History Main / NotTooDeadToSaveTheDay

This is a sub-trope of DeusExMachina that specifically plays with our automatic assumption that [[KilledOffForReal character death is permanent]]. Compared to DeadPersonConversation, this is urgent and immediate: the dead person saves the day, either physically or by imparting some sort of EpiphanyTherapy.

* In ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', Grand Master Mordrak of the Literature/GreyKnights is famous for summoning the ghosts of his fallen brothers to stop a daemon invasion at the very last second. Said ghosts were still wearing their two-ton PowerArmor, by the way, and wielding fully-automatic miniature rocket launchers. There are in-game rules for summoning these ghosts too.

* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': Ozymandias tricks Dr. Manhattan into a field generator that disintegrates him and briefly congratulates himself... until Dr. Manhattan reforms moments later. Dr. Manhattan is kind of doing this for his entire existence, being a case of DeathByOriginStory. As he points out to Ozzy, "Putting myself together was the ''first'' trick I learned. It didn't kill Jon Osterman, what makes you think it could kill '''''me'''''?"

* Subverted in ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': Ozymandias tricks Dr. Manhattan into a field generator that disintegrates him and briefly congratulates himself... until Dr. Manhattan reforms moments later.
** Dr. Manhattan is kind of doing this for his entire existence, being a case of DeathByOriginStory. As he points out to Ozzy, "Putting myself together was the ''first'' trick I learned. It didn't kill Jon Osterman, what makes you think it could kill '''''me'''''?"

* After defeating the FinalBoss in ''VideoGame/{{Progear}}'', you'll get a cutscene where the heroes you play as attempts to escape from the CollapsingLair and there seems to be no way out. Then, the spirits of the player characters' families, friends and others from the government side who had died in the previous battle against Motorouin, guide them to the way out safely.

* After defeating the Final Boss in ''VideoGame/{{Progear}}'', you'll get a cutscene where the heroes you play as attempts to escape from the CollapsingLair and there seems to be no way out. Then, the spirits of the player characters' families, friends and others from the government side who had died in the previous battle against Motorouin, guide them to the way out safely.

* Franchise/AceAttorney provides a mechanic for this in the very second case of the very first game: spirit channeling. In that case, [[spoiler: Mia Fey]] is the one who saves the day [[spoiler: first by giving Phoenix the crucial bit of help he needed to finish piecing together the case, and then by just openly blackmailing her own murderer on the stand into confession]]. The same character does that a couple of times after, but the most epic example is in the last case of Spirit of Justice (fitting, as the whole game is themed around spirit channeling). [[spoiler: [[RebelLeader Dhurke]] [[BadassPacifist Sahdmadhi]] doesn't let little things like getting shot in the chest three times get in the way of saving a hostage - first he {{Death Glare}}s the attacker into missing the last shot and running away, then tells the hostage (three guesses who it was) to channel him once he finishes bleeding out. Right in front of her. So he can then find himself tied to the chair in her place ''right in front of his own dead body'', bust his way out of there and... go on to finally actually manage to give the revolution the last push it needed to succeed by getting [[MacGuffin the Founder's Orb]] and bringing Apollo in.]]

** It's also worth noting that Ada's death differs depending on which version of Leon's story you do. On one route, she's ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice... coming back from that's a bit hard to believe. On the other route though, she ultimately gets a DisneyDeath and falls from a high place... [[NeverFoundTheBody though they never found the body]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' In the final battle, the [[HeroicMime main character]], finding that [[PunchPunchPunchUhOh mere weapons will not avail him against Nyx]], [[EldritchAbomination the incarnation of Death itself]], goes into a lone face-off against her, where his allies give him strength ([[CastFromHitPoints in the form of hit points]]) to cast the final spell and seal Nyx away from Earth. After his living teammates have said their piece, all you hear is the voice of Shinjiro (no text), who was the mid-game HeroicSacrifice, saying "Let's do this." Then, and only then, does he have enough Hit Points to cast the Seal.

* An interesting variation occurs in ''Silent Hill 3'', when Alessa, [[spoiler:who died at the end of the first game]], manifests in the amusement park in an attempt to kill [[spoiler:her own reincarnation.]]

* ''{{Franchise/Danganronpa}}'':

** Subverted in the sequel ''VisualNovel/SuperDanganRonpa2'', [[spoiler:where Alter Ego appears to be fully restored, as though he had never been damaged in the first place. But the game does play it straight with Chiaki Nanami, who reappears in the final act despite being executed one chapter prior.]]

* ''Reversed'' in ''VideoGame/GhostTrick''. [[spoiler: Missile]] is supposed to be alive, but when he turns up dead [[spoiler: it means he can use ghost tricks and save Kamila's lif.]].

* Franchise/AceAttorney provides a mechanic for this in the very second case of the very first game: spirit channeling. In that case, [[spoiler: Mia Fey]] is the one who saves the day [[spoiler: first by giving Phoenix the crucial bit of help he needed to finish piecing together the case, and then by just openly blackmailing her own murderer on the stand into confession]]. The same character does that a couple of times after, but the most epic example is in the last case of Spirit of Justice (fitting, as the whole game is themed around spirit channeling). [[spoiler: [[RebelLeader Dhurke]] [[BadassPacifist Sahdmadhi]] doesn't let little things like getting shot in the chest three times get in the way of saving a hostage - first he {{DeathGlare}}s the attacker into missing the last shot and running away, then tells the hostage (three guesses who it was) to channel him once he finishes bleeding out. Right in front of her. So he can then find himself tied to the chair in her place ''right in front of his own dead body'', bust his way out of there and... go on to finally actually manage to give the revolution the last push it needed to succeed by getting [[MacGuffin the Founder's Orb]] and bringing Apollo in.]]

* Brian Lumley's ''Necroscope'' series takes the trope literally; the dead owe Harry Keogh an enormous debt, to the point that any corpse physically able to do so will lift itself out of the earth, or off the ground, and fight for his cause when required.

** Kamina returns again in the second-to-last episode and makes Simon reject the TheFinalTemptation put before him. Whether it was actually his ghost, or simply a representation of Simon's ability to resist, isn't clearly stated, but it was thoroughly awesome all the same.

* In the final battle of ''VideoGame/WildArms2'', the protagonist uses a series of {{Combined Energy Attack}}s fueled by the wishes of everyone on Filgaia. The final attack, which deals 99999 damage, is powered not only by the hero's {{Love Interest|s}}, but also the spirits of [[spoiler:Irving and Altaecia]], who had just sacrificed themselves minutes earlier to give the previous "final boss" a body to kill. [[spoiler:And it was the HeroicBSOD from having to kill them that allowed the new final boss to fight for control of the hero's body in the first place.]]

* Kamina makes a return in the second-to-last episode of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' and makes Simon reject the TheFinalTemptation put before him. Whether it was actually his ghost or simply a representation of Simon's ability to resist, isn't clearly stated, but it was thoroughly awesome all the same.
** "Can't a guy get a little sleep out here?". [[spoiler:Kamina was killed by Thymilph, and his life signs went down to 0 on the sensors. And yet, when Simon loses control of the Dai-Gunzan, Kamina says the above quote and brings Simon back to his senses, then goes on to create the Giga Drill Break(er). Despite being ''dead'' at the time.]]

* In the visual novel ''VisualNovel/DanganRonpa'', [[spoiler:Alter Ego]] is seemingly killed in Chapter [[spoiler:4]], but summons enough strength to reappear in Chapter [[spoiler:5 to save Naegi from being crushed to death]].

When things are at their worst and the hero is all but defeated, timely intervention by a BackFromTheDead character saves his life and gives him the HeroicResolve to keep fighting. Usually the character in this case really is dead and appears as a spirit, but sometimes it's the character's return from a DisneyDeath, or their apparently fatal injury turns out to be OnlyAFleshWound. Rarely, this is when it's revealed that the InstantDeathBullet wasn't so instant after all, and AlmostDeadGuy performs this one final heroic act before expiring in the aftermath with a drawn out FinalSpeech.

Sometimes, usually in more realistic works, the intervention isn't physical at all, but [[HelpfulHallucination happens entirely within the hero's head]], often giving an excuse to bring back the [[TheCameo actor]] of a [[EnsembleDarkhorse fan favorite]] who had been [[DroppedABridgeOnHim ill-advisedly killed off by the writers]]. This only takes an instant of real time, but can take several minutes of DeadPersonConversation before returning the hero to the action. The hallucination of a dead friend is apparently enough to get the hero back on his feet, though, realistically, it should be evidence of some sort of massive head trauma. (Though depending on how its played, the two aren't mutually exclusive.)

* ''Anime/DanganRonpa3'': [[spoiler:Seiko Kimura, the Ultimate Pharmacist is killed by the attacker in episode 5 of Side:Future. By Side:Hope, it was revealed that, by using the medicine she left behind, Mikan was able to save Kyoko's life.]]

** In Anime/YuGiOhTheDarkSideOfDimensions despite Yugi's claim to Kaiba that [[spoiler: Atem is gone for good now that his spirit has crossed over and left the puzzle]], in the climax he is is able to manifest himself again and save the day.
* Kamina makes a return in the second-to-last episode of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' and makes Simon reject the TheFinalTemptation put before him. Whether it was actually his ghost, or simply a representation of Simon's ability to resist, isn't clearly stated, but it was thoroughly awesome all the same.

* A very indirect version happens in the first ''Manga/{{Appleseed}}'' movie. Deunan is struggling to prevent the release of a virus that would wipe out all bioroids, which is only possible by entering a certain password into a computer on top of a gigantic mecha that's trying to kill her. The password, appropriately, is the name of a bioroid friend who died earlier in the movie. During the fight, the keyboard becomes damaged and she is unable to enter the last two letters of the name. With time running out, she sends a last desperate prayer to her mother, and the two letters appear on the screen just in time to press enter and save the world. This scenario earns bonus points for its MaybeMagicMaybeMundane application; it can be explained as either the intervention of either spirit involved, or just the luck of the keyboard finally working in time.

* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', Lust brags to Riza about killing Roy Mustang. Riza then run out of bullets trying to bring down Lust and has to be protected by Alphonse. Suddenly, the cavalry arrives in the form of a very much alive Mustang, who has used his flame alchemy to sear his wounds shut and proceeds to go HeroicSecondWind on Lust with the same power.
** In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemistBrotherhood'' Pride is about to perform a BodySurf on Edward, cue Kimblee (whose soul Pride had consumed earlier) [[HeroicWillpower manifesting his will]] as he [[EvenEvilHasStandards saw Pride as giving up]] his pride for meer survival, even giving him a ReasonYouSuckSpeech. Thus weakening Pride enough for Edward to turn himself into a philosopher's stone and turn Pride's attack right back on him.

* ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'' provides both villainous and heroic examples. At the second arc's climax, an army of heroes invade Apokolips to stop Darkseid. In order to slow them down, Darkseid resurrects Trigon, who proceeds to turn all of them into stone. However, Kid Eternity, whose power allows him to resurrect a deceased person briefly by saying their name, speaks Jim Corrigan's name before becoming petrified. ComicBook/TheSpectre materializes and obliterates Trigon single-handedly.

* In ''The Suicide King'', the third book in the ''Literature/{{Fallocaust}}'' series, [[spoiler:Reaver, Killian and Jade are all believed dead, or at least incapacitated, by the vast majority of characters. They return to Skyfall to save the day- and humanity- from Gage and the proxy worms.]]

* In ''Literature/ThisImmortal'', Cassandra, believed to have died in an earthquake, arrives just in time in the end to shoot the Black Beast that attacks Conrad, Hasan, Ellen and George at Phil's impromptu funeral.

** Happens again in one of the latter books, when the Ghosts are assigned to hold a hopeless position many of them see - and are helped by - dead ghosts. It turns out to be moral support from affar by [[spoiler:Soric, after he was taken by the Black Ships, projecting the images from their memories.]]

** In the Season Two finale, John Winchester, the father of the leads, emerges from Hell just in time to prevent the Yellow Eyed Demon from killing his boys. Somewhat justified, in that there's an open gate to Hell ten feet away, and hundreds of demonic souls are escaping, too.

* In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', Ada Wong gets killed by a Tyrant, but appears in the shadows at the end to toss you a handy rocket launcher at a critical moment to finish off that same Tyrant. While some bioweapon and clone explanations were tossed around, it ended up that, in stark contrast to the brutality of her death, this is a case where her status as an EnsembleDarkHorse allowed her a more-improbable-than-usual UnexplainedRecovery to account for her future appearances in the series.

*** [[spoiler:Galuf]] gets a more immediate example of this, when he keeps fighting even after his hit points reach zero.

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' during the Final Coil of Bahamut raid, it is revealed that a death which had been presented as a given part of the backstory was actually not quite that simple. [[spoiler: Louisoix the Archon, who tried and failed to reseal [[SealedEvilInACan Bahamut]] at the very end of the 1.0 version storyline, suddenly turns out to be much less dead than reported. All previous cutscenes depicting the Calamity show only Louisoix facing down the Elder Primal, [[GoOutWithASmile smiling]], then FadeToWhite.]] Death was heavily implied or outright stated by the characters each time, and the fine details of [[spoiler: why Bahamut failed to raze the entire continent or why the falling [[ThatsNoMoon space prison]] did not do more damage than altering a few landmarks]] are left to the players' imagination. As the raid progresses, it is discovered that [[spoiler: the Louisoix figure that has been blocking their way, [[MindControlEyes tempered]] to the will of Bahamut is not a clone or a ghost, but the actual man himself. Saved from annihilation by the excess of aether lingering after his failed spell, and reborn as the Demi-Primal Phoenix, he singlehandedly destroyed Bahamut's physical body in the missing half of the Battle of Cartenau cutscene.]] However, no one in the world at large may ever be told how the battle ended, because [[spoiler: the desperation of the people still facing post-Calamity reconstruction and Imperial incursions would surely prompt someone to a misguided attempt to re-summon Phoenix for aid. As this would literally drain aether from the land instead of replenish it, it is the last thing Louisoix would ever want.]]
* In ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'', Sagacious Zu turns up during the last boss' attempt to trap you in your own mind, and shatters his hold on you. This example is more justified than most: until the final boss is defeated, the cycle of rebirth has stopped completely and the souls of the dead are unable to pass on, so it only makes sense that Zu would still be around in spirit after his death, waiting for just the right moment to lend a hand.

* At the start of ''VisualNovel/HatofulBoyfriend'''s BBL route [[spoiler: Hiyoko]] dies. Near the end she appears in Anghel's IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight-slash-appeal-to-[[spoiler:Ryouta]]'s-better-nature and is the final person to tell him to stop before he comes back to himself.

** Near the end of ''Anime/TransformersCybertron,'' Vector Prime appears to Optimus Prime when the final battle with Galvatron isn't going so well, and lets him use his sword (which is somehow quite tangible once he takes it).

* At the end of ''Film/Poltergeist2TheOtherSide'', Grandma Jess's spirit emerges from the Light to return Carol Ann to her family.

''JungleFury'' has this in the second episode. When the rangers are unable to fight the monster after [[MakeMyMonsterGrow he enlarges]], [[AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence the ghost of]] their late mentor shows up to [[BigDamnHeroes save them.]]

* ''Series/PowerRangers Lightspeed Rescue'' in the finale, Carter the red ranger is trying to stop the demon queen from unleashing a horde of demons upon earth through a portal to literal hell. Hes able to push her in but she drags him in with her, barely holding on, carter asks his teammates to close the portal with him still inside. Luckily the ghost of carters old enemy, Diabolico,the dragon to the demon queen returns to assist carter and take his revenge upon the queen who had betrayed him, saving carter and defeating the demon queen.

* ''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury'' has this in the second episode. When the rangers are unable to fight the monster after [[MakeMyMonsterGrow he enlarges]], [[AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence the ghost of]] their late mentor shows up to [[BigDamnHeroes save them.]]

* In the ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' anime, Goku sees images of Vegeta when he's losing his fight against Frieza (reminding him of what happened to their race).
** His dad and King Vegeta also showed up. Also, for [[{{Fanservice}} some reason]], Vegeta is naked. Yes, [[FoeYay Goku is imagining Vegeta naked]].[[note]]Although the Funimation dub [[{{Bowdlerise}} has Vegeta only]] {{shirtless|Scene}}, and the ''[[Anime/DragonBallKai Kai]]'' version has his bottom waistline obscured by mist so as to keep him modest at all times, but still...[[/note]] Damn you, Toei!

* In DC's ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'', the Barry Allen Flash, who had been dead for twenty years in standard time, outruns [[TheGrimReaper The Black Racer]] and leads it to Darkseid, saving the world.
** He does something similar in ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', helping trap Superboy Prime in the Speed Force.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', Grand Master Mordrak of the Literature/GreyKnights is famous for summoning the ghosts of his fallen brothers to stop a daemon invasion at the very last second. Said ghosts were still wearing their two-ton PowerArmor, by the way, and wielding fully-automatic miniature rocket launchers. There are in-game rules for summoning these ghosts too.

* This practically ''defines'' Wrinkly Kong beginning in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'', where it's mentioned that she died at some point between ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3'' and this game. Not one to let a little thing like death stop her, she shows up at various points in the game to give the Kongs some free tips on how to stop King K. Rool from using the Blast-O-Matic to destroy their home.

* In WebAnimation/KlayWorld's movie, King Womp is about to kill Chip, but Dr. Bob stops this by throwing an ax into King Womp's back, causing King Womp to fall and land on top of the structure the Klaymen built. King Womp was then shocked and blown up. OUCH. Chip was, obviously, saved in the process.

'''As a DeathTrope, all Spoilers will be unmarked ahead. Beware.'''

* Happens in ''VideoGame/ZorkNemesis'': [[spoiler:Even though Lucien [[NameOfCain Kaine]] died at the hands of the [[FeaturelessProtagonist Second Dungeon Master]] in ''VideoGame/{{Zork}} I'', and his spirit became the Nemesis, when he discovers that [[UnwittingPawn you were tricked into reviving the Alchemists]], he pulls a HeelFaceTurn and saves you from getting killed, and in return helps you out to destroy them and resurrect both him and Alexandria.]]

* [[spoiler:H.I.V.E.mind]] in book [[spoiler:3]] of the ''Literature/HiveSeries''.
* In Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/TheStand'', Nick Andros tells Tom Cullen what he needs to do to save Stuart Redman's life during the winter in the mountains. Tom doesn't know that Nick is dead.
* In ''Literature/DoctorSleep,'' Dan Torrance gets help from the ghosts of [[Literature/TheShining Horace Derwent and his father Jack Torrance]] to defeat the members of the True Knot.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'':
** Happens in Creator/DanAbnett's ''Literature/GauntsGhosts'' novel ''Straight Silver'', when sniper Larkin passes out in the middle of a pitched battle. During a hallucination, his dead friend Bragg appears and tells him to wake up. At the time, Larkin actually is suffering from massive head trauma.
** Happens again in one of the latter books, when the Ghosts are assigned to hold a hopeless position many of them see - and are helped by - dead ghosts. It turns out to be moral support from affar by [[spoiler:Soric, after he was taken by the Black Ships, projecting the images from their memories.]]
* ''Literature/OldKingdom'' series:
** A post-climatic example occurs in ''Literature/{{Sabriel}}'': After having been mortally wounded by Kerrigor, Sabriel willingly lets herself float down the river of death -- but the spirits of Abhorsens past send her back to Life, urging her to carry on.
** A very similar thing happens at the end of ''Literature/{{Abhorsen}}'' as well: the Disreputable Dog meets Nicholas at the First Gate, and after a little conversation, she sends him back into Life, for Lirael's sake.
* In ''[[Creator/MatthewReilly Scarecrow]]'', Mother blocks a guillotine blade with a shuriken when it was about to decapitate Scarecrow. He was still locked in the stocks, but her arrival was enough of a distraction to get him out. This is actually sort of Mother's shtick - in every book, occasionally more than once, she'll be caught in a NoOneCouldSurviveThat situation. She catches up with the story just in time to enact this trope.

* In ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'', Peter and friends are fighting a losing battle against the White Witch and her minions, when the [[BackFromTheDead resurrected]] Aslan shows up and saves the day.
* In ''Literature/{{Animorphs}},'' in an alternate timeline, Cassie is killed, but later reappears to save the day. Being "[[SuperpowerLottery sub-temporally grounded]]" and somewhat immune to the effects of the time changes, she is able to return because she is "supposed" to be alive. ''Time'' got confused.

* A less mystical version from ''Literature/{{Shatterpoint}}'': at the very end of the climactic battle, Mace is unarmed, critically wounded, and unable to stop his apprentice from [[DrivenToSuicide killing herself out of remorse]]. However, it turns out that his lieutenant, [[TheGunslinger Nick Rostu]], is OnlyMostlyDead from his prior injuries, and he managed to blast Depa's lightsaber away at the last second.

* In ''[[Literature/TheCalling Dragon Age: The Calling]]'', the team is trapped in a LotusEaterMachine by a demon of the Fade (a spiritual dimension). King Maric finds himself in a dream where his love Katriel (whom he personally killed in ''Literature/TheStolenThrone'' for betraying him) is still alive and is his queen. In fact, his wife, Queen Rowan, is also alive and married to Loghain (her real love). However, despite his desire to stay in this dream, Maric knows that his companions need him. After he leaves his dream, Katriel re-appears to help him rescue his friends, except he's not sure if this really is Katriel's spirit or merely his own memory of her manifesting in the Fade.

* In ''The Suicide King'', the third book in the ''Literature/{{Fallocaust}}'' series, [[spoiler:Reaver, Killian and Jade are all believed dead, or at least incapacitated, by the vast majority of characters. They return to Skyfall to save the day- and humanity- from Gage and the proxy worms.]]

* In ''Series/{{Warehouse 13}}'', the female lead gets into a car crash and is visited, apparently in the hospital, by a dead partner, who tells her to "Get up!" She wakes up next to the wrecked SUV and is able to pull her new partner out of the vehicle to safety.
* Happens in ''Series/{{Neverwhere}}''. Sure, the audience already knew, but Richard didn't.
* Subverted in ''Series/{{Bones}}''. Booth sees his dead friend who helps him to escape from a trap. A few episodes later it turns out that it actually was due to a brain tumor.
** Except that they only think it was due to the brain tumor, Bones also saw his friend when they were at the cemetery but she didn't realize he was anyone other than some random soldier. She also points out that, while she is skeptical about the ghost, some of the things Booth did to escape would have required feats of strength or speed almost impossible for one person on his own.
* In series two ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'', the BigBad is seconds away from killing [[FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire Mitchell]], [[BalefulPolymorph George and/or Nina]] when the previously-exorcised [[CuteGhostGirl Annie]] temporarily breaks out of Hell just so she can grab the guy and haul him back in with her. Yeah, it's that sort of show.
* On ''Series/OneLifeToLive'', despite having apparently been fatally injured by his former IRA cohort, Patrick Thornhart manages to get up and kill the guy before he can kill one of the other hostages, before apparently collapsing and dying for good. This turns out to be subverted when in the next episode, it turns out Patrick wasn't dead, he was faking so that he and his wife could flee the remaining bad guys.
* In ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' Reese, in shock from a gunshot and imminent hypothermia, hallucinates he's having a conversation with [[spoiler:Carter]]. She keeps him on task as his mental state deteriorates, preventing him from killing himself by leaving the relative safety of a car and aware that the warmth he's feeling is his body shutting down. She also imparts to him a reminder that he needs to rely on his team or he'll just wind up in a situation like this again.
* Series/PowerRangersJungleFury has this in the second episode. When the rangers are unable to fight the monster after [[MakeMyMonsterGrow he enlarges]], only for [[AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence the ghost of]] their late mentor shows up to [[BigDamnHeroes save them.]]

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' has most of the Sapphire guard rise as "ghost-martyrs" and join their founder (also dead) in defending Soon's Gate.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', death doesn't really mean you can't do anything. Two such examples would be Feferi, who pleaded with the horrorterrors to create the dreambubbles for when they died, and Tavros, who managed to amass an entire army of dead people.

* Near the end of ''Anime/TransformersCybertron,'' Vector Prime appears to Optimus Prime when the final battle with Galvatron isn't going so well, and lets him use his sword (which is somehow quite tangible once he takes it).
* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' has Prowl’s spirit appear after [[spoiler:he gives up his spark to reform the Allspark]] in order to help Optimus escape an explosion.
* Parodied in an episode of ''TheSimpsons'' telling the story of David and Goliath. When it looks like Nelson (Goliath) is about to kill Bart (David), Ralph appears and throws his tombstone at Nelson's head, even though Nelson had apparently killed Ralph earlier in the episode.
--> '''Bart''': Ralph! I thought you were dead!
--> '''Ralph''': Nope!

* Subverted in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'': Harry thinks he saw his dead father casting a Patronus that saved him from Dementors, but he realizes at the last minute that [[StableTimeLoop it was his own future self come back in time]].