Character Check: Difference between revisions

 

Very common with [[Designated Villain]]s or [[Jerkass]] characters who have moved into [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]] territory; this sort of reminder of "how things used to be" is a frequent side effect of [[Badass Decay]] and [[Villain Decay]]. Also likely to result from [[Depending on the Writer]]. There is also a certain amount of [[Truth in Television]] here. Someone may have [[Character Development|changed over time]], but still fall back on old habits now and again. However, [[Reality Is Unrealistic|fictional characters are usually expected to behave more consistently]]. This trope may make the audience exclaim, "I [[Forgot Flanders Could Do That]]!"

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* [[Batman|Bruce Wayne]] and Selina Kyle have been [[Dating Catwoman|engaging in a hot and steamy affair for a while]], and it has even reached the point that [[Secret Keeper|he trusts her with]] his [[Secret Identity]] and she helps out fighting Gotham's criminal element. Several issues have shown her ''still acting like a criminal'' as a message to Bruce that she isn't a member of his "little club", and never really will be.

* Lionel Luthor of ''[[Smallville]]'' started out as the [[Trope Namer]] for the [[Magnificent Bastard]]. He was cruel, manipulative, and gloriously evil. In Season 5, he started acting like a good guy for no apparent reason. In Season 6 the writers wanted to "slap [the audience] in the face" with a reminder of who he used to be, so they had him blackmail Lana into marrying Lex. Then, sad to say, he went back to being a good guy.

* Sawyer from ''[[Lost]]'' started out as the resident [[Jerkass]] with occasional glimpses of a [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold|heart of gold]] as Season 1 progressed, and midway through Season 2 he was moving to outright heroism, but he still had occasional moments where he would remind everyone that he was a jerk, most notably in the episode "The Long Con" in which he performed an elaborate con to get posession of the castaways' guns. Charlie asks Sawyer why he did it, and his response is that he's "not a good person. Never did a good thing in my life." This happens with Sawyer throughout the newer seasons as well, mostly because the writers can't seem to keep Sawyer in outright [[Jerkass]] territory due to the fact that he's one of the most popular characters.

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

 

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