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** Several characters who got plenty of focus or screentime in the first season got pushed to the side in the following two seasons. [[GentleGiant DJ]], [[GranolaGirl Bridgette]], [[SurferDude Geoff]], and [[ChickMagnet Trent]] all made it quite far in the first season, and the latter three were all involved in the main romances of the season. In the next two seasons however, they are either all eliminated early in the competition or don't even compete. Bridgette and Geoff did get some focus as the hosts of the Aftermath segments, and Geoff also returned in the spinoff ''The Ridonculous Race'', where he made it to the finals.
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** Several characters who got plenty of focus or screentime in the first season got pushed to the side in the following two seasons. [[GentleGiant DJ]], [[GranolaGirl Bridgette]], [[SurferDude Geoff]], and [[ChickMagnet Trent]] all made it quite far in the first season, and the latter three were all involved in the main romances of the season. In the next two seasons however, they are either all eliminated early in the competition or don't even compete. Bridgette and Geoff did get some focus as the hosts of the Aftermath segments, Aftermath, and Geoff also returned in the spinoff ''The Ridonculous Race'', where [[spoiler:where he made it to the finals.final two.]]
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* Despite using only half of the original 22 contestants, ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaRama'' is still guilty of leaving characters out of focus (and this also despite there being more episodes a season). Cody never gets ADayInTheLimelight once, and Bridgette has the least appearances out of all the kids. Similarly, several heavily focused characters from the parent show are totally absent, such as Heather and Lindsay.
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** Season three also leaves some characters out of the game, though most of the season two rejects got in, and some of the "bigger" characters from past seasons (like [[SassyBlackWoman Leshawna]] and [[DumbBlonde Lindsay]]) are voted off fairly early. Most of the minors still get voted off pretty early or got shoved out of the way to make room for the controversial [[WellExcuseMePrincess Courtney]]/[[YourCheatingHeart Duncan]]/[[RelationshipUpgrade Gwen]] LoveTriangle, and Cody spends most of the season doing nothing but getting hounded by [[StalkerWithACrush Sierra]], despite [[spoiler:making it to the final three]].
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** Season three Three also leaves some characters out of the game, though most of the season two rejects got in, and some of the "bigger" characters from past seasons (like [[SassyBlackWoman Leshawna]] Leshawna]], [[{{Geek}} Harold]], and [[DumbBlonde Lindsay]]) are voted off fairly early. Most of the minors still get voted off pretty early or got shoved out of the way to make room for the controversial [[WellExcuseMePrincess Courtney]]/[[YourCheatingHeart Duncan]]/[[RelationshipUpgrade Gwen]] LoveTriangle, and Cody with the sole exception being Cody, who spends most of the season doing nothing but getting hounded by [[StalkerWithACrush Sierra]], despite [[spoiler:making it to the final three]].three]].
** Several characters who got plenty of focus or screentime in the first season got pushed to the side in the following two seasons. [[GentleGiant DJ]], [[GranolaGirl Bridgette]], [[SurferDude Geoff]], and [[ChickMagnet Trent]] all made it quite far in the first season, and the latter three were all involved in the main romances of the season. In the next two seasons however, they are either all eliminated early in the competition or don't even compete. Bridgette and Geoff did get some focus as the hosts of the Aftermath segments, and Geoff also returned in the spinoff ''The Ridonculous Race'', where he made it to the finals.
** Several characters who got plenty of focus or screentime in the first season got pushed to the side in the following two seasons. [[GentleGiant DJ]], [[GranolaGirl Bridgette]], [[SurferDude Geoff]], and [[ChickMagnet Trent]] all made it quite far in the first season, and the latter three were all involved in the main romances of the season. In the next two seasons however, they are either all eliminated early in the competition or don't even compete. Bridgette and Geoff did get some focus as the hosts of the Aftermath segments, and Geoff also returned in the spinoff ''The Ridonculous Race'', where he made it to the finals.
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** The calmer, more genteel WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse gradually lost top billing to hot-tempered {{Jerkass}} WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck and dimwitted klutz {{WesternAnimation/Goofy}}. Mickey appeared in barely any cartoons during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and eventually had to wait ''30 years'' from his last classic appearance in ''The Simple Things'' until ''Disney/MickeysChristmasCarol''.
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** The calmer, more genteel WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse gradually lost top billing to hot-tempered {{Jerkass}} WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck and dimwitted klutz {{WesternAnimation/Goofy}}. Mickey appeared in barely any cartoons during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and eventually had to wait ''30 years'' from his last classic appearance in ''The Simple Things'' until ''Disney/MickeysChristmasCarol''.''WesternAnimation/MickeysChristmasCarol''.
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** The title characters themselves. Near the end of the series' run, there were a handful of episodes that focused more on the Doof and Perry plot lines while the other characters just made a cameo.
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** Mr. Smiley and Mr. Maheswaran (Connie's dad) have no speaking roles in the fifth season, despite being present in several episodes. The most egregious example is in "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E24LegsFromHereToHomeworld Legs From Here to Homeworld]]". Before Connie leaves for [[spoiler:space]], her dad says absolutely nothing while her mom gives her an encouraging sendoff, but she still reacts as though both her parents spoke to her.
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* Ghostfreak is one of ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'''s least used aliens, if not the most. In the original series, Ben only uses him six times before the episode where he escapes the Omnitrix and reveals himself as Z'Skayrr, gets temporarily killed by the sun and [[BackFromTheDead brought back to life]] by Frankenstrike one season later. Ben never uses him (in the first series at least) after escaping the Omnitrix, not even after he gets him back at the end of season 3, presumably due to being too scared of him.
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* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10''
** Ghostfreak is one of''WesternAnimation/Ben10'''s Ben's least used aliens, if not the most. In the original series, Ben only uses him six times before the episode where he escapes the Omnitrix and reveals himself as Z'Skayrr, gets temporarily killed by the sun and [[BackFromTheDead brought back to life]] by Frankenstrike one season later. Ben never uses him (in the first series at least) after escaping the Omnitrix, not even after he gets him back at the end of season 3, presumably due to being too scared of him.
** Ripjaws is another infrequently used alien. Though, in his case, it's due to him being [[ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman highly situational]], completely limited to use in aquatic environments, and is virtually useless in all other situations.
** Ghostfreak is one of
** Ripjaws is another infrequently used alien. Though, in his case, it's due to him being [[ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman highly situational]], completely limited to use in aquatic environments, and is virtually useless in all other situations.
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* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'': Beezy's girlfriend Saffi showed up only semi-regularly in Season 1, but still got some very memorable appearances. However, in Season 2, she falls off hard, with pretty much no major roles in except Beezy breaking off with her to chase a GirlOfTheWeek in "She Loves Me" ''[[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]]]''.
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* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'': Beezy's girlfriend Saffi showed up only semi-regularly in Season 1, but still got some very memorable appearances. However, in Season 2, she falls off hard, with pretty much no major roles in except Beezy breaking off with her to chase a GirlOfTheWeek in "She Loves Me" ''[[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]]]''.laughs]]''.
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*** In season 7, it isn't usual for a Mane 6 Pony to not appear for several episodes in a row (Fluttershy and Rarity each go through ''five'' in a row without appearing, and even the alleged main character Twilight misses four in a row). In addition, there are several episodes where ''none'' of the Mane 6 appear at all, including one where the only season 1-era character to appear is Trixie.
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*** In season 7, it isn't usual for a Mane 6 Pony to not appear for several episodes in a row (Fluttershy and Rarity each go through ''five'' in a row without appearing, and even the alleged main character Twilight misses four in a row). In addition, there are several episodes where ''none'' of the Mane 6 appear at all, including one where the only season 1-era character to appear is Trixie. This is also currently happening in Season 9 as well.
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*** Season 3 hits Rarity with this; she's the only mane cast member not to get ADayInTheLimelight episode (WordOfGod states this is intentional however, since "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E10SpikeAtYourService Spike at Your Service]]" was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen her intended episode]], but it was rewritten completely as a second Applejack story after "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E9AppleFamilyReunion Apple Family Reunion]]" due to conflict over the usage of the character in the original script. Season Four subverts this with more than one Rarity episode). What makes it even worse is that her focus episodes in S2 came relatively early in the season, meaning that she went for over a ''year'' in real time without ever getting a focus episode.
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*** Season 3 hits Rarity with this; despite appearing in all 13 episodes of that season, she's the only mane cast member not to get ADayInTheLimelight episode (WordOfGod states this is intentional however, since "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E10SpikeAtYourService Spike at Your Service]]" was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen her intended episode]], but it was rewritten completely as a second Applejack story after "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E9AppleFamilyReunion Apple Family Reunion]]" due to conflict over the usage of the character in the original script. Season Four subverts this with more than one Rarity episode). What makes it even worse is that her focus episodes in S2 came relatively early in the season, meaning that she went for over a ''year'' in real time without ever getting a focus episode.
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*** In season 7, it isn't usual for a Mane 6 Pony to not appear for several episodes in a row (Fluttershy goes through ''five'' in a row without appearing, and even the alleged main character Twilight misses four in a row). In addition, there are several episodes where ''none'' of the Mane 6 appear at all, including one where the only season 1-era character to appear is Trixie.
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*** In season 7, it isn't usual for a Mane 6 Pony to not appear for several episodes in a row (Fluttershy goes and Rarity each go through ''five'' in a row without appearing, and even the alleged main character Twilight misses four in a row). In addition, there are several episodes where ''none'' of the Mane 6 appear at all, including one where the only season 1-era character to appear is Trixie.
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Leslie Alan and carmen are out of focus
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* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': Sadly, almost ''all'' the supporting cast, and Nicole, are OutOfFocus in Season 6. The ones who aren’t are Sarah, Leslie, Principal Brown, Mr. Small, Rocky, Carmen, Alan, Donut Cop, Larry, Banana Joe, Tobias, Bobert, and Hot Dog Guy.
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* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': Sadly, almost ''all'' the supporting cast, and Nicole, are OutOfFocus in Season 6. The ones who aren’t are Sarah, Leslie, Principal Brown, Mr. Small, Rocky, Carmen, Alan, Donut Cop, Larry, Banana Joe, Tobias, Bobert, and Hot Dog Guy.
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Mass fixing indentation.
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* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'':
** Sadly, almost ''all'' the supporting cast, and Nicole, are OutOfFocus in Season 6. The ones who aren’t are Sarah, Leslie, Principal Brown, Mr. Small, Rocky, Carmen, Alan, Donut Cop, Larry, Banana Joe, Tobias, Bobert, and Hot Dog Guy.
** Sadly, almost ''all'' the supporting cast, and Nicole, are OutOfFocus in Season 6. The ones who aren’t are Sarah, Leslie, Principal Brown, Mr. Small, Rocky, Carmen, Alan, Donut Cop, Larry, Banana Joe, Tobias, Bobert, and Hot Dog Guy.
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* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'':
**''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': Sadly, almost ''all'' the supporting cast, and Nicole, are OutOfFocus in Season 6. The ones who aren’t are Sarah, Leslie, Principal Brown, Mr. Small, Rocky, Carmen, Alan, Donut Cop, Larry, Banana Joe, Tobias, Bobert, and Hot Dog Guy.
**
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** ComicBook/TheMightyThor and [[spoiler: Comicbook/CaptainAmerica]] got this when the second season began. Thor had to help repair Asgard after the defeat of Loki, and spent 12 episodes away from the other Avengers as a result. Although, two of those episodes did show some of his Asgardian exploits. [[spoiler: Cap]] vanished for 10 episodes because Skrulls captured him.
*** The numbers become more confusing when watching in production order, upheld by Disney's [=DVDs=]. The "first" eight episodes of the second season have both of those heroes separated from the rest of the Avengers, yet the "ninth" episode has them inexplicably fighting with the team again, yet they don't work with the Avengers again until four episodes later (when they officially reunite).
*** The numbers become more confusing when watching in production order, upheld by Disney's [=DVDs=]. The "first" eight episodes of the second season have both of those heroes separated from the rest of the Avengers, yet the "ninth" episode has them inexplicably fighting with the team again, yet they don't work with the Avengers again until four episodes later (when they officially reunite).
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** ComicBook/TheMightyThor and [[spoiler: Comicbook/CaptainAmerica]] got this when the second season began. Thor had to help repair Asgard after the defeat of Loki, and spent 12 episodes away from the other Avengers as a result. Although, two of those episodes did show some of his Asgardian exploits. [[spoiler: Cap]] vanished for 10 episodes because Skrulls captured him.
***him. The numbers become more confusing when watching in production order, upheld by Disney's [=DVDs=]. The "first" eight episodes of the second season have both of those heroes separated from the rest of the Avengers, yet the "ninth" episode has them inexplicably fighting with the team again, yet they don't work with the Avengers again until four episodes later (when they officially reunite).
***
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** In ''Magazine/{{Mad}}'''s [[http://johnglenntaylor.blogspot.com/2009/01/mickey-rodent-mad-19.html parody story from issue 19]], [[ParodyNames Darnold Duck]] keeps complaining that [[ParodyNames Mickey Rodent]] is still around while Darnold himself is more popular. At the end of the story, Mickey traps Darnold in a realistic zoo, an act he planned for years to regain his popularity.
*** This is particularly ironic because the reason that Donald was created is that ''Mickey'' was originally quite a {{Jerkass}}, and when he started to become a really popular character, they decided that he needed to be nicer. All of Mickey's more negative qualities were passed on to Donald so that he could be a {{foil}} to the now nicer Mickey. This was done specifically so that Mickey would remain their most popular character.
*** This is particularly ironic because the reason that Donald was created is that ''Mickey'' was originally quite a {{Jerkass}}, and when he started to become a really popular character, they decided that he needed to be nicer. All of Mickey's more negative qualities were passed on to Donald so that he could be a {{foil}} to the now nicer Mickey. This was done specifically so that Mickey would remain their most popular character.
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** In ''Magazine/{{Mad}}'''s [[http://johnglenntaylor.blogspot.com/2009/01/mickey-rodent-mad-19.html parody story from issue 19]], [[ParodyNames Darnold Duck]] keeps complaining that [[ParodyNames Mickey Rodent]] is still around while Darnold himself is more popular. At the end of the story, Mickey traps Darnold in a realistic zoo, an act he planned for years to regain his popularity.
***popularity. This is particularly ironic because the reason that Donald was created is that ''Mickey'' was originally quite a {{Jerkass}}, and when he started to become a really popular character, they decided that he needed to be nicer. All of Mickey's more negative qualities were passed on to Donald so that he could be a {{foil}} to the now nicer Mickey. This was done specifically so that Mickey would remain their most popular character.
***
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* This is a natural consequence of the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters in MerchandiseDriven cartoons, such as ''Franchise/GIJoe'' and ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}.'' As new characters (toys) are being introduced, others are forced to the wayside (so to speak) to allow the newcomers to get maximum advertising opportunities.
** In particular, if you're part of a CombiningMecha in any given ''Transformers'' series, don't expect much characterization. Most combiner teams border on being TheDividual, all [[CastHerd moving as part of the same group]] and often having similar personalities, and that's when they're separated - when they're combined, their role basically becomes "the giant robot's leg."
** In particular, if you're part of a CombiningMecha in any given ''Transformers'' series, don't expect much characterization. Most combiner teams border on being TheDividual, all [[CastHerd moving as part of the same group]] and often having similar personalities, and that's when they're separated - when they're combined, their role basically becomes "the giant robot's leg."
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* This is a natural consequence of the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters in MerchandiseDriven cartoons, such as ''Franchise/GIJoe'' and ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}.'' As new characters (toys) are being introduced, others are forced to the wayside (so to speak) to allow the newcomers to get maximum advertising opportunities.
**opportunities. In particular, if you're part of a CombiningMecha in any given ''Transformers'' series, don't expect much characterization. Most combiner teams border on being TheDividual, all [[CastHerd moving as part of the same group]] and often having similar personalities, and that's when they're separated - when they're combined, their role basically becomes "the giant robot's leg."
**
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* Similar to the [[WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans Austin]] example above, we have Ongo from ''WesternAnimation/JellyJamm''. He rarely appears, and his chance of getting a major role in an episode is even scarcer. Some people say he might as well be called "OutOfFocus - The Character".
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* Similar to the [[WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans Austin]] example above, example, we have Ongo from ''WesternAnimation/JellyJamm''. He rarely appears, and his chance of getting a major role in an episode is even scarcer. Some people say he might as well be called "OutOfFocus - The Character".
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** Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has gradually been relegated to the role of a background character from season 27 onward, presumably in response to growing complaints directed to his character for being a unflattering stereotype of Indian people, coming to a head with the 2017 documentary "The Problem with Apu". This eventually resulted in the producer's decision to drop Apu altogether in 2018.
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** Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has gradually been relegated to the role of a background character from season 27 onward, presumably in response to growing complaints directed to his character for being a an unflattering stereotype of Indian people, coming to a head with the 2017 documentary "The Problem with Apu". This eventually resulted in the producer's decision to drop Apu altogether in 2018.
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** Some time around season five, many of the oldest supporting characters either became rarely seen, or just [[LivingProp shoved into the background]]. Many of the small-town stereotypes (Officer Barbrady, the mayor, Jimbo and Ned) have faded away as South Park has apparently become larger, gaining a whole police force. Dr Mephesto (who was written off because Trey and Matt didn't find him funny anymore), Pip (later killed), Ms. Crabtree (killed) the 'Visitors', Chef (also dead) also disappeared.
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** Some time around season five, many of the oldest supporting characters either became rarely seen, or just [[LivingProp shoved into the background]]. Many of the small-town stereotypes (Officer Barbrady, the mayor, Jimbo and Ned) have faded away as South Park has apparently become larger, gaining a whole police force. Dr Mephesto (who was written off because Trey and Matt didn't find him funny anymore), Pip (later killed), Ms. Crabtree (killed) (killed), the 'Visitors', and Chef (also dead) also disappeared.
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** When Wendy broke up with Stan, her screen time took a sharp drop. She only had two major roles ("Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset" and "Follow That Egg!") and never spoke again after said roles until Season 11's "The List" where her and Stan got back together. She had come back into the spotlight since then and much like Kenny, has gotten more screen time, however it appears to be for good reason rather than averting this trope.
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** When Wendy broke up with Stan, her screen time took a sharp drop. She only had two major roles ("Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset" and "Follow That Egg!") and never spoke again after said roles until Season 11's "The List" where her she and Stan got back together. She had has come back into the spotlight since then and and, much like Kenny, has gotten more screen time, however though it appears to be for good reason reasons rather than averting this trope.
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The Cutie Mark Crusaders have been appearing less and less in the season, after all.
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*** The Cutie Mark Crusaders started having smaller roles in Season 8, with only three episodes that focused on them, and disappearing in the second half of the season, with "The Washouts" being the only episode that focused on Scootaloo. It was only until the Season 8 finale two-parter that she and the other Crusaders returned, [[TheWorfEffect only to be pushed to the side again]]. The reason for their fewer appearances may have been due to the focus on the Young Six.
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* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'':
** Face 9000 gets the least focus episodes of the main cast.
** It went UpToEleven in season 2, where Face has minimal screen-time (alongside other main cast members Sydney, Carrot, and Celery) and almost all of the supporting cast (especially Dr. Rafferty, Dr. Bergs, Mitchell, and Lillian) are relegated to minor roles, because Mindy keeps [[SpotlightStealingSquad hogging the spotlight and taking up all the focus episodes]]. Heck, even ''Jet himself'' was demoted to a non-speaking cameo in "Commander Cressida Begins"!
** Face 9000 gets the least focus episodes of the main cast.
** It went UpToEleven in season 2, where Face has minimal screen-time (alongside other main cast members Sydney, Carrot, and Celery) and almost all of the supporting cast (especially Dr. Rafferty, Dr. Bergs, Mitchell, and Lillian) are relegated to minor roles, because Mindy keeps [[SpotlightStealingSquad hogging the spotlight and taking up all the focus episodes]]. Heck, even ''Jet himself'' was demoted to a non-speaking cameo in "Commander Cressida Begins"!
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Fluttershy actually had 3 1/2 episodes in Season 5, including the Discord one.
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*** Every season after 4 is known for treating Fluttershy like this. Every season, she only gets one or two episodes shared with somepony else or playing a supporting role, plus maybe an episode all to herself. It definitely seems like the writers have no idea what to do with her now that she's [[CharacterDevelopment assertive]].
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*** Every season after 4 5 is known for treating Fluttershy like this. Every season, she only gets one or two episodes shared with somepony else or playing a supporting role, plus maybe an episode all to herself. It definitely seems like the writers have no idea what to do with her now that she's [[CharacterDevelopment assertive]].
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*** Even Pinkie Pie suffered this as well in Season 8.
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* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes''
** Saffi is a secondary character and a {{Love Interest|s}} to Beezy. After Season 1, she falls off, complete with Beezy breaking off with her to chase a GirlOfTheWeek.
** Samy and Cerbee are also hit by this in Season 2. In Season 1, Samy makes many significant appearances like "A Cold Day in Miseryville" or "Wish You Weren't Here", while he doesn't even appear for a noticeable amount of time in the Season 2 intro compared to some [[RecurringExtra recurring extras]] and is usually demoted to a few lines (the main exception being "Samy's New Gig"). Cerbee barely appears at all in Season 2 except for the intro and "Cerbee Come Home".
** Saffi is a secondary character and a {{Love Interest|s}} to Beezy. After Season 1, she falls off, complete with Beezy breaking off with her to chase a GirlOfTheWeek.
** Samy and Cerbee are also hit by this in Season 2. In Season 1, Samy makes many significant appearances like "A Cold Day in Miseryville" or "Wish You Weren't Here", while he doesn't even appear for a noticeable amount of time in the Season 2 intro compared to some [[RecurringExtra recurring extras]] and is usually demoted to a few lines (the main exception being "Samy's New Gig"). Cerbee barely appears at all in Season 2 except for the intro and "Cerbee Come Home".
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* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes''
**''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'': Beezy's girlfriend Saffi is a secondary character and a {{Love Interest|s}} to Beezy. After showed up only semi-regularly in Season 1, but still got some very memorable appearances. However, in Season 2, she falls off, complete off hard, with pretty much no major roles in except Beezy breaking off with her to chase a GirlOfTheWeek.
** Samy and Cerbee are also hit by thisGirlOfTheWeek in Season 2. In Season 1, Samy makes many significant appearances like "A Cold Day in Miseryville" or "Wish You Weren't Here", while he doesn't even appear "She Loves Me" ''[[PlayedForLaughs for a noticeable amount of time in the Season 2 intro compared to some [[RecurringExtra recurring extras]] and is usually demoted to a few lines (the main exception being "Samy's New Gig"). Cerbee barely appears at all in Season 2 except for the intro and "Cerbee Come Home".laughs]]]''.
**
** Samy and Cerbee are also hit by this
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* ''WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans'' gives us Austin the kangaroo. He appears in 52 of the 80 episodes of the series, but only has a major role in them once in a blue moon. This is somewhat justified, however, since he is rather [[ShrinkingViolet shy]], even having a song about it in "Castaways".
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* Similar to the [[WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans Austin]] example above, we have Ongo from ''WesternAnimation/JellyJamm''. He rarely appears, and his chance of getting a major role in an episode is even scarcer. Some people say he might as well be called "OutOfFocus - The Character".
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** Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has gradually been relegated to the role of a background character from season 27 onward, presumably in response to growing complaints directed to his character for being a unflattering stereotype of Indian people, coming to a head with the 2017 documentary "The Problem with Apu". This eventually resulted in the producer's decision to drop Apu altogether in 2018.
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** To make matters even worse, BigSisterBully Shelly Marsh started to appear less and less in the modern seasons of the show. She only makes small appearances in a couple of modern episodes, but at some points, she also doesn't speak in the modern episodes too.
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*** Asami has had this bad throughout the series. She started off as the other love interest for Mako, had one important moment in Book 1 where she [[spoiler: turns against her dad and sides with Korra]], and that's been it. Since then almost all she's done is provide money and transport for the rest of Team Avatar. This is changed for book 3, where she is the one to [[ShipTease pair off]] with Korra whenever the plot needs to split the party. In book 4, she gets the most subplots compared to the other main characters. [[spoiler: The reason for her rise in screentime and importance turns out to be that she ends up replacing Mako as Korra's love interest.]]
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*** Asami has had this bad throughout the series. first two seasons. She started off as the other love interest for Mako, had one important moment in Book 1 where she [[spoiler: turns against her dad and sides with Korra]], and that's been was it. Since then After that almost all she's she did done is was provide money and transport for the rest of Team Avatar. This is changed for book Book 3, where she is the one to [[ShipTease pair off]] with Korra whenever the plot needs to split the party. In book Book 4, she gets the most subplots compared to the other main characters. [[spoiler: The reason for her rise in screentime and importance turns out to be that she ends up replacing Mako as Korra's love interest.]]
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** Sadly, almost ''all'' the supporting cast are in Season 6.
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** Sadly, almost ''all'' the supporting cast cast, and Nicole, are OutOfFocus in Season 6.6. The ones who aren’t are Sarah, Leslie, Principal Brown, Mr. Small, Rocky, Carmen, Alan, Donut Cop, Larry, Banana Joe, Tobias, Bobert, and Hot Dog Guy.
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* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'':
** Sadly, almost ''all'' the supporting cast are in Season 6.
** Sadly, almost ''all'' the supporting cast are in Season 6.
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*** After three straight seasons of being a prominent member of the supporting cast, including a major role in "Made in Manehattan", Coco/Miss Pommel doesn't make any physical appearances at all in Season 7 and is only mentioned once in the episode "Honest Apple" (to provide an outfit for Applejack to make fun of), much to her fans' disappointment. [[Film/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017 The movie]], like the rest of Rarity's companions barring the new character Capper, only gives her a scant handful of brief, unvoiced cameos. This continues into Season 8, with "Fake It 'til you Make It" being the first Coco-free Manehattan episode since her appearance.
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*** After three straight seasons of being a prominent member of the supporting cast, including a major role in "Made in Manehattan", Coco/Miss Pommel doesn't make any physical appearances at all in Season 7 and is only mentioned once in the episode "Honest Apple" (to provide an outfit for Applejack to make fun of), much to her fans' disappointment. [[Film/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017 [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017 The movie]], like the rest of Rarity's companions barring the new character Capper, only gives her a scant handful of brief, unvoiced cameos. This continues into Season 8, with "Fake It 'til you Make It" being the first Coco-free Manehattan episode since her appearance.
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* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaIsland''
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* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaIsland''''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama''
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** Poof. Despite his PromotionToOpeningTitles in Season 9, he eventually started to appear less and less, while Sparky appeared more and more. Even after Sparky disappeared from the show, he is completely absent from Season 10, where he eventually [[TheBusCameBack reappears]] in the episode "Certifiable Super Sitter", his only appearance in the season.
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** Poof. Despite his PromotionToOpeningTitles in Season 9, he eventually started to appear less and less, while Sparky appeared more and more. Even after Sparky disappeared from the show, he is completely absent from Season 10, where he eventually [[TheBusCameBack reappears]] in the episode "Certifiable Super Sitter", his only appearance in the this season.
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* Ghostfreak is one of ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'''s least used aliens, if not the most. In the original series, Ben only uses him six times before the episode where he escapes the Omnitrix and reveals himself as Z'Skayrr, gets temporarily killed by the sun and [[BackFromTheDead brought back to life]] by Frankenstrike one season later. Ben never uses him (in the first series at least) after escaping the Omnitrix, not even after he gets him back at the end of season 3, presumably due to being too scared of him.
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** [[TheMentor Red Tornado]] and [[HenshinHero Captain Marvel]] were both important characters in season one. In season two, the former gets one voiceless cameo while the other gets to talk in one episode (half of which he spends in a psychic coma).
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** [[TheMentor Red Tornado]] and [[HenshinHero Captain Marvel]] were both important characters in season one. In season two, the former gets one voiceless cameo while the other gets to talk in one episode (half of which he spends in a psychic coma). \n[[/folder]]
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** Ever since coming back from the dead for supposedly the last time [[note]]which originally ''was'' supposed to be his last appearance, but meddling from Creator/ComedyCentral said otherwise. Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone retaliated by reducing his involvement.[[/note]], Kenny rarely has anything to do -- he either just stands there and doesn't say anything, or he doesn't appear at all. This is lampshaded quite a few times, and occasionally he will have his time in the spotlight. In later seasons Kenny gets more and more screen time exactly for the sake of averting this trope, rather than any practical reason.
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** Ever since coming back from the dead for supposedly the last time [[note]]which originally ''was'' supposed to be his last appearance, but meddling from Creator/ComedyCentral said otherwise. otherwise; Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone retaliated by reducing his involvement.[[/note]], involvement[[/note]], Kenny rarely has anything to do -- he either just stands there and doesn't say anything, or he doesn't appear at all. This is lampshaded quite a few times, and occasionally he will have his time in the spotlight. In later seasons Kenny gets more and more screen time exactly for the sake of averting this trope, rather than any practical reason.
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[[folder: Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': Lady Rainicorn gets hit with this hard. Originally intended to be a main character, Lady is a very relevant character in the original pilot and is a major character in the first season. Since then, she's all but disappeared from the show. ''"Lady Rainicorn of the Crystal Dimension"'' was her first major role since ''"Jake the Dad"'' two seasons prior, and in both episodes, she's not even the lead. In ''"Lady Rainicorn of the Crystal Dimension"'', her son, T.V. and her ex-boyfriend named Lee take up the majority of the episode, and ''"Jake the Dad"'' is mostly about Jake overcoming his overprotective nature and let his children be free.
* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad''
** Hayley. Her and Stan were the first two characters created for the show, when said show was envisioned as a modern ''Series/AllInTheFamily'' and would involve the characters bickering over politics. As the show got off the ground, more character-driven plots arose and politics became much less of a focus, thereby giving Hayley less purpose since unlike most of the other characters, even Stan, she didn't really have much to her character aside from being a straw liberal to counter Stan's straw conservative. As a result, her airtime compared with Stan, Francine, Steve and Roger is increasingly minuscule; sometimes she doesn't appear for whole episodes, and other times she's lucky if she has similar screen time to Klaus (see below). This is noted in one episode, where in the final five seconds, both Klaus and then Hayley appear for the first time specifically to note that they now have an appearance in that episode [[BreakingTheFourthWall and have therefore earned their paycheck]]. Interestingly, the change in focus from politics to more character-driven humor resulted in the show playing up Hayley's [[TheSlacker slacker]]/[[TheStoner stoner]] tendencies while downplaying her activism. This eventually became subverted in later seasons (notably the TBS ones) where she ended up being used much more instead of other characters like Roger.
** Subverted with Klaus the German fish; some claim Klaus should be in this category, and his lack of involvement (along with Hayley's) is lampshaded in one episode. But he has never been an important or significant character, existing only for one or two funny lines an episode pretty much since from the beginning--to the point where [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] deleted their article for him for a time. However, starting around season 10, he gets a little more focus, to the point of having more attention than Roger at times.
** Greg Corbin and Terry Bates, ever since Mike Barker (co-creator, former showrunner and voice of Terry) left the series early into the 11th season. While they are both present in that season, they rarely appear, and when they do only Greg speaks. Terry was eventually written out of the show the following season by dumping Greg to follow a 311 tour, further diminishing the former's overall importance.
** Many of the supporting characters from the show's first few seasons fell prey to this around the time the show phased out its political edge. Characters like [[BiTheWay Linda Memari]] and [[ArchEnemy Chuck White]] haven't had any relevance or speaking parts in over half a decade. Justified however, as many of these characters were [[FlatCharacter never really developed beyond having at least one or two identifiable traits]].
* ''WesternAnimation/AsToldByGinger'': Both Courtney and Miranda practically disappear in the second half of Season 3 once the gang starts high school. During this 10-episode span, both characters only appear in one episode each plus the series finale.
* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
** [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender The original series]]:
*** Though he did have his moments, Sokka lost quite a bit of the limelight in season 2 to compensate for the development of Prince Zuko as well as the inclusion of multiple new characters, being relegated primarily to [[PluckyComicRelief comic relief]] and the occasional smart guy. Come Season 3 Sokka's doing better (gets ADayInTheLimelight and costars in at least one episode), but Toph averages about four lines per episode with one BreatherEpisode centered on her, and by the end she's the only one in the main cast with a major part of her personal arc unresolved. This does end up lampshaded on at least two occasions. ("I'm going with Zuko! What? Everyone else went on a life-changing field trip with Zuko. Now it's my turn.")
*** Even that one episode in season 3 split the time with Katara and actually focused more on Katara loosening up than it did Toph reigning herself in.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'':
*** Bolin had a similar problem in Book 1. Out of the 12 episodes, he only really has development for 4 of them, and the last 7 episodes he doesn't contribute anything except a funny line or two an episode.
*** Asami has had this bad throughout the series. She started off as the other love interest for Mako, had one important moment in Book 1 where she [[spoiler: turns against her dad and sides with Korra]], and that's been it. Since then almost all she's done is provide money and transport for the rest of Team Avatar. This is changed for book 3, where she is the one to [[ShipTease pair off]] with Korra whenever the plot needs to split the party. In book 4, she gets the most subplots compared to the other main characters. [[spoiler: The reason for her rise in screentime and importance turns out to be that she ends up replacing Mako as Korra's love interest.]]
*** The surviving characters from [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender the original series]] are also this. Katara is in the first episode (as one of Korra's former waterbending teachers) but only appears very occasionally after that, and doesn't get involved in any fighting. Zuko does not appear until the third season, and doesn't do much other than warn Korra about some dangerous prison escapees and give her a bit of advice. [[spoiler:Toph doesn't appear until the final Season, though she gets a ''bit'' more involved than Katara or Zuko. She spars with Korra for an episode, gives her some advice, and temporarily comes out of retirement to help rescue her family from Kuvira before declaring that she's leaving the rest to the kids.]]. These are all justified, however, considering that the characters are too old to be doing much fighting at this point.
*** Mako, while still being a main character, gets a reduction in screen time and importance once he breaks up with Korra. In Book 1 he is the second most important character of the main cast, but by Book 4, he's stuck in a comedy subplot with [[PrinceCharmless Prince Wu]].
*** Kai is all over Book 3, but by Book 4 he...exists, at least, but apart from a few references to his relationship with Jinora he mostly either isn't involved in significant matters or is a background figure in airbender group shots. But hey, at least the wingsuit uniform is nice.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'':
** Founding Avenger ComicBook/AntMan appeared once in the second season to let the viewers see the beginning of his SanitySlippage, came back in a later episode as the mentally unstable Yellowjacket, and then mostly served as just extra assistance for battle scenes.
** ComicBook/TheMightyThor and [[spoiler: Comicbook/CaptainAmerica]] got this when the second season began. Thor had to help repair Asgard after the defeat of Loki, and spent 12 episodes away from the other Avengers as a result. Although, two of those episodes did show some of his Asgardian exploits. [[spoiler: Cap]] vanished for 10 episodes because Skrulls captured him.
*** The numbers become more confusing when watching in production order, upheld by Disney's [=DVDs=]. The "first" eight episodes of the second season have both of those heroes separated from the rest of the Avengers, yet the "ninth" episode has them inexplicably fighting with the team again, yet they don't work with the Avengers again until four episodes later (when they officially reunite).
** After the Comicbook/IncredibleHulk got framed for attacking SHIELD, he spent several episodes imprisoned from crimefighting. He eventually became free, but decided to end his full-time membership with the Avengers to sort things out.
** The show underwent a retool near the end of its run to put the so-called "Big Three" of Comicbook/IronMan, Captain America, and Thor into the spotlight more often. This reduced the other members to extra firepower at best, and victims of the antagonist at worst. This seems especially drastic for ComicBook/TheWasp, ComicBook/BlackPanther, ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}, and Comicbook/MsMarvel, who all played major roles during the preceding story arc.
** It feels arguable whether or not this happened to ComicBook/TheVision. He did play a major role in three of the final episodes preceding the retool, but that doesn't sound like much compared to the five Avengers listed above. He also played vital roles in some of the show's very last episodes.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'': Dana Tan, Terry's girlfriend had fewer appearances and lines after the first season, and overall only had one episode about her. Mary and Matt [=McGinnis=], Terry's mother and brother, never even got a focus episode.
* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': Mort. He and his mortuary business play a crucial role in the first episode of the series, and he even has his own episode titled "Weekend at Mort's" in the first season. He is considered one of the Belchers' best customers and a friend of the family. Together, Mort and Teddy are a straight example of ThoseTwoGuys in the first three seasons or so. After that point, Mort's appearances are heavily reduced, and several of his appearances have little to no lines, though Teddy continues to appear in almost every episode. In the Season 4 episode "Easy Com-mercial, Easy Go-mercial", Mort is seen in the restaurant in two scenes and is even acknowledged by Teddy at one point, but still does not have any lines at all. In Season 7, he only has a speaking role in two out of 22 episodes and has a brief non-speaking cameo in a third.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'': This happens to Huey Freeman, which is odd considering he's meant to be the main protagonist. He got plenty of focus in the first season, but after that he only seems to be there just to comment on things happening around him, or to advise other characters against something, and his more outspoken attributes have been largely downplayed. The majority of episodes from season 2 onwards focus on Riley, Granddad, or even ''Ruckus'' of all people. This might have to do with Huey not being as flawed or comical as his comic strip version, making him harder to write into the show's plots.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow'': Roberta has such a minor role in the series you'll often forget she's even on the show, despite technically being one of the five main characters. [[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy Meg]] and [[WesternAnimation/AmericanDad Hayley]], who both qualify for this trope in their shows, are like Brian and Stewie compared to her.
* ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'': Sissi is dropped out of focus in Season 3 and the first half of Season 4, but returned with a vengeance during the second half.
* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': All too prominent with ButtMonkey Tucker. By season three, he's either ignored, downplayed, or disappears to make room for Sam and her growing romance with Danny.
* ''WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts'':
** The calmer, more genteel WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse gradually lost top billing to hot-tempered {{Jerkass}} WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck and dimwitted klutz {{WesternAnimation/Goofy}}. Mickey appeared in barely any cartoons during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and eventually had to wait ''30 years'' from his last classic appearance in ''The Simple Things'' until ''Disney/MickeysChristmasCarol''.
** In ''Magazine/{{Mad}}'''s [[http://johnglenntaylor.blogspot.com/2009/01/mickey-rodent-mad-19.html parody story from issue 19]], [[ParodyNames Darnold Duck]] keeps complaining that [[ParodyNames Mickey Rodent]] is still around while Darnold himself is more popular. At the end of the story, Mickey traps Darnold in a realistic zoo, an act he planned for years to regain his popularity.
*** This is particularly ironic because the reason that Donald was created is that ''Mickey'' was originally quite a {{Jerkass}}, and when he started to become a really popular character, they decided that he needed to be nicer. All of Mickey's more negative qualities were passed on to Donald so that he could be a {{foil}} to the now nicer Mickey. This was done specifically so that Mickey would remain their most popular character.
* ''WesternAnimation/DragonBooster'': In the third and last season, the plot centered more on Artha and Moordryd, and the other characters were essentially there to fill time or get defeated by the pair. Mostly because the unmade ''Academy'' seasons were supposed to focus on their studies there.
* ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether'': As the show came to focus more and more on Captain Hero, formerly important characters such as Foxxy Love and Princess Clara were reduced almost to background roles while supporting characters such as Ling-Ling seemed to barely be in the show at all anymore.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone''
** The pilot episode gives an unusual amount of SympatheticPOV to the Urpneys, but is still focused more primarily on Rufus' CharacterDevelopment. The following episodes have more of a VillainProtagonist dynamic, with the Urpneys' antics being the larger focus of each episode and the heroes lucky to get a role outside of reactions to their schemes. During the later half of the series, Rufus and Amberley gradually regain some focus and the odd attempt at a side plot, though are still fairly underplayed for standard hero characters.
** Zordrak himself, despite being the BigBad, also becomes more and more irrelevant to the plot outside a menacing driving force to the Urpneys' plans.
* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'': Unlike the other kids who all get several spotlight episodes depending on the story, Nazz is just there to be the token chick and is rarely involved in the plot. She plays a major role in only three episodes, "To Sir with Ed", "High Heeled Ed" (both in season 2) and "Boys Will Be Eds" (season 3), but this never happens in season 4 and 5. Even ''Plank'' gets more plotlines revolving around him.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents''
** In Season 9 Timmy Turner has become a supporting character in many episodes, losing protagonism in relation with Mr. Crocker, his dad, Cosmo, and Sparky, ''ESPECIALLY'' the two former, and to a lesser extent, Poof and Foop. In Season 10, he has been forced to share the series' limelight with Chloe.
** Most of the supporting cast of earlier seasons (AJ, Chester [=McBadbatt=], Trixie Tang, Veronica, Tad and Chad, Francis, Principal Waxelplax, etc) have been largely absent or demoted to background characters since Season 7 onward. Even Vicky, who was the main antagonist of the series for most of the time, has suffered the same fate.
** Poof. Despite his PromotionToOpeningTitles in Season 9, he eventually started to appear less and less, while Sparky appeared more and more. Even after Sparky disappeared from the show, he is completely absent from Season 10, where he eventually [[TheBusCameBack reappears]] in the episode "Certifiable Super Sitter", his only appearance in the season.
** While Mr. Turner became a more prominent character in the series and has more amount of screentime, his wife, on the other hand, has become since Season 9 a less prominent character and she has been relegated to a background character or gets a minimal role in several episodes in Seasons 9 and 10.
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''
** Since the show was UnCanceled, Lois, Meg, and Chris only get one (sometimes two) episodes per season focused on them, while the rest of the season being focused on [[SpotlightStealingSquad Brian and Stewie]], and to a lesser extent, Peter. Season 7 featured the first chapter in which Meg and Chris don't even appear ("Love Blactually").
** Meg has been hit with this the most. It's to the point that, even in an episode where Meg is the driving force of the plot, she disappears entirely after the first five minutes, does not reappear until five minutes before the end and spends three of those being entirely silent.
** Lois mother, Barbara. Compared to her husband she has really little screentime.
** Cleveland's family ever since they moved to Quahog. While Cleveland Jr. and Donna occasionally get some focus, Rallo rarely talks (which is odd considering that Mike Henry voices him) and Roberta's become TheQuietOne.
* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends''
** Coco is absent for almost all of Season 5 of the show, most likely due to her being the TheUnintelligible, and therefore very difficult to characterise.
** Goo as well. Though this probably had more to do with the fact that she is a SixthRanger in a show that is already [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters overcrowded with characters]].
** Mac's brother Terrence also appears much less after the series premiere, showing up in a total of just 11 out of 79 episodes.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''
** Cubert Farnsworth. Well, he's never really in focus, but he went from appearing several times per season to only showing up for a few seconds in Season 7 as part of a fake PSA.
** Nibbler. He wasn't a major character to begin with but, once the crew found out he could talk, he started appearing even less in the series than he had beforehand.
* This is a natural consequence of the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters in MerchandiseDriven cartoons, such as ''Franchise/GIJoe'' and ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}.'' As new characters (toys) are being introduced, others are forced to the wayside (so to speak) to allow the newcomers to get maximum advertising opportunities.
** In particular, if you're part of a CombiningMecha in any given ''Transformers'' series, don't expect much characterization. Most combiner teams border on being TheDividual, all [[CastHerd moving as part of the same group]] and often having similar personalities, and that's when they're separated - when they're combined, their role basically becomes "the giant robot's leg."
* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002'': When the Horde is introduced during the final season, noticeably absent from the line-up was Imp. And Hordak's little buddy never made an appearance in any issues of the comic book adaptation of the series, either.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}'':
** Aja and Raya are this compared to the other Hologram members. Aja doesn't have any focus episodes and Raya is big in her first two episodes but then literally does nothing special for the rest of the series.
** Jetta is the SixthRanger of The Misfits. She has an episode that revolves around her ("Britrock") but overall gets the least spotlight. She and Roxy get along poorly because they both play similar roles.
** Several of the Starlight Girls are bit characters or were demoted to extras. The one used the most by far is Ba Nee. Ashley is introduced as the main Starlight Girl in the five-part pilot, but she is eventually phased out for Ba Nee to get more focus.
** Season 3 introduces a new band, The Stingers. The Misfits barely appear aside from The Stingers intro episode. They inexplicably appear in the series finale and make a temporary truce with Jem for reasons not explained.
** Of The Stingers members, Rapture gets the least amount of development. This was due to the series being cancelled early. Rapture just sort of exists to be a con woman and sing backup to Riot.
* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes''
** Saffi is a secondary character and a {{Love Interest|s}} to Beezy. After Season 1, she falls off, complete with Beezy breaking off with her to chase a GirlOfTheWeek.
** Samy and Cerbee are also hit by this in Season 2. In Season 1, Samy makes many significant appearances like "A Cold Day in Miseryville" or "Wish You Weren't Here", while he doesn't even appear for a noticeable amount of time in the Season 2 intro compared to some [[RecurringExtra recurring extras]] and is usually demoted to a few lines (the main exception being "Samy's New Gig"). Cerbee barely appears at all in Season 2 except for the intro and "Cerbee Come Home".
* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'': Towards the end of the series, the main character himself gets this. Many stories in the last couple seasons have some random character face a problem, and at some point, Arnold casually walks up to them, gives them a piece of advice, and disappears for the rest of the episode. Ironic, as a common complaint with ''Hey Arnold! The Movie'' is the fact that, while the series gives many background characters their [[ADayInTheLimelight day in the limelight]] (one of its notable strengths), only Arnold, Gerald and Helga get much screentime in the movie. None of the background students get any lines, and Phoebe (a regular student) gets only one line. Heck, the movie is pretty much only the three main characters and the adults against the villain. Arnold's grandparents, Helga's dad, and the Sunset Arms boarders get more time than all of the kids combined.
* ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam'': In the fourth season of the ''Life With Loopy'' shorts, Larry falls out of focus after being the show's deuteragonist for the first three seasons, with only one episode centering on him. While his role as {{Narrator}} is kept, he only ends up with one line at the beginning of the short and sometimes one more towards the end. When he shows up in the episode's main stories themselves, he usually only has one to a few lines or none at all.
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible''. The comic stories in Magazine/DisneyAdventures tend to focus more on lame Rufus-centric gags than Kim saving the world.
* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'': Luanne, largely due to voice actress Creator/BrittanyMurphy wanting more time to pursue her movie career. For many seasons Luanne only makes a brief cameo or even doesn't appear at all in episodes not specifically focusing on her. In later seasons she does become more prominent again. Similarly, Connie's appearances become less and less frequent after she and Bobby break up.
* ''WesternAnimation/LittlestPetShop2012'': Despite being the one carry-over from previous iterations, Penny Ling has very few significant things to do ever since her two consecutive episodes focused on her early on in Season 1. Most likely, this is because her distinguishing characteristics are timidity and emotional sensitivity, two traits that fellow main character Sunil has. Because their personalities are so similar, one of them would've had to be shoved into the background, and it was Penny. That being said, Minka is [[AdvertisedExtra hit even harder with this]], but that's a different story.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': features some examples, due to its large ensemble cast.
** The [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E9SliceOfLife 100th episode]] focused on many side characters in Ponyville, often given minor or even background roles, trying to get ready for a wedding that was scheduled later in the day instead of the next day, while Twilight Sparkle and her friends (the main characters of the show) dealt with its recent monster attack; there are only a few glimpses of the battle against the monster, but we never know exactly how they defeated it or drove it away.
** Every season after the first one does this to at least one character.
*** Applejack got hit with this in season 2; she has only two episodes focused on her. Of those, one is shared with the rest of her family. In the other, she's MIA for a good chunk of the time, and the episode is told from the POV of the rest of the cast, who get as much screentime as she does (and is more famous for being "[[OneSceneWonder the one where Derpy talks]]" anyway).
*** Season 3 hits Rarity with this; she's the only mane cast member not to get ADayInTheLimelight episode (WordOfGod states this is intentional however, since "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E10SpikeAtYourService Spike at Your Service]]" was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen her intended episode]], but it was rewritten completely as a second Applejack story after "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E9AppleFamilyReunion Apple Family Reunion]]" due to conflict over the usage of the character in the original script. Season Four subverts this with more than one Rarity episode). What makes it even worse is that her focus episodes in S2 came relatively early in the season, meaning that she went for over a ''year'' in real time without ever getting a focus episode.
*** With the exception of Fluttershy's rabbit Angel, the pets of the Mane Six became increasingly subject to this to this after their featured episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E8JustForSidekicks Just for Sidekicks]]" aired near the end of Season 3. Applejack's dog Winona gets the worst of it, being relegated to cameos after the first three seasons. Twilight's owl Owlowiscious isn't that much better off, appearing only once since the Season 4 finale.
*** Princess Celestia is mostly absent for Season 4, only appearing for the Season 4 premiere two-parter and the Season 4 finale two-parter. In both instances, she ends up being put out of commission as Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the Mane 6 save the day. Even Princess Luna and Cadence have more screen-time. This carried over into Season 5, where Princess Celestia isn't even so much as mentioned let alone given an appearance until the seventh episode.
*** Every season after 4 is known for treating Fluttershy like this. Every season, she only gets one or two episodes shared with somepony else or playing a supporting role, plus maybe an episode all to herself. It definitely seems like the writers have no idea what to do with her now that she's [[CharacterDevelopment assertive]].
*** In season 7, it isn't usual for a Mane 6 Pony to not appear for several episodes in a row (Fluttershy goes through ''five'' in a row without appearing, and even the alleged main character Twilight misses four in a row). In addition, there are several episodes where ''none'' of the Mane 6 appear at all, including one where the only season 1-era character to appear is Trixie.
*** Beginning with season 6, Applejack started appearing in episodes a lot less. Like with Fluttershy, it seems like the writers didn't know what to do with her since she's the most normal of the Mane Six. Hasbro wasn't been kind to her [[MerchandiseDriven merchandise-wise]] either; sometimes the only member of the Mane Six that's absent.
*** After three straight seasons of being a prominent member of the supporting cast, including a major role in "Made in Manehattan", Coco/Miss Pommel doesn't make any physical appearances at all in Season 7 and is only mentioned once in the episode "Honest Apple" (to provide an outfit for Applejack to make fun of), much to her fans' disappointment. [[Film/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017 The movie]], like the rest of Rarity's companions barring the new character Capper, only gives her a scant handful of brief, unvoiced cameos. This continues into Season 8, with "Fake It 'til you Make It" being the first Coco-free Manehattan episode since her appearance.
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'':
** Vanessa. Not as much in regular episodes, but she doesn't appear at all or has fairly minor roles in most of the special episodes, "Summer Belongs to You!" and "Night of the Living Pharmacists" being notable exceptions. She also doesn't make an appearance in the movie, though she and her alternate universe counterpart were originally planned to have each had a brief scene.
** Ferb. True to his nature, he mostly serves in a supporting role not just in regular episodes, but also most of the long specials and the movie. However, he does get his own subplot in "Summer Belongs to You!" and is TemporarilyAVillain in "Phineas and Ferb Star Wars".
* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow''
** The first episode of Season 4 introduces the new character Thomas the goat, only to virtually ignore his existence a few episodes in. He's basically passed off as another friend to Muscle Man and an occasional servant for him and the other characters.
** High Five Ghost gets hit with this hard. Despite being a supposed main character, he has yet to get ADayInTheLimelight episode after almost 5 seasons. The aforementioned Thomas has at least been important to the plot of a couple episodes, and he is considered a minor character.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** Barney used to be Homer's best friend in early seasons; later, he drifted away and Lenny and Carl became Homer's main friends.
** The twin Sherri and Terri. In +20 seasons, they have never received a single day in the limelight episode where they are the protagonists.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''
** Some time around season five, many of the oldest supporting characters either became rarely seen, or just [[LivingProp shoved into the background]]. Many of the small-town stereotypes (Officer Barbrady, the mayor, Jimbo and Ned) have faded away as South Park has apparently become larger, gaining a whole police force. Dr Mephesto (who was written off because Trey and Matt didn't find him funny anymore), Pip (later killed), Ms. Crabtree (killed) the 'Visitors', Chef (also dead) also disappeared.
** Ever since coming back from the dead for supposedly the last time [[note]]which originally ''was'' supposed to be his last appearance, but meddling from Creator/ComedyCentral said otherwise. Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone retaliated by reducing his involvement.[[/note]], Kenny rarely has anything to do -- he either just stands there and doesn't say anything, or he doesn't appear at all. This is lampshaded quite a few times, and occasionally he will have his time in the spotlight. In later seasons Kenny gets more and more screen time exactly for the sake of averting this trope, rather than any practical reason.
** When Wendy broke up with Stan, her screen time took a sharp drop. She only had two major roles ("Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset" and "Follow That Egg!") and never spoke again after said roles until Season 11's "The List" where her and Stan got back together. She had come back into the spotlight since then and much like Kenny, has gotten more screen time, however it appears to be for good reason rather than averting this trope.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': Nowadays, Gary only gets a few lines per episode unless it's ADayInTheLimelight episode for him ([[SpeechImpairedAnimal not that he has much to say, anyway]]), Sandy appears 1 to 4 times a season, and Mrs. Puff and Larry only appear once in a blue moon. [=SpongeBob=], Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and Plankton are the only regulars now. It got so bad that at one point Sandy Cheeks is referred to as Sandy Squirrel. That's right, ''the writers have literally forgotten her name.''
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'':
** Peedee is a rather heavily featured character in the first season of the show, before becoming an almost speechless background character in the second and third seasons. He was likely intended to be Steven's best friend before the show's creators gave that role to [[EnsembleDarkhorse Connie]].
** Lars is another heavily featured character on the show in its first season, but he only makes four appearances for all of Season 2 (half of them being in holdover episodes from the first season) and most of which are brief cameos. However, he's [[AscendedExtra come into major prominence]] as of late season four, which ends with him and Steven [[spoiler:getting kidnapped into space together]].
* ''[[WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine Thomas and Friends]]'' suffers from this, largely due to the fact that several new characters are introduced per series. As a result, formerly major characters like Duck, Oliver, Bill and Ben, and Douglas and Terence haven't appeared in years. Hasn't stopped them [[MerchandiseDriven appearing in multiple toy ranges]], though.
* Fifi [=LaFume=] from ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'', who appears semi-regularly in Season 1 and gets a [[ADayInTheLimelight major role]] in [[WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventuresHowISpentMyVacation the movie]], appears quite rarely in Seasons 2 & 3. Much to the disappointment of fans, she only gets four shorts of her own in the series.
* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaIsland''
** One of the reasons (but hardly the only one) that fans dislike the [[SeasonalRot second season]] is that almost half the contestants from Season One are cut out. What makes it worse is that the neglected campers are mostly the ones who hadn't gotten very far originally, and thus missed a chance for greater CharacterDevelopment even though some of them ([[ExtravertedNerd Cody]], [[DeadpanSnarker Noah]] and [[HomeschooledKids Ezekiel]], for example) have [[EnsembleDarkhorse surprisingly large fanbases]].
** Season three also leaves some characters out of the game, though most of the season two rejects got in, and some of the "bigger" characters from past seasons (like [[SassyBlackWoman Leshawna]] and [[DumbBlonde Lindsay]]) are voted off fairly early. Most of the minors still get voted off pretty early or got shoved out of the way to make room for the controversial [[WellExcuseMePrincess Courtney]]/[[YourCheatingHeart Duncan]]/[[RelationshipUpgrade Gwen]] LoveTriangle, and Cody spends most of the season doing nothing but getting hounded by [[StalkerWithACrush Sierra]], despite [[spoiler:making it to the final three]].
** Of the 22 original cast members, [[VasquezAlwaysDies Eva]], [[SingleMindedTwins Katie and Sadie]] are the least focused on characters in the series, [[DemotedToExtra not competing in either of the two later seasons]]. Eva at least gets a chance to compete twice in the same season.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers''
** Starting in season 3, this started to happen to the titular Venture family more often. According to the writers, it was sometimes hard to write an episode because they have to find something to do for each of the four main characters while the main story is happening, quite to the point where they just said "to hell with it" and left them out almost entirely of a few episodes.
** Brock Samson in the fourth season, at least until near the halfway mark. Even Billy Quizboy gets more airtime.
** Dr. Orpheus is a major supporting character throughout the first three seasons, getting nearly as much screen time as anyone outside of the Venture family. He is out of focus to the point of absence throughout most of the first half of season 4, and then again in the first half of season 5, having only one minor appearance outside of the Halloween special.
* ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'': This happened to Keith. Out of the 5 Paladins (plus Allura), he is the sole character to not get CharacterFocus in no point of the show during season 1. Early on, Shiro is the focus, then Pidge and [[spoiler:her backstory of doing a SweetPollyOliver to try to find his missing family members]], Lance gets some HiddenDepths and Hunk gets focus during their mission to help Shay and save the Balmera, with Allura becoming the focus after that. Keith, in comparison, gets nothing but some moments that imply HiddenDepths, but are subject to AlternativeCharacterInterpretation. Averted in season 2, in which Keith, [[spoiler:his Galra heritage]] and his relationship with Allura after she finding out about it become major plot points. Shiro and Pidge both receive a good amount of screen time, but Hunk and Lance both get a bit of {{Flanderization}}, being mostly used to ComicRelief, with Hunk largely forgetting the CharacterDevelopment he went through in the previous season.
* Of the ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'', Tecna easily gets the least focus and development, especially in later seasons. Sometimes it feels like she's a minor character rather than one of the main ones.
* Clay from "WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown" gets the least spotlight episodes out of all the monks and is absent for most of the third season, when he gets ''no'' spotlight episodes.
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' has LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, so naturally this winds up happening. Rocket and ComicBook/{{Zatanna}} are especially notable, since they joined the team [[EleventhHourRanger very late into the run of the first season]], only to get pushed aside in favor of the new kids who joined the Team during the TimeSkip.
** While season two did a fair job giving at least a little focus to all of the new characters, Batgirl really doesn't get any sort of character development. However the tie-in comic, which is a canonical supplement to show, does give her a lot of focus in the one ''Invasion'' arc before it got canceled.
** Kid Flash is another notable one. He is a main character in season one, but in season two he's semi-retired from being a superhero and doesn't appear much. [[spoiler:Then {{Retirony}} strikes]].
** [[TheMentor Red Tornado]] and [[HenshinHero Captain Marvel]] were both important characters in season one. In season two, the former gets one voiceless cameo while the other gets to talk in one episode (half of which he spends in a psychic coma).
[[/folder]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': Lady Rainicorn gets hit with this hard. Originally intended to be a main character, Lady is a very relevant character in the original pilot and is a major character in the first season. Since then, she's all but disappeared from the show. ''"Lady Rainicorn of the Crystal Dimension"'' was her first major role since ''"Jake the Dad"'' two seasons prior, and in both episodes, she's not even the lead. In ''"Lady Rainicorn of the Crystal Dimension"'', her son, T.V. and her ex-boyfriend named Lee take up the majority of the episode, and ''"Jake the Dad"'' is mostly about Jake overcoming his overprotective nature and let his children be free.
* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad''
** Hayley. Her and Stan were the first two characters created for the show, when said show was envisioned as a modern ''Series/AllInTheFamily'' and would involve the characters bickering over politics. As the show got off the ground, more character-driven plots arose and politics became much less of a focus, thereby giving Hayley less purpose since unlike most of the other characters, even Stan, she didn't really have much to her character aside from being a straw liberal to counter Stan's straw conservative. As a result, her airtime compared with Stan, Francine, Steve and Roger is increasingly minuscule; sometimes she doesn't appear for whole episodes, and other times she's lucky if she has similar screen time to Klaus (see below). This is noted in one episode, where in the final five seconds, both Klaus and then Hayley appear for the first time specifically to note that they now have an appearance in that episode [[BreakingTheFourthWall and have therefore earned their paycheck]]. Interestingly, the change in focus from politics to more character-driven humor resulted in the show playing up Hayley's [[TheSlacker slacker]]/[[TheStoner stoner]] tendencies while downplaying her activism. This eventually became subverted in later seasons (notably the TBS ones) where she ended up being used much more instead of other characters like Roger.
** Subverted with Klaus the German fish; some claim Klaus should be in this category, and his lack of involvement (along with Hayley's) is lampshaded in one episode. But he has never been an important or significant character, existing only for one or two funny lines an episode pretty much since from the beginning--to the point where [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] deleted their article for him for a time. However, starting around season 10, he gets a little more focus, to the point of having more attention than Roger at times.
** Greg Corbin and Terry Bates, ever since Mike Barker (co-creator, former showrunner and voice of Terry) left the series early into the 11th season. While they are both present in that season, they rarely appear, and when they do only Greg speaks. Terry was eventually written out of the show the following season by dumping Greg to follow a 311 tour, further diminishing the former's overall importance.
** Many of the supporting characters from the show's first few seasons fell prey to this around the time the show phased out its political edge. Characters like [[BiTheWay Linda Memari]] and [[ArchEnemy Chuck White]] haven't had any relevance or speaking parts in over half a decade. Justified however, as many of these characters were [[FlatCharacter never really developed beyond having at least one or two identifiable traits]].
* ''WesternAnimation/AsToldByGinger'': Both Courtney and Miranda practically disappear in the second half of Season 3 once the gang starts high school. During this 10-episode span, both characters only appear in one episode each plus the series finale.
* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
** [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender The original series]]:
*** Though he did have his moments, Sokka lost quite a bit of the limelight in season 2 to compensate for the development of Prince Zuko as well as the inclusion of multiple new characters, being relegated primarily to [[PluckyComicRelief comic relief]] and the occasional smart guy. Come Season 3 Sokka's doing better (gets ADayInTheLimelight and costars in at least one episode), but Toph averages about four lines per episode with one BreatherEpisode centered on her, and by the end she's the only one in the main cast with a major part of her personal arc unresolved. This does end up lampshaded on at least two occasions. ("I'm going with Zuko! What? Everyone else went on a life-changing field trip with Zuko. Now it's my turn.")
*** Even that one episode in season 3 split the time with Katara and actually focused more on Katara loosening up than it did Toph reigning herself in.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'':
*** Bolin had a similar problem in Book 1. Out of the 12 episodes, he only really has development for 4 of them, and the last 7 episodes he doesn't contribute anything except a funny line or two an episode.
*** Asami has had this bad throughout the series. She started off as the other love interest for Mako, had one important moment in Book 1 where she [[spoiler: turns against her dad and sides with Korra]], and that's been it. Since then almost all she's done is provide money and transport for the rest of Team Avatar. This is changed for book 3, where she is the one to [[ShipTease pair off]] with Korra whenever the plot needs to split the party. In book 4, she gets the most subplots compared to the other main characters. [[spoiler: The reason for her rise in screentime and importance turns out to be that she ends up replacing Mako as Korra's love interest.]]
*** The surviving characters from [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender the original series]] are also this. Katara is in the first episode (as one of Korra's former waterbending teachers) but only appears very occasionally after that, and doesn't get involved in any fighting. Zuko does not appear until the third season, and doesn't do much other than warn Korra about some dangerous prison escapees and give her a bit of advice. [[spoiler:Toph doesn't appear until the final Season, though she gets a ''bit'' more involved than Katara or Zuko. She spars with Korra for an episode, gives her some advice, and temporarily comes out of retirement to help rescue her family from Kuvira before declaring that she's leaving the rest to the kids.]]. These are all justified, however, considering that the characters are too old to be doing much fighting at this point.
*** Mako, while still being a main character, gets a reduction in screen time and importance once he breaks up with Korra. In Book 1 he is the second most important character of the main cast, but by Book 4, he's stuck in a comedy subplot with [[PrinceCharmless Prince Wu]].
*** Kai is all over Book 3, but by Book 4 he...exists, at least, but apart from a few references to his relationship with Jinora he mostly either isn't involved in significant matters or is a background figure in airbender group shots. But hey, at least the wingsuit uniform is nice.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'':
** Founding Avenger ComicBook/AntMan appeared once in the second season to let the viewers see the beginning of his SanitySlippage, came back in a later episode as the mentally unstable Yellowjacket, and then mostly served as just extra assistance for battle scenes.
** ComicBook/TheMightyThor and [[spoiler: Comicbook/CaptainAmerica]] got this when the second season began. Thor had to help repair Asgard after the defeat of Loki, and spent 12 episodes away from the other Avengers as a result. Although, two of those episodes did show some of his Asgardian exploits. [[spoiler: Cap]] vanished for 10 episodes because Skrulls captured him.
*** The numbers become more confusing when watching in production order, upheld by Disney's [=DVDs=]. The "first" eight episodes of the second season have both of those heroes separated from the rest of the Avengers, yet the "ninth" episode has them inexplicably fighting with the team again, yet they don't work with the Avengers again until four episodes later (when they officially reunite).
** After the Comicbook/IncredibleHulk got framed for attacking SHIELD, he spent several episodes imprisoned from crimefighting. He eventually became free, but decided to end his full-time membership with the Avengers to sort things out.
** The show underwent a retool near the end of its run to put the so-called "Big Three" of Comicbook/IronMan, Captain America, and Thor into the spotlight more often. This reduced the other members to extra firepower at best, and victims of the antagonist at worst. This seems especially drastic for ComicBook/TheWasp, ComicBook/BlackPanther, ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}, and Comicbook/MsMarvel, who all played major roles during the preceding story arc.
** It feels arguable whether or not this happened to ComicBook/TheVision. He did play a major role in three of the final episodes preceding the retool, but that doesn't sound like much compared to the five Avengers listed above. He also played vital roles in some of the show's very last episodes.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'': Dana Tan, Terry's girlfriend had fewer appearances and lines after the first season, and overall only had one episode about her. Mary and Matt [=McGinnis=], Terry's mother and brother, never even got a focus episode.
* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': Mort. He and his mortuary business play a crucial role in the first episode of the series, and he even has his own episode titled "Weekend at Mort's" in the first season. He is considered one of the Belchers' best customers and a friend of the family. Together, Mort and Teddy are a straight example of ThoseTwoGuys in the first three seasons or so. After that point, Mort's appearances are heavily reduced, and several of his appearances have little to no lines, though Teddy continues to appear in almost every episode. In the Season 4 episode "Easy Com-mercial, Easy Go-mercial", Mort is seen in the restaurant in two scenes and is even acknowledged by Teddy at one point, but still does not have any lines at all. In Season 7, he only has a speaking role in two out of 22 episodes and has a brief non-speaking cameo in a third.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'': This happens to Huey Freeman, which is odd considering he's meant to be the main protagonist. He got plenty of focus in the first season, but after that he only seems to be there just to comment on things happening around him, or to advise other characters against something, and his more outspoken attributes have been largely downplayed. The majority of episodes from season 2 onwards focus on Riley, Granddad, or even ''Ruckus'' of all people. This might have to do with Huey not being as flawed or comical as his comic strip version, making him harder to write into the show's plots.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow'': Roberta has such a minor role in the series you'll often forget she's even on the show, despite technically being one of the five main characters. [[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy Meg]] and [[WesternAnimation/AmericanDad Hayley]], who both qualify for this trope in their shows, are like Brian and Stewie compared to her.
* ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'': Sissi is dropped out of focus in Season 3 and the first half of Season 4, but returned with a vengeance during the second half.
* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': All too prominent with ButtMonkey Tucker. By season three, he's either ignored, downplayed, or disappears to make room for Sam and her growing romance with Danny.
* ''WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts'':
** The calmer, more genteel WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse gradually lost top billing to hot-tempered {{Jerkass}} WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck and dimwitted klutz {{WesternAnimation/Goofy}}. Mickey appeared in barely any cartoons during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and eventually had to wait ''30 years'' from his last classic appearance in ''The Simple Things'' until ''Disney/MickeysChristmasCarol''.
** In ''Magazine/{{Mad}}'''s [[http://johnglenntaylor.blogspot.com/2009/01/mickey-rodent-mad-19.html parody story from issue 19]], [[ParodyNames Darnold Duck]] keeps complaining that [[ParodyNames Mickey Rodent]] is still around while Darnold himself is more popular. At the end of the story, Mickey traps Darnold in a realistic zoo, an act he planned for years to regain his popularity.
*** This is particularly ironic because the reason that Donald was created is that ''Mickey'' was originally quite a {{Jerkass}}, and when he started to become a really popular character, they decided that he needed to be nicer. All of Mickey's more negative qualities were passed on to Donald so that he could be a {{foil}} to the now nicer Mickey. This was done specifically so that Mickey would remain their most popular character.
* ''WesternAnimation/DragonBooster'': In the third and last season, the plot centered more on Artha and Moordryd, and the other characters were essentially there to fill time or get defeated by the pair. Mostly because the unmade ''Academy'' seasons were supposed to focus on their studies there.
* ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether'': As the show came to focus more and more on Captain Hero, formerly important characters such as Foxxy Love and Princess Clara were reduced almost to background roles while supporting characters such as Ling-Ling seemed to barely be in the show at all anymore.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone''
** The pilot episode gives an unusual amount of SympatheticPOV to the Urpneys, but is still focused more primarily on Rufus' CharacterDevelopment. The following episodes have more of a VillainProtagonist dynamic, with the Urpneys' antics being the larger focus of each episode and the heroes lucky to get a role outside of reactions to their schemes. During the later half of the series, Rufus and Amberley gradually regain some focus and the odd attempt at a side plot, though are still fairly underplayed for standard hero characters.
** Zordrak himself, despite being the BigBad, also becomes more and more irrelevant to the plot outside a menacing driving force to the Urpneys' plans.
* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'': Unlike the other kids who all get several spotlight episodes depending on the story, Nazz is just there to be the token chick and is rarely involved in the plot. She plays a major role in only three episodes, "To Sir with Ed", "High Heeled Ed" (both in season 2) and "Boys Will Be Eds" (season 3), but this never happens in season 4 and 5. Even ''Plank'' gets more plotlines revolving around him.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents''
** In Season 9 Timmy Turner has become a supporting character in many episodes, losing protagonism in relation with Mr. Crocker, his dad, Cosmo, and Sparky, ''ESPECIALLY'' the two former, and to a lesser extent, Poof and Foop. In Season 10, he has been forced to share the series' limelight with Chloe.
** Most of the supporting cast of earlier seasons (AJ, Chester [=McBadbatt=], Trixie Tang, Veronica, Tad and Chad, Francis, Principal Waxelplax, etc) have been largely absent or demoted to background characters since Season 7 onward. Even Vicky, who was the main antagonist of the series for most of the time, has suffered the same fate.
** Poof. Despite his PromotionToOpeningTitles in Season 9, he eventually started to appear less and less, while Sparky appeared more and more. Even after Sparky disappeared from the show, he is completely absent from Season 10, where he eventually [[TheBusCameBack reappears]] in the episode "Certifiable Super Sitter", his only appearance in the season.
** While Mr. Turner became a more prominent character in the series and has more amount of screentime, his wife, on the other hand, has become since Season 9 a less prominent character and she has been relegated to a background character or gets a minimal role in several episodes in Seasons 9 and 10.
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''
** Since the show was UnCanceled, Lois, Meg, and Chris only get one (sometimes two) episodes per season focused on them, while the rest of the season being focused on [[SpotlightStealingSquad Brian and Stewie]], and to a lesser extent, Peter. Season 7 featured the first chapter in which Meg and Chris don't even appear ("Love Blactually").
** Meg has been hit with this the most. It's to the point that, even in an episode where Meg is the driving force of the plot, she disappears entirely after the first five minutes, does not reappear until five minutes before the end and spends three of those being entirely silent.
** Lois mother, Barbara. Compared to her husband she has really little screentime.
** Cleveland's family ever since they moved to Quahog. While Cleveland Jr. and Donna occasionally get some focus, Rallo rarely talks (which is odd considering that Mike Henry voices him) and Roberta's become TheQuietOne.
* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends''
** Coco is absent for almost all of Season 5 of the show, most likely due to her being the TheUnintelligible, and therefore very difficult to characterise.
** Goo as well. Though this probably had more to do with the fact that she is a SixthRanger in a show that is already [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters overcrowded with characters]].
** Mac's brother Terrence also appears much less after the series premiere, showing up in a total of just 11 out of 79 episodes.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''
** Cubert Farnsworth. Well, he's never really in focus, but he went from appearing several times per season to only showing up for a few seconds in Season 7 as part of a fake PSA.
** Nibbler. He wasn't a major character to begin with but, once the crew found out he could talk, he started appearing even less in the series than he had beforehand.
* This is a natural consequence of the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters in MerchandiseDriven cartoons, such as ''Franchise/GIJoe'' and ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}.'' As new characters (toys) are being introduced, others are forced to the wayside (so to speak) to allow the newcomers to get maximum advertising opportunities.
** In particular, if you're part of a CombiningMecha in any given ''Transformers'' series, don't expect much characterization. Most combiner teams border on being TheDividual, all [[CastHerd moving as part of the same group]] and often having similar personalities, and that's when they're separated - when they're combined, their role basically becomes "the giant robot's leg."
* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002'': When the Horde is introduced during the final season, noticeably absent from the line-up was Imp. And Hordak's little buddy never made an appearance in any issues of the comic book adaptation of the series, either.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}'':
** Aja and Raya are this compared to the other Hologram members. Aja doesn't have any focus episodes and Raya is big in her first two episodes but then literally does nothing special for the rest of the series.
** Jetta is the SixthRanger of The Misfits. She has an episode that revolves around her ("Britrock") but overall gets the least spotlight. She and Roxy get along poorly because they both play similar roles.
** Several of the Starlight Girls are bit characters or were demoted to extras. The one used the most by far is Ba Nee. Ashley is introduced as the main Starlight Girl in the five-part pilot, but she is eventually phased out for Ba Nee to get more focus.
** Season 3 introduces a new band, The Stingers. The Misfits barely appear aside from The Stingers intro episode. They inexplicably appear in the series finale and make a temporary truce with Jem for reasons not explained.
** Of The Stingers members, Rapture gets the least amount of development. This was due to the series being cancelled early. Rapture just sort of exists to be a con woman and sing backup to Riot.
* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes''
** Saffi is a secondary character and a {{Love Interest|s}} to Beezy. After Season 1, she falls off, complete with Beezy breaking off with her to chase a GirlOfTheWeek.
** Samy and Cerbee are also hit by this in Season 2. In Season 1, Samy makes many significant appearances like "A Cold Day in Miseryville" or "Wish You Weren't Here", while he doesn't even appear for a noticeable amount of time in the Season 2 intro compared to some [[RecurringExtra recurring extras]] and is usually demoted to a few lines (the main exception being "Samy's New Gig"). Cerbee barely appears at all in Season 2 except for the intro and "Cerbee Come Home".
* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'': Towards the end of the series, the main character himself gets this. Many stories in the last couple seasons have some random character face a problem, and at some point, Arnold casually walks up to them, gives them a piece of advice, and disappears for the rest of the episode. Ironic, as a common complaint with ''Hey Arnold! The Movie'' is the fact that, while the series gives many background characters their [[ADayInTheLimelight day in the limelight]] (one of its notable strengths), only Arnold, Gerald and Helga get much screentime in the movie. None of the background students get any lines, and Phoebe (a regular student) gets only one line. Heck, the movie is pretty much only the three main characters and the adults against the villain. Arnold's grandparents, Helga's dad, and the Sunset Arms boarders get more time than all of the kids combined.
* ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam'': In the fourth season of the ''Life With Loopy'' shorts, Larry falls out of focus after being the show's deuteragonist for the first three seasons, with only one episode centering on him. While his role as {{Narrator}} is kept, he only ends up with one line at the beginning of the short and sometimes one more towards the end. When he shows up in the episode's main stories themselves, he usually only has one to a few lines or none at all.
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible''. The comic stories in Magazine/DisneyAdventures tend to focus more on lame Rufus-centric gags than Kim saving the world.
* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'': Luanne, largely due to voice actress Creator/BrittanyMurphy wanting more time to pursue her movie career. For many seasons Luanne only makes a brief cameo or even doesn't appear at all in episodes not specifically focusing on her. In later seasons she does become more prominent again. Similarly, Connie's appearances become less and less frequent after she and Bobby break up.
* ''WesternAnimation/LittlestPetShop2012'': Despite being the one carry-over from previous iterations, Penny Ling has very few significant things to do ever since her two consecutive episodes focused on her early on in Season 1. Most likely, this is because her distinguishing characteristics are timidity and emotional sensitivity, two traits that fellow main character Sunil has. Because their personalities are so similar, one of them would've had to be shoved into the background, and it was Penny. That being said, Minka is [[AdvertisedExtra hit even harder with this]], but that's a different story.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': features some examples, due to its large ensemble cast.
** The [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E9SliceOfLife 100th episode]] focused on many side characters in Ponyville, often given minor or even background roles, trying to get ready for a wedding that was scheduled later in the day instead of the next day, while Twilight Sparkle and her friends (the main characters of the show) dealt with its recent monster attack; there are only a few glimpses of the battle against the monster, but we never know exactly how they defeated it or drove it away.
** Every season after the first one does this to at least one character.
*** Applejack got hit with this in season 2; she has only two episodes focused on her. Of those, one is shared with the rest of her family. In the other, she's MIA for a good chunk of the time, and the episode is told from the POV of the rest of the cast, who get as much screentime as she does (and is more famous for being "[[OneSceneWonder the one where Derpy talks]]" anyway).
*** Season 3 hits Rarity with this; she's the only mane cast member not to get ADayInTheLimelight episode (WordOfGod states this is intentional however, since "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E10SpikeAtYourService Spike at Your Service]]" was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen her intended episode]], but it was rewritten completely as a second Applejack story after "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E9AppleFamilyReunion Apple Family Reunion]]" due to conflict over the usage of the character in the original script. Season Four subverts this with more than one Rarity episode). What makes it even worse is that her focus episodes in S2 came relatively early in the season, meaning that she went for over a ''year'' in real time without ever getting a focus episode.
*** With the exception of Fluttershy's rabbit Angel, the pets of the Mane Six became increasingly subject to this to this after their featured episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E8JustForSidekicks Just for Sidekicks]]" aired near the end of Season 3. Applejack's dog Winona gets the worst of it, being relegated to cameos after the first three seasons. Twilight's owl Owlowiscious isn't that much better off, appearing only once since the Season 4 finale.
*** Princess Celestia is mostly absent for Season 4, only appearing for the Season 4 premiere two-parter and the Season 4 finale two-parter. In both instances, she ends up being put out of commission as Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the Mane 6 save the day. Even Princess Luna and Cadence have more screen-time. This carried over into Season 5, where Princess Celestia isn't even so much as mentioned let alone given an appearance until the seventh episode.
*** Every season after 4 is known for treating Fluttershy like this. Every season, she only gets one or two episodes shared with somepony else or playing a supporting role, plus maybe an episode all to herself. It definitely seems like the writers have no idea what to do with her now that she's [[CharacterDevelopment assertive]].
*** In season 7, it isn't usual for a Mane 6 Pony to not appear for several episodes in a row (Fluttershy goes through ''five'' in a row without appearing, and even the alleged main character Twilight misses four in a row). In addition, there are several episodes where ''none'' of the Mane 6 appear at all, including one where the only season 1-era character to appear is Trixie.
*** Beginning with season 6, Applejack started appearing in episodes a lot less. Like with Fluttershy, it seems like the writers didn't know what to do with her since she's the most normal of the Mane Six. Hasbro wasn't been kind to her [[MerchandiseDriven merchandise-wise]] either; sometimes the only member of the Mane Six that's absent.
*** After three straight seasons of being a prominent member of the supporting cast, including a major role in "Made in Manehattan", Coco/Miss Pommel doesn't make any physical appearances at all in Season 7 and is only mentioned once in the episode "Honest Apple" (to provide an outfit for Applejack to make fun of), much to her fans' disappointment. [[Film/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017 The movie]], like the rest of Rarity's companions barring the new character Capper, only gives her a scant handful of brief, unvoiced cameos. This continues into Season 8, with "Fake It 'til you Make It" being the first Coco-free Manehattan episode since her appearance.
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'':
** Vanessa. Not as much in regular episodes, but she doesn't appear at all or has fairly minor roles in most of the special episodes, "Summer Belongs to You!" and "Night of the Living Pharmacists" being notable exceptions. She also doesn't make an appearance in the movie, though she and her alternate universe counterpart were originally planned to have each had a brief scene.
** Ferb. True to his nature, he mostly serves in a supporting role not just in regular episodes, but also most of the long specials and the movie. However, he does get his own subplot in "Summer Belongs to You!" and is TemporarilyAVillain in "Phineas and Ferb Star Wars".
* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow''
** The first episode of Season 4 introduces the new character Thomas the goat, only to virtually ignore his existence a few episodes in. He's basically passed off as another friend to Muscle Man and an occasional servant for him and the other characters.
** High Five Ghost gets hit with this hard. Despite being a supposed main character, he has yet to get ADayInTheLimelight episode after almost 5 seasons. The aforementioned Thomas has at least been important to the plot of a couple episodes, and he is considered a minor character.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** Barney used to be Homer's best friend in early seasons; later, he drifted away and Lenny and Carl became Homer's main friends.
** The twin Sherri and Terri. In +20 seasons, they have never received a single day in the limelight episode where they are the protagonists.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''
** Some time around season five, many of the oldest supporting characters either became rarely seen, or just [[LivingProp shoved into the background]]. Many of the small-town stereotypes (Officer Barbrady, the mayor, Jimbo and Ned) have faded away as South Park has apparently become larger, gaining a whole police force. Dr Mephesto (who was written off because Trey and Matt didn't find him funny anymore), Pip (later killed), Ms. Crabtree (killed) the 'Visitors', Chef (also dead) also disappeared.
** Ever since coming back from the dead for supposedly the last time [[note]]which originally ''was'' supposed to be his last appearance, but meddling from Creator/ComedyCentral said otherwise. Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone retaliated by reducing his involvement.[[/note]], Kenny rarely has anything to do -- he either just stands there and doesn't say anything, or he doesn't appear at all. This is lampshaded quite a few times, and occasionally he will have his time in the spotlight. In later seasons Kenny gets more and more screen time exactly for the sake of averting this trope, rather than any practical reason.
** When Wendy broke up with Stan, her screen time took a sharp drop. She only had two major roles ("Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset" and "Follow That Egg!") and never spoke again after said roles until Season 11's "The List" where her and Stan got back together. She had come back into the spotlight since then and much like Kenny, has gotten more screen time, however it appears to be for good reason rather than averting this trope.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': Nowadays, Gary only gets a few lines per episode unless it's ADayInTheLimelight episode for him ([[SpeechImpairedAnimal not that he has much to say, anyway]]), Sandy appears 1 to 4 times a season, and Mrs. Puff and Larry only appear once in a blue moon. [=SpongeBob=], Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and Plankton are the only regulars now. It got so bad that at one point Sandy Cheeks is referred to as Sandy Squirrel. That's right, ''the writers have literally forgotten her name.''
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'':
** Peedee is a rather heavily featured character in the first season of the show, before becoming an almost speechless background character in the second and third seasons. He was likely intended to be Steven's best friend before the show's creators gave that role to [[EnsembleDarkhorse Connie]].
** Lars is another heavily featured character on the show in its first season, but he only makes four appearances for all of Season 2 (half of them being in holdover episodes from the first season) and most of which are brief cameos. However, he's [[AscendedExtra come into major prominence]] as of late season four, which ends with him and Steven [[spoiler:getting kidnapped into space together]].
* ''[[WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine Thomas and Friends]]'' suffers from this, largely due to the fact that several new characters are introduced per series. As a result, formerly major characters like Duck, Oliver, Bill and Ben, and Douglas and Terence haven't appeared in years. Hasn't stopped them [[MerchandiseDriven appearing in multiple toy ranges]], though.
* Fifi [=LaFume=] from ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'', who appears semi-regularly in Season 1 and gets a [[ADayInTheLimelight major role]] in [[WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventuresHowISpentMyVacation the movie]], appears quite rarely in Seasons 2 & 3. Much to the disappointment of fans, she only gets four shorts of her own in the series.
* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaIsland''
** One of the reasons (but hardly the only one) that fans dislike the [[SeasonalRot second season]] is that almost half the contestants from Season One are cut out. What makes it worse is that the neglected campers are mostly the ones who hadn't gotten very far originally, and thus missed a chance for greater CharacterDevelopment even though some of them ([[ExtravertedNerd Cody]], [[DeadpanSnarker Noah]] and [[HomeschooledKids Ezekiel]], for example) have [[EnsembleDarkhorse surprisingly large fanbases]].
** Season three also leaves some characters out of the game, though most of the season two rejects got in, and some of the "bigger" characters from past seasons (like [[SassyBlackWoman Leshawna]] and [[DumbBlonde Lindsay]]) are voted off fairly early. Most of the minors still get voted off pretty early or got shoved out of the way to make room for the controversial [[WellExcuseMePrincess Courtney]]/[[YourCheatingHeart Duncan]]/[[RelationshipUpgrade Gwen]] LoveTriangle, and Cody spends most of the season doing nothing but getting hounded by [[StalkerWithACrush Sierra]], despite [[spoiler:making it to the final three]].
** Of the 22 original cast members, [[VasquezAlwaysDies Eva]], [[SingleMindedTwins Katie and Sadie]] are the least focused on characters in the series, [[DemotedToExtra not competing in either of the two later seasons]]. Eva at least gets a chance to compete twice in the same season.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers''
** Starting in season 3, this started to happen to the titular Venture family more often. According to the writers, it was sometimes hard to write an episode because they have to find something to do for each of the four main characters while the main story is happening, quite to the point where they just said "to hell with it" and left them out almost entirely of a few episodes.
** Brock Samson in the fourth season, at least until near the halfway mark. Even Billy Quizboy gets more airtime.
** Dr. Orpheus is a major supporting character throughout the first three seasons, getting nearly as much screen time as anyone outside of the Venture family. He is out of focus to the point of absence throughout most of the first half of season 4, and then again in the first half of season 5, having only one minor appearance outside of the Halloween special.
* ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'': This happened to Keith. Out of the 5 Paladins (plus Allura), he is the sole character to not get CharacterFocus in no point of the show during season 1. Early on, Shiro is the focus, then Pidge and [[spoiler:her backstory of doing a SweetPollyOliver to try to find his missing family members]], Lance gets some HiddenDepths and Hunk gets focus during their mission to help Shay and save the Balmera, with Allura becoming the focus after that. Keith, in comparison, gets nothing but some moments that imply HiddenDepths, but are subject to AlternativeCharacterInterpretation. Averted in season 2, in which Keith, [[spoiler:his Galra heritage]] and his relationship with Allura after she finding out about it become major plot points. Shiro and Pidge both receive a good amount of screen time, but Hunk and Lance both get a bit of {{Flanderization}}, being mostly used to ComicRelief, with Hunk largely forgetting the CharacterDevelopment he went through in the previous season.
* Of the ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'', Tecna easily gets the least focus and development, especially in later seasons. Sometimes it feels like she's a minor character rather than one of the main ones.
* Clay from "WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown" gets the least spotlight episodes out of all the monks and is absent for most of the third season, when he gets ''no'' spotlight episodes.
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' has LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, so naturally this winds up happening. Rocket and ComicBook/{{Zatanna}} are especially notable, since they joined the team [[EleventhHourRanger very late into the run of the first season]], only to get pushed aside in favor of the new kids who joined the Team during the TimeSkip.
** While season two did a fair job giving at least a little focus to all of the new characters, Batgirl really doesn't get any sort of character development. However the tie-in comic, which is a canonical supplement to show, does give her a lot of focus in the one ''Invasion'' arc before it got canceled.
** Kid Flash is another notable one. He is a main character in season one, but in season two he's semi-retired from being a superhero and doesn't appear much. [[spoiler:Then {{Retirony}} strikes]].
** [[TheMentor Red Tornado]] and [[HenshinHero Captain Marvel]] were both important characters in season one. In season two, the former gets one voiceless cameo while the other gets to talk in one episode (half of which he spends in a psychic coma).
[[/folder]]
