History Main / ReforgedIntoAMinion

* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', the MonsterOfTheWeek in the episode "[[Recap/SmallvilleS06E21Prototype Prototype]]" turns out be Wes Keenan who Lois grew up with as a MilitaryBrat, turned into a genetically engineered SuperSoldier for Lex Luthor. He was drafted into Afghanistan, severely injured in a battle, and [=LuthorCorp=] retrieved his body. He was officially declared KIA, though he unknowingly made a DealWithTheDevil, with Luthor promising that he will properly serve his country like never before. Luthor had [[WeCanRebuildHim scientists experiment on him]] with [[MixAndMatchMan DNA from several "meteor freaks" and a "Zoner"]] (aliens from Krypton/had contact with Kryptonians), giving him SuperStrength (enough to rival Clark), [[BarrierWarrior barrier projection]], {{Invisibility}} and SuperSpeed. More so, [[{{Brainwashed}} he was conditioned so that he remembers nothing of his old life]], making him a perfect assassin for pesky senators attempting to shut down Luthor...

* In ''VideoGame/WitchSpring R'', the true identity of the blindfolded Hunt Executor is [[spoiler:Livya, who mysteriously disappeared after detaining Kate and being summoned to the Pope's Castle. It is revealed from Kate herself that the Pope held suspicions over her arrest and had her as well as the warriors involved tortured for information. After finding out Pieberry helped defeat Kate and had both Kate and Livya turned into the Curse and Hunt Executors.]]

** Bartholomew Kuma [[spoiler:strikes a deal with the Elder Stars and a reluctant Dr. Vegapunk in order to cure his adoptive daughter Bonney from the sapphire scales]] by gradually his mind wiped and gets converted into a mindless {{Cyborg}} by the World Government.

** Bartholomew Kuma [[spoiler:strikes a deal with the Elder Stars and a reluctant Dr. Vegapunk in order to cure his adoptive daugher Bonney from the sapphire scales]] by gradually his mind wiped and gets converted into a mindless {{Cyborg}} by the World Government.

** Bartholomew Kuma has his mind wiped and gets converted into a mindless {{Cyborg}} by the World Government as punishment for helping out the Straw Hats.

So, you are a powerful villain in need of a QuirkyMinibossSquad. You need to replace TheDragon who has failed you one time too many. Or perhaps your MonsterOfTheWeek never works and you are thinking of trying ThePsychoRangers. But where can you find a servant both competent enough and willing to serve you? Not everyone can create minions from the ground up, [[EvilIsSterile particularly the forces of evil]]. But perhaps you don't need to create anything.

See that guy, NotQuiteDead after a HeroicSacrifice? He will do. A quick {{brainwash|ed}}ing, sometimes also a new name and new clothes, and while you are putting his damaged body back together, you can always make a few...improvements. If no half-dead hero is available, you can always [[HumanResources use the remains]] of the previous season's BigBad, or even some of your past victims. What is important is that they are not just BrainwashedAndCrazy. The new minion must be customized for your needs. So [[AnimateDead turning dead heroes undead]] does not count by itself, but creating a Death Knight will.

As mentioned, this trope requires the victim to be custom-modified. Also it must be someone either important (a powerful wizard, a king) or plot-relevant (the hero's childhood friend) prior to the transformation and important for the villain's plans after. This can be effective as it puts the former hero's strength on your side, and also puts the other heroes in the uncomfortable position of having to [[FightingYourFriend fight their former friend]]. On the other hand, heroes do have the nasty habit of [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight beating them back to themselves]], so in the worst case, the villain may just end up [[NiceJobFixingItVillain bringing back a hero the villain spent so much time and resources killing in the first place]], only [[CameBackStrong STRONGER]]. Whoops!

* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** Bartholomew Kuma has his mind wiped and gets converted into a mindless {{Cyborg}} by the World Government as punishment for helping out the Straw Hats.
** It's revealed in the Wano arc that this is how [[PersonOfMassDestruction Kaido]] recruits much of his crew; if an enemy demonstrates themselves to be exceptionally strong, he [[PragmaticVillainy doesn't kill them]], but instead [[SparingTheAces takes them prisoner and offers them a place on his crew]]. If they accept, [[BenevolentBoss they're happily welcomed into the family]]. If they refuse, [[TwoPlusTortureMakesFive he breaks down their wills through torture until they swear allegiance to him]].
* The ''Mazinger'' franchise:
** ''Anime/MazingerZ'': This is [[BigBad Dr. Hell]]'s favorite trick. This is how he got himself his CoDragons. He found Brocken bleeding to death on the ground and turn him into a headless {{Cyborg}}. While exploring the underground mazes of Bardos he found two mummified bodies. One half of each body was crushed under rocks. So he sewed the intact halves together, revived it like a {{Cyborg}} with a mechanized brain and named it Ashura. And his {{Mooks}}? He--or his henchmen--killed people and he turned the corpses into cybernetic slaves programmed to serve him. Now you know what happened to all the people who died in the battles between Mazinger-Z and Hell's Mechanical Beasts.
** ''Anime/GreatMazinger'': Ironically, [[PhysicalGod Emperor of Darkness]] did the same thing to [[spoiler:Hell himself,]] turning him into his newest [[TheDragon Dragon]].
** ''Anime/UFORoboGrendizer'': The Vegans [[spoiler:grafted brains of prisoners into their Saucer Beasts]]. Duke got a severe HeroicBSOD when he was told [[spoiler:he technically had killed one friend of his every time he blew up a {{Robeast}}]].

* ''Anime/{{Blassreiter}}'': Almost everyone, especially when [[spoiler:XAT almost entirely]] was infected with [[NanoMachines Pale Rider]]. Some managed to remember themselves and turn on their would-be "masters" anyway, but most were taken over completely.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** Madara Uchiha does this to [[spoiler: Obito Uchiha, turning him into Tobi]]. Notably though, [[spoiler:Obito wasn't {{Brainwashed}} -- at most Madara had him under MoreThanMindControl after a DespairEventHorizon caused him to undergo a FaceHeelTurn, and even then Obito basically decided [[TheStarscream to hijack Madara's plan for his own use with no intentions of resurrecting him]]. Even when Madara gets revived through other means, Obito makes no secret that they simply have mutual goals at this point]].
** [[spoiler:This is the true power of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Humans trapped in the illusion and cocooned to the God Tree are very slowly drained of their chakra and will power until they become shells of their former selves, turning them into an army of White Zetsu soldiers for Kaguya Otsutsuki to command in her fight against her own clan.]]
* In ''Anime/TekkamanBlade'', every Tekkaman is an example. The Radam captured a bunch of explorers and subjected them to a harrowing procedure that infused them with awesome superpowers and a parasite controlling their thoughts. [[spoiler:Takaya aka D-Boy's father used the last of his strength to free Takaya and interrupted the process. As a result, Takaya had the superpowers of a Tekkaman but lacked the mind controlling parasite, but at the cost of going berserk if he stayed transformed too long, possibly because the process was interrupted prematurely.]]
* ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'': One of the {{Sequel Hook}}s involves Aogiri's plans to do this, using captured Ghoul Investigators for use in [[HalfHumanHybrid hybridization]] experiments. These plans come to fruition [[TimeSkip two years later]], when [[spoiler: Seidou Takizawa]] makes their ''very'' bloody debut as Aogiri's new [[OminousOwl Owl]]. [[spoiler: Formerly the PluckyComicRelief for the human-focused chapters, he performed a HeroicSacrifice trying to protect Amon and was written off as killed in action by his superiors. Driven insane by experimentation and torture, he turns out to be completely aware of his past and hints at a feeling of resentment over being abandoned by his superiors. His [[AlwaysSecondBest inferiority]] [[GreenEyedMonster complex]] has been used to twist him into a vicious killer, encouraging him to seek out and try to kill [[TheHero Sasaki]] to prove himself superior to his predecessor.]] More importantly, this gets strangely subverted, [[spoiler: since Sasaki himself is technically Kaneki who suffers from amnesia.]] Well, if that's subverted or not depends on the viewer, since the CCG can be seen as the BigGood as well as the BigBad. [[BlackAndGrayMorality Somehow]].
* In ''Anime/DigimonFrontier'', when BigBad Cherubimon is unable to recreate/find a Digimon to wield the powerful Spirits of Darkness, he instead snatches up a wandering human [[spoiler: or rather, the human's ghost/astral projected soul]], brainwash him, and force him to take the Spirit instead, creating the terrifyingly powerful Duskmon, who comes damn close to wiping out the season's Digidestined. [[spoiler: Unfortunately for Cherubimon, the human he snatched turned out to be Kouichi, one of the heroes' long-lost brother, and that lingering connection keeps him from killing the heroes long enough for them to orchestrate a HeelFaceTurn.]]
* ''Manga/FairyTail'': During the Tartaros arc, the titular guild of genocidal demons attempt to transform the captured Mirajane into a loyal demon subordinate. Unfortunately for them, because the "Demon Factor" they use to perform this is the very power that she makes use of with her [[PowersViaPossession Satan Soul]], getting pumped full of it ends up not only revitalizing her and [[DamselOutOfDistress letting her break free]], [[spoiler:but allows her to use Take Over on the demonic tentacles inside the lab to wreck it, thus preventing them from utilizing their ResurrectiveImmortality]].
* ''Franchise/MyHeroAcademia'': The Nomu qualify in some cases, particularly Oboro Shirakumo, who was a hero student and best friend of Aizawa and Present Mic. The real target when Oboro was killed was Aizawa’s Erasure, but Oboro's corpse was loaded with mutiple quirks and possibly parts of other people to create the warp gate user Kurogiri. He was programmed to protect and care for the young Shigaraki, and would act unresponsive if it didn't pertain to his ward. Aizawa and Hizashi are so furious they’re ready to kill when they find out, and they don’t know if there’s anything left of Oboro to try and save. While they tried reaching out to him in Kurogiri, with his face even manifesting in half of the mist surrounding Kurogiri's head, the strain just caused Kurogiri to go comatose afterwards.

[[folder:Card Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'':
** In ''Literature/OdysseyCycle Judgment'', Kamahl's friend and mentor [[http://magiccards.info/tr/en/91.html Balthor]] is brought back from the dead as a [[http://magiccards.info/ju/en/61.html superpowered zombie minion]] after Cabal necromancers find his body post-HeroicSacrifice.
** In the ''Literature/OnslaughtCycle'', Kamahl's ''sister'' gets hit even harder -- she gets transformed into [[http://magiccards.info/le/en/78.html Phage the Untouchable,]] a veritable avatar of death.
** This is the classic modus operandi of the [[TheCorruption Phyrexians]]. For example, Old Phyrexia changed [[https://scryfall.com/card/exo/33/ertai-wizard-adept Ertai, Wizard Adept]] into [[https://scryfall.com/card/pls/107/ertai-the-corrupted Ertai, the Corrupted]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/tpr/90/crovax-the-cursed Crovax, the Cursed]] into [[https://scryfall.com/card/hop/17/ascendant-evincar Ascendant Evincar]], while New Phyrexia boasts changing [[https://scryfall.com/card/mrd/120/glissa-sunseeker Glissa Sunseeker]] into [[https://scryfall.com/card/mbs/96/glissa-the-traitor Glissa, the Traitor]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/ddu/1/ezuri-renegade-leader Ezuri, Renegade Leader]] into [[https://scryfall.com/card/c15/44/ezuri-claw-of-progress Ezuri, Claw of Progress]]. [[spoiler:New Phyrexia later figures out how to do this to ''Planeswalkers''.]]
* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'': The effect of Goyo Guardian, which takes over monsters it defeats.
[[/folder]]

* ''ComicBook/XMen'': The Horsemen of [[Characters/MarvelComicsApocalypse Apocalypse]], particularly Archangel/Death.
* [[Characters/MarvelComicsPsylocke Psylocke]] was long thought to be this after she returned from Japan transformed into a psychic ninja assassin. The truth turned out to be a bit more complicated.
* All of the heralds of [[Characters/MarvelComicsGalactus Galactus]] are former mortals who made a DealWithTheDevil: spare my planet in exchange for my service. Galactus would then bestow them with a small portion of his own power, creating both a link between the two and transforming the new herald into one of the most powerful beings in the cosmos.
* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'': Back in TheNineties the Leader used the dead body and mostly dead brain of Thunderbolt Ross to power the Redeemer armor.

* This is what happens to [[Characters/MarvelComicsBuckyBarnes Bucky Barnes]], former kid sidekick to [[Characters/MarvelComicsSteveRogers Captain America]]. He's brainwashed by Soviets and turned into the Winter Soldier, an elite killing machine.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: Queen Atomia has created a machine that can turn people into her mindless "Neutron" and "Proton" slaves, altering their physical body and greatly reducing their mental capacity. When she tries to use it on Diana and her friends Diana destroys the machine.

* In ''ComicBook/AvengersUndercover'', Alex Wilder, the original leader of the ComicBook/{{Runaways}}, is restored to life as part of a plot to corrupt his ex-girlfriend Nico Minoru.

** ''Megatron: Origin'' (a prequel to IDW's [[ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW Transformers]] run): Ratbat is revealed to be a rare villain example. As a [[CorruptCorporateExecutive senator]] he tried to capitalize on Meagtron's rise to power by supplying his then fledgling rebellion with weapons, only to have his minion Soundwave turn on him in favor of Megatron and proceed to 'thank' him for his service by reforging him into one of his cassettes.
** [[ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel Marvel's The Transformers]]:, Starscream was wrecked at the end of the Underbase saga. A few issues later, he was salvaged by Megatron, who forced the Autobot Ratchet to rebuild Starscream into a mindless, extremely powerful Decepticon Pretender.
** During ''ComicBook/TransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'', The DJD's [[spoiler: Pet Turbofox]] was eventually revealed to be an lobotomized [[TheMole Agent 113]], aka [[spoiler: Dominus Ambus]]
* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'': This is the horrible fate that befell on poor Judge Kraken in the lead-up to Necropolis. Initially brainwashed by the Sisters of Death, he freed their allies the Dark Judges from the interdimensional void they were trapped in. Judge Death deemed such service worthy of recognition, "rewarding" Kraken by inflicting MindRape on him and turning him into a fifth Dark Judge, who wept as he slaughtered millions but [[AndIMustScream could do nothing to stop it]].

* ''ComicBook/{{Nnewts}}'':
** In Book 1, Wizzark transforms Urch into a reptile, naming him Lizzurch and ordering him to hunt down Herk.
** [[OminousObsidianOoze Blakk Mudd]], introduced in Book 2, turns any Nnewt it touches into a Lizzark. [[spoiler:This actually happens to Herk himself.]]
* ''ComicBook/StarWarsBountyHunters'': [[spoiler:After [[TheProtagonist Valance's]] cybernetics are damaged to the point of no longer being able to keep him alive during ''[[ComicBook/StarWarsWarOfTheBountyHunters War of the Bounty Hunters]]'', Vader has him resuscitated and rebuilt to serve him, [[AnOfferYouCantRefuse with a death threat against his loved ones to coerce him]]]].

* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has the classic example of the Winter Soldier. The sequel also has the Red Son, intended to be the successor to the Winter Soldier and made from [[spoiler: Harry]].
* ''Fanfic/DragonballZLegacies'': In the BadFuture, it's revealed that after most of the Future Z-Fighters were murdered by [[spoiler:Sentinel Buu]], he dug up [[spoiler:Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Goten, and [[OriginalCharacter Goren's]]]] corpses before resurrecting them as brainwashed cybernetic zombies to serve as his generals. When he introduces them to the surviving heroes, they are all horrified and disgusted with one even considering it a FateWorseThanDeath.

* ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'': Discord did this in [[BadFuture Dark World]] to the Mane Six and the Doctor, turning them into [[CoDragons the Chaos Six]] and [[BigBadWannabe the Valeyard]].
* ''Fanfic/LettersFromTomorrow'': Chloe was always very loyal to Max, but throughout the game she gets herself killed a number of times because she has more bravery than skills. Here, future!Max used her MentalTimeTravel to manipulate Chloe's past in such a way as to turn her into the ultimate badass; encouraging her to exercise and learn how to fight, improving her relationship with her step-dad so that he can teach her how to shoot, and even convincing her to take defensive driving courses, all so that present!Max would have a bodyguard when she needed one. Present!Max is horrified when she realizes what her future self has done, treating her best friend like a tool.
* ''Fanfic/ThePalaververse'': Soulforging, a process where an Antlertean mage would wipe the mind and soul of another being clean and completely rewrite their identity, turning them into an undying, loyal servant, sometimes transferring their soul into another vessel or turning them into a spectral being. In Treasures, the Antlertean Lord Fallow’s fortress is home to a great number of reforged minions, ranging from criminals to a fraud to a servant that was going senile.
* ''Fanfic/PercyJacksonSpirits'': Many dark spirits were forcibly captured and corrupted by Vaatu's willing servants and other corrupted spirits. Thinking about this just makes Percy hate Vaatu even more.

* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2'': Gru's AdorableEvilMinions are kidnapped and turned into truly EvilMinions by injecting them with PsychoSerum.

* What happens to Megatron and a few of his Decepticon soldiers in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersTheMovie'', when they cross into Unicron’s path after the other Decepticons threw them into space to die.

* ''Franchise/{{Hellraiser}}'': In several of the films, Pinhead turns some of his earlier victims into new Cenobites to expand his retinue. One of them (Angelique) was even a demon herself who outranked him initially.
* ''Film/TRONLegacy'': There's a ''reason'' Rinzler never takes off the mask, speaks in a distorted stutter, and [[spoiler: stops fighting Sam once he realizes that Sam is a User. He's a corrupted Tron.]]
* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Emperor Palpatine's conversion of [[{{Yandere}} Anakin]] [[HairTriggerTemper Skywalker]] into the infamous masked {{cyborg}} Darth Vader counts, although Ani had already joined the Dark Side and was significantly weaker afterwards.
* ''Film/TheBlackHole'': The [[spoiler: ''entire crew'' of the ''Cygnus'']].
* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:

** A villainous example occurs with [[spoiler:Darren Cross]]. After being severely maimed and shrunken down to a subatomic level at the climax of ''Film/AntMan1'', Kang the Conqueror reconstructs him as his right-hand man MODOK.
* In ''Film/{{Troll|1986}}'' Torok transforms the various tenants of the apartment complex into creatures to do his bidding, only Jeanette retains her original appearance after her transformation.
* In ''Film/TerminatorGenisys'', Skynet uses this to devastating effect [[spoiler:by converting John Connor into the T-3000, whose strength of will doesn't let him retain his free will, only ensuring that he makes it through the process without being driven catatonically insane]].

* ''Film/{{Phantasm}}'': [[HumanoidAbomination The Tall Man]] uses human corpses to create [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Lurkers]]; their brains are used to create [[spoiler: the Sentinel Spheres]].

** {{Subverted}} with [[spoiler:Elijah Knight. During the attack on Xyrus Academy, he ends up being captured by the servants of the Vritra and is taken with them back to Alacrya. Naturally, when he returns to Dicathen years later at the close of the war as one of the Alacryan Scythes, Arthur assumes he had been brainwashed by the Vritra. It turns out that "Elijah Knight" was in fact a false personality created to help him blend in Dicathian society, and that the Alacryans merely restored his true identity: Nico Sever, the former childhood friend of Arthur's past life King Grey, who has been willingly working with [[BigBad Agrona]] and the Vritra out of a desire to exact revenge on Grey for the murder of his fiancée Cecilia]].
** Played straight with [[spoiler:Tessia Eralith. After the war's conclusion and Arthur's apparent disappearance, she goes on a secret mission back to her homeland of Elenoir only to be captured by the Vritra and [[GrandTheftMe turned into the vessel]] for an entity known as the Legacy, who as it turns out ''is'' Cecilia. Cecilia herself is also a example, as Agrona gave her FalseMemories both to make her more compliant with his plans and to make her more hostile towards Arthur/Grey]].

* In ''Literature/ProphecyApprovedCompanion'' the Evil Emperor decapitated the hero's childhood friend and clearly intends to turn her into an evil minion. At least, that was what was supposed to happen.

* ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'' does this interestingly. Marsh, older brother of [[RebelLeader Kelsier]], infiltrated the [[CorruptChurch Steel Ministry]] disguised as an acolyte. He attracted the attention of the [[ImplacableMan Steel Inquisitors]], who, [[GoneHorriblyRight owing to how good Marsh's impersonation was]] [[spoiler: had Marsh forcibly converted into an Inquisitor himself, a stomach-churning procedure Marsh certainly did ''not'' sign up for. However, the Inquisitors were not aware that Marsh was a spy, and he was able to retain his personality despite the mind-altering affects of the transformation and betrayed the Inquisitors at a crucial moment, killing their leader Kar and several other high-ups and leading directly to the overthrow of their boss, the Lord Ruler. Unfortunately, the dark god Ruin--ultimate source of the magic that powered the Inquisitors and whom the Lord Ruler had been holding at bay--now gained greater power to affect the world, so he possessed Marsh and made him into TheDragon. So poor Marsh ended up a minion after all, even if it didn't quite work out the way that those who reforged him wanted it to]].

*** [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Yuuzhan Vong]] [[MadScientist Shapers]] are quite skilled at turning captured enemies into living weapons and slave soldiers -- early forays into captured world reveal that human prisoners were being turned into obedient, armor-plated warriors, and captured Rodians were taken apart and rebuilt at a cellular level to create fearsome {{Bioweapon Beast}}s.
*** Some Shapers try to do this to [[ActionGirl Tahiri]] (though their primary goal was brainwashing her into believing she was Yuuzhan Vong herself, they also intended to make physical modifications to bring her closer to a Vong physical appearance). Unfortunately for them, Tahiri was rescued and the head Shaper was killed before the process was complete. Unfortunately for Tahiri, there were [[EnemyWithin lingering]] [[SplitPersonality effects]].

* ''Literature/TheDragonCrownWar''" This is how [[BigBad Chytrine]] got her QuirkyMinibossSquad, the ''sullanciri''. A group of heroes were sent to kill her, and she captured them, manipulated them into accepting a DealWithTheDevil with her, and then used immensely powerful magic to convert them into {{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le undead warriors. The specifics of the transformation varies from ''sullanciri'' to ''sullanciri'' (it's implied to be at least in part PersonalityPowers), ranging from Anarus (WolfMan), to Ganagrei and Tythsai (visibly decaying undead), to Neskartu (wraith-like sorcerer) to Myrall'mara (glowing and ethereal) to Nefrai-kesh, Nefrai-laysh, and Quiarsca (outwardly normal, but with GlowingEyesOfDoom), but all were physically transformed in some manner, and had their personalities overwritten with ones more in line with what Chytrine wanted in lieutenants; the procedure is apparently [[FateWorseThanDeath unspeakably agonizing]].
* In ''Literature/CounselorsAndKings'', BigBad Akhlaur is a necromancer who possesses a spell that can forcibly convert another wizard into a [[OurLichesAreDifferent lich]] - and place them totally under his control (much to the horror of his BastardUnderstudy, Kiva, who didn't think such a thing was possible and realizes she may have bitten off more than she can chew with her attempts to manipulate him). The only victim of the spell on-page is Akhlaur's former friend [[OldMaster Vishna]].
* ''Literature/ImperialRadch'': Humans are converted into "ancillary" {{Wetware Bod|y}}ies for spaceship [[ArtificialIntelligence AIs]] through brain implants that let the AI pull a GrandTheftMe. The victim [[StrappedToAnOperatingTable needs to be conscious]] for the installation. The AI gets immediate control of the body, but it takes ''weeks'' for DeathOfPersonality to reach the point that the victim is no longer helpless, conscious, and terrified within.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/DarkAngel'': In the second season, the formerly dead Zack returns as a cyborg. Sort of like Robocop, only less well-intentioned.

* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' / ''Franchise/PowerRangers''
** Several episodes of ''Series/HimitsuSentaiGoranger'' had the Black Cross Army doing this. For example, Cyclops Mask kidnapped and mind-controlled children into serving the Black Cross Army. Another example is Tiger Mask from the penultimate episode, who was made from the corpse of one of Peggy's friends who died in the first episode.
** ''Series/BattleFeverJ'' had one episode where a friend of Battle Cossack II is secretly dying of cancer and is so terrified of dying that he agrees to be turned into an Egos monster. He is turned into a combination of a vampire and Mister Hyde who also can change into an alien lizard monster and his new evil personality causes him to murder several people before Battle Fever puts him down. In the final episode, Satan Egos planned to do this to Battle Fever by luring them into his base and having the monster making capsule swallow and melt them down to create an unstoppable monster, but they are able to find the capsule's weak spot and destroy it from the inside.
** ''Series/ChoudenshiBioman'' had a two-part story where a BadassNormal man who wanted to become the SixthRanger of Bioman but was rejected when he tested negative for bio particles is tricked by the villains into becoming a test subject for their experiment in making their own evil rangers. Immediately after being transformed, he gets mind controlled and forced to attack the Biomen and is only freed after his powers are destroyed.
** ''Series/GekisouSentaiCarranger'' and ''Series/PowerRangersTurbo'' both had an episode where the MonsterOfTheWeek turned out to be a hero who had the unfortunate fate of being captured by the villains and brainwashed into being their dishwasher. He tragically dies in the Japanese version but was spared in the American version.
** In ''Series/PowerRangersMysticForce'' and ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger'', Leanbow/Isamu was TheHero of the GreatOffscreenWar twenty years prior, who stayed behind to make sure that [[SealedEvilInACan the seal on the evil can worked]]. This naturally resulted in him being trapped in there with the evil badly wounded from fighting off an army alone, which then took his unconscious body and reforged him into Koragg/Wolzard, their new BlackKnight [[TheDragon dragon]]. Yes, becoming a BlackKnight qualifies as being reforged, it's a transformation rather than a suit of armor, and he stayed in that form the full twenty years until the spell was broken.
** In ''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger'', Joe learns that Walz Gil's bodyguard Barizorg is actually his old friend Sid, whom he thought had sacrificed himself to help him escape, but was actually rebuilt into a cyborg and brainwashed.
** In ''Series/KikaiSentaiZenkaiger'': Recycle Wald has the ability to transform civilians into recycled Kudakks. The villains also created Hakaizer by turning Kaito's father into a cyborg, using the very same prototype design for Zenkaizer that Kaito's father made.

* ''Series/MadanSenkiRyukendo'': [=JackMoon=] is a NobleDemon who is set up as TheRival to Kenji Narukami, the eponymous Ryukendo. He dies in what he sees a honorable death against Kenji...only to be rebuilt into the mindless cyborg Mekanimoon by the EvilGenius Baron Bloody. [[spoiler: He does return to his old self after the BigBad is destroyed and dies for real in a PostClimaxConfrontation against his rival Kenji.]]
* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', the MonsterOfTheWeek in the episode "[[Recap/SmallvilleS06E21Prototype Prototype]]" turns out be Wes Keenan who Lois grew up with as a MilitaryBrat, turned into a genetically engineered SuperSoldier for [[Characters/SupermanLexLuthor Lex Luthor]]. He was drafted into Afghanistan, severely injured in a battle, and [=LuthorCorp=] retrieved his body. He was officially declared KIA, though he unknowingly made a DealWithTheDevil, with Luthor promising that he will properly serve his country like never before. Luthor had [[WeCanRebuildHim scientists experiment on him]] with [[MixAndMatchMan DNA from several "meteor freaks" and a "Zoner"]] (aliens from Krypton/had contact with Kryptonians), giving him SuperStrength (enough to rival Clark), [[BarrierWarrior barrier projection]], {{Invisibility}} and SuperSpeed. More so, [[{{Brainwashed}} he was conditioned so that he remembers nothing]] [[ThatManIsDead of his old life]], making him a perfect assassin for pesky senators attempting to shut down Luthor...
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': This temporarily happens to Captain Picard in "The Best of Both Worlds", as he's captured and assimilated by [[HiveMind the Borg]] to serve as their mouthpiece Locutus.

* ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'': [[spoiler: Mike Peterson]] is seemingly killed in an explosion by [[NebulousEvilOrganisation Centipede]] in "The Bridge". However, the end of the following episode reveals that he survived, albeit captured, heavily scarred and minus a leg, as well as freshly implanted with a Centipede [[ExplosiveLeash eye device]]. This is built upon two episodes later, as he's given a cybernetic leg in order to move about as [[BigBad The Clairvoyant]]'s new chief enforcer, Deathlok.
* ''Series/TheDarkCrystalAgeOfResistance'': [[spoiler: This is how the [[EliteMooks Garthim]] were made, thanks to [[MadScientist SkekTek]] grafting together components from the corpses of [[BigCreepyCrawlies Arathim]] and [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Gruenaks]]]].
* In ''Series/WandaVision'', [[spoiler:this is what Tyler Hayward and S.W.O.R.D. have been planning to do with the synthezoid Vision the entire time. The organization has Vision's body (after he was killed in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'') and wants to reanimate and reprogram him as a weapon for their own needs -- a secret project dubbed "Cataract."]]

* In ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'', [[spoiler: [[{{Toon}} Boris the Wolf]]]] starts off as the only thing in Joey Drew Studios that's friendly to [[PlayerCharacter Henry.]] He gets captured by [[spoiler: Susie Campbell]] at the end of Chapter 3. When Henry encounters him again in Chapter 4, he has two [[WingdingEyes X-ed out eyes,]] some sort of ring around his head, and a bulkier body with parts (bodily and otherwise) sticking out of it. He attempts to follow a command to kill Henry as his new boss brags about how she improved him.

* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'': Mu-12's origin. [[spoiler: More specifically, she's Noel Vermillion [[note]]Who it turns out was an ArtificialHuman who was created for the purpose. There are roughly 10 identical copies of her (who were "failures"), plus Lambda-11 and Nu-13 who were successfully completed.[[/note]]. Terumi/Hazama mind raped her into [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds nihilism]], finished the process of turning her into a cyborg killing machine and [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight sicked her on Ragna]]. All just as a brief distraction so he could kill a god.]] This far from the only time Relius and Hazama invoke this trope, either;
** The ending of the second game also implies that Hazama and Relious Clover did this to [[spoiler: Ragna and Jin's apparently dead little sister Saya]] to use as some sort of pupper ruler/vessel for a higher power.
** The Extended edition also all but says that Hazama's minion "Phantom" is [[spoiler: Konoe A. Mercury AKA Nine, one of the six heroes]].
** In "Phase 1" [[spoiler: the protagonist Kazuma Kval]] merges with [[spoiler: Terumi (essentially just being a physical body for him) to create Hazama]].
** In ''Chrono Phantasma'', [[spoiler:Izanami the Goddess of Death using Saya as a vessel]] does this to [[spoiler:Ragna, making him her slave]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Bulletstorm}}'': [[spoiler: Ishi's fate, if you stayed after the credits. Although the screen remains black, the dialogue is implies that the Big Bad not only survived, but managed to patch up Ishi after his heroic sacrifice, and cranked his soulless AI to 11]].

* ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptuniaVictory'': [[spoiler: Peashy]] was [[spoiler: kidnapped and forced into amnesia by one of the villains after she ate a certain apotheosis-inducing item from another one of the villains, becoming a CPU as a result. Neptune and Plutia invoke an IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight using various items to trigger her dormant memories, (though they have to weaken her first)]].

* ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'': Not only is Death's Hand ''not'' the BigBad, or even close to it, it turns out that he's the [[spoiler: spirit of the Emperor and Sun Li's youngest brother, mortally wounded at Dirge and magically bound to Sun Li's armor]].

* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfTheSuperheroes'': The SecretCharacter known as Shadow Lady is [[Franchise/StreetFighter Chun-Li]] from an AlternateUniverse who was [[UnwillingRoboticisation forcibly turned into a brainwashed cyborg]] for Shadaloo. In retaliation for foiling their operations, Shadaloo kidnapped and robotized her for the sake of transforming her into M. Bison's [[TheDragon top assassin]]. Unlike Shadow--a brainwashed Charlie Nash who escaped shortly after being transformed--Shadaloo added a RestrainingBolt to Shadow Lady's programming so she would remain fully loyal to them as an emotionless minion while [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul obliterating her cheerful personality]]. [[spoiler:In her ending however, Shadow Lady [[HeroicWillpower overcomes Shadaloo's brainwashing]], regain her original memories as Chun-Li, and join forces with Shadow in taking down Shadaloo.]]

** Rare heroic example: happens to Shepard at the beginning of ''VideoGame/MassEffect2''. Notably, the Illusive Man didn't bother installing any real {{Restraining Bolt}}s, trusting instead in Shepard's gratitude and their mutual goals to ensure that they would work for him post-resurrection. Whether he's right depends on the player's choices, although [[spoiler: he's ultimately proven wrong in the third game]]. Shepard can also be made to pay lip service to the idea that Cerberus is working for ''them'' instead of the other way around.
** If Shepard fails to rescue her in time in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', this will happen to [[spoiler: Jack]]. It also potentially happens to [[spoiler: Legion]], but only if you [[spoiler: sent their platform to Cerberus]] without ever getting to know them in the first place. [[spoiler:Morinth]] will also show up as a banshee if she was alive at the end of ''2''.

* In ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' after [[TheStarscream Black Garius']] death, he and the priests who were helping him are resurrected by [[BigBad The King of Shadows]] as Shadow Reavers, immensely powerful undead beings who act as The King's main agents for the rest of the game.
* ''VideoGame/{{Overlord}}'': While it's technically more of an UnwittingPawn, [[spoiler: the PlayerCharacter]] is really one of the heroes who defeated the previous Overlord after being recovered after a NoOneCouldSurviveThat.

* In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'', it turns out that Wesker and Jill barely survived her attempt to [[HeroicSacrifice tackle him off a cliff]]. Since Wesker has some degree of respect for his former S.T.A.R.S. subordinates, he had a [[AndIMustScream body-controlling]] cybernetic implant grafted onto her.
* In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilOperationRaccoonCity'', playable character Four-Eyes has the ability to do this with her arsenal of weaponized Umbrella medical tech. She can transform enemy zombies into allied Crimson Heads, "reprogram" B.O.W enemies to fight on her side, and her "Brutal Kill" mechanic transforms the victim into an allied Crimson Head zombie.
* In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Remake'', the Nemesis has an ability that invokes a combination of this trope and MookMaker, being able to infect common zombies with parasites that turn them into more dangerous threats.
* ''VideoGame/TrialsOfMana'' eventually reveals that this happened in the [[BlackKnight Darkshine Knight]]'s backstory (assuming you picked Duran as your main character or as an ally for Angela, anyways) - namely, [[spoiler: the [[BigBad Dragon Emperor]] used his magic to [[CameBackWrong revive]] the Golden Knight Loki (no, not [[Myth/NorseMythology that one]]) after the two of them dropped into a bottomless pit during a struggle, and [[NeverFoundTheBody neither was ever found]]]].

** Poor [[spoiler: [[TheHero Flynn]]]]. In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'', there exists a route where [[spoiler: the protagonist Nanashi has to kill him because the BigBad is possessing his body. Fair enough. But after killing him, your only remaining ally resurrects him as a mindless puppet devoted to only Nanashi. If that's not bad enough, it's possible (but not mandatory, due to the game mechanics) to use him to [[MoralEventHorizon slaughter the people of Tokyo]], whom he vowed to protect]].
** Defied, but eventually DoubleSubverted in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiV'', regarding [[MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers Michael and Belial]]. On the Law route, ArchangelMichael asks the protagonist to slay [[BigRedDevil Belial]] and promises to join in return, and vice versa on the Chaos route. Right before the protagonist can deal the final blow, an ally of the targeted demon intervenes, urging them to run so that their power does not fall into the protagonist's hands. Although, one can pursue the other route in a NewGamePlus.

* ''VideoGame/StarCraft'': The Zerg Swarm uses a hyper-evolutionary virus to convert terrans into new soldiers for their war against the Protoss. Several of their leaders were also created this way, with their infestation meant to let them retain a greater degree of free will than the usual shambling zombie that results of a typical infested terran.

** [[spoiler:Alexei Stukov]] was infested when a surviving cerebrate acquired his body [[spoiler:after he was killed by a shapeshifter and given a space burial]]. The cerebrate intended to have him lead the remnants of its brood in its stead as cerebrates cannot survive for long without the Overmind [[spoiler:which ends up being for naught as Raynor deinfested him with an experimental cure, and the brood remnants were purified by Artanis' fleet]]. He later returns in ''Heart of the Swarm'' as an independent entity leading the infested terrans of Kerrigan's Swarm.

** In ''Literature/StarCraftTheDarkTemplarSaga'', Kerrigan infested a terran crime lord named Ethan Stewart under the belief that he was a ghost to create a consort. He was later sent to retrieve the archeologist Jake Ramsey, culminating in his death after a [[MeleeATrois three-way shootout]] between the Daelaam, the Dominion and the Swarm.

* ''VideoGame/WarCraft'':
** Death knights in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' are a borderline example - they are EliteMooks but the people to be transformed are hand-picked to ensure quality.

* In ''VideoGame/WildArms'', this turns out to be the case for [[spoiler: Lady Harken. She used to be a knight of Arctica but was captured and transformed into a demon after the demons attacked because Alhazad had a fondness for her]].

* In ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'', when Karnak takes over in hell, he transforms the damned knight [[spoiler: Sigfried]] to serve him as TheDragon. This bites him in the ass when his new servant regains his free will through a freak magical accident and goes on to overthrow him.

* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':
** Subverted when Tsukiko rants about turning [[spoiler: Miko Miyazaki]] into a Death Knight, but quickly changes her mind on seeing the [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe condition of the corpse]]. This is partly a TakeThat at fan speculation that something like this would happen.
** Played straight when [[spoiler: Malack kills Durkon]] and raises him as an enslaved vampire, who is kept in thrall until [[spoiler:Malack's]] death. Though [[spoiler:Malack]] mentions freeing him when circumstances are better, [[spoiler:this only gives mental autonomy to the evil spirit possessing Durkon's soul and corpse, but leaves Durkon's spirit trapped]].

* ''Webcomic/{{Shortpacked}}'': Evan, Ethan's [=McAwesome's=] counterpart, was killed by a bomb planted by Sydney Yus and thrown out of the store by Ultra-Car, then brought back as a cyborg by Sydney to get revenge on U.C. (It makes as much sense as anything Sydney does.)

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/GenLock'': [[spoiler: [[MechanicalAbomination The Nemesis]] is, as revealed in "The Only Me I Know", the "real" Julian Chase, technically speaking. His Holon was captured in a [[TheEmpire Union]] ambush back when the gen:LOCK program was still in development, only to be replaced by a back-up copy of Chase's mind that Dr. Weller had created in secret. The "copy" never even knew until the Nemesis appeared determined to "[[MadnessMantra Kill the copy]]]]. "Identity Crisis" turns [[spoiler:Nemesis into a really odd version of this trope when, upon being defeated and destroyed by the team, it reveals to Chase that the Union made multiple copies of his captured mind, including itself. So effectively the original Chase got reformed into ''multiple'' minions]].
* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': [[spoiler: "Dark" reveals that the mysterious Hound Grimm that had been terorrizing the heroes for all of Volume 8 was, in fact, a ''faunus'' - and more than that, a Silver-Eyed Warrior, just like [[TheHero Ruby]]. Ruby speculates that the same thing is probably what happened to her MissingMom, Summer Rose, and what Salem wants to do to ''her'' if she ever captures her alive]].
[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'': F.O.W.L. tries to do this to [[VileVillainSaccharineShow Taurus Bulba]] while [[DidntThinkThisThrough keeping his personality and all the memories of his previous life intact]]. [[EvilIsNotAToy He's... not exactly happy about]] [[SubvertedTrope it.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyRescueAtMidnightCastle'': Tirac is evidently very proficient at and fond of doing this; all of his servants are other creatures he transformed into their present selves, with Spike as a sole exception. Scorpan was the human prince of a kingdom that Tirac conquered, he turns ponies into monstrous dragons with which to pull his chariot, and when he's defeated it's revealed that his guards are transformed butterflies and his stratadons transformed songbirds.

** ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'': The Vok pull this by capturing Tigertron and Airrazor and merging them into a new overwhelmingly powerful machine called Tigerhawk. At first he's controlled directly by a pair of Vok, but after they're drawn out of his body, the fused Spark of his two former selves takes over the body.
** ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'': Megatron has turned tons of garden-variety transformers into mindless mooks, and two out of the three members of his QuirkyMinibossSquad are [[spoiler: team members of Optimus Primal's Maximals]] who have been reforged into new bodies with new personalities.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'': The Joker turns out to have done this to [[spoiler:Tim Drake]], in a way that marks his definitive crossing of the MoralEventHorizon in the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse. [[spoiler:After capturing him while he was on patrol, Joker proceeded to horribly torture and brainwash the poor kid over an extended period, eventually turning him into "Joker Junior." The brainwashing held out until Batman and Joker's final battle when Joker ordered Tim to finish Batman off, only for Tim to kill Joker instead, although it took a year of psychotherapy to bring Tim back to himself after this. Even ''that'' didn't completely rid Tim and the others of the Joker, [[GrandTheftMe unfortunately]].]]
* ''WesternAnimation/Phantom2040'': Graft, rebuilt as a {{Cyborg}} by the series' CorruptCorporateExecutive BigBad.
* In ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerbTheMovieAcrossThe2ndDimension'', in the other dimension [[spoiler: Perry the Platypus]] is captured and turned into [[spoiler: Perry the Platyborg]], general of Doofenshmirtz's army.
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers'': The Psychocrypt. The victim has his LifeEnergy removed, placed in a SoulJar, and the "jar" used to power a high-level {{Mook|s}} through which [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Her Travesty]] has a PsychicLink. ''Anything'' the poor bastard might have known is free for her to rummage through and use as a weapon, while they're conscious and unable to do anything about it.
* In ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'', the robotized Mobians are this.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'': Sterling's rival Barry, [[WeCanRebuildHim rebuilt as a cyborg]] by SovietSuperscience. Subverted in that he betrays his superior, and usurps the position as head of the KGB (only to be replaced himself in his absence).
* ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'': Repurposing takes programs and changes their directive, not necessarily their personality, and makes them loyal to Clu. The victims get their TronLines changed to Red, and their ailments removed. It was done to Tron's security team, among thousands of other programs, as well as Cutler. It was almost done to Tron, and may have been done to Dyson, though by all accounts he probably volunteered.
* ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'': In season three, after Uncle imprisons his original dark chi warriors, [[EvilSorcerer Daolon Wong]] turns Chow, Finn, and Ratso into his new dark chi warriors to replace them, later doing the same to Hak Foo as well. They remain this way until Uncle finally defeats Wong in a chi battle at the end of the season and [[DePower strips him of his magic]].
* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': Following his death, this happens to [[spoiler: Birdperson]] by [[spoiler: Tammy]] and the Galactic Federation. He is resurrected and rebuilt into a cyborg called [[spoiler: Phoenixperson]]. Rick is eventually able to ''re''-reforge him back into himself, with a lot of effort.
* ''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'' takes this trope's name almost literally, with Season 2 introducing Dracula's "Forgemasters" Isaac and Hector, but especially Hector. The two are tasked with bringing the corpses of those whom have died (either by the Night Creatures' hands or some other causes) back to life into more night creatures. Thus increasing the ranks and size of Dracula's army. While Isaac uses a dark magical dagger, Hector on the other hand literally uses a hammer (a war hammer mind you but still) when creating forging night creatures.
* ''WesternAnimation/GodzillaTheSeries'': The body of the original Godzilla is recovered by the Leviathan Aliens and made into a reanimated kaiju cyborg functioning as TheDragon for their invasion. The second Godzilla, his biological son, is notably conflicted over having to side with his adoptive human parent or his original father, even if he is an undead robo-husk being controlled by aliens.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Emperor Palpatine's conversion of [[{{Yandere}} Anakin]] [[HairTriggerTemper Skywalker]] into the infamous masked {{cyborg}} counts, although Ani had already joined the Dark Side and was significantly weaker afterwards.

* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'': F.O.W.L. tries to do this to [[VileVillainSaccharineShow Taurus Bulba]]. [[EvilIsNotAToy He's... not exactly happy about it.]]

* ''Franchise/MyHeroAcademia'': The Nomu qualify in some cases, particularly Oboro Shirakumo, who was a hero student and best friend of Aizawa and Present Mic. The real target when Oboro was killed was Aizawa’s Erasure but Oboro was mind-wiped, loaded with mutiple quirks and possibly parts of other people to create the warp gate user Kurogiri. He was programmed to protect and care for young Shigaraki. Aizawa and Hizashi are so furious they’re ready to kill when they find out and although Kurogiri has turned into a case of HeelFaceRevolvingDoor, they don’t know if there’s anything left of Oboro to try and save. Their initial efforts seemed to fail. It was also shown in a manga chapter art that his face is still there inside Kurogiri’s mist covered glass head.

* In ''Manga/ChainsawMan'', [[spoiler:the [[HorsemenOfTheApocalypse Conquest Devil]], Makima]], is shown to have the power to [[CameBackWrong reanimate the dead to serve as their minions]], which they proceed to use on [[spoiler:all of the devil-human hybrids she and Denji killed up to that point]].

* ''VideoGame/TheFabulousFearMachine'': [[spoiler:A fate of those who use the machine and receive a karmic punishment is to be masked and made an agent to the machine forever.]]

[[folder:FanWorks]]

* ''Franchise/MyHeroAcademia'': The Nomu qualify in some cases, particularly Oboro Shirakumo, who was a hero student and best friend of Aizawa and Present Mic. The real target when Oboro was killed was Aizawa’s Erasure but Oboro was mind-wiped, loaded with mutiple quirks and possibly parts of other people to create the warp gate user Kurogiri. He was programmed to protect and care for young Shigaraki. Aizawa and Hizashi are so furious they’re ready to kill when they find out and although Kurogiri has turned into a case of HeelFaceRevolvingDoor, they don’t know if there’s anything left of Oboro to try and save. Their initial efforts seemed to fail.