History Main / TwinsAreSpecial

* Alexia and Alfred Ashford from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica'' is both this trope played straight and a bit of a subversion. On the one hand, they are [[BrotherSisterIncest in love with each other]], with what may just be an IncestSubtext from Alexia, as Alfred serves as her MoralityPet, becoming completely overt romantic and sexual obsession from Alfred. On the other hand, only Alexia was created with the explicit purpose of inheriting Veronica's intelligence and power; Alfred is merely a byproduct of the cloning process. Thus, Alexia can mutate and transform while Alfred is nothing more than a PsychopathicManchild, heavy emphasis on the psychopathic. In either case, the fact that they are genetically identical clones experimented on from birth justifies their unique bond and powers.

* Alexia and Alfred Ashford from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica'' is both this trope played straight and a bit of a subversion. On the one hand, they are [[BrotherSisterIncest in love with each other]], with what may just be an IncestSubtext from Alexia, as Alfred serves as her MoralityPet, becoming completely overt romantic and sexual obsession from Alfred. On the other hand, only Alexia was created with the explicit purpose of inheriting Veronica's intelligence and power; Alfred is merely a byproduct of the cloning process. Thus, Alexia can mutate and transform while Alfred is nothing more than a PsychopathicManchild, heavy emphasis on the psychopathic. In either case, the fact that they are genetically identical clones justifies their unique bond and powers.

* Deconstructed in ''{{Manga/Mars}}''. Rei and Sei were exceptionally close even from a young age, however this bond is rarely portrayed as healthy by other characters, since Sei openly treated Rei as a LivingEmotionalCrutch and in response Rei became a KnightTemplarBigBrother who would go berserk on anyone that seemed to hurt Sei. As they get older, Rei begins to resent this dynamic and tries to create some distance between them by pettily revealing to Sei [[spoiler:the nature of their parentage.]] Sei [[SpitefulSuicide does not take it well]] and Rei spirals into destructive sociopathy blaming himself for Sei's death. It's only by meeting Kira that he even begins to get better and even then, it's an uphill battle.

* Deconstructed in ''{{Manga/Mars}}''. Rei and Sei were exceptionally close even from a young age, however this bond is rarely portrayed as healthy by other characters, since Sei openly treated Rei as a LivingEmotionalCrutch and in response Rei became a KnightTemplarBigBrother who would go berserk on anyone that seemed to hurt Sei. Former ex-girlfriend to ''both'' brothers Shiori mentions that she felt lonelier with them than when she was single because they only seemed to care about each other.

* SeparatedAtBirth twins John and Boomer in ''Film/TwinDragons'' realize when they meet as adults that when they are within a 100-mile radius from each other they will inexplicably start to respond to each other's actions. While Boomer is in the Bay of Hong Kong in a boat chase against gangsters, John, who's in a posh hotel by the beach, begins to feel and act as if he's being thrown around on a motorboat.

The tendency to view twins as special is actually quite common across many cultures and can be found [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twins_in_mythology in the beliefs and mythologies ]]of [[OlderThanDirt ancient civilizations around the world.]] Note that "special" does not mean "positive": for as many superstitions about twins as a sign of immense luck and fortune as there are, plenty view twins as harbingers of disaster and ruin, if not outright evil themselves.

* In the manga of ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'', Hikaru and Kaoru's charater arcs revolve around allowing others inside their world. Flashbacks show the twins as being reclusive and exclusive, believing that no one besides each other can fully understand them. It's not until Tamaki and Haruhi come around that they begin to try to let others see the real them and not the [[TricksterTwins brotherly]] [[{{Twincest}} act]] they put on to push people away.

* In the manga of ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'', during the test of courage chapter, twins Hikaru and Kaoru are separated and the latter gets locked in a classroom. Hikaru somehow manages to find Kaoru and explains that he had heard his twin's voice telling him where he was, even though Kaoru had no way of telling his twin his whereabouts and Hikaru could not have found out through someone else.

* Deconstructed in ''{{Manga/Mars}}''. Rei and Sei were exceptionally close even from a young age, however this bond is rarely portrayed as healthy by outside characters, since Sei outwardly treated Rei as a LivingEmotionalCrutch and Rei, in his need to protect the more introverted and weaker Sei, became a KnightTemplarBigBrother who would go berserk on anyone that seemed to hurt him. Former ex-girlfriend to ''both'' brothers Shiori mentions that she felt lonelier with them than when she was single because they only seemed to care about each other.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'', Tyrion and Teclis, [[Characters/WarhammerHighElves champions of the Asur]], are both twins born into [[HeroicLineage the line of Anerion the First Phoenix King]]. The Blood of Anerion is rare, and twins born among elves are even rarer than that, so their birth was considered especially auspicious. They fit the complementary mold. Tyrion became an expert warrior and military leader, fit and strong, charming and diplomatic, but with a cold brutality just beneath his surface. Teclis was sickly and weak, but became a singularly skilled archmage, with an intuitive grasp of magic, a genius mind, and an aloof and acid attitude, but with a sympathetic and understanding heart.

In media, twins are often portrayed as sharing a deeper bond than non-twin siblings. It often means [[TwinBanter speaking in unison]] and FinishingEachOthersSentences without prompting. They know things about their twin (their location, what they're doing) they should have no way of knowing. They sense when the other is hurt in a way that goes [[TwinTelepathy far beyond mere intuition]]. In some stories, it even escalates into full on {{Synchronization}}, with the twins sharing the same wounds. It is also common for these bonds to be depicted as [[{{Twincest}} romantic and sexual]] in nature or to become such.

When the specialness of the twin bond meets a world with fantastical powers, twins are likely to have complementary ones (if not the same one) and may serve as living [[AmplifierArtifact Amplifier Artifacts]] for one another, [[SuperEmpowering increasing their abilities]] far beyond what someone without their bond can manage. Or they might be weak, underpowered, or totally useless until they are together, when their ability becomes [[WonderTwinPowers far greater than the sum of its parts]].

* Creator/AlexandreDumas's ''Literature/TheCorsicanBrothers'' about SeparatedAtBirth twin boys has been adapted numerous times, including a 1985 TV-movie titled ''The Corscian Brothers'' starring Trevor Eve [[PlayingTheirOwnTwin as both brothers]]. Like the original, the boys can sense each other's pain despite being miles apart. A 1989 animated film adaptation similarly keeps this ability in.

* In ''Franchise/StarWars'', Luke and Leia have a connection despite having been SeparatedAtBirth, which conveniently doesn't appear until a crucial moment in the second film. Though this may have less to do with them being twins as it does them having a familial bond '''on top of''' being strong in TheForce, since Luke demonstrates a similar connection with his father.

* Myth/MesopotamianMythology: Some interpretations of Mesopotamian texts not only see Inanna and Utu as fraternal twins, but also as having a bond so close that it may or may not have been [[{{Twincest}} incestuous]].

* In ''VideoGame/DarkTales: The Fall of the House of Usher'', based off of the Creator/EdgarAllanPoe short story of the same name, twins Roderick and Madeleine Usher have a strange bond which causes them to feel one another's pain. A doctor who studies them determines that injuring one will cause the other to bleed, and their connection to each other also prevents them from straying very far from their ancestral home. The game opens with the detectives being summoned to find Madeleine, as her disappearance could be life-threatening to both herself and her brother.

[[folder:Film]]

* In ''{{Film/Constantine}}'', Isabela and Angela were born with strong psychic powers, strong enough for both to be considered good vessels for Lucifer's son Mammon to inhabit. Other powerful characters in the film are either a halfling of some sort or derive their powers using exorcism tools, with the exception of WitchDoctor Papa Midnite.
* [[Creator/AlexandreDumas Alexandre Dumas's]] ''{{The Corsican Brothers}}'' about SeparatedAtBirth twin boys has been adapted numerous times, including a 1985 TV-movie titled ''The Corscian Brothers'' starring Trevor Eve [[PlayingTheirOwnTwin as both brothers]]. Like the original, the boys can sense each other's pain despite being miles apart. A 1989 animated film adaptation similarly keeps this ability in.

* In ''StarWars'', Luke and Leia have a connection despite having been SeparatedAtBirth, which conveniently doesn't appear until a crucial moment in the second film. Though this may have less to do with them being twins as it does them having a familial bond '''on top of''' being strong in TheForce, since Luke demonstrates a similar connection with his father.
* Justified in ''{{Film/Twins}}'' as Julius and Vincent are the products of genetic experimentation to produce the perfect child by fertilizing a single ovum with the sperm of 6 different men, Julius getting all of the desired genes and Vincent getting all of the leftovers. This technically makes Vincent Julius's twin, doppleganger, and clone all at once! They experience both TwinTelepathy and {{Synchronization}}.

* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': Jacen and Jaina, Han and Leia's twins, have a "twin bond" which goes much deeper than the usual connections between Force-users. Notably, the telepathic bond second to their own is the one they share with their younger brother.
** Part of the reason the Yuuzhan Vong become so obsessed with Jacen and Jaina is precisely because they're twins, which according to the Vong's religion means that they should be destined to duel each other to the death, yet fight together.
* Alex and Cam in ''{{Literature/TWitches}}'' are powerful [[PolarOppositeTwins Polar Oppposite Twin]] witches whose births were prophesized generations ago. [[{{Lunacy}} They]] [[ThePowerOfTheSun have]] [[AnIcePerson opposing]] [[PlayingWithFire elemental]] abilities and their magic gets stronger when they are together.

[[folder:Web Originals]]

* ''Manga/FushigiYuugi'' has Amiboshi and Suiboshi who exhibit both TwinTelepathy and {{Synchronization}}: [[spoiler: when Amiboshi "dies," Suiboshi can sense it.]] They are able to "write" messages to one another on their skin. For example, Amiboshi writes something on his left hand with his finger, and the message appears on Suboshi's left hand.

* Subverted in ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' with the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. They are classified as "enhanced individuals" because of their powers, but their powers are not a product of their twinness (they're the products of individual bioengineering and genetic experimentation) nor are their abilities particularly complementary. When [[spoiler: when Pietro dies]], Wanda does instantly sense it from far away, but a reciprocal psychic link between the two hadn't been established before this point, so it's likely this has more to do with Wanda's individual telepathy than anything else.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': For much of the series, the relationship between Jaime and Cersei is characterized by both as being particularly deep and this trope is implied to be part of the reason behind their {{Twincest}}. Several times they've both argued that non-outsiders who try to judge them simply are not able to understand the depth of the bond between them. [[spoiler:This comes to a head in Season 8 when Jaime, who recently turned his back on Cersei to fight the Whitewalkers with his brother and [[RelationshipUpgrade Brienne]], decides to return to Cersei and dies by her side]].

* Deconstructed in ''{{Manga/Mars}}''. Rei and Sei were exceptionally close even from a young age, however this bond is rarely portrayed as healthy by outside characters, since Sei outwardly treated Rei as a LivingEmotionalCrutch and Rei, in his need to protect the more introverted and weaker Sei, became a KnightTemplarBrother who would go berserk on anyone that seemed to hurt him. Former ex-girlfriend to ''both'' brothers Shiori mentions that she felt lonelier with them than when she was single because they only seemed to care about each other.

* Myth/ClassicalMythology: Castor and Pollux are an interesting case as they are twin half-brothers, born from the same mother but with two different fathers. Pollux's father is Zeus and Castor's father Tyndareus, King of Sparta. The brothers' deep bond with each other is immortalized in the tale of Castor's death. As Castor had no divine lineage, he did not share either the immortality that Pollux had or the ability to ascend to Olympus upon death (depending on whether Pollux is interpreted as a non-mortal in the text). Thus, when Castor is killed by his cousin Idas in a botched revenge scheme, Pollux asks his father Zeus to share his immortality with Castor. This allowed them both to go between Olympus and Hades and they were later immortalized in the sky as the [[{{UsefulNotes/Constellations}} Gemini constellation]].

In media, twins are often portrayed as sharing a deeper bond than non-twin siblings. It often means [[TwinBanter speaking in unison]] and FinishingEachOthersSentences without prompting. They know things about their twin (their location, what they're doing) they should have no way of knowing. They sense when the other is hurt in a way that goes [[TwinTelepathy far beyond mere intuition]]. In some stories, it even escalates into full on {{Synchronization}}, with the twins sharing the same wounds.

* Myth/ClassicalMythology: Castor and Pollux are an interesting case as they are twin half-brothers, born from the same mother but with two different fathers. Pollux's father is Zeus and Castor's father Tyndareus, King of Sparta. The brothers' deep bond with each other is immortalized in the tale of Castor's death. As Castor had no divine lineage, he did not share either the immortality that Pollux had or the ability to ascend to Olympus upon death (depending on whether Pollux is interpreted as a non-mortal in the text). Thus, when Castor is killed by his cousin Idas in a botched revenge scheme, Pollux asks his father Zeus to share his immortality with Castor. This allowed them both to go between Olympus and Hades and they were later immortalized in the sky as the [[UsefulNotes/Constellations Gemini constellation]].

* Myth/ClassicalMythology: Castor and Pollux are an interesting case as they are twin half-brothers, born from the same mother but with two different fathers. Pollux's father is Zeus and Castor's father Tyndareus, King of Sparta. The brothers' deep bond with each other is immortalized in the tale of Castor's death. As Castor had no divine lineage, he did not share either the immortality that Pollux had or the ability to ascend to Olympus upon death (depending on whether Pollux is interpreted as a non-mortal in the text). Thus, when Castor is killed by his cousin Idas in a botched revenge scheme, Pollux asks his father Zeus to share his immortality with Castor. This allowed them both to go between Olympus and Hades and they were later immortalized in the sky as the Gemini constellation.
* Myth/MesopotamianMythology

The tendency to view twins as special is actually quite common across many cultures and can be found [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twins_in_mythology in the beliefs and mythologies of ancient civilizations around the world.]] Note that "special" does not mean "positive": for as many superstitions about twins as a sign of immense luck and fortune as there are, plenty view twins as harbingers of disaster and ruin, if not outright evil themselves.

* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': SingleMindedTwins Belkira and Beltira are the only sorcerers capable of decoding the [[TomesOfProphecyAndFate Mrin and Darine Codexes]] due to their TwinTelepathy, as the codexes only make sense when read in conjunction.

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