Line #103 Main/ShapeshifterGuiltTrip


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11	->'''Fuuma:''' ''[in Miharu's form]'' Even though you know I'm an imposter, you still can't hurt me, can you?! ''[in Raimei's form]'' It's naive for you to be fooled by an illusion! ''[in Aizawa's form]'' Come on! Try to punch me!\
12	'''Tobari:''' Sorry, Aizawa. I can punch him. ''[punches Fuuma]''\
13	'''Fuuma:''' Huh?!
14	-->-- ''Manga/NabariNoOu''
15
16	Our hero is in a duel with a crafty {{Shapeshift\|ing}}er villain. It looks like the shapeshifter is going to lose, until they bust out the most underhanded trick of all -- suddenly impersonating one of the hero's loved ones or TrueCompanions, trying to cause them to lose their will to fight.
17
18	Usually, the hero ends up struggling to find the willpower to continue [[CannotKillTheirLovedOnes beating up someone who looks just like their loved ones]]. Bonus points if the form the shape shifter takes on is that of a dead friend or family member for extra guilt; especially if it is one whose death the hero blame themselves for. There are also bonus points if the shapeshifter was the one who killed the dead friend or family member and is [[WouldYouLikeToHearHowTheyDied enhancing the emotional kick of their evil gloating.]] Some examples may finish off the illusion by talking to the hero "in character".
19
20	Also covers clones and other doppelgangers who [[ThisWasHisTrueForm suddenly reveal]] that they happen to resemble the hero's mom/girlfriend/dead little sister/[[DeathByNewberyMedal Dead Pet]]/whatever.
21
22	If the protagonist is an AntiHero, there's the possibility that they won't care at all about what face they are kicking in as long as they know whose face it ''actually'' is - the bad guy's.
23
24	There's also an increasingly common [[WrongGenreSavvy subversion]]: because of personal issues between the hero and the character the shapeshifter takes the form of, the hero actually becomes ''more'' willing to attack. Also, all the shapeshifter may do is succeed in pushing the RelativeButton and making things ''even worse'' for the shifter.
25
26	SubTrope of GuiltTripping.
27
28	Also see CriticalHesitationBlunder (when the hero hesitates and it costs him), DoppelgangerGetsSameSentiment (the reason this sometimes works), ShapeshifterSwanSong and TreacherousSpiritChase. Contrast ShapeshiftingSeducer.
29	----
30	!!Examples:
31	[[index]]
32	* ShapeshifterGuiltTrip/AnimeAndManga
33	* ShapeshifterGuiltTrip/ComicBooks
34	* ShapeshifterGuiltTrip/FanWorks
35	* ShapeshifterGuiltTrip/{{Literature}}
36	* ShapeshifterGuiltTrip/LiveActionTV
37	* ShapeshifterGuiltTrip/VideoGames
38	* ShapeshifterGuiltTrip/WesternAnimation
39	[[/index]]
40
41	[[foldercontrol]]
42
43	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
44	* In ''ComicStrip/{{Nodwick}}'', the party encounters an undead monstrosity that uses magic to make whoever is looking at it see a dead mentor or parental figure they would trust implicitly (Nodwick sees his former guildmaster, Arthax sees the man who trained him to be a wizard, Piffany sees the head priest who raised her, and Rowan sees her adventurer father). All of them can only stare dead-eyed at it and mumble "I thought you were dead". Fortunately, while the magic also affected [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Orville]], his species of dragon instinctively try to [[SelfMadeOrphan fight and kill their own parents for dominance]].
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
48	* Inverted in ''Film/{{Dreamscape}}''. Assassin Tommy Ray murdered his father as a teenager. While fighting him in a dream, the heroic Alex distracts him by changing his appearance to that of the father and asking Tommy Ray why he killed him.
49	* In ''Film/TheExorcist'', the demon takes on the voice of Father Karras' recently deceased elderly mother.
50	* In ''Film/EventHorizon'', the title ship has taken over Dr. Weir. In an effort to get to Captain Miller, Weir takes the form of a flaming Edward Corrick, the man in Miller's back story whom he had to [[NoOneGetsLeftBehind leave behind]] in [[MyGreatestFailure his greatest failure]]. Miller doesn't buy the attempt to guilt-trip him for a minute though: "No. You're not Edward Corrick. I watched him die."
51	* In ''Film/HanselAndGretelWitchHunters'', when Hansel is beating up the evil witch Muriel, she takes on her beautiful form (Creator/FamkeJanssen) and begs for mercy. Hansel says, "Nice try," and continues the attack.
52	* In ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie'', the villain Shang Tsung tries to pull this gambit with Liu Kang by assuming the form of his dead brother Chan, whom Shang Tsung had killed at the start of the movie. Despite seeing it happen right in front of him, Liu is reluctant to fight back at first given his [[ItsAllMyFault guilt about Chan dying due to attempting to take his place as Earthrealm's defender]]. However, Shang makes the mistake of telling Liu that Chan "forgives him" for letting him die, as it causes Liu to remember and finally accept that Chan would ''[[ImposterForgotOneDetail never]]'' blame him for the choices he made himself.
53	* The monster in ''Literature/{{Phantoms}}'' turns itself into a little boy who looks like the kid Creator/BenAffleck's character accidentally killed in his former life in the FBI.
54	* In ''Film/PokemonDetectivePikachu'', a Ditto transforms into Tim's crush Lucy while he's fighting it. Tim starts saying that he has no problem hitting it regardless, but it takes the opportunity to knock him off his feet [[TalkingIsAFreeAction while he's talking]].
55	* In the ''[[Film/TheSpiderwickChronicles Spiderwick]]'' books and TheFilmOfTheBook, [[spoiler:[[BigBad Mulgarath]] attempts to do this to the main character by transforming into his dad. Much like in the FMA example, the main character has ParentalIssues and this ends up being a bad choice]].
56	* ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'': The T-1000 shapeshifts into Sarah Connor in an attempt to lure and terminate her son John. [[spoiler:The attempt fails when the real Sarah appears behind the T-1000, and John trusts her characteristic approach ("Get out of the way, John") over the duplicate's attitude of slumped defeat. In the film's special edition, John notices the T-1000 has warped and misshapen feet, as its shapeshifting abilities were compromised by the machine's earlier exposure to liquid nitrogen.]]
57	* In ''Film/WrathOfTheTitans'', Perseus fights and defeats a minotaur. As he's about to finish it off, the minotaur suddenly starts talking in his son's voice, begging his "father" not to hurt him. Perseus kills it anyway.
58	* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'':
59	** ComicBook/{{Mystique}} tries this on her captors in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand''. She transforms into the President and threatens to have them all court martialed if they do not release her, and then a little girl who begs and cries to be let out. She finally turns mockingly back into herself when one of the guards threatens to empty a can of pepper spray in her face if she doesn't knock it off.
60	** In the second movie, ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', while in an EnemyMine situation with the X-Men, she tries to seduce Logan as ComicBook/{{Jean\|Grey}}, ComicBook/{{Rogue}}, and ComicBook/{{Storm\|MarvelComics}}. [[spoiler:He gets wise when he sees [[ScarsAreForever the scars he left on her belly]] from [[Film/XMen1 the first movie]].]]
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Roleplay]]
64	* [[Anime/{{Mnemosyne}} Apos]] creates a doppelganger of Bit during one of his battle with the [[Roleplay/WeAreOurAvatars Group]].
65	[[/folder]]
66
67	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
68	* The special ability of Kyton devils in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. They appear like humans wrapped in chains, but during a fight they reveal their face, which imitates someone their attacker knows.
69	* In ''TabletopGame/MonteCooksWorldOfDarkness'', [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Demons]] can learn the ability to read a victim's most emotionally compromising memories, reflexively shapeshift into the people associated with them, and deliver an EmotionBomb or [[CompellingVoice subliminal instruction]].
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Toys]]
73	* In ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'', Makuta first appears to the Toa as a small Matoran. They know it must be some sort of trick, but they are still hesitant to attack him... until he goes OneWingedAngel.
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder:Web Animation]]
77	* In ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'', when [[Franchise/StarWars Obi-Wan]] finds himself trapped in a genjutsu by [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Kakashi]], who should appear but Darth Vader himself, wreathed in shadows and with glowing red eyes.
78	* In the finale of ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' Volume 7, Team JNPR faces off against Neo, a MasterOfIllusion who at one point uses her powers to disguise herself as Nora in order to steal the Relic of Knowledge off Oscar when he lets his guard down. As she escapes, Ren tries to strike her down, only for Neo to switch her TechnicolorEyes to Nora's light blue and flash Ren a look of fear. Ren and Nora are close ChildhoodFriends [[spoiler:who also received a RelationshipUpgrade a few episodes before this,]] so it's not surprising when Ren freezes up with a horrified expression, giving Neo enough time to take him down and easily retreat. While it's clear it's only a CriticalHesitationBlunder on Ren's part, apparently the mere notion of hurting Nora is enough to cause him to cry.
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Web Comics]]
82	* In ''Webcomic/{{Archipelago}}'', Face-Changer [[SmugSnake Han]] finds himself backed into a corner by Lucinda, and attempts this trope multiple times to save himself. He shifts into Knull (their TokenGoodTeammate), Miss Tabitha (Lucinda's former mentor), and Corveau (the man who broke her heart, causing her StartOfDarkness). [[spoiler:It doesn't take, and she [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice runs him through]]. At her behest, he shows her ([[TheUnreveal but not the reader]]) his [[DyingAsYourself true form]] before their DisneyVillainDeath.]]
83	* In ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'', [[EldritchAbomination Khaless]] does this to Lulianne [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1286 using the face of her niece Sael]], who Khaless may have killed and/or absorbed.
84	* ''{{Webcomic/Nodwick}}'': An evil cleric creates Masques, undead monsters that appear as a person BackFromTheDead to whoever sees them, allowing them to approach their target unhindered. It would have worked, except one of the victims was a dragon, who have... very ''territorial'' instincts where it comes to their parents. [[http://comic.nodwick.com/?comic=2012-10-03 It therefore torched the dead,]] breaking the spell.
85	* A downplayed example appeared in everybody's favorite JustForFun/TropeOverdosed work, ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', when [[TheBard Elan]]'s EvilTwin, [[SdrawkcabName Nale]], faces off against [[TheLeader Roy]]. If he was hoping that Roy would be reluctant to attack someone who looks identical to one of his party-members, he was [[BerserkButton DEAD WRONG]].
86	-->'''Roy''': I've been suppressing the urge to beat the crap out of someone who looks EXACTLY like you for a long, long time.
87	* In ''WebComic/WildeLife,'' [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Clifford]] first meets Raven when the latter looks like a little kid, though he quickly learns that Raven knows {{humanshifting}} and likely took that form to seem more innocent than he really is. At one point Cliff is about to attack Raven when he's in his teenage form, only for him to quickly switch back to being a kid. Clifford pulls back on instinct and, combined with his general stress and drunkenness at the time, winds up throwing up.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Web Original]]
91	* Played with in the first episode of ''Gary and his demons'': in the DramaticChaseOpening Gary maims an orphan he thinks is a shapeshifting demon in disguise, though in Gary's defense, he makes a very good argument why and manages to counter all the arguments the orphan makes about not being a demon. Later, the same demon plays it straight by disguising itself as the now crippled orphan.
92	* ''ARG/TheNoedolekcinArchives'': According to [[https://twitter.com/MK70016/status/1645965503884607488 a tweet]], Kirk has the ability to shapeshift into anyone, while still maintaining his creepy appearance. The exact purpose was initially unknown until "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfw07rDrko8&list=PLLETAMxb4wBIcBTFnpvy4bRMn361HQos_&index=5&pp=iAQB Nick Jr. Anomaly (2001, Found Footage)]]" confirmed that he [[spoiler:shapeshifted into Nick to give Jr. a false sense of security.]]
93	* Mocked in Creator/{{Seanbaby}}'s [[http://www.seanbaby.com/stupcom/superquiz.htm Super Quiz.]]
94	-->''Question 13: Shape Changers You're in a fight against a group of super villains, and one of them is a shape-changer. Suddenly, your dead girlfriend shows up in her underwear. Do you: A: Ignore her. It's possible that your girlfriend climbed out of her grave, changed into her panties, and got on a plane to see you during a fight, but it's probably the shape-changer, genius.''
95	[[/folder]]
96
97	[[folder:Web Videos]]
98	* ''WebVideo/SuperPowerBeatDown'': In a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwP2vnQCoho battle between Darth Vader and Gandalf,]] Gandalf takes on Anakin Skywalker's form to briefly shock Vader.
99	[[/folder]]
100

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