Took a Level in Jerkass: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

When a character grows into a [[Jerkass]] over time (sometimes not much of it at all). Can be due to [[Flanderization]], a [[Face Heel Turn]], or just another regular but unfortunate [[Character Development]]. While a [[Jerkass]] growing into a [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]] is a common phenomenon, especially in dramas, a reversal, resulting in this trope, is also common, especially in comedies.

This can also cause tropes like [[What the Hell, Hero?]], though whether if the character changes for the better after that is well [[Depending on the Writer]].

 

 

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* Due to unexplained happenings during the [[Time Skip]], Hei of ''[[Darker than Black]]'' has gone from a ruthless [[Anti-Hero]], to a ''drunk'' ruthless [[Anti-Hero]] with an unwanted [[Morality Pet]]. {{spoiler|Hei had been nicknamed "Chinese Electric [[Batman]]", but unfortunately, he's just "Chinese Batman" since he was [[Brought Down to Badass]].}}

* A [[Justified Trope]] in the case of {{spoiler|Tem Ray}} in ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]''. He was already a borderline [[Mad Scientist]] in the beginning, but the biggest leap into jerkassery happened due to {{spoiler|brain damage from oxygen deprivation, which can really screw up your personality.}}

* Arguably, Medaka of ''[[Medaka Box]]''. Since [[Bigger Bad|Ajimu]] has introduced five "''normal''" people to her, Medaka no longer views Zenkichi as someone special to her since he couldn't pass the first trial of a test she gave the normals. Then she actively tries to turn him into her enemy by acting cold and offensive just so she can see value in him again. Kind of sad considering it's a combination of her abnormality and her personality that causes her change like this since she can't understand failure or things from a "weak" perspective. She even goes as far as {{spoiler|using an abnormality that makes her weaker than Zenkichi and goes all out in a fight against him. Since Zenkichi isn't really willing to fight her at this point she mops the floor with him. However the abnormality she used is a "perfected version" of Kumagawa's Bookmaker and isn't meant for fighting, but for allowing the person affected to feel the world from the opponents perspective.}}

 

== Comic Books ==

* Batman to a ''huge'' extent in ''[[JLA: Act of God]]'', infamously.

 

* In [[Keepers of the Elements]], Courtney starts off as her usual bossy, [[Jerkass]] self, but then goes up [[Over Nine Thousand]] levels when she {{spoiler|[[Deal with the Devil|makes a deal]] with [[Big Bad|Radcliffe]] for powers of her own so she can get revenge on [[The Leader|Gwen]]}}

* In the Disgaea fanfic [http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6984913/1/Disgaea_Jewel_of_the_gods Disgaea: Jewel of the gods] Laharl is a HUGE [[Jerkass]] to Adell, and Mao not even caring if they died, while in canon, he has a [[Hidden Heart of Gold]] for people.

** Well to be fair, [[Morality Chain|Flonne]] isn't there most of the time, making him a complete asshole to most people.

** He also REALLY hates Adell and Mao for being main characters in the sequels to Disgaea.

 

== Film ==

* King Orrin in the ''[[Inheritance Cycle]]''. He begins as a somewhat dissolute, but brave and intrepid young man and a vital component of the Varden (Orik even says that the Varden couldn't exist without his hard and dangerous work). However, stress, as well as feeling under-appreciated and overshadowed lead to a drinking problem in between ''Brisingr'' and ''Inheritance'', which leads to his taking a level in jerkass.

 

* Carrie from ''[[The King of Queens]]'', to the point of "[[What Does She See in Him?|What Does He See In Her?]]".

* Ryan was one of the more likable and sympathetic characters in the first few seasons of ''[[The Office]]'', but his sudden rise to power at Dunder-Mifflin coincided with a massive increase in the size of his ego. His humiliating, highly public fall from grace only seemed to make things worse.

** To be fair, since the main cast are portrayed as being either sophomores or juniors in high school, what reason does Tori have for even wanting a prom when it wasn't her time? Not that it excuses Jade being Jade, but Tori more or less ruined Jade;s big night.

* Vanessa and Jenny in ''[[Gossip Girl]]''. Jenny gains points for having gone from sweetheart-everyone-adores to being hated by pretty much all of the NJBC.

* Dr. Eric Foreman on ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'', who started off as a fairly self-possessed guy who didn't really appreciate House's shenanigans, and then progressed to the type of guy who screwed over a colleague and then stabbed her with a dirty needle (the latter under duress, but still). His jerkassery has calmed somewhat, but hasn't completely gone away. To be fair, the growing jerkassery did become a plotpoint after that—Foreman was afraid that spending so much time around House was causing him to become more like him. He quit Princeton-Plainsboro to try to stop this... but then got fired from a job in New York after using very House-like tactics. Cuddy even once called him "House-Lite."

* Phoebe of ''[[Charmed]]'' seemed to take a level in jerkass at the end of her relationship with Cole.

** Actually, BSG seems to have tons of examples. Lt. Felix Gaeta, anyone?

** Also, Tom Zarek. Early in the series, he was a recurring political provocateur and alleged terrorist, but he actually managed to be somewhat nice towards the main characters, especially in the Kobol and New Caprica arcs. Flash forward to mid-season 4, and he's [[Flanderization|perpetrating a mutiny among the fleet]] and [[Moral Event Horizon|having the Quorum of Twelve gunned down]] in a petty power-grab while President [[Iron Lady|Roslin]] is in the midst of a [[Heroic BSOD]]. {{spoiler|Fortunately, he doesn't [[Karmic Death|survive it]].}}

** Well, to be fair he was already pretty much a jerk. And there were a few episodes dealing with him being a tad embarrassed of Gloria's lack of a higher education and in one episode Gloria worries that the above is exactly what would happen one day.

** Much to everyone's surprise it was Gloria who cheats on Michael, causing Archie to call her a whore. So it was [[Out-of-Character Moment|Gloria who takes a level in jerkass]].

* Cody Martin has been known for most of the ''[[The Suite Life of Zack and Cody|Suite Life]]'' franchise as socially-awkward but lovable nerd. One couldn't help but root for him in the first season of ''On Deck'' as he fought with painstaking care to win Bailey's heart. Then, in the second season, he suddenly became full of himself, constantly fought with Bailey for dominance in the relationship, and even assumed Bailey and former love-interest Jessica were jealous of one another, despite a complete lack of evidence thereto.

** When {{spoiler|he and Bailey broke up and Zack got a girlfriend,}} after which he starts making fun of Zack for {{spoiler|having a girlfriend}}, and gains the sexist attitude that Zack recently got rid of.

* On ''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]'', Debra started out in the early seasons as a fairly reasonable everywoman who seemed to have a quite playful and loving relationship with Ray. Then, the character suddenly changed. It's hard to pinpoint exactly ''when'' the change occurred, but Debra eventually became a raging, [[Abuse Is Okay When It Is Female On Male|physically-abusive]] and [[Smug Snake]] [[Karma Houdini]] who treated Ray like trash, [[Domestic Abuse|beat him up]], forbade him from seeing his friends most of the time, and convinced Ray's own children to feel contempt for him. Oh, and the worst part? The show tried to act like ''she'' was the reasonable one, despite her abusive, [[Jerkass]] behavior. So basically, she went from being a well-rounded, likable character in the beginning to the writers' [[Mary Sue]] by the end.

* [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]] had become increasingly arrogant over the last two seasons. It's partially justified in that being yanked out of Heaven and coming to buried alive in her own grave had been very traumatic. However, by the last season she had practically declared herself dictator of the group and made sneering comments when one of the girls under her charge committed suicide.

** This is hardly the first time she does. At the start of season 2 she is stressing over her temporary death at the hands of the The Master, and her Jerkassness in that episode would impress [[Psycho for Hire|Faith]] at her worst. Later everyone took a level after Buffy flees Sunnydale at the end of the second season. Justified in the fourth season as a demon was stealing her soul. And in season five a magical retcon gives her a sister that is being pursued by a nigh-invincible Hellgod, her mother is dying, and her boyfriend is found cheating on her with vampire prostitutes and then flees town, so Buffy is epically not in a happy place.

** Speaking of Faith, she does this to a frightening degree after she accidentally kills someone, to the point where Buffy is happy to kill her. She gets better following her first [[Angel]] appearance, however, to the point that she's one of the ''nicer'' characters by the end of the television series.

* Seth Cohen from ''[[The OC]]'' becomes noticeably more self-absorbed in later episodes. Arguably this helped round out his character a bit more and explain his previously [[Cool Loser|inexplicable]] unpopularity.

* Nate from ''[[Six Feet Under]]'', even though the personality changes are very gradual and subtle. His idealistic, free-spirited nature doesn't mesh well with his family responsibilities in season 5.

* Walter White of ''[[Breaking Bad]]'' becomes less and less sympathetic as the show goes on. [[Word of God|Vince Gilligan]] has confirmed this is deliberate.

* ''[[Roseanne]]'''s titular character started out as a gruff, but otherwise friendly and wisecracking blue-collar woman who loved her husband and kids, and slowly transformed into a cruel, selfish, sniping, raging, shrieking bitch with severe misandrist tendencies. On top of that, she was often portrayed as being in the right and getting away with being an asshole to everyone. Her daughter, Darlene, seemed to follow her into this mold. Given that this dovetailed with the men of the show (particularly Leon, Mark and David) becoming more and more pathetic, useless, and stupid, and that the show was practically written and run by Roseanne herself, it's a pretty clarifying look into her mindset at the time.

 

== Video Games ==

** In the third game his level in Jerkass manifests itself as a ''[[Super-Powered Evil Side]]''. At this point the Prince realizes how bad he's gotten and [[Character Development]] ensues.

* In ''[[Condemned]]'', Ethan Thomas is a nice enough guy, a gifted investigator, but personality-wise, he was never too impolite, despite clearly being under some MAJOR stress. Come the sequel, Ethan's undergone about a year of alcoholism as well as some [[Jerkass]] power leveling. He curses all the time and is routinely impolite and distrustful towards everyone who tries to help him. This is in fact underlined by the change in his voice actor and character design (he went from an [[Ambiguously Brown]] SCU agent wearing a nondescript police uniform, to a rather less ambiguously Caucasian bum in grunge clothes). The personality change is possibly justified by the year of vagrancy and the events of the first game.

* Saïx from ''[[Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days|Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days]]'' goes from being the emotionless bastard we all know and love to smack around in ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'' to having his behavior borderline [[Complete Monster]] proportions in regards to Xion. Many were happy to learn that you get to fight him again near the end of the game. His beat down was much deserved. That's what happens when you talk smack about Xion like that. That's right, Roxas kicks your ass. This is especially true because Isa was a pretty decent guy in ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep|Birth By Sleep]]''. The rest of the Org. doesn't really suffer any drastic personality changes beyond losing the ability to truly care about others, yet Isa goes from a stoic but reasonably friendly boy to the borderline [[Complete Monster]], cold-blooded Jerkass Saïx.

** Some fans have suggested from certain changes in Saix's appearance (the pointed ears, lightened hair color, and perhaps most ominously, yellow eyes) that Isa may have been corrupted by darkness ''before'' he turned into a Nobody, which would certainly explain a lot...

** Ironically, between ''THUG'' and ''THUG 2'' he [[Took a Level In Dumbass]] and is treated as an incompetent loser in the latter.

* Peter Venkman in ''[[Ghostbusters the Video Game]]'' is a huge jerk compared to his occasional niceness in [[Ghostbusters|the movies]].

*** It's not even a Spirit of Justice anymore (though it likes to claim otherwise). It's a ''Demon of Vengeance.'' That's how badly it was corrupted.

*** Although it's implied that Justice's corruption (and his becoming a [[Knight Templar]] that [[Jumps Off the Slippery Slope]]) may not actually be Anders' fault, or at least not entirely; {{spoiler|Kirkwall is basically a city built right next to the prison that holds ''the origin of the darkspawn''. The prisoner in question can drive people insane without even being conscious and from miles away}}.

* ''[[Crash Bandicoot]]'' briefly fell into this trope in ''Crash Tag Team Racing'', numerous bonus cutscenes focusing on his [[Screwy Squirrel]] antics inside Von Clutch's Motorworld, ranging from feeding Park Drones mouldy apples to disintegrating them in rocket engines. Granted this reversed back in the following game, where he goes back to being a [[Kindhearted Simpleton]].

* Ema Skye of the ''[[Ace Attorney]]'' series is introduced as an aspiring forensic investigator, full of useful investigation techniques and eager to meet people in the business. However, eight years later she finds herself in a job she didn't want (detective work) after doing poorly on her forensic investigation exam and her derailed dream definitely takes its toll on her personality. The Ema of ''[[Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney|Apollo Justice Ace Attorney]]'' is a sour and jaded woman who doesn't offer much help (unless she can use some of her forensic investigation techniques, at which point some of her original personality leaks out).

* Cloud does this between ''[[Crisis Core]]'', in which he's a shy, brave, and supportive person with really bad self-esteem (with some backstory about him picking fights with the people who bullied him in his hometown), and ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', in which he's a rude, cocky, reckless and obsessive person who deliberately antagonises his friends Barret and Wedge and does things like taking salary from a slum-dwelling little girl's school money. He's nicer to the girls, but also pretty sexist and won't trust them with anything on their own. He gets a lot nicer after a few hours of play, but he remains vengeance-obsessed and arrogant until his [[Heroic BSOD|entire persona implodes]] halfway through the next disk.

 

== Web Comics ==

* Due to sleep deprivation, Jade Harley of ''[[Homestuck]]'' has gotten a lot grumpier - although it should be noted that she's only like that to the trolls, who have been picking on her for her entire life (with the exception of [[Dogged Nice Guy|Tavros]]).

* ''[[Bittersweet Candy Bowl]]'' sees Mike go from a [[Nice Guy]] to a bitter [[Jerkass]] as part of its [[Deconstruction]] of the [[Tsundere]] archetype. Turns out all those years of [[Abuse Is Okay When It Is Female On Male|getting punched around]] while his friends laughed have taken their toll. To make matters worse, by the time he finally snaps, Lucy has actually ''[[Character Development|improved]]'', and his newfound nastiness and need to vent all that pent-up frustration leave her [[Break the Cutie|more of a mess]].

 

== Web Original ==

* In a way, ''[[The Nostalgia Chick]]''. Back when she started, she was really just Lindsay with pigtails and a bowtie. She had a few moments of [[Not So Above It All]] but was still pretty quiet, nice and sane. Now, however, she fakes being nice and is willing to kill to get [[Kickassia|power]], has a [[Sex Slave]] robot who she abuses, and treats her best friend like shit. [[Tropes Are Not Bad|She's much more fun this way, though.]]

* Foamy The Squirrel of ''[[Neurotically Yours]]'' has become much more of a completely bitter ass over the course of the series. This contrasts with his [[Characterization Marches On|earlier portrayal as a hyper-active squirrel who makes sarcastic quips about things]].

 

== Western Animation ==

** Living in an [[Orphanage of Love]] might ironically have something to do with it. He wasn't used to having so much freedom before moving into Foster's, so it probably inflated his ego.

* [[Hates the Job, Loves the Limelight|Krusty the Clown]] from ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'' went from being a slightly weary and cynical old showbiz figure, to a greedy, shameless sellout who doesn't care the slightest if his licensing products are crappy, or even downright dangerous.

** A large amount of the cast have evolved this way as the show has leaned into zanier more satirical territory. Even Marge and Lisa act rather mean spirited or outright unstable at times.

** The case can also be made for Courtney after her return to the show in season two. She went from being a slightly stuck-up and haughty girl who was still civil enough to be the [[Team Mom]], to a scheming, spoiled princess who uses her lawyers to cheat her way to numerous advantage on the show. She basically transformed from a significantly more good version of [[Rich Bitch|Heather]] to a straight up [[Expy]].

*** In ''World Tour'', both Geoff and Courtney (the latter at least in the first half of the season) are back to form, only for Cody, Gwen, and Duncan to get jerkier.

** Cleveland has had some Jerkass moments since he got [[The Cleveland Show|his own show]].

** Connie went from being the standard [[Alpha Bitch]] to a downright bitch, which was best demonstrated when she made fun of Meg shortly after the latter returned to school from being in prison for three months (to compensate [[No-Holds-Barred Beatdown|she pays for this]], and a lot of her Jerkass moments, to dire extremes).

** In contrast, Stan's own Jerkass tendencies have become more toned down or at least more [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|well intentioned]] as the show has progressed.

** Principal Lewis has become quite the jerkass in recent episodes, he constantly harasses the students and uses them for his own selfish wants.

** Icky Vicky: Originally just a mean, bossy babysitter. Now a sadistic, maniacal human monster not above threatening her own parents to keep her [[Beneath the Mask|true colors]] a secret.

** Timmy's dad surely began showing signs of this as the series went on.

** Mr Krabs can border into [[Faux Affably Evil]] territory in some episodes.

** "The Card", revolves around SpongeBob getting a rare Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy card, and lending it to Patrick for a while. However, Patrick abuses the card in so many ways (using it as a lockpick, grilling it and eating it in a Krabby Patty, scratching his back with it) you'd think he's actually doing this all just to torture SpongeBob, who gets increasingly stressed and worried about the card. [[Sarcasm Mode|Surprisingly enough]], after doing much more dangerous things with it (such as potentially smashing it or setting it on fire), when [[SpongeBob]] warns him, Patrick just says, "You can't expect my usual brand of stupidity, SpongeBob. I like to mix it up. Keep you on your toes." And Patrick flimsily makes it up to the [[Too Dumb to Live]] [[SpongeBob]] by just giving him new cards. Most people would have ''at least'' demanded forgiveness for how he freaked out his friend.

** Conversely, Squidward and Plankton have become more sympathetic characters as the characters [[Designated Hero|we're (apparently) supposed to like]] have taken copious levels in jerkass.

* Although Lemongrab of ''[[Adventure Time]]'' was a [[Jerkass Woobie]] literally since the day he was born, a deleted scene showed a much more insensitive, even malicious side to him. He terrorized a small candy child and made the poor little kid cry. THIS was originally the reason Finn and Princess Bubblegum decided to make him leave- you can tell, from the storyboards, how disgusted and shocked they were at Lemongrab's actions towards the child. While he's a jerk throughout the whole episode, progressively being more of a jerk the more he is pranked, Lemongrab scaring the crap out of that kid really was the peak of his jerkassery.

* While [[Daffy Duck]] of ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' fame was hardly an angel to begin with, he arguably was merely a [[Screwy Squirrel|prankster]] and an attention freak [[Cloudcuckoolander|too warped]] to understand the extent of his antics early on. As time passed Daffy became more stable and ambitious, as well as more embittered and obnoxious in personality, often acting as an [[Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain|antagonist]] for [[Bugs Bunny]]. His cruelty was taken to extremes with his pairings against [[Speedy Gonzales]] in the De Patie Freleng era.

* It's very easy to forget that [[King of the Hill|Peggy Hill]] was actually nice at the beginning of the show. She didn't start showing her egotism until season 3 and wasn't even a jerk about it until season 4.

* Velma on ''[[Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated|Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated]]'' has been noted to have taken on Jerk Ass traits, but only because she can't get time with Shaggy to herself due to Scooby Doo himself. She'll be [[Jerkass]] to start then sadly wistful (to her mom: "Am I radioactive?"). In the heat of the "love triangle", Scooby had taken on the [[Jerkass]] label as well, being as pushy as Velma in forcing him to "choose". Currently, now that Shaggy chose him, Scooby's remorseful at how sad Velma is over it and is trying to make up, but conversely, Velma's [[Jerkass]] level has risen with the rejection, making a reconciliation difficult.

** Episode 15 shows that she might be getting over herself a little; she resents Scooby but she draws the line at his getting hurt.

** Daphne had one temporarily in Episode 6, becoming a Hex Girl and stating that her new name was Crush. She reverts back to normal at the end.

** {{spoiler|Also, it's speculated that she might go into this against Velma, due to Velma having not told them a ''very'' important secret that was partially the reason why the gang split up.}}

** Irony is he's a [[Draco in Leather Pants/Western Animation|Draco in Leather Pants]], so the fangirls who actually build up the ''X-Men Evolution'''s [[Fan Dumb]], interprets ''him'' as the only good member of the Brotherhood, despite the fact that, arguably, he's the most self-centred character the series. Apocalypse is a [[Knight Templar]] who wishes for the world to become a Mutant utopia, [[Magneto]] is a [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] who wants to avoid another Holocaust, every other Brotherhood member has redeeming qualities (especially Avalanche), Colossus is an [[Anti-Villain]] under [[Blackmail]], Gambit is a hired Merc/thief who had some [[Pet the Dog]] Moments, Sabertooth and Pyro are just plain crazy... but Pietro is a calculating, selfish dick who serves only himself (and his father isn't a sufficient excuse for some of the shit he pulls).

* On ''[[Jimmy Two-Shoes]]'', Dr. Scientist was more-or-less neutral in the first season. However, in "Heads Will Roll" he becomes a full blown villain, tormenting Heloise. This could just be the result of not having a major role before then.

* Charmcaster in ''[[Ben 10]]'' used to treat her golems (or whatever they were) like they were pets. In ''[[Ben 10: Alien Force|Ben 10 Alien Force]]'', she can't go a few minutes without insulting the giant ones she has now for everything they do. Also, in the original series, while a troublemaking bitch, she wasn't murderous or out to take over the world. In ''Alien Force'', she does try to conquer the world, and expresses a gleeful desire to kill Gwen.

** Ben himself takes a massive level in Jerkass in the third season of ''Alien Force''.

'''Ed:''' [[The Woobie|Gee, if that's the way you *sniff* I mean if uh, all right then....]] }}

* Both ''[[Tom and Jerry]]'' seemed to have done this when [[Chuck Jones]] started directing the shorts. Jerry would sometimes start their [[Escalating War]] without provocation—in "The Year of the Mouse" he and another mouse took on a role similar to [[Looney Tunes|Hubie and Bertie]], driving Tom insane purely for kicks. On the other hand, Tom's torture of Jerry was severely stepped up, particularly in "Of Feline Bondage", where the sadistic glee he took in tormenting him was rather... unsettling.

** In the same episode, Angel the Bunny, always a little bit of a brat, has become violently abusive and borderline sociopathic, making unreasonable demands regarding his breakfast, and then throwing Fluttershy's best effort away for being short one cherry and kicking her out of the house. The closest he comes to any kind of apology is an expression of gratitude after he realises [[I Do Not Like Green Eggs and Ham|he enjoys Fluttershy's cucumber slices]], but then, it was only because of [[Death Glare|the Stare]] that he was willing to try them in the first place.

*** Angel [[Took a Level In Kindness]] in a later episode, so it kind of evens out.

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Characterization Tropes]]

[[Category:No Real Life Examples, Please]]

[[Category:The Jerk Index]]

[[Category:Character Derailment Tropes]]