History Main / JacktheRipOff

** ''A Real Rain'': A [[VigilanteMan vigilante]] is on the loose in New York, and at one point a wannabe tries copying him in order to steal all the praise the actual killer is recieving.

** ''Doubt'': A [[EmoTeen college girl]] emulates an arrested killer, in order to get him released, so she can coerce him into killing her.

** He also routinely copies the killing method of [[SerialKillerKiller the killer he's killing]], if it's reasonably practical. He'll copy any specific knife or blunt instrument, but not electricity/poison/drowning/etc, since his thing is blood. And he also occasionaly uses their ''actual'' weapon, if he can procure it; most notably [[spoiler:Trinity's hammer in season 4, ''given to him by Trinity himself''.]]

* ''TokusouSentaiDekaranger'' had a one-shot villain that not only mimicked the MO but ''the physical appearance'' of previously-appearing villains, made easier by being TheFaceless. ''PowerRangersSPD'' adapted this story very closely, even renamng the villain [[MeaningfulName Slate, as in "blank slate"]].

* The ITV series ''{{Whitechapel}}'' deals with copycat killers. The first series involved a copycat of {{Jack the Ripper}}, recreating the killings down to commiting them as close to the original crime scenes as possible. The second series had someone recreating the murders committed by the infamous [[LondonGangster Kray Twins]], [[spoiler: as part of a bid by two criminals, who were brought up with the belief that they were Ronnie Kray's sons, to take over the London underworld]].

* In the 100th Episode of ''{{Monk}}'', there is an interesting use of the witheld details issue [[spoiler: the director that has been making the documentary on the case killed the last victim, not the actual killer. Monk only realizes this when he notes the killer would have had to turn around to have committed it]].
* In the ''MidsomerMurders'' episode "Echoes of the Dead", Barnaby recognises the murders as recreations of famous murders of the early 20th century, except for the last one, which he's not able to place. When the murderer is caught, Barnaby asks about it, and the murderer shrugs and says, "I was in a hurry and I couldn't think of anything".

* ''{{Ripper}}'', of course, the killer was inspired by a Jack the Ripper game. The killer is [[spoiler:decided at random upon game start out of four persons (or can be forced through a startup parameter. You can in fact kill an innocent in the last scene]].

'''Examples:'''

* ''TheBoneCollector'' sort of fits, as the killer based his crimes on a century-old series of murders. The cops didn't make the connection until literally piecing together the puzzle-piece like clues left by the killer that pointed them to a book documenting the original crimes.

* In the finale of the third season, Dexter copies another serial killer so that he can kill a notable public figure without simply having them disappear into the ocean, which would lead to too many questions.

Copycat killers are a very common plot twist in police dramas, movies, and mystery novels where the plot involves serial killings. The copycat may occasionally serve as a RedHerring - the detectives think they've caught the killer, but it turns out he was just a copycat and there's still a serial killer on the loose. Alternatively they could be tempted to doubt they have the right guy because the crimes haven't stopped.

* In the film ''The Hero and the Terror'', Chuck Norris is forced to deny that a criminal is loose because the last time the killer went on a spree, there were loads of copycats.
* The movie ''Copycat'' is about a serial killer whose M.O. is copying the crimes of famous serial killers.

* ''The Bone Collector'' sort of fits, as the killer based his crimes on a century-old series of murders. The cops didn't make the connection until literally piecing together the puzzle-piece like clues left by the killer that pointed them to a book documenting the original crimes.

* In ''Friday the 13th: Road Trip'', a state trooper, driven off the deep end by catching his best friend in bed with his wife, makes plans to kill them, and make it look like Jason's work. He succeeds, but is killed by the real Jason (who is [[DemonicPossession possessing a guy]]) shortly after.

* In the first episode of ''Castle'', the killer makes it look like someone is copying the crimes from author Rick Castle's books.
* ''{{NCIS}}'' and ''90 Minutes'' had this, all perpetrated by [[spoiler:the killer's lawyer]].

* ''Ripper'', of course, the killer was inspired by a Jack the Ripper game. The killer is [[spoiler:decided at random upon game start out of four persons (or can be forced through a startup parameter. You can in fact kill an innocent in the last scene]].

* TruthInTelevision: Peter Sutcliffe was a ripoff of the actual JackTheRipper.

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** Before that, there was the end of ''[[FridayThe13th Friday the 13th: A New Beginning]]'', when its discovered the killer wasn't Jason, but a copycat. * ''The Bone Collector'' sort of fits, as the killer based his crimes on a century-old series of murders. The cops didn't make the connection until literally piecing together the puzzle-piece like clues left by the killer that pointed them to a book documenting the original crimes.

** Before that, there was the end of ''[[FridayThe13th Friday the 13th: A New Beginning]]'', when its discovered the killer wasn't Jason, but a copycat. ''[[ANightmareOnElmStreet New Nightmare]]'' also had [[UltimateEvil a primordial evil]] that liked Freddy so much that it copied his form and mannerisms.
* ''The Bone Collector'' sort of fits, as the killer based his crimes on a century-old series of murders. The cops didn't make the connection until literally piecing together the puzzle-piece like clues left by the killer that pointed them to a book documenting the original crimes.

* In ''Friday the 13th: Road Trip'', a state trooper, driven off the deep end by catching his best friend in bed with his wife, makes plans to kill them, and make it look like Jason did. He succeeds, but is killed by the real Jason (who is [[DemonicPossession possessing a guy]]) shortly after.

* In ''Friday the 13th: Road Trip'', a state trooper, driven off the deep end by catching his best frind in bed with his wife, makes plans to kill them, and make it look like Jason did. He succeeds, but is killed by the real Jason (who is [[DemonicPossession possessing a guy]]) shortly after.

** "Won't Get Fooled Again": A [[MadBomber bomber]] terrorizing Palm Beach turns out to be a copycat of the imprisoned Boston Bomber, the man who single handedly killed Agent Gideon's original team.
** "A Real Rain": A [[VigilanteMan vigilante]] is on the loose in New York, and at one point a wannabe tries copying him in order to steal all the praise the actual killer is recieving.
** "Jones": A copycat of the actual JackTheRipper (but with genders reversed - the killer is a woman, and the victims are all male) resurfaces in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
** "Doubt": A [[EmoTeen college girl]] emulates an arrested killer, in order to get him released, so she can coerce him into killing her.
** "Identity": After his mentor, a serial killer, commits suicide, the man's accomplice has a breakdown and tries copying him, even going as far as taking his name and altering his appearance to look like him.
** "Birthright": The killer was copying his long dead father, a serial rapist and killer.
** "The Angel Maker": A woman obsessed with an executed serial killer continues where he left off.
** "Zoe's Reprise": A fledgling serial killer emulates other infamous killers, in an attempt to find his own style (and succeeds).

Copycat killers are a very common plot twist in police dramas, movies, and mystery novels where the plot involves serial killings. The copycat may occasionally serve as a RedHerring - the detectives think they've caught the killer, but it turns out he was just a copycat and there's still a serial killer on the loose.

* ''Ripper'', of course, the killer was inspired by a Jack the Ripper game. In surprising twist the killer turns out to be [[spoiler:whoever you kill in the last scene]].
** This last bit is inexact. The killer is [[spoiler:decided at random upon game start out of four persons (or can be forced through a startup parameter. You can in fact kill an innocent in the last scene]].