History Main / MergingTheBranches

* ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'': [[spoiler:This is the game's big [[TheReveal reveal]]. Whereas the player is led to believe only the Liu Kang ending from ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11: Aftermath'' is canon, it turns out that the Shang Tsung ending was spun off into an alternate timeline and the newly empowered Titan Shang Tsung has orchestrated the events of the game to conquer the multiverse. This is because the final battle from ''Aftermath'' caused time to split off into more branching timelines, including the one where Liu Kang became Keeper of Time, and the one where Shang Tsung became Keeper of Time.]]

* ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'': [[spoiler:This is the game's big [[TheReveal reveal]]. Whereas the player is led to believe only the Liu Kang ending from ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11: Aftermath'' is canon, it turns out that the Shang Tsung ending was spun off into an alternate timeline and the newly empowered Titan Shang Tsung has orchestrated the events of the game to conquer the multiverse.]]

** Its prequel, ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'', inverts the trope by having all of the possible endings plausibly lead to the events of the first game: [[spoiler:telling the truth about the conspiracy leads to augments getting banned (explaining why they're everywhere in ''DXHR'' but rare in ''[=DX1=]''), lying on Taggart's behalf (he wants to reform the United Nations, which could lead to ''[=DX1's=]'' [[UnitedNationsIsASuperpower UNATCO]]), lying on Sarif's behalf removes regulations on augs (which were used as a way to control the populace; the Gray Death virus could have been engineered as an alternate means of control), and the fourth option [[EverybodyDiesEnding kills everyone in the building]] (which would explain why nobody exclusive to ''DXHR'' appears in ''[=DX1=]'')]]. Its sequel, ''VideoGame/DeusExMankindDivided'', {{subvert|edTrope}}s this by following as though none of them happened.

[[folder:Visual Novel]]

** Its prequel, ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'', inverts the trope by having all of the possible endings plausibly lead to the events of the first game, but then with ''VideoGame/DeusExMankindDivided'' following as though ''none'' of them happened.

* The ''{{Videogame/Warcraft}}'' series did this for everything up to ''VideoGame/Warcraft3'' (in which the campaigns happen sequentially). The second game took the first's Orc campaign as canon but with several Human story missions as still having happened instead of their Orc variants. The second game was treated the same way but with the sides reversed by its expansion. The second game's expansion is later treated as two sides of the same story, with the canon result of the final battle combining the endings. 3's expansion also has sequential missions and sets up the stage for ''{{Videogame/World of Warcraft}}''.

Has nothing to do with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merge_%28version_control%29 branch merging]] in software development.

** Two of Claude and Rena's endings three endings are subjected to this. The Japan-only sequel canonizes the Equal Affection Ending, where Claude and Rena explore space together on behalf of the Federation. [[VideoGame/StarOceanIntegrityAndFaithlessness The fifth game]] canonizes the Rena's Affection Greater ending, where Rena moves to Earth with Claude and states [[BabiesEverAfter they're expecting their first child soon]], implicitly moving it to after the events of ''Blue Sphere''; one of that game's party members, Emmerson T. Kenny, is Claude and Rena's direct descendent. The Claude's Affection Greater ending, where Claude moves to Expel with Rena, falls to CuttingOffTheBranches.

* Jim Sangster's ''Literature/DoctorWhoNovelisations'' style [[https://escapetodanger.net/tag/dimensions-in-time/ adaptation]] of "[[Recap/DoctorWho30thASDimensionsInTime Dimensions of Time]]" has the dimensional instability result in the Eastender who attacks the Rani to save Liz Shaw constantly flickering between Big Ron and Mandy, reflecting that both versions were filmed, and which one was used (Mandy) was based on an audience vote.

* Jim Sangster's ''Literature/DoctorWhoNovelizations'' style [[https://escapetodanger.net/tag/dimensions-in-time/ adaptation]] of "[[Recap/DoctorWho30thASDimensionsInTime Dimensions of Time]]" has the dimensional instability result in the Eastender who attacks the Rani to save Liz Shaw constantly flickering between Big Ron and Mandy, reflecting that both versions were filmed, and which one was used (Mandy) was based on an audience vote.

* In ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'', numerous party members were [[MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers mutually exclusive]]. You couldn't recruit Opera if you recruited Ashton (which also excluded you from recruiting Ernest since Opera is required to recruit ''him''), you couldn't recruit Bowman if you recruited Precis, and both Dias and Leon were exclusive to who you chose as the main protagonist; Dias if you chose Rena, and Leon if you chose Claude. However, the [[NoExportForYou japan-only]] sequel for the Game Boy Color, ''Star Ocean Blue Sphere'', completely ignores this, and all of the previous game's party members show up as though all of them were recruited.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' somehow manages to do this to itself. Completing every sidequest in the span of a single three-day cycle is prohibitively difficult, if not impossible, so once you'd gotten the reward for a given sidequest, there wasn't much incentive to repeat it on subsequent cycles. The game's ending implies that every sidequest you ever completed in the game was ultimately merged into the final timeline where Skull Kid and Majora's Mask were defeated.
** Notably, it's outright impossible to complete every quest in a single 3 day cycle - at a minimum, Link can only help the bomb-shop Lady or reunite Kafei and Anju, but not both.

* ''VisualNovel/ALittleLilyPrincess'' inverts this due to adapting [[Literature/ALittlePrincess a novel]] into a media with StoryBranching and making some events lifted directly from the source material exclusive to some routes:

** In ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'', Cipher fights five out of eleven elite Belkan ([[spoiler:well, only most of them are Belkan]]) squadrons in any given playthrough, with three of them changing per playthrough depending on your KarmaMeter. However, the in-game Assault Records and later lore implies that at the branching points, Cipher faced all three respective squadrons ''at the same time'', meaning he almost single handedly wiped out NINE elite squadrons, not even including Gelb and Espada, who appear regardless of Karma Meter status.

** Unlike in the game, when Lloyd departs on his journey to collect all the Exspheres, he plans to go alone (Which isn’t possible in-game; he made plans to have his [[RelationshipValues closest ally]] come along with him back during the Heimdall night. However, just before he leaves, Colette suddenly shows up at the last second, wanting him to take her along with him, cementing herself as the closest ally in this adaptation.
This is also apparently the canonical ending according to the sequel. Overlaps a bit with ThirdOptionAdaptation in that another change, [[spoiler:Yuan coming with them to the final battle,]] actually ''isn't'' possible in any of the endings.

** Although the Orks didn't win in Dark Crusade, some fans refer to him with the full list of titles he gives himself for beating the six other factions (that is, Gorgutz 'Ead'unter Daemonkilla Deffkilla Bloodspilla Gunsmasha Ragescreama Ghostkilla).
** Fanon holds that ''Retribution's'' ending contains elements of some of the others, mostly because they aren't directly contradicted by each ending: The SpaceMarines win [[spoiler:and Gabriel becomes the new Chapter Master, it is implied that Avitus was the traitor in ''Chaos Rising'' while Thaddeus and the Force Commander were sent on a penitence crusade for resorting to using tainted war gear while remaining loyal and that everyone else were still with the loyalist part of the Chapter]], the Imperial Guard showed up to help the Space Marines, the Eldar get Taldeer's soulstone back, the Orks make off with the Judgement of Carrion to replace their downed Krooza, and [[LoveToHate Eliphas]] killed a bunch of things and managed to become a [[DemonOfHumanOrigin Daemon Prince]] (or at least survive the game). The only one that doesn't get included is the [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Tyranids]], probably because they would have eaten everything in the sector.

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', the manga adaptation merges the Kratos, Zelos and Colette endings and has each of them give Lloyd the special item that he receives only from their ending in the game. This is also apparently the canonical ending according to the sequel. Overlaps a bit with ThirdOptionAdaptation in that another change, [[spoiler:Yuan coming with them to the final battle,]] actually ''isn't'' possible in any of the endings.

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series: ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'' has seven mutually exclusive endings. However, later works starting with ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', reveal that all of the endings, even one that was cut from the final version of the game, happened. This is explained InUniverse as a CosmicRetcon[=/=]TimeCrash known as the "Warp in the West". However, [[BroadStrokes none occurred to the same extent they would have individually]]. For example, instead of one political power dominating the region, the dozens of city states merged into four with all still under the banner of the Empire. Mannimarco successfully [[DeityOfHumanOrigin ascended to godhood]], but in a rather minor station,[[note]]Some texts even claim that he was later restored to mortality[[/note]] while also [[LiteralSplitPersonalities leaving a "mortal" version behind]] who leads the cult that worships the god version. [[HumongousMecha Numidium]] doesn't go on a Tamriel-destroying rampage, but is rendered forever non-functional through unexplained means[[note]]although it may have something to do with that the one ending to ''not'' have any indications it didn't happen in its entirety -- the Underking ''finally'' dying permanently -- also leads to the Numidium being rendered non-functional (the Underking needed the Numidium's power-source to die)[[/note]]. Nobody in the region actually has any idea how any of this happened; they all woke up one morning in the new status quo with no memory of the previous two days.

* In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon]]'', several characters were only recruitable in gaiden chapters that required several playable characters to die to access them. In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemMysteryOfTheEmblem New Mystery of the Emblem]]'', however, all returning gaiden characters except Nagi are treated as if they joined Marth's army despite the fact that every playable character from the previous game survived to see the sequel.

** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar'', Lachesis, like all other first-generation female characters, has two children with whomever marries her. The Midquel features both her children as playable characters, but heavily implies they have ''different fathers'', something not possible within the game mechanics of ''Genealogy''. Namely, Beowulf is canonically Delmud's father, and Finn is canonically Nana's. Beowulf's lover conversation with Lachesis in ''Genealogy's'' Chapter 5 implies [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy he leaves her so she can be with Finn]], but gameplay-wise he'd still father both her children.
** A case of this being averted in the finished product, but played straight in earlier development: ''Genealogy'' features [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute "substitute" units]], who only show up if a mother in the first generation died or got left unmarried, who replace the children of that mother are usually somewhat inferior to the characters they replace. In ''Thracia'''s story proper, the game seems to run with the idea that the substitutes don't exist; at the very least, the kids belonging to Erinyes, Lachesis, Sylvia, and Bridget all appear or get referenced at some point, and none of the substitutes appear. However, there are several portraits, DummiedOut in the final product, that unmistakeably belong to several substitute characters--specifically, Asaelio and Daisy (replace Bridget's son and daughter), Femina (replaces Erinyes's daughter), and Jeanne (replaces Lachesis's daughter). This suggests that at some point, the intention was to have the substitutes exist in the same timeline as the other units.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManX4'' plays X and Zero's stories separately, and they don't interact with one another at any point except in X's ending animated cutscene. Either way, the player has to defeat both Colonel and General, the Repliforce leaders. ''VideoGame/MegaManX5'' confirms through the intro and dialogue from Spiral Pegasus (one of the eight Maverick Bosses) that canonically Zero was the one who fought and killed Colonel, while it's hinted that X fought General.

* The ''{{Videogame/Warcraft}}'' series did this for everything up to ''VideoGame/Warcraft3'' (in which the campaigns happen sequentially). The second game took the first's Orc campaign as canon but with several Human story missions as still having happened instead of their Orc variants. The second game was treated the same way but with the sides reversed by its expansion. The second game's expansion is later treated as two sides of the same story, with the canon result of the final battle combining the endings.

** Fanon holds that ''Retribution's'' ending contains elements of some of the others, mostly because they aren't directly contradicted by each ending: The SpaceMarines win [[spoiler:and Gabriel becomes the new Chapter Master]], the Imperial Guard showed up to help the Space Marines, the Eldar get Taldeer's soulstone back, the Orks make off with the Judgement of Carrion to replace their downed Krooza, and [[LoveToHate Eliphas]] killed a bunch of things and managed to become a [[DemonOfHumanOrigin Daemon Prince]] (or at least survive the game). The only one that doesn't get included is the [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Tyranids]], probably because they would have eaten everything in the sector.

** In ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'', Cipher fights five out of eleven elite Belkan [[spoiler: well, only most of them are Belkan]] squadrons in any given playthrough, with three of them changing per playthrough depending on your KarmaMeter. However, the in-game Assault Records and later lore implies that at the branching points, Cipher faced all three respective squadrons ''at the same time'', meaning he almost single handedly wiped out NINE elite squadrons, not even including Gelb and Espada, who appear regardless of Karma Meter status.