History Main / ResidualSelfImage

** When Suzu was young, she created a SplitPersonality without PastLifeMemories, the Suzu the story follows. The original personality remains in Suzu's mind, keeping of the appearance of a five-year old even as Suzu is fifteen. She even has the same long hair before the ImportantHaircut that signified their personalities splitting.

[[caption-width-right:350:Perhaps SCORPIO [[PinocchioSyndrome has dreams]] to become [[BecomeARealBoy organic]].]]

* SCORPIO from ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic.'' She is a highly advanced droid that ''[[BerserkButton loathes]]'' being labelled as such. Several instances have her appearing in human form via holographic technology. It's a point of interest that she chooses to look like this freed from the confines of her physical body, whether or not this is a default display, a disguise she merely favours or that it hints at a [[PinocchioSyndrome deeper longing]] to be [[BecomeARealBoy more than a machine]] is still up for debate.

* In ''LightNovel/AccelWorld'', duel avatars are something like a cross between this and PersonalityPowers - appearing as robotic beings with traits that represent the Burst Linker's traumas. In the {{Crossover}} story ''Versus'', a glitchy [=VR=] device results in Kirito from ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' becoming connected to Brain Burst; the system's attempts to normalise his data result in him taking on the appearance of his longcoated [=SAO=] avatar.

** At the start of the manga, Matsuri is [[GenderBender transformed from male to female]], which also [[RapidHairGrowth lengthened]] and [[LightGirlDarkBoy bleached]] his hair. Despite this, his thoughts often show his original body besides his current one (even his hair in unchanged). A chapter appropriately titled "The Shape of the Spirit" shows this is more than a visual, as when Matsuri [[SoulFragment put some of his spiritual energy into Lu]] to exorcise an ayakashi from her, she sees his male form (for the first time, confusing her). An omake also showed him as still male in his dreams. Matsuri has remained quite literally a boy in a girl's body.

* ''Film/TheMatrix'': TropeNamer. A person's avatar within the Matrix is generated by a combination of will and programming parameters established by the Matrix. This appearance can be markedly different from the "outer" self.

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Compare to HealthyInHeaven. Supernatural versions that shows a discrepancy between visible sex or gender often fall under SupernaturallyValidatedTransPerson.

* At the start of ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'', Matsuri is [[GenderBender transformed from male to female]], which also [[RapidHairGrowth lengthened]] and [[LightGirlDarkBoy bleached]] his hair. Despite this, his thoughts often show his original body besides his current one (even his hair in unchanged). A chapter appropriately titled "The Shape of the Spirit" shows this is more than a visual, as when Matsuri [[SoulFragment put some of his spiritual energy into Lu]] to exorcise an ayakashi from her, she sees his male form (for the first time, confusing her). An omake also showed him as still male in his dreams. Matsuri has remained quite literally a boy in a girl's body.

* ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'': When the Lee family undergoes a ritual to exorcise their Panda spirits, they enter a spiritual realm and usually retain their normal appearances there. That is, except for [[spoiler: Ming, who looks the way she did when she scarred her mother after losing control of her emotions as a teenager. It takes Mei's guiding hand, along with her mother's forgiveness, to get her to return to her normal age, symbolizing her finally letting go of the past and her desire for control.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'': When the Lee family undergoes a ritual to exorcise their Panda spirits, they enter a spiritual realm and usually retain their normal appearances there. That is, except for [[spoiler: Ming, who looks the way she did when scarred her mother after losing control of her emotions. It takes Mei's guiding hand, along with her mother's forgiveness, to get her to return to her normal age, symbolizing her finally letting go of the past and her desire for control.]]

Residual Self-Image is what you get when a Virtual Reality, SpiritWorld, or other alternate plane of existence designs the appearance of avatars in its domain off of personality and how people think of themselves, rather than real-world appearance.

* ''Fanfic/LaterTraitor'': Vernon Tripe (a 10-year-old boy) appears as an elderly storyteller inside his mind, giving the reader an idea of how he sees himself.

* In the ''Psychonauts'' fic ''Fanfic/LaterTraitor'', Vernon Tripe (a 10-year-old boy) appears as an elderly storyteller inside his mind, giving the reader an idea of how he sees himself.

* In the ''Animal Crossing'' fic ''Fanfic/SliceOfHeaven'', Rover is TheGrimReaper and his character customization questions help shape your form in the afterlife.

* In ''LightNovel/MushokuTensei'', when Rudeus first meets Hitogami in his dreams, Rudeus perceives himself as the thirty-something Japanese man he was before he died, rather than as the boy he's been living as in the ten years since he reincarnated.

* ''Film/Deadpool2'': The third time Wade Wilson is having a NearDeathExperience, he finally goes through the invisible wall to reach Vanessa. In doing so, he no longer looks like a mutant disfigured by cancer, but his original, handsome self (i.e. Creator/RyanReynolds without make-up).

* Creator/MarionZimmerBradley's ''Literature/{{Darkover}}'' uses this trope in "the Overworld", the spiritual[=/=]mental plane that some ''laran'' users (especially healers and monitors in the Towers) operate on. A person's appearance in the Overworld seems to be determined entirely by their self-image. In one memorable case, the Overworld form is a huge crab-like being.
* In ''Literature/TheWoundedSky'' by Creator/DianeDuane, every time the Enterprise uses the experimental drive, the crew members experience a reality based on how they perceive themselves. While Kirk's self-perception is never actually described, [=McCoy=] provides a solid clue when he asks "[[KnightInShiningArmor Is that armor getting heavy, Jim?]]"

* Non-SpiritWorld or VR example: This is precisely how magical healing in ''Literature/TheCosmere'' works. You are rebuilt back to your "cognitive ideal." This can be beneficial (e.g. you've never accepted or internalized a lost limb, so it starts to grow back as soon as you get some {{Mana}}) or harmful (e.g. your SlaveBrand doesn't heal because you've internalized the baggage that comes with it, and alterations heal away because they're not part of the template).

* In ''LightNovel/AccelWorld'', duel avatars are something like a cross between this and PersonalityPowers - appearing as robotic beings with traits that represent the Burst Linker's traumas. In the {{Crossover}} story ''Versus'', a glitchy [=VR=] device results in Kirito from ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' becoming connected to Brain Burst; the system's attempts to normalise his data result in him taking on the appearance of his longcoated [=SAO=] avatar.

* On an episode of ''Series/{{Doctor Who}}'' called "The Doctor Falls", Bill...

* SCORPIO from ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic.'' She is a highly advanced droid that ''[[BerserkButton loathes]]'' being labelled as such. Several instances have her appearing in human form via holographic technology. It's a point of interest that she chooses to look like this freed from the confines of her physical body, whether or not this is a default display, a disguise she merely favours or that it hints at a [[PinocchioSyndrome deeper longing]] to be [[BecomeARealBoy more than a machine]] is still up for debate.
* ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' and ''VideoGame/EnterTheMatrix'', being part of ''The Matrix'', have this for all the rebels. Both are also an example of BeautyEqualsGoodness.

* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'': When George enters X's mind to save the others he's assimilated, he meets Protoman's core personality, which resembles a human being instead of a robot. Dr. Light explains that he designed his robots to be as human as possible, so their core personalities naturally would resemble humans.
* In ''WebComic/YokokasQuest'', when Copycat enters Mao's dream, Mao is wearing a recently acquired set of clothes that Copycat hadn't seen before, and that Mao wasn't currently wearing (as he's asleep in his nightwear). He also appears as a [[CatGirl cat boy]], despite hating his aspect of his appearance and wanting to revert to being human.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Podcast/RedPandaAdventures'': In "The Darkness Beyond", Kit and John Doe enter a spiritual plane in order to find out what's happened to an EldritchAbomination that's suddenly up and disappeared. While there, their forms, and even the dimension itself, shape themselves based on their own perceptions. Despite being on the tail end of pregnancy, Kit identifies as her superhero persona, the Flying Squirrel, so much that she appears in full costume and a more svelte figure than she ever had in reality. John Doe, meanwhile, appears in his original identity and appearance of "John Archer" even though he has been masquerading as the Red Panda, to the extent of changing his face, for several months by that point.
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* On an episode of ''Series/{{Doctor Who}}'' called "The Doctor Falls", Bill

* In ''Videogame/{{SOMA}}'' Simon, the main character

* In the ''LightNovel/SoImASpiderSoWhat'' anime the protagonist is reincarnated as a spider but, unlike her brethren, has a more cutesy appearance with an expressive face. However her later encounters with humans is from ''their'' perspective, revealing the protagonist looks like a horrid spider monster after all.

* In ''Videogame/{{SOMA}}''

* On an episode of ''Series/{{Doctor Who}}'' called "The Doctor Falls", Bill

* In ''Videogame/SOMA''

* On an episode of ''Series/{{Doctor Who}}'' called "The Doctor Falls", Bill

* ''SOMA''

* On an episode of ''Series/{{Doctor Who}}'' called "The Doctor Falls", Bill

* ''Videogame/SOMA''

* On an episode of ''Series/{{Doctor Who}}'' called "The Doctor Falls", Bill

* ''SOMA''

* On an episode of ''Series/{{Doctor Who}}'' called "The Doctor Falls", Bill

* On an episode of ''Series/{{Doctor Who}}'' called The Doctor Falls, Bill