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Feb 14, 2021 2:06 AM
#1
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Oct 2020
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For me personally, character development is one of the things I really enjoy seeing in anime. However, I feel like in a lot of shows, most characters dont really change, they dont grow at all. If anything, their personality stagnates, sometimes for the whole show.
Of course, there are also many shows where the developments is incredible, but thats not what I want to know. What Im asking is: What anime/what character can we see change for the worse in terms of personality? Who has character "deterioration"?
By this, I dont mean when someone turns into the "bad guy" (for example: when I say character decrease, I dont mean Eren, who changes, but is still an interesting character) I mean more like someone who over the course of the anime shows the same personality as in the beggining or turns into more of an objects who lacks any personality at all.
Kris_1Feb 14, 2021 2:38 AM
Feb 14, 2021 2:13 AM
#2

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Mar 2019
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When it comes to character(s) who deteriorate through the anime, imo it's Makoto of School Days.

On the other hand, anime like Azumanga Daioh has no personality development. The girls stay stagnant from start of high school until graduation.


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Feb 14, 2021 2:16 AM
#3

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Dec 2016
6110
Suzaku Kururugi is the epitome of character deterioration
Feb 14, 2021 2:18 AM
#4

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Jun 2017
2798
Development is not necessarily improvement. If what the author set out to do is show the gradual deterioration of a character, e.g. in a moral sense, it's still development.
Take two classic examples from literature: Macbeth and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Both are masterpieces of character development, each in its genre. They end with extremely degraded protagonists, and you understand the changes they underwent perfectly.

Feb 14, 2021 2:20 AM
#5

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Sep 2019
2161
Development is not the reason I watch anime for. It's a rare phenomena in anime.
"I think I wanted to attack something. Like betraying people or hurting people. And, well, it's not exactly nice, but hurting the readers too... In all honestly, I feel that's what I really wanted to do. For me, as a reader, when I think, "this manga will remain in my heart," it means, for example, it phenomenally hurt me: It's those kinds of experiences I'm after." - Pajime Hisayama (My favourite hurting author).
Feb 14, 2021 2:29 AM
#6

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May 2020
1528
That's still character development though. Character development isn't always a positive change, a character can change in a negative way and that's still character development.
Example: The quiet kid turns mass murderder, that might not be a good change but is still a change so it's character development.
*
Feb 14, 2021 2:33 AM
#7

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Oct 2019
26
One that I can think of is Erwin from AoT. He takes a turn for the worse in his development through the show.
Feb 14, 2021 2:35 AM
#8

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Aug 2020
264
Gon Freeces has the greatest (negative) Character Development of all time Period
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Feb 14, 2021 4:04 AM
#9

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Feb 2019
2410
The opposite of character development is not "deterioration," it's Flanderisation.
Well I for one already loved Lain.
Feb 14, 2021 4:10 AM

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Thigh_Tide said:
The opposite of character development is not "deterioration," it's Flanderisation.

finally someone who knows. thank you.
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Feb 14, 2021 4:16 AM

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Jan 2020
1535
This probably happens with most Gary/Mary sues, Since they first start as charismatic or cool but with only the repetition they get worse, So Sakuta from Bunny Girl Senpai would be my pick.

Also, The MC from Charlotte, His change was very rough and hard to believe.
I don't speak English that much, so please cut me some slack
Feb 14, 2021 4:22 AM

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Oct 2018
5743
Ikari Shinji


But it still is character development
If you're a fanboy, please don't waste my time.

Watch more movies, please.

Perhaps, this is hell.
Feb 14, 2021 4:34 AM
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May 2020
2721
The MC from Charlotte has a development before
and i think you could call it as a backward development or whatever you call it.
Feb 14, 2021 5:19 AM

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723
Asuna from SAO - Strong female lead to Damsel harem girl (Idk about the other seasons if there's change but S1 is her strong to weak cycle)
"When I decided to follow my dream, I had already discarded my life.” -Roronoa Zoro
Feb 14, 2021 5:28 AM

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Jan 2021
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I think this is kind of linked to the Dementia genre, where the MC gradually gets more mentally insane/ undergoes Flanderisation (thank you Thigh_Tide for the terminology) as the anime progresses.
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Feb 14, 2021 5:33 AM

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2161
Playay said:
The MC from Charlotte has a development before
and i think you could call it as a backward development or whatever you call it.
that's the best thing man. He becomes dumb. I loved it.
"I think I wanted to attack something. Like betraying people or hurting people. And, well, it's not exactly nice, but hurting the readers too... In all honestly, I feel that's what I really wanted to do. For me, as a reader, when I think, "this manga will remain in my heart," it means, for example, it phenomenally hurt me: It's those kinds of experiences I'm after." - Pajime Hisayama (My favourite hurting author).
Feb 14, 2021 5:37 AM
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Dec 2015
234
I know it's not anime but basically Sabrina from the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, there's so much horrible stuff happening around her and she fails to learn or change in any way whatsoever approaching everything with the same arrogance and making the same mistakes. The complete absence of character growth makes he show suck.
Feb 14, 2021 5:43 AM

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Mar 2020
3586
I don’t want to think of an answer, I’m lazy
Since we’re talking about character development, my automatic answer is Kirito from SAO lmao
Character DeDevelopment / No Character / No Development
Kirito is basically a universal answer to all of these
Feb 14, 2021 5:45 AM
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Jul 2018
564088
mary sue/gary stus fit this since they dont have any character to develop
Feb 15, 2021 9:11 AM

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Apr 2010
3745
Mysteries don't tend to have a lot of character development. Just see Ciel from Kuroshitsuji as an example. In Bungou Stray Dog, the MC changes bits by bits and also two other younger characters, but the adults... nope. I mean one changed, but mainly before the plot even begun.

But Albert from Gankutsuou doesn't change one bit.


Jun 2, 2021 7:23 AM
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Gilgameshuu said:
That's still character development though. Character development isn't always a positive change, a character can change in a negative way and that's still character development.
Example: The quiet kid turns mass murderder, that might not be a good change but is still a change so it's character development.

Not exactly. That is not character development, its regression. Though you could switch up words and say its negative development or a negative/regressive arc, that doesn't exactly work. Gon for example has no character development, but he's still incredibly dynamic and engaging and regresses out of his impulsive drive and immaturity.
Jun 2, 2021 5:16 PM
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Gilgameshuu said:
That's still character development though. Character development isn't always a positive change, a character can change in a negative way and that's still character development.
Example: The quiet kid turns mass murderder, that might not be a good change but is still a change so it's character development.

I don't think that's what was asked, but more like character development that makes the character worse as a character rather than as a person. My own example would be Leorio in hxh who goes from a main character with a clear goal and determination to comic relief in Hunter exam and yorknew arc.
Jun 5, 2021 6:38 PM
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Jan 2019
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Character devolopment don't always need to be positive.There is something called negative character arcs.Some of the popular examples are Godfather,Macbeth,Unforgiven and Death Note(I think?)
Jun 5, 2021 7:08 PM
Kii_Ibarra

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Dec 2020
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I'd have to say Light Yagami during the Yotsuba arc of DEATH NOTE. Thankfully he gets back on track right afterwards
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Jun 5, 2021 7:24 PM

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Jul 2015
12292
It's still character development z because regardless if it changes character to be more morally good or bad, it still is used to push story forward, which is s good thing.

Two examples for you:

Swindler/Regular Person from Akudama Drive literally turns into a villain over the course of the story.

Rinmaru from Tensura turns from a Mary Sue to an actual decent character because of what he did in season 2.
PiromyslJun 5, 2021 7:27 PM

Jun 9, 2021 9:44 PM
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Jul 2018
564088
Vice versa changes is considered good. The bad thing is when there's no development that are supposed to have.
Jun 13, 2021 2:58 AM
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Jul 2018
564088
You mean character regression? I bloody hate it! No faster way for me to drop smt when that happens. Looking at you One Piece.

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