We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
— "Little Gidding", T. S. Eliot
Some characters are static. They change little over the course of the story. Others are dynamic. They change significantly over the course of the story. Some characters, however, contain elements of both. They develop a lot across a story, but by the end, their personality is the same, or at least very similar, to what it was at the start. Sometimes their experiences have made them stronger or taught them a valuable lesson, but fundamentally, the changes their character went through during the story are undone by the end. This is a Sub-Trope of Character Regression, specifically for when the character remains regressed by the end of a story/installment. It is often the characterisation-version of All for Nothing.
Perhaps a character gains Acquired Situational Narcissism, before relearning humility by the end. Another example would be a character who joins the side of the villains, before defecting back to the side of the heroes. Similarly, a successful "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight will often result in this trope, as will a successful attempt at Deprogramming. It can also be the product of Aesop Amnesia or an Ignored Epiphany, with characters learning and growing, but by the end ignoring or abandoning the lessons they learnt. Furthermore, a character who goes through permanent Emotional Regression usually has a Circular Character Arc. Additionally, We Want Our Jerk Back! and We Want Our Idiot Back! frequently result in a former Jerkass or idiot returning to their previous ways, creating a circular arc. Back in the Saddle and related tropes will often overlap with Circular Character Arcs. In practice, Backported Development can result in something similar to a Circular Character Arc.
This also frequently occurs as part of attempted Character Rerailment: perhaps the sudden development of a character is unpopular with the audience so the writers try to revert that development, meaning that, by the end of the story, the character has the personality the audience fell in love with. This might involve a Character Check. On the other hand, it can also be part of Character Derailment and/or Flanderisation, as a character loses interesting growth and development to become the person they started the story as. For better or for worse, this trope is often part of Status Quo Is God, especially when it occurs across a single installment in a larger franchise. If it is important for the plot, tone, or identity of a story that a character behaves a certain way, then that character can't fundamentally change too much across a story.
This trope is generally on a large scale, so across an entire story or at least a single installment (say a film, book or season). For similar tropes that usually apply on smaller scales (like across a single episode), see Amnesia Episode, Compressed Abstinence, Compressed Vice, Cooldown Hug and Snap Back.
Subtropes:
- Dying as Yourself: When a character is corrupted (by magic, torture, brainwashing, etc.) and temporarily escapes that corruption, briefly returning to their previous characterisation, before dying.
- "Flowers for Algernon" Syndrome: Characters who gain a positive quality (or lose a negative one) before reverting by the end of the story or episode, usually with An Aesop that the character was actually better or at least happier before.
- Heal the Cutie: When The Cutie who Took a Level in Cynic is 'healed' and becomes The Cutie again (often due to a Mental Health Recovery Arc).
- He's Back!: When a character recovers from issues they had developed and returns to their former self, perhaps after a 10-Minute Retirement.
- Pygmalion Snap Back: A character who is changed by another character but reverts to their old self by the end.
- Redemption Failure: A Villain attempts a Heel–Face Turn but, ultimately, returns to their villainy.
As this is a trope associated with the ways characters end a story, the examples here will have unmarked spoilers.
Examples:
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Anime & Manga
- Akame ga Kill!: Esdeath is initially shown as a violent and brutal warmonger, but develops an intense Villainous Crush on Tatsumi and has some softer moments with her subordinates. When the Empire is finally falling and Esdeath is left with the knowledge that Tatsumi will never be hers, she has a final, destructive fight with Akame, proving that to the end, all Esdeath really cares about is sating her bloodlust and getting what she wants.
- Chainsaw Man: Denji's character arc in Part 2 can more or less be summed up as this. Denji realizes multiple times that him turning to hedonism as a coping mechanism is unhealthy, but he always relapses back into that behavior time and time again. Perhaps the most blatant example is how in chapter 166 Denji has a breakdown about how much he hates himself for always "thinking with his dick" and wishes he could be different… and then a couple chapters later he, again, degrades himself when Yoru offers him sex.
- EDENS ZERO: Shiki starts off as a Wide-Eyed Idealist who believes that friendship is always possible so long as both sides make the effort, but becomes more cynical after being betrayed by Ziggy and challenged by irredeemable villains who will never change their ways, especially Shura, who actually wants to befriend Shiki. After Universe Zero's Shiki gets his Past-Life Memories and figures out that most of the villains have changed for the better (the Edens One and its new crew being the exceptions), he regains his motivation to make friends out of them all.
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: During his debut in Phantom Blood, Dio is depicted as a violent, hedonistic thug who only cares about conquest, although he develops some respect for Jonathan and seems genuinely shaken by his death, even if he takes over his body afterwards. When he emerges in Stardust Crusaders, he's become more calculating and philosophical, even musing to Polnareff that a world where everyone serves him would give humans the security they crave. He gradually regresses back to his brutish nature in his fight with Jotaro and dies fighting.
Dio: You think like a human, who has so little time to live. About things leaving a bad taste in your mouth, or living your life with no regrets… that kind of reasoning is about as compelling as rat shit in a bathroom, and it'll be your demise! I, Dio, have no such thoughts. Within my mind is but one simple thought. Just one! To be victorious and rule!
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2016): Ganondorf is initially introduced, like all of his predecessors, as a Card-Carrying Villain who must be fought against by Link and Zelda per the Eternal Recurrence. In a private moment with Zelda, Ganondorf admits that he is fully aware of the cycle and wants to break it. Once he finally loses his final confrontation with Link, the hero ponders if it's possible to break the cycle by agreeing to peace. Ganondorf promptly kills himself out of spite, hoping that his reincarnation will haunt Hyrule in the future.
- Samurai 7: Ukyo is introduced as a rich, pampered fop who wants to kidnap Kirara. His encounters with Kikuchiyo draw out his latent PTSD from being oppressed by machine samurai during his secret past as a peasant boy, and he shows more intelligence than anyone gave him credit for by discreetly killing and usurping the Emperor. In the final arc, however, he plans to establish his new world order, force Kirara into his harem, and destroy her home village Kanna, showcasing that he's the same impulsive, greedy, and power-hungry snake he was at the beginning.
- Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: Jaden started out as a Hot-Blooded and cheerful Blood Knight, who always enjoyed dueling. However, after a Trauma Congaline of Break the Cutie moments throughout season 3, which include him remembering his forgotten past with Yubel, who kidnaps his new friend Jesse, his other friends dying in the other dimension, and the Supreme King possessing his body and killing thousands in his conquest in the other dimension. This causes him to become more aloof and cynical in season 4, where he stops enjoying dueling as much and tries to keep a distance from his friends. While his earlier traits resurface a bit through the season, he would only truly regain them in his duel against Yugi, with him having fully recovered by the time of Bonds Beyond Time.
Comic Books
- Tim Drake began his career as Robin as a plucky, optimistic kid (despite having lost his mother at the hands of the Obeah Man) who was able to pull Bruce out of his depression after the death of Jason Todd. Through his ongoing, however, he slowly began to grow more cynical and jaded after losing his ex-girlfriend Stephanie in Batman: War Games, his father Jack in Identity Crisis (2004), his two best friends Kon-El and Bart Allen in Infinite Crisis and The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive (2006), and Bruce in Final Crisis. By the tail-end of Robin (1993), he was a traumatized, PTSD-ridden kid who was willing to consider using the Lazarus Pits to resurrect his dead loved ones because he felt he had no right to live over them. Red Robin, the follow up of his prior ongoing, picks up with him reduced to a self-loathing, distant Death Seeker with a single-minded obsession with proving Bruce is still alive. Fortunately, after his efforts pay off and Bruce comes back in The Return of Bruce Wayne (and helped by the fact Stephanie, Kon-El and Bart had also come back to life in the mean time), Tim spends the remainder of Red Robin as a much more healthy, positive and cheerful person—similar to how he was back in the 1990s.
- The Walking Dead: At the beginning of the comic's story, Rick Grimes is a relatively idealistic and noble leader of his band of survivors, but starts going off the deep end after the stress of the zombie apocalypse wears him down and he loses his wife, Lori. He becomes something of a social darwinist who believes survival is all that matters, only to meet the likes of Gabriel, Eugene, and the Hunters, who go to lengths he never thought possible to save their own lives. He gradually reasserts himself as a more compassionate visionary.
Fan Works
- Angel of the Bat II: Times of Heresy: Cassandra begins the story as the same soft hearted warrior idealist she was when the first story ended. But when repeated struggles against the story's villains and a Differing Priorities Breakup with her girlfriend force her through a Cynicism Catalyst, she becomes a far more harsh, judgmental character. Much of the story's back half is spent on her realizing this attitude only makes her miserable, and her struggle to undo the damage she brought to her personal relationships as a result.
- Prehistoric Park: Reimagined: Drew starts out as a reckless, arrogant individual, but by the end of Phase Two has mellowed out considerably and makes efforts to try and address his flaws. His handling of the second breakout, however, forces Theodore to hire additional staff due to it becoming apparent Drew hasn't addressed all of his issues, and the perceived lack of trust causes him to double down on his worst traits over the course of Phase Three. This is massively detrimental to his ability to work with others, and is a major factor in why the newer staff treat him as The Friend Nobody Likes.
Films — Live-Action
- Beauty and the Beast (2017) reveals that the Beast Used to Be a Sweet Kid before his mother's death and his cruel father's influence twisted him into a self-centred Prince Charmless. Due to his subsequent selfishness, he is cursed to become a Beast, which makes him melancholic and prone to lashing out at his servants. The film then revolves around the Beast slowly becoming a better person again, largely due to Belle's influence. The movie ends with the curse breaking and the Beast becoming a good and kind human once again.
- Casino: Flashforwards aside, Ace Rothstein's career begins with him as a lowly bookie and sports handicapper, muttering out the winning odds, delivering money whenever an organized crime figure asks for it, and generally being a very quiet, subtle, reliable kind of guy. Over the course of the film, his newfound status as the unofficial boss of the Tangiers Casino and a legitimate figure in the Las Vegas upper crust causes his ego to swell exponentially: he not only revels in his power by firing "untouchable" employees, making insanely pernickety demands of the staff, and hosts his own TV show, but goes so far as to argue with the Midwest Bosses and even lose his temper with Nicky Santoro, something he would never have dared do beforehand. By the end of the film, mob control over Las Vegas ends, stripping Ace of his authority, fame, and even legitimacy; as a result, he's left once again making a profitable but lowly living as a bookie in San Diego, muttering out the winning odds and being as respectful as possible, even remarking "Why mess up a good thing? And that's that."
- Marvel Cinematic Universe: Due to her Heel–Face Revolving Door, Wanda's development falls under this. For example, WandaVision shows Wanda, previously a hero, at her seeming lowest, consumed by grief and keeping a town hostage to help her through it. She eventually learns to embrace being a hero again by the end, doing the right thing by freeing the town (at the cost of the two children she created whilst there) and accepting that she shouldn't try and deal with her grief in a way that's at the expense of others. In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, thanks in part to the influence of the Darkhold, Wanda once again tries to deal with her grief at the expense of others. She is willing to murder a teenager and anyone else who gets in her way to find an alternate universe where her children are still alive. By the end, she once again decides to do the right thing, ending the film a hero after making a Heroic Sacrifice.
- Star Wars:
- The Phantom Menace introduces Anakin, a kind young boy who wants to be a Jedi and save the day. The rest of the prequels, along with expanded material like The Clone Wars, explore his slow fall to the dark side, eventually becoming the villainous Darth Vader. However, in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, when his son is in danger, Vader turns against Emperor Palpatine and returns to the Light Side, even getting to become a Force ghost.
- The Last Jedi: The original trilogy showed Luke training to become a Jedi, having faith in the order and transitioning into a mature, heroic individual. In the time between then and the sequel trilogy, Luke Took a Level in Cynic and has forsworn the Jedi life. Much of the film is about Rey convincing Luke to embrace being a hero again. By the end, he makes a Heroic Sacrifice and his Force ghost in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker makes it clear that he is back to his old, heroic self.
- Han Solo has it two ways:
- He has a similar character arc to Luke in The Force Awakens. The last time audiences saw Han, he was a hero who had left his selfish smuggling days behind. However, when he's reintroduced in The Force Awakens, Han is back to being a smuggler, largely because his son fell to the dark side and his marriage subsequently fell apart. It doesn't take long for Han to be involved in helping the heroes again, acting as The Mentor to Rey and Finn and eventually trying to talk his son into re-joining the Light Side.
- In general, his character arc as a whole falls under this. Solo introduces him as a well-meaning man who often finds himself on the wrong side of the law. The events of that film harden him so that by the time he appears in A New Hope, he's largely selfish and apathetic. The film then shows his development into a more heroic figure. Though he briefly falls back into his old, smuggling ways in The Force Awakens, he dies a hero.
- Obi-Wan Kenobi's character arc between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, as explored in the Interquel series Obi-Wan Kenobi, can also be seen as this. The prequels present Kenobi as a heroic if stern Deadpan Snarker. The events in Revenge of the Sith (his apprentice betraying him, the Jedi Order falling, being forced into exile looking after a boy whose adoptive parents don't trust him) mean that when he's re-introduced in Obi-Wan Kenobi, he's not as snarky or openly heroic, having become more ruthless and cynical over the years. Obi-Wan Kenobi then follows his journey to save Leia, over the course of which he slowly regains his old self. Years later, he is reintroduced again in A New Hope, where he is fully back to the stern yet heroic Deadpan Snarker he was before.
- The Rise of Skywalker: Ben Solo was originally a normal young man training to become a Jedi. For various reasons, he ends up falling to the Dark Side. Purposefully emulating his grandfather, Anakin, Ben ruthlessly helps the First Order as Kylo Ren. Rey, a Jedi with whom he has a strong bond, is convinced he can be brought back to the Light, though many are convinced that he's too far gone. Like his grandfather before him, he eventually turns against the Dark Side and returns to the Light, before dying whilst protecting a loved one.
- The Talented Mr. Ripley: Like the book it's based on, this film has a broadly circular character arc for the titular Tom Ripley. He starts the film as a lonely man desperate for affection and a new life. He becomes obsessed with a wealthy man named Dickie Greenleaf and subsequently kills him and steals his identity. As in the book, Tom must eventually return to his real identity. He's clearly more outgoing after the ordeal and more willing to kill those that get in his way, so he has changed somewhat, but he's overall back to being 'Tom Ripley'. This is especially true with the ending, where Tom kills his close friend Peter and then sits alone in his cabin. Tom starts and ends the film alone.
Literature
- The Maltese Falcon: This is the point of a story Sam Spade tells about a previous case. A man named Flitcraft was an unremarkable real estate agent and family man. One day, he disappeared without a trace. Five years later, his wife learned from an acquaintance that someone who looked like him was living in Spokane, Washington. She hired Spade to investigate, and he found that it was the same man. When Spade asked Flitcraft what had happened, he replied that as he was walking to lunch the day he disappeared, a huge steel beam fell from a building under construction and landed mere feet away from him. While Flitcraft was unharmed, he was shaken by the idea that his orderly life could be destroyed by such a random accident. Undergoing an existential crisis, he left his job and family and just started wandering around. Eventually, he settled down, marrying a woman who was very like his first wife in appearance and temperament. As Spade put it: "But that’s the part of it I always liked. He adjusted himself to beams falling, and then no more of them fell, and he adjusted himself to them not falling."
- The Talented Mr. Ripley: The plot follows Tom Ripley, a poor, criminal man who hates his identity. After becoming obsessed with the wealthy Dickie Greenleaf, Tom murders him and takes his identity. By the end of the book, to avoid getting caught by the police, Tom has to fake Dickie's suicide and go back to being 'Tom Ripley', something he's not especially happy to do. A Downplayed example, as though he is back to his 'Tom Ripley' identity, he's clearly changed. Tom was always a criminal, but by the end of the book, he's murderous, willing to murder Marge if it comes to it. He's also now wealthier, as he managed to fake a will written by Dickie.
Live-Action TV
- Better Call Saul:
- The series follows the Protagonist Journey to Villain of Jimmy McGill. Jimmy starts the show as a well-meaning lawyer who wants to help people and tries his best to stay within the confines of the law (even if he doesn't always manage to). As the show progresses and a Trauma Conga Line ensues, he slowly loses his scruples and becomes much more willing to work outside the law and support criminal activities. Eventually, he becomes Saul Goodman, a nearly completely Amoral Attorney who is willing to completely bend and break the law for the sake of his clients. He then has to change his identity, becoming Gene Takavic and later Viktor St. Claire, subsequently crossing moral boundaries even Saul likely wouldn't (such as threatening a senior). Viktor is eventually caught by the police. After seeing his former girlfriend Kim come clean about some of their past actions and take responsibility, Saul/Gene/Viktor goes back to being Jimmy McGill and takes full responsibility for all his crimes as well. The series ends with Jimmy once again meaning well and working within the confines of the legal system (just on the opposite side).
- Jimmy's girlfriend Kim has a similar character arc. She starts as a by-the-books attorney who wants to make a positive difference in the world, before slowly losing her scruples and becoming more interested in her own pleasure as the series progresses. After the Time Skip, she eventually decides to come clean about her worst action (being involved in Howard's downfall and indirectly in his subsequent death, before lying to his wife about it and blaming her). Kim ends the series once again caring about more than just her own enjoyment. The cyclical nature of her and Jimmy's character arcs is reflected by the fact that one of their first scenes together and one of their last scenes together mirror each other — the two smoking together whilst leaning against a wall.
- Farscape: Zhaan starts out as the most serene, compassionate, spiritual member of the crew, often serving as something of a wise counsellor and Team Mom. However, halfway through the first season, she's first to unleash her dark side in order to defeat Maldis in "That Old Black Magic", resulting in her deeply buried selfishness rising to the surface. Though it rarely gets as bad as it does in "DNA Mad Scientist," she stabilizes as a much more flawed parental figure from then on: it becomes common for her to be seen struggling with anger, irritation, lust, fear, doubt, grief, and self-interest, and she often grapples with balancing genuine righteousness with self-righteousness. At times, she even turns violent when her dark side is given a chance to break free of her control, as is the case in "Rhapsody In Blue" and "Home On The Remains". However, early in season 3, she begins regaining her inner peace as she slowly succumbs to her terminal illness, slowly growing just as calm and comforting as she was in the first season, even gently talking Rygel out of a selfish revenge plan — whereas in season two, she might have lost patience with him. This return to her original characterization comes to a head in "Self-Inflicted Wounds Part 2", when she opts to enact a Heroic Sacrifice to save Moya, going out with a smile and an Obi-Wan Moment.
- Game of Thrones:
- Jaime is introduced as a ruthless and cruel character at the start of the series, due to the Then Let Me Be Evil attitude he adopted after being shunned for killing the mad king (despite his heroic intentions) along with his mutually-abusive relationship with his twin sister Cersei. As the show progresses, he slowly starts to become more heroic and drifts away from Cersei. At the end of season 7, he finally leaves her and goes to fight on the side of the heroes against the White Walkers. However, when Cersei's life is threatened by Daenerys, Jaime decides to return to her side, claiming he never cared for innocents, and dies holding her in his arms.
- Downplayed with Sandor Clegane. Initially introduced as a ruthless soldier with few scruples and a vendetta against his cruel brother, over the course of the show Sandor demonstrates Hidden Depths, has several Pet the Dog moments and slowly becomes a better person, especially when he joins a peaceful community following his fight with Brienne. Though he's still clearly a vengeful sort, like when he takes revenge on the men who slaughtered that community, Clegane rededicates himself to a higher cause. However, he still doesn't abandon his desire for revenge against his brother and ultimately decides to travel to King's Landing to kill him, alongside Arya Stark. With Daenerys burning the city to the ground, Clegane realises that staying there would be suicidal, but still decides to stay and take revenge. His overall character development is shown when he tells Arya, who had been going down a similar path of revenge-obsession, that Vengeance Feels Empty. Though he couldn't change himself, he could stop Arya from going down a similar path. Clegane ultimately dies, taking his brother with him, whilst Arya flees and survives the battle.
- Gotham: Jim Gordon starts the series as a moral, selfless, idealistic only honest cop, who sincerely wants to clear up the Wretched Hive that is Gotham City. However, over the course of the series, being repeatedly exposed to just how corrupt and miserable the city really is and suffering multiple personal losses, causes him to grow more cynical and forces him to repeatedly make compromises just to accomplish anything. The effects of these leave Gordon far more willing to break the rules, even briefly leaving the police and acting outside the law, believing it will do more good. However, he eventually has an epiphany that going down this path will lead to him becoming part of the problem, so he re-joins the police and strives to return to his former principles. Whilst staying more cynical and willing to bend the rules when necessary, he still manages to regain a lot of his former standing and thus ends the series, finally ready to begin his partnership with Gotham's true saviour.
- House of the Dragon: Downplayed, but Alicent has such an arc across the first 2 seasons. Alicent is introduced as a kind, meek girl with limited power and a close friendship with Rhaenyra. Various events then harden her into a ruthless woman who takes a much more active role in politics and has come to both mistrust and resent her friend-turned-rival Rhaenyra. However, her reconciliation with Rhaenyra in "The Lord of the Tides" and her decision to fight for Aegon's inheritance without excess violence in "The Green Council" shows a partial return to who she was as a teenager. That said, she also has more power than ever, with her effectively leading the Greens, and is still on the opposite side to Rhaenyra, just with a desire for peaceful resolution. The events of season 2 subsequently cause more Character Regression, as Alicent starts to lose power, faith in her side and learns she mistook Viserys' final words. By the finale of season 2, Alicent has betrayed her side, begging Rhaenyra to spare her and her family. In return, she promises to allow Rhaenyra unimpeded entry into King's Landing. Alicent has finally returned to the meek girl who supported Rhaenyra (though Rhaenyra's cold pragmatism, including ordering Aegon's death, means they probably can't be called friends anymore) and had limited power that she started the show as. That said, she also feels she has achieved a level of freedom she has never had before. Whether Alicent will remain like this in subsequent seasons, or have further Character Development, remains to be seen.
- The Sopranos: For as much as Tony tries to change himself, he just as easily relapses into his worst self. The final season begins with him suffering a near-death experience which seems to pave the way for true positive growth, before he doubles down on his old ways, and becomes far more monstrous than he'd ever been before.
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Gul Dukat started out as a power hungry tyrant who seems to become more heroic but reverses course when he overthrows the Cardassian civilian government and has the new government join the Dominion. At the end of the series Dukat has become an evil, power hungry tyrant who seeks to conquer the galaxy.
- Succession: Though the characters of Roman, Kendall, and Connor change a lot over the show, they are in many ways in similar places by its end to where they were at its start. Roman is still a free spirit, Kendall is still dealing with his mental health issues and struggling to find his way out of his father's shadow, and Connor is still mostly doing his own thing. Key aspects of their characters do change, but they are clearly fundamentally the same people by the end of the show as they were at the start.
- What We Do in the Shadows (2019): Played for Drama with Colin Robinson. The boring energy vampire dies in season 3 and is reborn as an infant. Laszlo raises the child Colin Robinson, hoping he'll grow up to be different to the old Colin. This initially succeeds, as though he shows some shared personality traits with the old Colin, the child Colin has several differences, like a love for musical feature and a cheerful demeanour. Unfortunately, reading the diaries of his old self results in a Death of Personality, reverting child Colin back to his old self, as if nothing had ever changed. In fact, Colin can't even remember his time with Laszlo.
Theatre
- An Inspector Calls: Gerald's development falls under this. Sheila and Eric are clearly changed by the end after their experience with the inspector, whilst Arthur and Sybil refuse to change their ways or their beliefs. Gerald initially seems regretful over his treatment of Eva and Sheila, leaving at one point to seemingly do some soul searching. When he returns, however, he's back to how he was at the start and seems to expect Sheila to treat things like they haven't changed (despite him admitting to adultery).
- Don Giovanni: Donna Elvira starts out as an angry Woman Scorned, obsessed with seeking revenge on her womanizing ex-lover Don Giovanni. Then in Act II, Giovanni tricks her into thinking he's repented and come back to her: she easily and wholeheartedly forgives him, and for the next few scenes is madly in love with him and desperate to protect him from her former allies who still want revenge on him. But then after she learns he tricked her, she struggles between her anger and her lingering feelings for him. Finally, she approaches him in a new frame of mind: seeing him for who he is yet loving him anyway, not caring whether he returns her love or not, but selflessly begging him to repent of his sins to save his soul. But when he responds by mocking her, she becomes angry again and finally storms off in disgust. When she reappears in the finale, she's once again calling for revenge on Giovanni along with the rest of his enemies... until they learn they're too late because he's already been dragged to hell.
Video Games
- Dragon Age: Leliana's development can, depending on player choice, fall under this.
- Dragon Age: Origins introduces Leliana as a kind, devoted religious woman with a mysterious past. She eventually reveals that, before joining the Chantry, she was a ruthless and cynical bard who stole and murdered as part of Orlesian intrigue (which is explored further in the Leliana's Song DLC). The player character can then either tell her that she became a better person or that she was better when she was a bard. If the latter is chosen, then Leliana is 'hardened' and, though not abandoning her religious beliefs or all of her moral convictions, returns to being more ruthless and cynical, making her an example of this trope.
- Dragon Age: Inquisition reveals that, regardless of whether she was hardened or not in Origins, Leliana has become ruthless and cynical once again (due to the murder of the Divine, the same woman who inspired her initial Heel–Faith Turn). She's not exactly the same as she was in her bard days, as she was more of a Deadpan Snarker then, whilst she's more The Stoic as spymaster (not that she doesn't have her deadpan moments in Inquisition, mind), but she's largely back to who she was, in terms of ruthlessness and cynicism at least. Once again, the player can decide how Leliana develops from this point. Either she is 'softened' and returns broadly to how she was in Origins, she stays as she is, or she is further 'hardened' and returns broadly to how she was as a bard, giving her a fully circular character arc.
Visual Novels
- Ace Attorney: As a teenager in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Ema Skye is cheerful and optimistic. When she returns in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney after a seven-year Time Skip, her general mood has soured as a result of not getting the job she wanted as a forensic scientist, seeing Phoenix Wright lose his attorney's badge, and having to work with prosecutor Klavier Gavin, whom she can't stand. In Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice, however, finally landing her dream job leads her to become her cheerful self again. One character trait that remains consistent with her is her love for science, as even in Apollo Justice she usually lightens up considerably when discussing it.
Webcomics
- In The God of High School, Mori Jin begins the story as an excitable, hard-headed Stock Shōnen Hero obsessed with being the strongest and little else. He's wide-eyed, socially awkward, and childishly straightforward at times. But the events of the story gradually embitter him, particularly when he gains knowledge of his past life as the Monkey King and experiences the events of Ragnarok, in which Mubong betrays him and murders Mori's adoptive grandfather to take over the world. But seeing the people he cares about and humanity as a whole continue to fight for their future rekindles his hope in them and himself. By the end of the story, Mori returns to being an idealistic person seeking to hone his strength while protecting the people he loves, only with a more mature, worldly view thanks to becoming the Supreme God and protector of the universe along with having a new family to take care of in Dan and his adoptive daughter Taejin.
Web Videos
- The Legend of Zelda: The Sage of Darkness: Link starts off as a youth who wants to help others and do the right thing. He becomes a more vengeful anti-hero after the seeming death of his brother and the revelation that the titular sage killed his parents and manipulated his entire life. Adding on to all of this is his use of the White Sword, which requires negative emotions to be used. It takes going through a Curb-Stomp Battle at Dark Link's hands to make Link reassess himself, drop the White Sword, and rise up as a hero again.
Western Animation
- Amphibia: Prior to the series, Marcy was a clumsy social outcast, who needed Anne to look out for her, and was terrified of losing her only friends. Over the course of season 2 and the journal, she grows into a more confidant version of herself, gaining several new connections, and slowly overcoming her flaws like tunnel vision and not considering others well being, with her biggest issue being her lying about sending her friends to Amphibia in the first place. Come season three, and she spends almost the entire season needing her friends to rescue her from the core(effectively proving that Anne was right to constantly protect her), all of her previous connections she made in Amphibia are either forgotten about or give her borderline No Sympathy(with the one genuine friend she does make still chosing to doom her to a Fate Worse than Death), and Core forebily regresses her development via memory erasure, forcing her to relearn her lesson from True Colors. Marcy ends the series the same person as she was at the start, save that she accepts she has to move away. She does appear to have regained her development during the timeskip however.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender: Toph remains relatively static throughout the first series: a tomboyish twelve-year-old Pint-Sized Powerhouse (a theatrical version of her was played by a huge Dumb Muscle guy, and she enthusiastically approved of it). In The Legend of Korra, we see two versions of her: in flashbacks, she's a middle-aged woman who's the chief of police for Republic City, and in her eighties, she's pretty much the same free-spirited troublemaker she was as a kid, her main hobby consisting of terrorizing the local swamp tribes.
