History Main / CharacterDerailment

In the rarest of cases, this can be an example of how Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad. Previously boring or irritating characters may actually be ''improved'' if they're drastically changed. A classic example is Kelly Bundy from ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', whose transformation into TheBrainlessBeauty also coincided with the show's GrowingTheBeard. Since derailing characters tends to break audience's WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief , derailing characters tend to fare better as an emergency plot device when audience's Willing Suspension Of Disbelief is already broken due to characters' behavior.

In the rarest of cases, this can be an example of how Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad. Previously boring or irritating characters may actually be ''improved'' if they're drastically changed. A classic example is Kelly Bundy from ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', whose transformation into TheBrainlessBeauty also coincided with the show's GrowingTheBeard.

When an established character becomes largely different, exhibiting behavior contrary to what has been previously shown. This is not a matter of [[CharacterDevelopment organic growth]]. Rather than gradually changing in response to events and experiences, a derailed character will exhibit shockingly unusual behavior that implies [[StealthParody malfeasance]] or incompetence on the part of the writers.

* MoralEventHorizon (when poorly executed or unintentional)

* TookALevelInDumbass

If in {{Fan Fic}}s, it can involve CanonDefilement, DracoInLeatherPants or RonTheDeathEater (or some combination of the three). When the derailed character's characterization is fixed, it is CharacterRerailment. Contrast CharacterizationMarchesOn (where a character changes because their previous characterization was only a "work in progress"), UltimateUniverse (where changing the characters is the very premise of the work to begin with, and do not count as examples, unless of course the example is about changes within the ultimate universe itself) and see also CharacterCheck (where a derailed character might briefly act like they used to).

Compare CharacterizationMarchesOn for when they had yet to establish a consistent character to derail. Not to be confused with AdaptationPersonalityChange.

* MoralEventHorizon (if poorly executed)

* MoralEventHorizon

* DerailingLoveInterests

* {{Ukefication}}

* LoveMakesYouDumb

* HeelFaceRevovlingDoor (if not conveyed properly and poorly executed)

* CharacterDerailment/{{Film}}

** '' CharacterDerailment/GameOfThrones''

[[noreallife]]'''Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease''' (You might want StarDerailingRole for that.)

!!Examples

-->-- '''''Website/TheAgonyBooth''''', ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'

* DorkAge

CharacterDerailment can be justified by something that happened to change the character's personality in some way.

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