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[[quoteright:330:[[Franchise/MassEffect https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Avina3_2856.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:330:]]

A RobotBuddy who happens to be made out of light.

{{Hologra|m}}phy is the very real technique of using lasers to create a three dimensional image. It's very difficult and requires precisely calculated conditions and a bunch of costly hardware, but it's visually stunning, at least the first few times you see one. Technically, what is popularly called a "hologram" in science fiction is really called a volumetric display, as a true hologram is recorded onto a visual medium that provides the illusion of volume.

In TheFuture, presumably, this will get a lot easier. The Projected Man allows an artificial character to be a {{ridiculously human robot|s}} without all the logistical problems that implies.

The character may be constrained by power or the availability of a projector to add flavor.

Can be made of HardLight, or can be {{intangib|ility}}le. Generally, if the Projected Man is solid, he will be able to become intangible in a crisis.

Frequently coupled with TinMan or MissionControl. The inverse (human projection inside a computer world) is the DigitalAvatar. Compare AstralProjection, where a living person makes their soul similar to this.

Cross with SpiritAdvisor to produce VirtualGhost. See also HologramProjectionImperfection for when holograms don't work properly and have visual static or other glitches.

The name comes from the British science fiction movie, ''Film/TheProjectedMan'', that was riffed on ''[[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]]''. The eponymous character was more like a mutated freak with electricity powers than an example of this trope.

----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Anime/{{Blassreiter}}'' has Elea, a quirky AI who projects herself as a sexy imp. [[spoiler:The epilogue introduces her successor, Maria.]]
* Reinforce Zwei is depicted as this in the DistantFinale of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs''. She's become a lot more solid since.
* In ''Anime/TheMysteriousCitiesOfGold'', from the second season onward, the six Sages of Mu and Princess Rana'Ori appear as "lumino-projections" in some of the Cities of Gold. At one point in the final season, [[BigBad Ambrosius]] also makes a holographic message of himself as part of a trap.
* The move Double Team is depicted this way in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries''.
* Masha, the RobotBuddy in ''Manga/TokyoMewMew'', can project a hologram of Ryou, his TeenGenius creator, when the latter needs to tell something to the girls and can't be there himself.
* The Duel arenas in ''Anime/YuGiOh'' use 3D holography to project realistic depictions of whatever is summoned by a particular card.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* In ''ComicBook/AllFallDown'', AIQ Squared appears as this.
* Luther Ironheart, the robotic deputy in ''ComicBook/AmericanFlagg'', is something of a hybrid. He has a large human-shaped but clearly robotic body, and a hologram for a head. While his head usually appears as a friendly and obviously non-human cartoon image, he can also use it to impersonate other characters. He successfully impersonates Flagg at one point, and the image is apparently flawless, at least on a video screen.
* ''ComicBook/PrimalWarriorDracoAzul'': When manifested as a holographic projection, Draco Azul's AI, Ekchuah, takes the appearance of a Maya warrior in traditional regalia. In "Legacy of Valor", Ekchuah reveals that he wears the visage of the Draco Azul's first pilot, Yochi, as a tribute to his former protégé.
* In ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'', NICOLE appears as a lynx using this trope.
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan2099'': Miguel O'Hara has a [[VirtualSidekick personalized AI assistant]] who goes by Lyla and projects a Creator/MarilynMonroe-like figure to communicate with him. She can take other forms, including an obvious lookalike of Aunt May.
* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
** Some stories have Superman's father Jor-El as a hologram who can walk around, but he's usually portrayed as a HugeHolographicHead like in [[Film/SupermanFilmSeries the movies]].
** In ''ComicBook/StrangersAtTheHeartsCore'', the alien criminal trio known as The Visitors build a device called "The Voodoo Machine" which can project images capable of interacting with people and physical objects.
* The villain Optilux from Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/{{Supreme}}'' run is an alien intelligence (and [[ComicBook/{{Superman}} Brainiac]] {{Expy}}) who exists as a living hologram. He also converts whole cities into light constructs and imprisons them in prism-like structures (parallelling Brainiac shrinking cities and imprisoning them in bottles), believing that [[ScaryDogmaticAliens he's fulfilling a higher purpose]] by converting living people into light.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/BlueSkyWaffles'' has Wheatley transferred into a HardLight body. It's so realistic that several characters don't even realize he's not human -- at one point, he shows a plug in the back of his neck to the local technology expert, and the other character is so stunned [[INeedAFreakingDrink he decides he needs a drink]] before the conversation can continue.
* The [=HoloSmurf=] seen in a few stories in the Smurfed Behind saga of the ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'' story series.
* At the end of ''Fanfic/Plan7Of9FromOuterSpace'', Captain Proton realises that the President of Earth is actually just a DigitalAvatar of the [[MasterComputer Great Calculator]] that truly runs society. This is a MythologyGag to ''Film/TheAdventuresOfCaptainProton'' where the President of Earth is played by Voyager's Emergency Medical Hologram.
* In ''Fanfic/VoiceOfTheCondor'', [[spoiler:Muran'Kel, Esteban's dead mother,]] normally appears as a glowing blue hologram, but her [[BrainUploading mental link]] to the Cities of Gold allows her to build a solid body out of the orichalcum sand in Kumlar. She also helps [[SpaceshipGirl Cibola]], the Golden Condor's AI, gain a projected human avatar toward the climax.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs2'', Chester V has holographic clones of himself that make public appearances for him and also serve as his companions. [[spoiler:In the climax, they try to save him from [[HoistByHisOwnPetard falling into his own machine]], but as they are not made of HardLight...]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* Joi in ''Film/BladeRunner2049''. Initially, she only appears thanks to a projection system in K's apartment, but then he buys an emanator that allows her to appear anywhere.
* In 1995's ''Film/HologramMan'', Kurt Decoda and Norman Galagher are transformed into holographic parolees in a ''Film/DemolitionMan''-esque universe with [[DomedHometown domed cities]].
* ''Film/IRobot'':
** [[FunWithAcronyms V.I.K.I]], the AI/Positronic brain of USR, usually appears as a face in a cube, made by smaller cubes.
** When Del Spooner first arrives at USR, he interacts with a projected recording of Alfred Lanning which is capable of answering simple questions. Unlike VIKI's face, Lanning's recording is two-dimensional, although it appears volumetric from the front.
* Vox the virtual librarian in ''Film/TheTimeMachine2002''. Uniquely, Vox doesn't "exist" in real space, but interacts with people through transparent "pillars". Also, Vox changes quite a bit. During Hartdegen's first stop in the future, Vox is a chic, acerbic 21st Century man; his appearance and movement are smooth and crystal-clear. By 802701, he looks visibly older (requiring glasses) and has significant HologramProjectionImperfection (which is {{justified|Trope}}, as he's running on reserve power). He's neither as smooth nor as acerbic as he was; now, he's a little more jittery and a lot more [[ShellShockedVeteran haunted]]. In his words, "Can you even ''imagine'' what it's like to remember... everything?"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Creator/AlfredBester's ''Literature/TheComputerConnection'' apparently used this technique to replace both telephones (called "projecting") and advertising. The latter reversed the traditional payment scheme of advertising in that consumers could pay a monthly fee to maintain the insulation in their homes to keep the advertising ''out''.
* Both [=H.I.V.E.mind=] and Overlord of the ''Literature/HIVESeries'' appear as floating holographic heads.
* The DHI's from ''Literature/TheKingdomKeepers'' become this upon sleeping, taking over for the hologram versions of themselves that serve as hosts in the parks. Finn has also shown the ability to briefly become one at will, complete with {{Intangibility}}.
* Canal in ''Literature/LostUniverse'' is a SpaceshipGirl in a {{Meido}} outfit. Notably, this is supposed to be impossible, even for the advanced space-faring races of the world in question. It's implied that Canal is only able to exist this way due to being an avatar of the BigGood, Volfied.
* A future human society in ''Literature/ManifoldSpace'' makes use of "limited-sentience projections" as messengers. Initially, Nemoto appears several times via more ordinary holographic telepresence (it's really her, talking as if over the phone), making for an unexpected WhatMeasureIsANonHuman moment much further into the future when another character asks the projection what exactly it is; Virtual Nemoto explains and then looks horrified before dissolving into light. (And you thought ''Franchise/StarTrek'' holograms had it bad...)
* Colin from ''Literature/MonaLisaOverdrive'' manifests this way.
* [[ArtificialIntelligence OWEN]] from ''Literature/TheMunicipalists'' has his physical appearance generated by a projector disguised in Henry's tie clip.
* ''Literature/{{Nerds}}'': The Playground's [[ArtificialIntelligence AI assistant]], Benjamin, is a floating orb that projects itself as a hologram of historical figure Creator/BenjaminFranklin.
* Subverted in ''Literature/RevelationSpace'' when one character is being rude to what she thinks is a holographic avatar, only to find it's a real person she's talking to. "We used to use avatars, but they put up with too much crap". Later in [[Literature/RevelationSpaceSeries the series]], Captain John Armstrong Brannigan, a {{Transhuman}}, manifests himself in the form of decaying servitors, but viewers use [[GogglesDoSomethingUnusual augmented reality goggles]] to see him as he was six hundred years ago when he worked for an organization [[FutureImperfect called "NASA"]].
* The ''Literature/SkylarkSeries'' has the HardLight version of this, and may well be the UrExample.
* Jane, from ''Literature/SpeakerForTheDead'' and its sequels, started out as an extremely complex game/psychology test, but eventually developed sentience, and chose a young woman as her preferred avatar. Although holographic displays are standard for personal computers in this universe, the displays can only project holograms in a limited range above themselves.
* ''Literature/TheSunEater'' has the main hero Hadrian understand a passage from their sacred histories "...and the daughters of Columbia seduced the kings of the Earth". Columbia is the first American A.I. and her daughters are next generation A.I. To help sell other countries' governments on the adoption of A.I., these next-gen machines had holographic avatars of flawlessly beautiful naked women made of white light who offered gifts of more advanced technology and seamlessly efficient government.
* ''Wayfarer'' by Dennis Schmidt has a scene where the main character manages to get aboard a ship still orbiting the [[LostColony planet]] and meets a holographic projection of the colony fleet's (now long-dead) admiral. The computer running it is programmed with enough of the admiral's knowledge and personality that the simulation could actually exercise a limited degree of command in ''routine'' matters; this allows it to give the hero some useful advice based on the real admiral's mastery of Zen.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* One of Andromeda's three selves in ''Series/{{Andromeda}}''. One episode, which reveals that Gaheris Rhade killed Dylan in the original timeline and took his place as the re-creator of the Commonwealth, also has Rhade create a hologram of Dylan, mostly as someone to play Go with, but also providing sage advice during crises. It's partly the hologram that makes Rhade realize that Dylan would do this job far better than he, so he goes back in time and throws the fight, allowing himself to be killed. Finally, in at least one instance, a message is sent in the form of an interactive holographic recreation of the sender.
* ''Franchise/{{Arrowverse}}'':
** Gideon in ''Series/TheFlash2014'', an AI from the future (with Creator/MorenaBaccarin's voice) that keeps track of Barry's future for [[spoiler:Dr. Wells, a.k.a. the Reverse-Flash]]. As Barry finds out, Gideon is the creation of his future self.
** ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' reveals that [[TimePolice the Time Masters]] have adapted the technology to creating multiple Gideon-like [=AIs=], one of which is also named Gideon, but has a difference voice. These tend to only project their heads, although they have much more developed personalities.
* The titular character of ''Series/{{Automan}}''. The difference with him is that with enough power, Automan is able to have a physical presence in the real world that feels real and can interact with physical objects as if he is.
* Several characters in ''Series/BabylonFive'' are able to communicate this way while making use of [[EternalEngine the Great Machine]]. Two out of three characters who do this on the show tend to be {{Large Ham}}s for some reason.
* ''Series/Halo2022'', like the games, has the AI Cortana, albeit now she looks more human-like, starting with being flesh-colored instead of blue (the producers said that even if Cortana is a hologram, she had to feel real standing next to actual human beings).
* Used in a few con jobs in ''Series/MissionImpossible'', particularly notably in the episode "Holograms".
* Cyber-Cam from ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaStorm'', who regular Cam created to handle some of his responsibilities when he became the SixthRanger and found that managing that ''and'' being the MissionControl was too exhausting.
* Al from ''Series/QuantumLeap'' isn't actually a hologram, but functions like one from Sam's point of view. However, Sam and the world around him appear as this to Al back in the present because he is in an "imaging chamber" much like a ''Franchise/StarTrek'' Holodeck.
* Holograms in ''Series/RedDwarf'' are {{Virtual Ghost}}s of {{Brain Upload|ing}}ed crew members, but due to the high energy costs, most ships can only generate one hologram at a time, so they have to hope that nobody more important dies.
** It's originally shown that Rimmer can't leave the ship without being contained inside a holographic projection cage, but later episodes scrap this and show that he's maintained by a tiny, hovering "light bee" inside himself and can go wherever he wanted.
** Holograms are specified from the start to be intangible, but the writers kept forgetting this and had Rimmer lifting things. In "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonVILegion Legion]]", he's eventually given a HardLight drive that makes him solid and indestructible.
** "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonVHoloship Holoship]]" introduces the titular project starship, crewed by hundreds of holograms.
* "The Professor", the holographic advisor system installed in the captain's cabin aboard ''Series/SeaQuestDSV''. Notable for including several RealLife limitations: it can't travel (the image is projected on a fog "screen"), it isn't tangible, it can't repair itself (either hardware or software), and it frequently suffers from HologramProjectionImperfection.
* ''Franchise/StargateVerse'':
** Asgard communications technology in ''Series/StargateSG1'' functions by projecting a full-body hologram of the user to wherever the person they want to talk to is, apparently without the need for an emitter at the receiving end, allowing for some handy {{Intangibility}} shenanigans.
** The Ancients have this as well.
** An interesting variation on this is used in an early episode by Sokar, who attacks the Earth gate's iris with a particle accelerator. He modulates the accelerator to make his face appear on the iris and even have his voice come out, informing the [[HumansByAnyOtherName Tau'ri]] why he's punishing them.
** The Asgard holo-technology is revealed to the public in one episode as a counter to a CEO revealing an Asgard as proof that the government is hiding something (it was just a mindless clone). Carter then went on national television and revealed that the government has been working on realistic-looking holographic projection technology and demonstrates this by passing her hand through a solid object, revealing that she wasn't really there. The reporter interviewing her calls bullshit on that, claiming that she has never heard of a technology like that before.
** A crossover ''SG-1''/''[[Series/StargateAtlantis Atlantis]]'' episode involves Daniel searching through the Ancient database in Atlantis for Merlin's weapon, finally figuring out that [[spoiler:his holographic guide is actually Ganos Lal (a.k.a. Morgan Le Fay), an [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Ascended]] Ancient, secretly helping him]].
* Caravaggio from ''Series/{{Starhunter}}''. From the shoulders up, he's a posh British butler in a tuxedo, from back when the ship had been a luxury liner. From the shoulders down, he's a skeleton because his image files have degraded.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
** Any humanoid-like being produced by the Holodeck qualifies, although most don't seem to be sentient.
** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': A noteworthy mention is Creator/StephenHawking, who, as a hologram, got to be the only person in the franchise's history to date to appear on the show AsHimself.
** ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': The Doctor, a.k.a. the Emergency Medical Hologram, is the chief medical officer on ''Voyager''.
** ''Series/StarTrekPicard'':
*** Index, a hologram with the appearance of a human woman, is the user-friendly directory at Starfleet Archives.
*** ''La Sirena'' has at least five emergency holograms (Medical, Navigational, Hospitality, Tactical and Engineering). They all look like Cristóbal Rios, the ship's owner, because he selected the self-scan option, but [[SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct they all dress, talk and act differently]].
* Darien's sidekick S.E.L.M.A. (Specified Encapsulated Limitless Memory Archive) in ''Series/TimeTrax''. She is almost a VirtualGhost, as her appearance was based on a photograph of Darien's late mother. For Darien's mission into the 20th century, S.E.L.M.A. is disguised as a credit card and frequently used as such (she just hacks the computer to accept her). In one episode, Darien meets an old friend of his, who has traveled back in time to catch a certain criminal. He shows off his own computer called C.I.N.D.I. (Consumer Information Network and Data Interface), who looks like a ditzy blonde and doesn't do much except giggle and take up seductive poses, while her hologram occasionally glitches -- obviously an inferior version of S.E.L.M.A., who is a little insulted.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Multimedia Franchises]]
* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'':
** Slight twist: In some continuities, the Transformers project holograms of drivers in their [[TransformingMecha vehicle modes]] so that they don't appear to be driving themselves. In one comic series, the driver avatars are HardLight projections that can operate some distance from their robot bodies.
** Sixshot in ''Anime/TransformersHeadmasters'' projects copies of himself to fight; they're made of HardLight. Prowl in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' seems to have picked up a similar trick, but without the hardness (and a crimefighter in the comic named "Wraith" is able to project a moving hologram of himself that he controls from a nearby truck).
** T-AI from ''Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise'' is a sentient supercomputer who manifests herself in the holographic form of a Japanese policewoman. She even [[TinmanTypist operates equally holographic keypads]] to make the computer (which is ''her'') do stuff. Website/TFWikiDotNet summed up the FridgeLogic of this.[[note]]"Whenever T-AI makes radio contact with any off-base Autobots, she initiates it by pressing a sequence of buttons on a keypad. Considering that these elements are all a part of the same computer, T-AI is in fact projecting and controlling the holographic representation of herself and making it use the keypad that controls T-AI, herself. She is effectively telling herself to tell herself what to do. If you also factor in the fact that the hologram is totally incorporeal, and therefore cannot actually make contact with the keypad, then the assorted beeps and lights that seemingly indicate when the buttons are being pressed are actually being controlled from within T-AI like a player piano, and therefore don't need to be pressed even if the hologram could press them. This gives me a headache."[[/note]] The RuleOfCool is definitely in effect.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theater]]
* The Squip from ''Theatre/BeMoreChill'' manifests for the user as a holographic human form, defaulting to Keanu Reeves. It has no real physical presence, unless RuleOfFunny dictates otherwise (like zapping the lock off a locker). It also seems physical to users, possibly creating the illusion of touch by manipulating the user's nervous system.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvoltSeries'': From [[VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt2 the second game]] onward, Copen is accompanied by a RobotBuddy called Lola, who can project a humanoid female form of herself. Played with in that it's not an inherent feature, but she gets it from analyzing the power of "The Muse" [[PsychicPowers Septima]], which lets the user holographically project their consciousness as an IdolSinger.
* ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'' has Secundo, an [[JustAStupidAccent Ambiguously Spanish]] holographic AI who manages Jade's inventory and e-mail for her. [[spoiler:He's also a ChekhovsGunman, as his short on-screen appearance at the beginning of the game only hints at the fact that his computerized nature will prove very helpful at the game's end]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Defiance}}'': Your EGO implant projects a blue flickering light lady into you field of vision to make the interface feel more natural.
* In ''VideoGame/DestroyAllHumans'', Pox becomes this when he downloads his conscious into a float disk just before their main ship was destroyed. He stays this way for a decade before finally getting himself a new body, though not what he expected.
* ''Franchise/DeusExUniverse'':
** ''VideoGame/DeusExInvisibleWar'' has NG Resonance, [[VirtualCelebrity an international pop star whose holographic AIs are playing all over the world]]. The [=AIs=] can interact with people, and one is hard-pressed to tell that it's not an actual person. Interestingly, while the holograms are polite and friendly, the actual pop star is a spoiled brat who doesn't care about anyone. Expanding on this, the AI starts to become personalized towards each person. You see it giving advice and comforting an office drone the first time you met it. As the game goes on it starts acting as your handler, which you can comment on -- and to be fair to the pop star, she was panicking as she found herself in the middle of a war zone.
** [[spoiler:Eliza]] of ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' is a life-like hologram.
* [[spoiler:Layla]], the girl in the Sunset Cage in ''VideoGame/{{Fairune}} 2'', looks like just another MysteriousWaif up until she [[spoiler:suddenly [[HologramProjectionImperfection flickers]] and shuts down. She gets better]].
* The ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' expansion ''Dead Money'' has the holographic security system of the Sierra Madre hotel and casino. The holograms themselves cannot be damaged, but are capable of emitting lethal lasers, so the only way to deal with them is to hack the security system, find and destroy their projector, or run out of range. What's unsettling is that some of them are based on recordings of the casino's patrons' last moments after the bombs fell and everyone was sealed inside, so such holograms will be talking in a panicked voice to long-dead victims as they go about their patrol routes and shoot at intruders. Some bad endings for the DLC describe how the [[PlayerCharacter Courier]] becomes another flickering ghost to haunt the ruins.
* In ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', almost all human-made [=AIs=] use a holographic human avatar:
** Cortana, a "naked blue lady" who's also Chief's VoiceWithAnInternetConnection and MissionControl, with a good bit of PlayfulHacker thrown in. That said, she's often stuck in Chief's helmet, which doesn't really have a projection system. In ''VideoGame/Halo4'', she's able to briefly manifest herself with HardLight by using the technology on a [[{{Precursors}} Forerunner]] ship. [[spoiler:In ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'', she seems to have created a full hard-light body for herself.]]
** Others examples of [=AIs=] with human avatars include Serina of the UNSC ''Spirit of Fire'' (from ''VideoGame/HaloWars'') and Roland of the UNSC ''Infinity'' (introduced in ''Halo 4'').
** One unusual example is Black Box (or BB for short), originally introduced in ''Literature/HaloGlasslands''. One of the most advanced [=AIs=] in the UNSC, he takes pride in his superiority by refusing to generate a human avatar, always appearing instead as little more than a featureless blue cube that nevertheless manages to convey emotion by spinning and running lights over itself.
* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' has the G0-T0 droid who hides behind his SecretIdentity of Goto, a middle-aged man communicating only through hologram projection.
* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
** Nearly every Virtual Intelligence encountered is a perfect example of this trope. The one exception is the [[AIIsACrapshoot rogue VI]] found on Earth's moon in [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]]. Its rogue status may or may not have something to do with this.
** These are actually special cases: when a VI is designed for interpersonal interaction (such as Avina, the asari VI on the Citadel) it has a human- or asari-shaped projection. There's actually a VI interface in almost everything, from your omnitool to your biotic implant to your assault rifle. The rogue VI on the moon didn't have a projection because it was designed for organising drones for combat simulations, not for directing people to the nearest bar or restaurant.
** In [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 the second game]], EDI projects herself as a sphere of blue lights, but she is a genuine self-aware AI.
** Glyph similarly manifests as a blue sphere, although in his case he is a drone equipped as a sort of administrative assistant VI.
** Holographic projections are also commonly used for long distance communication, at least for folks important enough to make direct calls to Commander Shepard, a list that is generally limited to leaders or representatives of powerful organizations.
** In [[VideoGame/MassEffect3 the third game]], it is possible to encounter a VI with a {{Flanderiz|ation}}ed version of Commander Shepard's personality, which projects itself as a hard-light projection of Shepard. Depending on if Shepard is a Paragon or a Renegade, the VI will either be obnoxiously supportive or comically bloodthirsty. Cue DoIReallySoundLikeThat from Shepard.
* In ''VideoGame/TheSuffering'', Dr. Killjoy is the ghost of a [[PsychoPsychologist deranged psychiatrist]] who manifests from old film projectors. Much creepiness ensues, including having to destroy the projectors to stop him from reviving certain enemies.
* In ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'', the ''Von Braun's'' Recreation deck includes a [[RedLightDistrict brothel]] called the "Sensual Sim Center", where patrons can make out with holographic performers of both sexes. All the holograms are busted when you get there, though.
* ''VideoGame/UruAgesBeyondMyst'' has one. Yeesha built a small imager in the Cleft that can project a full 3D hologram of herself, sound and all, and in one recording, ''a Linking Book even works while still part of the hologram''. Somewhat justified, as holography is nothing new to the D'ni civilization, though their imagers more often use 2D holograms.
* ''VideoGame/XCOM2'' has the Codex enemy, a flickering female figure that your head scientist speculates to be merely the projection of some sort of multidimensional being. They can teleport at will and clone themselves when they take damage, but are solid enough to shoot and will take advantage of cover.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* Sora in ''VisualNovel/Ever17'' is an AI who appears to be a 24-year-old woman but is actually seen by other characters via a series of light projections embedded into the walls of the underwater complex into their eyes. As her programming gets unshackled, she starts to ponder her existence during some down times, [[TragicIntangibility reflecting that unlike the other characters stuck underwater she can't actually touch them]]. [[spoiler:She gets an android body in the True Ending and becomes a RobotGirl.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* All the [=AIs=] in ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' project themselves in this manner at some point, with Delta notably using his projection to simulate a combatant in battle as a distraction once. In ''[[WebAnimation/RedVsBlueTheRecollection Reconstruction]]'', [[spoiler:the "ghost" form of Church]] is [[TomatoInTheMirror revealed to be one of these]], blurring the lines between projection and self.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Quantum, the resident ArtificialIntelligence in ''Webcomic/LeavingTheCradle'', appears as this to those speaking with them. Although his appearance appears to be based on one of the aliens of the setting, the [[https://leavingthecradle.com/characters character page]] says that he has no actual self-image and chooses the form that's being the most convenient for the other speaker.
* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'':
** "[[EverybodyCallsHimBarkeep Station]]", the [[SpaceshipGirl Spaceship Boy]] who controls the Ellicott Chatham Enterprises SpaceStation, interacts with humans through a holographic projection of a young man, which it can manifest anywhere within the Station or via [[https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3647 remote drone]] elsewhere. PlayedForLaughs when people [[https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2160 forget]] that he's not made of HardLight, when he [[https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2162 glitches out]] while "hung over" from modeling weather patterns, and when he [[https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2145 stages]] paranormal activity.
** May is a personal AI assistant projected through Dale's AugmentedReality Glasses (who, as a result, only he can see). She has her own robot chassis, but it's locked up in Robot Jail at the time (she tried to upload herself into a fighter jet) and she's essentially doing community service. Later on, she shows up "in the flesh".
* The {{Artificial Intelligence}}s that control ships in the ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' universe are usually represented by holograms, for interaction with "meatbags". For the sake of exposition, [[BreakingTheFourthWall as they themselves occasionally notice]], even for direct interaction between [=AIs=] themselves. Some exceptions are Haban, who is embedded into a human and talks through him, Ennesby, who has a physical flying body and was talking through it or just speakers when he was a ship AI, and TAG, who speaks disembodiedly on purpose.
* ''Webcomic/{{Serix}}'': Seen all over the place, and a good amount of people in the setting exist mainly or solely in this form.
* In ''Webcomic/{{SSDD}}'', most [=AIs=] that aren't housed in a mobile robot frame have a "blobby" holographic avatar designed not to look like any particular species, the Oracle's avatar is a blue cloudy sphere containing three triangles that look like eyes and a nose for instance. Though in their simulations, which most organics can't access, they tend to have more anthropomorphic avatars, [[spoiler:modeled after the Oracle's creator in his case]].
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[[folder:Web Videos]]
* It's revealed in the Season Five WhamEpisode of ''WebVideo/PuppetHistory'' that [[spoiler:the Professor who supposedly CameBackWrong is actually an EvilCounterpart named Concupiscence, who was a hologram made to entertain purgatory that was brought back to reality. He's only halfway to being corporeal, and is willing to skin Ryan alive and wear his flesh to BecomeARealBoy]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In later episodes of ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'', we see that Vlad made himself a holographic version of Danny's mother as his lab assistant. When Danny attacks his laboratory, the hologram and the AI glitches says it prefers to be with the holographic Jack Fenton than with him. He later fixes that "flaw". In "WesternAnimation/PhantomPlanet", it turns out that he's using at least two holographic Maddies on his space station and at one point they fight over who's the favorite.
* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' when a miniature Projected Man version of Hermes appears to the other characters to relay a message but is then carried away by a pigeon. When the (real) Hermes appears next, he is sporting various plasters.
* Hugo ([[FunWithAcronyms Holographic User Guidance Operative]]) from ''WesternAnimation/GetAce'', who takes on the appearance and personality of TheJeeves and allows Ace to easily access the various functions of his spy braces via verbal commands. Only Ace can see him due to wearing special glasses.
* The second season of ''WesternAnimation/IronManTheAnimatedSeries'' features an AI called HOMER. Unlike his [[ComicBook/IronMan comic book]] incarnation, who only appears as a voice from the computers that run Tony's armor-manufacturing facilities (with... [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/3/34/Heuristically_Operative_Matrix_Emulation_Rostrum_%28Earth-616%29.JPG/revision/latest?cb=20120317213048 this...]] representing his "face"), the cartoon portrays him as a Projected Man.
* Synergy from ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}''. Jem herself doesn't count since it's more of WeWillNotUseStageMakeUpInTheFuture, but Jerrica has had Synergy project holograms of Jem (or holograms of Jerrica if she's in her Jem alter-ego) to prevent her cover from being blown when the need for both of them to be in the same room at the same time arises.
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