History Main / OpeningACanOfClones

* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters '99'', the opening chapter of the NESTS [[StoryArc saga]], introduced a secret conspiracy to clone Kyo Kusanagi and raise an unstoppable CloneArmy. Basically, this is an excuse to [[AntiHeroSubstitute replace Kyo with his brooding white-haired "brother"]], [[CloneByConversion K']], followed by [[PsychoPrototype a pile of rejected clone caca]] (and [[Manga/{{Akira}} Tetsuo Shima]] CaptainErsatz) called K9999 in ''2001''. Zero, the FinalBoss of ''2000'' and a mouthpiece for NESTS ([[TheStarscream but not really]]), is revealed to be a clone of the original, who shows up in the next game as a sub-boss and is not too happy about his clone's treacherous ways. Again, this was necessitated by the first Zero (and his "fart" attacks) not going over well with fans, and he was replaced with a more stereotypical (yet [[AntiVillain admirably]] [[NobleDemon loyal]]) white-haired version. Despite rocky beginnings, the NESTS saga is remembered with morbid affection by fans even as Creator/{{SNK}} seems content to sweep it ([[BuryYourArt especially the above-mentioned K9999]], though they certainly weren't above redesigning him into "Krohnen" for his return in ''KOF XV'' to avoid getting sued) under the rug for all time.

** It can be argued that this started as early as the Prequel Trilogy, with the Force granting Jedi super speed (which was rarely used after its introduction, [[ForgotAboutHisPowers even when it would be pretty useful]]), giving Force Lightning to minor Sith, and equipping Yoda and Palpatine with CombatParkour.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}''' creator Creator/GregWeissman tells in 'Ask Greg' of how his children thought Elisa was acting bad in the episode "Protection" because it was a clone, given that an earlier episode had introduced a clone of Goliath. (She was actually pretending to be a DirtyCop to fool a mob boss.)

** The second ''[[ComicBook/TheCloneSaga Clone Saga]]'', written in UsefulNotes/TheNineties, was [[FollowTheLeader a response]] to ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'', in which Franchise/{{Batman}} was knocked out of commission and replaced with Azrael, a very different character. Seeking their own version of a LegacyCharacter, the Marvel writers decided to bring back the clones -- but the [[ExecutiveMeddling marketing people]] wanted to stretch out what was originally a six-month plot to last several years. That led the writers to bring back the clone Gwen (alive), the clone Spider-Man (dead, but alive now [[AssPull because we say so]]), and the Jackal (dead, [[CloningGambit but cloned]]). They also added a menagerie of new clones, including two ComicBook/{{Scarlet Spider}}s named Ben and Kaine. This crossover event, spanning across four titles and countless mini-series, accomplished a whole lot of nothing. Nobody knew what was going on, nobody knew who was who, and unlike the "original" Clone Saga, the ending was ambiguous. Early on, hints were dropped that the Spidey the comics had been following for the last 20 years was actually a clone, and that Ben Reilly was actually the original Peter Parker who he'd unknowingly replaced at the end of the original Clone Saga. As the saga got dragged out far beyond the original six-month plan, "proof" kept being brought out and then debunked that one or the other was the true Peter Pater. As the Clone Saga ended, it was leaning toward Ben as the original, and thus Peter retired from being Spider-Man and let Ben take up the mantle of Spider-Man. It wasn't until several years later that it was proven once and for all that Ben was the clone and Peter the original after all, with Ben dying and Peter returning to being Spidey. Most of the clones died, but two (Gwen and Jackal) came back again for ''ComicBook/SpiderIsland''. Kaine is still running around doing nothing of particular note.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': This has been [[FranchiseOriginalSin a slowly growing sticking point for the series for a long time coming]], with both the films and the [[Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe]] adding in clone armies, [[ActuallyADoombot doombots]], the force [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands being able to do whatever the plot needs it to do]], and [[DeathIsCheap the ability to cheat death]] via vaguely explained Sith magic. However, it ''really'' hit the fan in ''Film/TheLastJedi'' and ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'', wherein both films [[SerialEscalation upped both the strength and prevalence of these elements]] to such an extent as to leave many viewers with the sense that nothing was at stake anymore. To wit, Rey becomes proficient with the force despite receiving little to no Jedi training and even spontaneously develops non-Force talents she shouldn't reasonably have, like wind-sailing and swimming in dangerously stormy waters; force ghosts are shown interacting with the material world directly; Luke uses an AstralProjection across light years of space to confront Kylo Ren; Palpatine is brought BackFromTheDead via [[CloningGambit cloning]] and is seen draining energy from Rey and Kylo to heal his deteriorating body; Rey and Kylo both use Force Healing to save each other from fatal injuries (which deserves special mention seeing as it directly contradicts Anakin's motivation for falling to the dark side in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith''); and physical objects are shown being teleported across systems via spacetime communication. Suffice to say, all these elements combined in such a way as to essentially [[StoryBreakerPower break the story]], and in doing so turned many fans off to the series' future, something which [[WebVideo/TheAngryJoeShow Angry Joe]]--himself a huge ''Star Wars'' fan--noted [[https://youtu.be/7ttfwyrjNv0?t=1527 in his discussion]] on ''The Rise of Skywalker'':
-->'''Angry Joe:''' [Force Healing] is a big PlotHole because of the fact that it completely ruins ''death''. ''There's no tension anymore''. Death is a complete joke in this film. [[DeathIsCheap This person dies; comes back]]. ''This'' person dies; comes back. So, '''you do not give a shit when somebody dies'''! And not only that, but it completely ruins the series for the future. Like, you've got force ghosts that can do stuff [...], lightning strikes [...], and now we've got force healing [so] nobody can fucking die... I don't want to see episode X! I don't want to see XI; I don't want to see XII! ...They have to go away. They have to go back into the past.
** Then there's The Critical Drinker's stance on the films:
--->'''Drinker:''' Another massive problem that hangs over [[Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker this movie]] is the Force. See, in the original trilogy, the force was subtle and used sparingly, like when Luke hears Obi Wan Kenobi's voice in his head and later sees his force ghost, or when he uses a force pull to retrieve his lightsaber. And when Palpatine used force lightning for the first time, it was like: "Holy shit! This guy is powerful!" Now it's just been elevated to ''ridiculous'' levels! Now, the Force can pluck spaceships out of the sky, heal fatal injuries, host Skype calls, teleport objects across the galaxy, and cast lightning bolts powerful enough to disable entire war fleets. There's no limits, no rules, no indication of what's possible or not, [and] so there's no way to buy into it. This is a world where you have no idea what anyone can do at any given time, and so pretty soon, you just stop caring.