4. Ash Williams – Evil Dead Franchise
Maybe this one is cheating, but we don’t really care. Technically, Ash Williams is one of those movie characters who changed between movies, so we’re including him. Even so, it was more the entire franchise that changed, not just its protagonist.
The Evil Dead was Sam Raimi’s original attempt at straight-up horror. In it, Ash Williams is a relatively meek hero who just barely survives his supernatural encounter. For Evil Dead II, everything was dialled up to 11, and Ash changed massively. Suddenly, he was more confident, more heroic, and way more of a badass.
Army of Darkness cemented this change in Ash, making him a wisecracking and only occasionally bumbling hero. The franchise pivoting to an almost satirical approach to horror also helped his transformation, providing a greater opportunity for him to make funny. Though it’s a change that just about everyone welcomed, it’s still pretty jarring, and worthy of a spot on our list.