Future Badass: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the very least it becomes somewhat ominous to know that, under the right (or wrong) circumstances the lovable [[The Woobie|Woobie]] or [[Plucky Comic Relief|Goofball]] can become a cold killing machine. They might make a future reappearance (if the future gets unfixed again) or return in the much more disturbing event that the character suffers a [[Heroic BSOD]], or worse, gets [[Beware the Nice Ones|pushed too far]].

 

 

See also [[Future Me Scares Me]], [[Bad Future]] and [[Alternate Universe Reed Richards Is Awesome]]. Compare with [[Ridiculously Successful Future Self]].

 

{{examples}}

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'' seems to begin with Simon leading the Dai-Gurren Brigade through a war with all the stars in the heavens which is theorized to be what would have happened if {{spoiler|the Anti-Spirals were right and the Spiral races went on to abuse Spiral power}}. This Simon, while similar in appearance, is a lot cockier and violent then his kinder canon self.

* ''[[Katekyo Hitman Reborn]]'': Most notably Lambo, going from crybaby incompetent toddler to crybaby slightly more-competent bishonen in 10 years, and turning into an overpowered beefy stud in 20 years.

** Yes. Lambo and... everyone else.

** Don't forget Future Gohan. He takes this trope to extremes compared to his present day child counterpart. {{spoiler|Even when he loses his arm to the Androids and eventually gets killed.}}

* Shirou Emiya of ''[[Fate/stay night]]'' {{spoiler|turns into the man they created the word "GAR" for.}}

** Also from [[Nasuverse]] - Waver Velvet, the [[Naive Newcomer]] in ''[[Fate/Zero]]'', who eventually grows up to become Lord El-Melloi II, the man who dismantled the Fuyuki Grail after ''[[Fate/stay night]]''.

* ''[[Tekkaman Blade]]'' has Aki Kisaragi, who for the first season serves as the supportive figure of Takaya aka D-Boy, and eventually his [[Love Interest]], who sometimes DO help him fight in piloting the not-quite-so-powerful ship. In the second season, after several years of [[Time Skip]], {{spoiler|she became a Tekkaman herself, and while lacking natural Tekkaman powers like flight or Voltekka, she still manages to be a [[Badass]] fighter on her own, and goes on tutoring Tekkamen blessed with natural Tekkaman powers.}}

* The [[Gainax Ending|ending]] of ''[[Mahoromatic]]'' has the main character become this, much to the consternation of many fans.

* While the cast of [[Getter Robo]] were already supreme badasses, the [[After the End]] [[OVA]] ''Armageddon'' has the characters appear older and more rugged than before and ditch the old [[Space Clothes]] in favour of something more badass. Most notable is Ryoma, who gains a huge red [[Scarf of Asskicking]], a [[Badass Longcoat]], chain belt and hand wrappings, and his [[Hotblooded Sideburns|sideburns]] go from "huge" to "have their own gravitational field."

* In [[Psyren]], the {{spoiler|Elmore Wood kids, after dying repeatedly in the future}}, come back with a vengeance, all kicking ass and taking names.

** {{spoiler|Kyle}} didn't take names.

** And Yoshitsune goes from a timid, ineffectual [[Woobie]] to a competent resistance leader, though he's still plagued with self-doubt and his major character development is learning his own worth.

** Actually EVERYONE becomes a future badass, good or bad - Kenji started out as a loser who run a store, and by the epilogue, he had became a symbol for hope, a rock star, and ultimately Messiah.

 

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

** The same future has Franklin Richards as a mutant freedom fighter, even though in comics set in the present day he's been 8 years old (or so) for decades.

* In a 2004 arc in the ''[[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]]'' comic, the Titans get warped to a [[Bad Future]] where the Justice League have all died and been replaced by their sidekicks, who are now uniformly deadly vigilantes: Robin has become [[Batman]] (and now uses a gun), Superboy has become [[Superman]] (and has no compunctions about ripping peoples' arms off), Beast Boy is the feral Animal Man, and so on. And they're all working for Lex Luthor. Overlaps with [[Future Me Scares Me]].

* [[Starman (comics)|Jack Knight]] went to the future and saw that Stargirl will eventually be a great hero.

** Her younger sister is also destined to become a Starwoman in the future.

* Sort of example in ''[[Hack Slash]]''; in the ''Murder Messiah'' Annual, it's revealed the previously thought dead Liberty Lochs cast a spell at the last minute that saved her from dying, but flung her into a post-apocalyptic future, where she was forced to become a badass, complete with [[Cool Bike|cool]] [[Biker Babe|hoverbike]].

 

 

* In the [[Star Wars Expanded Universe]] [[Fanfic]] ''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4633912/1/Love_Ignites_the_Galaxy_Star_by_Star Love Ignites the Galaxy: Star by Star]'' by polgarawolf, the Tahiri Veila from [[Legacy of the Force]] uses Darth ''Caedus' '' [[Time Travel|flow-walking]] technique to travel back to the events of ''[[New Jedi Order|Star by Star]]'' and [[Set Right What Once Went Wrong|save the Jedi strike force from the disaster ahead]]. She proceeds to rig the Yuuzhan Vong's voxyn grove to explode, get the drop on the entire Myrkr strike force, neutralize Lomi Plo and Welk, all the while evading the Yuuzhan Vong, and generally makes it clear that she's seen [[Bad Future|the future of this timeline]], and '''[[Determinator|nothing]]''' [[Determinator|is going to stop her]] from insuring [[Bad Future|that future]] [[Nation|Does. Not. Happen]].

* In the Star Fox fanfiction ''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1287617/1/Star_Fox_Adventures_Krazoa_Legends Krazoa Legends]'' by Wolf E. Urameshi, more than one character is an example of this: {{spoiler|Falco Lombardi's life is shown when he has to escape with his sister after his parents are killed. '''Both of them.'''}} {{spoiler|Also, Wolf O'Donnell goes through the same thing, though his story is more [[Momma's Boy|mommy dearest]] fare. But the original character Janus is probably the most accurate example of this. I mean, the guy starts his life abandoned by his own father, General Scales because he was apparently not muscled enough in the non-literal sense. The events that followed traumatized him- plus Scales killed Janus's mom a year after the latter was born.}} {{spoiler|He was rescued by an obligatory [[The Smart Guy|smart guy]], turned into a [[The Smart Guy|genius]] [[badass]] [[Nice Guy]], and is even a [[Heroic Build|hot, muscled Sharpclaw]] with a [[Sculpted Physique|toned bod]], avenges his family and guards ancient ruins with just a spear. He even scores. Yeah.}}

 

== [[Live Action TV]] ==

** Willow's creepy alternate was also alluded to when she {{spoiler|[[Beware the Nice Ones|snapped]] following Tara's death, using the alternate's creepy "Bored now" line, with the same delivery, right before using her powers to flay Warren, Tara's killer, alive.}}

** In the novel ''The Lost Slayer'', Giles becomes a vampire king, and the Scoobies become a battle-hardened almost military group trying to fight him. Younger!Buffy-in-Older!Buffy's-body is suprised when she breaks out of where Giles was holding her and sees how they've all changed.

*** In the same scenario, there are rumours filtering in from the wasteland about someone called "Ripper" who hunts down demons with a combination of magic and mundane weapons...

* ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'' has its own alternate future, with various side-switching and bad-ass-ifications. The most jarring one is Hiro, who goes from scruffy-looking, broken-English-speaking comicbook nerd to [[Badass Longcoat]]-wearing, hair-slicked-back, contemplative-yet-badass street samurai. And is pissed about it.

** This was actually requested by the actor as a nod to Future Trunks from ''DBZ.''

** Let's not forget about mild mannered Peter Petrelli either, who turns into a jaded, bitter [[Badass Longcoat]] with a [[Good Scars, Evil Scars|huge scary scar]] and "hasn't had a good fight in years."

** Claire Bennett gets this in Season 3, with a large helping of {{spoiler|[[Face Heel Turn]] or [[Knights Templar]]}}

** Humorously inverted in Season 3 with Sylar, who ends up the ''only'' person in the Dark Future version 2.0 who's pleasant, well-adjusted, and not wearing black leather.

*** {{spoiler|At least until his son gets killed, at which point he promptly and literally goes nuclear.}}

* A lot of people couldn't stand Captain Kathryn Janeway's moralistic hand-wringing and rule stickling in ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''. Her alternate future counterpart, ''Admiral'' Kathryn Janeway stomped the rule book and then blasted it with a torpedo for good measure. She willingly violated all kind of regulations and swindled the Klingons, and then laughed it off. [[Badass Grandma]] if there ever was one.

* ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'': In the Season 5 episode "The End," which is one giant homage to ''[[28 Days Later]]'' (though also a great episode in its own right), {{spoiler|Dean has become even ''more'' badass and left all of his [[Woobie]]-ness behind (and he's highly reminiscent of Major Henry West, [[Christopher Eccleston]]'s character in 28DL), and Sam is possessed by [[Big Bad|Lucifer]]}}. Slightly inverted in that Castiel {{spoiler|has become a relaxed, stoned hippie/love guru}}, but even that is {{spoiler|just a cover for his transformation into a [[Nietzsche Wannabe]]}}.

{{quote|'''Original Daniel''': Where am I?

'''Alt O'Neill''' (of course): Ancient Egypt.

** Later seasons show Will slowly losing his [[Woobie]]-ness.

* In [[Misfits]], Superhoodie, who has been helping out the heroes, is revealed to be {{spoiler|Simon}}.

{{quote|'''Zone:''' Mag... what did you do... you know, before?

'''Mag:''' I was... at Brooklyn College. Sociology. You?

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

* In ''[[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon]]: Explorers of Darkness/Time'', {{spoiler|the player character, as a human,}} was a future badass! {{spoiler|And to up the ante, his or her partner in the future was GROVYLE.}}

** Shanan, who was formerly Ayra's [[Morality Pet]] and even started out as a [[Dude in Distress]], evolved into an ass-kicking Sword Master, and when combined with the Balmunk Sword, which grants him crazy dodge rates... he's one of the game's [[Game Breaker]].

** Fin can also count, After the time skip he's much more competent and experianced then his younger self.

** Oifaye, though his significance wasn't as big as Shanan and seemed to be a [[Crutch Character]] but proved not to be. He manages to hold on his own, protecting Celice through years of hardships. Within the Fire Emblem community Oifaye is synonymous with initially powerful characters that remain useful.

** {{spoiler|The players themselves}} as of Issue 19. {{spoiler|You are shown a glimpse of a possible future version of you effortlessly defeating groups of the strongest bosses in the game, before breaking the laws of the universe to send Mender Ramiel further back in time than should be possible. Possibly not applicable, since you're already a superhero, but your future, fully powered incarnate version is to a superhero what a superhero is to a normal person. And then some.}}

* ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'' is an example of this, with emphasis on Link, Zelda, and the Sages.

* ''[[Fate/stay night|Fate Stay Night]]'' has Servant Archer, who is nominally of the Archer Class and focused on ranged attacks, but is also very good at swordsmanship, and has the power to summon any sword he can think of, with his ultimate attack being a Reality Marble by the name of "Unlimited Blade Works." {{spoiler|He is the future incarnation of Emiya Shirou, the protagonist of the series, who also has the ability to summon swords. Archer, however, is nowhere near the idealist that Shirou is, and his reason for coming to Shirou's time is to kill him}}.

* Edward, yes ''[[Spoony Bard|that]]'' Edward, in ''[[Final Fantasy IV: The After Years]]''.

* In ''[[Infamous (video game series)|In Famous]]'', {{spoiler|all-powerful [[Big Bad]] Kessler is revealed at the end to be an [[Alternate Universe]] version of Cole who traveled back in time to prepare his past self to deal with a [[Complete Monster]] destined to destroy the world. Depending on the [[Karma Meter]], he either succeeds or he becomes something worse.}}

* There's an interesting variation in the second ''[[Jak and Daxter]]'' game: {{spoiler|Our gun-toting [[Anti-Hero]] Jak meets his adorable [[Chekhov's Gunman|younger self]] in the future before [[Stable Time Loop|he's sent back into the past to grow up safe from harm]].}}

* Not a story-based example, but ''[[Strange Journey]]'' has an example in an early bonus mission, where you're tasked by [[Norse Mythology|three Dises to calm down the raging Yggdrassil]]. This doesn't turn out so well, as not only does he outstrip your team at that point stat-wise, he can also stop time. Before he can kill you, though, the hero blacks out and is saved by a mysterious figure. {{spoiler|A few Sectors later, it turns out that figure was him.}}

* In the fan created game ''[[Touhou]] [[MOTHER]]'', {{spoiler|Cirno is [[Goldfish Poop Gang|a laughably easy recurring boss]] for the first half of the game. Then you're sent forward in time and you encounter her again, and she puts up one heck of a fight.}}

** In the same game, there's Eoleo, who is the son of the famous pirate, Briggs. In the previous game, he was just a baby with some powers. 30 years later? He's now pirate like his dad before him with a mastery of [[Kill It with Fire|Fire Pysnergy]] {{spoiler|and he joins your party later on!}}

* ''[[Bayonetta]]'' one similar to the Jak And Daxter example: {{spoiler|Cereza turns out to be Bayonetta as a child who by the end is sent back in time.}}

* In [[World of Warcraft]] there is a quest you can get at level 72 in which you have to protect a magical hourglass from the Infinite Dragonflight. Before they attack you find yourself with "Future You" who is level 80 and will assist you in the battle. When you hit Level 80 you can take the next quest in which you have to protect "Past You" in the same battle.

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

* ''[[Narbonic]]'', during the Unstuck in Time arc. The world sucks, {{spoiler|Helen}} is a [[Brain In a Jar]], {{spoiler|Mell}} IS Vice President and is planning to become President, and {{spoiler|Dave}} is in charge of Narbonic Labs.

** A different variation with {{spoiler|endgame!John, when Karkat first trolls him}}. Not exactly badass, but with a lot of cool gear and clothes and sounding remarkably secure and confident despite the uncertain future.

*** {{spoiler|According to Dave, John is even stronger than him in the future.}}

* Parodied in ''[[The Way of the Metagamer]]'', in which everyone from the future is badass, no matter ''how far'' from the future they are. Even characters from five minutes in the future are incredibly badass.

 

 

== Web Original ==

* Fissure, from ''[[Less Than Three Comics|LessThanThree Comics']]'' Brat Pack. Comes from a dystopian future to warn the Brats, and to make things better.

* [[Zero Punctuation]]'s ''[[Halo|Halo 3]]'' review ended with a [[Bad Future]] in which the expressionless man used as a stock photo has become "Captain Bland", complete with [[Eyepatch of Power]].

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* The [[Made for TV Movie]] of ''[[Dexter's Laboratory]]'', ''Ego Trip''. In the dystopian future version of himself, he comes to resemble his hero Action Hank: big, brawny, and [[Badass Beard|bearded]] (and unlike Hank, [[Bald of Awesome|he goes bald]]), and his [[Mad Scientist]] pseudo-Germanic accent is replaced by an Arnold impression.

** This trope is also averted in Dexter's other two future versions, a wimpy office drone and a hilarious old man.

* ''[[Kim Possible]]'''s three-parter "A Sitch in Time": When {{spoiler|Shego}} uses the ''Tempus Simia'' (Time Monkey) to take over the world, Kim's little brothers, Wade, Monique, and a gaggle of ripped Rufus clones, become buff freedom fighters and Doctor Drakken becomes a huge musclebound hulk. Ron even [[Lampshade Hanging|references the trope]] throughout the episode.

* An episode of ''[[Godzilla: The Series|Godzilla: The (Animated) Series]]'' had the protagonist travel to the doomed future, meeting (among others) a [[Badass]] Mendel and his war-N.I.G.E.L.

* An episode of ''[[Ben 10]]'' has Ben and Gwen meet their future, adult selves. In the future, Ben has mastered the [[Imported Alien Phlebotinum|Omnitrix]] and become a [[Jerkass]] who dislikes receiving help from others (well, moreso), and Gwen has become proficient in magic spells.

*** Actually, thanks to another step into the future, we find out from Professor Paradox that that was actually an ''alternate'' future, which still exists. It's just not the one Ultimate Alien Ben is going to become. Instead, the new future is looking to be ''incredibly'' Badass.

{{quote|'''Gwen:''' You just landed a spaceship.

* An episode of ''[[Samurai Jack]]'' ended with a guardian who had just spared Jack's life looking into a time portal, seeing [http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g314/Elijah_Baley/SamuraiJack.jpg Jack's future self] and saying "Not yet Samurai. Not yet." Make note that Jack is already a Badass dwelling in the future. Alas the image never came to fruition, as the series was cancelled.

** Then it turns out it was {{spoiler|[[All Just a Dream]], induced to con Goliath out of a time-travelling device}}.

{{quote|''[[Oh Crap|Beware...]]''}}

** The ''Bleedman'' fan-comic beautifully applies this trope to Mandy(not that she really needed to be anymore bad-ass).

* In ''[[Megas XLR]]'', when Coop visits an alternate future he's become an evil overlord, lost his gut and become ripped, Kiva is his emotionless cybernetic [[The Dragon|lieutenant]], and Jamie is a [[Badass]] leader of [[La Résistance]].

{{quote|Warden: "Oh, ''wow!'' Where can I get a bootleg of this, this is ''great!''}}

* ''[[Kids Next Door|Codename: Kids Next Door]]'' featured future badass Numbuh 4 in a two-part episode that had a time traveling villainess succeed in committing wholesale [[Gendercide]] and [[Bad Future|conquering the world]]. The second half of the story picks up several decades later: former [[Boisterous Bruiser]] Numbuh 4 is now a grim, battle-hardened old man leading the [[La Résistance|Boys Next Door]], while using a custom mecha/wheelchair to get around.

** First encountered and least recognizable is [[Plucky Comic Relief|Michelangelo]] - who within the first couple minutes not only takes out an entire patrol on his own (with [[Darker and Edgier|spiked nunchaku]], no less), but destroys several tanks and a helicopter with one of the goons' own guns. He is then found to be missing an arm, disturbingly accepting of the fact that the world sucks, and thoroughly willing to bawl Don out for "abandoning" them. This contrasted with the bubbly, hyperactive, superhero-idealizing version of Mike present throughout the rest of the show. It's a little jarring and yet completely Awesome.

** April O'Neil is actually in charge of [[La Résistance]]... and during the course of the episode gets to fire a bazooka.

** Leonardo gets a cool [[Badass Longcoat|trenchcoat]] and might even be [[Disability Superpower|blind]].

*** But for all that, [[Inverted Trope|present Donatello]] manages to be the biggest badass, ultimately ending the war that they were fighting in the course of about a day.

** He also speaks with a classy Russian accent.

** Another episode has a cyborg Stan from a thousand years in the future coming back in time.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Narrative Devices]]

[[Category:Time Travel Tropes]]

[[Category:We Will Use An Index In The Future]]

[[Category:Badass]]