History Main / SpeedEchoes

* Employed by Hotsuma in the [=PS2=] version of Sega's ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}''

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' and friends show this in the 2D games, mainly the ''VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy'' and ''VideoGame/SonicRushSeries''.

* Invoked by characters with "Shadow" moves in the MortalKombat series, such as Johnny Cage. Curiously, this is absent in the games following ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance'', where characters performing said moves are trailed by a green fog effect instead.

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Fox_Illusion_Move.jpg]]]]

* The Speed Booster from ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid''.

In some fiction, the echoes are more than just a special effect -- they're literal. Other characters can see them and be confused by them, making them effective covers for highly elaborate martial arts attacks. In video games, they can be used as an excuse to force the player to use timing to hit the "real" image. For various reasons, using SpeedEchoes for the DoppelgangerSpin doesn't really make a whole [[FridgeLogic heck of a lot of sense]], but eh, [[MST3KMantra roll with it]].

Note that sometimes this trope can be used somewhat lazily: a character will have SpeedEchoes but aren't really moving all that fast. The echoes are just to make us ''think'' they're moving fast.

This is somewhat distinct from DoppelgangerAttack, although technically a work can employ both at once. Related to SpeedStripes and FlashStep, both of which often employ this trope in their basic function. Indeed, you can see examples of SpeedEchoes in action in both of those pages' images.

* In ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'', SpeedEchoes are used to show how fast Joshua can move. Interestingly, there's also another page in the same chapter for an almost theatrical slow motion effect. (Warning: the second page contains a spoiler.)

* In the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' games, Fox and Falco's Side B moves leave SpeedEchoes behind as they zip across the screen.
* High-end [[GunsAkimbo Dual Pistols]] attacks in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' create SpeedEchoes as the character spins to bring their guns to bear on targets.

* In ''VideoGame/SDGundamCapsuleFighter'', those same aforementioned Gundam units, usually the high-end S-Ranks, can create SpeedEchoes once they activate a secondary form.

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' and friends show this in the 2D games, mainly the ''SonicAdvanceTrilogy'' and ''VideoGame/SonicRushSeries''.

* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersGenerationOne'', [[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Blurr_%28G1%29 Blurr]] is unsurprisingly animated like this. He also ''[[MotorMouth speaks]]'' like this -- his mouth does not have clear animation frames because they overlap several consecutive animation frames, which causes his mouth shapes to be nothing but a series of afterimages when he says anything.

* Frequently used in comics to display either superhuman speed or acrobatics. {{Spider-Man}} and ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} are the undisputed masters of the latter effect.

** First seen when Sonic became [[SuperMode Hyper]] [[UpToEleven Sonic]] in Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

* Employed by Hotsuma in the [=PS2=] version of Sega's ''{{Shinobi}}''

** This is also the main schtick of the Arrancar Zommari Leroux, at least his pre-Ressurecion form

* The GBA ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' games do this with many [[CriticalHitClass high-speed classes]] such as [[MasterSwordsman Swordmasters]] and [[ProfessionalKiller Assassins]] to illustrate their speed. The Assassin's [[OneHitKO Silencer]] ability in particular uses the standard CriticalHit animation, but with motion blurs at the start.

* This appears in the ''VideoGame/MegaManX' '(since VideoGame/MegaManX4 onwards), ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZero Zero]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZX ZX]]'' games whenever the player dashes or dash-jumps.

* This is how the Speed Booster power-up is animated in the 2D ''{{Metroid}}'' games where it appears.
* This appears in the ''VideoGame/MegaManX''(since VideoGame/MegaManX4 onwards), ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZero Zero]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZX ZX]]'' games whenever the player dashes or dash-jumps.

* The {{Pokemon}} move Double Team works this way to raise the user's chances of evading attack.

* One of the {{Tournament Arc}}s of ''Manga/DragonBall Z'' had a character pull this trick with a total of ''eight'' copies.

* Several characters of ''Anime/HunterXHunter'' (Kirua and Feitan, notably) do this ''purposely'': the multiple images are visible to everybody, and the characters hide among those in order to proceed with a surprise attack.

* Used straight in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' to show particularly fast opponents.
** Memorably subverted in at least one instance. Kodachi appears to do this in the middle of her gymnastics-themed battle with Ranma, but it is quickly revealed that she's actually attacking him with 20 objects at once.
* In ''{{Cyborg009}}'', one guy who was TheMinnesotaFats to the main character could move so fast he did this. Furthermore, the afterimages stuck around for quite a while, effectively being used as a DoppelgangerSpin.
* The first time we see Ichigo from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' use his Bankai, the resulting speed increase is so great that Byakuya, who was previously shown as a speed demon, could only see afterimages (when his eyes didn't fail to keep track of Ichigo altogether). At one point, Ichigo is running so fast relative to Byakuya that he leaves multiple rows of speed echoes...''moving in opposite directions. Simultaneously.''

* Phantom Miria from ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' moves so fast, she leaves afterimages of herself behind, greatly confusing her enemies. They think they struck her, then her "body" promptly dissipates and she's already behind them, ready to strike.

* Several characters of ''HunterXHunter'' (Kirua and Feitan, notably) do this ''purposely'': the multiple images are visible to everybody, and the characters hide among those in order to proceed with a surprise attack.

* ''Gundam'' has this for [[SuperPrototype some suits]] in various series. Often [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamF91 occurs]] [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny when]] [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 the Gundam]] enables a SuperMode.
** One of the most prominent examples of this was the titular mech in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamF91''; in the climax Seabook used its ability to ablate molecule-thin layers of its armor (ostensibly to dissipate excess heat) to create a trail of illusory Gundams that distracted the BigBad, allowing Seabook to go in for the kill.

* Long before the Gundams could do that, there was [[Manga/GetterRobo Getter-2]], whose special ability was "Getter Vision", which allowed it to create images of itself as it moved fast.

* ComicBook/TheFlash and his fellow speedsters.
** This was actually ''weaponized'' by a (non-Flash) speedster in Creator/GrantMorrison's [[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLA]] run: he runs in such a manner that he leaves speed echoes in a strobing pattern, trying to disorient TheFlash, who's chasing him at SuperSpeed.
* Numerous early comics of Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer have panels of the titular hero fighting enemies with after images of her dolling out blows or preforming different manoeuvers to show her moving faster than her surroundings. Some of them include her speaking whole sentences that are broken apart and divided amongst each image.

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* This trope coupled with BulletTime makes the signature style of the SuperSpeed scenes of ''{{Series/Smallville}}''.
* In one of the ''Dune'' series, this effect was used to show the preternatural speed Paul had earned through his martial training.
* A variation is found in The Picard Maneuver of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''. The premise is that making a short warp jump allows a ship to overtake their own image traveling toward the observer and thus appear in two places at once. This maneuver only works on low-tech enemies, who rely on light-speed sensors only; an enemy ship with FTL sensors (i.e. most of the ones ''Enterprise'' runs across) can easily distinguish between the echoes and the real thing.
* Eobard Thawne from Series/TheFlash2014 created a nifty illusion of himself doubled and standing side-by-side by traveling back and forth from those spots in super speed.
* In ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', when Hiro stops time, he sees a long Daphne-colored trail leading him to the speedster.
* This effect was used with Vicki in the ''Series/SmallWonder'' episode "My Robot Family".
* Suggested by Raj as a solution when all four of the main characters showed up for a costume party dressed as TheFlash on ''Series/TheBigBangTheory''.

[[folder:Films]]

* ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'' does this with Cloud's [[FinishingMove Omnislash version 5]]. Loz too.

* A rare written example in ArtemisFowl The Lost Colony; a pixie named Doodah Day is talked into helping the protagonists break into a mansion in return for having his meat smuggling charges dropped. When sent in ahead, he disguises himself as the owners' son and suped up a miniature car with a {{Magitek}} fuel cell. When a security officer realizes he isn't a real kid, Doodah hit the throttle, going from five to fifty thousand in two seconds, and is described as leaving behind a distinct and long lasting after image in his wake.

* 'Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0977.html After being struck by a lightning gun]], [[spoiler:the flesh golem that Crystal has become]] gets supercharged and move fast enough to leave after-images.

* A similar situation to the Simpsons example above occurs in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''. Doofenshmirtz decides to make a quick exit, and a Doofenshmirtz-shaped dust cloud appears along with a *RUN AWAY* sound effect. However, when the smoke clears, a confused Doofenschmirtz is still there, wondering what exactly just happened.

* In ''ChronoCrusade'', SpeedEchoes are used to show how fast Joshua can move. Interestingly, there's also another page in the same chapter for an almost theatrical slow motion effect. (Warning: the second page contains a spoiler.)