History Main / KillingYourAlternateSelf

* The UrExample is probably Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's short story [[http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/poe/w_wilson.html "William Wilson"]], published in 1839.

* ''Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde'' is perhaps the oldest example of this trope. Faced with becoming the monstrous alter-ego Hyde permanently, Jekyll apprently [[spoiler: commits suicide. His body was found with a letter ending "I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end."]]

* The Series/StargateSG1 season 3 episode Point Of View has Teal'c confront his [[{{Alternate}} duplicate]] who is leading an invasion of Earth in another reality, offering him the choice of helping liberate the world - or die. Other Teal'c chose poorly, was disposed of, replaced and the invasion sabotaged.

* In an overlap with DoppelgangerAttack Suzaku from YuYuHakusho could create seven identical copies of himself, each with all of his strength. [[NoConservationOfEnergy In stark violation of the Law of Conservation of Energy]], he could then reabsorb those copies to completely replenish his strength, enabling him to fight forever. Since the copies were apparently sentient exact duplicates that he controlled via his antenna, their fate as a walking energy-bar is more than a little disturbing.

* Rocket Jump’s short film ''Halloween Massacre'' had FreddyW. Infiltrate a bar filled with his duplicates, innocently whiling the hours away. Being FreddyW, he promptly slaughters them all, before being shot in turn and replaced by the [[{{KillAndReplace}} last surviving double.]] The duplicate’s happy grin as he is driven away is pure NightmareFuel.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' Krieger discovers he has three Klon-Bruders. He later kills them [[spoiler: to prevent the launch of biological WMD's]], although the creators are remaining mum on wether the last Krieger standing was the original.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E22StevenAndTheStevens Steven and the Stevens]]", the titular Steven finds a time-travel device and decides to use to create a [[MundaneUtility band composed entirely of Stevens]]. What could go wrong? Right, yes, silly question - dozens of time-clones engage in a mass-melee of each other, until a HeroicSacrifice by the original Steven wipes them out. Then the one Steven remaining, thoroughly confused, ends up writing a [[LyricalDissonance cheery]] song about it.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E22StevenAndTheStevens Steven and the Stevens]]", the titular Steven finds a time-travel device and decides to use to create a [[MundaneUtility band composed entirely of Stevens]]. What could go wrong? Right, yes, silly question - dozens of time-clones engage in a mass-melee of each other, until a HeroicSacrifice by the original Steven wipes them out. Then the one Steven remaining, thoroughly confused, ends up writing a song about it.
-->''By the way, don't go back in time\\
Or you'll destroy yourself\\
Steven and the Crystal Gems\\
We're gonna make you smile\\
I accidentally created\\
An alternate timeline\\
Steven and the Crystal Gems\\
Come on, now, don't be shy\\
I learned to stay true to myself\\
[[LyricalDissonance By watching myself die...]]''

-->''By the way, don't go back in time

-->''Steven and the Crystal Gems\\

* In ''Recap/StevenUniverseS1E22StevenAndTheStevens'', the titular Steven finds a time-travel device and decides to use to create a [[{{MundaneUtility}} band composed entirely of Stevens]]. What could go wrong? Right, yes, silly question - dozens of time-clones engage in mass-slaughter of each other, until a HeroicSacrifice by the original Steven wipes them out.

* The ''Series/RedDwarf'' episode where to restore Earth's timeline, President Kennedy has to die. And who better to kill JFK - and drive the conspiracy theorists nuts as they'll never be able to figure it out - but the JFK from the alternate, Crapsack World, timeline?

* ''Website/{{Cracked}}'' published a guide entitled [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/so-your-clone-trying-to-murder-you/ So Your Clone Is Trying To Murder You]] - proposed solutions including summoning a third clone from one of the bad dimensions and murdering them instead. Averted when the original and the magical murder-clone agree to become housemates instead.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. If the clone created by a ''Clone'' spell and the original exist at the same time, they are both aware of each other's existence and will try to kill each other, because the thought of having an alter ego is unbearable to both of them.

[[folder: TabletopGames]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. If the clone created by a ''Clone'' spell and the original exist at the same time, they are both aware of each other's existence and will try to kill each other, because the thought of having an alter ego is unbearable to both of them.

[[folder: VideoGames]]

[[folder: Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'' has a dungeon called the Maze of Many. It's built to bring together every possible version of a team of adventurers, and then have them race through the maze until one team reaches the end and escapes. Since many groups are [[{{EvilDoppelganger}} evil]], insane or just bored and hungry, they will happily murder everyone else along the way, and it invariably ends in a mass free-for-all in the final room. Then the Maze resets, resurrects the dead and sends everyone back to start over ''every time'' someone wins. The body-count of alts is insane. [[spoiler: The main story party failed over 1.9 million times, and from their final run it's safe to assume a lot of those were at the hands their alt's. Also, at the claws, teeth, axes, magic tentacles--you get the idea]]
* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' has a gate-clone sent to [[KillAndReplace replace]] his original. The attempt fails when the original burns a hole through him, and since the original is an arms dealer with serious enemies, he finishes the switch, poses his alt's dead body and legs it. [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2004-04-27 This seriously confuses the police Evi-bot]].

[[folder: Web Originals]]
* ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale''. The entire town ended up in to-the-death fights with their duplicates during a sandstorm. Later used to discredit the mayor, less for being a de-facto murderer (which people kind of ignore by that point) than because she can't prove whether the original or the duplicate won.

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' Krieger discovers he has three Klon-Bruders. He later kills them [[spoiler: to prevent the launch of biological WMD's]], although the creators are remaining mum on wether the last Krieger standing was the original.
* Stewie from ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' has taken a raygun to his future self for failing to know the answer to a pop star’s future life, and was almost killed by his own home-made evil clone. [[{{NightmareFuel}} Who cut off Brian's tail and used it to choke Stewie almost to death.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': The Professor invents a time machine that only goes forward in time. He, Bender and Fry end up going past the end of the universe. The universe reboots and starts over again in the exact same way. They get back to their present by landing their time machine on top of a future/alternate version of the Professor, Bender and Fry just before they set out on their own time machine journey.

[[folder: VideoGames]]
* ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite''
** Near the end of the game Booker [=DeWitt=] kills his AlternateUniverse self [[spoiler:Zachary Hale Comstock, the main villain of the game]].
** At the very end of the game Booker [=DeWitt=] [[spoiler:allows himself to be drowned, which destroys all of his AlternateUniverse Comstock selves]].
* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfMajEyal'', the only way to unlock the Paradox Mage class is to play as a Temporal Warden and allow your future self to kill you.

[[folder: Visual Novels]]
* VisualNovel/FateStayNight - Archer is out to kill his alternative self [[spoiler:Shirou]]. He is injured in the first route and other things take priority in the third route, but the middle route greatly explores his reasons for why.

!Examples

“They come in twos. You come in twos. You and you. Kill your double!”
-Night Vale

* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'' has a dungeon called the Maze of Many. It's built to bring together every possible version of a team of adevnturers, and then have them race through the maze until one team reaches the end & escapes. Since many groups are [[{{EvilDoppelganger}} evil]], insane or just bored & hungry, will happily murder everyone else along the way, and it invariably ends in a mass free-for-all in the final room, and the Maze resets, resurrects the dead and sends eveyone back to start over ''every time'' someone wins, the body-count of alts is insane. [[spoiler: The main story party failed over 1.9 million times, and from their final run it's safe to assume a lot of those were at the hands their alt's. Also, at the claws, teeth, axes, magic tentacles - you get the idea]]

* In an overlap with DoppelgangerAttack Suzaku from YuYuHakusho could create seven identical copies of himself, each with all of his strength. In stark violation of the Law of Conservation of Energy, he could then reabsorb those copies to completely replenish his strength, enabling him to fight forever. Since the copies were apparently sentient exact duplicates that he controlled via his antenna, their fate as a walking energy-bar is more than a little disturbing.

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So this is OtherMeAnnoysMe taken to the extreme?

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Kind of - I've re-written it to try and make it clearer (I think I lack the editorial panache of some of the contributors, sadly). IT doesn't have to grow out of any particular motivation, simply that the end result is killing your alt. For example, Ibudan in the Deep Space 9 example was trying to frame Odo. Killing his clone was simply a means to that end.

Any suggestions to tighten it up welcome.

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* Examples section
** Added the word "Examples".
** Added [= [[foldercontrol]] =].
** Administrivia/{{Namespace}}d and italicized work names.
** De-BlueLinked (RocketJump). We have that as a trope, not a {{Creator}}.
** Deleted unnecessary [[PotHole Pot Holing]] and double curly braces in the ''Halloween Massacre'' example.
** Changed [[AC:Books]] to [[AC:Literature]].
** Alphabetized media sections.
** Removed unnecessary indentation of sub-bulleted material. You don't have to do that, the sub-bullets do that automatically.
** Added the work's name to the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' example.
** De-{{Pot Hole}}d a Chained sinkhole in the The Mirror Universe example as per Administrivia/{{Sinkhole}} - '''Chained sinkholes'''.
** Moved the ''Literature/StarTrekMirrorUniverse'' example to [[AC:Literature]] where it belongs.
** Moved the ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' example to [[AC:Film]] where it belongs.
** Put the episode titles Time Squared and My Three Crichtons in quotes as per Administrivia/WelcomeToTVTropes - Editing Articles.
** Corrected spelling (Circhtons, Critchton).
** Created [[AC:Western Animation]] and moved the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' example under it.

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The ''Franchise/StarTrek'' MirrorUniverse examples in Literature and LiveActionTV are {{Zero Context Example}}s because their original source was a Chained {{Sinkhole}} without any explanation.

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Much improved - thanks Arivne!

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* VisualNovel/FateStayNight: Archer is out to kill his alternative self [[spoiler:Shirou]]. He is injured in the first route and other things take priority in the third route, but the middle route greatly explores his reasons for why.

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Possibly a subtrope (or sister) of ExpendableAlternateUniverse.

* In the comic book miniseries ''Identity Wars'' Spider-Man, the Hulk and Deadpool are sucked into an alternate dimension where Spider-Man teams up with his alternate self (and his alternate's Uncle Ben, who is alive). It turns out though that alt-Spider-Man has been luring alternate universe Spider-Men to his universe, killing them and stealing their powers in order to augment himself.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': The Professor invents a time machine that only goes forward in time. He, Bender and Fry end up going past the end of the universe. The universe reboots and starts over again in the exact same way. They get back to their present by landing their time machine on top of a future/alternate version of the Professor, Bender and Fry just before they set out on their own time machine journey.

Seconding that the MirrorUniverse ''Star Trek'' instance(s) are Xero Context and need to be expanded upon. Also it's ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' not ''Series/FarScape''.

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* The episode of ''Series/RedDwarf'' where to restore Earth's timeline, President Kennedy has to die. And who better to kill JFK - and drive the conspiracy theorists nuts as they'll never be able to figure it out - but the JFK from the alternate, CrapsackWorld, timeline?

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* Added the examples from, & thanks to, henke37, randomsurfer & AgProv (can't beleive I forgot that Red Dwarf episode!)
* Added Krieger from Archer fighting his clones
* Added Jekyll & Hyde to literature

* Removed the Mirror Universe examples, can't find any verified examples of MU alts actually killing their counterpart. Faulty memory of mine at work, perhaps.

@/RandomSurfer: Would be more likely a sister trope than sub, as there doesn't need to be an Alternate Universe at all in this trope. Clones and magic duplicates work just fine, for example.


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[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* MarvelUniverse. In ''ComicBook/{{Excalibur}}'' #4, the character Courtney Ross was murdered by her AlternateUniverse counterpart, the super villainess Opul Lun Sat-Yr-9, who then [[KillAndReplace took her place]].

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* Thanks Arivne, added - also helped me find another example
* Added Deadpool Kills Deadpool
* Also added Schlock Mercenary example


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* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'', Hermione mentions that some people who used the Time Turner have been killed when they encountered their past selves. It doesn't actually happen in the book, though.

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Edit - added to Literature
----
Thanks Snicka - I'll do some digging to see if I can find the quote for that. Only example I've found so far is fanfics where people change the timeline by accident and erase themselves

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Added StargateSG1 episode Point of View - Teal'c kills himself in an AlternateUniverse to help liberate that Earth.

Added DoubleTake to Film - Hitchock doubles meet and decide that they must kill the other



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Hi all - I'd like to ask your advice on how to improve this to hat-worthy stature. Thanks!

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Results in a DeadAlternateCounterpart.

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VideoGames
* ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite''
** Near the end of the game Booker [=DeWitt=] kills his AlternateUniverse self [[spoiler:Zachary Hale Comstock, the main villain of the game]].
** At the very end of the game Booker [=DeWitt=] [[spoiler:allows himself to be drowned, which destroys all of his AlternateUniverse Comstock selves]].

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Fan Works:
* {{Defied}} in ''Fanfic/TheWrongReflection'', where the possibility of Captain Kanril Eleya's MirrorUniverse counterpart attempting to KillAndReplace her is brought up and immediately discarded. They put Dal[[note]]She's first officer on a Cardassian battleship.[[/note]] Kanril Eleya through a battery of medical tests when she comes aboard and determine that there's enough physiological and mental differences that they can easily tell them apart.

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* ''Film/ThePrestige'': The first time Angier tests Tesla's device he looks up to see it has created a duplicate of himself. He immediately grabs a gun and shoots the duplicate. [[spoiler:he then uses the device as his new act, "teleporting" himself clear across the theatre. At the end, it's shown he's kept the secret by dumping the previous version of himself into a tank of water each time a duplicate was created. The closing shot is of an entire warehouse full of drowned duplicates.]]

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[[AC:TabletopGames]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. If the clone created by a ''Clone'' spell and the original exist at the same time, they are both aware of each other's existence and will try to kill each other, because the thought of having an alter ego is unbearable to both of them.

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* Added examples from Arivne, StarSword & Tallens. Thanks!
* Added the Maze of Many from ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'' to examples.

@StarSword - reading the description of DeadAlternateCounterpart, it sounds like it only covers cases where you find your alternate from another reality is already dead. This could be a cause of DeadAlternateCounterpart though, so I've added it to the description.

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Unless anyone has any suggestions on improving the hat-worthy status, I'll launch this in a few days. 31 examples, so it seems to be a valid trope - thanks everyone who provided them!

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Film:
* Subverted in ''Film/{{Coherence}}''. Em enters an AlternateUniverse and likes it more than her original world. She then goes to offs her alternate self in order to take her place. However, next morning it turns out Em #2 is NotQuiteDead and the fate of both characters is LeftHanging.

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[[AC:Live Action Television]]
* In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "Parallells", Worf has an encounter with a quantum fissure and ends up travelling through different parallell universes. Later in the episode, the Enterprise has an encounter with numerous parallell unvierse versions of the ship after it has a mishap involving said quantum fissure. Worf gets sent to the fissure with a shuttlecraft from his Enterprise, only to get shot at by an Enterprise from a timeline where the Borg succeeded in conquering the Federation. This leads to Riker from the Enterprise that Worf ended up on ordering Wesley to disable that other Enterprise, which leads to the other Enterprise being blown up from how weak it had become from fighting the Borg.

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Added examples from, & thanks to, erock & triassicranger. The first subversion, nice :).

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[[AC:VideoGames]]
* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfMajEyal'', the only way to unlock the Paradox Mage class is to play as a Temporal Warden and allow your future self to kill you.

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