesting example. While she's not an example of this herself initially (as she is the first primary ADA that the show had and the most popular), but she eventually re-replaced the series' least popular ADA, Kim Greylek after she got out of witness protection and the new prosecutor went to work in the nation's capital. |
| 163 | * In ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'', the Season 1 lineup included the heavily disliked Hawkman and Harkgirl who had a long list of criticism from terrible character arc to poor acting. In Season 2 their spots got replaced by Nate Heywood/Steel and Amaya Jiwe/Vixen, who were tremendously better received by the fandom for being more likable characters and being a better fit for the team. |
| 164 | * Throughout the seasons of ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' Al has had various coworkers at the shoe store, but Griff, who was introduced in season nine, was by far the most memorable and funniest of them all. Despite being a Black equivalent of Al as far as being a hapless and broke loser who hates his (former) wife, he was also a voice of reason within the NO MA'AM organization and had more development than [[TheCasanova playboy Luke,]] [[FishOutOfWater college student Aaron,]] and the [[WeHardlyKnewYe one-episode wonder Dexter.]] |
| 165 | * 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. Winchester giving Hawkeye a more naunced WorthyAdversary than the cartoonish idiot Burns is similarly considered by many to be an improvement. (Burns' portrayer Larry Linville left the show because he felt there was nothing more to be done with the character.) |
| 166 | * ''Series/MakoMermaidsAnH2OAdventure'' is agreed to have [[GrowingTheBeard grown its beard]] in its second season, which began with two of the mermaid trio being replaced with a new pair of mermaids who had better chemistry with the rest of the cast. Lyla and Nixie had very prominent {{Fatal Flaw}}s that caused them to make boneheaded decisions, drawing out a LoveTriangle where she was a blatant intruder in Lyla's case; getting paranoid about Zac after he'd stopped being a threat and allowing Cam to become the final boss of the season in Nixie's case. Mimmi had a more endearing ConstantlyCurious personality in contrast to Nixie's cold smugness, while Ondina had a more entertaining prickly attitude in contrast to Lyla's aloofness. |
| 167 | * Tony from ''Series/MenBehavingBadly'' is a very popular character. Many viewers are unaware that he was a replacement at all, for the barely-remembered Dermot. |
| 168 | * ''{{Series/Merlin 2008}}'''s first BigBad was Nimueh who - while not disliked and in fact [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter more could have been done with]] - isn't remembered that much. Season 2 introduced another evil sorceress in Morgause - who is far more popular. In her debut she beats Arthur in a duel and later curses all of Camelot in an enchanted sleep just to kill Uther. |
| 169 | * On ''Series/MiamiVice'', Lt. 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. |
| 170 | * Jim Phelps (played by Peter Graves) was the second leader of ''Series/MissionImpossible'' team and is the series' most iconic character. The original leader, Dan Briggs (played by Steven Hill), only appeared in the original series and is forgotten by all but the most dedicated fans. |
| 171 | * On ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'', Dr. Forrester’s original assistant was a man named Dr. Lawrence Einhart, played by J. Elvis Weinstein. In the second season of the show’s run, after Weinstein departed, Einhart was replaced by Frank Coniff as TV’s Frank. Many fans consider Frank to be a much better assistant than Einhart, largely due to Einhart receiving very little characterization as little more than a yes-man compared to Frank’s role as a comedic foil to Dr. Forrester. |
| 172 | * ''Series/{{NCIS}}'': Ziva is more widely recognized than her predecessor Kate, given that the show gained widespread recognition after Kate's departure. As a result, many newer viewers don't even know who Kate is until they either stumble across an episode where she's mentioned or view one of the first two seasons later on. |
| 173 | * In ''Series/NowhereBoys'', the New Nowhere Boys who debuted in Season 3 all had a varying levels of ReplacementScrappy for the originals, except for Luke Hamill who took the spot of Andy as the nerd and became far more popular due to having a more fun personality, being a PopCulturedBadass, and probably in part due to being played by Kamil Ellis who had been garnering a reputation in ABC television. |
| 174 | * At the beginning of ''Series/NYPDBlue'', Detective John Kelly was a remarkable character who many fans liked, but his actor, Creator/DavidCaruso, left after only one season and was replaced by Detective Bobby Simone, who not only was considered Andy Sipowicz's most popular partner, but many regarded as the best character on the show, if not one of the most beloved drama characters of '''all time.''' The show's popularity grew exponentially once he came on board, fans were devastated by [[spoiler:his passing in season six]] and it served as a CareerResurrection for Simone's actor, Creator/JimmySmits (who had previously wowed fans on ''Series/LALaw''). |
| 175 | * ''Series/OnceUponATime'': |
| 176 | ** While Naveen Andrews was beloved in the role of Jafar when he starred in ''Series/OnceUponATimeInWonderland'', he had to be replaced in Season 6 by Oded Fehr. This however was considered a worthy successor, and some even prefer Oded in the role. |
| 177 | ** Gaston was an InNameOnly character in Season 1, played by Sage Brockelbank. In Season 5 he's recast with Wes Brown, bringing his characterization back to what Disney fans are more familiar with. |
| 178 | ** Creator/SeanMaguire is more remembered than his predecessor in the Robin Hood role - Creator/TomEllis. Few remember that the latter was even part of the series for an episode. |
| 179 | ** Merrin Dungey is likewise remembered more as the second incarnation of Ursula than the first, where she was played by Yvette Nicole Brown. It helps that the writers avoided ReplacementScrappy by simply saying they're two separate characters and the second one was in fact named after the first, meaning they didn't {{Retcon}} the first out of existence. |
| 180 | * Ben Wyatt for Mark Brendanawicz from ''Series/ParksAndRecreation''. While both essentially served the same role as the StraightMan, {{Foil}} and potential LoveInterest for Leslie, Mark was seen as TheGenericGuy compared to the other more colorful characters and [[TheScrappy the weakest link of the main cast]], which only became more evident as the show began [[GrowingTheBeard coming into its own identity]] separate from its [[Series/TheOfficeUS parent series]] in its second (and his last) season. Ben, in contrast, was [[BreakoutCharacter an instant hit with fans]], who found him to be both endearing and funny as well as a perfect fit for the show's newfound style. By the end of the series, Ben had graduated to the position of Leslie's [[{{Deuteragonist}} co-lead]] while Mark was never heard from again following his [[PutOnABus departure at the end of season 2]], not even returning for the series finale or the reunion special. [[note]] This was due to Mark's actor growing to hate the show and character and basically washing his hands of the show. [[/note]] |
| 181 | * ''Series/PartyOfFive'''s Sarah Reeves filled this role in two ways; a) she was the third love interest for Bailey after Kate (who was PutOnABus) and Jill (who was KilledOffForReal) and b) she replaced Nina as Julia's regular best friend. She didn't show up until Season 2 when the series had been UnCancelled but Creator/JenniferLoveHewitt became a star from the role. Sarah was even popular enough that they tried giving her a spin-off. |
| 182 | * 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. |
| 183 | * ''Series/RobotWars'' started with Creator/JeremyClarkson as the host. His tenure is largely forgotten, to the point that Creator/TheBBC even edited first series episodes to remove his appearances. In the second series, Creator/CraigCharles took over as host and he is often considered synonymous with the show amongst fans. |
| 184 | * ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'': |
| 185 | ** After the first season, Sabrina's best friend Jenny disappears [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome without explanation]] and is replaced by new girl Valerie. Thankfully, Valerie becomes far more popular and remembered than Jenny, for being funnier and dorkier. The dynamic with Sabrina being the confident friend worked much better. |
| 186 | ** Mr Pool likewise disappears after the first season to be replaced with another CoolTeacher in Mrs Quick. She's just as popular - if not more so - than him for being CuteAndPsycho. |
| 187 | ** Season 1 had an intimidating Principal [=LaRue=] who didn't really do much. Season 2 demotes him to TheGhost and introduces Vice Principal Kraft as an antagonist. He makes for a much more effective antagonist, especially when paired with [[AlphaBitch Libby]] who was mainly just mean to her lower classmates in Season 1. |
| 188 | * After season one of ''Series/TopGear'' concluded, presenter Jason Dawe left the program and was replaced by James May. In part due to his longer tenure on the show and dynamic with Jeremy and Richard, James became immensely more popular than Dawe to the point where many people forget or never knew about Dawe's presence on the show at all. |
| 189 | * In the 2004 revival of Spanish game show ''Series/UnDosTres'', the ''Literature/Fahrenheit451''-inspired negative character Colonel [=McPhantom=] failed to catch on and was DemotedToExtra after four episodes. His replacement, General Antilivroff, much goofier and more in the vein of previous negative characters of the show, did achieve some popularity. |
| 190 | * ''Franchise/TheVampireDiariesUniverse'': |
| 191 | ** 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. |
| 192 | ** ''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, 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. |
| 193 | * ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' originally had Dale to fill the role of wise, good-natured mentor figure. However, when Dale's actor decided to leave the show in season 2, they repurposed Hershel to fill that role instead. Despite Hershel debuting later, he's much more beloved by fans. It's mostly due to Hershel being seen as better acted and more interesting, as [[CharacterDevelopment Hershel suffers numerous personal losses in season 2 but ultimately grows into a better man because of it]], whereas Dale just came off as a TokenGoodTeammate who staunchly opposed all pragmatism regardless of the circumstances. Some also felt Dale's actions made him seem [[ProtagonistCenteredMorality unintentionally hypocritical]] as well[[note]]He doesn't tell Rick that he caught Shane trying to kill him until after Shane starts flirting with Andrea (Dale's love interest) suggesting his motives for doing so might not have been entirely altruistic[[/note]]. [[spoiler: Years after they're both dead, Hershel's death continues to haunt the still-living characters, while Dale has been forgotten]]. |
| 194 | * ''Series/{{Wednesday}}'': Enid Sinclair has proven to be far more popular than the previous attempt to give Wednesday a best friend, Parker Needler from ''WesternAnimation/TheAddamsFamily2019'', due being better developed, having a more interesting dynamic with Wednesday, and being far more memorable due to Creator/EmmaMyers' charm. |
| 195 | * ''Series/WheelOfFortune'' was originally hosted by Chuck Woolery, with Susan Stafford as the LovelyAssistant. Woolery quit in 1981 and hosted many other popular game shows since, including ''Series/{{Scrabble}}'', ''Series/LoveConnection'', and ''Series/{{Lingo}}'', and was replaced by his much longer-lived successor Pat Sajak. Stafford quit one year later to focus on humanitarian work and was replaced by Vanna White, long said to have been one of the key factors in the show's longterm success and sparking a phenomenon known as "Vannamania" -- in short becoming the most famous LovelyAssistant in television history. |
| 196 | * ''Series/Zoey101'': Lola replaces Dana as Zoey's roommate after the first season. While Dana has her fans, she is controversial in the fandom for being a female version of Logan and most people agree that the show works better with Lola, and she is far more fondly remembered years later than Dana. |
| 197 | [[/folder]] |
| 198 | |
| 199 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 200 | * ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'': The PowerTrio of ''The Lost Hero,'' Jason, Piper, and Leo, were pretty [[BaseBreakingCharacter divisive characters]]. Some accused Jason of being rather bland, Piper of getting her abilities overhyped and for being rather shallow, and despite getting the most love from readers, Leo gets flak for being a bit of a JerkAss. In ''The Son of Neptune,'' not only does [[Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians Percy]] [[HeroOfAnotherStory return]], but the new characters, Frank and Hazel, were more well-liked by readers for their chemistry as a group. Individually, Frank gets love for being a NiceGuy with a compelling underdog story, and Hazel for her tragic backstory. |
| 201 | [[/folder]] |
| 202 | |
| 203 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 204 | * Music/AtomicKitten initially had Kerry Katona as the third Kitten. She left the group to focus on raising her children, and was replaced with Jenny Frost. Jenny became the EnsembleDarkhorse of the group and remained in the public eye the most. Ironically for a reunion, Kerry replaced Jenny when she was pregnant. |
| 205 | * Famously, Music/TheBeatles replaced Pete Best with the more talented Music/RingoStarr as drummer right before getting big. Needless to say, most fans agree that it's not The Fab Four without Ringo. |
| 206 | * Music/{{Can}}'s second lead vocalist Damo Suzuki was more popular than their first, Malcolm Mooney. People who discover the band through the Suzuki-era records (which is most fans) generally like Mooney's contributions too, but not to the extent of displacing Suzuki as the band's definitive frontman. |
| 207 | * Music/DeepPurple began their journey as a pioneering hard rock band when they replaced Rod Evans and Nick Simper with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover, respectively. |
| 208 | * Music/DestinysChild replaced [=LeToya=] Luckett and [=LaTavia=] Roberson with Michelle Williams (not [[Creator/MichelleWilliams the actress]]) and Farrah Franklin. Although Franklin left after only a couple of singles, Williams is more remembered than her predecessors - while ironically still being considered the LesserStar of the group. |
| 209 | * Music/DiamondRio's original lead vocalist was Matt Davenport. Before the band cound secure a record deal, a producer suggested that he be replaced with Marty Roe. This change occurred in 1988, four years into the band's existence, and helped cement a LongRunnerLineUp that has not changed since 1989. |
| 210 | * Music/IronMaiden: Music/BruceDickinson was initially regarded as a ReplacementScrappy by the time he joined the band, but soon came to be this to Paul Di'Anno, who was the singer on Maiden's [[Music/IronMaidenAlbum first]] [[Music/{{Killers}} two]] albums. Adrian Smith and Nicko [=McBrain=] have also proved to be more popular than the ones they replaced: Dennis Stratton and Clive Burr. |
| 211 | * Music/PanicAtTheDisco has bassist Jon Walker, who replaced Brent Wilson. Jon is almost universally considered a more talented bassist and gets more attention from fans, while Brent is largely forgotten by the fandom and allegedly didn't even play on the only album released during his time in the band. |
| 212 | * Music/{{Pendulum|Band}}: KJ Sawka replaced Paul Kodish as the drummer. KJ is considered to be a more talented drummer, while Paul is largely forgotten by fans. |
| 213 | * Music/TheRamones' original drummer was Tommy Ramone, who began as their manager and played drums because no one else in the band wanted to. He left after three albums and his replacement Marky Ramone is more well-known. |
| 214 | * Music/RedHotChiliPeppers: Music/JohnFrusciante and Chad Smith to the two original members they replaced: Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons, especially after the former died from a heroin overdose. It's no coincidence that the band started their breakout when those two joined. |
| 215 | * A song example for Music/SClub7. Their debut single off the ''Seeing Double'' album "Alive" was release around the time Jo was suffering from back problems. An alternate version of the single was recorded with Rachel on lead vocals instead of Jo. General consensus seems to be that Rachel's version was better - even though it was never officially released. |
| 216 | * {{Music/Sugababes}} member Heidi Range replaced Siobhan Donaghy. Once she joined the group experienced much more commercial success, while also keeping their previous level of critical acclaim. |
| 217 | * Music/{{Yes}} guitarist Steve Howe and keyboardist Rick Wakeman were much more popular than the band members they replaced: Peter Banks and Tony Kaye. |
| 218 | [[/folder]] |
| 219 | |
| 220 | [[folder:Professional Wrestling]] |
| 221 | * NXT Season 3 abruptly dropped the 7 ft Aloisa from the competition after [[ContractualPurity erotic fetish photos of her were found online]]. Her replacement {{Wrestling/Kaitlyn}} ended up winning the contest and later becoming Divas' Champion. In terms of wrestling ability, Aloisa was seen as clumsy and uncoordinated in the ring - while Kaitlyn caught onto wrestling pretty fast. |
| 222 | * {{Wrestling/Aksana}} was apparently given a gimmick pitched by Maxine - that of a FemmeFatale who seduced Teddy Long. Aksana was agreed to be a better choice for the role - merging FunnyForeigner with InnocentFanserviceGirl - and the resulting segments were {{Innocent Innuendo}}s that provided many funny moments. |
| 223 | * 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 and X-Pac were added and they're considered a classic part of the group. Some even forget that Rick Rude was even associated with them. |
| 224 | * Wrestling/LayCool initially began as an alliance between Wrestling/MichelleMcCool and Wrestling/AliciaFox. Alicia was inexplicably traded to Raw after a couple of months, and {{Wrestling/Layla}} started teaming with Michelle. They eventually made them a proper stable who really dominated the division. Layla ended up becoming champion twice, and was the EnsembleDarkhorse of the group. |
| 225 | * NXT was hyping its first women's feud to be between {{Wrestling/Paige}} - who was the [[NotLikeOtherGirls 'Anti-Diva']] - and Raquel Diaz - who was the [[AlphaBitch 'Ultra Diva']]. Raquel abruptly left NXT and the feud was then re-started with Wrestling/SummerRae. Summer was considered an infinitely better choice for the role, considering she could go in the ring in addition to fitting the character better (she was previously a model before she was signed, giving better subtext to the 'model vs wrestler' dynamic) -- whereas Raquel was average in the ring at best and the only hype surrounding her was [[Wrestling/EddieGuerrero who her father was]], so not a lot of people remember her. Summer meanwhile became a fan favourite among the IWC (who are not normally kind to model-turned-wrestlers). |
| 226 | * As iconic as the "domed globe" (aka. the "Ten Pounds of Gold") [[Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance NWA]] World Heavyweight Championship belt was, its replacement, the Wrestling/BigGoldBelt, went on to become ''the'' most iconic world championship belt in wrestling history. |
| 227 | [[/folder]] |
| 228 | |
| 229 | [[folder:Radio]] |
| 230 | * ''Radio/AmericanCountryCountdown'' was originally hosted by singer and comedian Don Bowman. He was replaced in 1978 by Bob Kingsley, who boosted the show's popularity and helped it expand from three to four hours. Kingsley continued to stay with ''ACC'' until he was ousted in 2005 in favor of [[Music/BrooksAndDunn Kix Brooks]]; however, he seamlessly moved over to ''Radio/BobKingsleysCountryTop40'', a similar show which he continued to helm until his death from cancer in 2019. |
| 231 | * ''Radio/TheNavyLark'': Lt Price, the show's first Lt, was a very much more military and sarcastic figure who could be almost as much of an antagnoist to the rest of the crew as [[PointyHairedBoss Commander Povey]] was. He was replaced after the first season by Lt Murray, who was much more easy going, slightly more clueless, and much more willing to hang together with everyone else in the face of The Admiralty; thus much more loved by the fandom (and in-universe, the crew). |
| 232 | [[/folder]] |
| 233 | |
| 234 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 235 | * Ezio the protagonist of ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' is a lot more popular and iconic than his predecessor Altair from [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI the original game]] and still remains the most popular assassin to this day. |
| 236 | * ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'': |
| 237 | ** Tawna Bandicoot was Crash's SatelliteLoveInterest and DamselInDistress in the first game in the series, though it quickly touched a nerve with Universal executives due to her over-sexualised appearance. Naughty Dog became disillusioned with the character after the conflict it caused and complied to Sony of Japan's request to make a replacement female sidekick for Crash. Coco Bandicoot, Crash's little sister, remained a mainstay after the second game and became popular enough to be PromotedToPlayable in future titles. |
| 238 | ** Also from the first game, Koala Kong existed as Cortex's DumbMuscle, though by ''Crash Bandicoot 2'' he is supplanted by Tiny Tiger, who became more iconic a member of the RoguesGallery due to his more developed childlike personality and dogged loyalty to Cortex in later titles making him more likeable. |
| 239 | * ''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.]] |
| 240 | * ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'': |
| 241 | ** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'': Fans often consider Dixie Kong to be an even better character than Donkey Kong for not only being a playable ActionGirl who serves as a BattleCouple with Diddy Kong, but also for her added ability to glide with her hair. |
| 242 | ** Kiddy Kong from ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'' was not very popular, being a one-note character who took the title character's role in gameplay as the big, tanky one. In ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'', Kiddy's brother, Chunky Kong, was introduced and was significantly more liked, partially due to being playable alongside DK, and partially due to his [[GentleGiant more realized]] and [[LovableCoward less generic]] personality. |
| 243 | ** The Tiki Tak tribe from ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' was largely seen as a ReplacementScrappy for the Kremlings, who were the (more popular) antagonists in the original ''Donkey Kong Country'' trilogy as well as ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'', and a low point for an otherwise acclaimed game. The Snowmads from ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'', in contrast, are much better received for being more charismatic and varied, and for offering more satisfying boss battles. While the Kremlings still get the upper hand among DK fans in terms of overall popularity, the Snowmads are still appreciated on their own. |
| 244 | * In ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', K9999 was derided for being a blatant [[Manga/{{Akira}} Tetsuo]] ripoff (even if he has his fans). ''2002: Unlimited Match'' replaces him with Nameless (that's his name), who stands on his own better as a character and is better received. ''XV'' introduces another replacement in Krohnen (who just so happens to be [[spoiler:K9999's alter ego]]), who also stands on his own better and is just as popular, if not more so, than Nameless. |
| 245 | * ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' has Tatl filling in the role Navi had in ''[[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', and players were more favorable to the new fairy, finding her manifesting through bell chimes much more pleasant than [[AnnoyingVideoGameHelper the infamous "Hey! Listen!"]], and liking her personality of a LittleMissSnarker [[DefrostingIceQueen who as time passes comes to appreciate Link more]]. |
| 246 | * At one point in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'', the Handler departs from the PlayerCharacter to head out to search with the Tracker, leaving the Serious Handler temporarily replacing her as the Hunter's guide. In that short segment, she has a much more positive reception than the Handler due to the Serious Handler not being as annoying or reckless as her with players actually groaning once the Handler return back as the player's guide to the point that an overwhelming majority of them requested to have her as an alternate guide for a possible DLC. |
| 247 | * ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' has had [[LegacyCharacter two characters]] who used the code name Sub-Zero. The first was the Lin Kuei assassin Bi-Han who was killed by Scorpion in the first game and later resurrected as the wraith Noob Saibot. The second Sub-Zero is Bi-Han's younger brother Kuai Liang who would remain the main Sub-Zero for subsequent games. While Bi-Han is by no means hated by the fan base, Kuai Liang's longer tenure as Sub-Zero has made him the more iconic of the two to wear the blue ninja garb. |
| 248 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'', the ''Portable'' rerelease switches around some of the female protagonist's social links, replacing some of the old characters with your male party members. For example Mamoru, the track athlete from another school who is the male protagonist's Star Social Link, is replaced by Akihiko[[note]]His actual arcana is Emperor, though[[/note]]. Many of the party members are better-liked than the ones they replaced, particularly since said Social Links help flesh out their characters more, and while Ken's Social Link is divisive, partly because he replaces the fairly popular Chihiro, and partly because he can be romanced, some believe that having a Social Link is good for his character. It also helps that [[spoiler:if you romance Shinjiro, you can save his life]]. |
| 249 | * ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}:'' |
| 250 | ** Sojiro Sakura serves the ParentalSubstitute role that Ryotaro Dojima did in [[VideoGame/{{Persona 4}} the previous game]]. Sojiro is somewhat better liked, though, since while both men have a somewhat distant relationship with their daughters, in Sojiro's case, it's more due to Futaba's severe personal issues than his own failings. Near the end of the game, [[spoiler:while Dojima brings the protagonist in for questioning, thereby leaving his daughter vulnerable to being kidnapped, Sojiro, after finding evidence linking Futaba to the Phantom Thieves, questions them about it, but ultimately decides to support them in spite of the fact that the Phantom Thieves are currently wanted for murder]]. |
| 251 | ** ''[[UpdatedRerelease Persona 5: Royal]]'' added Kasumi Yoshizawa into the storyline like how Marie was in ''Persona 4: Golden''. Unlike Marie, who was seen as an unnecessary SpotlightStealingSquad, Kasumi was much better received for having good chemistry with some of the characters like Akechi, not taking up too much of the plot awkwardly, and [[spoiler:an awesome twist of her really being her thought to be dead sister Sumire]]. |
| 252 | * ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'': Sig, who represents [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience blue puyos]], is this to Tartar to a heavy degree, not only overshadowing his predecessor in Accord's class right out of the gate, but even going on to become easily the most beloved EnsembleDarkhorse to come out of the ''Fever'' duology. |
| 253 | * ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'': |
| 254 | ** Leon Kennedy is unmistakably more popular than his predecessor Chris Redfield (edging him out on the top of every poll) despite Chris not only appearing in more games than him and being the face of the franchise. This is thanks to a combination of Leon’s games ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 RE2]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 RE4]]'' being all time favourites and Leon himself arguably having a more engaging personality as well as a cooler design than Chris who’s often accused of being a ActionGenreHeroGuy. |
| 255 | ** Nemesis ever since [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis his game]] has managed to be far more popular than the proceeding ImplacableMan Mr. X from ''[=RE2=]'' (with even people who haven’t played Resident Evil knowing who Nemesis is) with him even making it to ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 MVC3]]''. While Mr. X is considered a memorable part of the second game to those who played it, he still was massively overshadowed in the mainstream by his iconic and toothier big brother thanks to having a simpler design (bald guy in a trench coat) as well as not being as relentless or as relevant to the plot as Nemesis was. Telling it took a complete overhaul, larger presence and a cool hat a decade later in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake RE2make]]'' for Mr. X to finally rival Nemesis in popularity and get more recognition, aided by some MemeticMutation. It also helps Nemesis himself ironically got a scaled down portrayal in his own [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Remake remake]] compared to Mr. X, so the latter wasn’t overshadowed once again. |
| 256 | * ''VideoGame/SoulSeries:'' |
| 257 | ** Maxi was introduced in ''Soulcalibur'' (which was actually the [[SequelDisplacement second game]] in the series) and it didn't take long for him to far eclipse Li Long, the character he replaced as the series' nunchaku user. This is mainly due to Maxi having a more memorable personality and style compared to Li Long being more of a FlatCharacter. As such, Maxi remains a staple, but Li Long is all but forgotten. |
| 258 | ** Azwel from ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'', who can create weapons out of nowhere, is meant to be a replacement of Necrid from ''II'' mainly due to [[ExiledFromContinuity legal issues regarding the character being created by Todd [=McFarlane=].]] However, due to Azwel actually looking like he belongs in the game, having an actual backstory, being involved in the plot, having moves that are really well thought of instead of haphazardly putting in moves from other characters, and simply being a very cool looking FountainOfMemes character who is just a joy to watch, he became a very beloved inclusion to the cast of characters while Necrid remains obscure to non ''Soulcalibur II'' fans. |
| 259 | * ''Franchise/StreetFighter'': |
| 260 | ** 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. |
| 261 | ** Rashid who debuted in ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterV SFV]]'' has proved to be more popular than ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterV SFIV ]]''’s newcomers Abel, C. Viper, Rufus, El Fuerte and Hakan with the obvious exception of [[EnsembleDarkHorse Juri]]. In fact Rashid even managed to get into the sequel ''[=SF6=]'' alongside Juri and new poster boy Luke which is usually quite rare for newly introduced World Warriors. |
| 262 | ** ''VideoGame/StreetFighter6'': |
| 263 | *** 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 replacements]], 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. |
| 264 | *** A.K.I is certainly this for F.A.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.A.N.G, her mentor, similar to how Sakura is for Ryu. |
| 265 | * In ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'', Princess Peach is a much more popular and iconic character than Pauline, Mario's girlfriend in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong.'' Pauline is mostly only remembered now because of being a interesting bit of video game history, though she still appears in some ''Mario'' games (including ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'', where she enjoyed a newfound popularity). |
| 266 | * In ''VideoGame/WorldOfTanks'', Wargaming rarely removes tanks entirely from the tech tree to replace them, and when it happens this often results in no small amount of fan outcry. However, ''no one'' complained when the unpopular and ill-favored M3 Lee was replaced in the tech tree by the much more flexible and thematically appropriate T6 Medium tank (being a turreted medium with generally well-rounded handling characteristics). The inclusion of the popular 105 millimeter howitzer cannon as an option on a tier 4 medium tank didn't hurt its popularity either, rocketing the T6 Medium into superstardom almost overnight. |
| 267 | * ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'': Riku and Manana are widely considered to be the best Nopon party members in the series, lacking [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1 Riki]]'s missing CharacterFocus during the main story, [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2 Tora]]'s more [[CovertPervert perverted tendencies]], and [[VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX Tatsu]]'s overall obnoxiousness. Instead, Manana is well-liked for her SupremeChef skills and GenkiGirl disposition that make her a BadassAdorable, while Riku isn't even a PluckyComicRelief character at all, has a [[VocalDissonance surprisingly deep voice]] for a Nopon, and is instead much more of a [[Franchise/StarWars Yoda]]-like figure to the party and Noah - [[spoiler:not to mention that he is implied to be more than just a regular Nopon, though this remains [[AmbiguousSituation ambiguous]].]] |
| 268 | [[/folder]] |
| 269 | |
| 270 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 271 | * ''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 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. |
| 272 | [[/folder]] |
| 273 | |
| 274 | [[folder:Web Video]] |
| 275 | * The early episodes of ''WebVideo/BuzzfeedUnsolved'' were hosted by Ryan Bergara and Brent Bennett, serving as the [[AgentMulder believer]] and [[AgentScully skeptic]] respectively. From the episode on TheIlluminati onwards, however, Brent would be replaced by Shane Madej, who took things a step further by openly taunting and trying to provoke whatever supernatural threat they were investigating that episode. This, combined with the entertaining VitriolicBestBuds dynamic he had with Ryan, quickly made him a fan favourite, and he stayed on as co-host for the rest of the series. |
| 276 | * When [[Music/NinjaSexParty Danny Sexbang]] replaced WebVideo/JonTron in WebVideo/GameGrumps, he was at first considered a ReplacementScrappy by most fans upset with the sudden change. However, he quickly proved to be quite charming and funny and a good {{foil}} to Arin's craziness, now regularly ranking as favorite Grump in reddit fan-polls and fans constantly claiming to see him appear even more often in the middle-slot video. |
| 277 | * Rachel Tietz, who moved from ''WebVideo/DemoReel'' to ''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic'' when the former series was cancelled in favor of a revival of the latter, was reasonably well-liked among its fans. Tamara Chambers, who took over from Tietz after she left at the end of 2013, was (and remains) ''incredibly'' popular among said fans, possibly even the most popular of the series' lead actors. |
| 278 | [[/folder]] |
| 279 | |
| 280 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 281 | * ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Princess Azula made her first full appearance in Book 2, and she almost immediately eclipsed Zhao, one of the primary antagonists of Book 1 and who she replaced as [[AntiVillain Zuko's]] personal villain, in popularity. This is mainly due to Azula being far more dangerous and having a more memorable personality, while Zhao was little more than an [[SmugSnake egotistical Fire Navy officer]]. As a result, Azula became a staple of the show and showed up in the sequel comics (admittedly under a rather [[BrokenBase divisive character arc]]), while Zhao was seemingly killed off in the Book 1 finale and was almost completely forgotten about barring a few minor references in the later two seasons [[spoiler: and a surprising but ultimately brief cameo in the SequelSeries ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''.]] |
| 282 | * ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'': Rook Blonko was initially seen as a ReplacementScrappy for replacing Gwen and Kevin, but shortly after he became the opposite and was viewed as an improvement considering Gwen and Kevin are seen by some as [[CreatorsPet Creator's Pets]] who were involved in a RomanticPlotTumor. It's been said that the reason they were demoted to {{Recurrer}} status was because they were overshadowing Ben, before Rook [[HilariousInHindsight comes in and shows us how being cooler than the main character]] is ''really'' done, acting as a StraightMan to the more reckless Ben as well as being a disciplined ByTheBookCop and BadassNormal. |
| 283 | * ''WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts'': |
| 284 | ** WesternAnimation/OswaldTheLuckyRabbit was Creator/WaltDisney's first major mascot for Disney; however, legal issues led to Oswald and his wife Ortensia being scrapped for WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse and WesternAnimation/MinnieMouse. The replacements soon eclipsed the originals and have since become two of the most recognizable cartoon characters out there. |
| 285 | ** WesternAnimation/DaisyDuck wasn't the first love interest to WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck. Another duck, Donna Duck, appeared in an earlier short. Since Daisy's debut, she's been his main love interest in almost every medium and has since become a part of the core Disney cast. |
| 286 | ** In some older shorts, WesternAnimation/{{Goofy}} had an unnamed son. Max Goof from ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'' is much more popular due to his design more resembling Goofy's and due to his less bratty personality. Max even ended up becoming a CanonImmigrant over time. |
| 287 | * ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'': Arnold's second teacher Mr. Simmons is better remembered than his predecessor Miss Slovak. |
| 288 | * ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': |
| 289 | ** The first Looney Tunes star in the early 30s was Bosko, who was later replaced by Buddy, but both are remembered as bland {{Flat Character}}s and are mostly obscure to modern audience (Buddy, in particular, was largely seen as a ReplacementScrappy for Bosko). WesternAnimation/PorkyPig was introduced in 1935 and becomes the first true star of the franchise to have an actual personality and remained the studio's main character for quite a few years. However, while Porky is still part of the main cast today, he eventually found himself OutOfFocus compared to other "zany" characters like WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck and WesternAnimation/BugsBunny. Bugs is now considered the most famous star of the franchise and one of the most iconic cartoon characters in history. |
| 290 | ** Porky was paired with many different sidekicks in his early cartoons of the 30s but they are all largely forgotten. A notable example was Porky's sidekick and foil Gabby Goat, whose behavior was considered offensive by viewers. Daffy Duck was initially introduced as another one-shot foil for Porky but eventually became a BreakoutCharacter. One of the Porky/Gabby cartoons ("Porky's Badtime Story") was even remade with Daffy replacing Gabby. |
| 291 | ** In his first three cartoons, Tweety was chased by other random cats, before being paired with his iconic rival Sylvester. |
| 292 | ** Honey Bunny has been Bugs Bunny's official love interest in [[Creator/GoldKeyComics comics]] and [[ExpandedUniverse other media]] for decades (from the 50s to early 90s). Since the release of ''Film/SpaceJam'', she has been completely supplanted by the much more notable Lola Bunny, both in merchandising and every other ''Looney Tunes'' project. |
| 293 | ** Daffy has several love interests in his shorts, notably Melissa Duck from "The Scarlet Pumpernickel". His girlfriend Tina Russo from ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'' is fairly likable and more popular than Melissa, which is not hard, considering that Melissa was a SatelliteLoveInterest, whose only prominent role was in the controversial ''WesternAnimation/BabyLooneyTunes''. |
| 294 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' has an example of a more popular [[TheOtherDarrin Other Darrin]]. Early in Season 2, Creator/AndrewLawrence replaced Ross Malinger as T.J.'s voice actor, and is widely considered the definitive voice of T.J. by fans. It helps that several of T.J.'s most iconic character elements – his catchphrase "Ten-der!", his invented word "whomp," his rivalry with Lawson, and his funny BookDumb moments – were only introduced after Lawrence took over the role. |
| 295 | * Butters from ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' took over Pip's role in the show as the ButtMonkey and ThePollyanna at around Season Four. He was much more liked by both the audience and the creators and eventually became a main character and an iconic part of the show. Pip [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome disappeared from the series for a while]] and was [[BackForTheDead eventually killed off]] in the 200th episode. |
| 296 | * ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'': |
| 297 | ** 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). |
| 298 | ** 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]]. |
| 299 | * ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaPresentsTheRidonculousRace'': |
| 300 | ** Don took over from Chris as the host, which was welcomed by the majority of the fandom given [[HateSink how unlikable]] Chris had become in the later seasons with the {{flanderization}} of his [[{{Sadist}} sadism]] and [[TheSociopath sociopathy]]. Don on the other hand is closer to the original interpretation of a hedonistic but overall fair host who does not change the rules willy-nilly for his own amusement, unlike Chris who is a contender for TropeCodifier of ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem. |
| 301 | ** Crimson and Ennui replaced Gwen as the {{goth}} stereotype characters, with the two of them proving insanely popular with many fans deeming them superior due to Gwen's own waning popularity. This is likely the reason why Gwen was made [[CompositeCharacter to be more like Crimson]] in the SpinoffBabies series ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaRama''. |
| 302 | ** Taylor ended up being almost a carbon-copy of Amy, even down to the same voice actress, but nearly all of the fandom consider Taylor to be a better character due to being somewhat more fleshed out thanks to her backstory being provided, as well as actually having a few [[PetTheDog redeeming qualities]]. Also, Taylor ended up having a small ounce of respect for her mother, while Amy remained as awful a person as she was from the beginning. |
| 303 | [[/folder]] |
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