History Main / TriggerPhrase

* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' has two trigger phrases.
** First is "Red Sun", used by [[TheChessmaster Lex Luthor]] as an immediate fail-safe to stop Superboy from acting belligerent during a shady dealing between the two. Should he choose to attack his manipulator... Luthor can leave him catatonic for hours on end. It's the result of mental brainwashing by CADMUS while being grown as a LivingMacGuffin clone of Superman as insurance in case he suffered from insanity. However, it also raises suspicion he might be a ManchurianAgent. [[spoiler:Eventually, this is proved wrong, and Miss Martian uses her own mental prowess to [[{{Deprogramming}} wipe out the subliminal trigger.]]]]
** The second phrase is [[WhamEpisode much more unexpected]]. [[spoiler:Red Arrow discovers he isn't the actual protégé of Green Arrow, but a [[TomatoInTheMirror clone of Roy Harper, A.K.A. Speedy]], with directives to [[TheMole infiltrate the Justice League]] [[ManchurianAgent without the actual knowledge he was doing so]], cleverly disguised as valid human intentions not to be treated as a sidekick anymore. He also came pre-programmed with the phrase "Broken Arrow," used by Sportsmaster to make him a vegetable while he and his cohorts extract information from him, or if the villains simply want him out of their hair.]] It had actually been spoken once much earlier in the series; it seemed to be just a quip at the time.

* ''Series/TheOddCouple'': "The fault lies not with the stars but with ourselves" made Oscar neat, and a finger-snap made him back to normal.

* Ironically inverted in ''Manga/GunsmithCats''. [[FoeYay Mafia boss]] [[PsychoLesbian Goldy]] brainwashes her assassins into blind devotion with a designer drug named "Special K" that renders users highly susceptible to suggestion, so no phrase is needed. However, while she's working over heroine Rally Vincent, the latter [[HeroicSpirit manages an escape attempt while still under the drug's influence]], during which she programs a trigger phrase into herself to ''counter'' Goldy's influence. The ironic part is that it's not a spoken phrase, but [[spoiler:the distinctive sound of the trigger on her highly-customized personal pistol being pulled. How's ''that'' for a literal interpretation?]]

* Agents of the Schwarz organization from ''Manga/MyOtome'' are triggered when they receive a letter in a black envelope.
* [[spoiler:Gwen Khan]] uses two on Melfina in ''Manga/OutlawStar''. "It was you who broke my Meissen plate" deactivates her, while "Breakfast is signaled with a silver spoon" undoes it. [[spoiler:Since Hazanko had Melfina created by Khan in the first place, he also knows the trigger phrases and later uses "It was you who broke my Meissen plate" to ensure she can't resist him.]]

* One example forms the basis of the plot of Suehirogari's [[{{Hentai}} ero-manga]] ''TAG'' -- the main character, her friends, and a large number of other victims are all given a post hypnotic suggestion by a gypsy fortune teller they visit: Whenever they are kissed by a naked woman, they [[TheNudifier find themselves stripping nude and staying that way]] until they can kiss another woman who is also affected by the hypnotic suggestions and pass on the condition. In other words, it's a hypnotically enforced game of [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin tag]] where "it" has to stay naked. Until they do pass it on, [[AndIMustScream their bodies won't let them even touch clothing]] despite themselves. This also means that the victim they kiss [[TheVirus has to stay naked next...]]
* Done in chilling fashion in ''Anime/{{Noir}}'', in which Chloe deploys Kirika's "True Noir" personality by saying "receive the final guidance" -- ''and then shooting her.''
* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' doesn't actually have this occur (yet), but when the cast are dealing with a ManchurianAgent in their midst, [[DiscussedTrope the team mercenary notes that they can't rule out the possibility of a Trigger Phrase]].
* The [[LaserGuidedTykebomb Extended soldiers]] in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'' each possess a "Block Word" which is supposed to rein them in. However, in practice the phrases simply seemed to drive the Extendeds into a terrified frenzy. Also crosses over into ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish, since the Alliance chose stupidly common words - "[[spoiler:die/death]]" for Stella and "[[spoiler:mother]]" for Auel (we never learn what Sting's is).
** WordOfGod indicates that Sting's Block Word is "[[spoiler:dream]]", continuing the program's very poorly-thought-out trend of using extremely common words to detonate their {{Tykebomb}}s.

* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', Lelouch uses time-delay geass commands regularly, for various stimuli, including a speech he would later give, a series of motions in combat and a hand position.
* A variation appears in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean'': [[spoiler: DIO's diary describes a sequence of fourteen secret, nonsensical phrases [[labelnote:*]] Spiral staircase, rhinoceros beetle, ghost town, fig tart, rhinoceros beetle, Via Dolorosa, rhinoceros beetle, singularity point, Giotto, angels, hydrangea, rhinoceros beetle, singularity point, secret emperor[[/labelnote]] that, according to the diary, are necessary to "achieve heaven". Indeed, BigBad Enrico Pucci utters this sequence of words to Green Baby, which then fuses with his Stand Whitesnake to form C-Moon.]]

* In ''Manga/{{Doubt}}'', [[spoiler:Mitsuki's]] BrainwashedAndCrazy persona is activated when hearing the phrase, "For the one I love."

* "Croatoa" from ''ComicBook/OneHundredBullets'' is something of a reverse: It ''turns off'' the FakeMemories that allowed the Minutemen to live peaceful, civilian lives, so they awaken as the fearsome hitmen they originally were.
* "Kimota" functions as this in the first issue of ''ComicBook/{{Miracleman}}'', instantly restoring the hero's memories when he says it.
* In ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueInternational'', the despotic ruler of Bialya, the Queen Bee, triggers Blue Beetle with the phrase "Bialya, my Bialya." Once the heroes have figured out what is going on, it's not very difficult to determine the responsible party.
* ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans Teen Titans Spotlight]]'' featured a superhuman psychiatrist who was brainwashing her clients into becoming secret assassins; she used the trigger words "Goldilocks", "Rumpelstiltkin", and possibly "Snow White" to activate and deactivate them.
* "He loves you" in both ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'' and the ''ComicStrip/TwistedToyfareTheatre'' parody of same. "He loves you." "Who, Northstar? I know, it's just--HEY!"

* ComicBook/UltimateMarvel:
** ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'''s Norman Osborn set up "Cellar Door" as an all-purpose trigger phrase for his son Harry.
** ''ComicBook/UltimateWolverine'': "Mother is calling her children home" activates the Mothervine subjects.
* ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'': The military-industrial complex who built Seth, the hillbilly cyborg killing machine with [[SuperpowerLottery over 1,000 super powers]] naturally set up a four-word kill-switch phrase. [[spoiler:It's never actually used. Instead, the team's RealityWarper alters history so a less aggressive American administration came to power, and thus Seth was never created. "Welcome to the Oval Office, President Gore."]]
* During the ''ComicBook/TeenTitans[=/=][[ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders Outsiders]]'' crossover "The Insiders", Superboy was brainwashed by Lex Luthor, who used the words "Vincere Aut Mori" ("Conquer or die" in Latin).
* In one [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids surprisingly disturbing]] [[ComicBook/MickeyMouseComicUniverse Mickey Mouse comic]], the trigger word is "time". The villain (a psychologist, who sought revenge on Mickey for putting his son in jail) deliberately chose a fairly common word, so the trigger would go off often enough. It made Mickey instantly fall asleep and have nightmares, causing him to be unable to tell reality from dream and eroding his confidence.
* In ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMegaseries'', Megatron programmed [[PersonOfMassDestruction Sixshot]] to shut down if he hears the command "Reset: Pi-Orion-Actual-Orbit. Engage." Starscream uses this command to disable Sixshot after the latter defects to the Reapers.
* Occurs in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'': While digging around Decepticon Super Warrior Overlord's mind for information, Chromedome implants the phrase "Til all are One" on the off chance that if Overlord broke free (which he does) and if Rodimus says the phrase (''[[CatchPhrase which he will]]''), there would be some way to stop him. The phrase triggers Overlord's intense fear of failure, briefly rendering him helpless and unable to fight.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Violine}}'', the word "fatalitas" is used as a trigger to snap someone out of hypnosis.
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: Hypnota places the trigger circumstance of Wonder Woman's schedule being spoken about in poor Serva's head, which causes Serva to pick the lock of the safehouse and return to her tormentor to give intel about Wonder Woman's location to Hypnota.

* ''Film/{{Serenity}}'': River is activated by a subliminal message in a Fruity Oaty Bar commercial, but is [[spoiler:put to sleep]] by Simon saying "Eta kuram na smekh," Russian for "That's for hens to laugh at" (i.e. "That's ridiculous.").
* ''Film/TheManchurianCandidate'':
** The original version of has both a Trigger Phrase ("Why don't you pass the time by playing a little solitaire?") and a Trigger Card: the Queen of Diamonds.
** In the remake the [[ManchurianAgent agents]] get personalised triggers: [[spoiler:their names and old ranks, phrased in the form "Sergeant Shaw. Sergeant Raymond Shaw. Raymond Prentiss Shaw."]] And later...[[spoiler:[[TomatoInTheMirror Major Marco. Major Bennett Marco. Bennett Ezekiel Marco.]]]]
* ''Literature/TheLatheOfHeaven'': George Orr is hypnotized so his "effective" ([[RealityWarper reality changing]]) dreams can be controlled. The Trigger Phrase is "Antwerp."
* ''Film/{{Telefon}}'' (1977):
** KGB sleeper agents in the U.S. were brainwashed via drug-induced hypnosis to forget their true identities and live as Americans until they heard a line from Robert Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", followed by their Russian names. When they heard it, they would destroy a pre-programmed target and then kill themselves. The Trigger Phrase was:
--->"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep. Remember [real Russian name], miles to go before you sleep."
** The technique is demonstrated for Charles Bronson's KGB protagonist using the phrase "Cleopatra says there will be snow from the west." This is the scene being spoofed in the first ''Film/TheNakedGun'' movie (where the beeping of a watch was the trigger) when Vincent Ludwig's secretary tries to shoot Pahpshmir with an empty gun.
* ''Film/TheIpcressFile'' (1964): "'''Now listen to me'''. Shoot the traitor [[spoiler:Ross]]." Fortunately Michael Caine's character was not in the brainwashing chamber long enough, so is able to 'distract' himself by striking his injured hand against the wall, then shooting the ''real'' DoubleAgent.

* Derek Film/{{Zoolander}} will kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia when he [[MusicalTrigger hears the song]] ''Relax''.

* The toggle for Hawkin’s fencing abilities in ''Film/TheCourtJester'' is a snap of the fingers. OK, not exactly a phrase, but if music counts...
* "Freeze!" and "Bullshit" in ''Film/NowYouSeeMe''.

* ''Film/AmericanUltra'': "Chariot progressive listen. Mandelbrot set is in motion. Echo Choir has been breached, we are fielding the ball." Subverted in that the target responds only with utter bafflement. [[spoiler: Double Subverted when, soon after, he effortlessly (and much to his surprise) kills two assassins sent after him.]]
* ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' reveals that the Winter Soldier had a string of trigger words, used by HYDRA before missions as something of a reset code to see that he was still obedient to them and did not remember his previous identity. [[spoiler: It's revealed that they still work perfectly, ensuring Zemo successfully reverts Bucky to an obedient fighting machine for a short time. For the curious, the words are "Longing, rusted, seventeen, daybreak, furnace, nine, benign, homecoming, one, freight car," in Russian and in that order. The Soldier replies "Ready to comply," also in Russian.]] At the end of the film, the Winter Soldier [[spoiler:goes into hiding in [[Film/BlackPanther2018 Wakanda]] to be deprogrammed.]] (Creator/SebastianStan [[https://www.ign.com/articles/sebastian-stan-says-fans-try-to-activate-the-winter-soldier-in-public said]] that just about every time he's recognized people respond with the words, [[NeverHeardThatOneBefore leading to him reminding who said it that he won't become the Winter Soldier]])
* In ''Film/GetOut2017'', the villain hypnotized TheHero one night [[OrWasItADream he thought he had a bad dream]] and implanted the command whereupon any time he heard the sound of a spoon clinking a teacup three times, [[AndIMustScream he would collapse onto the floor, paralyzed, while his consciousness fell into the "Sunken Place."]]

* In the YA novel ''Literature/TheAdorationOfJennaFox'', Jenna [[spoiler:was, after a nearly fatal car accident, placed into an artificial body with a reconstructed "brain" made of computer chips, which was programmed with a trigger phrase as a "suggestion" to use in case anything went wrong: "Go to your room, Jenna." If said, this phrase would [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin cause Jenna to automatically walk to her room]], whether she wanted to or not - though she learns to resist it eventually.]]
* Creator/DeanKoontz novel ''Night Chills''. People implanted with conditioning through subliminal hypnosis are activated when they hear the Trigger Phrase "I am the key." They then reply, "I am the lock."
** Koontz uses this again in ''Literature/FalseMemory''. The villain has different trigger phrases for each person under his control, in the form of haiku. He speaks a name, the subject replies "I'm listening", then he gives each line of a haiku, with the subject giving a programmed response to each line in turn.

* In Creator/JamesSwallow's ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' short story "The Returned", the Doom Eagles fear that Tarikus, even pure of taint in mind and body, might still have taint in his soul, which might be triggered by a phrase.

* In ''The Miserable Mill'', book four of ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'', the word "Lucky" is used as a trigger to the point of parody, since the good guys catch onto it and both sides flip [[spoiler:Klaus]] back and forth in obeying their commands. The word "Inordinate" deactivates the state.

* Creator/RobertAHeinlein:
** ''Literature/StarshipTroopers''. Mobile Infantry troopers are given a post-hypnotic suggestion to go to sleep upon hearing the Trigger Phrase "Prepare to sleep, one, two, three."
** ''Literature/CitizenOfTheGalaxy''. Thorby Baslim is hypnotically conditioned to memorize several different messages, so he can repeat each one to a specific starship captain. The man who conditioned him tested Thorby's recall of each message using the Trigger Phrase of the name of each captain and ship.

** A later book has a man sent to deliver a message simply by his presence - he's been known to be in a secret prison for years - with a device implanted that floods him with poison, killing him instantly. The device is triggered when someone recognizes the man and says his name.

* In season seven of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', Spike's trigger is a song his mother used to sing when he was a child, the English folk song "Early One Morning".

** This exchange could count, though it's initiated by the triggeree - used whenever an Active is reset to "tabula rasa":

* A variation in the InteractiveFiction story ''VideoGame/SpiderAndWeb'': the trigger words "tango" (on) and "waltz" (off) are used to activate a special device the protagonist holds. When [[spoiler:you realise that you previously attached an acid capsule to the chair you are now bound in. When the BigBad, who is interrogating you, asks you if you have any last words, you casually reply: "Tango." The acid dissolves your bonds, releasing you, and you then proceed to deck him, rob him blind, and escape.]]

* Used in ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'': "When I give you the order, you will [[spoiler:open every fon slot in your body and unleash a hyperresonance]]. The Trigger Phrase will be '[[spoiler:Foolish replica Luke]]'."
* A variant: Two of the bosses from ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' can be defeated simply by uttering specific two-word phrases at them. They're ''kill'' phrases, not ''trigger'' phrases.
--> '''[[spoiler:Gunther Hermann]]:''' I am not a [[KilledMidsentence mach-]]. ''*boom*''

* ''VideoGame/WingCommander III'': [[TitleDrop "Heart of the Tiger"]] is both the enemy's nickname for you and the trigger-phrase for their sleeper agent.

* [[spoiler: The Imperial Agent player character]] in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' is subjected to "Castellan restraints", a form of mind control that is applied well ahead of time, only kicking in when they hear a specific code word. [[spoiler: Yours is "onomatophobia", since you asked.]] When the code is used, the subject is compelled to carry out any commands given to the best of their ability. [[spoiler: You are eventually able to recover by subjecting yourself to the Castellan process ''again'', only this time with a code word of your own choosing; you then [[LogicBomb order yourself to ignore the previous trigger]].]]
** In ''Knights Of The Eternal Throne''; [[spoiler: Vaylin]] has a PowerLimiter that is activated by the key phrase: "Kneel Before the Dragon of Zakuul!". [[spoiler:She eventually gets it removed, though it returns in the FinalBoss Fight where you are able to use it against Valkorion due to the battle [[BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind taking place in your mind]].]] And yes, while every class has a conversation option to call [[spoiler:Valkorion]] out on it when you first learn of this, the [[spoiler:Agent]] makes it ''personal''.
* In ''VideoGame/Halo4''[='s=] ''Spartan Ops'', [[spoiler:Halsey takes over the ''Infinity''[='s=] AI, Roland, by uttering the words "''Undid Iridium''". She wrote the base code for most, if not all, of the UNSC's Smart [=AIs=], and she put these in just in case.]]
* In ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'', Painwheel can supposedly be placated and controlled by the phrase 'Access Code 36E-25-40'. However, the closer she gets to the Skullgirl, the more capable she becomes of resistance until in the Cathedral where she outright refuses.
* ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperheroes2:'' As in the comics, Roberta Mendez, the Captain America of 2099, is controlled by one. "Avengers assemble" brings forth Captain America, and "dismissed" causes her to go back to being Roberta. Unfortunately, some HYDRA goons have discovered this, and use it to their advantage.
* It's heavily implied in the background information scattered throughout ''VideoGame/{{Superhot}}'' that the repetition of the words "SUPER. HOT." at the end of each level [[spoiler:strengthens the System's mind control]].

* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Grace [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=1835 voluntarily gets triggers planted in her subconscious]] within a dream to help her to remember upon waking a message she receives within the dream.

* ''Webcomic/SkinHorse'''s Unity has the trigger phrase "blueberry waffles" to make her ''stop'' fighting, because that tends to be rather more difficult than [[AxCrazy getting her to start]].

* In the long-defunct ''Professor X Programme Guide'' website (about the ShowWithinAShow version of ''Series/DoctorWho''), the Professor routinely hypnotises his companions to cluck like a chicken when he says "Zeus plugs", because [[ItAmusedMe it amuses him]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode ''War Is the H-Word'', Bender is fitted with a bomb that will explode when he says the word "ass," which in a reversal from the norm is specifically selected as the word he says most often. At the end Dr. Farnsworth tries to defuse the bomb [[spoiler:but can't and instead resets it so it will be detonated by the word Bender is least likely to say - which Bender [[TemptingFate immediately tries]] [[EarthShatteringKaboom to guess.]]]]

* ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'' does an {{exaggerated|Trope}} version. In [[Recap/WelcomeToNightValeEp61BrinyDepths Episode 61]], a [[NebulousEvilOrganization "vague yet menacing government agency"]] manipulates Cecil into saying "Briny Depths" over [[DoNotAdjustYourSet all possible radio frequencies]]. Doing so initiates a large commotion outside of the studio, and when Cecil returns from his usual weather report break, he learns that the phrase "Briny Depths" was a code word for the government's [[DeepCoverAgent secret agents]] to enact their evil plans... or more specifically, for ''all'' of the agents to enact ''every evil plan'' they had ever learned. Said government agents include every citizen of Night Vale.

* Anime-exclusive Ijuinn Kotaro of ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'' has the magical ability to make anybody fall in love with him and obey him by uttering "''Je t'aime''!" ("I love you!" in French).

* Agents of the Schwarz organization from ''Manga/MaiOtome'' are triggered when they receive a letter in a black envelope.

* In ''Literature/{{Twig}}'', almost all of the [[spoiler: [[KillAndReplicate Bad Seeds clones]] ]] have a "killing phrase", making them immune to pain and utterly dedicated to completing their mission. The only exception is [[spoiler: Mary]], whom her creator grew fond of. All of these clones, however, do have lesser command phrases that "reset" their mind, should they grow rebellious.

* In ''Literature/DirkGentlysHolisticDetectiveAgency'', Dirk hypnotizes Richard, and implants the suggestion that whenever he hears the phrase "my maiden aunt from Winnipeg" he should immediately take off all his clothes and jump in the nearest canal. It's a roundabout way of making a point about ghostly possession and free will.
* Creator/DeanKoontz novel ''Night Chills''. People implanted with conditioning through subliminal hypnosis are activated when they hear the Trigger Phrase "I am the key." They then reply, "I am the lock."
** Koontz uses this again in ''Literature/FalseMemory''. The villain has different trigger phrases for each person under his control, in the form of haiku. He speaks a name, the subject replies "I'm listening", then he gives each line of a haiku, with the subject giving a programmed response to each line in turn.

* In the book that is sometimes called the TakeThat to ''Literature/StarshipTroopers'', ''Literature/TheForeverWar'' has a hypnotic phrase that is used on the conscripts for their first battle, as the military command isn't confident that they will kill the enemy. It works ''too'' well, as the soldiers start blasting everything in sight.

* In ''The Miserable Mill'', book four of ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'', the word "Lucky" is used as a trigger to the point of parody, since the good guys catch onto it and both sides flip [[spoiler:Klaus]] back and forth in obeying their commands. The word "Inordinate" deactivates the state.
* The eleventh book of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', ''Turn Coat'', features one of the antagonists using the Trigger Phrase "The end is nigh." to take control of several [[spoiler:Wardens and members of the White Council of Wizards]].
* In the YA novel ''Literature/TheAdorationOfJennaFox'', Jenna [[spoiler:was, after a nearly fatal car accident, placed into an artificial body with a reconstructed "brain" made of computer chips, which was programmed with a trigger phrase as a "suggestion" to use in case anything went wrong: "Go to your room, Jenna." If said, this phrase would [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin cause Jenna to automatically walk to her room]], whether she wanted to or not - though she learns to resist it eventually.]]
* In Creator/JamesSwallow's ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' short story "The Returned", the Doom Eagles fear that Tarikus, even pure of taint in mind and body, might still have taint in his soul, which might be triggered by a phrase.
* Becomes very important late in the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' series, though with Trigger conditions rather than phrases. The control affected by the nano-tech is so complete that it can convince the personal bodyguard of an Andermani Royal to kill the man he's guarding, to convince a Manticoran flag lieutenant to kill his flag officer, and convince a man to commit suicide by Mach 2 impact into a cliff-wall while in his air-car. Even worse, the victims are [[AndIMustScream aware of what they're doing and unable to stop themselves from acting]].
* In the Emily Rodda novel ''[[Literature/RowanOfRin Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal]]'', it is revealed in the end that [[spoiler:Doss]] had been brainwashed by the Zebak years previously, the trigger phrase being the words that [[spoiler:officially made him Keeper of the Crystal. He got better.]]
* In the book ''Literature/TheHotRock'' by Donald Westlake, the gang hires a specialist (a hypnotist) to plant the phrase "Afghanistan banana stand" in the mind of a bank employee. Later, one of the gang enters the bank and says this, and the employee helps them to retrieve the [[MacGuffin eponymous gem]].
* Used in ''Literature/TheStand'', Glen telling Tom "it's time" as in 'time to go West', after hypnotizing him earlier.
* In ''Literature/MortalEngines: Infernal Devices'', a [[{{Cyborg}} Stalker]] is programmed to assassinate the leader of the Green Storm when it hears the phrase "The moment of the rose and the moment of the yew tree are of equal duration".
* ''Literature/{{Mindwarp}}'' has a character, a time-traveler named Toni, whose powers first trigger when trying on a dress, looking at herself in a changing room mirror. She travels back in time eight years for a little while, then returns to the present outside the store, and gets busted for shoplifting. Later at home, she tries the dress on again and goes back in time eight years to when she was five and her mother was still alive. After speaking together, the mom calls in five-year-old Toni and implants a hypnotic command to come back to this day when seeing 13-year-old Toni in that dress. Later, she uses her mugshot from her shoplifting arrest to escape a jam, and rearm in the mall.
* In ''Literature/TheSouthernReachTrilogy'', the psychologist implanted the expedition members with post-hypnotic suggestions, which she can activate using trigger phrases woven into her speach.
* In ''Literature/MindGames'', Danielle can only assume her Magical Catgirl form with the help of a Mesmerist. Fortunately, one of the other characters is a Mesmerist, who implants her with a trigger phrase both for becoming a Magical Catgirl and for becoming human again. However, because the Mesmerist has a weird sense of humor, the phrases are, respectively, [[spoiler:"Here, kitty kitty" to transform to a catgirl and "byebye, kitty" to change back to a human.]] Danielle is ''not'' amused.

* ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' reveals that the Winter Soldier had a string of trigger words, used by HYDRA before missions as something of a reset code to see that he was still obedient to them and did not remember his previous identity. [[spoiler: It's revealed that they still work perfectly, ensuring Zemo successfully reverts Bucky to an obedient fighting machine for a short time. For the curious, the words are "Longing, rusted, seventeen, daybreak, furnace, nine, benign, homecoming, one, freight car," in Russian and in that order. The Soldier replies "Ready to comply," also in Russian.]] At the end of the film, the Winter Soldier [[spoiler:goes into hiding in [[Film/BlackPanther2018 Wakanda]] to be deprogrammed.]]

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' doesn't actually have this occur (yet), but when the cast are dealing with a ManchurianAgent in their midst, [[DiscussedTrope the team mercenary notes that they can't rule out the possibility of a Trigger Phrase]].

* "Kimota" functions as this in the first issue of ''Comicbook/{{Miracleman}}'', instantly restoring the hero's memories when he says it.
* In ''Comicbook/JusticeLeagueInternational'', the despotic ruler of Bialya, the Queen Bee, triggers Blue Beetle with the phrase "Bialya, my Bialya." Once the heroes have figured out what is going on, it's not very difficult to determine the responsible party.
* ''[[Comicbook/TeenTitans Teen Titans Spotlight]]'' featured a superhuman psychiatrist who was brainwashing her clients into becoming secret assassins; she used the trigger words "Goldilocks", "Rumpelstiltkin", and possibly "Snow White" to activate and deactivate them.

** ''Comicbook/UltimateSpiderMan'''s Norman Osborn set up "Cellar Door" as an all-purpose trigger phrase for his son Harry.

* When Darrel is drugged in ''FanFic/RWBYReckoning'', the phrase "[[ChessMotif Queen calls the knight]]" puts him under the control of [[spoiler:Cinder Fall]], while the counter phrase is "Time to wake up".

* In Creator/JamesSwallow's ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' short story "The Returned", the Doom Eagles fear that Tarikus, even pure of taint in mind and body, might still have taint in his soul, which might be triggered by a phrase.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', one quest features an escaped android who can be rebooted with a trigger phrase.

** Similar to the above example, ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' shows that all of the Institute's androids, or synths, have a trigger phrase to reboot them. If the player gives Mama Murphy drugs, she tells them the code to deactivate a synth they have to kill as part of the main story. In addition, if the player sides with the Institute in the Battle of Bunker Hill, they are given the trigger phrases for a group of escaped synths in order to recapture them.

* In ''[[Videogame/{{Manhunt}} Manhunt 2]]'', [[spoiler:the main character is rendered unconscious by a quote from ''Theatre/TheTempest'': "What seest thou else in the dark backward and abysm of time?"]]

* In ''Videogame/TombRaiderUnderworld'':

* In ''VideoGame/{{Halo 4}}''[='s=] ''Spartan Ops'', [[spoiler:Halsey takes over the ''Infinity''[='s=] AI, Roland, by uttering the words "''Undid Iridium''". She wrote the base code for most, if not all, of the UNSC's Smart [=AIs=], and she put these in just in case.]]

* There is a universal trigger phrase for artificial intelligences in WebComic/{{Freefall}}. Any orders prefaced by the words "direct order" must be obeyed by any artificial intelligences that hear it. They must also continue to obey the order until they are given a direct order to stop obeying the previous order. There are exceptions to the Direct Order system though: Florence can [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1400/fc01361.htm disobey direct orders]] given by someone without the authority to give them, and direct orders can also be ignored by AIs who are working to protect humanity, like Blunt believes he is.

->'''Zemo:''' Zhelaniye. Rzhavyy. Semnadtsat'. Rassvet. Pech'. Dyevyat'. Dobrokachestvenny. Vozvrashcheniye na rodinu. Odin. Gruzovoy vagon. Soldat?[[note]](Longing. Rusted. Seventeen. Daybreak. Furnace. Nine. Benign. Homecoming. One. Freight Car. Soldier?)[[/note]]\\

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' revealed that Palpatine's command in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' to "Execute Order 66" is in fact a trigger phrase that activates the clone troopers' biological chips and forces them to kill the Jedi.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987'', In ''Cowabunga Shredhead'', Shredder was accidentally hit by his own holographic synthesizer when Bebop put the disc containing information about Michelangelo backwards. Due to what the information the disc had, Shredder believed he's Michelangelo as he arrived at the Turtles Lair with pizza. Wanting answers, Splinter hypnotized Shredder into going back to his real personality whenever he would hear his name. Unfortunately, Shredder was not only confused as to how he arrived at the Turtles lair but also won't give them the info they needed. Realizing this, Splinter hypnotized Shredder into thinking he's Michelangelo again whenever he would hear his name. Through those trigger phrases, Shredder went between those personalties whenever he would hear those names. However, after being hit by the holographic synthesizer again while he was acting Michelangelo, Shredder reverts to his old self, which might of canceled out the hypnosis.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Hypnota places the trigger circumstance of Wonder Woman's schedule being spoken about in poor Serva's head, which causes Serva to pick the lock of the safehouse and return to her tormenter to give intel about Wonder Woman's location to Hypnota.

* In a variant from ''WesternAnimation/BackAtTheBarnyard'', Otis is ''accidentally'' hypnotized to try and kill the Farmer every time he hears a bell ring.

** Later in ''Solo Command'', [[ReverseMole Kirney Slane]] uses a trigger phrase to load the backup memory of her astromech droid, Tonin, which she had wiped shortly before her infiltration. (The phrase is the full definition of Tonin's name.) This is part of an [[InvertedTrope inverse]] MemoryGambit, and one that Slane hadn't really liked doing to Tonin; it's implied that Tonin doesn't mind too much (and may have consented to this treatment to begin with).

* ''Series/NinjaTurtlesTheNextMutation'': in the episode "Sewer Crash": Donatello was hypnotized by Silver to make do crimes for him. However, Silver had a trigger word set for Donatello so he can snap in and out of the hypnosis as he made banana as the word.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987'', In ''Cowabunga Shredhead'', Shredder was accidentally hit by his own holographic synthesizer when Bebop put the disc containing information about Michelangelo backwards. Due to what the information the disc had, Shredder believed he's Michelangelo as he arrived at the Turtles Lair with pizza. Wanting answers, Splinter hypnotized Shredder into going back to his real personality whenever he would hear his name. Unfortunately, Shredder was not only confused as to how he arrived at the Turtles lair but won't give them the info they needed. Realizing this, Splinter hypnotized Shredder into thinking he's Michelangelo again whenever he would hear his name. Through those trigger phrases, Shredder went between those personalties whenever he would hear those names. However, after being hit by the holographic synthesizer again while he was acting Michelangelo, Shredder reverts to his old self, which might of canceled out the hypnosis.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987'': In ''Cowabunga Shredhead'', Shredder was accidentally hit by his own holographic synthesizer when Bebop put the disc containing information about Michelangelo backwards. Due to what the information the disc had, Shredder believed he's Michelangelo as he arrived at the Turtles Lair with pizza. Although, Splinter hypnotized Shredder into going between those personalties whenever he would hear his name or Michelangelo. However, after being hit by the holographic synthesizer again while he was acting Michelangelo, Shredder reverts to his old self, which might of canceled out the hypnosis.

** The nursery rhyme ''Are you sleeping?'' is used to activate the [[ManchurianAgent cicadas]], and a photograph and/or address ringed by a red circle gives them their instructions. The cicadas' subconscious sees it as a problem to be solved, and the only way to do that is by completing the mission.

** The nursery rhyme ''Are you sleeping?'' is used to activate the [[ManchurianAgent cicadas]], and a photograph or instruction ringed by a red circle gives them their instructions. The cicadas' subconscious sees it as a problem to be solved, and the only way to do that is by completing the mission.

* ''Series/NowhereMan'': The episode "Marathon" used "Just thought I'd see what you are doing on such a rainy day" spoken over the telephone to activate a ManchurianAgent killer. At the end of the episode, the protagonist has an OhCrap moment when he hears the phrase being spoken on the carphone of the DamselInDistress he's been protecting the entire episode.

** The nursery rhyme ''Are you sleeping?'' is used to activate the [[ManchurianAgent cicadas]].
** A CIA agent asks a former Treadstone doctor if that TriggerPhrase stuff actually works. The doctor demonstrates by getting the bartender to pour him a free drink by saying, "Did I forget to tell you? It's my birthday."