Character Exaggeration

The vague but noticeable change in a character's personality or habits in newer adaptations. Interestingly, it is more common for traits to be overemphasized (or even changed completely) rather than deemphasized. Unlike Flanderization, this version of the character appears like this initially rather than gradually evolving to it; most of the time it just happens that the 'new' version is based on the end-product of the 'old' version's long and changing development. Similarly, production time often limits the amount a character can appear, in which case the most 'important' traits are emphasized to make the character distinctive. More negatively, subtlety can be lost if Executive Meddling changes the character to establish more broad appeal to some proven demographic. If something a character has said or done only once (or very rarely) becomes exaggerated in the minds of the audience to the point that it almost defines that character, that's Never Live It Down. Parodies are especially prone to this. That said, Tropes Are Not Bad and some examples are actually more popular and better-developed than their originals (though others...aren't). Compare with Ascended Extra, which is done to obscure characters to make them ostensibly prominent. Contrast Out-of-Character Moment. See also Character Check, when the writers try to reverse this, if only momentarily. May cause an Adaptational Skill (e.g. a character with an interest in other cultures becomes an Omniglot in an adaptation).