History Main / OlderAndWiser

This character was one of the original protagonists. They hung out, had adventures, and had the GrandFinale with the rest of the cast once the show was cancelled. Now the show has had a {{Revival}}, and the character's back, with a twist -- they're a generation older than the new cast, and they've come back specifically to help the people who are in the same situation they once faced. This role can also be filled, in a [[LongRunners Long Runner]], by a character who leaves and comes back after a significant span of time.

* The original cast in the ''RecordOfLodossWar'' TV series after the time skip.

* Warboss Ghazkull from Warhammer40K made his first appearance in a first-edition supplement in the early 90s as a generic Warboss for the Goff clan. A few years later, he's at the head of the biggest Waaaagh! in the galaxy, has ravaged the planet Armageddon repeatedly, formed a one-sided FriendlyRivalry with [[ColonelBadass Commissar Yarrick]], and believes himself to be on a mission from the ork gods.

* Yamauchi-sensei from [[GreekNinja Greek Ninja]].

* TheDCU often has [[TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] superheroes filling this role, especially Jay Garrick (the [[TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] ComicBook/TheFlash) and Max Mercury to Wally West (the PostCrisis ComicBook/TheFlash) and Impulse.

* Ryu and Ken in ''StreetFighter III'', and Terry Bogard in ''[[FatalFury Garou: Mark of the Wolves]]''

* In the ''{{Futurama}}'' film ''Bender's Big Score'', [[spoiler:Lars Fillmore is an older and more mature version of Fry who managed to get sent to the past and had his features accidentally changed to become near-unrecognizable.]]

* Barney Collier from ''MissionImpossible'' appeared in some episodes of the revival series, while his son was one of the main characters (and their actors were [[RealLifeRelative father and son]], too).

* This frequently happens with military officers in between major wars. A few notable examples from American history include UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson, who served as a messenger during the UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution while a teenager, then went on to become a General in the Main/WarOf1812. Quite a few junior officers got their first experience in the Main/MexicanAmericanWar before going on to become prominent figures during the UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar, including Robert E. Lee and UsefulNotes/UlyssesSGrant. The same goes for the UsefulNotes/SpanishAmericanWar giving young officers experience for UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, including the commander of the American forces in WW1 General John "Black Jack" Pershing. World War I also served in this capacity for UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, giving officers like UsefulNotes/DwightDEisenhower (though he trained troops rather than seeing action himself in WW1,) and [[FourStarBadass George S. Patton]].

** But played straight in FireEmblemAwakening where [[spoiler: Tiki, who was just a child Dragon in FireEmblemAkaneia, reappears [[SheIsAllGrownUp as an older teen dragon]].]]

* The ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' cast to the ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'' cast. Four years separate the two.

* ''[[DarkForcesSaga Dark Forces/Jedi Knight]]'' series hero Kyle Katarn becomes the mentor to new player character Jaden Korr in ''Jedi Academy'' [[spoiler:He's also the FinalBoss if you turn to TheDarkSide, and actually puts up one hell of a fight]].

* The ComicBook/{{X-Men}} are often shown as teachers to young, teenage mutants -- which many of the X-Men were when introduced.

* Dante in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry 4''.
** Not exactly, due in part to [[AnachronicOrder the confusing ordering of the series]] and in part to Dante's tendency to be a wiseguy rather than a wise guy.
** Actually, it's [[ZigZaggingTrope zig-zagged]] due to Dante acting as both a {{Stealth|Mentor}} and TricksterMentor towards Nero. And to be fair, ''4'' is the latest game in the timeline if you [[{{FanonDiscontinuity}} don't count second the second game]].

* TheDCU often has [[TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] superheroes filling this role, especially Jay Garrick (the [[TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] {{Flash}}) and Max Mercury to Wally West (the PostCrisis {{Flash}}) and Impulse.

* Obi Wan Kenobi over the course of the StarWars films, who starts off as an apprentice to Qui Gon Jin, but becomes more of a wise and experienced Jedi master, culminating in him teaching Luke, his [[APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil former]] [[WeUsedToBeFriends padawan's]] son, about the Force in the beginning of [[ANewHope episode IV]]. Luke goes through a similar development going from a whiny teenager in episode IV, to a wise, up-and-coming Jedi master himself in [[ReturnOfTheJedi episode VI]].

* The StarWarsExpandedUniverse has Ferus Olin, who was a contemporary of Anakin in the ''JediQuest'' series as a teenager, was a young adult and the main character of the ''Last of the Jedi'' series, and returned in the ''Rebel Force'' books to serve as on-again-off-again mentor to Luke and Leia. He does indeed have a HeroicSacrifice and a [[YouAreNotAlone genuinely moving death scene]].

* Sarah Jane Smith in ''TheSarahJaneAdventures''. Explicitly shown in "Turn Left": [[spoiler:In the Doctor-less alternate universe, Sarah Jane takes the Doctor's role in averting a disaster he stopped (or ''would'' have stopped) in the episode "Smith and Jones", though she dies in the process]].

* Phoenix Wright in ''ApolloJustice: AceAttorney''. Some argue that this transition [[NotAsYouKnowThem wasn't entirely natural]], however...

** Finn and Oifey, from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral Genealogy of the Holy War]]'', are straighter examples ; you had them in the first generation as young apprentices, in the second generation they are back as mentors to Leaf and Nanna, and Celice and the other children at Tilnanogue respectively. Levn, who comes back as Celice's strategist, also counts, though this may be because of his [[spoiler: [[BackFromTheDead resurrection]] and LaserGuidedAmnesia]]

** [[FourStarBadass Lieutenant General]] [[StargateVerse Jack O'Neill]] takes on this role in ''Series/StargateUniverse''.

* Used in each subsequent ''{{Tortall}}'' series by TamoraPierce. Especially Alanna (''Song of the Lioness'') to Kel (''Protector of the Small''), and George (''Song of the Lioness'') to Aly (''Trickster'' books).

* Colonel Samantha Carter is promoted from a member of the FiveManBand in ''{{Stargate SG-1}}'' to the leader of the Atlantis Expedition in ''Series/StargateAtlantis''. The timespan is a bit shorter, but the concept is the same.

* Done interestingly in RobinHobb's works with Fitz, protagonist of the ''Farseer'' trilogy. He's still the narrator and protagonist when he returns fifteen years later for the ''Tawny Man'' trilogy, but the heart of the story is his attempts to guide and mentor the adolescent offspring of his old friends. So, for once, the OlderAndWiser character remains the ''main'' character!

* Although ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' didn't have any prior show, the character Gabe Kotter was a former student who comes back to his high school alma mater to teach an often unruly group of remedial wiseguys known as the "Sweathogs", of which he was a founding member.

* Sonny Bonds, the hero of the original ''PoliceQuest'' {{Sierra}} point-and-click adventure games, is your SWAT unit's commanding officer in the tactical FirstPersonShooter ''SWAT 4''.

[[Folder:Tabletop Games]]

** Dark Magician -> Dark Sage
** Injection Fairy Lily -> Counselor Lily
** Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En -> Great Shogun Shien

[[folder:Theatre]]
* Although still technically the main character, Oedipus of ''Theatre/OedipusAtColonus'' has completely transformed from his portrayal in ''Theatre/OedipusTheKing'' and provides a contrast with the rest of the cast which is younger.