21 TV Characters Who Had Such Strong Arcs, They Were Literally Unrecognizable From Who They Were At The Start
1.Loki from Loki
2.Cordelia from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
3.Wesley from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
4.Rebecca from Ted Lasso
Apple TV
Rebecca was hurt, and she did something bad that she later owned up to. But I also think it's more than just that. You can see in her whole demeanor, in her relationships, and in the way she treats her coworkers how much she's changed from the pilot until now. She's genuinely a new person because of the kindness of those around her and because of her own strength of character.
5.Sarah Manning from Orphan Black
BBC
Sarah started off literally just trying to con a dead girl, and she was a super unwilling participant in figuring out the whole clone conspiracy. Plus, she was not the best mom. She definitely regressed at certain points in the series, but by the end, she'd really emerged as a true leader and a great mom, as well as a great sister to all the other clones. I especially loved seeing the progression of her relationship with Helena!
6.Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender
7.Mona from Pretty Little Liars
Freeform
Mona was a straight-up criminal mastermind. She tortured the Liars for years and then worked with the new A-team to continue the game. But over time, her care for Hannah, Mike, and her mom helped her grow, and she turned toward becoming one of the Liars' biggest allies, even apologizing for her past actions. She also stopped hiding how smart she was and truly let it define her.
8.Alexis from Schitt's Creek
Pop!TV
Alexis starts out extremely vapid and materialistic. She goes along with whatever fun situation comes her way, and she doesn't seem to prioritize herself or her future. In Schitt's Creek, she truly starts to apply herself, finishing high school and then college and starting her own business. She also learns how to be a true friend and a good sister and daughter over the course of the series — I've loved watching her relationship with Moira grow in particular.
9.Bonnie Bennett from The Vampire Diaries
The CW
Bonnie starts out as a classic "best friend" character — loyal, kind, and protective. She's always willing to sacrifice herself for Elena or Jeremy or any other greater purpose, and she dies multiple times to save people. But by the end of the series, Bonnie finally knows her own strength and worth. She fights for what she cares about but also herself, and she isn't so quick to give up her own needs. She challenges everyone around her, but especially Damon, to be better. She's by far the strongest character on the show, magically and otherwise.
10.Jin from Lost
ABC
I really hated Jin at first. He was so controlling and stuck in his ways, and it was amazing to watch him transform into someone who was worthy of Sun. He became a hero who truly wanted her to be happy, even if it was without him. Their love story absolutely broke my heart, and I'm still upset about how it ended.
11.April from Parks and Recreation
NBC
April starts out as someone who really doesn't want to try at anything. She's extremely cynical, and though her worldview doesn't change, she really comes into her own and finds her place in the world as the series goes on. She becomes a better friend and pushes herself to find what she really wants to do, and though her personality remains the same, she's much better at letting people in.
12.Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones
HBO
Sansa went from being a little girl who wanted nothing more than to marry a prince to being an incredibly intelligent queen and certified badass. She figured out that Lord Baelish was manipulating her and had him killed, had Ramsay eaten alive by his dogs, and negotiated her brother's freedom. She fought for the North, and we love her for it.
13.Walter White from Breaking Bad
AMC
I didn't say that all character development had to be good! Walt went from jaded high school teacher to drug kingpin — but the real development for me came when he finally admitted that he didn't do it all to help his family, but because he liked the power. WE BEEN KNEW, SIS.
14.Brooke Davis from One Tree Hill
15.Steve from Stranger Things
Netflix
OK, IMO, Steve was always great. But he definitely came into his own as Dad™️ of the gang at the end of Season 1, and it only progressed from there. Protective, silly, and understanding, Steve became the dad friend we all need.
16.Lydia Martin from Teen Wolf
17.Nathan Scott from One Tree Hill
18.Caroline Forbes from The Vampire Diaries
The CW
I mean, even from Season 1 to 2, she had amazing development. She went from being an insecure, catty fake friend to being the best friend in the series. She showed so much kindness and love to everyone, but she wasn't afraid to call people out when they were doing things wrong. She never gave up on her friends, and she became an amazing mother of two children who weren't even hers. She always kept life fun and positive. We all need a Caroline Forbes in our lives.
19.Emma Swan from Once Upon a Time
ABC
Emma went from not believing in fairy tales and wanting to run away from Henry and Regina to fully embracing her role as savior and fighting for her son. She went from not even being able to give herself hope to giving everyone hope. Honestly, I need a little bit of an Emma Swan arc in my life right now.
20.Eleanor Shellstrop from The Good Place
21.And finally, Chidi from The Good Place
NBC
Chidi was always a good person. But his indecisiveness brought pain to those around him and, most of all, to himself. By the end of the show, not only was he sure that he wanted to be with Eleanor, but he was also able to work under a super-tight deadline to come up with a new afterlife while, you know, THE FATE OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE WAS ON THE LINE. His decision to leave the Good Place was the ultimate moment that proved he'd truly found peace and overcome his own indecisiveness.