A character who at one point was a major character on a show but is now down graded to a recurring character. This is not quite as extreme as being Demoted to Extra or even Put on a Bus, but it can be the first step. This could be because the arc that featured that character has come to an end or, much more likely, the actor is getting ready to leave and this is an excuse to phone in another season. Expect said character to possibly be in every episode, but with drastically less screen time than they used to have, or now only appear every few episodes. Often accomplished by the character getting a promotion, moving farther away, put into a coma, etc.