History Main / CanonShadow

A [[OptionalPartyMember character]] or item that is to be in the PlayerParty or inventory, but other than being able to hit enemies and have stats, it has no effect on the plot. It looks like it's there, but for most effects and purposes, it isn't. Especially odd when its very existence should be a big deal. A form of GameplayAndStorySegregation, this is a cross between PlayerMooks and SchrodingersCast. This tends to be excusable as many of these examples are actually optional.

Canon Shadows are often the result of NewGamePlus, [[DownloadableContent DLC]] [[PromotedToUnlockable and]] [[GameShark other]] [[CheatCode tricks]] (hereby refered to as "Shenanigans"), but can also result due to simple plot restrictions.

Even (and especially) when it should be huge.

Examples of Types of CanonShadow:
# That member of the PlayerParty who should at least have knowledge of the plot or a very strong reaction with the plot; and yet nothing happens, either from them personally or from people who [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight see them.]] (This does not count if they're intentionally being unhelpful.)
# That SwordOfPlotAdvancement gotten early through Shenanigans but doesn't advance the plot until you go through the motions of getting it in a cutscene.
# That character who died a PlotlineDeath on whom you used Shenanigans to get them BackFromTheDead; yet you still talk about how he died.
# You can also gain certain party members sooner than the plot dictates, and if they're gained in the plot via DefeatMeansFriendship, use them to fight themselves.
# It is the ''enemy's'' singular ArtifactOfDoom or EvilWeapon that you have acquired through Shenanigans; it doesn't corrupt you and the enemy also has his own version.

Justified because it's RuleOfCool to have them in gameplay; but to actually have it change the plot would drive things OffTheRails. A DreamMatchGame is pretty much when ''every'' character is like this in terms of the overall series timeline/mythology.

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!!Examples:

[[AC: Video Games]]
* The reward for [[GottaCatchThemAll getting all the stars]] in the initial run of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy''? You get to play as Luigi! ....And do all the missions over again, including the ones where you rescue Luigi. When playing these levels, there is a Luigi "clone" wherever Luigi would be rescued in a Mario playthrough.
* In the ''ResidentEvil'' games, the OneHitKill Rocket Launcher usually appears as a DeusExMachina to kill whatever the FinalBoss is. There may be a way to get it sooner; usually via NewGamePlus; but while it's "the strongest weapon", it does not kill said Final Boss whenever he appears earlier in the game as a HopelessBossFight.
** ''ResidentEvil 4'' kind of averts this: the special rocket launcher you get is specifically called the "Special Rocket Launcher", and is described as having enough firepower to obliterate the final boss. That being said, it can't have more power than an infinite number of normal rockets, which you can get on subsequent playthroughs.
* ''[[FateUnlimitedCodes Fate/Unlimited Codes]]'' has a version of Saber called "Saber Lily". This is a version of Saber where Britain accepted her gender; and she kept her first sword Caliburn. This should radically change her character; but there is no sign that she's different in personality from the original Saber.
** WordOfGod even refers to her as a "Refraction of the [[TheMultiverse Kaleidoscope]]."
* In the [[NewGamePlus second playthrough]] of XBox ''NinjaGaiden'', one can find the [[ArtifactOfDoom Dark Dragon Blade]] if you know where to look. The villains still have their version; nobody thinks of trying to steal yours.
* {{Lampshaded}} in ''{{Nier}}''. As part of a story event, a smith gives you a broken sword and promises to fix it. He does this again on a New Game Plus, which carries your inventory over. Nier asks if he doesn't have it already. Weiss just tells him this is how things happen the second time through.
* In the ''[[SoulSeries Soulcalibur]]'' series, one can unlock the [[ArtifactOfDoom Soul Edge]] as a weapon for any character. It may have a negative effect like random stats or depletes your HP, but it does not drive you crazy unless your character actually uses it in a cutscene. In some endgame cutscenes, it's possible to watch your character use their Soul Edge that you unlocked to destroy the Soul Edge dropped by the final enemy; or throw their Soul Edge away and pick up the other; and get corrupted.
* Common in NipponIchi games; many of the {{DLC}} or {{Cameo}} characters who join the party have no effect on the plot; no matter what their previous experience is.
** Adell is the only human being in [[{{Disgaea2}} Veldime!]] Except for, you know, those humans that his sister [[{{DLC}} summoned.]] But they don't count, nor are they turned into Demons by the Curse.
** JustifiedTrope in ''PhantomBrave'' and ''MakaiKingdom'', where certain characters' ''shadows'' join your party as phantoms; while they themselves do not. ({{Lampshaded}} by Ash in ''[[PhantomBrave The Hermuda Triangle]]''; in gaining the future astrally projected soul of Castille who is stuck in ''MakaiKingdom''. "Um...won't this affect the future?")
*** Similarily in ''SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'', where defeating secret characters such as Asagi and Lujei adds them to your roster but never includes them in cutscenes... because technically you only have their manikin, and they only appear when you forcibly summon them for battles. Outside of battles, they're likely somewhere else, doing their own thing, just like every other recruitable character.
*** Soul Nomad does have a version that even it can't justify, though: If you beat him as a BonusBoss, you can get Median the Conqueror as a party member. Even if you can only summon him for battles, his presence on the battlefield should have a massive impact on the plot and should prompt immediate reactions from numerous characters, yet is totally ignored. And, of course, you can use him to fight his future self.
** ''VideoGame/ClaDun'' is this trope, pure and simple, as its character create system/editing allows you to have any NPC as the main character or [[PlayerMooks Player Mook]], even the one who died in story.
* Special codes in ''VideoGame/{{Valkyria Chronicles II}}'' can let characters like Maximilian, Selvaria, and Isara join your party; despite being [[spoiler: on the other side and/or dead from the first ''Valkyria Chronicles''.]] There isn't even a {{handwave}} justifying this. Naturally nobody reacts to the previous Imperial Prince and his champion fighting for Gallia.
** There's also other characters from the first game; who are explicitly stated by the plot to be staying out of the Gallian Civil War to prevent a diplomatic issue; but that's a smaller wonk than the above.
*** Even without codes, after you get enough medals, [[spoiler: Juliana and Leon]] join your party, and they [[spoiler: died in game. Like other CanonShadow, you can use them to fight themselves.]]
** It gets more ludicrous in ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChroniclesIII''. You can get [[VideoGame/ValkyriaChroniclesII Aliasse]] via password, and she can [[spoiler:turn into a Valkyria as soon as you have her, like Riela does halfway in the game]]. One of the plot points is [[spoiler:Cardinal Borgia]] seeking to eliminate Riela because she's an impure [[spoiler:Valkyria]], you would think that having Aliasse in your squad will give you HUGE leverage.
* ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' has a feature where in NewGamePlus, you can pull all of the characters you had in your party whenever you had previously beaten the game; even the ones who are in contradictory path. While some might have a special attack or two; they do not interact. (Especially huge is being able to being [[TheDragon Harle]] back.)
* In the PSP UpdatedRerelease of ''TacticsOgre'', there is a function called "The World System", similar to NewGamePlus; it lets you take your characters back in time to any decision made and let's you pick a different choice and follow a different path. This allows for situations where you can have characters who joined your party in one timeline help you kill their alternate selves who opposed you in another in gameplay. Plotwise, though, you'll grieve the death of a character even with them still in your party.
* In ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', after you play the whole game, you can play with any Partner in whatever week you like. Even against themselves, or when you're fighting to save them.
* One can regain the literal ghost of a character who sacrifices herself in ''JeanneDArc'', and the special cutscene where you get her makes it ''seem'' she can talk and such; but cutscenes have the characters indicate that this person is completely gone. Of course; you can't do this until you beat the game.
* In ''MassEffect1'', any new game Commander Shepard can learn any skill that you have an achievement unlocked for from previous games. It is possible to have a Assault Gun Wielding Biotic Shepard with Engineering skills, despite not being that class.
* In ''MassEffect2'', during Tali's loyalty mission, part of the space fleet that is Tali's home is quarantined to seal off an uprising of Geth, which are the mortal enemies of Tali's people, and charges are brought against Tali for bringing active Geth aboard the fleet. It's possible to unlock the Geth character Legion beforehand and bring him along for the trial. They react appropriately, but all it takes is some short bluster (apparently, the perrogative of captains to bring whichever of their crew along they like goes a ''long'' way in Quarian culture) before they stand down. Apart from a few strange looks and one snide comment during the trial, nobody else has a problem with it. This also happens if you bring Legion aboard the Citadel; his presence is acknowledged, but the security guard seems to think he's just a consumer-model robot assistant. Most players never encounter these incidents, though, as Legion is typically obtained right before the chain of events leading to the endgame begins - you actively have to go out of your way from the plot (and risk the circumstances) to take him anywhere.
** Legion's presence is lampshaded during Tali's recruitment mission - when you join up with Kal'Reegar, he'll comment on Legion kneeling behind Shepard:
--> '''Kal'Reegar:''' We talked on the radio before the dropship arrived...'''YOU'VE GOT A GETH RIGHT BEHIND YOU!'''
--> '''Legion:''' We are allied with Shepard. We will fight the Geth units in this area.
--> '''Kal'Reegar:''' You know, ordinarily that wouldn't fly with me, but I can't afford to be picky right now!
** Another example is the DLC characters, Zaeed and Kasumi. Occasionally they will throw in a comment about something, but they never make any major plot difference, unless you have them do something notable during the Suicide Mission.
** Like the first game, any newly created Shepard can have one of a set of skills from characters he gained the achievements of their loyalty in previous games. This can include oddities like [[MindControl Dominate]] which only vampire mutant Asari can do.
*** And then there's the {{DLC}} which gives Shepard....a Collector outfit. You'd think THAT would get at least a funny look.
*** [[JustifiedTrope Justified,]] since a lot of people don't even think the Collectors actually exist, much less know what one looks like.
* In ''ValkyrieProfile'', two late-game bosses are directly responsible for two of your einherjar's deaths much earlier in the game. If you bring either of these characters into the battle with their killer, neither will say anything.
** Mostly averted in the second game. If you read their profiles, you'll find that most of the einherjar you can recruit knew at least one or two others, so if you put them into the party together, they'll have a brief conversation at the start of a battle. It's only "mostly," though, as some combinations that you'd expect to have these happen don't.
* In ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', despite the Sith guards on Taris supposedly looking for Bastila, they'll never comment on her presence [[FailedASpotCheck even when she walks past them in her Jedi robe wielding a lightsaber]]. Maybe they're just ''that'' stupid, which might explain why [[BigBad Malak]] so quickly opted to destroy the entire planet. In the second game, nobody will comment on Kreia following you, including the same Jedi Masters who are latter surprised when she walks up to them in the light side ending. It is hinted, though, that she uses the Force as a kind of perception filter.
** More than just hinted - one cutscene reveals that she routinely hides her presence from your other partymembers, either for practice of for the evulz.
* If you use a character enough in ''{{Recettear}}'', you get their "True Card" which lets you have them in your party immediately in NewGamePlus. This includes having them fight themselves in battles where they are originally antagonistic.
* Averted with the {{DLC}} character DoctorDoom in ''MarvelUltimateAlliance'': playing as Doom in the final battle (against Doom) will trigger a short conversation between the two Dooms, where it will turn out that one of them is from the future.
** And of course, bringing {{Deadpool}} into the boss fight with Deadpool results in an argument between the two of them.
* The dialogue rich game ''VideoGame/ScarfaceTheWorldIsYours'' has Tony Montana talk about how he wants the Big Bad dead. He does this even after the Big Bad is dead.
* In ''MortalKombat: [[VideoGame/MortalKombatShaolinMonks Shaolin Monks]]'', Scorpion and Sub-Zero are unlockable as player characters in the Story Mode. Unfortunately, neither of them actually has a storyline and the game jsut acts as if you're playing as default protagonists Liu Kang and Kung Lao, even when you're fighting Boss Battles against [[MirrorBoss Sub-Zero and Scorpion]].
** The DLC characters in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' play a similar role. While they all have Arcade Ladder endings, none of them contribute to the canonical story (Skarlet cameos in crowds a few times, [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance Kenshi]] is called to fight at the end of one of the chapters but never directly seen, [[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 Rain]] is given a background cameo in The Cathedral stage, {{Guest Fighter}}s [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]] and [[ANightmareOnElmStreet2010 Freddy Kreuger]] add nothing ''at all'' to the plot).
* A minor example occurs in ''{{Persona 3}} [[UpdatedRerelease Portable]]''. The female protagonist's route includes an opportunity to prevent the PlotlineDeath of [[spoiler:Shinjiro Aragaki]], instead putting him into a coma to justify his absence from the rest of the game up until the ending. While the direct references to the character being dead are edited out, the dialogue isn't altered enough to change the fact that everyone is still ''acting'' like he died, particularly when his best friend asserts that "he was a hell of a guy."
** Of course, as the ConvenientComa page will tell you, it's never asserted that he ''will'' wake up from his coma, so for all intents and purposes he might as well be dead [[spoiler: (at least until the end of the game, but the characters don't know that)]].
* A lot of the allies you use in the ''SengokuBasara'' games are examples of this: Once unlocked with one character, they can be used by any character in any story, and nobody bats an eyelid to their presence. While you can never use another copy of the currently used character as an ally, you ''can'' bring along an ally to a mission where you have to fight that very same character.
* ''ArcTheLad: End of Darkness'' allows you to play as different characters using "character cards". However these characters have no impact on the story and can only be used in a limited set of missions.
* In ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', after you get [[spoiler:Magus]] on your party, you can bring him into the castle of the kingdom he was previously at war with, and nobody will say anything. It's vaguely possible that nobody knows what he looks like, but their knights did face him personally in the past...
** Of course, nobody says anything about your robot, either. And aside from your mother, nobody in the present cares about your talking anthropomorphic frog.
* In ''BattleMoonWars'', saving [[spoiler: Sacchin]] has this effect. After that, she goes through the remainder of the game not speaking even once and only having "lines" (read: ellipses) twice; once during Haruna's RousingSpeech that lumps her in with fellow vampire Sion, and then at the end when the game cuts to her and Len in the Tohno family dungeons.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' had this, but ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' went some way towards ameliorating it. In the former, you could wander into no-ghoul-zone Tenpenny Tower with a ghoul companion, or into The Citadel with a Super Mutant, and nobody would bat an eyelid. In ''New Vegas'', all your potential companions have their own storylines and faction alignments; for example, if you go into the Silver Rush with Cass, Jean-Baptiste will shoot her on sight.
* In ''MetalGearSolid 3'', you earn The Boss's one-of-a-kind WeaponOfChoice as a NewGamePlus reward for beating her, leading to you being able to fight her with it on replays. If you own it, the VoiceWithAnInternetConnection characters will [[LampshadeHanging even comment that it makes no plotline sense for Snake to have it]].
** ''MetalGearSolid 2'' starts with Snake breaking his stealth camouflage upon landing on the deck of the Discovery. One of the bonus items that can be earned through the Dog Tag sidequest is the stealth camo; so Snake and Otacon will talk about how the camo is broken and how they can't use it any more, even if you have it in your inventory for basically unlimited use. Inverted with Snake's infinite ammo bandanna, a powerup he can earn through the Dog Tag sidequest, which he always owns in the story (yes - it's a weird moment) whether or not he earned the ability to use it in gameplay.
** ''MetalGearSolid Integral'' had a Very Easy mode in which the player starts the game with an [[CoolGuns/SubmachineGuns MP5]] (which is not found in the game world or owned by any other game characters under normal circumstances), a powerful, silenced submachine gun with a ludicrous amount of ammunition which makes the game a breeze. Your comrades will still remind you at every opportunity that due to the mission being a black op, it was critically important they sent you in with no weapons that could be traced back to you.
* ''StarOcean'' has plenty of these, given that the first two games revolve around the small set of compulsory characters. (Four in the first, two in the second) While they all do have their own subplots and do contribute to canon events, they mostly are just there to make commentary and have fun in the private events. Despite this, some characters are more "Shadow"-like than others. Thankfully, the remakes fix these, making them AscendedExtras
** T'Nique in the first StarOcean game was pretty much a SecretCharacter and had no private events. The PSP Version remedies this; although he's still pretty much a secret character overall.
** Dias in ''The Second Story''. Remedied in the PSP version.
** Welch Vineyard. However, potentially justified given that she really is an optional character. She holds a ''bit'' more significance in the first game than the second, where she doesn't even speak up for plot events. Granted, she's ''intentionally'' supposed to be a secret character, she holds much more weight in the third and fourth games

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* ''{{Fallout 3}}'' had this, but ''FalloutNewVegas'' went some way towards ameliorating it. In the former, you could wander into no-ghoul-zone Tenpenny Tower with a ghoul companion, or into The Citadel with a Super Mutant, and nobody would bat an eyelid. In ''New Vegas'', all your potential companions have their own storylines and faction alignments; for example, if you go into the Silver Rush with Cass, Jean-Baptiste will shoot her on sight.

** ''{{Cladun}}'' is this trope, pure and simple, as its character create system/editing allows you to have any NPC as the main character or [[PlayerMooks Player Mook]], even the one who died in story.

** ''MetalGearSolid Integral'' had a Very Easy mode in which the player starts the game with an MP4 (which is not found in the game world or owned by any other game characters under normal circumstances), a powerful, silenced submachine gun with a ludicrous amount of ammunition which makes the game a breeze. Your comrades will still remind you at every opportunity that due to the mission being TopSecret, it was critically important they sent you in with no weapons that could be traced back to you.

** The DLC characters in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' play a similar role. While they all have Arcade Ladder endings, none of them contribute to the canonical story (Skarlet cameos in crowds a few times, [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance Kenshi]] is called to fight at the end of one of the chapters but never directly seen, [[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 Rain]] is given a background cameo in The Cathedral stage, {{Guest Fighter}}s [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]] and [[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Kreuger]] add nothing ''at all'' to the plot).

* In ''{{Divinity 2}}'', none of the peaceful villagers in Broken Valley say anything about the fact that your character is followed around by the necromantic creature, a slavering beast crudely stitched together from mixed bodyparts. They also don't care one bit if you walk up close to them with drawn weapons, or if you smash every barrel and crate in the area.

* In BattleMoonWars, saving [[spoiler: Sacchin]] has this effect. After that, she goes through the remainder of the game not speaking even once and only having "lines" (read: ellipses) twice; once during Haruna's RousingSpeech that lumps her in with fellow vampire Sion, and then at the end when the game cuts to her and Len in the Tohno family dungeons.
* ''{{Fallout 3}}'' had this, but ''FalloutNewVegas'' went some way towards ameliorating it. In the former, you could wander into no-ghoul-zone Tenpenny Tower with a ghoul companion, or into The Citadel with a Super Mutant, and nobody would bat an eyelid. In ''New Vegas'', all your potential companions have their own storylines and faction alignments; for example, if you go into the Silver Rush with Cass, Jean-Baptiste will shoot her on sight.

* ''ChronoCross'' has a feature where in NewGamePlus, you can pull all of the characters you had in your party whenever you had previously beaten the game; even the ones who are in contradictory path. While some might have a special attack or two; they do not interact. (Especially huge is being able to being [[TheDragon Harle]] back.)

* In ChronoTrigger, after you get [[spoiler:Magus]] on your party, you can bring him into the castle of the kingdom he was previously at war with, and nobody will say anything. It's vaguely possible that nobody knows what he looks like, but their knights did face him personally in the past...

** The DLC characters in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' play a similar role. While they all have Arcade Ladder endings, none of them contribute to the canonical story (Skarlet cameos in crowds a few times, [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance Kenshi]] is called to fight at the end of one of the chapters but never directly seen, [[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 Rain]] is given a background cameo in The Cathedral stage, {{Guest Fighter}}s [[GodOfWar Kratos]] and [[ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Kreuger]] add nothing ''at all'' to the plot).

->''"Now, I've gone through and defeated the entire game. And I want you to know that I still don't know a damn thing about this character who is named ARK... WHO are you? what are you doing in my party ANYWAY?"''
-> - IRateGamer, review of [[FinalFantasy3 Final Fantasy 3 DS]]. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ebSbwW8Yk8&t=2m40s]]

--->''"Now, I've gone through and defeated the entire game. And I want you to know that I still don't know a damn thing about this character who is named ARK... WHO are you? what are you doing in my party ANYWAY?"''
---> -- IRateGamer, review of [[FinalFantasy3 Final Fantasy 3 DS]]. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ebSbwW8Yk8

----->''"Now, I've gone through and defeated the entire game. And I want you to know that I still don't know a damn thing about this character who is named ARK... WHO are you? what are you doing in my party ANYWAY?"''
-> - IRateGamer, review of [[FinalFantasy3 Final Fantasy 3 DS]]. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ebSbwW8Yk8

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* In ''TheWorldEndsWithYou'', after you play the whole game, you can play with any Partner in whatever week you like. Even against themselves, or when you're fighting to save them.

** ''{{Cladun}}'' is this trope, pure and simple, as its character create system/editing allows you to have any NPC as the main character or PlayerMook, even the one who died in story.

* Averted with the {{DLC}} character DoctorDoom in ''MarvelUltimateAlliance'': playing as Doom in the final battle (against Doom) will trigger a short conversation between the two Dooms.
** Does it turn one of them into [[ActuallyADoombot a Doombot]]?
*** No, it just turns out one of them is from the future.

** ''{{Cladun}}'' is this trope, pure and simple, as it's character create system/editing allows you to have any NPC as the main character or PlayerMook, even the one who died in story.

** JustifiedTrope in ''PhantomBrave'' and ''MakaiKingdom'', where certain characters' ''shadows'' join your party as phantoms; while they themselves do not. ({{Lampshaded}} by Ash in ''[[PhantomBrave The Hermuda Triangle]]''; in gaining the future astrally projected soul of Castille who is stuck in ''MakaiKingdom''. "Um...won't this affect the future?"

* In the ''ResidentEvil'' games, the OneHitKill Rocket Launcher usually appears as a DeusExMachina to kill whatever the FinalBoss is. There is usually a way to get it sooner; usually via NewGamePlus; but while it's "the strongest weapon", it does not kill said Final Boss whenever he appears earlier in the game as a HopelessBossFight.