History Main / DumbassNoMore

* [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructed]] in the 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 insecurity.

* When ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' began, Eric Cartman started out as an ignorant DirtyCoward with about the same level of naivety as Butters, in addition to being BookDumb. Following the infamous Scott Tenorman incident, while he still retains his gullible and childlike traits, he's definitely become more clever when it comes to plotting schemes and manipulating others, even bordering on a ChildProdigy at times.

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 the story.

* ''AudioPlay/SonicDestruction'': Knuckles in previous WebVideo/RealTimeFandub projects was portrayed as TheStoner with some shades of outright {{cloudcuckoolander}}, but the AI-generated scripted combined with a new VA means he's far more lucid. He's practically an Only Sane Man, taking initiative to combat Eggman and mostly lacking any crazy moments.

* In ''WesternAnimation/Ducktales2017'', Steelbeak of ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' gets the AdaptationalDumbass treatment, and is shown to be BookDumb, brutish, shortsighted, and sensitive to cracks about his intelligence. Come the GrandFinale, he uses the intelligence ray on himself, turning him from a DumbMuscle to a GeniusBruiser, and is much smarter in how he fights Scrooge and his family.

* ''FanFic/PurpleDays'': After a while of failing to stop the GroundhogDayLoop he's been trapped into, Joffrey gets tired of his willing stupidity and starts several loops of deep study and training, starting in the Citadel.

* 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 SuperSpeed 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.

* The eponymous character is an interesting case. Naruto goes from last in ninja school to a shinobi who can think on his feet. Then, he goes to trading ideological arguments with several human war machines as much as he trades 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...".

* The very point in ''Series/CanadasWorstDriver''. When you achieve this trope, you graduate. In ''Canada's Worst Driver Ever'', Chris and Shirley (from Season 1 and Season 7, respectively) had enormously improved--Chris from simple experience, Shirley by dogged study and practice.

* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' is an interesting case. Naruto goes from last in ninja school to a shinobi who can think on his feet. Then, he goes to trading ideological arguments with several human war machines as much as he trades 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...".
** [[spoiler:There's also Obito Uchiha, who started off as basically an Uchiha version of Naruto and, after his FaceHeelTurn, ended up being TheChessmaster BigBad.]]

* 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, mischievous, OnlySaneMan and just naive. The OnlySaneMan characterization seems to be becoming the dominant one.

* {{Deconstruction}} 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 insecurity.
* Tokka and Rahzar, the two mutants from ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIITheSecretOfTheOoze'', were dumb as bricks in the movie; they made one appearance on [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 the 1987 cartoon]], however, where they were smart, and very articulate. (And not exactly evil either, portrayed as two {{Reluctant Monster}}s just trying to survive.

* Broadway from ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' was more naïve, gullible, and innocent early on, he seemed to be the least intelligent of the main gargoyles in the beginning, as the series progresses he becomes more intelligent, knowledgeable, and less goofy.

* When we meet Harland Bassett in ''Series/ThePractice'', he's so inept that not only has he never won a jury trial, he's been compelled by a judge to inform all his clients of the fact. Later on, he uses underhand tactics to get his niece acquitted of shoplifting charges, winning the case while also being held in contempt. In the time between this and his last two appearances, he's honed his skills to the point that he's able to prepare a solid case against a major pharmaceutical company backed by one of the best lawyers around, and when it comes to trial, he wins the case without resorting to dirty tricks.

-->-- [[=AntDude=]], on the VideoGame/{{Pikmin}} becoming more intelligent and self-reliant in the third game.

Contrast TookALevelInDumbass. SisterTrope to FlowersForAlgernonSyndrome, in which a character gains intelligence[[note]]and/or other traits[[/note]] temporarily, but [[StatusQuoIsGod returns to normal]] by the end of the story.

* The ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' series of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros'' games have their own continuity; in it, Bowser does this. He's the [[WorfEffect frequent victim]] of MakeWayForTheNewVillains, enough that by ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'', he's learned his lesson. [[spoiler:It seems like Antasma is going to betray Bowser, the way Bowser always gets betrayed by whatever force of evil he tries to team up with... but Bowser has seen this trick so often he expects it [[HijackedByGanon and pulls the trigger first]].]]

* The ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' series of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros'' games have their own continuity; in it, Bowser does this. He's the [[WorfEffect frequent victim]] of MakeWayForTheNewVillain, enough that by ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'', he's learned his lesson. [[spoiler:It seems like Antasma is going to betray Bowser, the way Bowser always gets betrayed by whatever force of evil he tries to team up with... but Bowser has seen this trick so often he expects it [[HijackedByGanon and pulls the trigger first]].]]

* 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 insecurity.