History Main / JustifiedTitle

** OlderThanTheyThink -- The UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor version of ''Metal Gear Solid'' was titled ''VideoGame/MetalGearGhostBabel'' in Japan. The subtitle, aside for conveniently sharing the same initials as the UsefulNotes/GameBoy, is also a reference to "Project Babel", [[MacGuffin a black op central to the plot]].
*** It's also a more accurate description of the game, since it is not an adaptation of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor.

** With the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS, we've got ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'', or ''Kingdom Hearts [[JustForPun 3D]]'', and ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe''.

-->'''[[spoiler:War Doctor]]:''' What I did, I did without choice.\\

* ''Series/QuatermassII'' is obviously named that because it's a sequel to ''Series/TheQuatermassExperiment''. But essential to the plot is a rocketship actually called the "Quatermass II".

** [[Recap/DoctorWho2011CSTheDoctorTheWidowAndTheWardrobe "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe"]] is an obvious riff on ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia''. However, there's still a scene where the Doctor claims his TARDIS is actually a wardrobe, to give an in-universe justification for the title.
** The episode [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E13TheNameOfTheDoctor "The Name of the Doctor"]] involves an attempt to get the Doctor to reveal his real name. He doesn't end up saying it, but then comes the final reveal:
--> '''[[spoiler: War Doctor]]:''' What I did, I did without choice.
--> '''11th Doctor :''' I know.
--> '''[[spoiler: War Doctor]]:''' In the name of peace and sanity.
--> '''11th Doctor :''' But not in the Name of the Doctor.

* ''Anime/YuGiOhARCV'''s title features a few puns. The "arc" not only refers to this show being the fifth Yugioh story arc (as in, it's the fifth anime series.) "Arc" is also a reference to a pendulum arc, and the V looks like a kind of pendulum arc. "ARC-V" as a term is also relevant in the final season of the show, as [[BigBad the Professor's]] [[PoweredByAForsakenChild machine]] that he wants to use to fuse the four dimensions.

* The "[=V3=]" in ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' is meant to distinguish it from the anime ''Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool'', and indicate that it's the start of a new StoryArc. According to WordOfGod, the "V" stands for "Victory". However, the final chapter reveals that [[spoiler:[[TrumanShowPlot it's the 53rd season of the]] ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'' {{reality show}}, with "V" being the Roman numeral for 5.]] The Japanese subtitle, "'''Everyone's''' New Killing School Semester", refers to [[spoiler:AudienceParticipation in which viewers can influence the Ultimate Robot K1-B0's actions through polls.]]

* The chapter "Change" in ''Manga/ShimejiSimulation'' represents the permanent alteration of West Yomogi into a WorldOfChaos by Big Sis, as well as with humans granting RealityWarping abilities. The manga's title is also a SpoilerTitle, due to the nature of the reveals regarding this manga's world being a simulated reality.

* The title of ''Film/TheManchurianCandidate'' makes perfect sense, as a key part of the film (and the novel it's based on) takes place in Manchuria. The remake, however, trades the Korean War for Desert Storm and contrives a corporation called Manchurian Global so they could keep the title.

* ''Series/Lost'': The pilot episode (called simply "Pilot"), involves the main characters searching for (and finding) the missing pilot of the crashed airliner.

** ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'' does it even more egregiously, especially considering how as a NonLinearSequel it shouldn't really need any justification for the title: In this game, the focus is around the conflict between the military organization Blade and their various encounters with aliens, [[CallARabbitASmeerp which in this universe are referred to as Xenos]]. [[spoiler:One of the main characters is secretly a Xeno and also a member of Blade]], which technically justifies the title.

** ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow]]''

** ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist: Dual Sympathy''

* Rockstar's ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'' turns the implied belligerence of the title into a nickname for Bullworth Academy, the school where much of the game is set.

* The ''Anime/MartianSuccessorNadesico'' [[TheMovie movie]] introduced a new group of adversaries actually named the "Martian Successors".
* The title of ''Film/SpyKids'' refers both to the fact that the [[KidHero Kid Heroes]] are spies and to the name given to the evil robotic children created by the villains. The OSS gets a Spy Kids Division, so it's also justified in the sequels.

* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'', rather than being simply an OddlyNamedSequel refers to both the MidseasonUpgrade, the Destiny Gundam, but also to the main villain's sinister, Literature/BraveNewWorld-esque "Destiny Plan".
* The Japanese name of ''Manga/ZatchBell'', ''Konjiki no Gash Bell'', means "Golden Gash Bell". You could think that "Golden" refers to his blond hair, [[spoiler:but in the final storylines of the manga and anime, Gash's spellbook actually becomes golden after he unlocks its true powers.]]
* ''Manga/ParadiseKiss'' doesn't refer to mindblowing smooching; it's the brand name the heroine's LoveInterest uses on the clothes he designs.

* The title of ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' refers to two characters named Tsubasa and the reservoir in Acid Tokyo [[spoiler:/ Clow Country]].

* ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'' makes a minor attempt to justify the misspelling of its title by having it [[InheritedIlliteracyTitle appear misspelled]] on the rifle-butt of the group's under-educated leader.
* ''Film/EnemyMine'' started out as a sci-fi flick about cooperation and brotherhood... then [[ExecutiveMeddling executives]] decided that the title was too confusing, so they decided to add an actual mine, run by enemies. As opposed to simply...[[TakeAThirdOption changing the title]].
* The movie ''Film/EventHorizon'' may be about its namesake given fantastic elements, or at least the title may be referring to it as an analogy to what is going on in the movie. Whatever the case may be the story revolves around a spaceship named ''Event Horizon''.
* The film adaptation of ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'' makes it into one. In the comic it refers to the nature of superheroes in general, and quotes from "[[ArcWords Who watches the Watchmen?]]" (Lat. ''Quis custodiet ipso custodes?''), but in the film the abortive team formed by Ozymandias is called the "Watchmen" instead of the "Crimebusters".
* ''Film/{{Misery}}'' refers to the misery that novelist Paul Sheldon experiences, but also to the "Misery" series of novels that he wrote... which in turn actually refer to their improbably-named protagonist Misery Chastain, making this a recursive example.
* The protagonists of ''Film/TheFall'' fall both literally and metaphorically.

* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' the title can be seen as Batman's metaphorical rise to being more than just a man... or maybe it's about him literally rising from the pit he was thrown in.
* ''Film/DrTerrorsHouseOfHorrors'': And you can see them straining to justify it with a contrived conversation about the meaning of Dr. Schreck's name and him saying of his tarot deck in passing that "I call it my house of horrors". ''Sure'' you do...
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'': There's the obvious pun (which is lampshaded by Linguini for a TitleDrop), but there's also the meal served up at the film's climax, and the name of the restaurant the main characters eventually start up.

* The title of the novel ''The Big Clock'' was just a metaphor--until the creators of TheFilmOfTheBook, apparently thinking the metaphor was too subtle, decided to throw an actual giant clock into the story.

* ''Film/HoldingTheMan'' is a form of infringement in Australian football. It was made into a title of the memoir by its author Tim in honor of his lover [[StraightGay John]], who was the captain of their high school football team and an avid supporter of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essendon_Football_Club Essendon Football Club]]. The movie then adds a scene where said infringement happens in one football game scene.

* ''Literature/{{Middlesex}}'' refers not only to Cal's intersex condition, but also to the street where she spent her late childhood and adolescence.
* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': Though the trio figure out the "half-blood" part quickly, it takes them until the epilogue to find out that "Prince" doesn't refer to an actual prince. It is the pen name of [[spoiler:Severus Snape, son of Tobias and Eileen Snape (née Prince)]].

* TV shows with the naming version of trope go back at least as far as ''Series/TheWildWildWest'' (subverted in the hilarious derivative ''Brisco County Jr.''). There are numerous famous examples, such as ''Series/KnightRider''.
* On ''Series/{{Bones}}'', the main character works with bones, but her partner nicknames her "Bones," making the title important to both the subject of the story and also the main character.

* ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' refers both to protagonist Meredith Grey and [[Literature/GraysAnatomy a well-known medical text]]. Although that is spelled "Gr'''a'''y's Anatomy."

[[folder:Music]]
* Many assumed (and still do) that Music/{{the Beatles}} song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is about LSD, given the initials, the trippy lyrics and the fact that the Beatles openly admitted to experimenting with drugs, which would make it an instance of this trope. That notwithstanding, John Lennon (who wrote it) has made it quite plausible that it's a complete coincidence, and that it's about a character in a drawing his son made, which was really called Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
** [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724682/ That really is true]]; her name was Lucy Richardson and she died in 2005 at 47, after having a brilliant career as an art director in film.
** The band's openness about drugs makes the alternate explanation '''more''' credible--after all, if it were a drug reference, they wouldn't be shy about saying so, or at least they wouldn't concoct a cover story.
** A lesser known example: Initially the BBC wouldn't allow Paul's "Fixing A Hole" be played on air, convinced that the title referred to injecting heroin, known as a "fix". In reality the song was just inspired by Paul doing weekend maintenance on his roof one day.
[[/folder]]

* The title in each ''[[VideoGame/{{X}} X-Universe]]'' game is justified. ''VideoGame/XBeyondTheFrontier'' is about the '''X'''Perimental shuttle going [[BlindJump beyond the frontier of the solar system]]. ''X: Tension'' is an [[PunBasedTitle extension]] [[ExpansionPack pack]] to ''X:BTF''. ''X2: The Threat'' refers to the [[BeePeople Kha'ak invasion]] and their tendency to [[AttackAttackAttack shoot anything in sight]]. ''X3: Reunion'' reunites [[LostColony Earth]] with the X-Universe. ''X3: Terran Conflict'' shows rise of the [[SpaceColdwar Terran Conflict]]. ''X3: Albion Prelude'' starts the train-wreck of catastrophes that leads to the [[EndOfAnAge portal network being shut down]], leading to ''Videogame/XRebirth'' which takes place [[TimeSkip a thousand years later]], hence the "prelude"; The ship in ''X: Rebirth'' is the '''Albion''' Skunk.

* ''VisualNovel/EfAFairyTaleOfTheTwo'' originally seems to be a generic GratuitousEnglish love story title, until at the end it's revealed that [[spoiler: there were two towns all along, also making it a ShoutOut for ''Literature/ATaleOfTwoCities''.]]

* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'' meant the original, handdrawn comic the author intended. When the SpriteComic FillerStrips overtook the main plot, [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/050314c he introduced two new sprites to justify it]].
* ''Webcomic/CrystalHeart'' The title of the comic, as well as the titles of the individual chapters each have "heart" in the title, and the theme of [[GemHeart (crystal) hearts]] features majorly in the story. In the case of the chapters, the names are proverbs, such as "Heart of Stone" "Wild at Heart", or Heartless" - all refering to something that happens in the chapter, such as a crystal heart that can literally turn people to stone.
* ''Webcomic/RavenWolf'': The main plot revolves around the Raven Wolf tribe of wolves.

* ''Webcomic/{{Spacetrawler}}'' wasn't this initially, as the title came from the universe's FasterThanLightTravel technology. But by the end of the first series, all spacetrawler drives were both outlawed and replaced by newer, faster tech. So with no spacetrawlers in the sequel series, the protagonists' spaceship ''I.A. Starbanger'' abruptly gets renamed to ''G.O.B. Spacetrawler''.

* In ''WesternAnimation/KuboAndTheTwoStrings'' the titular protagonist carries a powerful magical instrument with three strings for most of the movie's length. Only at the climax, when [[spoiler: his instrument's strings are broken, does the title come into play: he re-strings his instrument with a strand of his mother's hair, his father's bowstring, and a strand of his own hair, as well. With the memory of his parents' sacrifices and his own resolve, he is able to wield an instrument that is, literally, 'Kubo and the two strings'.]]

* The title of ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'' references how the series is about Wirt and Greg visiting the other, mysterious world that is [[TheWonderland the Unknown]]. However, the penultimate episode reveals a much more literal meaning: [[spoiler:The brothers went to a cemetery called the "Eternal Garden", climbed over a wall when they thought the police were after them, almost got hit by a train, and then fell into a freezing pond. ''That'' is how they got into the Unknown.]]

* The ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' series:

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': Though the trio figure out the "half-blood" part quickly, it takes them until the epilogue to find out that "Prince" doesn't refer to an actual prince. It is the pen name of Severus Snape, son of Tobias and Eileen Snape (née Prince).

* ''Marvel Team-Up'' Vol 3 #19 (June 2006) is a FlashBack story teaming-up the [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks early '90s versions]] of {{Wolverine}} and ComicBook/{{Cable}}. It's called "1991", because that's the identification number of the HYDRA base they're raiding.

** ''VideoGame/TheIdolmaster: Dearly Stars''

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/ChrysalisVisitsTheHague'' is... just about that. Queen Chrysalis gets caught and shipped to trial for her crimes before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands.
[[/folder]]

* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'', rather than being simply an OddlyNamedSequel refers to both the DesignatedHero's MidseasonUpgrade, the Destiny Gundam, but also to the main villain's sinister, Literature/BraveNewWorld-esque "Destiny Plan".

** The episode [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E13TheNameOfTheDoctor "The Name of the Doctor"]] has this in the final reveal:

* In ''Film/SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow'', the title is obviously a reference to the [[{{Zeerust}} retro-futuristic nature of the movie]], but "Sky Captain" is the nickname of the main character, and the villain calls his little plan [[spoiler: (intending to leaving the earth on a rocketship with two of every animal, destroying the Earth)]] the "World of Tomorrow".