All heroes of nerdy franchises become more powerful over time. They start out as rookies, then eventually become masters by training with a wise sensei or being corrupted by a cursed sword; you know the drill. The transformations are rarely realistic, but at least they offer some kind of explanation. Here's our tribute to six characters that got major upgrades for no apparent reason.

6. Claire Redfield (Resident Evil: Code Veronica)

Through Resident Evil 3, the main characters of the series were above-average survivors with a lucky streak. They had a slightly greater skillset than their idiot comrades and survived by utilizing teamwork and well-timed saves. Claire's first appearance in Resident Evil 2 painted her as the naïve, but tough, little sister of Chris Redfield. She was by no means a damsel in distress, but definitely wasn't outrunning helicopters or killing 50 armed guards with a single bullet. Until Code Veronica, that is.