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[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Nora Valkyrie has spent most of her life together with Lie Ren, after he befriended her while she was a homeless orphan [[spoiler:and protected her when the village they lived in was destroyed by Grimm]]. When the events in Atlas lead to the protagonists splitting into two groups in Volume 8, with Nora separate from Ren [[spoiler:following their RelationshipUpgrade in the previous Volume]], she begins to wonder who she even is without Ren, seeing herself as only capable of [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer hitting things hard]]. When she is critically injured and bedridden after using her Semblance to break down a door, Nora is devastated to not even be capable of ''that''. She ultimately decides that she needs to discover who she is without Ren; [[IWillWaitForYou Ren is fully supportive of her choice]].
[[/folder]]
* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Nora Valkyrie has spent most of her life together with Lie Ren, after he befriended her while she was a homeless orphan [[spoiler:and protected her when the village they lived in was destroyed by Grimm]]. When the events in Atlas lead to the protagonists splitting into two groups in Volume 8, with Nora separate from Ren [[spoiler:following their RelationshipUpgrade in the previous Volume]], she begins to wonder who she even is without Ren, seeing herself as only capable of [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer hitting things hard]]. When she is critically injured and bedridden after using her Semblance to break down a door, Nora is devastated to not even be capable of ''that''. She ultimately decides that she needs to discover who she is without Ren; [[IWillWaitForYou Ren is fully supportive of her choice]].
[[/folder]]
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* ''Series/RedDwarf'': VirtualGhost Rimmer has a bit of a HeroicBSOD and almost lets his battery run down in "[[Recap / Red Dwarf The Promised Land The Promised Land]]" after The Cat tells him that the real Rimmer is [[DeadPersonImpersonation long dead]] and that he is just a computer acting on what the ''real'' Rimmer would think. Luckily, Lister is able to snap him out of it.
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* ''Series/RedDwarf'': VirtualGhost Rimmer has a bit of a HeroicBSOD and almost lets his battery run down in "[[Recap / Red Dwarf The Promised Land "[[Recap/RedDwarfThePromisedLand The Promised Land]]" after The Cat tells him that the real Rimmer is [[DeadPersonImpersonation long dead]] and that he is just a computer acting on what the ''real'' Rimmer would think. Luckily, Lister is able to snap him out of it.
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* ''Series/RedDwarf'': VirtualGhost Rimmer has a bit of a HeroicBSOD and almost lets his battery run down in "The Promised Land" after The Cat tells him that the real Rimmer is [[DeadPersonImpersonation long dead]] and that he is just a computer acting on what the ''real'' Rimmer would think. Luckily, Lister is able to snap him out of it.
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* ''Series/RedDwarf'': VirtualGhost Rimmer has a bit of a HeroicBSOD and almost lets his battery run down in "The "[[Recap / Red Dwarf The Promised Land" Land The Promised Land]]" after The Cat tells him that the real Rimmer is [[DeadPersonImpersonation long dead]] and that he is just a computer acting on what the ''real'' Rimmer would think. Luckily, Lister is able to snap him out of it.
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added link to personal horror
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DoubleConsciousness, SecretIdentityIdentity, and TomatoInTheMirror ''especially'' tend to lead to this trope. Can be exploited or invoked by TheHero in a IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight. See also ShapeshifterIdentityCrisis which often overlaps.
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DoubleConsciousness, SecretIdentityIdentity, and TomatoInTheMirror ''especially'' tend to lead to this trope. Can be exploited or invoked by TheHero in a IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight. See also ShapeshifterIdentityCrisis which often overlaps. \n Subtrope of PersonalHorror.
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* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'': In the Silver Age stories "The Day There Was No [[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]]" and "The Day [[Characters/SupermanLoisLane Lois Lane]] Vanished" (the latter is a RecycledScript of the former), Jimmy and Lois return from vacation to find their coworkers claiming not to know them and every story they've written under someone else's name. They even find that their identification has a different name on it. Finding out that they seemingly imagined a large portion of their lives sends them into {{Heroic BSOD}}s. However, the explanation (which both eventually manipulate the others into admitting) is that the ''Daily Planet'' wanted to test their potential as {{foreign correspondent}}s. Perry claims that enemies would resort to even worse things to discredit them.
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* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'': In the Silver Age stories "The Day There Was No [[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen [[ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]]" and "The Day [[Characters/SupermanLoisLane [[ComicBook/SupermansGirlFriendLoisLane Lois Lane]] Vanished" (the latter is a RecycledScript of the former), Jimmy and Lois return from vacation to find their coworkers claiming not to know them and every story they've written under someone else's name. They even find that their identification has a different name on it. Finding out that they seemingly imagined a large portion of their lives sends them into {{Heroic BSOD}}s. However, the explanation (which both eventually manipulate the others into admitting) is that the ''Daily Planet'' wanted to test their potential as {{foreign correspondent}}s. Perry claims that enemies would resort to even worse things to discredit them.
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* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'': In the Silver Age stories "The Day There Was No [[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]]" and "The Day [[Characters/SupermanLoisLane Lois Lane]] Vanished" (the latter is a RecycledScript of the former), Jimmy and Lois return from vacation to find their coworkers claiming not to know them and every story they've written under someone else's name. They even find that their identification has a different name on it. Finding out that they seemingly imagined a large portion of their lives sends them into {{Heroic BSOD}}s. However, the explanation (which both eventually manipulate the others into admitting) is that the ''Daily Planet'' wanted to test their potential as foreign correspondents. Perry claims that enemies would resort to even worse things to discredit them.
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* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'': In the Silver Age stories "The Day There Was No [[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]]" and "The Day [[Characters/SupermanLoisLane Lois Lane]] Vanished" (the latter is a RecycledScript of the former), Jimmy and Lois return from vacation to find their coworkers claiming not to know them and every story they've written under someone else's name. They even find that their identification has a different name on it. Finding out that they seemingly imagined a large portion of their lives sends them into {{Heroic BSOD}}s. However, the explanation (which both eventually manipulate the others into admitting) is that the ''Daily Planet'' wanted to test their potential as foreign correspondents.{{foreign correspondent}}s. Perry claims that enemies would resort to even worse things to discredit them.
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* PlayedForLaughs in the season 1 episode of ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'', "Poor Little Rich Girl." Zack and Cody watch a baby video of theirs in which their parents accidentally [[IdenticalTwinMistake mix the two up]]. Despite their mom pointing out that all babies kind of look alike anyways, the two spend the rest of the episode having {{Identity Breakdown}}s, questioning their own identities, and adopting the traits of the other. They demand their mom find their birth certificates so they can prove once and for all they are who they thought they were.
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* PlayedForLaughs in the season 1 episode of ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'', "Poor Little Rich Girl." Zack and Cody watch a baby video of theirs in which their parents accidentally [[IdenticalTwinMistake mix the two up]]. Despite their mom pointing out that all babies kind of look alike anyways, the two spend the rest of the episode having {{Identity Breakdown}}s, episode questioning their own identities, identities and adopting the traits of the other. They demand their mom find their birth certificates so they can prove once and for all they are who they thought they were.
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* PlayedForLaughs in the season 1 episode of ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'', "Poor Little Rich Girl." Zack and Cody watch a baby video of theirs in which their parents accidentally [[IdenticalTwinMistake mix the two up]]. Despite their mom pointing out that all babies kind of look alike anyways, the two spend the rest of the episode having {{Identity Breakdown}}s, questioning their own identities, and adopting the traits of the other. They demand their mom find their birth certificates so they can prove once and for all they are who they thought they were.
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* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': When he is captured by Ramsay Bolton, [[spoiler:Theon Greyjoy is [[TraumaCongaLine horrifically tortured]] with the express purpose of [[LossOfIdentity stripping him of any aspect of humanity and his past self]], leaving only "Reek," the identity he is forced to assume. His body, mind, spirit sufficiently [[BreakTheHaughty broken]], his chapter titles no longer even use his name, instead alternating between [[BecomingTheMask "Reek" and "The Ghost of Winterfell"]] depending on his [[SanitySlippage mental state]]. His struggle to reassert his identity (and even remember what it was) becomes central to his character development, reaching a climax when he finally manages to escape the Boltons, motivated by his desire to save Jeyne Poole. The resolution of his breakdown is punctuated by his final chapter in ''A Dance With Dragons'' being titled "Theon."]]
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* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': When he is captured by Ramsay Bolton, [[spoiler:Theon Greyjoy Greyjoy]] is [[TraumaCongaLine horrifically tortured]] with the express purpose of [[LossOfIdentity stripping him of any aspect of humanity and his past self]], leaving only "Reek," the identity he is forced to assume. His body, mind, spirit sufficiently [[BreakTheHaughty broken]], his chapter titles no longer even use his name, instead alternating between [[BecomingTheMask "Reek" and "The Ghost of Winterfell"]] depending on his [[SanitySlippage mental state]]. His struggle to reassert his identity (and even remember what it was) becomes central to his character development, reaching a climax when he finally manages to escape the Boltons, motivated by his desire to save Jeyne Poole. The resolution of his breakdown is punctuated by his final chapter in ''A Dance With Dragons'' being titled "Theon.[[spoiler:"Theon."]]
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[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/IAgainstIMeAgainstYou'':
** After discovering he's an AI, Church becomes [[NotHimself even more irritable than usual]] and [[IRejectYourReality goes into insane levels of denial]], but he eventually comes to terms with it and decides that he's human in all the ways that matter.
** Twilight becomes increasingly depressed after finding out she's an MI, though this is partially the result of having undergone a session of relentless psychological torture to realize it. She begins to believe that her identity is a mere fabrication, but Church reassures her that she's still Twilight Sparkle no matter what.
[[/folder]]
* ''Fanfic/IAgainstIMeAgainstYou'':
** After discovering he's an AI, Church becomes [[NotHimself even more irritable than usual]] and [[IRejectYourReality goes into insane levels of denial]], but he eventually comes to terms with it and decides that he's human in all the ways that matter.
** Twilight becomes increasingly depressed after finding out she's an MI, though this is partially the result of having undergone a session of relentless psychological torture to realize it. She begins to believe that her identity is a mere fabrication, but Church reassures her that she's still Twilight Sparkle no matter what.
[[/folder]]
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While any story about identity can include an identity breakdown, this trope is often used in SplitPersonality, {{Doppelganger}}, and [[OurClonesAreIdentical Clone]] stories, since there are viable alternative versions of the character vying for the position of either dominant or sole identity. Also pops up in IndividualityIsIllegal, AssimilationPlot, and LossOfIdentity stories, though these assume the character had a stable and known identity to begin with, [[QuestForIdentity which may not be the case]].
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While any story about identity can include an identity breakdown, this trope is often used a lot in SplitPersonality, {{Doppelganger}}, and [[OurClonesAreIdentical Clone]] stories, since there are viable alternative versions of the character vying for the position of either dominant or sole identity. Also pops up in IndividualityIsIllegal, AssimilationPlot, and LossOfIdentity stories, though these assume the character had a stable and known identity to begin with, [[QuestForIdentity which may not be the case]].
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However, a shattered psyche is ripe for SanitySlippage as the answer to a character's question of "Who am I?" becomes less and less clear or [[GoMadFromTheRevelation too horrifying to even accept]]. This often leaves them an unstable, dissociative state, complete with [[MoodSwing Mood Swings]], ShiftingVoiceOfMadness, and SuddenlyShouting, that is, if the breakdown doesn't [[DrivenToSuicide drive them to take their own life]] before all that can manifest.
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However, a shattered psyche is ripe for SanitySlippage as the answer to a character's question of "Who am I?" becomes less and less clear or [[GoMadFromTheRevelation too horrifying to even accept]]. This often leaves them in an unstable, dissociative state, complete with [[MoodSwing Mood Swings]], ShiftingVoiceOfMadness, and SuddenlyShouting, that is, if the breakdown doesn't [[DrivenToSuicide drive them to take their own life]] before all that can manifest.
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reworded description a bit
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However, a shattered psyche is ripe for SanitySlippage as the answer to a charater's question of "Who am I?" becomes less and less clear, leaving them stuck in an unstable, dissociative state, or [[GoMadFromTheRevelation too horrifying to even accept]]. They'll often exhibit [[MoodSwing Mood Swings]], ShiftingVoiceOfMadness, and SuddenlyShouting from this point on, that is, if the breakdown doesn't [[DrivenToSuicide drive them to take their own life]] before all that can manifest.
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However, a shattered psyche is ripe for SanitySlippage as the answer to a charater's character's question of "Who am I?" becomes less and less clear, leaving them stuck in an unstable, dissociative state, clear or [[GoMadFromTheRevelation too horrifying to even accept]]. They'll This often exhibit leaves them an unstable, dissociative state, complete with [[MoodSwing Mood Swings]], ShiftingVoiceOfMadness, and SuddenlyShouting from this point on, SuddenlyShouting, that is, if the breakdown doesn't [[DrivenToSuicide drive them to take their own life]] before all that can manifest.
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Plot-wise, the breakdown can be the absolute rock bottom for the character, after which they gain the resolve and clarity to decide upon an identity, [[IAmWhatIAm accept who and what they are]], or forge a new identity for themself going so far as to [[ThatManIsDead label their old one as ''dead.'']] This is a neutral action and can result in good guys turning bad, bad guys turning good, neutral characters becoming aligned, and [[HeelFaceIndex everything in between]], so long as the end identity is a stable one.
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Plot-wise, the breakdown can be the absolute rock bottom for the character, after which they gain the resolve and clarity to decide upon an identity, [[IAmWhatIAm accept who and what they are]], or forge a new identity for themself themselves, even going so far as to [[ThatManIsDead label their old one as ''dead.'']] This is a neutral action and can result in good guys turning bad, bad guys turning good, neutral characters becoming aligned, and [[HeelFaceIndex everything in between]], so long as the end identity is a stable one.
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However, a shattered psyche is ripe for SanitySlippage as the answer to the question of "Who am I?" becomes less and less clear, leaving a character stuck in an unstable, dissociative state, [[GoMadFromTheRevelation too horrifying to even accept]]. They'll often exhibit [[MoodSwing Mood Swings]], ShiftingVoiceOfMadness, and SuddenlyShouting from this point on, that is, if the breakdown doesn't [[DrivenToSuicide drive them to take their own life]] before all that can manifest.
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However, a shattered psyche is ripe for SanitySlippage as the answer to the a charater's question of "Who am I?" becomes less and less clear, leaving a character them stuck in an unstable, dissociative state, or [[GoMadFromTheRevelation too horrifying to even accept]]. They'll often exhibit [[MoodSwing Mood Swings]], ShiftingVoiceOfMadness, and SuddenlyShouting from this point on, that is, if the breakdown doesn't [[DrivenToSuicide drive them to take their own life]] before all that can manifest.
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removed Driven To Madness in the description as it was incorrectly used and edited the resulting paragraph
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However, a shattered psyche is ripe for SanitySlippage and many identity stories become DrivenToMadness tales after the breakdown. Instead of finding a clear answer to their question of "Who am I?", characters in these stories received a maddening "Who knows" at best, leaving them stuck in an unstable, dissociative state, or found an answer [[GoMadFromTheRevelation too horrifying to even accept]]. They'll often exhibit [[MoodSwing Mood Swings]], ShiftingVoiceOfMadness, and SuddenlyShouting from this point on, that is, if the breakdown doesn't [[DrivenToSuicide drive them to take their own life]] before all that can manifest.
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However, a shattered psyche is ripe for SanitySlippage and many identity stories become DrivenToMadness tales after as the breakdown. Instead of finding a clear answer to their the question of "Who am I?", characters in these stories received a maddening "Who knows" at best, I?" becomes less and less clear, leaving them a character stuck in an unstable, dissociative state, or found an answer [[GoMadFromTheRevelation too horrifying to even accept]]. They'll often exhibit [[MoodSwing Mood Swings]], ShiftingVoiceOfMadness, and SuddenlyShouting from this point on, that is, if the breakdown doesn't [[DrivenToSuicide drive them to take their own life]] before all that can manifest.
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* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'': In the Silver Age stories "The Day There Was No [[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]]" and "The Day [[Characters/SupermanLoisLane Lois Lane]] Vanished" (the latter is a RecycledScript of the former), Jimmy and Lois return from vacation to find their coworkers claiming not to know them and every story they've written under someone else's name. They even find that their identification has a different name on it. Finding out that they seemingly imagined a large portion of their lives sends them into {{Heroic BSOD}}s. However, the explanation (which both eventually manipulate the others into admitting) is that the ''Daily Planet'' wanted to test their potential as foreign correspondents. Perry claims that enemies would resort to even worse things to discredit them.
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fixed formatting on supernatural example and added a bit to it
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* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
** A Season 4 episode features Dean catching a ghost sickness that makes him fearful of everything. This causes him to question why anyone would spend their lives hunting monsters because doing so means running toward danger and is therefore ''insane''. Dean recovers and is quite embarrassed by his cowardice.
** A Season 4 episode features Dean catching a ghost sickness that makes him fearful of everything. This causes him to question why anyone would spend their lives hunting monsters because doing so means running toward danger and is therefore ''insane''. Dean recovers and is quite embarrassed by his cowardice.
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* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
**''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': A Season 4 episode features Dean catching a ghost sickness that makes him fearful of everything. This causes him to question his entire life's profession by asking why anyone would spend their lives hunting monsters because doing so means running toward danger and is therefore ''insane''. Dean recovers and is quite embarrassed by his cowardice.
**
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Plot-wise, the breakdown can be the absolute rock bottom for the character, after which they gain the resolve and clarity to decide upon an identity, [[IAmWhatIAm accept who and what they are]], or forge a new identity for themself going so far as to label their old one as [[ThatManIsDead ''dead.'']] This is a neutral action and can result in good guys turning bad, bad guys turning good, neutral characters becoming aligned, and [[HeelFaceIndex everything in between]], so long as the end identity is a stable one.
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Plot-wise, the breakdown can be the absolute rock bottom for the character, after which they gain the resolve and clarity to decide upon an identity, [[IAmWhatIAm accept who and what they are]], or forge a new identity for themself going so far as to [[ThatManIsDead label their old one as [[ThatManIsDead ''dead.'']] This is a neutral action and can result in good guys turning bad, bad guys turning good, neutral characters becoming aligned, and [[HeelFaceIndex everything in between]], so long as the end identity is a stable one.
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added pothole for thatmanisdead
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Plot-wise, the breakdown can be the absolute rock bottom for the character, after which they gain the resolve and clarity to decide upon an identity, [[IAmWhatIAm accept who and what they are]], or forge a new identity for themself. This is a neutral action and can result in good guys turning bad, bad guys turning good, neutral characters becoming aligned, and [[HeelFaceIndex everything in between]], so long as the end identity is a stable one.
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Plot-wise, the breakdown can be the absolute rock bottom for the character, after which they gain the resolve and clarity to decide upon an identity, [[IAmWhatIAm accept who and what they are]], or forge a new identity for themself. themself going so far as to label their old one as [[ThatManIsDead ''dead.'']] This is a neutral action and can result in good guys turning bad, bad guys turning good, neutral characters becoming aligned, and [[HeelFaceIndex everything in between]], so long as the end identity is a stable one.
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* Rogue frequently suffers this in the ''ComicBook/{{XMen}}'' franchise. Her mutation gives her the ability to drain essential qualities--from [[MegaManning other superpowers]] to memories to [[LifeDrain life energy itself]]--from whoever she touches. It's ultimately revealed that if Rogue is in contact with someone for too long, the things she absorbs become a permanent part of her psyche, leaving her fractured and confused; for example, her ComboPlatterPowers of flight and super-strength only arose because she spent too much time holding onto ComicBook/MsMarvel. While this does generate a form of PsychicStatic--Rogue's mind is so cluttered with other people's thoughts that it's hard for telepaths to get a read on her--it also causes her a great deal of stress and existential pain.
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* Rogue frequently suffers this in the ''ComicBook/{{XMen}}'' ''ComicBook/XMen'' franchise. Her mutation gives her the ability to drain essential qualities--from [[MegaManning other superpowers]] to memories to [[LifeDrain life energy itself]]--from whoever she touches. It's ultimately revealed that if Rogue is in contact with someone for too long, the things she absorbs become a permanent part of her psyche, leaving her fractured and confused; for example, her ComboPlatterPowers of flight and super-strength only arose because she spent too much time holding onto ComicBook/MsMarvel. While this does generate a form of PsychicStatic--Rogue's mind is so cluttered with other people's thoughts that it's hard for telepaths to get a read on her--it also causes her a great deal of stress and existential pain.
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* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': While she is certainly suffering from a '''lot''' of issues by her eventual crack, it's learning the AwfulTruth about magical girls ([[spoiler: every single one will eventually become the very witches they are fighting against if they live that long]]) that pushes [[spoiler:Sayaka]] [[GoMadFromTheRevelation over the edge]], in part because it makes her season-long attempt to become a [[HeroicWannabe heroic ideal]] futile. Her eventual acceptance of this truth, [[IAmAMonster hurts more than it helps]] and the resulting SanitySlippage, which includes LaughingMad and becoming AxCrazy, quickly brings her to the DespairEventHorizon, [[spoiler:at which point, she turns into a witch and has to be put down by the other girls.]]
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* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': While she is certainly suffering from a '''lot''' of issues by her eventual crack, it's learning the AwfulTruth about magical girls ([[spoiler: every single one will eventually become the very witches they are fighting against if they live that long]]) that pushes [[spoiler:Sayaka]] [[GoMadFromTheRevelation over the edge]], in part because it makes her season-long attempt to become a [[HeroicWannabe heroic ideal]] futile. Her eventual acceptance of this truth, truth [[IAmAMonster hurts more than it helps]] and the resulting SanitySlippage, which includes LaughingMad and becoming AxCrazy, quickly brings her to the DespairEventHorizon, [[spoiler:at which point, point she turns into a witch and has to be put down by the other girls.]]
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minor edits to grammar and formatting
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* Troy Bolton's plot in every ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'' is about his identity struggles of being both a star basketball player and a guy who's ''really'' into musical theatre, with each film ramping up the pressure it's putting on him. His solo song "Bet On It" in ''Film/HighSchoolMusical2'' downplays the trope since despite lines like [[LossOfIdentity "It's no good at all to see yourself and not recognize your face,"]] Troy is ultimately defiant about not letting anyone define him but himself, rediscovering his identity in the process.
** Come ''Film/HighSchoolMusical3SeniorYear'' however, with his girlfriend Gabriella choosing to go to Stanford early (essentially breaking up with him over the phone) and his family pressuring him to take a basketball scholarship at a school in their hometown of Albuquerque with a good basketball program, Troy snaps. His song "Scream" features him running around the empty halls of his school at night, singing about how lost he feels, the voices of others inside his head telling him what to do, repeating different [[MadnessMantra Madness Mantras]] (or [[SurvivalMantra Survival Mantras]] depending on how far gone you think he is) and, fittingly, closing with a CatharticScream. Lucky for him, PsychologistTeacher Darbus witnessed the entire thing and offers him some words of advice.
** Come ''Film/HighSchoolMusical3SeniorYear'' however, with his girlfriend Gabriella choosing to go to Stanford early (essentially breaking up with him over the phone) and his family pressuring him to take a basketball scholarship at a school in their hometown of Albuquerque with a good basketball program, Troy snaps. His song "Scream" features him running around the empty halls of his school at night, singing about how lost he feels, the voices of others inside his head telling him what to do, repeating different [[MadnessMantra Madness Mantras]] (or [[SurvivalMantra Survival Mantras]] depending on how far gone you think he is) and, fittingly, closing with a CatharticScream. Lucky for him, PsychologistTeacher Darbus witnessed the entire thing and offers him some words of advice.
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* Troy Bolton's plot in every ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'' film is about his identity struggles of being both a star basketball player and a guy who's ''really'' into musical theatre, with each film ramping up the pressure it's putting on him. His solo song "Bet On It" in ''Film/HighSchoolMusical2'' downplays the trope since despite lines like [[LossOfIdentity "It's no good at all to see yourself and not recognize your face,"]] Troy is ultimately defiant about not letting anyone define him but himself, rediscovering his identity in the process.
** Come ''Film/HighSchoolMusical3SeniorYear'' however, withhis [[spoiler:his girlfriend Gabriella choosing to go to Stanford early (essentially breaking up with him over the phone) phone)]] and his family and best friend Chad Danforth pressuring him to take a basketball scholarship at a school in their hometown of Albuquerque with a good basketball program, Troy snaps. His song "Scream" features him running around the empty halls of his school at night, singing about how lost he feels, the voices of others inside his head telling him what to do, repeating different [[MadnessMantra Madness Mantras]] (or [[SurvivalMantra Survival Mantras]] depending on how far gone you think he is) and, fittingly, closing with a CatharticScream. Lucky for him, PsychologistTeacher Darbus witnessed the entire thing and offers him some words of advice.
** Come ''Film/HighSchoolMusical3SeniorYear'' however, with
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** ** In the season 10 episode, "Mimic Madness", Spongebob develops a case of [[ShapeshifterIdentityCrisis "Mocking Mimicry Madness"]] when he transforms his upper half to do over 80,000 near perfect impressions of people after learning about the SincerestFormOfFlattery. Sandy, Mr. Krabs, Patrick, Squidward, and Plankton stage an intervention to get him to stop after they become annoyed by it which forces Spongebob to realize he [[LossOfIdentity no longer remembers what his true personality is]]. He calls himself a freak before fleeing and running off to a cave where he begins to exhibit SanitySlippage. The gang finds him and is able to remind him of who he is by impersonating him back...only to develop "Mocking Mimicry Madness" themselves.
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* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
** A Season 4 episode features Dean catching a ghost sickness that makes him fearful of everything. This causes him to question why anyone would spend their lives hunting monsters because doing so means running toward danger and is therefore ''insane''. Dean recovers and is quite embarrassed by his cowardice.
** A Season 4 episode features Dean catching a ghost sickness that makes him fearful of everything. This causes him to question why anyone would spend their lives hunting monsters because doing so means running toward danger and is therefore ''insane''. Dean recovers and is quite embarrassed by his cowardice.
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* In ''Film/{{Thor}}'', Loki is not the most mentally stable person to begin with. Discovering that he's really a Jotunn who was adopted by Odin and raised as an Asgardian sends him down the path to full-on villainy.
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* Rogue frequently suffers this in the ''ComicBook/{{XMen}} franchise. Her mutation gives her the ability to drain essential qualities--from [[MegaManning other superpowers]] to memories to [[LifeDrain life energy itself]]--from whoever she touches. It's ultimately revealed that if Rogue is in contact with someone for too long, the things she absorbs become a permanent part of her psyche, leaving her fractured and confused; for example, her ComboPlatterPowers of flight and super-strength only arose because she spent too much time holding onto ComicBook/MsMarvel. While this does generate a form of PsychicStatic--Rogue's mind is so cluttered with other people's thoughts that it's hard for telepaths to get a read on her--it also causes her a great deal of stress and existential pain.
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* Rogue frequently suffers this in the ''ComicBook/{{XMen}} ''ComicBook/{{XMen}}'' franchise. Her mutation gives her the ability to drain essential qualities--from [[MegaManning other superpowers]] to memories to [[LifeDrain life energy itself]]--from whoever she touches. It's ultimately revealed that if Rogue is in contact with someone for too long, the things she absorbs become a permanent part of her psyche, leaving her fractured and confused; for example, her ComboPlatterPowers of flight and super-strength only arose because she spent too much time holding onto ComicBook/MsMarvel. While this does generate a form of PsychicStatic--Rogue's mind is so cluttered with other people's thoughts that it's hard for telepaths to get a read on her--it also causes her a great deal of stress and existential pain.
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* The film ''Film/IHeartHuckabees'' is all about this trope; the titular characters are "existential detectives" who help people when they have these kind of identity crises. The plot kicks off when a man is faced with the ArmorPiercingQuestion "How am I not myself?", which sends him spiraling and leads him to call the Huckabees to help him.
to:
* The film ''Film/IHeartHuckabees'' is all about this trope; the titular main characters are "existential detectives" who help people when they have these kind of identity crises. The plot kicks off when a man is faced with the ArmorPiercingQuestion "How am I not myself?", which sends him spiraling and leads him to call the Huckabees detectives to help him.
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Changed line(s) 35 (click to see context) from:
* Rogue frequently suffers this in the ''ComicBook/{[XMen}} franchise. Her mutation gives her the ability to drain essential qualities--from [[MegaManning other superpowers]] to memories to [[LifeDrain life energy itself]]--from whoever she touches. It's ultimately revealed that if Rogue is in contact with someone for too long, the things she absorbs become a permanent part of her psyche, leaving her fractured and confused; for example, her ComboPlatterPowers of flight and super-strength only arose because she spent too much time holding onto ComicBook/MissMarvel. While this does generate a form of PsychicStatic--Rogue's mind is so cluttered with other people's thoughts that it's hard for telepaths to get a read on her--it also causes her a great deal of stress and existential pain.
to:
* Rogue frequently suffers this in the ''ComicBook/{[XMen}} ''ComicBook/{{XMen}} franchise. Her mutation gives her the ability to drain essential qualities--from [[MegaManning other superpowers]] to memories to [[LifeDrain life energy itself]]--from whoever she touches. It's ultimately revealed that if Rogue is in contact with someone for too long, the things she absorbs become a permanent part of her psyche, leaving her fractured and confused; for example, her ComboPlatterPowers of flight and super-strength only arose because she spent too much time holding onto ComicBook/MissMarvel.ComicBook/MsMarvel. While this does generate a form of PsychicStatic--Rogue's mind is so cluttered with other people's thoughts that it's hard for telepaths to get a read on her--it also causes her a great deal of stress and existential pain.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
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* Rogue frequently suffers this in the ''ComicBook/{[XMen}} franchise. Her mutation gives her the ability to drain essential qualities--from [[MegaManning other superpowers]] to memories to [[LifeDrain life energy itself]]--from whoever she touches. It's ultimately revealed that if Rogue is in contact with someone for too long, the things she absorbs become a permanent part of her psyche, leaving her fractured and confused; for example, her ComboPlatterPowers of flight and super-strength only arose because she spent too much time holding onto ComicBook/MissMarvel. While this does generate a form of PsychicStatic--Rogue's mind is so cluttered with other people's thoughts that it's hard for telepaths to get a read on her--it also causes her a great deal of stress and existential pain.
** One of the running themes of ''X-Men'' is the continued attempt to "cure" mutations, and whether or not such a cure would be a blessing or a curse. Most of the X-Men protest that there's nothing wrong with them and thus they don't need curing, but others struggle with the choice. Rogue, as mentioned above, can never touch other people without risking their very lives. Similarly, [[GeniusBruiser Beast's]] advanced mutation has left him with the body of a blue-furred monster which generally terrifies everyone he meets; he was also [[WasOnceAMan originally human]] and struggles with the memory of not being hated for his appearance (''ComicBook/AstonishingXMen'' centers on his struggle with another iteration of a mutant cure). Whenever the question of a cure arises, many of the X-Men are left debating if they should take it, what message it sends to younger mutants, and if they would truly be themselves if it ''weren't'' for their X-genes.
** One of the running themes of ''X-Men'' is the continued attempt to "cure" mutations, and whether or not such a cure would be a blessing or a curse. Most of the X-Men protest that there's nothing wrong with them and thus they don't need curing, but others struggle with the choice. Rogue, as mentioned above, can never touch other people without risking their very lives. Similarly, [[GeniusBruiser Beast's]] advanced mutation has left him with the body of a blue-furred monster which generally terrifies everyone he meets; he was also [[WasOnceAMan originally human]] and struggles with the memory of not being hated for his appearance (''ComicBook/AstonishingXMen'' centers on his struggle with another iteration of a mutant cure). Whenever the question of a cure arises, many of the X-Men are left debating if they should take it, what message it sends to younger mutants, and if they would truly be themselves if it ''weren't'' for their X-genes.
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* The film ''Film/IHeartHuckabees'' is all about this trope; the titular characters are "existential detectives" who help people when they have these kind of identity crises. The plot kicks off when a man is faced with the ArmorPiercingQuestion "How am I not myself?", which sends him spiraling and leads him to call the Huckabees to help him.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
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In works dealing with [[IdentityIndex questions about identity]], often the climax will involve the protagonist experiencing a full blown crisis, in which they question the life they lead, the roles in society they fulfill, the relationships they've made, and even the authenticity of their existence. An Identity Breakdown occurs when the sheer weight of these questions becomes too much to bear or the answer they've found challenges their very sense of self.
An Identity Breakdown is a specific kind of FreakOut, HeroicBSOD, VillainousBreakdown, VillainousBSOD, or crossing of the DespairEventHorizon triggered by something/someone reinforcing or creating uncertainty surrounding a character's identity. The character may not have questioned their identity before this moment or this is just the straw that broke the camel's back: either way, they are sent spiraling into paranoia, despair, denial, and existential dread. [[note]]An identity breakdown is not exactly the same as the psychosocial concept of an "identity crisis," which refers to a stage in the natural progression of an individual's identity development (typically in adolescence) when a person begins to consciously form a stable self-image to manage role projections and the expectations of others. While there's certainly overlap, in media an identity breakdown is much more severe, dramatic, and is not age-restricted.[[/note]]
Plot-wise, the breakdown can be the absolute rock bottom for the character, after which they gain the resolve and clarity to decide upon an identity, [[IAmWhatIAm accept who and what they are]], or forge a new identity for themself. This is a neutral action and can result in good guys turning bad, bad guys turning good, neutral characters becoming aligned, and [[HeelFaceIndex everything in between]], so long as the end identity is a stable one.
However, a shattered psyche is ripe for SanitySlippage and many identity stories become DrivenToMadness tales after the breakdown. Instead of finding a clear answer to their question of "Who am I?", characters in these stories received a maddening "Who knows" at best, leaving them stuck in an unstable, dissociative state, or found an answer [[GoMadFromTheRevelation too horrifying to even accept]]. They'll often exhibit [[MoodSwing Mood Swings]], ShiftingVoiceOfMadness, and SuddenlyShouting from this point on, that is, if the breakdown doesn't [[DrivenToSuicide drive them to take their own life]] before all that can manifest.
While any story about identity can include an identity breakdown, this trope is often used in SplitPersonality, {{Doppelganger}}, and [[OurClonesAreIdentical Clone]] stories, since there are viable alternative versions of the character vying for the position of either dominant or sole identity. Also pops up in IndividualityIsIllegal, AssimilationPlot, and LossOfIdentity stories, though these assume the character had a stable and known identity to begin with, [[QuestForIdentity which may not be the case]].
DoubleConsciousness, SecretIdentityIdentity, and TomatoInTheMirror ''especially'' tend to lead to this trope. Can be exploited or invoked by TheHero in a IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight. See also ShapeshifterIdentityCrisis which often overlaps.
Because this trope typically involves reveals about a character's identity which are likely to be significant to the plot or their character development, '''be cautious of spoilers below.'''
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/BungoStrayDogs'':
** As a clone with an artificially programmed personality, Verlaine was plagued by the notion that he wasn't a real person, but was kept stable by Rimbaud's support. Unfortunately, he was forced to betray his friend to save a young Chuuya, and without Rimbaud his sanity sharply declined. By ''Storm Bringer'' he completely snaps and obsesses around Chuuya, intent on murdering everyone the boy cares about out of a belief that as a [[spoiler:(possible) fellow clone]] Chuuya is the only one in the world who can understand him.
** Subverted with Chuuya, who questioned his identity as a teenager, as his lack of memories from the first seven years of his life and connection to [[EldritchAbomination Arahabaki]] made him believe he wasn't human, and he severely injures a man for asking where he was born. However, unlike Verlaine, Chuuya stays sane and is able to move past his identity issues due to having friends to support him, though he fully believes he would have turned out the same had he been in Verlaine's position.
* Al from ''Manga/FullMetalAlchemist'' experiences a short one after his encounter with Barry the Chopper, who attempts BreakThemByTalking by insinuating that Al has never been real and is just an artificial soul created by Ed, bounded to a suit of armor, and given FakeMemories to hide that truth. He uncharacteristically blows up at Ed and accuses him of lying to him. Ed is so shaken by the exchange he has to leave the room. Luckily, Winry was witness to the entire exchange and sets Al straight right then and there and Al talks it out with Ed.
* ''Anime/KillLaKill'': Ryuko suffers a big one after she is told the AwfulTruth by BigBad Ragyo Kiryuin in episode 19: [[spoiler:she is the ArtificialHybrid daughter of Ragyo and Life Fibers]]. Her resulting FreakOut is only stopped by Satsuki choosing that moment to blow up the entire school. When she gains consciousness at the end of the episode, though she [[IAmWhatIAm accepts her new identity]], doing so has clearly [[BreakTheCutie broken her]] as Ryuko suffers a SanitySlippage that lasts through the following episode and only ends when [[spoiler: she becomes BrainwashedAndCrazy by Ragyo]].
* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': This is the backstory of the villain Twice, who has the power to create less-durable duplicates of things. He used to be a fairly normal (if lonely) man who fell on hard times. He used his Quirk to duplicate himself many times over, but then each clone [[CloningBlues became convinced they were the real one and started attacking each other]]. The Twice we see isn't sure if [[AmbiguousCloneEnding he's the original one or just a clone]]; the experience deeply traumatized him and gave him [[SplitPersonality multiple voices in his head]] and prone to SuddenlyShouting.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Kabuto Yakushi's entire character revolves around a huge identity crisis that begins when he was orphaned and suffers a head injury that robbed him of his memories at a young age. He was later taken in by a kind orphanage matron where he was named Kabuto. Soon after Danzo employs him as a spy, which meant adopting new cover identities on a regular basis. When an assassin comes for him during a mission, he is horrified to find out it was the orphanage matron who doesn't even recognize him. This triggers a full-blown identity crisis that is resolved with Orochimaru telling him that Danzo had manipulated the matron with fake pictures and suggesting that Kabuto should find his own identity in life. Kabuto thus reorients his entire life and identity in service of Orochimaru. [[spoiler:Orochimaru's death later on leaves Kabuto adrift once again until he eventually decides to focus on attaining power surpassing any other ninja in an attempt to bring meaning to his nameless existence]].
* Identity and memory are central themes in ''Manga/PandoraHearts'' and several characters are on their own QuestForIdentity. In his search, AmnesiacHero Oz Vessalius suffers a breakdown after the one-two punch he gets when Jack [[BreakThemByTalking tells him]] [[spoiler:1) he's neither a legitimate Vessalius nor even a human being, but [[TomatoInTheMirror the ''real'']] [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Chain B-Rabbit]] who ended up [[DemonicPossession possessing]] the body of Jack, his contractor, and 2) that Jack is EvilAllAlong and has been manipulating him the entire time.]]
* ''Anime/PerfectBlue'': Mima is a pop star turned actress struggling with the [[ReluctantFanServiceGirl intense demands]] that come with her new role and how it fits with her previous image as an idol. She begins to [[LossOfIdentity lose her sense of self]] and [[SanitySlippage her grasp on reality]] after she stumbles across a hate message online ridiculing her new persona change that is supposedly posted ''by her.'' "Who are you?" and "I'm the real Mima" become ArcWords over the course of the film as Mima becomes more and more unsure of herself and she naturally [[FreakOut freaks out]] several times in the film because of this.
* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': While she is certainly suffering from a '''lot''' of issues by her eventual crack, it's learning the AwfulTruth about magical girls ([[spoiler: every single one will eventually become the very witches they are fighting against if they live that long]]) that pushes [[spoiler:Sayaka]] [[GoMadFromTheRevelation over the edge]], in part because it makes her season-long attempt to become a [[HeroicWannabe heroic ideal]] futile. Her eventual acceptance of this truth, [[IAmAMonster hurts more than it helps]] and the resulting SanitySlippage, which includes LaughingMad and becoming AxCrazy, quickly brings her to the DespairEventHorizon, [[spoiler:at which point, she turns into a witch and has to be put down by the other girls.]]
* The titular Lain from ''Anime/SerialExperimentsLain'' spends a lot of time wondering about who she is and the nature of her own existence, spurred on in part by her having [[SplitPersonality three different personalities]]: an introverted loner one in the "real world", an assertive persona she adopts in [[{{Cyberspace}} The]] [[TheMetaverse Wired]], and an evil version that seems to exist as a separate entity in The Wired. Then in episode 8, she is picked up by TheMenInBlack and is interrogated, during which they ask her "[[ArmorPiercingQuestion Who are you? Are your parents really your parents?]]" These questions, along with the silent confirmation from her parents when Lain brings this up with them, causes Lain to spiral for the next couple of episodes, [[spoiler:peaking with TheReveal that her digital self [[TomatoInTheMirror is her true self]]]], causing a HeroicBSOD. She manages to overcome it by [[spoiler: realizing that though she may not be human, she is essentially the PhysicalGod of The Wired. She ends up [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence abandoning her physical form]], [[SplitPersonalityMerge merging with her evil virtual self]], and [[RealityWarper resets the entire world.]]]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/NewXMen'': In the "Planet X" arc, [[spoiler:Xorn reveals himself to be Magneto in disguise. Later on, he starts hallucinating due to inhaling too much of the Kick drug, which causes him to question what his true identity is. The X-Men [[ExploitedTrope exploit]] this during the final battle, calling him Xorn to throw him off balance and leave himself vulnerable to their attacks]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film--Live Action]]
* ''Film/BlackSwan'' depicts one long SanitySlippage when professional ballet dancer [[TheIngenue Nina]] has the chance to play the star role in her troupe's production of ''Theatre/SwanLake''. Nina clearly suffers from a [[MyBelovedSmother whole host]] of issues before this, but preparing and competing for the dual role (and realizing her ShrinkingViolet personality is unsuited for the DarkerAndEdgier Black Swan part), pushes her over the edge, as she struggles to reconcile her personality with the demands of the role, eventually becoming paranoid to the point of hallucinating an EvilCounterpart that is the manifestation of the Black Swan persona she both seeks [[EnemyWithin and represses]]. This reaches its climax at the end when [[spoiler:Nina [[BecomingTheMask embraces the Black Swan persona]] and performs the role, until she collapses mid-performance as she is bleeding out from a self-inflicted stab wound she gave herself while hallucinating.]]
* Troy Bolton's plot in every ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'' is about his identity struggles of being both a star basketball player and a guy who's ''really'' into musical theatre, with each film ramping up the pressure it's putting on him. His solo song "Bet On It" in ''Film/HighSchoolMusical2'' downplays the trope since despite lines like [[LossOfIdentity "It's no good at all to see yourself and not recognize your face,"]] Troy is ultimately defiant about not letting anyone define him but himself, rediscovering his identity in the process.
** Come ''Film/HighSchoolMusical3SeniorYear'' however, with his girlfriend Gabriella choosing to go to Stanford early (essentially breaking up with him over the phone) and his family pressuring him to take a basketball scholarship at a school in their hometown of Albuquerque with a good basketball program, Troy snaps. His song "Scream" features him running around the empty halls of his school at night, singing about how lost he feels, the voices of others inside his head telling him what to do, repeating different [[MadnessMantra Madness Mantras]] (or [[SurvivalMantra Survival Mantras]] depending on how far gone you think he is) and, fittingly, closing with a CatharticScream. Lucky for him, PsychologistTeacher Darbus witnessed the entire thing and offers him some words of advice.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''All My Sins Remembered'': This is the problem facing Otto [=McGavin=], and indeed all Prime Operators employed by the Confederacion, by the end of the book. A long career of having his real identity subsumed by false or stolen personalities has caused him to suffer an identity breakdown as his mind tries to reconcile his true memories with the various FakeMemories used to shield him from detection on missions. He's ultimately left [[DrivenToMadness howling in madness]] as his handlers lament his fate due to him being one of their best agents and they retire him by permanently locking him in suspended animation.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': When he is captured by Ramsay Bolton, [[spoiler:Theon Greyjoy is [[TraumaCongaLine horrifically tortured]] with the express purpose of [[LossOfIdentity stripping him of any aspect of humanity and his past self]], leaving only "Reek," the identity he is forced to assume. His body, mind, spirit sufficiently [[BreakTheHaughty broken]], his chapter titles no longer even use his name, instead alternating between [[BecomingTheMask "Reek" and "The Ghost of Winterfell"]] depending on his [[SanitySlippage mental state]]. His struggle to reassert his identity (and even remember what it was) becomes central to his character development, reaching a climax when he finally manages to escape the Boltons, motivated by his desire to save Jeyne Poole. The resolution of his breakdown is punctuated by his final chapter in ''A Dance With Dragons'' being titled "Theon."]]
* In ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'', Tobias struggles with his identity as a human [[ShapeshifterModeLock stuck as a hawk]]. The first time he eats prey that he hunted, he freaks out and tries to kill himself.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' a number of characters suffer identity crises and breakdowns. The Eights get the worst of this: [[spoiler:Boomer]] almost shoots herself because she [[LossOfIdentity 'doesn't know who she is anymore.']] She and other 'sleeper' Cylons have serious identity crises when they [[spoiler:discover that [[TomatoInTheMirror they've been Cylons the entire time]] and that all their memories from before their placement are [[FakeMemories falsehoods]] implanted by Cavil or other Cylons]].
* Discussed on an episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'':
--> '''Howard''': Sheldon, if you were a robot, and I knew and you didn't, would you want me to tell you?
--> '''Sheldon''': That depends. When I learn that I'm a robot, will I be able to handle it?
--> '''Howard''': Maybe, although the history of science fiction is not on your side.
* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'': Many of the [[VillainousBreakdown Villainous Breakdowns]] Sylar goes through during the series overlap with this trope as resolving issues surrounding his identity due to massive ParentalIssues and finding meaning in his near StoryBreakerPower are some of his main drivers (before MotiveDecay at least). One example occurs after he gains the power of VoluntaryShapeshifting and suffers a ShapeshifterIdentityCrisis as he switches between his normal appearance and that of his mother and starts to [[TalkingToThemself talk to himself using her voice]] by imagining what she would say. This eventually leads him to write "I AM SYLAR" in blood at his next murder scene as he desperately tries to hang onto his own identity. It's a fairly clear example of SanitySlippage only undermined by the fact that Sylar was [[AxCrazy psychotic]] to begin with and had only gotten [[AGodAmI crazier]] since.
* ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'': In "King for a Day (Part 2)", the MonsterOfTheWeek Altor is implanted with a copy of Tommy's memories, allowing him to perfectly replicate his combat style. Realizing this, Jason [[ExploitedTrope appeals to the stolen memories within Altor]], causing him to doubt himself. Altor ultimately reasserts his own identity - meaning he no longer has access to Tommy's combat knowledge, which allows Jason to defeat him.
* ''Series/RedDwarf'': VirtualGhost Rimmer has a bit of a HeroicBSOD and almost lets his battery run down in "The Promised Land" after The Cat tells him that the real Rimmer is [[DeadPersonImpersonation long dead]] and that he is just a computer acting on what the ''real'' Rimmer would think. Luckily, Lister is able to snap him out of it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Visual Novel]]
* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'': The BigBad is a mysterious spy who impersonates several people throughout the game. During the final chapter, [[spoiler:Blackquill preys on the villain's feelings of uncertainty to make him realize he [[LossOfIdentity no longer remembers]] [[SecretIdentityIdentity his own identity]]. The spy then starts tearing his masks one after the other, [[VillainousBreakdown screaming in despair]] as he tries to unveil his real face. When he finally removes the last mask, he is shot down by a sniper, thus preventing the player from seeing his true appearance]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In ''Future'', Steven struggles with a LossOfIdentity as [[SamaritanSyndrome helping people has become central to his identity]] and the resolution of the main conflict has allowed everyone to move forward with their lives, leaving Steven purposeless and incredibly lonely. Trying to repress these feelings only [[BreakTheCutie makes him spiral further]]. Thus begins a season long SanitySlippage that includes him accidentally imprisoning his friends, talking to the plants in his garden as replacements for his friends, and attempting to [[spoiler:[[OOCIsSeriousBusiness shatter White Diamond]] as he places the blame for all of his problems on her. The final bad guy to fight in the entire series comes from Steven having a full blown meltdown and manifesting a SuperpoweredEvilSide that embodies all of Steven's bottled up resentment and anger]]. He does [[SanityStrengthening get better though]] and rare for the trope, decides to see a psychiatrist regularly to deal with his issues.
* Parodied on the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "Missing Identity", where [=SpongeBob=] loses his nametag and treats it as if he's lost his identity. He hyperventilates and passes out when he is reminded of the loss. [[spoiler:Turns out he had it on the whole time, he had just worn his shirt backwards.]]
** ** In the season 10 episode, "Mimic Madness", Spongebob develops a case of [[ShapeshifterIdentityCrisis "Mocking Mimicry Madness"]] when he transforms his upper half to do over 80,000 near perfect impressions of people after learning about the SincerestFormOfFlattery. Sandy, Mr. Krabs, Patrick, Squidward, and Plankton stage an intervention to get him to stop after they become annoyed by it which forces Spongebob to realize he [[LossOfIdentity no longer remembers what his true personality is]]. He calls himself a freak before fleeing and running off to a cave where he begins to exhibit SanitySlippage. The gang finds him and is able to remind him of who he is by impersonating him back...only to develop "Mocking Mimicry Madness" themselves.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'' episode "Self Possessed," Rogue's EnergyAbsorption powers are revealed to not only take the abilities of others, but permanently store them inside of her. The personalities of all the people she's absorbed abilities from begin to overwhelm her and threaten a SplitPersonalityTakeover, which over the course of the episode [[DrivenToMadness drives her to the brink of madness]] as she struggles to maintain her sense of self. Xavier has to intervene, erasing the personalities from her mind, in order to save her.
[[/folder]]
An Identity Breakdown is a specific kind of FreakOut, HeroicBSOD, VillainousBreakdown, VillainousBSOD, or crossing of the DespairEventHorizon triggered by something/someone reinforcing or creating uncertainty surrounding a character's identity. The character may not have questioned their identity before this moment or this is just the straw that broke the camel's back: either way, they are sent spiraling into paranoia, despair, denial, and existential dread. [[note]]An identity breakdown is not exactly the same as the psychosocial concept of an "identity crisis," which refers to a stage in the natural progression of an individual's identity development (typically in adolescence) when a person begins to consciously form a stable self-image to manage role projections and the expectations of others. While there's certainly overlap, in media an identity breakdown is much more severe, dramatic, and is not age-restricted.[[/note]]
Plot-wise, the breakdown can be the absolute rock bottom for the character, after which they gain the resolve and clarity to decide upon an identity, [[IAmWhatIAm accept who and what they are]], or forge a new identity for themself. This is a neutral action and can result in good guys turning bad, bad guys turning good, neutral characters becoming aligned, and [[HeelFaceIndex everything in between]], so long as the end identity is a stable one.
However, a shattered psyche is ripe for SanitySlippage and many identity stories become DrivenToMadness tales after the breakdown. Instead of finding a clear answer to their question of "Who am I?", characters in these stories received a maddening "Who knows" at best, leaving them stuck in an unstable, dissociative state, or found an answer [[GoMadFromTheRevelation too horrifying to even accept]]. They'll often exhibit [[MoodSwing Mood Swings]], ShiftingVoiceOfMadness, and SuddenlyShouting from this point on, that is, if the breakdown doesn't [[DrivenToSuicide drive them to take their own life]] before all that can manifest.
While any story about identity can include an identity breakdown, this trope is often used in SplitPersonality, {{Doppelganger}}, and [[OurClonesAreIdentical Clone]] stories, since there are viable alternative versions of the character vying for the position of either dominant or sole identity. Also pops up in IndividualityIsIllegal, AssimilationPlot, and LossOfIdentity stories, though these assume the character had a stable and known identity to begin with, [[QuestForIdentity which may not be the case]].
DoubleConsciousness, SecretIdentityIdentity, and TomatoInTheMirror ''especially'' tend to lead to this trope. Can be exploited or invoked by TheHero in a IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight. See also ShapeshifterIdentityCrisis which often overlaps.
Because this trope typically involves reveals about a character's identity which are likely to be significant to the plot or their character development, '''be cautious of spoilers below.'''
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/BungoStrayDogs'':
** As a clone with an artificially programmed personality, Verlaine was plagued by the notion that he wasn't a real person, but was kept stable by Rimbaud's support. Unfortunately, he was forced to betray his friend to save a young Chuuya, and without Rimbaud his sanity sharply declined. By ''Storm Bringer'' he completely snaps and obsesses around Chuuya, intent on murdering everyone the boy cares about out of a belief that as a [[spoiler:(possible) fellow clone]] Chuuya is the only one in the world who can understand him.
** Subverted with Chuuya, who questioned his identity as a teenager, as his lack of memories from the first seven years of his life and connection to [[EldritchAbomination Arahabaki]] made him believe he wasn't human, and he severely injures a man for asking where he was born. However, unlike Verlaine, Chuuya stays sane and is able to move past his identity issues due to having friends to support him, though he fully believes he would have turned out the same had he been in Verlaine's position.
* Al from ''Manga/FullMetalAlchemist'' experiences a short one after his encounter with Barry the Chopper, who attempts BreakThemByTalking by insinuating that Al has never been real and is just an artificial soul created by Ed, bounded to a suit of armor, and given FakeMemories to hide that truth. He uncharacteristically blows up at Ed and accuses him of lying to him. Ed is so shaken by the exchange he has to leave the room. Luckily, Winry was witness to the entire exchange and sets Al straight right then and there and Al talks it out with Ed.
* ''Anime/KillLaKill'': Ryuko suffers a big one after she is told the AwfulTruth by BigBad Ragyo Kiryuin in episode 19: [[spoiler:she is the ArtificialHybrid daughter of Ragyo and Life Fibers]]. Her resulting FreakOut is only stopped by Satsuki choosing that moment to blow up the entire school. When she gains consciousness at the end of the episode, though she [[IAmWhatIAm accepts her new identity]], doing so has clearly [[BreakTheCutie broken her]] as Ryuko suffers a SanitySlippage that lasts through the following episode and only ends when [[spoiler: she becomes BrainwashedAndCrazy by Ragyo]].
* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': This is the backstory of the villain Twice, who has the power to create less-durable duplicates of things. He used to be a fairly normal (if lonely) man who fell on hard times. He used his Quirk to duplicate himself many times over, but then each clone [[CloningBlues became convinced they were the real one and started attacking each other]]. The Twice we see isn't sure if [[AmbiguousCloneEnding he's the original one or just a clone]]; the experience deeply traumatized him and gave him [[SplitPersonality multiple voices in his head]] and prone to SuddenlyShouting.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Kabuto Yakushi's entire character revolves around a huge identity crisis that begins when he was orphaned and suffers a head injury that robbed him of his memories at a young age. He was later taken in by a kind orphanage matron where he was named Kabuto. Soon after Danzo employs him as a spy, which meant adopting new cover identities on a regular basis. When an assassin comes for him during a mission, he is horrified to find out it was the orphanage matron who doesn't even recognize him. This triggers a full-blown identity crisis that is resolved with Orochimaru telling him that Danzo had manipulated the matron with fake pictures and suggesting that Kabuto should find his own identity in life. Kabuto thus reorients his entire life and identity in service of Orochimaru. [[spoiler:Orochimaru's death later on leaves Kabuto adrift once again until he eventually decides to focus on attaining power surpassing any other ninja in an attempt to bring meaning to his nameless existence]].
* Identity and memory are central themes in ''Manga/PandoraHearts'' and several characters are on their own QuestForIdentity. In his search, AmnesiacHero Oz Vessalius suffers a breakdown after the one-two punch he gets when Jack [[BreakThemByTalking tells him]] [[spoiler:1) he's neither a legitimate Vessalius nor even a human being, but [[TomatoInTheMirror the ''real'']] [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Chain B-Rabbit]] who ended up [[DemonicPossession possessing]] the body of Jack, his contractor, and 2) that Jack is EvilAllAlong and has been manipulating him the entire time.]]
* ''Anime/PerfectBlue'': Mima is a pop star turned actress struggling with the [[ReluctantFanServiceGirl intense demands]] that come with her new role and how it fits with her previous image as an idol. She begins to [[LossOfIdentity lose her sense of self]] and [[SanitySlippage her grasp on reality]] after she stumbles across a hate message online ridiculing her new persona change that is supposedly posted ''by her.'' "Who are you?" and "I'm the real Mima" become ArcWords over the course of the film as Mima becomes more and more unsure of herself and she naturally [[FreakOut freaks out]] several times in the film because of this.
* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': While she is certainly suffering from a '''lot''' of issues by her eventual crack, it's learning the AwfulTruth about magical girls ([[spoiler: every single one will eventually become the very witches they are fighting against if they live that long]]) that pushes [[spoiler:Sayaka]] [[GoMadFromTheRevelation over the edge]], in part because it makes her season-long attempt to become a [[HeroicWannabe heroic ideal]] futile. Her eventual acceptance of this truth, [[IAmAMonster hurts more than it helps]] and the resulting SanitySlippage, which includes LaughingMad and becoming AxCrazy, quickly brings her to the DespairEventHorizon, [[spoiler:at which point, she turns into a witch and has to be put down by the other girls.]]
* The titular Lain from ''Anime/SerialExperimentsLain'' spends a lot of time wondering about who she is and the nature of her own existence, spurred on in part by her having [[SplitPersonality three different personalities]]: an introverted loner one in the "real world", an assertive persona she adopts in [[{{Cyberspace}} The]] [[TheMetaverse Wired]], and an evil version that seems to exist as a separate entity in The Wired. Then in episode 8, she is picked up by TheMenInBlack and is interrogated, during which they ask her "[[ArmorPiercingQuestion Who are you? Are your parents really your parents?]]" These questions, along with the silent confirmation from her parents when Lain brings this up with them, causes Lain to spiral for the next couple of episodes, [[spoiler:peaking with TheReveal that her digital self [[TomatoInTheMirror is her true self]]]], causing a HeroicBSOD. She manages to overcome it by [[spoiler: realizing that though she may not be human, she is essentially the PhysicalGod of The Wired. She ends up [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence abandoning her physical form]], [[SplitPersonalityMerge merging with her evil virtual self]], and [[RealityWarper resets the entire world.]]]]
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[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/NewXMen'': In the "Planet X" arc, [[spoiler:Xorn reveals himself to be Magneto in disguise. Later on, he starts hallucinating due to inhaling too much of the Kick drug, which causes him to question what his true identity is. The X-Men [[ExploitedTrope exploit]] this during the final battle, calling him Xorn to throw him off balance and leave himself vulnerable to their attacks]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film--Live Action]]
* ''Film/BlackSwan'' depicts one long SanitySlippage when professional ballet dancer [[TheIngenue Nina]] has the chance to play the star role in her troupe's production of ''Theatre/SwanLake''. Nina clearly suffers from a [[MyBelovedSmother whole host]] of issues before this, but preparing and competing for the dual role (and realizing her ShrinkingViolet personality is unsuited for the DarkerAndEdgier Black Swan part), pushes her over the edge, as she struggles to reconcile her personality with the demands of the role, eventually becoming paranoid to the point of hallucinating an EvilCounterpart that is the manifestation of the Black Swan persona she both seeks [[EnemyWithin and represses]]. This reaches its climax at the end when [[spoiler:Nina [[BecomingTheMask embraces the Black Swan persona]] and performs the role, until she collapses mid-performance as she is bleeding out from a self-inflicted stab wound she gave herself while hallucinating.]]
* Troy Bolton's plot in every ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'' is about his identity struggles of being both a star basketball player and a guy who's ''really'' into musical theatre, with each film ramping up the pressure it's putting on him. His solo song "Bet On It" in ''Film/HighSchoolMusical2'' downplays the trope since despite lines like [[LossOfIdentity "It's no good at all to see yourself and not recognize your face,"]] Troy is ultimately defiant about not letting anyone define him but himself, rediscovering his identity in the process.
** Come ''Film/HighSchoolMusical3SeniorYear'' however, with his girlfriend Gabriella choosing to go to Stanford early (essentially breaking up with him over the phone) and his family pressuring him to take a basketball scholarship at a school in their hometown of Albuquerque with a good basketball program, Troy snaps. His song "Scream" features him running around the empty halls of his school at night, singing about how lost he feels, the voices of others inside his head telling him what to do, repeating different [[MadnessMantra Madness Mantras]] (or [[SurvivalMantra Survival Mantras]] depending on how far gone you think he is) and, fittingly, closing with a CatharticScream. Lucky for him, PsychologistTeacher Darbus witnessed the entire thing and offers him some words of advice.
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[[folder:Literature]]
* ''All My Sins Remembered'': This is the problem facing Otto [=McGavin=], and indeed all Prime Operators employed by the Confederacion, by the end of the book. A long career of having his real identity subsumed by false or stolen personalities has caused him to suffer an identity breakdown as his mind tries to reconcile his true memories with the various FakeMemories used to shield him from detection on missions. He's ultimately left [[DrivenToMadness howling in madness]] as his handlers lament his fate due to him being one of their best agents and they retire him by permanently locking him in suspended animation.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': When he is captured by Ramsay Bolton, [[spoiler:Theon Greyjoy is [[TraumaCongaLine horrifically tortured]] with the express purpose of [[LossOfIdentity stripping him of any aspect of humanity and his past self]], leaving only "Reek," the identity he is forced to assume. His body, mind, spirit sufficiently [[BreakTheHaughty broken]], his chapter titles no longer even use his name, instead alternating between [[BecomingTheMask "Reek" and "The Ghost of Winterfell"]] depending on his [[SanitySlippage mental state]]. His struggle to reassert his identity (and even remember what it was) becomes central to his character development, reaching a climax when he finally manages to escape the Boltons, motivated by his desire to save Jeyne Poole. The resolution of his breakdown is punctuated by his final chapter in ''A Dance With Dragons'' being titled "Theon."]]
* In ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'', Tobias struggles with his identity as a human [[ShapeshifterModeLock stuck as a hawk]]. The first time he eats prey that he hunted, he freaks out and tries to kill himself.
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[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' a number of characters suffer identity crises and breakdowns. The Eights get the worst of this: [[spoiler:Boomer]] almost shoots herself because she [[LossOfIdentity 'doesn't know who she is anymore.']] She and other 'sleeper' Cylons have serious identity crises when they [[spoiler:discover that [[TomatoInTheMirror they've been Cylons the entire time]] and that all their memories from before their placement are [[FakeMemories falsehoods]] implanted by Cavil or other Cylons]].
* Discussed on an episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'':
--> '''Howard''': Sheldon, if you were a robot, and I knew and you didn't, would you want me to tell you?
--> '''Sheldon''': That depends. When I learn that I'm a robot, will I be able to handle it?
--> '''Howard''': Maybe, although the history of science fiction is not on your side.
* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'': Many of the [[VillainousBreakdown Villainous Breakdowns]] Sylar goes through during the series overlap with this trope as resolving issues surrounding his identity due to massive ParentalIssues and finding meaning in his near StoryBreakerPower are some of his main drivers (before MotiveDecay at least). One example occurs after he gains the power of VoluntaryShapeshifting and suffers a ShapeshifterIdentityCrisis as he switches between his normal appearance and that of his mother and starts to [[TalkingToThemself talk to himself using her voice]] by imagining what she would say. This eventually leads him to write "I AM SYLAR" in blood at his next murder scene as he desperately tries to hang onto his own identity. It's a fairly clear example of SanitySlippage only undermined by the fact that Sylar was [[AxCrazy psychotic]] to begin with and had only gotten [[AGodAmI crazier]] since.
* ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'': In "King for a Day (Part 2)", the MonsterOfTheWeek Altor is implanted with a copy of Tommy's memories, allowing him to perfectly replicate his combat style. Realizing this, Jason [[ExploitedTrope appeals to the stolen memories within Altor]], causing him to doubt himself. Altor ultimately reasserts his own identity - meaning he no longer has access to Tommy's combat knowledge, which allows Jason to defeat him.
* ''Series/RedDwarf'': VirtualGhost Rimmer has a bit of a HeroicBSOD and almost lets his battery run down in "The Promised Land" after The Cat tells him that the real Rimmer is [[DeadPersonImpersonation long dead]] and that he is just a computer acting on what the ''real'' Rimmer would think. Luckily, Lister is able to snap him out of it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Visual Novel]]
* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'': The BigBad is a mysterious spy who impersonates several people throughout the game. During the final chapter, [[spoiler:Blackquill preys on the villain's feelings of uncertainty to make him realize he [[LossOfIdentity no longer remembers]] [[SecretIdentityIdentity his own identity]]. The spy then starts tearing his masks one after the other, [[VillainousBreakdown screaming in despair]] as he tries to unveil his real face. When he finally removes the last mask, he is shot down by a sniper, thus preventing the player from seeing his true appearance]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In ''Future'', Steven struggles with a LossOfIdentity as [[SamaritanSyndrome helping people has become central to his identity]] and the resolution of the main conflict has allowed everyone to move forward with their lives, leaving Steven purposeless and incredibly lonely. Trying to repress these feelings only [[BreakTheCutie makes him spiral further]]. Thus begins a season long SanitySlippage that includes him accidentally imprisoning his friends, talking to the plants in his garden as replacements for his friends, and attempting to [[spoiler:[[OOCIsSeriousBusiness shatter White Diamond]] as he places the blame for all of his problems on her. The final bad guy to fight in the entire series comes from Steven having a full blown meltdown and manifesting a SuperpoweredEvilSide that embodies all of Steven's bottled up resentment and anger]]. He does [[SanityStrengthening get better though]] and rare for the trope, decides to see a psychiatrist regularly to deal with his issues.
* Parodied on the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "Missing Identity", where [=SpongeBob=] loses his nametag and treats it as if he's lost his identity. He hyperventilates and passes out when he is reminded of the loss. [[spoiler:Turns out he had it on the whole time, he had just worn his shirt backwards.]]
** ** In the season 10 episode, "Mimic Madness", Spongebob develops a case of [[ShapeshifterIdentityCrisis "Mocking Mimicry Madness"]] when he transforms his upper half to do over 80,000 near perfect impressions of people after learning about the SincerestFormOfFlattery. Sandy, Mr. Krabs, Patrick, Squidward, and Plankton stage an intervention to get him to stop after they become annoyed by it which forces Spongebob to realize he [[LossOfIdentity no longer remembers what his true personality is]]. He calls himself a freak before fleeing and running off to a cave where he begins to exhibit SanitySlippage. The gang finds him and is able to remind him of who he is by impersonating him back...only to develop "Mocking Mimicry Madness" themselves.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'' episode "Self Possessed," Rogue's EnergyAbsorption powers are revealed to not only take the abilities of others, but permanently store them inside of her. The personalities of all the people she's absorbed abilities from begin to overwhelm her and threaten a SplitPersonalityTakeover, which over the course of the episode [[DrivenToMadness drives her to the brink of madness]] as she struggles to maintain her sense of self. Xavier has to intervene, erasing the personalities from her mind, in order to save her.
[[/folder]]
