The Development of Heroes/Heroines

Lately I've been looking at different series - both book and video games - and seeing how the characters progressed, not only in a specific case (as in one book or one game) but throughout a series, if it were possible.  Here's some of the things I've found (and a warning to those of you who may not have read/played these titles):
Bartimaeus Trilogy: As a whole, the djinni Bartimaeus didn't change too much; he was still very much the same playful, humorous character he had been from the beginning.  This is something I came to expect from him since he is supposed to be thousands of years old; after a few thousand years, you probably wouldn't change much as far as attitude - heck, most people stop changing after they've hit forty.  While it seems that his opinion of human masters changed - he became slightly friendlier towards Nathaniel - after reading the sections on Ptolemy and their relationship I realized that he had simply discovered that there were others like his old master; his opinion had never really changed.  Nathaniel, on the other hand, went through major changes through each three books.  In the beginning he was a naive, youthful boy who had some scrap of honor in him, but by the beginning of the second novel that honor had all but vanished, and he became a cruel, harsh master just like all the other magicians.  Kitty changed him and made him revert back to the old Nathaniel, a heroic individual who simply wanted to stop the problems that were going on.  His opinions on djinni changed, too, when he realized just how similar he and Bartimaeus were.
Harry Potter: Harry changed quite a bit throughout the series, though some my argue otherwise.  True, he never delved into being dark and evil or anything - though he did become a bit emo in the 5th book - but how he treated himself as a hero changed.  In the first three novels it was more about simply facing whatever trials were immediately in front of him, whether that was Fluffy growling at him, the Basilisk snarling, or the Whomping Willow thrashing.  He never stopped to think about what it all meant, what Voldemort's consistent reoccurrence might mean.  In the 4 book he realized that his life was forever changed, that he and Voldemort were indeed connected; in book 5, he fully understood the connection, and began coming to terms with the inevitable battle with Voldemort in the 6th book.  In book 7, he changed again; instead of simply coming to terms with the fact that he would have to fight Voldemort, he came to terms with the fact that he would have to die in order to stop the Dark Lord.  That, I thought, marked a major change, because it showed that he understood what kind of sacrifices must sometimes be made to help the people you care about.
Halo: Halo was different from the two series above; overall, Master Chief never changed.  He kept doing the same things that he was doing - killing Covenant and protecting Earth's interests.  True, he did have to accept that the Arbiter - a Covenant Elite - was an ally, and in Halo 3 that marked some minor conflicts between the two, but overall his opinion didn't change.  The greatest change, I think, was the relationship between the Chief and Cortana, the super-computer AI who was connected to him.  At first they were simply that: a super-soldier and a very intelligent holographic AI.  However, the Chief sacrificed himself to protect Cortana, and throughout Halo 2 and Halo 3 the two showed some compassion for one another.  While the Chief's last words to her as he went into cryostasis - "Wake me when you need me" - were impersonal, I think that the two had forged a very close bond, and I am interested to see how that bond continues in Halo 4.
Assassin's Creed (Ezio Auditore): For the sake of brevity, I am sticking with Ezio, since he plays a major role and his life parallels that of Desmond's.  Ezio started out a foolish rich kid, who got into scraps with other teenagers and slept around with girls - when he told his mother he had great skills, she responded snarkily, "You mean besides vaginas?"  After his father and two brothers are executed before his eyes, he realizes he must take up the Assassin's ways, and begins to learn how to act in his father's stead.  By the end of Assassin's Creed 2, he has become much more mature, a strong-willed individual who is feared by his enemies and loved by his people.  In Brotherhood he is still a bit immature, sleeping around with women and such, but when he realizes that an Assassin is not a part-time job, he takes up the clothes and hidden blade and returns to take down Cesare Borgia.  Throughout his fights with the Borgia he ressurrects the fallen Brotherhood of Assassins, and himself becomes a Master Assassin, capable of wielding one of the Apple artifacts.  He is mature, wise, and powerful, and the game ends with hope.  Revelations takes a much older Ezio on his journey to discover something that has been left behind by the previous Master Assassin, Altair.  At this point Ezio is older, nearing 50 I think, and has taught many others how to follow in his footsteps; he is a mentor.
So... yeah.  There are some other series I would put in here, but this is long enough as it is, so I'll end it here.  I think it's interesting to see how other authors/writers develop their characters throughout a series, and enjoy developing my own characters and preparing them for the challenges I'll put in their path.

Until next time, everyone.  Writr, out.