Line #62 Main/VictoryGuidedAmnesia


1	->''"This is not The Greatest Song in the World, no.\
2	This is just a tribute.\
3	Couldn't remember The Greatest Song in the World, no.\
4	This is a tribute."''
5	-->-- '''Music/TenaciousD''', "Tribute"
6
7	You are one of the BigDamnHeroes. You've [[StormingTheCastle stormed the Evil Stronghold]], rescued the DamselInDistress, killed TheDragon, defeated the BigBad, and even put the SealedEvilInACan they were worshiping in its place. Too bad you won't be aware enough of your own faculties to enjoy your victory. For some reason, one of the common rewards for a hero's victory is a one-way, all expenses paid trip to the Land of the Empty Mind, courtesy of AppliedPhlebotinum Airlines.
8
9	Maybe the PowersThatBe decided they became too powerful during their journey to remain as they are, or they discovered some Earth-shattering secret about life, the universe, and everything that needs to be kept under wraps, or maybe they [[MemoryGambit did it to themselves]], in an ill-fated attempt to [[IJustWantToBeNormal just live a normal life]] or realize their dreams, but whatever the case, shortly after their final victory over the Forces of Darkness, they become amnesiac derelicts who can't even remember their own name.
10
11	... in extreme cases, that is. Most of the time, it's just a form of BroughtDownToNormal that can also undo any CharacterDevelopment. Now ''that's'' a reward for saving the world!
12
13	If TimeTravel or {{Reality Warp\|er}}ing is involved, victory may mean [[RetGone the past was rewritten so that the threat never existed in the first place]], and neither did the struggles against it, even for the heroes.
14
15	Sometimes, to add insult to injury, whatever they did to stop those forces in the first place is only temporary, requiring them to [[QuestForIdentity regain their memories]] so they can put an end to it, once and for all. If the mind wipe was self-induced, AlwaysNeedWhatYouGaveUp.
16
17	As with its supertrope, TheGreatestStoryNeverTold, this is sometimes a component of a BittersweetEnding.
18
19	!!As this is a [[VictoryAndDefeat Victory Trope]], [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff unmarked spoilers abound]]. [[Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned Beware]].
20	----
21	!!Examples:
22	[[foldercontrol]]
23	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
24	* In episode 17 of ''Anime/BDamanCrossfire'', [[spoiler: Riki and Dracyan defeats Basara in Break Bomber, but Basara and Double Drazerous forcing them to use their special move '''''SIX TIMES''''' in order to win resulted in Dracyan losing his memories]].
25	* A variant occurs in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': [[spoiler:Ed deconstructs [[TheDragon Pride]] and reconstitutes him as a helpless human baby. In the epilogue, he's grown up to be a seemingly ordinary child, with no memory of the horrible things he did as a homunculus]]. In [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003 the 2003 anime version]], [[spoiler:Al gets his body back at the end and is happy -- but has no memory of the events of the series]].
26	* ''Manga/RaveMaster'': Elie saves the whole universe from being destroyed in a massive explosion. Her ''second'' case of amnesia was induced by either [[spoiler: repressing her memories because she also 'killed' Haru, the boy she loved, in the process]] or using so much etherion.
27	* Usagi does this in addition to a ResetButton at the end of the first season of ''Anime/SailorMoon''. This was the classic way to end a MagicalGirl series; that the show was popular enough to undo this was actually quite subversive at the time. But then, ''Sailor Moon'' both made and broke MagicalGirl tropes. Oh, and this doesn't happen in the [[Manga/SailorMoon manga]], where the girls simply keep their memories.
28	* ''Anime/TekkamanBlade''. After finally beating down the Radam forces (or at least [[spoiler:his family-turned evil]]), D-Boy ends up getting amnesiac for real. [[spoiler:In the sequel, though, he got better.]] He had actually been amnesiac for a while before that - since right about the moment he set off for the Final Battle. He won the entire fight with Omega because the one thing that was left after his memory, personality, and even skills like speech were broken down was UnstoppableRage.
29	* Technically ''Manga/WeddingPeach'' for the most part averts this trope since unlike ''Sailor Moon'' it was ''not'' used in the TV series. It was actually created for the {{O\|riginal Video Animation}}VA series and then promptly retconned for the girls in the very same episode it was introduced.
30	* ''Anime/KnightHunters'': [[spoiler:Kudou Yoji]] ends ''Weiß Kreuz Glühen'' with a case of Victory-Guided Amnesia following a DisneyDeath -- arguably the best-case scenario, given the character's state throughout the series.
31	* Pharaoh Atem in ''Anime/YuGiOh'' wiped his own memory and all existence of his very name from history after his initial defeat of Thief King Bakura and Zorc, only to have to scramble to regain both millennia later after both baddies return. Sacrificing name and memory were part of the spell locking Zorc away; regaining them [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext locked Zorc away again.]]
32	* Invoked in ''Literature/CoffinPrincessChaika''. Having run out of fuel for her magic, [[spoiler:Chaika chooses to use her own memories as fuel for the spell that destroys [[BigBad Arthur Gaz]] for good]], leaving her with severe amnesia. The DistantFinale shows her still recovering, with Tohru's help.
33	* A borderline (and very depressing) case of this combined with a FateWorseThanDeath at the end of ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' : After the defeat of BigBad Paptimus Scirocco, [[spoiler: the dying Scirocco, impaled on the nosecone of the Zeta Gundam's Waverider mode, uses his last bit of Newtype power to completely shatter Kamille's mind, making him not only forget everything that's happened up until then, but basically putting him in a greatly diminished state of mind that is somewhere between a vegetable and a young child. He gets better by the end of [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ ZZ Gundam]], though. And ''not'' before he spends several episodes of ZZ's second half as a RareMaleExample of TheOphelia, either]].
34	* ''Manga/GirlsGoAround'' has the creator of a time-loop and Kyousuke be the only ones that are even aware it is happening. After Kyousuke and the girl that created the time-loop manage to escape it, the girl completely forgets about having created a time-loop. Kyousuke's the only one that remembers it. [[spoiler:Except for ''his own'' time-loop, [[MindScrew within Chihiro's loop of three years, which he successfully escaped by killing himself]].]]
35	* ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'' has a subverted example at the end of the series' very first arc. When Index goes BrainwashedAndCrazy on her friends, she casts the spell "Dragon Breath" that causes feathers to fall from the sky. Coming into physical contact with just a single one is instantly fatal. When Touma undoes her brainwashing with his [[AntiMagic Imagine Breaker]], he gets distracted by relief and one of the feathers graze his head. He survives due to PlotArmor but as a result of brain damage, all of his memories are destroyed ''permanently''. He's fully aware of what happened but he can't undo it so he keeps it a secret and pretends nothing's wrong to keep his TrueCompanions from worrying. He's so good at it in fact that neither of his [[UnwantedHarem primary]] LoveInterests figure it out until ''very'' late into the novels.
36	* ''Literature/{{Another}}'' features this as a natural side effect of successfully breaking class 3's curse. The cause of the curse is the presence of a student who is, in fact, DeadAllAlong. The protagonists learn that if you find and kill that student, the curse goes away for that year. However, because memories are implanted to hide the "Extra", those false memories go away instantly. How fast depends on how aware you were of what had happened. As the first one to do it and our protagonists are able to leave behind a message for future students of class 3 to try and make them aware.
37	* The 3rd movie of ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' (''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion'') has this in an ominous sense; in fact it might even be an inversion depending on the viewers perspective. [[spoiler: Homura takes over the God position of Madoka and creates a new world where both Madoka, Sayaka, and possibly other former witches are still alive. The new world, essentially, is one that every magical girl ''says'' they want. Sayaka and Madoka's memories are bound too; with Sayaka slowly getting WistfulAmnesia. However, Madoka's eyes still flicker gold indicating her power is still there.]] The whole thing is a SequelHook.
38	* Humanity as a whole gets this in the finale of ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. The human race spent the arc being terrorized, then killed by Majin Buu. In the final battle, the whole of Earth contributes its power to Goku's Spirit Bomb to destroy Buu once and for all. When the dust clears, all that remains is Fat Buu, a part of Buu that had befriended Mr. Satan and turned good. Because of this, protagonists use their next chance to wish on the Dragonballs to make humanity forget about Buu, so that Fat Buu can live peacefully on Earth.
39	* A bit of a MindScrew example in ''Manga/SaintSeiya'', in the Heaven Chapter Overture movie. Seiya manages to land a hit on Sun God Apollo, which scares him enough that he and the Gods decide that Athena and Seiya must have their memories wiped as punishment, and to ensure they can never rebel.
40	[[/folder]]
41
42	[[folder:Comic Books]]
43	* In a {{Retcon}} to explain the amnesia of Namor the ComicBook/SubMariner in his first post-[[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] reappearance, it was later said that in his final battle with the powerful psychic Destine, Namor was hypnotically commanded to fly as far as his little wings could take him, and simultaneously to forget his own identity. He wound up spending nearly a decade (or several, after ComicBookTime got through with him) as an amnesiac derelict in the Bowery with a fear of water.
44	* ComicBook/TheSentry -- the world's greatest hero -- saved the world from The Void, then makes everyone forget they ever heard of or met him, and he forgets he's a {{superhero}}. It takes The Void returning for him to remember, and slowly others do too. Note that is entirely {{Retcon}}... The Sentry was created with this {{Backstory}} already in place. It eventually turns out that [[spoiler: it is actually backwards - his regaining his memory is what causes The Void to return, as it is his EnemyWithout, and the whole amnesia thing was a MemoryGambit to keep The Void from being able to manifest]].
45	%%* Occurs when [[spoiler: Zach and Jenny]] return from the Door At the Edge of the Universe in the first volume of Creator/ScottMcCloud's ''ComicBook/{{Zot}}'' ZeroContextExample
46	* The ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica would always forget whenever they SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong during any adventure involving Per Degaton as the villain, what with time travel being involved. Eventually, he'd remember his almost-victories somehow, murder his boss and steal his time machine, and do everything again. [[StrictlyFormula Multiple times]]. And inevitably, it'd end with a conversation something like this:
47	-->'''Per Degaton:''' [[DramaticIrony Say, Professor, I feel like I had a dream where I was ruler of the world!]] \
48	'''Professor Zee:''' Stop mumbling, Degaton, and clean these test tubes like a good fellow!
49	* Franchise/{{Tintin}} and his friends didn't so much save the day in ''[[Recap/TintinFlight714 Flight 714]]'' as save themselves from the bad guys, but either way their memories (as well as those of the bad guys) are wiped [[spoiler:by aliens]] at the end of the story, leaving only Snowy in the know.
50	* ''ComicBook/XMen'': In issue #4, Professor Xavier calls in [[ComicBook/FantasticFour the Human Torch]] to help fight the Juggernaut, and once everything's over wipes Johnny's memories, because Johnny can't be trusted to keep the X-Men's existence a secret.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
54	* Gaara after [[GenderFlip her]] brush with death in the ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/EchoesKagaseo''.
55	* In the ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'' fanfic ''[[FanFic/StarlightSeries Starlight]]'', [[TimePolice Dulmer and Lucsly]] are worried that Lilo, Stitch and Nani keeping their memories of their trip to the future will corrupt the timeline, considering the [[BreakTheCutie lasting effects]] they had on each's personality, so they [[MemoryWipingCrew wipe the events from their minds]].
56	* Slade in the ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''[=/=]''Anime/VanDread''[=/=]''Anime/TekkamanBlade'' crossover ''FanFic/TekkaDread'', when he died for a second time, then revived, pulling off a BigDamnHeroes moment. His revival came with the price of losing all memory of who he is and what had happened. Everyone tried their hardest to help Slade Remember who he is, but fail. He does get better, though.
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
60	* Lampshaded in the beginning of ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerbTheMovieAcrossThe2ndDimension'' [[AsYouKnow when Major Monogram tells Perry]] ("No need to remind you but I'll do it anyway...") that if his cover is blown, then either he would have to be relocated to somewhere else or have their memories of that day be erased. At the end of the movie, due to [[spoiler:being a series with [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption failure being the only option]], this happens to everyone in the cast besides OWCA members and the Second Dimension counterparts]].
61	* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
62	** At the end of ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie'', Mewtwo erases all memories of him and the clones he created from the protagonists, to both protect himself from Team Rocket's boss and maintain some semblance of continuity.
63	** Unfortunately, the former doesn't take, as seen in ''Anime/PokemonMewtwoReturns''. At the end of that movie, he lets the protagonists keep their memories at their request [[spoiler: He ''does'' get the one he missed the first time around, erasing all memories of the incident ''except for the fact that he lost''.]]. Later movies don't even ''try'' the latter.
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
67	* [[spoiler:The good aliens]] do this to the protagonists of ''Film/DudeWheresMyCar'' and all the innocent bystanders who watched them [[spoiler:save the universe]]. This has the side effect of [[ResetButton completely undoing]] all of their CharacterDevelopment. And then they send them gifts thanking them for doing what they don't remember doing, prompting yet another "[[WhatDidIDoLastNight How wasted]] ''[[WhatDidIDoLastNight were]]'' [[WhatDidIDoLastNight we last night?]]"
68	* In the backstory of ''Film/{{Hook}}'', Peter Pan got this after he left Neverland. Much of the plot hinges on him (now grown up) needing to relearn his basic heroic abilities (fighting and flying) in order to defeat a vengeful Captain Hook.
69	* After the protagonists finish playing Film/{{Jumanji}}, time is reset back to 1969, before Alan and Sarah started playing the game. They remember the whole thing but Judy and Peter apparently don't remember, presumably because time was reset to before they were born.
70	* This happens to any [[TheMenInBlack Man in Black]] from ''Film/MenInBlack'' once they leave the service.
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Literature]]
74	* Used once or twice in the original ''Literature/LandOfOz'' books by Creator/LFrankBaum, where the heroes tricked the villains into drinking from a fountain containing the Water of Oblivion -- an amnesiac formula so powerful, it left the drinker still able to walk and talk...but not much else.
75	* In Kristen Britain's ''Literature/TheHighKingsTomb'', the heroine saves the day by [[spoiler: suddenly becoming [[IAmWho the avatar of the god of death]] and dealing a supernatural smackdown to a bunch of {{Mooks}}. Then said god of death wipes her memory to allow her to go back to a normal life]].
76	* Creator/MichaelCrichton's ''Literature/{{Sphere}}''. Doubles as a ShootTheShaggyDog. The ending to ''Sphere'' is open to interpretation. It's hard to tell exactly what's going on because of the fact that the narrator gets/claims amnesia.
77	* At the end of Creator/SusanCooper's ''Literature/TheDarkIsRising'' series, in ''Literature/SilverOnTheTree'', the Lady chooses that John Rowlands forget everything that happened so he will not have to remember that [[spoiler:his wife Blodwen was the evil White Rider]]. Merriman wipes the memories of the Drews and of Bran Davies.
78	* In Will Eliot's ''Literature/ThePiloFamilyCircus'', ex-clown protagonist Jamie uses some of his wishing powder to erase his memories of the circus. It doesn't work too well, as the {{Eldritch Abomination}}s imprisoned below the circus - along with [[MonsterClown Jamie's boss, Gonko]]- keep trying to remind him of his experiences. And since he still has half a bag of wishing powder left, it's implied that he will one day use it to restore his lost memories, with catastrophic results.
79	* In ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'', the four Pevensie children apparently entirely forget their lives outside of Narnia in the years that they rule (where do they think their parents ''are'', then?). Then they're yanked back to our world. Susan rationalizes that it was all a fantasy after her last trip since she is told by [[CrystalDragonJesus Aslan]] that she'd never return to Narnia, so the alternative was too painful for her.
80	* In at least two of Creator/AndreNorton's novels (''Literature/AndroidAtArms'' and ''[[Literature/WitchWorld The Crystal Gryphon]]'') one protagonist wins the day by calling forth a powerful force that acts through them - but since they weren't in control at the time, they can't remember exactly what they did, or how. The latter had a sequel, in which the hero eventually learned to use power himself, without losing his own identity in the process.
81	* In the fourth book of the ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'' series, ''Temple of the Winds'', Richard is only allowed to leave the temple by losing all the knowledge he gained from entering (which is to say, quite literally, ''everything'' there is to know about being a War Wizard; it's perhaps the only part of the series where he is in full control of his abilities). Perhaps an odd example, as he does remember the ''events'' that happened.
82	* Creator/StephenKing:
83	** The children in ''Literature/{{IT}}'' (except for [[spoiler: Mike Hanlon, who was the only one to remain in Derry]]), begin to forget almost as soon as they beat [[EldritchAbomination IT]] and most of the as-adults portion of the novel is spent with them trying to remember. Once they beat [=IT=] the second time, their memories fade again (including [[spoiler: Mike]]'s) within weeks. They take this as proof that this time, it really is dead.
84	** The last book of ''Literature/TheDarkTower'' series ends with [[spoiler: Roland finally reaching the Tower after years of questing, only for it to show him a sort of presentation outlining his many failings as a person, then sending his soul back in time to the start of the first book]]. He has just enough time to be horrified before his memory is reset, and is offered only the ''possibility'' that events might unfold differently next time around. King realized that [[strike: it was a bad ending]] not all readers would be satisfied by the ending, so he included a message right before Roland [[spoiler: enters the Tower]], telling them it was OK to stop here if they wanted to preserve the mystery.
85	* At the end of ''Literature/BraveStory,'' [[spoiler: Wataru can still remember his journey... but it's stated that he will forget slowly, instead of all at once. This is especially sad, as he used his wish to keep all of his friends in Vision safe]].
86	* In ''The Eternity Code'', Literature/ArtemisFowl comes up with a scheme that will let him reclaim the stolen C Cube, but he requires fairy technology and the only thing he can offer in exchange is his own memories of them (which they long wanted to erase to maintain the {{Masquerade}}). Of course, being the MagnificentBastard he is, Artemis finds a [[NoteToSelf workaround]]...
87	** The final ''Artemis Fowl'' book ends with [[spoiler:Artemis performing a HeroicSacrifice to stop Opal Koboi, and being resurrected in a cloned body with no memory of who he is. Holly offers to fill him in, and the final paragraph is her [[BookEnds reciting the first paragraph of the first book]].]]
88	* In ''Literature/TheHoundsOfTheMorrigan,'' [[spoiler: the Dagda erases the memories of the two {{Kid Hero}}es--presumably because they saw an absolutely ''horrifying'' {{Gorn}}-tastic battle. However, he favors them always afterwards, and gives them back gifts from their journey--such as the Hidden Valley's daisy-patterned china, their ship kite, and, best of all, their friend Cooroo the fox]].
89	* In ''[[Literature/LegacyOfTheDrowSeries Passage to Dawn]]'', the 10th book of ''Literature/TheLegendOfDrizzt'', Harkle Harpell uses a spell called "The Fog of Fate" to help the heroes solve a riddle. He ends up giving them too many hints, straining the limits of the spell, and as a result, is catapulted back home, having lost all memory of his participation in the quest.
90	* In Creator/DevonMonk's ''Literature/MagicToTheBone'', Allie throws around a lot of magic at the climax. It has already been established that using magic can cause holes in her memory.
91	* There's a realistic example in Creator/AgathaChristie's ''Literature/ElephantsCanRemember'': after Poirot has solved a cold case, those who were affected by it can finally leave the past behind and start a new life. Since memory is a central theme of the book (hence the titular elephants), the novel ends with Poirot suggesting to return to everyday life and [[AuthorAvatar Mrs Oliver]] commenting that while elephants can remember, mercifully human beings can forget.
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
95	* Both the classic and the new series of ''Series/DoctorWho'' have used this trope.
96	** At the end of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E7TheWarGames The War Games]]", after calling down the DeusExMachina -- [[spoiler:the Time Lords]] -- companions Jamie and Zoe have their memories of all their adventures (bar the first) with the Doctor wiped and are sent back home.
97	** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E6TheInvasionOfTime The Invasion of Time]]", an aftereffect of [[spoiler:the superweapon the Doctor had just built erased his memory of said weapon, as well as ThePlan he'd just executed (and screwed up)]].
98	** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E13JourneysEnd Journey's End]]", Donna Noble gains [[spoiler:the Doctor's memories and brain power and uses it to defeat the Daleks]]. Afterwards, the Doctor reveals that the [[spoiler:mind of a Time Lord]] is too much for a human brain to handle and, to save Donna's life, he wipes her memory of everything she experienced since meeting him. He warns her family that if she ever finds out about her adventures her mind will destroy itself.
99	** "[[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor The Day of the Doctor]]" has this for the past versions of himself the Eleventh Doctor interacted with. Due to their meeting throwing their Timeline out of sync, the past Doctors will not clearly remember what happened once they came together. Until the Doctor reaches that point via TheSlowPath, he'll never know that he was able to [[spoiler:''save'' Gallifrey instead of being forced to destroy it]].
100	* Set up ahead of time in one episode of ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}''. Echo and several other Actives are given their original functional memories (without any declarative ones) and allowed to do as they please so that they can fulfill the desires that are causing trouble in brainwiping them later. As soon as they finish whatever it is they set out to do, they black out, leaving them ready to be put back in the chair.
101	* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': PlayedForLaughs with Thoros of Myr, a [[BadassPreacher Red Priest]] famous for his role in the Siege of Pyke as a OneManArmy cutting down countless Ironborn with his FlamingSword. When asked about it, Thoros admitted that he doesn't remember anything about the siege because he was ''drunk'' - he let the LiquidCourage do its work, and only heard about what he did after the siege was over and he was sober enough.
102	* The ResetButtonEnding of ''Series/KamenRiderBuild'' has Sento and Ryuga undoing all the death and destruction caused by the BigBad, but making it so no one (including the rest of their allies) remembers the events of the series except for them.
103	* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1963'':
104	** In "[[Recap/TheOuterLimits1963S1E27FunAndGames Fun and Games]]", a random man and woman who have never met get abducted by an alien and forced to complete in GladiatorGames against two similarly abducted aliens, and the losers get their home planet destroyed. The human team bonds and eventually manages to win, saving Earth. Their captor rewards them for their victory by returning them to Earth, but erases their memories of the whole experience, including of each other. The final scene shows the two perfect strangers passing each other with barely a glance.
105	** [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in "[[Recap/TheOuterLimits1963S2E16ThePremonition The Premonition]]". A test pilot and his wife have an adventure while JustOneSecondOutOfSync with the timestream, including rescuing their daughter from being run over by a truck. Since they return to normal time at the same moment they left it, they ''seem'' to forget the entire experience... but somehow they remember enough to make sure their daughter is all right, leading to the episode's TitleDrop.
106	* Happened to Daniel Jackson in ''Series/StargateSG1'' both times he returned from [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Ascending to a Higher Plane of Existence]]. But not completely; he was left with a certain degree of knowledge he had gained whilst ascended, and the potential to remember more of it (later becoming a major plot point).
107	* The ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E14Clues Clues]]" deals with the crew realizing that they've lost an entire day, though they didn't really win or lose the "battle" fought during that day -- they just reached a stalemate for which one of the requirements was a mind wipe. The first attempt failed because Data was immune; the second time, the crew agreed to it (and Data agreed to help cover it up), but they missed some details. The ''third'' time, they fixed those details and it finally worked.
108	* On ''Twice in a Lifetime'' recently deceased people would be granted a chance to go back in time and convince their past self to make better choices in life. Once they succeeded they were returned to the present where in the new timeline they were still alive and leading a good life. They would briefly remember both timelines but then the memories of their time travel adventure would disappear and they would only remember the new version of events.
109	[[/folder]]
110
111	[[folder:Music]]
112	* As quoted above, the Music/TenaciousD song "Tribute" is a tribute to the "greatest song in the world" that Jack and K.G. performed to defend themselves from the Devil. After they win, the actual song fades from memory, but they know it wasn't anything like "Tribute" itself. The actual song eventually appeared at the climax of ''Film/TenaciousDInThePickOfDestiny''.
113	[[/folder]]
114
115	[[folder:Mythology & Religion]]
116	* One interpretation of the end of the Literature/BookOfRevelation is that all those who became overcomers through Jesus Christ, who are privileged to have been resurrected unto eternal life with God, will forget about their lives on the old Earth, including those who have been sentenced to the Lake of Fire, as God will wipe away every tear from their eyes and, as the Scripture says, "the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)
117	[[/folder]]
118
119	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
120	* ''TabletopGame/PrometheanTheCreated'':
121	** In the first version, when a Promethean reaches [[BecomeARealBoy the New Dawn]], they make a roll that basically determines whether they've been acting more human than Promethean (bonuses for fulfilling Vice or Virtue, penalties for using Transmutations). If they succeed, they've been leaning towards human and remember everything; if they fail, however, they've been leaning towards Promethean, and everything pertaining to the Pilgrimage is boiled away. Leaving them with a strong case of amnesia and likely no record of existence... [[BittersweetEnding but the universe no longer hates them]].
122	** This is changed in Second Edition. Now, how much memory (if any) a Promethean retains through the New Dawn is keyed to how many Refinements they've mastered. A Promethean who's mastered only four Refinements (the minimum to reach the New Dawn) will have near-total amnesia, but if they've mastered more they can choose to ''either'' retain memories of their Promethean life, or get memories of the human "history" they encoded into the world during their New Dawn (either way, the new history will have appropriate supporting documentation, and others will "remember" the Promethean's human life even if he doesn't). Whichever they choose, they get more memories the more Refinements they have mastered, until at nine Refinements they have full memories of whichever life they chose. If the Promethean mastered all ten Refinements, they also get one opportunity to rethink their choice: The next time they succeed at a breaking point roll after the New Dawn, they momentarily remember both lives and can choose to regain their Promethean memories at the cost of their human memories, or vice-versa.
123	[[/folder]]
124
125	[[folder:Theatre]]
126	* In ''Theatre/PokemonLive'', Mewtwo wipes Ash's memories of his appearance and the fight with Giovanni; it may have been accidental given he hit [=MechaMew2=] with enough of Ash's memories to make him faint.
127	[[/folder]]
128
129	[[folder:Toys]]
130	* ''Toys/{{BIONICLE}}'': After successfully summoning the Toa in ''Quest for the Toa'', Takua is thrown across the island and forgets everything. However it's not permanent, and Takua regains his memory in the first ''Mata Nui Online Game'', which picks up immediately after ''Quest for the Toa''.
131	[[/folder]]
132
133	[[folder:Video Games]]
134	* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'': Julius Belmont [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu promptly became amnesiac]] after he defeated {{Dracula}} and sealed him up "for good" in 1999. It took a tour through Dracula's castle 35 years later for him to regain his senses.
135	* Just ask the protagonists of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI''! Oh wait, the TimeTravel shenanigans means that they don't remember, except for the ''player''... (The GBA release alleviates this somewhat; according to the scrolling text at the end, they're the ONLY ones that remember what happened.)
136	* ''VideoGame/{{Implosion}}'' ends with [[spoiler:[[TheHero Jake]] (who controls his Warmech-[=III=] Avalon remotely by using his subconscious mind) dying after performing a TakingYouWithMe attack in order to stop [[EldritchAbomination The Queen]] from [[ColonyDrop using her psychokinesis to crash The [=AZA=] full of [=XADA=] aliens to Earth]], leading to his brain operated with an [=AI=] system implant and ends up alive but completely loses his memories and his identity, thanks to his self-destructive attack. [[note]]Though, it's {{foreshadow\|ing}}ed in the tips from the loading screen: When the player Warmech's [=HP=] hits zero, the pilot link will be severed, which leads to the brain death of the player who controls The Warmech.[[/note]]]]
137	* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Mobile'', Philanthropy's first mission is revealed to be a VR simulation, with a kidnapped Snake locked into the sim and taking orders from an artificial Otacon, while the real Otacon was on the sidelines, attempting to hack Snake's brain out. Eventually, he was forced to complete the simulation to get out, but, as he failed to provide the data his captors needed, his mind was wiped of the event and he was returned to Otacon. Gets especially glaring when you realise Otacon would still remember. Gets even more glaring when you realise it wouldn't even cause a real continuity problem if Snake remembered the events and would even help justify his seemingly irrational distaste for VR in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty''.
138	* Near the end of ''VideoGame/{{Overlord}}'' you discover that [[spoiler:the VillainProtagonist PlayerCharacter was actually one of the 8 heroes who defeated his predecessor and]] lost his memory after being [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat left for dead]][[spoiler:, said villain had been TheManBehindTheMan and you his unwitting [[TheDragon Dragon]] all along]].
139	* Occasionally happens in the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' games.
140	** A particularly bittersweet version happens in ''VideoGame/Persona2: Innocent Sin'' when [[spoiler:the heroes ''have'' to forget about each other in order to create a new timeline where the world ''isn't'' destroyed]]. In fact, bad things start happening again in the sequel ''Eternal Punishment'' when [[spoiler:''Innocent Sin''[='s=] protagonist begins to remember the events of the previous game]].
141	** The good ending of ''VideoGame/Persona3'' has the TrueCompanions forgetting about their adventures for over a month before finally remembering their promise to meet up on the school's rooftop on graduation day, arriving just in time to see [[spoiler: [[BittersweetEnding the main character slip into a coma and die]]]].
142	** The endings of ''[[VideoGame/PersonaQShadowOfTheLabyrinth Persona Q]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth Persona Q2]]'' also have the heroes' memories wiped for the sake of preserving the timeline.
143	* The bad ending of ''VideoGame/ShadowHeartsCovenant'' has [[spoiler:Yuri lose his memories and identity as a result of a curse literally wiping his soul clean. In the ''good'' ending, he commits suicide before that can happen. This lets him retain his personality (if not his memories) and his love for Alice, which lets him travel back in time to be by her side again]].
144	* After saving the world in ''VideoGame/SoulBlazer'', the Blazer (who was created by God to save the world) has returned to heaven as his work is done. A year later he misses life as a human and the [[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter girl]] he had met early along the way. [[spoiler: So God turns him back into a human at his request, but with the cost of losing his memories. He pops back into existence next to the girl in a field, who remembers him and starts their relationship anew.]]
145	* This is the [[MultipleEndings ending]] of ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' if you end the final boss battle [[PuzzleBoss correctly]]. Kill the GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere, save the multiverse, [[spoiler: integrate the timelines, free Schala]]...[[spoiler: and hit the mother of all [[ResetButton reset buttons]] for your entire party and everything you went through, since the GambitPileup that led you all together [[TemporalParadox never needed to occur anymore]]. You end the game waking up on the very beach where you first started, when you first started. With a faint memory of things you should no longer have encountered, [[OrWasItADream like a fading dream]]]].
146	* You pass one of these in ''Videogame/BaldursGateII''. In the Spellhold asylum, one of the inmates is a former bard of repute who, in his search for the answers of the universe, is mentioned to have gotten too close to something that didn't like him poking around. You have no way of knowing what really happened, but his mental faculties are now at the level of maybe a 5-year-old, he talks about little except his "many many pretties, piled high beyond the skies" and has an infinite and inexplicable supply of precious gems.
147	* All over the place in ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''.
148	** At the beginning of ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories Chain of Memories]]'', Sora loses all recollection of the events of the first game. At the end, [[spoiler: he gets them back, but only if he gives up his memory of ''this'' game in return]].
149	** Done twice in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]]'', where [[spoiler: beating the second-to-last boss costs Roxas all his memories of his best friend in the world. Beating the ''final'' boss costs him every ''other'' memory]].
150	** Also at the end of ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'', where [[spoiler: Terra's ultimate triumph ends with him possessed by the villain and both of them mind-wiped.]]
151	** And in the secret movie "Blank Points", where it's revealed that [[spoiler: Ansem the Wise survived going down with his ship at the end of ''Kingdom Hearts II'', but the end results gave him near-total amnesia]].
152	** And once more in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Coded]]'', where [[spoiler: Data Sora finally succeeds in rebooting the journal's data... but since he's technically ''part'' of that data, he's rebooted, too. When we see him one last time, he doesn't remember a single thing anymore]].
153	* Both the supposed BigBad and supposed BigGood of ''VideoGame/{{Arcanum\|OfSteamworksAndMagickObscura}}'', due to voluntary or involuntary isolation, are shadows of their legendary power.
154	* Implied in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', albeit in a very screwy way: ''Zack'' manages to achieve victory (protecting Cloud from Shinra), but ''Cloud'' is the one who ends up with amnesia.
155	* This is a source of trouble at the ending of ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2''. It is possible to restore the deleted world through the power of the AkashicRecords, but the problem is, you need to prove yourself stronger than your past, leading to a series of battles with shadowy monsters created from each characters' past files.
156	* Gage has his memories wiped in ''VideoGame/TheJourneymanProject 2'' at the end of the game after proving his future self's innocence. This prevents him from accidentally causing a paradox by changing his behavior when the events leading to his arrest take place. In ''3'' future Gage reviews the video of his exploits in ''2'' and wishes he had been allowed to remember Arthur.
157	* The good ending to ''VideoGame/{{Manhunt}} 2'' shows Daniel waking up on a roadside not even remembering his own name. Fortunately, he has an envelope on him that gives him a new identity and tells him the address where he lives. After he's [[spoiler:had a malfunctioning microchip in his brain containing the personality of a remorseless serial killer which led to him killing his best friend and his entire family]], forgetting everything and being given a fresh start is pretty much the best ending you could hope for.
158	[[/folder]]
159
160	[[folder:Webcomics]]
161	* In ''Webcomic/NonPack'', VillainProtagonist Karen is fighting for her life against her rival [[{{Gangbangers}} Gangbanger]] Honey, who gets the upper hand when he takes PsychoSerum that turns into a monster. However, Karen temporarily turns into an even bigger monster and kills him, due to the implied intervention of the setting's CrystalDragonJesus. Afterwards, Karen loses consciousness and her teammate Doc gets her to a hospital. When Karen comes to, she has no memory of HulkingOut and killing Honey. Doc tells her most of what happened, although he leaves out the BodyHorror part.
162	[[/folder]]
163
164	[[folder:Western Animation]]
165	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'', there are a few instances (such as "The Void") where the main characters become or almost become aware that their reality is just a television series, only for this trope to strike by the end of the episode.
166	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''::
167	** In "The Why of Fry": Nibbler wipes Fry's memories after he saves the universe from the brainspawn.
168	** This is repeated several more times to the point of parody; ''Bender's Game'' shows the characters unfazed by Nibbler's speech because he forgot to erase their memories last time.
169	** Also, everyone on Earth (except Fry) forgot about the Brainspawn after Fry foils their invasion.
170	* At the end of the ''Franchise/{{Peanuts}}'' special ''It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown'', Charlie Brown doesn't remember that he worked up the nerve to kiss the Little Red-Haired Girl at the Homecoming dance and subsequently was the Life of the party.
171	* At the end of the ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' movie "A Sitch In Time", none of the characters remember saving the future from being taken over by Shego thanks to Ron breaking the time traveling monkey that caused the whole mess to begin with.
172	* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'', after Optimus Prime [[spoiler: stops Unicron from reviving with the Matrix of Leadership, he loses his memories of the Autobot-Decepticon war. And thinks he is still Orion Pax as well as friends with Megatron]].
173	* ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'': Monty Uno (a.k.a. Numbuh Zero) defeated the villain of TheMovie by using a device created to erase the memories of decomissioned [=KND=] operatives. Double-sided subversion: he and his wife get better [[spoiler: BECAUSE his son is getting a promotional transfer to another planet, with little chance of coming back]].
174	* ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'': the original final episode "Beast but not Least" has Dexter hitting Mom and Dad with a gun that erases their memories as they learned of his laboratory in order to help save the day. Monkey, then, hits Dexter with it when his mask falls off. [[ShaggyDogStory This leads to Mandark declaring himself the winner and Dee Dee just letting it happen.]]
175	* Both {{lampshade\|Hanging}}d and {{defied\|Trope}} in "Ariel", an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers'': In "Areil", Zachary Foxx, Nico and Nico's mentor Ariel have just saved Xanadu, a world of beings with PsychicPowers, and its leaders (the Circle of Thought) from an EldritchAbomination. We get this exchange as the episode ends:
176	-->'''Zach:''' Will the Circle let me remember all this when we get home?\
177	'''Niko:''' Well, one's mind belongs to one's self, Zachary. That's our strongest law.\
178	'''Zach:''' Good, 'cause there are a few million questions I'd like to ask you!\
179	'''Niko:''' And I might even answer some of them!
180	* The series finale of ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' has the heroes defeat [[EldritchAbomination Bill Cipher]] [[spoiler:by tricking him into entering the mind of Stanley Pines. Once the demon was trapped inside, Stanley's brother Ford used a device to erase all of Stan's memories, and Bill along with them]].
181	* Teased but Defied by the GrandFinale of ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex'' when Rex transforms into his Omega EVO form to defeat the Consortium, given that the last time he entered into his standard EVO form it caused him to suffer total amnesia, causing Rex's allies to fear history would repeat himself, however when he returns to normal he retains his memories.
182	[[/folder]]

Context Main / VictoryGuidedAmnesia