Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''Manga/FrierenBeyondJourneysEnd'': Himmel the Hero dies of old age in the very first chapter, his death being the catalyst for Frieren's second journey. However, the audience is treated to very frequent flashbacks to the Hero Party's legendary journey, and he consistently ranks very highly in popularity polls.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''Anime/PrincessTutu'' opens with "Once upon a time, there was a man who died". That man was GreaterScopeVillain Drosselmeyer, who [[RealityWarper controls his unfinished final story]] long after his death.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Manhwa examples go on their own folder.
Deleted line(s) 138 (click to see context) :
* Lightning Tiger's death at the beginning of ''Manhwa/{{Veritas}}'' forms the basis of the plot. Almost all characters introduced afterwards have their relationship to him explained via flashback.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 109 (click to see context) from:
** And there’s Lacie, the root of the story itself. But she’s never played any part of the story in the present, unlike Jack and Glen.
to:
** And there’s there’s Lacie, the root of the story itself. But she’s never played any part of the story in the present, unlike Jack and Glen.
Added DiffLines:
* ''Manga/SlamDunk'' has Ryuji Yazawa, a young college-aged player who Professor Anzai mentored back during his "Devil Coach" days, who died in a car crash after he traveled to America trying to improve his basketball skills. Yazawa's death was the catalyst that caused Anzai to soften up and become "The White-Haired Buddha" he's known as in the series.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''Anime/{{Shelter|2016}}'': Rin's father, Shigeru, died several years before the short film takes place, but if not for his actions, Rin wouldn't be alive or have the ability to craft and explore her own worlds.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 105 (click to see context) from:
** Technically, anytime this show has a flashback there will be at least one Posthumous Character.
to:
** Technically, anytime this show The series ''really'' loves DeathByOriginStory; whenever someone has a flashback there will to their youth or childhood, you're almost guaranteed to be at least one Posthumous Character.introduced to a new character, and then watch them die tragically.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
renamed to Clone Angst
Changed line(s) 86 (click to see context) from:
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'': [[TheAce George Glenn]], [[MadScientist Dr. Ulen Hibiki]], and [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney Al Da Flaga]] are the three men most responsible for the [[PunyEarthlings Natural]] vs [[GattacaBabies Coordinator]] tensions and the [[CloningBlues creation of]] [[TheManBehindTheMan the man behind the]] [[WarForFunAndProfit Bloody Valentine War]]. All three are dead as of the start of the series (although the spinoff series ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamSEEDAstray'' reveals Glenn is actually still alive, albeit as a BrainInAJar).
to:
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'': [[TheAce George Glenn]], [[MadScientist Dr. Ulen Hibiki]], and [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney Al Da Flaga]] are the three men most responsible for the [[PunyEarthlings Natural]] vs [[GattacaBabies Coordinator]] tensions and the [[CloningBlues creation of]] of [[TheManBehindTheMan the man behind the]] [[WarForFunAndProfit Bloody Valentine War]]. All three are dead as of the start of the series (although the spinoff series ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamSEEDAstray'' reveals Glenn is actually still alive, albeit as a BrainInAJar).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Deleted line(s) 78,79 (click to see context) :
Changed line(s) 98 (click to see context) from:
** Subverted by [[spoiler:Obito; He's '''[[BigBad Tobi]]''']].
to:
** Subverted by [[spoiler:Obito; He's he's '''[[BigBad Tobi]]''']].
Changed line(s) 122,123 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Manga/RankingOfKings'', the protagonist's father dies very early into the series, the story only dives deep into Bosse's character through the eyes of his closest peers and family thereafter who remember him by, and flashbacks to the times before his rise to becoming a king.
* In ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'', Tomoe Yukishiro [[spoiler: Kenshin's first wife]].
* In ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'', Tomoe Yukishiro [[spoiler: Kenshin's first wife]].
to:
* In ''Manga/RankingOfKings'', the protagonist's father dies very early into the series, series; and the story only dives deep into Bosse's character through the eyes of his closest peers and family thereafter who remember him by, and him, as well as flashbacks to the times before his rise to becoming a king.
* In ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'', we have TomoeYukishiro [[spoiler: Kenshin's Yukishiro, [[spoiler:Kenshin's first wife]].wife whose death was the decisive factor in Kenshin adpoting the mentality of a pacifist]].
* In ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'', we have Tomoe
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 31 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', by the time the story starts Tanjuro had already been dead for a year, felled by an unspecified illness, he however is the protagonist’s father and seemed to have imparted some important life lessons and some techniques that prove to be pivotal in many events later in the story; with that his son Tanjiro recalls key moments in the past where his father Tanjuro taught him something, using that knowledge to slay the demons Tanjiro encounters throughout the series.
to:
* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', by the time the story starts Tanjuro had already been dead for a year, felled by an unspecified illness, he however illness. He however, is the protagonist’s protagonist's father and seemed to have imparted some important life lessons and some techniques that prove to be pivotal in many events later in the story; with that story. With that, his son Tanjiro recalls key moments in the past where his father Tanjuro taught him something, using that knowledge to slay the demons Tanjiro encounters throughout the series.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 17 (click to see context) from:
** One character obtains CharacterDevelopment only after his death five hundred chapters after he first appears. [[spoiler:Choujirou had almost no presence in the story and only appeared in relation to his captain Yamamoto. His death reveals the truth about his relationship with Yamamoto and his death finally giving him a personality and background.]]
to:
** One character obtains CharacterDevelopment only after his death five hundred chapters after he first appears. [[spoiler:Choujirou [[spoiler:Choujiro Sasakibe had almost no presence in the story and only appeared in relation to his captain Yamamoto. His death reveals the truth about his relationship with Yamamoto and his death finally giving him a personality and background.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''Anime/PrettyCure'':
** ''Anime/YesPrettyCure5'': Urara's mother passed away when she was little.
** ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure'': Love's grandfather, who gave her the name "Love", passed away when she was about four. Episode 28 has a now-teenage Love travel back in time to see him again.
** ''Anime/SmilePrecure'': Yayoi's father died when she was five. Episode 19 is about her memories of him.
** ''Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure'': Each of the Cures has their own mascot except for Cure Moonlight. This is because [[spoiler:her mascot, Cologne, died protecting her, which is why she is in retirement as a Cure when the series starts]].
** ''Anime/DokiDokiPrecure'': Only Mana's grandfather is shown in person, never her grandmother. ''Anime/DokiDokiPrecureManaIsGettingMarriedDressOfHopeForTheFuture'' reveals that she passed away some years before the season began, but not before she could give Mana her name.
** ''Anime/HugttoPrettyCure'': Episode 29 mentions that Sousuke, Tanpopo's husband and Hana's grandfather, passed away some time ago.
** ''Anime/DeliciousPartyPrettyCure'': Yui's grandmother Yone passed away a few years before the series began. Yone was the one who inspired such a big love of food in Yui.
** ''Anime/YesPrettyCure5'': Urara's mother passed away when she was little.
** ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure'': Love's grandfather, who gave her the name "Love", passed away when she was about four. Episode 28 has a now-teenage Love travel back in time to see him again.
** ''Anime/SmilePrecure'': Yayoi's father died when she was five. Episode 19 is about her memories of him.
** ''Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure'': Each of the Cures has their own mascot except for Cure Moonlight. This is because [[spoiler:her mascot, Cologne, died protecting her, which is why she is in retirement as a Cure when the series starts]].
** ''Anime/DokiDokiPrecure'': Only Mana's grandfather is shown in person, never her grandmother. ''Anime/DokiDokiPrecureManaIsGettingMarriedDressOfHopeForTheFuture'' reveals that she passed away some years before the season began, but not before she could give Mana her name.
** ''Anime/HugttoPrettyCure'': Episode 29 mentions that Sousuke, Tanpopo's husband and Hana's grandfather, passed away some time ago.
** ''Anime/DeliciousPartyPrettyCure'': Yui's grandmother Yone passed away a few years before the series began. Yone was the one who inspired such a big love of food in Yui.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 122 (click to see context) from:
* The death of Kaori in ''LightNovel/StrawberryPanic'' is the main reason for Shizuma's bitterness and thus a very important plot point.
to:
* The death of Kaori in ''LightNovel/StrawberryPanic'' ''Literature/StrawberryPanic'' is the main reason for Shizuma's bitterness and thus a very important plot point.
Changed line(s) 129 (click to see context) from:
* Queen of Albion in anime version of ''LightNovel/TrinityBlood'' is first mentioned to viewers at the beginning of her funeral, but she did give a cryptic {{Foreshadowing}} advice to her heir before passing.
to:
* Queen of Albion in anime version of ''LightNovel/TrinityBlood'' ''Literature/TrinityBlood'' is first mentioned to viewers at the beginning of her funeral, but she did give a cryptic {{Foreshadowing}} advice to her heir before passing.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Disambiguating Fullmetal Alchemist
Changed line(s) 55 (click to see context) from:
** In the ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' anime Scar's brothers' lover is one of these. We learn quite a bit about her [[spoiler:due to Lust being her homunculus.]]
to:
** In the ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' anime ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'', Scar's brothers' lover is one of these. We learn quite a bit about her [[spoiler:due to Lust being her homunculus.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 43,44 (click to see context) from:
** Karen Lilica, Rob, Ur, and Layla Heartfilia also count.
** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] with [[spoiler: Zeref]].
** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] with [[spoiler: Zeref]].
to:
** Karen Lilica, Lilica. By abusing her Celestial Spirit Aries, she forced Loke to swap places with Aries in order to protect the latter, thereby indirectly causing Karen's death and resulting in Loke being banished.
** Rob, an old man Erza met while a slave in the Tower of Heaven.
** Ur, who's Gray and Lyon's master and Ultear's mother. Her death sealing the demon Deliora has a profound impact on all three of them.
** Lucy's mother LaylaHeartfilia also count.
Heartfilia. She died some time before the start of the series, but is a strong influence on her daughter Lucy, who follows in her footsteps as a Celestial Spirit Wizard.
** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] with[[spoiler: Zeref]].Zeref. He's initially thought to be a long-dead dark wizard who is extraordinarily powerful and evil, but then he turns out to be alive and ends up becoming one of the main antagonists.
** Rob, an old man Erza met while a slave in the Tower of Heaven.
** Ur, who's Gray and Lyon's master and Ultear's mother. Her death sealing the demon Deliora has a profound impact on all three of them.
** Lucy's mother Layla
** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] with
Changed line(s) 49,50 (click to see context) from:
** Brigadier General Basque Grand qualifies for this.
** Also, Trisha Elric, whom we got to know rather well for someone who's been dead for years.
** Also, Trisha Elric, whom we got to know rather well for someone who's been dead for years.
to:
** Brigadier General Basque Grand qualifies for this.
this. In the manga, he's first mentioned as a recent victim of Scar, an Ishbalan SerialKiller who targets State Alchemists, and is later shown during the Ishbal flashback arc.
** Also, Trisha Elric, whom we got to know rather well for someone who's been dead for years. Her death before the start of the series and her sons' attempt to transmute her back to life help kick off the plot.
** Also, Trisha Elric, whom we got to know rather well for someone who's been dead for years. Her death before the start of the series and her sons' attempt to transmute her back to life help kick off the plot.
Changed line(s) 52 (click to see context) from:
** In the ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' anime Scar's brothers' lover is one of these. We learn quite a bit about her [[spoiler:due to Lust being her homunculi.]]
to:
** In the ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' anime Scar's brothers' lover is one of these. We learn quite a bit about her [[spoiler:due to Lust being her homunculi.homunculus.]]
Changed line(s) 61 (click to see context) from:
** George Joestar II, Joseph's father, was killed [[spoiler:by one of Dio's surviving zombies]] prior to the events of ''Manga/BattleTendency'', with his death having a major influence on Joseph and [[spoiler:Lisa Lisa]]'s story.
to:
** George Joestar II, Joseph's father, father and Jonathan's son, was killed [[spoiler:by one of Dio's surviving zombies]] prior to the events of ''Manga/BattleTendency'', with his death having a major influence on Joseph and [[spoiler:Lisa Lisa]]'s story.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* Siesta from The Detective Is Already Dead would seem to be an example of this.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* In ''Manga/SevenSeeds'' majority of characters that show up if they are not the Teams since the story takes place post-apocalypse after humanity has died out. Special mentions goes to the ''Ryugu Shelter'' arc, which is a Flashback Arc, depicting the beginning and eventual fall of the specific shelter, making every character in it this.
* ''Manga/{{Aruosumente}}'':
** Oracle Kian. His personality and story are developed through extensive {{Flash Back}}s and rumours and are central to the present events off the story.
** The former Emperor also plays a significant part in the backstory that is presented through {{Flash Back}}s, being the instigator for some events.
* [[spoiler: Marco]] dies very early on in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', but it's this character's death which jumpstarts Jean's CharacterDevelopment which leads him to inspire others to join the Survey Corps, and also helps [[spoiler: Armin deduce the Female Titan's identity]].
** Marcel was a friend of Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt's. [[spoiler:He died very early on into their mission to destroy the walls after he was eaten by Ymir. His death is one of the causes of Reiner's eternal angst and his desire to be seen as a capable older brother figure. It's still haunting him 10 years later.]]
** Actual examples of characters who've only been shown in flashbacks: Frieda Reiss, [[spoiler:Krista/Historia's sister and host of the Founding Titan -- at least until Grisha Yeager stole it from her]] (and most of her siblings) along with her uncle Uri ([[spoiler:the previous host of the Founding Titan and the reason why Kenny wanted to attack the Survey Corps]]), Faye [[spoiler:Yeager, Grisha's younger sister]], [[spoiler:Eren]] Kruger, a Marleyan military official who [[spoiler:is responsible for Grisha gaining the powers of the Attack Titan, which he later gives to his son Eren]], Kuchel Ackerman ([[spoiler:Levi's mother]]) and perhaps most importantly, [[spoiler:Ymir Fritz]], the ancestor of all Eldians and [[spoiler:[[UnreliableNarrator supposed]] creator of the Titans]].
** We also learn most of Grisha Yeager's story through flashbacks. These flashbacks [[spoiler:reveal the truth of the world -- that humanity ''isn't'' almost extinct, along with a lot of other information, such as the Marley vs. Eldia conflict, the powers of the Nine Titans and the fact that Titan shifters only live for 13 years... Oh, and that the Beast Titan is Eren's half-brother.]] All this new info turns the story on its head for both the characters ''and'' the audience, setting up an entirely new goal.
* ''Manga/{{Bakuman}}'' has Mashiro's uncle Nobuhiro, who died of overworking himself before the story began and who appears in flashbacks.
* Saya of ''Manga/BlackCat'', at least in the manga; the anime moves the flashback arc to the beginning to put everything in order, making her just a regularly developed character who happens to die mid-way through the series. Lloyd as well, although he's mostly a plot device for [[TookALevelInBadass Sven's power]].
* In ''Manga/BlastOfTempest'', Aika Fuwa starts off the series dead. Despite this, there are many flashbacks to when she was alive, and most of the events in the series are either directly or indirectly influenced by her death.
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** Ichigo's resolve comes from his mother Masaki's death which is introduced via flashback. [[spoiler:A final arc flashback that includes Uryuu's mother reveals the truth. [[TheLostLenore Masaki and Kanae's]] deaths are [[PlotTriggeringDeath connected]], also linking both sons resolve, the two families, Urahara, Aizen and Ryuuken's mysterious [[HeroicNeutral attitude]] to each other and the MythArc.]]
** Uryuu's grandfather Souken was also his Quincy mentor prior to his death. His teachings and his desire to see Quincies and Shinigami working together drives Uryuu and provide most of our information about the Quincy clan. [[spoiler:It becomes very important to remember this in the final arc.]]
** Kaien is a vital source of both angst and strength for Rukia. Flashbacks reveal much of her weakness, and later her strength, come from what he taught her and how he died. He appeared to be NotQuiteDead later in the Hueco Mundo arc, but it was only a ShapeshifterGuiltTrip. [[spoiler:His death is connected to Aizen's activities and also the MythArc as his family act as a gateway to the Royal Realm and are related to Ichigo by way of Isshin Shiba (their uncle)]].
** [[TheLostLenore Hisana]] died 50 years before the main storyline began but flashbacks reveal that she obtained a deathbed promise from her husband Byakuya to protect her abandoned sister Rukia at any cost. The Soul Society arc would never have unfolded the way it did without Byakuya's attempt to juggle two conflicting vows, one to his dead wife and the other to his dead parents.
** One character obtains CharacterDevelopment only after his death five hundred chapters after he first appears. [[spoiler:Choujirou had almost no presence in the story and only appeared in relation to his captain Yamamoto. His death reveals the truth about his relationship with Yamamoto and his death finally giving him a personality and background.]]
* Onomil in ''Manga/BlueDrop'' though she shows up as a ghost later on.
* The main plot of ''Manga/BokuraNoKiseki'' involves the fact that all of the main cast of characters are {{Reincarnation}}s of another set of characters living in the distant past. By virtue of having already died and reincarnated, all the characters in the second set count as this.
* ''Manga/BungoStrayDogs'':
** Oda Sakunosuke decreases four years before the series begins, and this holds [[PlotTriggeringDeath great influence to the plot]]. [[spoiler: In an AlternateUniverse where he never dies, the timeline has been proved to go very differently.]]
** Jules Verne is consumed by his own ability before the fourth novel's time, which is largely responsible for the events happen later.
** The fifth novel takes place one year after the [[KlingonPromotion former Mafia boss's death]], and he becomes TheDragon of that story.
* Clow Reed from ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' (and ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'', and the manga version of ''Manga/XxxHolic'') has been dead for decades before either of those series begins, and is only developed through flashbacks and what other characters say about him. He still manages to be the root of the whole plot in ''Card Captor Sakura'' and he's the ultimate source of most of the action of the other two.
* ''Manga/CaseClosed'' has two more important ones:
** Akemi Miyano was originally a RedShirt killed by TheSyndicate very early on in the story, but she was later {{retcon}}ed into an important {{backstory}}-driving character.
** Jinpei Matsuda, OneSceneWonder StoryArc-wise, EnsembleDarkHorse series-wise.
* Mary Magdalene is an important enough character in ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'' to be mentioned in the logo of the series, but she's long been dead by the time the main part of the story starts. She's spoken of several times before the flashbacks explaining who she was are finally introduced (although her ghost shows up briefly in the end).
* Marianne vi Britannia in ''Anime/CodeGeass'' -- at least for R1, before it is revealed late in R2 that [[spoiler:she survived her assassination in Anya Alstreim's body, and steps onto the stage for two episodes before being KilledOffForReal]].
* ''Manga/CrossGame'' essentially runs on this trope, as one of the three central characters is dead for 49 of its 50 episodes. Despite this, [[spoiler: Wakaba]] gets just as much development as anyone else, thanks to the author's excellent talent for blending flashbacks into the narrative.
* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', by the time the story starts Tanjuro had already been dead for a year, felled by an unspecified illness, he however is the protagonist’s father and seemed to have imparted some important life lessons and some techniques that prove to be pivotal in many events later in the story; with that his son Tanjiro recalls key moments in the past where his father Tanjuro taught him something, using that knowledge to slay the demons Tanjiro encounters throughout the series.
* Allen's adoptive father Mana Walker in ''Manga/DGrayMan'' has been dead for several years from the start of the series and yet in the manga while he's a major influence on Allen's choices, he turns out to be an even more major plot point [[spoiler: when he turns out to be the biological older brother of the 14th Noah.]]
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
** Son Gohan in ''Manga/DragonBall''. That's the elderly human master of martial arts who adopted Goku, not [[DeadGuyJunior Goku's son]] from ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', mind you. He was squished by Goku's Oozaru form, which Goku himself didn't realize for years until he witnesses Vegeta turning into an Oozaru.
** Master Roshi and Crane's master, Mutaito, is long dead by the start of the series and isn't even mentioned until the King Piccolo Saga.
** The entire Saiyan race has been long dead by the time ''Dragon Ball'' starts, thanks to Frieza destroying the whole planet. As Frieza remembers Goku's father, Bardock, very clearly when seeing Goku's uncanny resemblance, showing that he at least [[VillainRespect had more of an impact than his entire race including his king put together]].
** The Saiyans' neighboring race, the Tuffles, are stated to be extinct in every media they appear. Its last surviving member, Doctor Lychee, also passed away and was reborn as a Ghost Warrior by Hatchiyack.
** The father of the nameless Namekian (Kami and King Piccolo's combined form) died centuries before the beginning of the story. He sent his son away to Earth when planet Namek's climate drastically shifted and died shortly afterwards.
** ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' reveals that the Supreme Kai of Future Trunks' timeline was killed by Dabura with a ki blast by the time the Future Trunks saga takes place.
** The evil wizard Bibidi, the father of Babidi, is mentioned a lot but has less than five minutes of screentime in the anime, and ''none'' in the manga. We only see a brief flashback to him late in the anime when Shin is explaining Buu's original form. [[note]]Strangely, he isn't shown in the manga's version of this scene while South Supreme Kai and Grand Supreme Kai are.[[/note]]
** [[spoiler:Jiren]]'s master, Gicchin, and many of his companions were killed when [[spoiler:Jiren]] was younger, by the hands of "the killer". The survivors left him behind out of desperation.
* Lisanna in ''Manga/FairyTail'', although initially she's just a character that's present in old photos and flashbacks to the guild's childhood being told to Lucy yet is mysteriously not around present day. Lucy even picks up on this but is interrupted by something before she can inquire further. In the next arc the story of what happened to her (she died during a mission because Elfman lost control) is finally explained. [[spoiler:And then she turns up alive after all.]]
** Karen Lilica, Rob, Ur, and Layla Heartfilia also count.
** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] with [[spoiler: Zeref]].
* Ryuken, the previous Hokuto Shinken master in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', is dead before the story begins and his appearances in the series are primarily flashbacks of Kenshiro's training days with his "brothers".
** Shin and Raoh are lesser examples. Shin is killed off in the tenth chapter and receives some character development via flashback later on. Raoh is one in the second half of the series, where numerous major characters are connected to him.
* Various parents in ''Manga/FruitsBasket'', namely Tohru's parents and Akito's father. Tohru's mother Kyoko Honda made the most appearances and was mentioned most regularly.
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'':
** Brigadier General Basque Grand qualifies for this.
** Also, Trisha Elric, whom we got to know rather well for someone who's been dead for years.
** Also, Scar's brother, who even plays a vital part in [[spoiler:foiling the BigBad]].
** In the ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' anime Scar's brothers' lover is one of these. We learn quite a bit about her [[spoiler:due to Lust being her homunculi.]]
* Cain from ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'' fame. He is long gone by the time the series starts, yet he is a driving force to the whole plot. [[spoiler:Still around in some way, and manifests himself near the series' finale from the broken programming of Galeon with the help of The Power.]] He forces so much respect in the main character Guy that he even has an HeroicBSOD when [[spoiler:he thinks Cain did a FaceHeelTurn to the Sol Masters (when he's really a flawed program based on the original Cain.)]]
* Gintoki, Katsura, and Takasugi's sensei in ''Manga/{{Gintama}}''. [[TheFaceless His face is never shown]] until a flashback in the Courtesan of a Nation Arc, but is implied to be a major influence for all three of his students.
* [[NoNameGiven Ryou's grandmother]] in ''Manga/GourmetGirlGraffiti'' passed away shortly before the beginning of the series. The resulting MinorLivingAlone kicks off this SliceOfLife series.
* Admiral Takaya of ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'' died several years before the first events of the OVA and yet set off the entire plot.
* Elsa from ''Manga/GunslingerGirl'' (manga only, the anime introduces her earlier on).
* Old Rome and Germania from ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers''.
* ''Manga/JiuJiu'': Takamichi Hachioji's twin brother, Takayuki. He appears alive for all of one page in the first volume, before Takamichi's narration declares "that was the day my brother died." His sudden death pushes Takamichi into the position of Hachioji Clan Heir, after their family had previously dismissed her as an [[SpareToTheThrone useless spare]]. Takayuki was the only person in their family who truly cared for Takamichi, and she often reminisces about him.
* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
** George Joestar II, Joseph's father, was killed [[spoiler:by one of Dio's surviving zombies]] prior to the events of ''Manga/BattleTendency'', with his death having a major influence on Joseph and [[spoiler:Lisa Lisa]]'s story.
** Cherie Polnareff was killed by J. Geil prior to the events of ''Manga/StardustCrusaders'', with Polnareff's entire motivation based around trying to get {{Revenge}} for her death.
** [[spoiler:Even after his death in Part 3, Dio Brando's influence [[GreaterScopeVillain continues to have an effect on the later Parts]]]].
** While [[spoiler:Kosaku Kawajiri]] from ''Manga/DiamondIsUnbreakable'' is alive for the Part's first half, [[spoiler:he isn't introduced into the story until after [[DeadPersonImpersonation Kira has killed him and stolen his identity]]]].
** Sorbet and Gelato were killed prior to the events of ''Manga/GoldenWind'', with their deaths [[PlotTriggeringDeath being what causes La Squadra to turn against Passione]].
** ''Manga/StoneOcean'':
*** Gloria Costello, Ermes' sister, was killed by Sports Maxx prior to the events of the Part, causing Ermes to get herself arrested to find Sports Maxx and get {{Revenge}}.
*** An even bigger example from this Part is [[spoiler:Perla Pucci, whose death would end up being the trigger for Pucci's StartOfDarkness]].
** ''Manga/{{JoJolion}}'':
*** Both [[spoiler:Yoshikage Kira and Josefumi Kujo]] are dead by the time the Part begins. [[spoiler:Well, [[FusionDance sorta]]]].
*** Rina Higashikata, who died years prior to the events of the Part, but is also the one who would end up causing the Stone Disease to infect the Higashikata family.
*** Tomoko Higashikata, who [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice sacrificed herself]] to save Norisuke IV from the Stone Disease]].
* ''Anime/KillLaKill'' has the fathers of TheHero and TheRival, Isshin Matoi and Soichiro Kiryuin, respectively, both of whose deaths play a major motivating role in their daughter's actions. [[spoiler: [[LukeIAmYourFather They were actually the same man]]; Soichiro secretly survived his wife's attempted murder, along with their second daughter, and he took a new identity]].
* [[DeathByOriginStory Caeser]], the eponymous character's father from ''Manga/KimbaTheWhiteLion'', often appears in flashbacks.
* Kanata Izumi in ''Manga/LuckyStar'', who is deceased before the beginning of both the manga and the anime. She occasionally comes back as a ghost, checking up on how her family is doing.
* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'':
** Quint Nakajima's entire character is fleshed out by stories and {{flashback}}s from her husband, her daughters, and her captain.
** Alicia Testarossa; the only times we see her alive are in a flashback and a dream sequence; most of what we know about her comes from Precia, although, since she's quite unhinged at this point, it's hard to tell how much is true.
** Linith, too. And Tiida Lanster. And Olivie Sägebrecht.
** Roy Berlinetta gets a special mention for being the first one in the series to die of natural causes.
** Precia ([[DisneyVillainDeath presumably]]) died at the end of the first season, but her influence can still be felt in both the second and third seasons due to the effect that her abuse had on Fate.
* Dr. Juuzo Kabuto from ''Anime/MazingerZ'' died in the first episode/chapter. Though he is ever-present. His actions not only affected the course of the whole series but also of the sequel ''Anime/GreatMazinger'', and his name often comes up in conversations. His personality and background are developed through flashbacks and conversations with other characters, mainly his grandsons (Kouji and Shiro), his best disciple (TheProfessor Yumi), and even BigBad Dr. Hell.
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'': [[TheAce George Glenn]], [[MadScientist Dr. Ulen Hibiki]], and [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney Al Da Flaga]] are the three men most responsible for the [[PunyEarthlings Natural]] vs [[GattacaBabies Coordinator]] tensions and the [[CloningBlues creation of]] [[TheManBehindTheMan the man behind the]] [[WarForFunAndProfit Bloody Valentine War]]. All three are dead as of the start of the series (although the spinoff series ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamSEEDAstray'' reveals Glenn is actually still alive, albeit as a BrainInAJar).
** In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'' the previous BigBad takes over this role.
* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'', the mastermind of anti-war paramility group Celestial Being is a man named Aeolia Schenberg, who somehow foresaw his energy-crisis ending designs giving rise to the mobile suit approximately 200 years before the events of the series, and directed all of his remaining resources to ending military conflicts worldwide -- conflicts he knew he wouldn't live to see.
* The original ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' has Zeon Zum Deikun, founder of the Principality of Zeon and father of Char and Sayla. Most people believe he was poisoned by the Zabi family, but there are also hints here and there that he really did die of a heart attack and Char's quest for revenge was all for nothing.
* Lena Sayers from the ''Anime/MyOtome'' anime. The series itself takes place fourteen years after her death, with [[spoiler:her daughter]] as the main character.
* ''Manga/MyRoommateIsACat'': Subaru's parents are dead when the story begins, resulting in them getting their entire development via people remembering them.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** The Fourth Hokage, who dies sealing the Nine-Tailed Fox into Naruto at the start of the story. Over the course of the plot, his personality, deeds in life, [[spoiler:family, and even real name]] are revealed. This also applies to [[spoiler: his wife Kushina]], Sasuke Uchiha's parents, [[spoiler: Kakashi's childhood friends Rin and Obito Uchiha]], and [[spoiler: Yahiko and Hanzo]] from the Hidden Rain Village.
** [[spoiler:[[{{Necromancer}} Kabuto's technique]]]] gives us formerly Posthumous Characters by truckloads.
** [[spoiler: Madara Uchiha]] may be something of a '''Triple Subversion'''. First, we think he's dead. Then [[spoiler: Tobi claims to be him.]] Then we learn [[spoiler: Tobi is ''not'' Madara, the real Madara was very much dead.]] thanks to the above-mentioned technique. But then [[spoiler: Tobi's ''real'' backstory shows the real Madara died a ''lot'' more recently than we previously thought. Not only that, but the newly-resurrected Madara rises to prominence and joins the BigBad party, being the one responsible for Tobi's EvilPlan in the first place.]]
** Subverted by [[spoiler:Obito; He's '''[[BigBad Tobi]]''']].
* Natsume's grandmother Reiko in ''Manga/NatsumesBookOfFriends''. The Book of Friends (aka Yuujinchou) is among the few things Natsume inherits from his late grandmother. Once Natsume has returned the name of a youkai, a flashback is usually shown about the circumstances surrounding when Reiko first took the name.
* Takamichi's master Gateau Kagura von Vandenburg and Nagi's master Filius Zect of ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegimagi''. The only members of Ala Rubra confirmed to be dead. They now only live in the flashbacks of their comrades, pupils, and a certain princess that travelled with them.
** Now we have Primum, Secundum, Nii, and Septendecim. And Lifemaker, but [[AmbiguousGender (s)he]] may return.
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'':
** Yui Ikari and Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu, technically speaking, as they ''did'' die but are still around in a sense. [[spoiler:Being {{Kaiju}} {{Youkai}} HumongousMecha counts as being "still around", yes?]]
** Naoko Akagi, Ritsuko's mother. She created the Magi system and [[spoiler:killed Rei I]] but has been dead for years by the time the show begins.
* Mireille's parents have been dead for roughly a decade at the start of ''Anime/{{Noir}}'', but a flashback to Odette's last words in the penultimate episode greatly influences the end of the story.
* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** Technically, anytime this show has a flashback there will be at least one Posthumous Character.
** Gold Roger, a legendary pirate who conquered the Grand Line and was executed by the World Government. He kickstarts the grand age of piracy where [[MacGuffinTitle the story takes place]].
** Subverted by [[spoiler:Sabo, who turns out to be alive and a member of the Revolutionaries a few arcs after the flashback he was in supposedly killed him off]].
* In ''Manga/PandoraHearts'', Jack Vessalius and Glen Baskerville have been dead for 100 years, and we have just begun to understand their stories, always through flashbacks. [[spoiler: And then Glen comes BackFromTheDead via reincarnation and Jack turns out to not be as dead as everyone thought...]]
** And there’s Lacie, the root of the story itself. But she’s never played any part of the story in the present, unlike Jack and Glen.
* Several characters in ''Anime/{{Penguindrum}}'', being a series told in AnachronicOrder full of {{Whole Episode Flashback}}s. But specially, Momoka.
* Kyouko's father in ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica''. Then ''Manga/PuellaMagiOrikoMagica'' gives us Yuma's parents and Oriko's dad.
* In ''Manga/RankingOfKings'', the protagonist's father dies very early into the series, the story only dives deep into Bosse's character through the eyes of his closest peers and family thereafter who remember him by, and flashbacks to the times before his rise to becoming a king.
* In ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'', Tomoe Yukishiro [[spoiler: Kenshin's first wife]].
* Koumyou Sanzo from ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}''. He later got his own prequel series after ''Gaiden'' wrapped up.
* A few in ''Manga/{{Saki}}'':
** Kuro and Yuu's mother, who passed away while the sisters were young and taught Kuro to hold onto dora tiles, resulting in her ability to attract them.
** An unnamed girl who appears in flashbacks in Chapters 102 and 104 and whom [[spoiler:Saki and Teru appear to have known once, before their family broke apart]], is implied to be dead, but it has not been officially confirmed.
* [[spoiler:Megu-nee]] died several weeks prior to the ''Manga/SchoolLive'' manga beginning however that [[DeadAllAlong isn't revealed]] until several chapters in [[spoiler:as UnreliableNarrator Yuki hallucinates she's still alive.]] Slowly her presence begins to fade until she's written out of the series, though we get several flashbacks both involving her and [[ADayInTheLimelight from her POV]].
* Amuria in ''Anime/{{Simoun}}'', mourned over by Neviril, which forms a major plot point.
* The death of Kaori in ''LightNovel/StrawberryPanic'' is the main reason for Shizuma's bitterness and thus a very important plot point.
* Satoru Renjo from ''Manga/TanteiGakuenQ'' is Morihiko Dan's very first partner when he opened his own detective agency. Being a person who died at least more than three years before the story began, he has a great influence to the main character to become a detective since he is the one who introduces how detective works to Kyu, presented through flashback. It's helped by the fact that [[spoiler:Satoru is Kyu's biological father]].
* In ''Manga/TarotCafe'', Pamela's mother [[BurnTheWitch was burned at the stake]] before the series begins, but she still shows up in Pamela's memories, a hallucination/dream, [[spoiler:and to give Pamela a hint when Pamela is exploring Hell.]] Arguably she sets off the events of the series, between taking Pamela to visit the "holy man" [[spoiler:who was really Belus]] and making her DealWithTheDevil in an effort to protect her daughter.
* In ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'', ''Anime/TenchiUniverse'' and ''Anime/TenchiInTokyo'', Tenchi's mother (Kiyone in the [=OVAs=], Achika in ''Universe'' and ''in Tokyo'') becomes this, having flashbacks to her from time to time. The first Tenchi movie focuses on her (though only in ''Universe'') while the final episode of the [=OVAs=] shows that she's not this patron saint of motherhood...
* ''Manga/TentomushiNoUta'' stars seven siblings who have to do their part in looking after one another because of their parents dying prior to the events of the series ([[DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation from a plane crash in the manga, from overwork in the anime]]). The youngest of the seven children, a five-year-old girl named Hiyoko Isshuu, was the most upset by her parents' demise.
* Rem Saverem from ''Manga/{{Trigun}}''.
* Queen of Albion in anime version of ''LightNovel/TrinityBlood'' is first mentioned to viewers at the beginning of her funeral, but she did give a cryptic {{Foreshadowing}} advice to her heir before passing.
* Lightning Tiger's death at the beginning of ''Manhwa/{{Veritas}}'' forms the basis of the plot. Almost all characters introduced afterwards have their relationship to him explained via flashback.
* [[spoiler:Hokuto Sumeragi and Setsuka Sakurazuka]] in ''Manga/{{X 1999}}''.
* ''Anime/YourName'': Mitsuha's mother Futaba died 6 years prior to the start of the film of illness, but her death continues to haunt her family even up to today.
* Gozaburo Kaiba, Seto and Mokuba Kaiba, is this in the manga version of ''Anime/YuGiOh'', having been DrivenToSuicide after Seto ousted him from Kaibacorp. (Subverted, however, [[SparedByTheAdaptation not the case in the anime]], where he's OnlyMostlyDead and appears as the BigBad of the [[FillerArc Virtual Nightmare arc]].)
* Yusei Fudo's parents in ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds''. (His father appears as a benign spirit in one episode.)
----
* ''Manga/{{Aruosumente}}'':
** Oracle Kian. His personality and story are developed through extensive {{Flash Back}}s and rumours and are central to the present events off the story.
** The former Emperor also plays a significant part in the backstory that is presented through {{Flash Back}}s, being the instigator for some events.
* [[spoiler: Marco]] dies very early on in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', but it's this character's death which jumpstarts Jean's CharacterDevelopment which leads him to inspire others to join the Survey Corps, and also helps [[spoiler: Armin deduce the Female Titan's identity]].
** Marcel was a friend of Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt's. [[spoiler:He died very early on into their mission to destroy the walls after he was eaten by Ymir. His death is one of the causes of Reiner's eternal angst and his desire to be seen as a capable older brother figure. It's still haunting him 10 years later.]]
** Actual examples of characters who've only been shown in flashbacks: Frieda Reiss, [[spoiler:Krista/Historia's sister and host of the Founding Titan -- at least until Grisha Yeager stole it from her]] (and most of her siblings) along with her uncle Uri ([[spoiler:the previous host of the Founding Titan and the reason why Kenny wanted to attack the Survey Corps]]), Faye [[spoiler:Yeager, Grisha's younger sister]], [[spoiler:Eren]] Kruger, a Marleyan military official who [[spoiler:is responsible for Grisha gaining the powers of the Attack Titan, which he later gives to his son Eren]], Kuchel Ackerman ([[spoiler:Levi's mother]]) and perhaps most importantly, [[spoiler:Ymir Fritz]], the ancestor of all Eldians and [[spoiler:[[UnreliableNarrator supposed]] creator of the Titans]].
** We also learn most of Grisha Yeager's story through flashbacks. These flashbacks [[spoiler:reveal the truth of the world -- that humanity ''isn't'' almost extinct, along with a lot of other information, such as the Marley vs. Eldia conflict, the powers of the Nine Titans and the fact that Titan shifters only live for 13 years... Oh, and that the Beast Titan is Eren's half-brother.]] All this new info turns the story on its head for both the characters ''and'' the audience, setting up an entirely new goal.
* ''Manga/{{Bakuman}}'' has Mashiro's uncle Nobuhiro, who died of overworking himself before the story began and who appears in flashbacks.
* Saya of ''Manga/BlackCat'', at least in the manga; the anime moves the flashback arc to the beginning to put everything in order, making her just a regularly developed character who happens to die mid-way through the series. Lloyd as well, although he's mostly a plot device for [[TookALevelInBadass Sven's power]].
* In ''Manga/BlastOfTempest'', Aika Fuwa starts off the series dead. Despite this, there are many flashbacks to when she was alive, and most of the events in the series are either directly or indirectly influenced by her death.
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** Ichigo's resolve comes from his mother Masaki's death which is introduced via flashback. [[spoiler:A final arc flashback that includes Uryuu's mother reveals the truth. [[TheLostLenore Masaki and Kanae's]] deaths are [[PlotTriggeringDeath connected]], also linking both sons resolve, the two families, Urahara, Aizen and Ryuuken's mysterious [[HeroicNeutral attitude]] to each other and the MythArc.]]
** Uryuu's grandfather Souken was also his Quincy mentor prior to his death. His teachings and his desire to see Quincies and Shinigami working together drives Uryuu and provide most of our information about the Quincy clan. [[spoiler:It becomes very important to remember this in the final arc.]]
** Kaien is a vital source of both angst and strength for Rukia. Flashbacks reveal much of her weakness, and later her strength, come from what he taught her and how he died. He appeared to be NotQuiteDead later in the Hueco Mundo arc, but it was only a ShapeshifterGuiltTrip. [[spoiler:His death is connected to Aizen's activities and also the MythArc as his family act as a gateway to the Royal Realm and are related to Ichigo by way of Isshin Shiba (their uncle)]].
** [[TheLostLenore Hisana]] died 50 years before the main storyline began but flashbacks reveal that she obtained a deathbed promise from her husband Byakuya to protect her abandoned sister Rukia at any cost. The Soul Society arc would never have unfolded the way it did without Byakuya's attempt to juggle two conflicting vows, one to his dead wife and the other to his dead parents.
** One character obtains CharacterDevelopment only after his death five hundred chapters after he first appears. [[spoiler:Choujirou had almost no presence in the story and only appeared in relation to his captain Yamamoto. His death reveals the truth about his relationship with Yamamoto and his death finally giving him a personality and background.]]
* Onomil in ''Manga/BlueDrop'' though she shows up as a ghost later on.
* The main plot of ''Manga/BokuraNoKiseki'' involves the fact that all of the main cast of characters are {{Reincarnation}}s of another set of characters living in the distant past. By virtue of having already died and reincarnated, all the characters in the second set count as this.
* ''Manga/BungoStrayDogs'':
** Oda Sakunosuke decreases four years before the series begins, and this holds [[PlotTriggeringDeath great influence to the plot]]. [[spoiler: In an AlternateUniverse where he never dies, the timeline has been proved to go very differently.]]
** Jules Verne is consumed by his own ability before the fourth novel's time, which is largely responsible for the events happen later.
** The fifth novel takes place one year after the [[KlingonPromotion former Mafia boss's death]], and he becomes TheDragon of that story.
* Clow Reed from ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' (and ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'', and the manga version of ''Manga/XxxHolic'') has been dead for decades before either of those series begins, and is only developed through flashbacks and what other characters say about him. He still manages to be the root of the whole plot in ''Card Captor Sakura'' and he's the ultimate source of most of the action of the other two.
* ''Manga/CaseClosed'' has two more important ones:
** Akemi Miyano was originally a RedShirt killed by TheSyndicate very early on in the story, but she was later {{retcon}}ed into an important {{backstory}}-driving character.
** Jinpei Matsuda, OneSceneWonder StoryArc-wise, EnsembleDarkHorse series-wise.
* Mary Magdalene is an important enough character in ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'' to be mentioned in the logo of the series, but she's long been dead by the time the main part of the story starts. She's spoken of several times before the flashbacks explaining who she was are finally introduced (although her ghost shows up briefly in the end).
* Marianne vi Britannia in ''Anime/CodeGeass'' -- at least for R1, before it is revealed late in R2 that [[spoiler:she survived her assassination in Anya Alstreim's body, and steps onto the stage for two episodes before being KilledOffForReal]].
* ''Manga/CrossGame'' essentially runs on this trope, as one of the three central characters is dead for 49 of its 50 episodes. Despite this, [[spoiler: Wakaba]] gets just as much development as anyone else, thanks to the author's excellent talent for blending flashbacks into the narrative.
* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', by the time the story starts Tanjuro had already been dead for a year, felled by an unspecified illness, he however is the protagonist’s father and seemed to have imparted some important life lessons and some techniques that prove to be pivotal in many events later in the story; with that his son Tanjiro recalls key moments in the past where his father Tanjuro taught him something, using that knowledge to slay the demons Tanjiro encounters throughout the series.
* Allen's adoptive father Mana Walker in ''Manga/DGrayMan'' has been dead for several years from the start of the series and yet in the manga while he's a major influence on Allen's choices, he turns out to be an even more major plot point [[spoiler: when he turns out to be the biological older brother of the 14th Noah.]]
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
** Son Gohan in ''Manga/DragonBall''. That's the elderly human master of martial arts who adopted Goku, not [[DeadGuyJunior Goku's son]] from ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', mind you. He was squished by Goku's Oozaru form, which Goku himself didn't realize for years until he witnesses Vegeta turning into an Oozaru.
** Master Roshi and Crane's master, Mutaito, is long dead by the start of the series and isn't even mentioned until the King Piccolo Saga.
** The entire Saiyan race has been long dead by the time ''Dragon Ball'' starts, thanks to Frieza destroying the whole planet. As Frieza remembers Goku's father, Bardock, very clearly when seeing Goku's uncanny resemblance, showing that he at least [[VillainRespect had more of an impact than his entire race including his king put together]].
** The Saiyans' neighboring race, the Tuffles, are stated to be extinct in every media they appear. Its last surviving member, Doctor Lychee, also passed away and was reborn as a Ghost Warrior by Hatchiyack.
** The father of the nameless Namekian (Kami and King Piccolo's combined form) died centuries before the beginning of the story. He sent his son away to Earth when planet Namek's climate drastically shifted and died shortly afterwards.
** ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' reveals that the Supreme Kai of Future Trunks' timeline was killed by Dabura with a ki blast by the time the Future Trunks saga takes place.
** The evil wizard Bibidi, the father of Babidi, is mentioned a lot but has less than five minutes of screentime in the anime, and ''none'' in the manga. We only see a brief flashback to him late in the anime when Shin is explaining Buu's original form. [[note]]Strangely, he isn't shown in the manga's version of this scene while South Supreme Kai and Grand Supreme Kai are.[[/note]]
** [[spoiler:Jiren]]'s master, Gicchin, and many of his companions were killed when [[spoiler:Jiren]] was younger, by the hands of "the killer". The survivors left him behind out of desperation.
* Lisanna in ''Manga/FairyTail'', although initially she's just a character that's present in old photos and flashbacks to the guild's childhood being told to Lucy yet is mysteriously not around present day. Lucy even picks up on this but is interrupted by something before she can inquire further. In the next arc the story of what happened to her (she died during a mission because Elfman lost control) is finally explained. [[spoiler:And then she turns up alive after all.]]
** Karen Lilica, Rob, Ur, and Layla Heartfilia also count.
** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] with [[spoiler: Zeref]].
* Ryuken, the previous Hokuto Shinken master in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', is dead before the story begins and his appearances in the series are primarily flashbacks of Kenshiro's training days with his "brothers".
** Shin and Raoh are lesser examples. Shin is killed off in the tenth chapter and receives some character development via flashback later on. Raoh is one in the second half of the series, where numerous major characters are connected to him.
* Various parents in ''Manga/FruitsBasket'', namely Tohru's parents and Akito's father. Tohru's mother Kyoko Honda made the most appearances and was mentioned most regularly.
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'':
** Brigadier General Basque Grand qualifies for this.
** Also, Trisha Elric, whom we got to know rather well for someone who's been dead for years.
** Also, Scar's brother, who even plays a vital part in [[spoiler:foiling the BigBad]].
** In the ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' anime Scar's brothers' lover is one of these. We learn quite a bit about her [[spoiler:due to Lust being her homunculi.]]
* Cain from ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'' fame. He is long gone by the time the series starts, yet he is a driving force to the whole plot. [[spoiler:Still around in some way, and manifests himself near the series' finale from the broken programming of Galeon with the help of The Power.]] He forces so much respect in the main character Guy that he even has an HeroicBSOD when [[spoiler:he thinks Cain did a FaceHeelTurn to the Sol Masters (when he's really a flawed program based on the original Cain.)]]
* Gintoki, Katsura, and Takasugi's sensei in ''Manga/{{Gintama}}''. [[TheFaceless His face is never shown]] until a flashback in the Courtesan of a Nation Arc, but is implied to be a major influence for all three of his students.
* [[NoNameGiven Ryou's grandmother]] in ''Manga/GourmetGirlGraffiti'' passed away shortly before the beginning of the series. The resulting MinorLivingAlone kicks off this SliceOfLife series.
* Admiral Takaya of ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'' died several years before the first events of the OVA and yet set off the entire plot.
* Elsa from ''Manga/GunslingerGirl'' (manga only, the anime introduces her earlier on).
* Old Rome and Germania from ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers''.
* ''Manga/JiuJiu'': Takamichi Hachioji's twin brother, Takayuki. He appears alive for all of one page in the first volume, before Takamichi's narration declares "that was the day my brother died." His sudden death pushes Takamichi into the position of Hachioji Clan Heir, after their family had previously dismissed her as an [[SpareToTheThrone useless spare]]. Takayuki was the only person in their family who truly cared for Takamichi, and she often reminisces about him.
* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
** George Joestar II, Joseph's father, was killed [[spoiler:by one of Dio's surviving zombies]] prior to the events of ''Manga/BattleTendency'', with his death having a major influence on Joseph and [[spoiler:Lisa Lisa]]'s story.
** Cherie Polnareff was killed by J. Geil prior to the events of ''Manga/StardustCrusaders'', with Polnareff's entire motivation based around trying to get {{Revenge}} for her death.
** [[spoiler:Even after his death in Part 3, Dio Brando's influence [[GreaterScopeVillain continues to have an effect on the later Parts]]]].
** While [[spoiler:Kosaku Kawajiri]] from ''Manga/DiamondIsUnbreakable'' is alive for the Part's first half, [[spoiler:he isn't introduced into the story until after [[DeadPersonImpersonation Kira has killed him and stolen his identity]]]].
** Sorbet and Gelato were killed prior to the events of ''Manga/GoldenWind'', with their deaths [[PlotTriggeringDeath being what causes La Squadra to turn against Passione]].
** ''Manga/StoneOcean'':
*** Gloria Costello, Ermes' sister, was killed by Sports Maxx prior to the events of the Part, causing Ermes to get herself arrested to find Sports Maxx and get {{Revenge}}.
*** An even bigger example from this Part is [[spoiler:Perla Pucci, whose death would end up being the trigger for Pucci's StartOfDarkness]].
** ''Manga/{{JoJolion}}'':
*** Both [[spoiler:Yoshikage Kira and Josefumi Kujo]] are dead by the time the Part begins. [[spoiler:Well, [[FusionDance sorta]]]].
*** Rina Higashikata, who died years prior to the events of the Part, but is also the one who would end up causing the Stone Disease to infect the Higashikata family.
*** Tomoko Higashikata, who [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice sacrificed herself]] to save Norisuke IV from the Stone Disease]].
* ''Anime/KillLaKill'' has the fathers of TheHero and TheRival, Isshin Matoi and Soichiro Kiryuin, respectively, both of whose deaths play a major motivating role in their daughter's actions. [[spoiler: [[LukeIAmYourFather They were actually the same man]]; Soichiro secretly survived his wife's attempted murder, along with their second daughter, and he took a new identity]].
* [[DeathByOriginStory Caeser]], the eponymous character's father from ''Manga/KimbaTheWhiteLion'', often appears in flashbacks.
* Kanata Izumi in ''Manga/LuckyStar'', who is deceased before the beginning of both the manga and the anime. She occasionally comes back as a ghost, checking up on how her family is doing.
* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'':
** Quint Nakajima's entire character is fleshed out by stories and {{flashback}}s from her husband, her daughters, and her captain.
** Alicia Testarossa; the only times we see her alive are in a flashback and a dream sequence; most of what we know about her comes from Precia, although, since she's quite unhinged at this point, it's hard to tell how much is true.
** Linith, too. And Tiida Lanster. And Olivie Sägebrecht.
** Roy Berlinetta gets a special mention for being the first one in the series to die of natural causes.
** Precia ([[DisneyVillainDeath presumably]]) died at the end of the first season, but her influence can still be felt in both the second and third seasons due to the effect that her abuse had on Fate.
* Dr. Juuzo Kabuto from ''Anime/MazingerZ'' died in the first episode/chapter. Though he is ever-present. His actions not only affected the course of the whole series but also of the sequel ''Anime/GreatMazinger'', and his name often comes up in conversations. His personality and background are developed through flashbacks and conversations with other characters, mainly his grandsons (Kouji and Shiro), his best disciple (TheProfessor Yumi), and even BigBad Dr. Hell.
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'': [[TheAce George Glenn]], [[MadScientist Dr. Ulen Hibiki]], and [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney Al Da Flaga]] are the three men most responsible for the [[PunyEarthlings Natural]] vs [[GattacaBabies Coordinator]] tensions and the [[CloningBlues creation of]] [[TheManBehindTheMan the man behind the]] [[WarForFunAndProfit Bloody Valentine War]]. All three are dead as of the start of the series (although the spinoff series ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamSEEDAstray'' reveals Glenn is actually still alive, albeit as a BrainInAJar).
** In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'' the previous BigBad takes over this role.
* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'', the mastermind of anti-war paramility group Celestial Being is a man named Aeolia Schenberg, who somehow foresaw his energy-crisis ending designs giving rise to the mobile suit approximately 200 years before the events of the series, and directed all of his remaining resources to ending military conflicts worldwide -- conflicts he knew he wouldn't live to see.
* The original ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' has Zeon Zum Deikun, founder of the Principality of Zeon and father of Char and Sayla. Most people believe he was poisoned by the Zabi family, but there are also hints here and there that he really did die of a heart attack and Char's quest for revenge was all for nothing.
* Lena Sayers from the ''Anime/MyOtome'' anime. The series itself takes place fourteen years after her death, with [[spoiler:her daughter]] as the main character.
* ''Manga/MyRoommateIsACat'': Subaru's parents are dead when the story begins, resulting in them getting their entire development via people remembering them.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** The Fourth Hokage, who dies sealing the Nine-Tailed Fox into Naruto at the start of the story. Over the course of the plot, his personality, deeds in life, [[spoiler:family, and even real name]] are revealed. This also applies to [[spoiler: his wife Kushina]], Sasuke Uchiha's parents, [[spoiler: Kakashi's childhood friends Rin and Obito Uchiha]], and [[spoiler: Yahiko and Hanzo]] from the Hidden Rain Village.
** [[spoiler:[[{{Necromancer}} Kabuto's technique]]]] gives us formerly Posthumous Characters by truckloads.
** [[spoiler: Madara Uchiha]] may be something of a '''Triple Subversion'''. First, we think he's dead. Then [[spoiler: Tobi claims to be him.]] Then we learn [[spoiler: Tobi is ''not'' Madara, the real Madara was very much dead.]] thanks to the above-mentioned technique. But then [[spoiler: Tobi's ''real'' backstory shows the real Madara died a ''lot'' more recently than we previously thought. Not only that, but the newly-resurrected Madara rises to prominence and joins the BigBad party, being the one responsible for Tobi's EvilPlan in the first place.]]
** Subverted by [[spoiler:Obito; He's '''[[BigBad Tobi]]''']].
* Natsume's grandmother Reiko in ''Manga/NatsumesBookOfFriends''. The Book of Friends (aka Yuujinchou) is among the few things Natsume inherits from his late grandmother. Once Natsume has returned the name of a youkai, a flashback is usually shown about the circumstances surrounding when Reiko first took the name.
* Takamichi's master Gateau Kagura von Vandenburg and Nagi's master Filius Zect of ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegimagi''. The only members of Ala Rubra confirmed to be dead. They now only live in the flashbacks of their comrades, pupils, and a certain princess that travelled with them.
** Now we have Primum, Secundum, Nii, and Septendecim. And Lifemaker, but [[AmbiguousGender (s)he]] may return.
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'':
** Yui Ikari and Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu, technically speaking, as they ''did'' die but are still around in a sense. [[spoiler:Being {{Kaiju}} {{Youkai}} HumongousMecha counts as being "still around", yes?]]
** Naoko Akagi, Ritsuko's mother. She created the Magi system and [[spoiler:killed Rei I]] but has been dead for years by the time the show begins.
* Mireille's parents have been dead for roughly a decade at the start of ''Anime/{{Noir}}'', but a flashback to Odette's last words in the penultimate episode greatly influences the end of the story.
* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** Technically, anytime this show has a flashback there will be at least one Posthumous Character.
** Gold Roger, a legendary pirate who conquered the Grand Line and was executed by the World Government. He kickstarts the grand age of piracy where [[MacGuffinTitle the story takes place]].
** Subverted by [[spoiler:Sabo, who turns out to be alive and a member of the Revolutionaries a few arcs after the flashback he was in supposedly killed him off]].
* In ''Manga/PandoraHearts'', Jack Vessalius and Glen Baskerville have been dead for 100 years, and we have just begun to understand their stories, always through flashbacks. [[spoiler: And then Glen comes BackFromTheDead via reincarnation and Jack turns out to not be as dead as everyone thought...]]
** And there’s Lacie, the root of the story itself. But she’s never played any part of the story in the present, unlike Jack and Glen.
* Several characters in ''Anime/{{Penguindrum}}'', being a series told in AnachronicOrder full of {{Whole Episode Flashback}}s. But specially, Momoka.
* Kyouko's father in ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica''. Then ''Manga/PuellaMagiOrikoMagica'' gives us Yuma's parents and Oriko's dad.
* In ''Manga/RankingOfKings'', the protagonist's father dies very early into the series, the story only dives deep into Bosse's character through the eyes of his closest peers and family thereafter who remember him by, and flashbacks to the times before his rise to becoming a king.
* In ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'', Tomoe Yukishiro [[spoiler: Kenshin's first wife]].
* Koumyou Sanzo from ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}''. He later got his own prequel series after ''Gaiden'' wrapped up.
* A few in ''Manga/{{Saki}}'':
** Kuro and Yuu's mother, who passed away while the sisters were young and taught Kuro to hold onto dora tiles, resulting in her ability to attract them.
** An unnamed girl who appears in flashbacks in Chapters 102 and 104 and whom [[spoiler:Saki and Teru appear to have known once, before their family broke apart]], is implied to be dead, but it has not been officially confirmed.
* [[spoiler:Megu-nee]] died several weeks prior to the ''Manga/SchoolLive'' manga beginning however that [[DeadAllAlong isn't revealed]] until several chapters in [[spoiler:as UnreliableNarrator Yuki hallucinates she's still alive.]] Slowly her presence begins to fade until she's written out of the series, though we get several flashbacks both involving her and [[ADayInTheLimelight from her POV]].
* Amuria in ''Anime/{{Simoun}}'', mourned over by Neviril, which forms a major plot point.
* The death of Kaori in ''LightNovel/StrawberryPanic'' is the main reason for Shizuma's bitterness and thus a very important plot point.
* Satoru Renjo from ''Manga/TanteiGakuenQ'' is Morihiko Dan's very first partner when he opened his own detective agency. Being a person who died at least more than three years before the story began, he has a great influence to the main character to become a detective since he is the one who introduces how detective works to Kyu, presented through flashback. It's helped by the fact that [[spoiler:Satoru is Kyu's biological father]].
* In ''Manga/TarotCafe'', Pamela's mother [[BurnTheWitch was burned at the stake]] before the series begins, but she still shows up in Pamela's memories, a hallucination/dream, [[spoiler:and to give Pamela a hint when Pamela is exploring Hell.]] Arguably she sets off the events of the series, between taking Pamela to visit the "holy man" [[spoiler:who was really Belus]] and making her DealWithTheDevil in an effort to protect her daughter.
* In ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'', ''Anime/TenchiUniverse'' and ''Anime/TenchiInTokyo'', Tenchi's mother (Kiyone in the [=OVAs=], Achika in ''Universe'' and ''in Tokyo'') becomes this, having flashbacks to her from time to time. The first Tenchi movie focuses on her (though only in ''Universe'') while the final episode of the [=OVAs=] shows that she's not this patron saint of motherhood...
* ''Manga/TentomushiNoUta'' stars seven siblings who have to do their part in looking after one another because of their parents dying prior to the events of the series ([[DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation from a plane crash in the manga, from overwork in the anime]]). The youngest of the seven children, a five-year-old girl named Hiyoko Isshuu, was the most upset by her parents' demise.
* Rem Saverem from ''Manga/{{Trigun}}''.
* Queen of Albion in anime version of ''LightNovel/TrinityBlood'' is first mentioned to viewers at the beginning of her funeral, but she did give a cryptic {{Foreshadowing}} advice to her heir before passing.
* Lightning Tiger's death at the beginning of ''Manhwa/{{Veritas}}'' forms the basis of the plot. Almost all characters introduced afterwards have their relationship to him explained via flashback.
* [[spoiler:Hokuto Sumeragi and Setsuka Sakurazuka]] in ''Manga/{{X 1999}}''.
* ''Anime/YourName'': Mitsuha's mother Futaba died 6 years prior to the start of the film of illness, but her death continues to haunt her family even up to today.
* Gozaburo Kaiba, Seto and Mokuba Kaiba, is this in the manga version of ''Anime/YuGiOh'', having been DrivenToSuicide after Seto ousted him from Kaibacorp. (Subverted, however, [[SparedByTheAdaptation not the case in the anime]], where he's OnlyMostlyDead and appears as the BigBad of the [[FillerArc Virtual Nightmare arc]].)
* Yusei Fudo's parents in ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds''. (His father appears as a benign spirit in one episode.)
----
