History JokerImmunity / VideoGames

* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', being a game populated with bad guys whom you defeat in [[BloodierAndGorier particularly gruesome ways]], naturally gives nearly everybody Joker Immunity. The most JustForFun/{{egregious}} is BigBad Shao Khan's survival in [[VideoGame/MortalKombat9 the reboot]]; TheHero Liu Kang [[TorsoWithAView punches straight through him]] and all his lieutenants surrender, but the next scene shows Shao Khan limping back to his throne and announcing his next evil plan. It takes [[spoiler:the Elder Gods' intervention]] to get rid of him at the end of the game, but ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'' implies he's ''still'' alive and kicking: [[spoiler:one set of MirrorMatch dialogue for Ermac suggests the emperor's soul is now part of [[ManySpiritsInsideOfOne the myriad collection of fallen warriors comprising Ermac's being]]]]. This SequelHook is seemingly negated when Kronika, the BigBad of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' -- and perhaps even more of a GreaterScopeVillain than [[SealedEvilInACan the One Being]] -- uses [[TimeMaster her powers over the flow of time]] to engineer a CosmicRetcon so that she can guide history along its "rightful" course, only for the resulting TimeCrash to bring a ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatII MK2]]''-era Shao Kahn into Kronika's circle. [[spoiler:This doesn't last long, as the Kitana from the same time period ultimately ends up defeating Kahn in battle, culminating with her [[SlashedThroat going for the jugular]]. For added measure, the game ends with Fire God Liu Kang (Liu Kang imbued with Raiden's powers) going through with a clean wipe of the timeline in response to Kronika's (attempted) meddling, meaning it's entirely possible Shao Kahn will end up being RetGone'd in the rebooted timeline. Shao Kahn doesn't fare any better in the ''Aftermath'' expansion either, this time [[YourSoulIsMine having his soul sucked dry]] by [[TheStarscream Shang]] [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder Tsung]] and ending up a withered husk.]]

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/TheLegendaryStarfy''. [[BigBad Ogura]] is killed off in the third game after performing a HeroicSacrifice, and stays that way for the following two games (both of which have brand new villains).

* In ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead'', Caleb Goldman continually comes back, even in the fourth game. However, [[spoiler:it becomes a subversion when it turns out that his appearances are just flashbacks and recorded messages]]. Similarly, the Magician has also returned several times as a BonusBoss, solely because of his popularity.

** The first two ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance]]'' games and both ''[[VideoGame/SonicRushSeries Sonic Rush]]'' titles end with his ultimate mechs being similarly blown to bits in space (both the aforementioned ''Sonic Advance'' titles and the normal final boss for ''Sonic Rush''), a dimensional rift (the TrueFinalBoss for ''Sonic Rush''), and the core of Blaze's world (''Sonic Rush Adventure'').

* [[spoiler:Heihachi Mishima]] from ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' had this before finally meeting his end in ''VideoGame/Tekken7''. Among other instances where he should have been killed, he [[spoiler:survived being thrown off a cliff by Kazuya in the original ''Tekken'']], [[spoiler:was smashed through a wall by Devil Jin in ''Tekken 3'']], and [[spoiler:was blown up point-blank by several Jack-4 robots (and subsequently launched a great distance away, crash-landing in a temple) in ''VideoGame/Tekken5'']]. It took [[spoiler:a CombatBreakdown after beating Kazuya out of his true Devil form through nothing but sheer willpower and being tossed into a lava flow]] for death to claim him, though many are skeptical it'll actually stick. Will [[spoiler:Heihachi]] cheat death yet again? Tune in [[VideoGame/Tekken8 next time]] to find out!

* M. Bison in ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' can't stay dead. Akuma's iconic DynamicEntry moment in ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Super Street Fighter II Turbo]]'', where he pulls the [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique Raging Demon]] on Bison, was {{retcon}}ned away, as ''Anime/StreetFighterIVTheTiesThatBind'' shows Bison [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled killing himself to avoid capture at the hands of the heroes]]. Even then, [[AsLongAsThereIsEvil his soul hovers around post-mortem]] until [[CloningBlues a suitable replacement body can be made]] (much like the aftermath of ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Alpha 3]]''), leading to his inclusion in the events of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV''. In his next chronological appearance, ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', [[spoiler:his current body appears to show signs of degradation (again, like in ''Alpha 3'') and Bison seemingly dies at the end of "A Shadow Falls" following his battle with Ryu. However, the Capcom Fighters Network profile for "Phantom Bison" (Bison's consciousness manifested through Psycho Power whenever his body is destroyed) as well as the Character Stories for Ed and Falke, two of Bison's potential hosts, indicate that he's ''still'' around even after the fall of Shadaloo]].

** The first two ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceSeries Sonic Advance]]'' games and both ''[[VideoGame/SonicRushSeries Sonic Rush]]'' titles end with his ultimate mechs being similarly blown to bits in space (both the aforementioned ''Sonic Advance'' titles and the normal final boss for ''Sonic Rush''), a dimensional rift (the TrueFinalBoss for ''Sonic Rush''), and the core of Blaze's world (''Sonic Rush Adventure'').

* William Afton of ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' is the Purple Guy -- the serial killer responsible for all the child killings and haunted animatronics that form the foundation of the series. He dies ''three'' times throughout the series: His first death is when he fell victim to a [[CruelAndUnusualDeath springlock failure]]: He eventually possesses his own corpse and becomes Springtrap: 30 years after his original death, he seemingly dies for good when Fazbear's Fright burns down. Three games later, it's revealed he survived, although badly damaged. ''[[VideoGame/FreddyFazbearsPizzeriaSimulator Pizzeria Simulator]]'' ends with Afton and the remaining animatronics dying in a second fire: But he barely survived it, and the next game, ''VideoGame/UltimateCustomNight'', is William being tortured in his nightmares. He eventually escapes this form of punishment to, being scanned into [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysVRHelpWanted a VR game]] as a virus, and as of now, he's still alive -- even getting a new body in ''Security Breach''. [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys3 The third game]]'s trailer said that William will always come back, and William is sure as hell determined to make this statement come true.

** Maleficent is killed in her dragon form in the first game, but when her pet Diablo brings her cloak to the three fairies, their sheer terror of her is apparently enough to resurrect her in ''II''. She then does the same for Oogie Boogie. The [[UnexplainedRecovery really confusing]] case is Ursula showing up again.

** Axel seems to die toward the end of Sora's Story ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories'', only to be revealed to have survived in Reverse/Rebirth. He seemingly dies in the prologue of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', then comes back again and ''actually'' dies at the end of the game when Sora travels to [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon The World That Never Was]]. He was scheduled to actually die in the prologue; his popularity with the fans bought him some extra time. He returns in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance 3D]]'', now going by his old human name of Lea.

* William Afton of ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' is the Purple Guy -- the serial killer responsible for all the child killings and haunted animatronics that form the foundation of the series. He dies ''three'' times throughout the series: His first death is when he fell victim to a [[CruelAndUnusualDeath springlock failure]]: He eventually possesses his own corpse and becomes Springtrap: 30 years after his original death, he seemingly dies for good when Fazbear's Fright burns down. Three games later, it's revealed he survived, although badly damaged. ''[[VideoGame/FreddyFazbearsPizzeriaSimulator Pizzeria Simulator]]'' ends with Afton and the remaining animatronics dying in a second fire: But he barely survived it, and the next game, ''VideoGame/UltimateCustomNight'', is William being tortured in his nightmares. He eventually escapes this form of punishment to, being scanned into [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysVRHelpWanted a VR game]] as a virus, and as of now, he's still alive- even getting a new body in ''Security Breach''. [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys3 The third game]]'s trailer said that William will always come back, and William is sure as hell determined to make this statement come true.

** The main villain, Xehanort/Ansem, is very hard to get rid of. Sora kills his Heartless in the first game, but ''Chain of Memories'' makes it clear that he's still bumping around inside Riku's mind. He returns in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' with his Nobody, Xemnas; Riku also takes his form, having somewhat lost his battle with his darkness. Both are defeated by the game: Xemnas is dead for good, and Riku is back to normal. However, according to WordOfGod, this just means his Nobody and heart will merge to form a whole person again (like Axel/Lea), and Xehanort will eventually be back for another round. The prequel game ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'' reveals that [[spoiler:he's been doing this for a while now, [[GrandTheftMe having stolen Terra's body]] after being defeated for the first time]]. ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'', touted as the GrandFinale of the Xehanort Saga after nearly two decades of buildup, sees [[spoiler:Xehanort ''finally'' get his immunity revoked, albeit under his own terms. Defeated by Sora and his friends after a grueling, multi-stage battle, Xehanort [[GracefulLoser bows out peacefully]] and [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence departs for the afterlife]] after some coaxing from an apparition of his old friend Eraqus. Even then, due to the MesACrowd nature of Xehanort's schemes, it can be argued that he isn't truly dead given that Xigbar, one of the many vessels for his heart, is still alive by the game's end and ready to bring a new plan to fruition--albeit one with a different goal in mind, since Braig/Xigbar was actually Luxu from ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsX'' all along and manipulating Xehanort for his own purposes]].

** In addition to what's mentioned above, Wily is notable in that the ''X'' games handed him a ''second'' (if not somewhat confusing) case of Joker Immunity. As the creator of both Zero and the original form of the Maverick Virus, Wily is the GreaterScopeVillain of the series but is often assumed to have no direct role in the story because [[PosthumousCharacter he would have long been buried by 21XX]]. However, Serges of the X-Hunters in ''VideoGame/MegaManX2'' is heavily implied to be a roboticized Wily [[LostInTranslation in the Japanese version of the game]], [[WrongNameOutburst calling X]] [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic "Rock"]] when the group issues a challenge to the Maverick Hunter and referring to him as the "robotic memento of (Dr.) Light" when defeated--[[SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay a fact few people from the current era would be privy to]]. Then, in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX5 X5]]'', Sigma mentions that he gained [[BigBadDuumvirate a collaborator]], one suggested to be Wily due to their knowledge about Zero's origins and animosity toward X. WordOfGod would confirm it was indeed the doctor, Wily even having [[BackFromTheDead come back to life]] to help Sigma settle the score with X and Zero. This revelation would be mostly [[AbortedArc dropped]] after ''X5'' went from GrandFinale to SeriesFauxnale, though [[VideoGame/MegaManX6 the following game]] introduced Isoc, a Reploid scientist who not only [[VillainTakesAnInterest harbors an interest in Zero]] (while having nothing but ire for X) but also was responsible for repairing him (much like Serges presumably was able to in ''X2'' if the player doesn't reclaim all of Zero's parts [[note]][[TheMentor Dr. Cain]] is canonically responsible for rebuilding Zero, however[[/note]]) and has knowledge of his inner workings. (Note that X and Zero's systems are considered to be {{Black Box}}es, meaning neither Serges nor Isoc should have been able to successfully restore Zero in full.) If that wasn't enough, Isoc even [[Creator/TakeshiAono shares a voice]] with Wily. The common theory is that Wily [[BrainUploading lives on]] [[VirtualGhost through the virus]], furthered by the fact that Isoc's lifeless body is found late in ''X6'', not because he died ''per se'' but because his CPU seemed to have simply vanished.

** Ridley, often known as the [[MeaningfulName Cunning God of Death]], has appeared in almost every game in the series, with ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'', ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'', ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeHunters'', and ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' being major exceptions. Interestingly, he's usually TheDragon rather than the BigBad ([[OurDragonsAreDifferent literally, in his case]]), and gamers have noticed that in most of his defeats, they NeverFoundTheBody. That said, he's also Samus' ArchEnemy more than any other BigBad (including Mother Brain), as he is personally responsible for the attack that destroyed Samus' homeworld and killed her parents. Also, the games are in AnachronicOrder, so in some instances his survival is a given no matter what you do to him. In internal chronological order:

*** His next appearance is in ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' as Meta Ridley, implying that he survived with the help of robot tech; in that game, the player [[NeverFoundTheBody never actually sees him die]]. He appears to be "killed" at the start of ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption Corruption]]'', only to return as Omega Ridley, the guardian of the Pirate Homeworld Leviathan. Players noticed his shadow flying away for a sneaky split second.
*** The remake of ''Metroid II'', ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns'' has him show up as the true final boss of the story. His Meta Ridley armor is mostly cast off, but he still maintains some -- mostly on his along his spine, wings, left arm, and right leg. It's theorized that his Phazon exposure as Omega Ridley helped heal the organic parts of his being, hence why he's almost fully organic again here -- a form known as Proteus Ridley.
*** He next appears in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'', apparently in his original form after having finally healed enough to cast off his Cyborg Prosthetics entirely. WordOfGod points to his defeat in this game as the point where he's KilledOffForReal, seeing as Zebes was destroyed in an EarthShatteringKaboom, but that doesn't stop clones of him from showing up in future games.

* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', being a game populated with bad guys whom you defeat in [[BloodierAndGorier particularly gruesome ways]], naturally gives nearly everybody Joker Immunity. The most JustForFun/{{egregious}} is BigBad Shao Khan's survival in [[VideoGame/MortalKombat9 the reboot]]; TheHero Liu Kang [[TorsoWithAView punches straight through him]] and all his lieutenants surrender, but the next scene shows Shao Khan limping back to his throne and announcing his next evil plan. It takes [[spoiler:the Elder Gods' intervention]] to get rid of him at the end of the game, but ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'' implies he's ''still'' alive and kicking: [[spoiler:one set of MirrorMatch dialogue for Ermac suggests the emperor's soul is now part of [[ManySpiritsInsideOfOne the myriad collection of fallen warriors comprising Ermac's being]]]]. This SequelHook is seemingly negated when Kronika, the BigBad of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11''--and perhaps even more of a GreaterScopeVillain than [[SealedEvilInACan the One Being]]--uses [[TimeMaster her powers over the flow of time]] to engineer a CosmicRetcon so that she can guide history along its "rightful" course, only for the resulting TimeCrash to bring a ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatII MK2]]''-era Shao Kahn into Kronika's circle. [[spoiler:This doesn't last long, as the Kitana from the same time period ultimately ends up defeating Kahn in battle, culminating with her [[SlashedThroat going for the jugular]]. For added measure, the game ends with Fire God Liu Kang (Liu Kang imbued with Raiden's powers) going through with a clean wipe of the timeline in response to Kronika's (attempted) meddling, meaning it's entirely possible Shao Kahn will end up being RetGone'd in the rebooted timeline. Shao Kahn doesn't fare any better in the ''Aftermath'' expansion either, this time [[YourSoulIsMine having his soul sucked dry]] by [[TheStarscream Shang]] [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder Tsung]] and ending up a withered husk.]]

** Downplayed in the iPad version of the game - you can sink Raymondo's ship with a well-placed broadside. You get nothing from him and have to track him down from scratch.

** Even in the alternative continuity of ''WesternAnimation/RatchetAndClank2016'' Nefarious, in his organic form, refuses to die. [[spoiler: After betraying Chairman Alonzo Drek, he confronts Ratchet, Clank and Qwark at the climax of the film and is about to kill Qwark by using the RYNO. Ratchet uses his wrench to knock Nefarious into the Deplanetizer, sending him crash landing on planet Umbris where he's transformed into a robot yet again.]] Somewhat subverted in [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2016 the tie-in video game]] where Ratchet and Clank fight Nefarious in an ultra-mech, knock him into the Deplanetizer's artificial supernova where he ''appears'' to be incinerated and finally killed off. Of course the game is Qwark's retelling of the events from the original game and the player knows that Nefarious shows up in ''Up Your Arsenal'' so he probably survived this event as well.

* Creator/{{SNK}}'s Geese Howard is an odd example; in the continuity of ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'', he's alive and well, but in his home continuity of ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' and ''KOF''[='s=] own AlternateContinuity, the ''Maximum Impact'' series, he's dead. And even then, he's appeared in games where he's canonically dead in the form of "Nightmare Geese", a much more powerful "spirit" version of his normal self.

** The first two ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceSeries Sonic Advance]]'' games and both ''[[VideoGame/SonicRushSeries Sonic Rush]]'' titles end with his ultimate mechs being similarly blown to bits in space (both the aforementioned ''Sonic Advance'' titles and the normal final boss for ''Sonic Rush''), a dimensional rift (the true final boss for ''Sonic Rush'') and the core of Blaze's world (''Sonic Rush Adventure'').

* In the ''VideoGame/StarFox'' series, rival team Star Wolf is more resilient than any villain, always coming back from defeat for another shot at you -- sometimes in the same game. They've survived things other than defeating you; in the default ending of ''VideoGame/StarFoxCommand'', Star Wolf flies into an ''acidic ocean'' to attack the enemy base and come back in one piece. The only exception is ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault'''s Corneria level where Fox rides on Wolf's wing, where he will die if you fail to protect his ship.

* William Afton of ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' is the Purple Guy -- the serial killer responsible for all the child killings and haunted animatronics that form the foundation of the series. He dies ''three'' times throughout the series: His first death is when he fell victim to a [[CruelAndUnusualDeath springlock failure]]: He eventually possesses his own corpse and becomes Springtrap: 30 years after his original death, he seemingly dies for good when Fazbear's Fright burns down. Three games later, it's revealed he survived, although badly damaged. ''[[VideoGame/FreddyFazbearsPizzeriaSimulator Pizzeria Simulator]]'' ends with Afton and the remaining animatronics dying in a second fire: But he barely survived it, and the next game, ''VideoGame/UltimateCustomNight'', is William being tortured in his nightmares. He eventually escapes this form of punishment to, being scanned into [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysVRHelpWanted a VR game]] as a virus, and as of now, he's still alive. [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys3 The third game]]'s trailer said that William will always come back, and William is sure as hell determined to make this statement come true.

** ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' reveals that he's one of the four heroes (along with Mario, Luigi, and Peach) who are destined to stop Count Bleck from destroying all worlds. Near the end, when [[spoiler:Bowser is seemingly crushed]], Peach says she isn't worried about him because he isn't easy to get rid of and has survived worse. [[spoiler:She's right; he just crashed through the floor]].

** In ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'', you are actually tasked to ''save'' Bowser from otherwise certain death by activating his body's desperation HulkOut. In the other ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' installments, he always survives his fights with the brothers while one-off villains like Cackletta and Antasma are killed in battles that play out the exact same way gameplay-wise.

* [[spoiler:Heihachi Mishima]] from ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' had this before finally meeting his end in ''VideoGame/Tekken7''. Among other instances where he should have been killed, he [[spoiler:survived being thrown off a cliff by Kazuya in the original ''Tekken'']], [[spoiler:was smashed through a wall by Devil Jin in ''Tekken 3'']], and [[spoiler:was blown up point-blank by several Jack-4 robots (and subsequently launched a great distance away, crash-landing in a temple) in ''Tekken 5'']]. It took [[spoiler:a CombatBreakdown after beating Kazuya out of his true Devil form through nothing but sheer willpower and being tossed into a lava flow]] for death to claim him, though many are skeptical it'll actually stick.

* Zig-zagged with Dracula in the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series. He spent most of the series being defeated and resurrected over and over again, before [[spoiler:finally being defeated off-screen in 1999 -- and then being reincarnated as Soma Cruz in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow''. Thankfully Cruz is [[HeelFaceTurn no longer a bad guy]].]] It's hinted that [[CameBackStrong he gets stronger each time he returns]]. It's enough to discourage at least one member of the Belmont family, who tries to [[RefusalOfTheCall refuse to fight him]] (only to learn the hard way that [[YouCantFightFate he can't]]).

* Heihachi Mishima from ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' had this before finally meeting his end in ''Tekken 7''. He survived the cliff fall in the original ''Tekken'', smashed through a wall by Devil Jin in ''Tekken 3'', blown up point blank by several Jack-4 robots in ''Tekken 5'', among other instances where he should have been killed.
* Mandler from ''VideoGame/TerraCresta'' refuses to stay dead no matter how many times humanity defeats it, though this is justified as it's powered by the Power of Void. [[spoiler: Mandler is eventually KilledOffForReal at the end of ''VideoGame/SolCresta'', the GrandFinale of the franchise.]]

** In the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series, Sigma keeps getting killed -- sometimes he dies twice in a single game. But as he's [[TheVirus a sentient computer virus]], and there's all sorts of robots for him to [[BodySurf take over]], he won't ever stay dead (though he sometimes [[CameBackWrong doesn't return with all his mental faculties intact]], as infamously seen with the "Zombie Sigma" in ''VideoGame/MegaManX6'' after stretching himself thin during the [[VideoGame/MegaManX5 Eurasia Incident]]). His immunity is finally revoked in ''VideoGame/MegaManX8'', where he's blown up on the Moon, finds that there's nothing to take over on its barren surface, and dissipates harmlessly and somewhat anticlimactically. ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZero Zero]]''-era [[AllThereInTheManual supplemental materials]] pour (more) salt on the wound by having X use the Mother Elf, a "Sigma Antibody Program" created from Zero's data, to completely eradicate the Sigma Virus, deleting Sigma's existence (and finally ending the Maverick Wars) for good.

*** The clone's drained, frozen husk turns up in ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'', where he is consumed by an X parasite; you fight him as [[BodyHorror Neo-Ridley]]. As this is an X parasite mimicking Ridley, it's about as powerful as the original but explicitly isn't him; the boss's inclusion (as is the suspiciously ''Super Metroid''-like area he appears in) is likely just PanderingToTheBase. This is noticeably his very last chronological appearance as he never appears in the direct follow-up, ''Metroid Dread'', implying that he's gone for good.
** Kraid, the [[NotZilla oversized three-eyed lizard Space Pirate]] and [[CoDragons Ridley's comrade]], also has this trait to a lesser extent. While he only appears in three games (four if you count the remake), [[UnexplainedRecovery his unexplained return]] is egregious enough to be compared to the Cunning God of Death himself. In the [[VideoGame/Metroid1 first game]] and its remake, ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'', Kraid was blown up by Samus only for him to return in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' fine and dandy ([[DummiedOut his recovery as Meta-Kraid was cut out]] from ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime''). Samus again defeats Kraid and sends the giant reptile plummeting [[DisneyVillainDeath to an explosive fall]]. The planet Zebes would later explode soon afterwards, which should have been the final end of Kraid... until he appears again on planet ZDR in ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'', albeit chained up and suspended over a molten pit. How he got there ([[AmbiguousSituation or if it's really the same Kraid]]) remains a mystery, though [[PanderingToTheBase there's no doubt as to why he's back after almost 17 years of absence]].

* Saya from ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', ''VideoGame/EndlessFrontier'', and ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone''. No matter how many times Reiji Arisu kills her, she always seems to come back.
* In the first ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'', Travis Touchdown [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe slices Destroyman in half]]; this doesn't stop him from returning in [[VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle the sequel]] as two separate people (New Destroyman) with cybernetics replacing the missing halves.

** To drive the point home, you ''cannot'' sink a ship belonging to any of these three, regardless of how many times you score a massive hit with all your cannons at close range - You have to board it and fence the villain. In fact, you can use Grape-Shot to whittle their crew down to just one man (presumably, the villain himself), and it will never drop below that.

* Albert Wesker from ''Franchise/ResidentEvil''. He gets impaled by a Tyrant in the end of the first game, but it's just used to activate the virus that he injected himself early on that gave him his powers. In ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil5 5]]'', he manages to survive from Jill's HeroicSacrifice. [[spoiler:That is, until he dies for real in the end.]]

* Eliphas the Inheritor of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' is supposed to be dead in ''Dark Crusade'', but due to his popularity, he was inexplicably resurrected for ''Chaos Rising''. He gets killed there to then he's resurrected again. The same happened to the [[LargeHam wonderfully hilarious]] Gorgutz, who not only survives the games he's appeared in, he's established as the canonical winner of the ''Soulstorm'' campaign in ''Videogame/DawnOfWarIII''.

** Most games have him surviving otherwise inescapable explosions with little more than AmusingInjuries. Most egregiously, his Death Egg burst into flames and crash-landed on Angel Island in the climax of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'', but ''VideoGame/{{Sonic 3|AndKnuckles}}'' reveals that he started work on his next scheme almost immediately after that.

* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', being a game populated with bad guys whom you defeat in [[BloodierAndGorier particularly gruesome ways]], naturally gives nearly everybody Joker Immunity. The most JustForFun/{{egregious}} is BigBad Shao Khan's survival in [[VideoGame/MortalKombat9 the reboot]]; TheHero Liu Kang [[TorsoWithAView punches straight through him]] and all his lieutenants surrender, but the next scene shows Shao Khan limping back to his throne and announcing his next evil plan. It takes [[spoiler:the Elder Gods' intervention]] to get rid of him at the end of the game, but ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'' implies he's ''still'' alive and kicking: [[spoiler:one set of MirrorMatch dialogue for Ermac suggests the emperor's soul is now part of [[ManySpiritsInsideOfOne the myriad collection of fallen warriors comprising Ermac's being]]]]. This SequelHook is seemingly negated when Kronika, the BigBad of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11''--and perhaps even more of a GreaterScopeVillain than [[SealedEvilInACan the One Being]]--uses [[TimeMaster her powers over the flow of time]] to engineer a CosmicRetcon so that she can guide history along its "rightful" course, only for the resulting TimeCrash to bring a ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat2 MK2]]''-era Shao Kahn into Kronika's circle. [[spoiler:This doesn't last long, as the Kitana from the same time period ultimately ends up defeating Kahn in battle, culminating with her [[SlashedThroat going for the jugular]]. For added measure, the game ends with Fire God Liu Kang (Liu Kang imbued with Raiden's powers) going through with a clean wipe of the timeline in response to Kronika's (attempted) meddling, meaning it's entirely possible Shao Kahn will end up being RetGone'd in the rebooted timeline. Shao Kahn doesn't fare any better in the ''Aftermath'' expansion either, this time [[YourSoulIsMine having his soul sucked dry]] by [[TheStarscream Shang]] [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder Tsung]] and ending up a withered husk.]]

* William Afton of ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' is the Purple Guy -- the serial killer responsible for all the child killings and haunted animatronics that form the foundation of the series. He dies ''three'' times throughout the series: His first death is when he fell victim to a [[CruelAndUnusualDeath springlock failure]]: He eventually possesses his own corpse and becomes Springtrap: 30 years after his original death, he seemingly dies for good when Fazbear's Fright burns down. Three games later, it's revealead he survived, although badly damaged. ''Pizzeria Simulator'' ends with Afton and the remaining animatronics dying in a second fire: But he barely survived it, and the next game, ''Ultimate Custom Night'', is William being tortured in his nightmares. He eventually escapes this form of punishment to, being scanned into a VR game as a virus, and as of now, he's still alive. The third game's trailer said that William will always come back, and William is sure as hell determined to make this statement come true.

* Zig-zagged with Dracula in the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series. He spent most of the series being defeated and resurrected over and over again, before [[spoiler:finally being defeated off-screen in 1999 -- and then being reincarnated as Soma Cruz in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow'']]. It's hinted that [[CameBackStrong he gets stronger each time he returns]]. It's enough to discourage at least one member of the Belmont family, who tries to [[RefusalOfTheCall refuse to fight him]] (only to learn the hard way that [[YouCantFightFate he can't]]).

** In addition to what's mentioned above, Wily is notable in that the ''X'' games handed him a ''second'' (if not somewhat confusing) case of Joker Immunity. As the creator of both Zero and the original form of the Maverick Virus, Wily is the GreaterScopeVillain of the series but is often assumed to have no direct role in the story because [[PosthumousCharacter he would have long been buried by 21XX]]. However, Serges of the X-Hunters in ''VideoGame/MegaManX2'' is heavily implied to be a roboticized Wily [[LostInTranslation in the Japanese version of the game]], [[WrongNameOutburst calling X]] [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic "Rock"]] when the group issues a challenge to the Maverick Hunter and referring to him as the "robotic memento of Dr. Light" when defeated--[[SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay a fact few people from the current era would be privy to]]. Then, in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX5 X5]]'', Sigma mentions that he gained [[BigBadDuumvirate a collaborator]], one suggested to be Wily due to their knowledge about Zero's origins and animosity toward X. WordOfGod would confirm it was indeed the doctor, Wily even having [[BackFromTheDead come back to life]] to help Sigma settle the score with X and Zero. This revelation would be mostly [[AbortedArc dropped]] after ''X5'' went from GrandFinale to SeriesFauxnale, though [[VideoGame/MegaManX6 the following game]] introduced Isoc, a Reploid scientist who not only [[VillainTakesAnInterest harbors an interest in Zero]] (while having nothing but ire for X) but also was responsible for repairing him (much like Serges presumably was able to in ''X2'') and has knowledge of his inner workings. (Note that X and Zero's systems are considered to be {{Black Box}}es, meaning neither Serges nor Isoc should have been able to successfully restore Zero in full.) If that wasn't enough, Isoc even [[Creator/TakeshiAono shares a voice]] with Wily. The common theory is that Wily [[BrainUploading lives on]] [[VirtualGhost through the virus]], furthered by the fact that Isoc's lifeless body is found late in ''X6'', not because he died ''per se'' but because his CPU seemed to have simply vanished.

* William Afton of ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' is the Purple Guy- the serial killer responsible for all the child killings and haunted animatronics that form the foundation of the series. He dies ''three'' times throughout the series: His first death is when he fell victim to a [[CruelAndUnusualDeath springlock failure]]: He eventually possesses his own corpse and becomes Springtrap: 30 years after his original death, he seemingly dies for good when Fazbear's Fright burns down. Three games later, it's revealead he survived, although badly damaged. ''Pizzeria Simulator'' ends with Afton and the remaining animatronics dying in a second fire: But he barely survived it, and the next game, ''Ultimate Custom Night'', is William being tortured in his nightmares. He eventually escapes this form of punishment to, being scanned into a VR game as a virus, and as of now, he's still alive. The third game's trailer said that William will always come back, and William is sure as hell determined to make this statement come true.

* Creator/{{SNK}}'s Geese Howard is an odd example; in the continuity of ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', he's alive and well, but in his home continuity of ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' and ''KOF''[='s=] own AlternateContinuity, the ''Maximum Impact'' series, he's dead. And even then, he's appeared in games where he's canonically dead in the form of "Nightmare Geese", a much more powerful "spirit" version of his normal self.

** Kraid, the [[NotZilla oversized three-eyed lizard Space Pirate]] and [[CoDragons Ridley's comrade]], also has this trait to a lesser extent. While he only appears in three games (four if you count the remake), [[UnexplainedRecovery his unexplained return]] is egregious enough to be compared to the Cunning God of Death himself. In the [[VideoGame/Metroid1 first game]] and its remake, ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'', Kraid was blown up by Samus only for him to return in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' fine and dandy ([[DummiedOut his recovery as Meta-Kraid was cut out]] from ''Metroid Prime''). Samus again defeats Kraid and sends the giant reptile plummeting [[DisneyVillainDeath to an explosive fall]]. The planet Zebes would later explode soon afterwards, which should have been the final end of Kraid... until he appears again on planet ZDR in ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'', albeit chained up and suspended over a molten pit. How he got there ([[AmbiguousSituation or if it's really the same Kraid]]) remains a mystery, though [[PanderingToTheBase there's no doubt as to why he's back after almost 17 years of absence]].

** Kraid, the [[NotZilla oversized three-eyed lizard Space Pirate]] and [[CoDragons Ridley's comrade]], also has this trait to a lesser extent. While he only appears in three games (four if you count the remake), [[UnexplainedRecovery his unexplained return]] is egregious enough to be compared to the Cunning God of Death himself. In the [[VideoGame/Metroid1 first game]] and its remake, ''MetroidZeroMission'', Kraid was blown up by Samus only for him to return in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' fine and dandy ([[DummiedOut his recovery as Meta-Kraid was cut out]] from ''Metroid Prime''). Samus again defeats Kraid and sends the giant reptile plummeting [[DisneyVillainDeath to an explosive fall]]. The planet Zebes would later explode soon afterwards, which should have been the final end of Kraid... until he appears again on planet ZDR in ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'', albeit chained up and suspended over a molten pit. How he got there ([[AmbiguousSituation or if it's really the same Kraid]]) remains a mystery, though [[PanderingToTheBase there's no doubt as to why he's back after almost 17 years of absence]].

* Ridley in the ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' series has appeared in every game in the series except for ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'', ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeHunters''. Interestingly, he's usually TheDragon rather than the BigBad ([[OurDragonsAreDifferent literally, in his case]]), and gamers have noticed that in most of his defeats, they NeverFoundTheBody. That said, he's also Samus' ArchEnemy more than any other BigBad (including Mother Brain), as he is personally responsible for the attack that destroyed Samus' homeworld and killed her parents. Also, the games are in AnachronicOrder, so in some instances his survival is a given no matter what you do to him. In internal chronological order:
** He is seemingly killed the first time you fight him in the first ''VideoGame/{{Metroid|1}}'' (and in ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'').
** His next appearance is in ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' as Meta Ridley, implying that he survived with the help of robot tech; in that game, the player [[NeverFoundTheBody never actually sees him die]]. He appears to be "killed" at the start of ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption Corruption]]'', only to return as Omega Ridley, the guardian of the Pirate Homeworld Leviathan. Players noticed his shadow flying away for a sneaky split second.
** The remake of ''Metroid II'', ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns'' has him show up as the true final boss of the story. His Meta Ridley armor is mostly cast off, but he still maintains some -- mostly on his along his spine, wings, left arm, and right leg. It's theorized that his Phazon exposure as Omega Ridley helped heal the organic parts of his being, hence why he's almost fully organic again here -- a form known as Proteus Ridley.
** He next appears in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'', apparently in his original form after having finally healed enough to cast off his Cyborg Prosthetics entirely. WordOfGod points to his defeat in this game as the point where he's KilledOffForReal, seeing as Zebes was destroyed in an EarthShatteringKaboom, but that doesn't stop clones of him from showing up in future games.
** In ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'', a cloned Ridley appears, gets wounded by Samus, and is consumed by the Metroid Queen. He dies a lot faster than the original did. This game also speculates that the original was very good at playing dead, implying he may have ''still'' survived.
** The clone's drained, frozen husk turns up in ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'', where he is consumed by an X parasite; you fight him as [[BodyHorror Neo-Ridley]]. As this is an X parasite mimicking Ridley, it's about as powerful as the original but explicitly isn't him; the boss's inclusion (as is the suspiciously ''Super Metroid''-like area he appears in) is likely just PanderingToTheBase.

* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', being a game populated with bad guys whom you defeat in [[BloodierAndGorier particularly gruesome ways]], naturally gives nearly everybody Joker Immunity. The most JustForFun/{{egregious}} is BigBad Shao Khan's survival in [[VideoGame/MortalKombat9 the reboot]]; TheHero Liu Kang [[TorsoWithAView punches straight through him]] and all his lieutenants surrender, but the next scene shows Shao Khan limping back to his throne and announcing his next evil plan. It takes [[spoiler:the Elder Gods' intervention]] to get rid of him at the end of the game, but ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'' implies he's ''still'' alive and kicking: [[spoiler:one set of MirrorMatch dialogue for Ermac suggests the emperor's soul is now part of [[ManySpiritsInsideOfOne the myriad collection of fallen warriors comprising Ermac's being]]]]. This SequelHook is seemingly negated when Kronika, the BigBad of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11''--and perhaps even more of a GreaterScopeVillain than [[SealedEvilInACan the One Being]]--uses [[TimeMaster her powers over the flow of time]] to engineer a CosmicRetcon so that she can guide history along its "rightful" course, only for the resulting TimeCrash to bring a ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat2 MK2]]''-era Shao Kahn into Kronika's circle. [[spoiler:This doesn't last long, as the Kitana from the same time period ultimately ends up defeating Kahn in battle, culminating with her [[SlashedThroat going for the jugular]]. For added measure, the game ends with Fire God Liu Kang (Liu Kang imbued with Raiden's powers) going through with a clean wipe of the timeline in response to Kronika's (attempted) meddling, meaning it's entirely possible Shao Kahn will end up being RetGone'd in the rebooted timeline.]]