History Main / PromotedToPlayable

* Kaos, BigBad of the ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'' franchise, becomes playable in ''Trap Team'' using a special Trap toy. He then becomes playable in aerial racing segments in ''[=SuperChargers=]'' and ''[=SuperChargers=] Racing'' using a trophy, then gets a proper figure in ''Imaginators''. ''Imaginators'' also upgraded [[HeelFaceTurn former Doom Raiders]] Golden Queen, Wolfgang, Chompy Mage and Dr. Krankcase to playable, along with other former villains Tae Kwon Crow, Pain-Yatta, Blaster-Tron, Hood Sickle, Grave Clobber and Bad Juju.

** ''VideoGame/CadenceOfHyrule'' allows players to control a Deku Scrub for the first time (discounting Link's transformation masks in ''Majora's Mask'').

* Many characters in ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacing'', of which most of its cast was formed by the bosses of all 3 previous games in the series. ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacingNitroFueled'' turns [[BigBad Nitros Oxide]] into a legitimately playable character, available either through an Adventure Mode unlock or as part of the game's SpecialEdition. In the original game, he's the only boss character who can't be accessed through normal means, leading to [[UrbanLegendOfZelda all kinds of false rumors surrounding how he could be "unlocked"]]. The bosses from ''VideoGame/CrashNitroKart'', who were only selectable in its UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance version, are also made fully playable in this game. The game's Grand Prix events would proceed add almost every named character in the entire ''Crash'' series, many of them (like Komodo Moe, the trophy girls, Chick and Stew, and [[AnimateInanimateObject Iron Checkpoint Crate]]) having never been playable before.

** Shang Tsung became playable (and young) from the first game to ''VideoGame/MortalKombatII'', where Shao Kahn replaced him as the FinalBoss. This is repeated with other boss fighters: Goro in the UsefulNotes/GameBoy port of ''[=MK=]'', ''Trilogy'' (Platform/PlayStation only), home versions of ''[=MK4=]'' and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]]'s ''Deception''; Kintaro in ''Trilogy'' ([=PlayStation=] only), Motaro and Shao Kahn in home ports of ''[=MK3=]''/''[=UMK3=]'', ''Trilogy'' and [=GameCube=]'s ''Deception'' (Kahn only). And all of them, plus Moloch, Onaga and Sareena (from ''Mythologies'') became playable in ''Armageddon''.

* In the ''Godzilla'' FightingGame for the Turbo CD, Biollante was not playable by any means, but became available to players of the game's UsefulNotes/SuperFamicom successor, ''Kaijuu Daikessen''.

** In ''VideoGame/Tekken5'', Devil Jin, who was first introduced in ''VideoGame/Tekken3'', finally became playable in this game. In addition, while Jinpachi Mishima was not playable in the original version of the game, he became playable in the UsefulNotes/Playstation3 version of the ''Dark Resurrection'' update.

* In the ''VideoGame/GanbareGoemon'' series, Sasuke first appeared as a boss in the first UsefulNotes/SuperFamicom game (which was translated as ''The Legend of the Mystical Ninja''), but became playable from the Japan-only sequel onward.

* In the ''VideoGame/TinyToonAdventures'' LicensedGame for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]], Babs Bunny was a DamselInDistress and Hamton merely traded you extra lives for every 30 carrots you collected when you found him. In ''VideoGame/TinyToonAdventures2TroubleInWackyland'', you get to play as each of them in their respective stages.

* In the original version of ''VideoGame/EternalSonata'', Prince Crescendo and Princess Serenade are royalty who your party interact with at various points in the game. The UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 UpdatedRerelease makes them both playable and adds a new dungeon, Lament Mirror, that cements their playable status.

* The [[ComicBook/NormanOsborn Green Goblin]] has an unlockable campaign in ''VideoGame/SpiderManTheMovie''.

** ComicBook/BlackPanther appeared in ComicBook/{{Storm}}'s ending in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 3'' before becoming a playable DLC character in ''Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite''.

*** Ed first appeared as a nameless child in Rose's ending in the original version of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'' and Balrog's ending in ''Super SFIV''. In the latter's ending, he came across as a failed replacement body for M. Bison that had no powers whatsoever, until the Shadaloo emblem faintly began to glow on one of his palms. And with that, [[AscendedExtra there were definitely plans for him in the future]]. Surely enough, he returns in ''[=SFV=]'', making more NPC appearances in several Story Mode campaigns before finally becoming playable.
*** Abigail was seemingly a one-shot character that appeared as the 5th boss of the original ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' game. Between then and ''SFV'', he only reappeared in several ports of ''[=FF1=]'' and made a [[TheCameo background cameo]] in the Mad Gear Hideout stage of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'' and ''Ultra [=SFIV=]''.

*** Finally, we have Zeku, who debuted in Guy's ending in ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Street Fighter Alpha 2]]''. Prior to ''[=SFV=]'', his video game appearances were limited only to the same scenario in subsequent ports of ''[=SFA2=]''. He also made a minor flashback cameo in the ''[[ComicBook/StreetFighter [=SF=]]]'' [[ComicBook/StreetFighter comic series by Udon]].

** Shang Tsung became playable (and young) from the first game to ''VideoGame/MortalKombatII'', where Shao Kahn replaced him as the FinalBoss. This is repeated with other boss fighters: Goro in the UsefulNotes/GameBoy port of ''[=MK=]'', ''Trilogy'' (UsefulNotes/PlayStation only), home versions of ''[=MK4=]'' and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]]'s ''Deception''; Kintaro in ''Trilogy'' ([=PlayStation=] only), Motaro and Shao Kahn in home ports of ''[=MK3=]''/''[=UMK3=]'', ''Trilogy'' and [=GameCube=]'s ''Deception'' (Kahn only). And all of them, plus Moloch, Onaga and Sareena (from ''Mythologies'') became playable in ''Armageddon''.

*** The last update, ''Exe:Late[cl-r]'', adds [[AnIcePerson Londrekia Light]], a member of Lich Kreis' twin organization, Ritter Schild, who first appeared properly as an NPC in the Chronicle Mode of ''Exe:Late[st]'', and much like Phonon, was originally a scrapped character.