Just as manga characters change and evolve, anime characters do the same. Maybe it’s because artistic styles come in and out of fashion or due to the visions of different studios or directors. Whatever the reason, they change.
Twitter user Billy Morgan recently cataloged some of the years. The time that they cover varies. For example, the above GeGeGe no Kitaro comparison spans decades, while the Gintama images are separated only by a few years
時が進めば同じキャラでも作画が全然違うなぁ… pic.twitter.com/0729KCRT78
— びりゐ (@siroumaru96) August 4, 2018
こっちの方が露骨ぅ! pic.twitter.com/KGSdt4eaeL
— びりゐ (@siroumaru96) August 5, 2018
Other Twitter users replied with comparisons of their own
結局黒バスなんですよねぇ… pic.twitter.com/UCpSNC9i2s
— ヒロぽん🍭🚀❤️🔥 (@Hiro20030611) August 5, 2018
— ヒロぽん🍭🚀❤️🔥 (@Hiro20030611) August 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1025994234858336257
FF外から失礼します
BLEACHも中々ですよ pic.twitter.com/2PF3TDRTxT— れー (@oisiiwasabi017) August 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1025984016493625344
— たむがや@サブ (@tamugaya_sub) August 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1026325201812746240
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1026675509592129536
Feel free to add any other character evolutions in the comments below.