History Main / DumbassNoMore

* Creator/FloydGottfredson wanted to do this in the [[TheForties 1940s]] ''[[ComicBook/MickeyMouseComicUniverse Mickey Mouse]]'' comic strip, although he never pulled it off in the end. Since Mickey's [[{{Nephewism}} nephews]] Morty and Ferdy were too much alike, he wrote Ferdie out with plans to [[TheBusCameBack bring him back]] as an intellectual, with the explanation that he had been away for his studies. The comeback, however, never happened and the role of ChildProdigy in the comics went to Goofy's nephew Gilbert.

[[folder:Live Action Television]]

* In ''Series/DoctorWho'', by the time The Doctor is reunited with Rose Tyler, "Mickey the Idiot" has become confident and resourceful. It seems he was never an idiot to begin with, but rather a screw up who just needed the right motivation to get his shit together.
** In ''"Silence in the Library"'', Miss Evangelista is a BrainlessBeauty mocked by the rest of the crew. She becomes the first casualty of the [[DarknessEqualsDeath Vashta Nerada]] and her consciousness is uploaded to the virtual reality of the library, where she becomes TheSmartGuy and saves Donna in the followup ''"Forest of the Dead"''... but the virtual system [[FacialHorror messes with her face]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Cinnamon Bun from ''Franchise/AdventureTime'' has always been a dullard due to being literally half-baked. [[spoiler:In "Red Throne", he finally becomes fully baked, and as such is ''far'' more intelligent then he's ever been.]]

* In the climax of WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddysBigPictureShow, Ed, [[DumbMuscle who was never]] [[TheDitz the brightest bulb]] throughout [[WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy the entire series]], pulls out the last screw holding the screen door [[spoiler: as Eddy was being physically harmed by his abusive older brother, because he knew that the recoil would lead to Eddy, who was holding onto the door, to fly back and severely harm said older brother. It worked.]]

* At the end of ''Manga/SchoolRumble'' [[spoiler:Tenma went through it]].

** Ash starts of as an IdiotHero who gradually matures and learns over the course of two series. However, while his Pokémon battling skills improve during the third series, he gets less intelligent in every regard that doesn't have to do with Pokémon battling,zigzagging this trope. And during the fourth series he completely hits the ResetButton, completely inverting this trope. He plays the trope completely straight in the fifth series, however, and gains so much maturity and skill he doesn't even really qualify as an IdiotHero anymore (naive and reckless certainly, but not an idiot). He returns to idiocy in the sixth series, but with the stipulation that he retains his battle competence, making him something of a GeniusDitz IdiotSavant.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' (the 80's cartoon) has Grimlock [[FlowersForAlgernonSyndrome become a genius temporarily]], even [[VerbalTic starting each sentence]] with "I, Grimlock" as opposed to his usual "Me Grimlock".

** Ash starts of as an IdiotHero who gradually matures and learns over the course of two series. However, while his Pokémon battling skills improve during the third series, he gets less intelligent in every regard that doesn't have to do with Pokémon battling,zigzagging this trope. And during the fourth series he completely hits the ResetButton, completely inverting this trope. He plays the trope completely straight in the fifth series, however, and gains so much maturity and skill he doesn't even really qualify as an IdiotHero anymore (naive and reckless certainly, but not an idiot).

* ''Fanfic/DreamingOfSunshine'': Naruto ends up learning how to strategize effectively earlier on than in canon due to Shikako's tutoring. Though he's only a little more powerful than in canon by the Chunin Exams,[[spoiler:he manages to earn his promotion.]]

* Deconstructed in case of Morty from ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' - while constant adventures and near-death situations turned him from naive, slow in the mind kid to one of the more competent and self-aware characters of the show, they also took a serious toll on him, resulting in his constant sense of disillusionment and inecurity.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* A strange example of this trope exists within certain CRPG games like ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' or ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura.'' Because it is possible to both start the game off as dumb (read: Int 1-3) and permanently increase stats without using bugs, some players may be playing a game "stupid" and then accidentally turn him back to standard dialogue choices as a "normal person."

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

A cousin to TookALevelInBadass, only the major change is in the character's intelligence. Tired of being thrown around mental gymnasium, said dumbass decides to do some "brain trainin'". He (or she) will drop out of the storyline for a while. If he or she's the main character, this sabbatical will be used to develop the other characters in story.

A cousin to TookALevelInBadass, only the major change is in the character's intelligence. Tired of being thrown around, said dumbass decides to do some "brain trainin'". He (or she) will drop out of the storyline for a while. If he's the main character, this will be used to develop the other characters.

* A strange example of this trope exists within certain CRPG games like ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' or ''{{Arcanum}}.'' Because it is possible to both start the game off as dumb (read: Int 1-3) and permanently increase stats without using bugs, some players may be playing a game "stupid" and then accidentally turn him back to standard dialogue choices as a "normal person."

* Melvin Potter in ''Series/{{Daredevil 2015}}'' has mental issues that frequently make him childlike and confused, but by Season 2, he is far more collected and rational. That's because he's no longer afraid that his caretaker will get killed by his former boss if he doesn't comply and can routinely take his medication.

* In ''[[Anime/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'', Ash starts of as an IdiotHero who gradually matures and learns over the course of two series. However, while his Pokémon battling skills improve during the third series, he gets less intelligent in every regard that doesn't have to do with Pokémon battling,zigzagging this trope. And during the fourth series he completely hits the ResetButton, completely inverting this trope. He plays the trope completely straight in the fifth series, however, and gains so much maturity and skill he doesn't even really qualify as an IdiotHero anymore.

Contrast TookALevelInDumbass.

* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' is an interesting case. Naruto went from last in ninja school to a shinobi that could think on his feet. Then, he went to trading ideological arguments with several human war machines as much as he traded blows with the same people. His allies still push him to think before he acts, though it most often turns out he already has several tactics in mind, leading the allies to say something like "he's not the same dumb kid we knew, after all...".

* Impulse from ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' got sick of being the TheFool of the team (which was mostly on account of his extreme ADHD), so he used his super speed to read the contents of an entire library. Because he also has PhotographicMemory he basically became a walking encyclopedia. Unfortunately, he's more a GeniusDitz given that he's got the knowledge but not the wisdom or common sense.

* Melvin Potter in ''Series/{{Daredevil 2015}}'' has mental issues that make him childlike and has he says confused a lot, by Season 2, he is far more collected and rational. That's because he no longer has the fear that his caretaker get killed by his former boss if he doesn't comply and can routinely take his medication.

* After the timeskip following the battle for the Sapphire gate, ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''[='=]s Elan has gone from a total idiot to... well, an idiot that still managed to make V look dumb by using illusion magic.

* On ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'', Gumball and Darwin went from TooDumbToLive to a more normal level of intelligence after the first season. This was probably CharacterizationMarchesOn also as they were a mix of that, mischeivous, OnlySaneMan or just naive. The OnlySaneMan characterization seems to be becoming the dominant one.
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' (the 80's cartoon) has Grimlock become a genius temporarily, even [[VerbalTic starting each sentence]] with "I, Grimlock" as opposed to his usual "Me Grimlock".

* Both Rufus and Amberley in ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone''. As often as they saved the day, it was more often because of their more competent peers or because they had [[HarmlessVillain the Urpneys]] [[StrawLoser as their enemies]], thus whenever these two conveniences were temporarily out of the equation, they usually ended up looking pretty clueless. Starting midway into Season Three, the two start acting more capable, and are shown able to think of solutions on their own. Rufus also becomes less of TheMillstone while Amberley becomes TheStrategist. Note this was restoring their original personalities, as they had TookALevelInDumbass following the pilot episode.

[[AC:Anime and Manga]]

* In ''[[Anime/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'', Ash starts of as an IdiotHero who gradually matures and learns over the course of two series. However, while his Pokémon battling skills improve during the third series, he gets less intelligent in every regard that doesn't have to do with Pokémon battling,zigzagging this trope. And during the fourth series he completely hits the ResetButton, completely inverting this trope. He plays the trope completely straight in the fifth series, however, and gains so much maturity and skill he doesn't even really qualify as an IdiotHero anymore.

[[AC:Comic Books]]

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:Live Action Television]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

[[AC:Web Comics]]

[[AC:Web Original]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]

* Melvin Potter in ''Series/{{Daredevil 2015}}'' has mental issues that make him childlike and has he says confused a lot, by season 2 he is far more collected and rational. That's because he no longer has the fear that his caretaker get killed by his former boss if he doesn't comply and can routinely take his medication.

* Cinnamon Bun from ''Franchise/AdventureTime'' has always been a dullard due to being literally half-baked. [[spoiler:In "Red Throne", he -finally becomes fully baked, and as such is ''far'' more intelligent then he's ever been.]]