History Main / OlderAndWiser

* Any characters that are around for longer than one arc in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure''. Notable ones include [[SuperpowerfulGenetics Joseph Joestar]][[note]], [[BadassLongcoat Jotaro Kujo]] (Part 4), [[NiceHat Speedwagon]], Dio Brando, and even [[spoiler:[[ButtMonkey Polnareff]]]].

* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': Gilgamesh is a conceited {{Jerkass}} due to being an incarnation of the king who has yet to fully experience the tales written down in ''The Epic of Gilgamesh''. When the protagonists of ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' time travel to Mesopotamia to find the BigBad's final Holy Grail, they meet a Gilgamesh who has lost Enkidu, failed at his quest for immortality herbs, and is settling down as the wise God-King of Uruk. And it shows, Uruk citizens are really capable, content, and happy with his rule. He only acts rude towards the protagonist because of the sheer stress of running his kingdom and fighting the war against the Three Goddess Alliance.

** Obi Wan Kenobi over the course of the films, who starts off as an apprentice to Qui Gon Jinn, 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 ''Film/ANewHope''[[note]]At least, if you watch it starting with the prequels. If you watch the films in the order they were released, we start off with him older and wiser, and then jump back to when he was young and still learning the ropes, with his CharacterDevelopment showing how he became the old hermit in the original film[[/note]].

** Obi Wan Kenobi over the course of the films, who starts off as an apprentice to Qui Gon Jinn, 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 ''Film/ANewHope''[[note]]At least, if you watch it starting with the prequels. If you watch the films in the order they were released, we start off with him older and wiser, and then jump back to when he was young and still learning the ropes, with his CharacterDevelopment showing how he became the old hermit in the original film.[[/note]]

** Obi Wan Kenobi over the course of the films, who starts off as an apprentice to Qui Gon Jinn, 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 ''Film/ANewHope''[[note]]At least, if you watch it starting with the prequels. If you watch the films in the order they were released, we start off with him older and wiser, and then jump back to when he was young and still learning the ropes, with his CharacterDevelopment showing how he became the old hermit in the original film.
*** Luke goes through a similar development going from a naive teenager in episode IV, to a wise, up-and-coming Jedi master himself in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', to an old Jedi Master in ''Film/TheLastJedi'' (playing this trope with a [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids heavy dose of cynicism]]).

** Obi Wan Kenobi over the course of the films, who starts off as an apprentice to Qui Gon Jinn, 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 ''Film/ANewHope''[[note]]At least, if you watch it starting with the prequels. If you watch the films in the order they were released, we start off with him older and wiser, and then jump back to when he was young and still learning the ropes, with his CharacterDevelopment showing how he became the old hermit in the original film.[[/note]]. Luke goes through a similar development going from a naive teenager in episode IV, to a wise, up-and-coming Jedi master himself in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', to an old Jedi Master in ''Film/TheLastJedi'' (playing this trope with a [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids heavy dose of cynicism]]).

* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'': [[https://garfield.com/comic/2018/06/13 Garfield believes he's getting smarter as he gets older]] until he sees Jon asking why people don't make cars out of cardboard and wonders if the others are getting dumber.

* ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'': Due to the entire series being one big continuity, anyone who first appears in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'', ''VideoGame/ZeroNoKiseki'', and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel I and II'' end up becoming this trope by ''Cold Steel III and IV''.

** Taiki and Shoutmon from ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'' return to ''Anime/DigimonXrosWarsTheYoungHuntersLeapingThroughTime'' as the smart mentors. Yuu himself returns from the previous series now matured as one of the main cast.

* A variation occurs in ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' where the TheRival of [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam the previous series]], Char Aznable plays the mentor role to Kamille Bidan.
** This is subverted in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'', wherein the previous cast end up in direct conflict with the new and still idealistic protagonists. They are older, and they are wiser, but it certainly doesn't do them much good when it comes to trying to convince the new cast of that.
*** Doesn't really help that most of the returning cast are a little [[ShellShockedVeteran burnt out.]] Or that the new heroes are being manipulated by the BigBad.
** In addition to Char, Amuro Ray, the protagonist of the first series, gets this as well in Zeta Gundam, but is a bit more angsty about it. Also in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack'', he seems to have once again matured to a steel-willed veteran.
* Another example of it happening backwards is in ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'', where some members of Ala Rubra, who saved the world 20 years ago, show up to help Negi on his way. Especially Jack Rakan. He's certainly Older. Wiser? [[BoisterousBruiser Not so much]]. [[spoiler: Well, [[ObfuscatingStupidity he actually is]], but Negi finds that out [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown the hard way]]]]
* The ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' cast to the ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'' cast. Three[[note]]Four in the English dub.[[/note]] years separate the two.
* And Taiki and Shoutmon from ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'' return to ''Anime/DigimonXrosWarsTheYoungHuntersLeapingThroughTime'' as the smart mentors. Yuu himself returns from the previous series now matured as one of the main cast.
* In ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'', almost the entire cast of the first two seasons returns as OlderAndWiser mentor figures to the newcomers in ''[[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers StrikerS]]''. Nanoha specifically designs her training programs to prevent them from [[TrainingFromHell making the same mistakes]] that she did when she was younger.
* Any characters that are around for longer than one arc in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure''. Notable ones include [[SuperpowerfulGenetics Joseph Joestar]], [[BadassLongcoat Jotaro Kujo]], [[NiceHat Speedwagon]], Dio Brando, and even [[spoiler:[[ButtMonkey Polnareff]]]].
* Rad, Carlos, and Alexis from ''Anime/TransformersArmada'' return aged ten years older to play supporting roles in ''Anime/TransformersEnergon''.
** Also, Hot Shot has gone from the KidAppealCharacter to one of the new Bumblebee's trainers (and is actually idolized by him for the first few episodes.)
* Every new generation of Pokedex Holders in ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'' will eventually be backed up by the older ones.
* Smith in ''Anime/GingaDensetsuWeed''.
* Evangeline A.K. [=McDowell=] from ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' appears in the StealthSequel ''Manga/UQHolder'' where she now goes by the name Yukihime, having become a teacher at a school and acting as a ParentalSubstitute to the main character. Interesting, because in previous series she's practically the poster girl for ImmortalImmaturity.
* Come ''Manga/{{Boruto}}'', the previous IdiotHero Naruto is now a calm and mature adult. He's the hokage and is the leader of his village. This also applies to most of his generation as well.

* In ''Fanfic/TheSecondTry'', Shinji and Asuka are mentally [[VagueAge somewhere in their early 20's]] after they return to the past. However, they have the emotional maturity of a person at least 10 years older than that. Justified by their spending several years in [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalyptic Japan]] with nobody to rely on but each other; [[HadToBeSharp either they grew up fast or they didn't get to grow up at all]]. [[spoiler:[[ChildrenRaiseYou Especially when Asuka fell pregnant]].]]

* Don Diego Vega (Anthony Hopkins), the original Zorro, returns to train Alejandro Murrieta (Antonio Banderas) in ''Film/TheMaskOfZorro''.

--> '''Earl:''' "Damn it, Valentine, I'm older and I'm wiser."
--> '''Val:''' "Yeah, well, you're half right."

* ''Fanfic/OneDayAtATime'': PeggySue protagonist Jason Todd. Physically sixteen, but mentally fifty years old -- he's raised four kids, juggled running a massive billion dollar-company and being Batman, all while helping lead the Justice League. That, on top of a major BreakTheHaughty TraumaCongaLine that saw him lose his best friend Roy, his adoptive father Bruce, and all three of his brothers within ten years, has left him as a much humbler, wiser, and overall better person than he was before.

* Another example of it happening backwards is in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', where some members of Ala Rubra, who saved the world 20 years ago, show up to help Negi on his way. Especially Jack Rakan. He's certainly Older. Wiser? [[BoisterousBruiser Not so much]]. [[spoiler: Well, [[ObfuscatingStupidity he actually is]], but Negi finds that out [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown the hard way]]]]

* Evangeline A.K. [=McDowell=] from ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' appears in the StealthSequel ''Manga/UQHolder'' where she now goes by the name Yukihime, having become a teacher at a school and acting as a ParentalSubstitute to the main character. Interesting, because in previous series she's practically the poster girl for ImmortalImmaturity.

* ''VideoGame/KisekiSeries'': Due to the entire series being one big continuity, anyone who first appears in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'', ''VideoGame/ZeroNoKiseki'', and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel I and II'' end up becoming this trope by ''Cold Steel III and IV''.

Usually ends up being the resident CoolOldGuy (well, depending on how old he actually is by now). Related to TheMentor, though they're less likely to die. (Of course, there's always the possibility of a [[StuffedIntoTheFridge nasty refrigerator accident]]...)

Related to TheMentor, though they're less likely to die. (Of course, there's always the possibility of a [[StuffedIntoTheFridge nasty refrigerator accident]]...)

* ''Fanfic/OneDayAtATime'': PeggySue protagonist Jason Todd. Physically sixteen, but mentally fifty years old -- he's raised four kids, juggled running a massive billion dollar-company and being Batman, all while helping lead the Justice League. That, on top of a major BreakTheHaughty TramuaCongaLine that saw him lose his best friend Roy, his adoptive father Bruce, and all three of his brothers within ten years, has left him as a much humbler, wiser, and overall better person than he was before.

* ''VideoGame/TreasurePlanetBattleAtProcyon'': Jim Hawkins, compared to how he is in the [[{{Disney/TreasurePlanet}} film]], due to the game taking place 5 years after the events of the film.

* In long-running TabletopRPG games, this is a common fate for player characters when a GM starts a new campaign in the same setting: even if the new game has the same players, the original characters show up as grizzled veterans, wise mentors or literal gods.
* Warboss Ghazkull from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' 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.
* A handful of variants and one HeelFaceTurn'd villain exhibit this in ''TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse'':

--> '''Atreus:''' So I'm a man now? Like you?
--> '''Kratos:''' ''No''. We are not men. We are more than that, and the responsibility is ''far'' greater. You must be ''better'' than me.
%%* Ryu and Ken in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII''.
%%* Terry Bogard in ''[[VideoGame/FatalFury Garou: Mark of the Wolves]]''
* Solid Snake in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'', since he'd become so [[MemeticBadass Badass]] that it could no longer be constrained by the limits of gameplay.
* The Moon Angels in ''[[VideoGame/GalaxyAngel Galaxy Angel II]]''.
* Dekar of ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'' joins the party in ''VideoGame/LufiaTheRuinsOfLore'', but calling him ''wiser'' may be a bit of a stretch...
* Bleu (Deis) from the ''Franchise/BreathOfFire'' series, especially in ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireII'' ([[GuideDangIt provided that you can find her...]]) where she proves to be one of the best spellcasters in the game.
* In the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' franchise:
** Finn and Oifey from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar Genealogy of the Holy War]]''; you had them in the first generation as young apprentices, in the second generation they are back as mentors to Leif and Nanna, and Seliph and the other children at Tirnanogue respectively. Shannan also serves as a mentor to Seliph as well his much younger cousins, Larcei and Ulster. Lewyn, who comes back as Seliph's strategist, also counts, though this may be because of his [[spoiler: [[BackFromTheDead resurrection]] and LaserGuidedAmnesia]].

** Averted in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' in which the cast of ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance Path of Radiance]]'' all make appearances as major characters and despite some maturity still have their own problems and issues to deal with.
** Played straight in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' where [[spoiler: Tiki, who was just a dragon child in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight'', reappears [[SheIsAllGrownUp as a dragon teen]] who takes up a mentor role towards Lucina and, in the DLC, her JuniorCounterpart Nowi. And [[MayflyDecemberRomance she can even be romanced by a male Avatar]].]]

* Dante in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry 4'', it's a bit inconsistent thanks to how the games' timelines jump around but he goes from a smart-ass to a smart-ass with a lot of experience.
* Phoenix Wright in ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney''. Some argue that this transition [[NotAsYouKnowThem wasn't entirely natural]], however...
* The main character of ''VideoGame/DigDug'', to the main character of ''Mr. Driller''.
* Mayor Robert Joseph [=MacCready=] of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' is a child with a ClusterFBomb vocabulary and universally unlikable attitude. Mercenary Robert Joseph [=MacCready=] of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' is a polite man with a strong PapaWolf mentality and a likable personality. The last decade really humbled him.
* Rydia from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV''. She joins the party as a child, and when the ship your party is on gets destroyed, she is taken to the Land of Monsters, where time flows faster than in the regular world. When she rejoins the party later in the game, she is a fully-grown adult, complete with additional powers.
* Auron in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' would fit this trope perfectly, except we see it backwards. Near the beginning, he emerges from obscurity to join the younger crew and teach them what's what, but only as the game progresses do we gradually learn what happened the first time around.
* ''[[VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga Dark Forces/Jedi Knight]]'' series hero Kyle Katarn becomes the mentor to new player character Jaden Korr in ''VideoGame/JediAcademy''. [[spoiler:He's also the FinalBoss if you turn to TheDarkSide, and actually puts up one hell of a fight]].
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', the Hero's Shade teaches Link several advanced sword techniques, and there are multiple nods at him being a previous Link (eventually [[WordOfGod confirmed]] to be the one from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'').
** Similarly, Ganondorf himself returns older and wiser in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', now sporting a surprisingly effective BeardOfEvil, having become much more calm and calculating than he was in his youth, preferring to control events from the shadows as opposed to in everyone's face with his magic and hordes of evil. Fittingly, however, he reverts to his fury of the old days during the final battle.
* Sonny Bonds, the hero of the original ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest'' Creator/{{Sierra}} point-and-click adventure games, is your SWAT unit's commanding officer in the tactical FirstPersonShooter ''VideoGame/{{SWAT 4}}''.
** For the record, that means the last time we saw him, he was a Detective Sergeant in Homicide. A minimum of ten years later (due to physical SWAT requirements), he has been promoted to the rank of Captain. At least. One hell of a meteoric rise.
* Liese in ''VideoGame/{{Atelier Annie|Alchemists of Sera Island}}''. [[NoExportForYou Not that you'd be expected to know]]. She's also [[spoiler: a kind of TricksterMentor, since she's testing and spying on Annie for her grandfather]].
* Leo Stenbuck from ''VideoGame/ZoneOfTheEnders'', returning in ''The Second Runner'' less mopey and with [[TookALevelInBadass added levels in Badass]].
* Flik and Viktor in ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden II}}''.
* The ''Franchise/DonkeyKong'' series has Cranky Kong, who was the Donkey Kong from the [[VideoGame/DonkeyKong original arcade games]]. Unfortunately, while he's older and wiser, he's ''so much so'' that he's more GrumpyOldMan than anything else.
* Peppy Hare, from ''VideoGame/StarFox'', is seen as this, having been part of the original Star Fox Team and fighting alongside his fallen teammate's son. He even gives up piloting his arwing after ''Star Fox Adventures'', becoming more of a MissionControl figure.
* ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul Calibur]]'' has at least two examples:

* [[VideoGame/GoldenSun Isaac and Garet]] show up for the tutorial levels of ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn''. Garet plays the trope straight, having matured from a HotBlooded source of PluckyComicRelief to a more sedate parent struggling to keep a leash on his even-''more''-temperamental teenage son, but Isaac subverts it almost to the point of a total inversion-- he's gone from a [[HeroicMime quiet]] momma's boy with a bad case of ChronicHeroSyndrome to a rather reckless fellow more interested in putting Matthew through obstacle courses than getting Tyrell out of life-threatening danger.
* [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] in ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2''. The cast of the [[VideoGame/TalesOfXillia previous game]] do show up and as party members too but as it's only been a year since then, both aspects aren't as prominent as they would be in most instances. Still, having saved the world (or got [[HeelFaceTurn sense kicked into them]] in the case of [[LateArrivalSpoiler Gaius and Muzet]]) before means they can help [[SilentProtagonist Ludger]] as he gets dragged into [[HumanityOnTrial Origin's Trial]] and is forced to make some rather important and even cruel decisions in that regard.
* Jim Hawkins in ''VideoGame/TreasurePlanetBattleAtProcyon'', compared to how he is in the [[{{Disney/TreasurePlanet}} film]], due to the game taking place 5 years after the events of the film.
* Gilgamesh in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' is a conceited {{Jerkass}} due to being an incarnation of the king who has yet to fully experience the tales written down in ''The Epic of Gilgamesh''. When the protagonists of ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' time travel to Mesopotamia to find the BigBad's final Holy Grail, they meet a Gilgamesh who has lost Enkidu, failed at his quest for immortality herbs, and is settling down as the wise God-King of Uruk. And it shows, Uruk citizens are really capable, content, and happy with his rule. He only acts rude towards the protagonist because of the sheer stress of running his kingdom and fighting the war against the Three Goddess Alliance.
* In the ''VideoGame/KisekiSeries'', due to the entire series being one big continuity, anyone who first appeared in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'', ''VideoGame/ZeroNoKiseki'', and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel I and II'' end up becoming this trope by ''Cold Steel III and IV''.

** Alanna (''Literature/SongOfTheLioness'') appears as a parent and veteran warrior in ''Literature/TheImmortals'', ''Literature/ProtectorOfTheSmall'' and ''Literature/DaughterOfTheLioness''. By the time of the last, she's middle-aged, as is her husband George.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

[[folder:WebOriginal]]
* Yamauchi-sensei from ''Literature/GreekNinja''.
[[/folder]]

* Zuko, Katara, and Toph all act as mentors to Korra at some point in ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfKorra''. And as Roku did to Aang in the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', an older Aang acts a spirit guide to Korra, since he is now the previous Avatar.

* Eskarina Smith, previously seen as a determined young witch in ''Discworld/EqualRites'', returns in ''Discworld/IShallWearMidnight'' as an advisor to the determined young witch Tiffany Aching.

* Sarah Jane Smith in ''Series/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]].

* Every new generation of Dex Holders in ''Manga/PokemonSpecial'' will eventually be backed up by the older ones.

* Any characters that are around for longer then one arc in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure''. Notable ones include [[SuperpowerfulGenetics Joseph Jostar]], [[BadassLongcoat Jotaro Kujo]], [[NiceHat Speedwagon]], Dio Brando, and even [[spoiler:[[ButtMonkey Polnareff]]]].