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* In Creator/AndrewSchultz's ''Bright Brave Knight Knave'', you meet a [[DrowningMySorrows man drinking]] named Losing Lou. After you give him a pep talk, he renames himself to Turning-to-Learning Lou and writes an entire book on cocktail napkins.
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** Krogan must complete the Rite in order to enter adulthood and gain a place in krogan society. When Grunt completes the Rite, his name is changed to Urdnot Grunt, marking him as having earned a place as one of Clan Udrnot's warriors. Those Krogan who become their clan’s shaman surrender their name completely and are only addressed as Clan-name Shaman.
to:
** Krogan must complete the Rite in order to enter adulthood and gain a place in krogan society. When Grunt completes the Rite, his name is changed to Urdnot Grunt, marking him as having earned a place as one of Clan Udrnot's warriors. Those Krogan who become their clan’s clan’s shaman surrender their name completely and are only addressed as Clan-name Shaman.
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Changed line(s) 63 (click to see context) from:
-->"Ángel, the name's Krohnen. Next time you screw that up, you'll regret it."
to:
-->"Ángel, the name's Krohnen. Next time you screw that up, you'll regret it.""
* ''VideoGame/ShantaeRiskysRevenge'': The little girl to the left of the Scuttle Town save room after getting the second magic seal and the town being owned by Ammo Baron:
--> I'm changing my name to AMMO BARON JUNIOR! My mom protests.
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* ''VideoGame/ShantaeRiskysRevenge'': The little girl to the left of the Scuttle Town save room after getting the second magic seal and the town being owned by Ammo Baron:
--> I'm changing my name to AMMO BARON JUNIOR! My mom protests.
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* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'':
** At the end of ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins'', [[spoiler:Aya renames herself Amunet "the Hidden One". Amunet is also the Egyptian goddess of air and invisibility. The name means "the female hidden one" or "one who is hidden"]].
** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey'', after losing both of her children in one night and exiling herself from Sparta, [[spoiler:Myrrine]] started going by Phoenix, symbolizing her intent to rebuild her life from ashes.
* ''VideoGame/BattleForWesnoth'': Midway through the ''Secrets of the Ancients'' campaign, Ras-Tabahn tells Ardonna about how Alduin mages would get a new name when they complete their studies. Since Ardonna is a free mage now, she decides that she is not the ordinary girl Ardonna anymore and gives herself a new name: Ardryn-Na.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', we learn that [[spoiler: the real Ansem the Wise]] renamed himself [=DiZ=], or "Darkness In Zero" after going into exile following [[spoiler: Xehanort doing research on the heart and destroying Radiant Garden, which was renamed Hollow Bastion. Xehanort himself infamously took ''Ansem's'' name after banishing him]].
** The Nobodies in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' also get a meaningful rename: their real/former names anagrammed and an "X" added to it. It's then revealed as a ''further'' meaningful rename in that BigBad Xemnas was influenced into adding not an "X", but a "χ" (Greek letter for "chi", or, "key"), in reference to the "χ-blade".
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSkyTheThird'', Kevin's decision to change his Dominion title at the end of the game is meaningful on its own, and not only because it's the first time in the history of the Gralsritter than anyone has done that. What he changes it to is even more meaningful as his new title is adapted from Rufina's own.
* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'': While all player characters are subject to HelloInsertNameHere, most of them gained meaningful renames as part of the plot:
** Marle's real name is [[spoiler: Nadia]] and she came up with the pseudonym when she introduced herself to Chrono so [[KingIncognito she wouldn't be recognized as the princess]].
** Robo was (re)named when the party first met him. He was originally [[spoiler: Prometheus]] and then gained the name/alias [[spoiler: R66-Y]] as a [[spoiler: infiltration unit for Mother Brain]].
** Frog's original name is [[spoiler: Glenn]], but he acquiesces to being nicknamed as such by Lucca.
** Magus, true name [[spoiler: Janus]], is either a pseudonym or a title he gained.
* Garnet in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' takes up the new name HelloInsertNameHere (Dagger by default) early on in the game both to conceal her identity and to represent the beginning of her casting aside her previous identity as a sheltered princess. Later on in the game, it's revealed [[spoiler: 'Garnet' is one as well since her real name is Sarah and she was adopted by the Queen]].
* In ''VideoGame/SuperLesbianAnimalRPG'', Melody, a trans woman, explains to her girlfriend Allison why she chose the name she did when she transitioned. She thought of a "melody" as being the centerpiece and most important part of a song, and wanted a name that gives her confidence in who she wants to become, not just in becoming a woman but also becoming an important part of her adventuring guild with her friends.
* In ''VideoGame/WingCommander'', Marcus Chen was formerly a reckless pilot known as "Ripper"; many of the pilots who emulated him ended up dead. He eventually became a more cautious pilot, and for setting an example to others, became known as "Bossman".
* In ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper'', like the ''Lord of the Rings'' example above, the cities all have SickeninglySweet names before you capture them and transform each into {{Mordor}}, along with an appropriate rename.
* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', some Forsaken (playable undead) have decided to change their name to reflect the fact that they have drastically changed. But the best example is the black dragon Neltharion, who changed his name to "Deathwing" in ''Literature/TheWarOfTheAncients'' after his betrayal of the other dragonflights.
** In an inversion, Thrall got his name from his upbringing as a slave. After becoming Warchief of the Horde, he eventually (in ''Burning Crusade'') travels to his homeland and learns that his original name was Go'el. He decides to continue using "Thrall" as his name as a constant reminder of the suffering his people went through, even rebuking a shaman who addresses him by his birth name. In ''Cataclysm'', he changes his name back to Go'el due to his role/destiny as a shaman first (and not the Warchief), no longer a slave to the influence of others.
** Technically, the rename of Neltharion to Deathwing is the result of a StableTimeLoop, as it was first accidentally uttered by a time traveler. Then again, this time traveler (along with two others) have also made changes to the timeline, so it's not exactly a stable loop. By the same token, Neltharion's artifact Dragon Soul is renamed to Demon Soul by the same time traveler after its true purpose is revealed.
** [[DueToTheDead To honor the memory of those who were killed by the Scourge]], the remnants of the High Elves renamed their race the Blood Elves.
* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', the quarians incorporate their assigned ship into their names; for young quarians, their first assignment and name change is part of their RiteOfPassage. This comes up in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' when one of your allies is reassigned to your ship without her knowledge as part of a plot to try her for treason, and is renamed "Tali'Zorah vas ''Normandy''"; when the trial is over, [[AppropriatedAppellation she keeps the name]].
** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', you can speak to a Quarian engineer who was [[HeroicSacrifice mortally wounded]] fighting [[RobotWar the Geth]] to [[HoldTheLine allow his crewmates time to escape]]. After he dies, Tali renames him for the planet he died on: Dorn Hazt vas [[FightingForAHomeland Rannoch]].
** Krogan must complete the Rite in order to enter adulthood and gain a place in krogan society. When Grunt completes the Rite, his name is changed to Urdnot Grunt, marking him as having earned a place as one of Clan Udrnot's warriors. Those Krogan who become their clan’s shaman surrender their name completely and are only addressed as Clan-name Shaman.
* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'': With Metal Gear REX in Liquid Snake's possession, Liquid intends to fulfill Big Boss's dream of a world which had a place for soldiers. Thus renaming Shadow Moses to Outer Heaven.
-->"From today... call this place... 'Outer Heaven'."
** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'': Big Boss, after finally embracing the name "Big Boss" in [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker the previous game]], once again drops it and dubs himself Punished (Venom) Snake after losing his Mother base and MSF troops, as well as his left arm, to XOF and Cipher. [[spoiler:However it turns out that Venom was actually one of the real Big Boss' most trusted soldiers who was surgically altered to look like him. By the time that Venom learns this, his deeds have enhanced the legend of "Big Boss" and eventually agrees to serve as his "phantom", turning the legacy of Big Boss as the world's greatest soldier into a secret legacy shared by two men. Venom would keep up his appearance of Big Boss until [[VideoGame/MetalGear1 Solid Snake killed him in the original Outer Heaven]], whereupon the original took the name back for [[VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake the sequel]].]]
* In ''VideoGame/BlazeUnion'', it's explained that both Gulcasa and Emilia were forced to use fake names by Gulcasa's mother in order to masquerade as humans. Over the canon route of the game, both of them discard those names as a way to cast off their weaknesses and [[IAmWhatIAm be true to the way they were born]]. In Gulcasa's case, it's a powerful statement of will, and also his real name has a much harsher sound than his former name "Garlot"; Emilia's name means "to excel" whereas her fake name meant "beloved", which fits her drive to stop being looked at as the TagalongKid instead of someone actually capable of making a difference.
* ''VideoGame/FableII'''s example can be summed up in three words: [[spoiler: Call me Hammer]].
* At the end of ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander'', Jak asks the Precursors to call him by his real name, [[spoiler:Mar, when they offer him to come with them]]. It doesn't stick, and come ''VideoGame/JakXCombatRacing'' he's (obviously) back to his old name.
* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'' has a meta example. The title screen features the full name: ''Bravely Default: Where the Fairy Flies'' or '' Bravely Default: Flying Fairy''. After [[spoiler: Airy is revealed to be the BigBad]], the title screen changes slightly: [[spoiler: some letters are removed, spelling "Airy lies" or "Lying Airy" instead]]. Could double as an InterfaceSpoiler if another player stumbles upon it by accident.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'': Lightning, original name [[spoiler:Claire Farron (Eclair in the Japanese release)]], chose her new alias after the premature deaths of her parents, and the heavy responsibilities (getting a job, maintaining a household, raising her 12-year-old sister) that came with them. It's also indicative of her emotional detachment, which began as a way of being strong for Serah, but has since wrecked their relationship. Probing a bit deeper reveals that "Lightning" was originally her [[NomDeGuerre Guardian Corps callsign]], but her detachment meant that "Claire" soon became [[ThatManIsDead who she used to be]], to the point that even her sister Serah calls her by Lightning.
* In ''Franchise/TouhouProject'', Sakuya Izayoi was given that name when she entered Remilia Scarlet's service, and her original name has not been mentioned. Sakuya can mean "Flowering Night", "Last Night", and "Night of the New Moon". Izayoi can mean "Sixteenth Night" and "Not progress forward at all". All of these relate to her TimeMaster abilities.
** This is the case with Yukari Yakumo as well. The kanji in her given name simply means "[[PurpleIsPowerful purple]]", however the [[AlternateCharacterReading reading means]] "edge" or "boundary". Her family name on the other hand hints at the connection to her human doppelganger in the outside world, Maribel Hearn. Both are named for a late 19th-early 20th century author named Lafcadio Hearn, who changed his name to Koizumi Yakumo after becoming a Japanese citizen.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'': Leon Magnus, [[spoiler: twice.]] His original name was Emilio Gilchrist/[[spoiler: Katrea]], but he changed it due to hating his father and wanting to distance himself from him. [[spoiler: His second rename, Judas, is given to him after he's brought back from the dead. It also counts as FauxSymbolism, as he betrayed his original friends before his death.]]
* In ''The Third Age'' total conversion mod for ''[[VideoGame/TotalWar Medieval II: Total War]]'', based on ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', when Gondor captures Minas Morgul, the name changes to Minas Ithil (its original name).
* A meta example with ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV.'' At E3 2013, the trailer for the long in DevelopmentHell ''Final Fantasy Versus XII'' ended with this line:
-->The legend meets its match. But, the world is ever changing... [[WhamLine For the fifteenth coming.]]
* ''VideoGame/DragonNest'': Rose renames herself as Rosalinde after [[spoiler:she did a FaceHeelTurn and becomes a member of the Dragon Cultists]].
* Mangle from ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys2'' was originally known as "Toy Foxy." However, after being dismantled by toddlers over and over, the company decided to just leave [[AmbiguousGender them]] as a 'build-it-yourself' attraction. The result of this decision is how Mangle earned their name. [[BodyHorror And it shows]].
** ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys3'' introduces us to Springtrap. A hazardous mechanical mascot costume hybrid formerly known as "Spring Bonnie." His lethally faulty ''spring''locks are what led to him being decommissioned and renamed, as he was clearly deemed a ''trap'' by the staff.
* In ''VisualNovel/TheHouseInFataMorgana'', [[spoiler:Michelle]] renames themselves [[spoiler:Michel]] to signify that they're actually [[spoiler:male.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', [[spoiler:Gwyn the Lord of Sunlight]] becomes [[spoiler:Gwyn Lord of the Cinder]] after sacrificing the Lord Soul that granted him his powers over light and becoming kindling for the First Flame. The name change highlights HowTheMightyHaveFallen. In ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'', Aldrich is introduced as the Saint of the Deep. When he is fought as a boss proper, he has taken on a new title [[spoiler:Aldrich the Devourer of Gods -- fitting since he has devoured Gwyndolin and is using him as a "face".]] The same game also has Alva the Wayfarer, a character known only in lore in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'', show up as an invader named Alva Seeker of the Spurned. [[spoiler:This is because he lost his beloved witch Zullie and has been seeking her by invading other worlds.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' is the first Soulsborne game to have these title-changes occur to boss subtitles in the middle of the boss fight, as in the DLC [[spoiler: Ludwig the Accursed returns to being Ludwig, the Holy Blade when he has a RestorationOfSanity]]. ''VideoGame/EldenRing'' has this happen several more times, with [[spoiler: the God-Devouring Serpent becoming Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, Godfrey, First Elden Lord becoming Hoarah Loux, Warrior, and Malenia, Blade of Miquella becoming Malenia, Goddess of Rot]]. Outside of boss fights, there's Godrick the Golden (last of the Golden Lineage) becoming Godrick the Grafted (because he dismembered hundreds of people and stuck their limbs on himself), and Godwyn the Golden becoming [[spoiler:Godwyn, Prince of Death upon being half-killed during the Night of Black Knives]].
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', Ganon, the BigBad of the whole ''[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]]'' series, is almost consistently referred to as "Calamity Ganon." Not "the calamity, Ganon," but "Calamity Ganon" as a whole proper noun. Previous incarnations of Ganon(dorf) were given fancy extra titles such as "Prince of Darkness," "Great King of Evil," and "Dark Lord," but this incarnation of Ganon is considered to be such a destructive entity that "Calamity" has come to be considered part of its proper name.
* In ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', the raider gang known as the Forged operate out of an iron foundry and have a fondness for [[KillItWithFire flame-based weapons]]. Their leader Slag even forces all initiated members to change their names to something associated with fire, heat or burning. When someone refused, Slag threw him into the iron furnace.
* Nathan Drake, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'', was born Nathan Morgan. He and his brother were forced to go on the run as teens and took the surname Drake to honor their mother (a historian) who believed that UsefulNotes/SirFrancisDrake had heirs.
* In ''VideoGame/Persona3'', the group of shadow-hunters the protagonist works with are known as the Specialized Extra-curicular Execution Squad (S.E.E.S.). Near the end of the game, after they decide to [[spoiler: face the supposedly unbeatable entity [[FinalBoss Nyx]], who will bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, against the advice of [[ApocalypseMaiden Ryoji, who will unwillingly bring forth Nyx]],]] the Fool social link (which represents the bond with your party members) is maxed out, and the Judgement social link is initiated, re-christening the group as [[spoiler: the Nyx Annihilation Team.]]
%% Persona 4 does this too but I don't know the context. If you have beaten the game, please add it here.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' has a case of this, though only if the player [[AllThereInTheManual checks the Chronicle option]] repeatedly as the game progresses. Ramza starts the game with his regular name of Ramza Beoulve, but after Chapter 1, he changes his name to his mother's surname, Ruglia, to distance himself from his family after everything that happened in the first chapter and his disgust with his brothers. Later, he returns to his name of Beoulve when he stops hiding from the past and follows his own path. Interestingly, both cases of this come with a SignificantWardrobeShift.
* Creator/{{SEGA}} of Australia initially was tasked with creating the ''SEGA Reborn'' series, a group of reboots that would be connected through a hub world. While SEGA of Australia shuttered and the project was shelved, one of the games, ''VideoGame/GoldenAxe Reborn'', had their prototype released for SEGA's 60th anniversary under the name ''Golden [[{{Pun}} Axed]]''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' has a few, most of which are [[AllThereInTheManual hidden in the lore]]:
** Most of the original [[{{Transhuman}} Awoken]] underwent something like this when they were reborn in the Distributary. For example, the human Uldwyn Sov became the Awoken Uldren Sov.
** Most Guardians undergo this, though they may not be aware of it, as they are [[BackFromTheDead resurrected]] with no memory of their past. Unless the Guardian finds some evidence to point to their previous name, most take a new one.
** All three of the Hive's rulership did something similar when they made their pact with the [[EldritchAbomination Worm Gods]]. The clever Sathona became Savathûn, the martial Xi Ro became Xivu Arath, and the curious Aurash became Auryx. Auryx would undergo a second one when he learned the power to Take, becoming Oryx.
** One of the first Risen to be called a "Guardian" was called Rezyl Azzir, but towards the end, he took another name. [[spoiler: After an encounter [[TheCorrupter Xyor, the Unwed]], Azzir became a [[FallenHero monster]] that [[HopeCrusher slaughtered villages]] and [[HeroKiller permanently killed other Guardians]], and took the name [[TheDreaded Dredgen Yor]], which meant "Eternal Abyss" in a forgotten language.]]
---> ''"Same meat, same bone, but [[ThatManIsDead so very different]]."''
** The lore reveals that the [[MouthOfSauron Emissary of the Nine]] has undergone several of these. [[spoiler: She was born as the human Nasya Sarwar, and when reborn as an Awoken in the Distributary she became Nasan Ar. After returning to the solar system and heading to Earth, she died and was resurrected as a Guardian, taking the name Orin. Finally, she sought out the Nine and was turned into their Emissary, surrendering her old identity and self completely.]]
* In ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'', it was revealed that the character Jesse [=McCree=] actually had the birthname Cole Cassidy, but took an alias when he became an outlaw. After officially rejoining Overwatch, he decided that the first step of letting go of his criminal past would be to take back his original name. [[labelnote:Real-life reason]][=McCree=] was [[{{Tuckerization}} named after a Blizzard dev]], who was fired after he was found complicit in sexual harassment in the company. The in-universe story was a way to avert SuddenNameChange while still removing the tribute.[[/labelnote]]
* ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'': it eventually comes out that the BigBad, Zachary Comstock, was not born with that name. He took that name after being baptized and "reborn" as a new man. [[spoiler:His birth name was Booker [=DeWitt=], and he is an AlternateTimeline version of the Booker the player is playing as.]]
* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXV'': Krohnen's backstory establishes him as having changed his name from [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters2001 K9999]]]] after cutting ties with his former employers NESTS. When Ángel calls him by his old name, he gets particularly snappy:
-->"Ángel, the name's Krohnen. Next time you screw that up, you'll regret it."
** At the end of ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins'', [[spoiler:Aya renames herself Amunet "the Hidden One". Amunet is also the Egyptian goddess of air and invisibility. The name means "the female hidden one" or "one who is hidden"]].
** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey'', after losing both of her children in one night and exiling herself from Sparta, [[spoiler:Myrrine]] started going by Phoenix, symbolizing her intent to rebuild her life from ashes.
* ''VideoGame/BattleForWesnoth'': Midway through the ''Secrets of the Ancients'' campaign, Ras-Tabahn tells Ardonna about how Alduin mages would get a new name when they complete their studies. Since Ardonna is a free mage now, she decides that she is not the ordinary girl Ardonna anymore and gives herself a new name: Ardryn-Na.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', we learn that [[spoiler: the real Ansem the Wise]] renamed himself [=DiZ=], or "Darkness In Zero" after going into exile following [[spoiler: Xehanort doing research on the heart and destroying Radiant Garden, which was renamed Hollow Bastion. Xehanort himself infamously took ''Ansem's'' name after banishing him]].
** The Nobodies in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' also get a meaningful rename: their real/former names anagrammed and an "X" added to it. It's then revealed as a ''further'' meaningful rename in that BigBad Xemnas was influenced into adding not an "X", but a "χ" (Greek letter for "chi", or, "key"), in reference to the "χ-blade".
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSkyTheThird'', Kevin's decision to change his Dominion title at the end of the game is meaningful on its own, and not only because it's the first time in the history of the Gralsritter than anyone has done that. What he changes it to is even more meaningful as his new title is adapted from Rufina's own.
* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'': While all player characters are subject to HelloInsertNameHere, most of them gained meaningful renames as part of the plot:
** Marle's real name is [[spoiler: Nadia]] and she came up with the pseudonym when she introduced herself to Chrono so [[KingIncognito she wouldn't be recognized as the princess]].
** Robo was (re)named when the party first met him. He was originally [[spoiler: Prometheus]] and then gained the name/alias [[spoiler: R66-Y]] as a [[spoiler: infiltration unit for Mother Brain]].
** Frog's original name is [[spoiler: Glenn]], but he acquiesces to being nicknamed as such by Lucca.
** Magus, true name [[spoiler: Janus]], is either a pseudonym or a title he gained.
* Garnet in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' takes up the new name HelloInsertNameHere (Dagger by default) early on in the game both to conceal her identity and to represent the beginning of her casting aside her previous identity as a sheltered princess. Later on in the game, it's revealed [[spoiler: 'Garnet' is one as well since her real name is Sarah and she was adopted by the Queen]].
* In ''VideoGame/SuperLesbianAnimalRPG'', Melody, a trans woman, explains to her girlfriend Allison why she chose the name she did when she transitioned. She thought of a "melody" as being the centerpiece and most important part of a song, and wanted a name that gives her confidence in who she wants to become, not just in becoming a woman but also becoming an important part of her adventuring guild with her friends.
* In ''VideoGame/WingCommander'', Marcus Chen was formerly a reckless pilot known as "Ripper"; many of the pilots who emulated him ended up dead. He eventually became a more cautious pilot, and for setting an example to others, became known as "Bossman".
* In ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper'', like the ''Lord of the Rings'' example above, the cities all have SickeninglySweet names before you capture them and transform each into {{Mordor}}, along with an appropriate rename.
* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', some Forsaken (playable undead) have decided to change their name to reflect the fact that they have drastically changed. But the best example is the black dragon Neltharion, who changed his name to "Deathwing" in ''Literature/TheWarOfTheAncients'' after his betrayal of the other dragonflights.
** In an inversion, Thrall got his name from his upbringing as a slave. After becoming Warchief of the Horde, he eventually (in ''Burning Crusade'') travels to his homeland and learns that his original name was Go'el. He decides to continue using "Thrall" as his name as a constant reminder of the suffering his people went through, even rebuking a shaman who addresses him by his birth name. In ''Cataclysm'', he changes his name back to Go'el due to his role/destiny as a shaman first (and not the Warchief), no longer a slave to the influence of others.
** Technically, the rename of Neltharion to Deathwing is the result of a StableTimeLoop, as it was first accidentally uttered by a time traveler. Then again, this time traveler (along with two others) have also made changes to the timeline, so it's not exactly a stable loop. By the same token, Neltharion's artifact Dragon Soul is renamed to Demon Soul by the same time traveler after its true purpose is revealed.
** [[DueToTheDead To honor the memory of those who were killed by the Scourge]], the remnants of the High Elves renamed their race the Blood Elves.
* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', the quarians incorporate their assigned ship into their names; for young quarians, their first assignment and name change is part of their RiteOfPassage. This comes up in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' when one of your allies is reassigned to your ship without her knowledge as part of a plot to try her for treason, and is renamed "Tali'Zorah vas ''Normandy''"; when the trial is over, [[AppropriatedAppellation she keeps the name]].
** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', you can speak to a Quarian engineer who was [[HeroicSacrifice mortally wounded]] fighting [[RobotWar the Geth]] to [[HoldTheLine allow his crewmates time to escape]]. After he dies, Tali renames him for the planet he died on: Dorn Hazt vas [[FightingForAHomeland Rannoch]].
** Krogan must complete the Rite in order to enter adulthood and gain a place in krogan society. When Grunt completes the Rite, his name is changed to Urdnot Grunt, marking him as having earned a place as one of Clan Udrnot's warriors. Those Krogan who become their clan’s shaman surrender their name completely and are only addressed as Clan-name Shaman.
* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'': With Metal Gear REX in Liquid Snake's possession, Liquid intends to fulfill Big Boss's dream of a world which had a place for soldiers. Thus renaming Shadow Moses to Outer Heaven.
-->"From today... call this place... 'Outer Heaven'."
** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'': Big Boss, after finally embracing the name "Big Boss" in [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker the previous game]], once again drops it and dubs himself Punished (Venom) Snake after losing his Mother base and MSF troops, as well as his left arm, to XOF and Cipher. [[spoiler:However it turns out that Venom was actually one of the real Big Boss' most trusted soldiers who was surgically altered to look like him. By the time that Venom learns this, his deeds have enhanced the legend of "Big Boss" and eventually agrees to serve as his "phantom", turning the legacy of Big Boss as the world's greatest soldier into a secret legacy shared by two men. Venom would keep up his appearance of Big Boss until [[VideoGame/MetalGear1 Solid Snake killed him in the original Outer Heaven]], whereupon the original took the name back for [[VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake the sequel]].]]
* In ''VideoGame/BlazeUnion'', it's explained that both Gulcasa and Emilia were forced to use fake names by Gulcasa's mother in order to masquerade as humans. Over the canon route of the game, both of them discard those names as a way to cast off their weaknesses and [[IAmWhatIAm be true to the way they were born]]. In Gulcasa's case, it's a powerful statement of will, and also his real name has a much harsher sound than his former name "Garlot"; Emilia's name means "to excel" whereas her fake name meant "beloved", which fits her drive to stop being looked at as the TagalongKid instead of someone actually capable of making a difference.
* ''VideoGame/FableII'''s example can be summed up in three words: [[spoiler: Call me Hammer]].
* At the end of ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander'', Jak asks the Precursors to call him by his real name, [[spoiler:Mar, when they offer him to come with them]]. It doesn't stick, and come ''VideoGame/JakXCombatRacing'' he's (obviously) back to his old name.
* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'' has a meta example. The title screen features the full name: ''Bravely Default: Where the Fairy Flies'' or '' Bravely Default: Flying Fairy''. After [[spoiler: Airy is revealed to be the BigBad]], the title screen changes slightly: [[spoiler: some letters are removed, spelling "Airy lies" or "Lying Airy" instead]]. Could double as an InterfaceSpoiler if another player stumbles upon it by accident.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'': Lightning, original name [[spoiler:Claire Farron (Eclair in the Japanese release)]], chose her new alias after the premature deaths of her parents, and the heavy responsibilities (getting a job, maintaining a household, raising her 12-year-old sister) that came with them. It's also indicative of her emotional detachment, which began as a way of being strong for Serah, but has since wrecked their relationship. Probing a bit deeper reveals that "Lightning" was originally her [[NomDeGuerre Guardian Corps callsign]], but her detachment meant that "Claire" soon became [[ThatManIsDead who she used to be]], to the point that even her sister Serah calls her by Lightning.
* In ''Franchise/TouhouProject'', Sakuya Izayoi was given that name when she entered Remilia Scarlet's service, and her original name has not been mentioned. Sakuya can mean "Flowering Night", "Last Night", and "Night of the New Moon". Izayoi can mean "Sixteenth Night" and "Not progress forward at all". All of these relate to her TimeMaster abilities.
** This is the case with Yukari Yakumo as well. The kanji in her given name simply means "[[PurpleIsPowerful purple]]", however the [[AlternateCharacterReading reading means]] "edge" or "boundary". Her family name on the other hand hints at the connection to her human doppelganger in the outside world, Maribel Hearn. Both are named for a late 19th-early 20th century author named Lafcadio Hearn, who changed his name to Koizumi Yakumo after becoming a Japanese citizen.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'': Leon Magnus, [[spoiler: twice.]] His original name was Emilio Gilchrist/[[spoiler: Katrea]], but he changed it due to hating his father and wanting to distance himself from him. [[spoiler: His second rename, Judas, is given to him after he's brought back from the dead. It also counts as FauxSymbolism, as he betrayed his original friends before his death.]]
* In ''The Third Age'' total conversion mod for ''[[VideoGame/TotalWar Medieval II: Total War]]'', based on ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', when Gondor captures Minas Morgul, the name changes to Minas Ithil (its original name).
* A meta example with ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV.'' At E3 2013, the trailer for the long in DevelopmentHell ''Final Fantasy Versus XII'' ended with this line:
-->The legend meets its match. But, the world is ever changing... [[WhamLine For the fifteenth coming.]]
* ''VideoGame/DragonNest'': Rose renames herself as Rosalinde after [[spoiler:she did a FaceHeelTurn and becomes a member of the Dragon Cultists]].
* Mangle from ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys2'' was originally known as "Toy Foxy." However, after being dismantled by toddlers over and over, the company decided to just leave [[AmbiguousGender them]] as a 'build-it-yourself' attraction. The result of this decision is how Mangle earned their name. [[BodyHorror And it shows]].
** ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys3'' introduces us to Springtrap. A hazardous mechanical mascot costume hybrid formerly known as "Spring Bonnie." His lethally faulty ''spring''locks are what led to him being decommissioned and renamed, as he was clearly deemed a ''trap'' by the staff.
* In ''VisualNovel/TheHouseInFataMorgana'', [[spoiler:Michelle]] renames themselves [[spoiler:Michel]] to signify that they're actually [[spoiler:male.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', [[spoiler:Gwyn the Lord of Sunlight]] becomes [[spoiler:Gwyn Lord of the Cinder]] after sacrificing the Lord Soul that granted him his powers over light and becoming kindling for the First Flame. The name change highlights HowTheMightyHaveFallen. In ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'', Aldrich is introduced as the Saint of the Deep. When he is fought as a boss proper, he has taken on a new title [[spoiler:Aldrich the Devourer of Gods -- fitting since he has devoured Gwyndolin and is using him as a "face".]] The same game also has Alva the Wayfarer, a character known only in lore in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'', show up as an invader named Alva Seeker of the Spurned. [[spoiler:This is because he lost his beloved witch Zullie and has been seeking her by invading other worlds.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' is the first Soulsborne game to have these title-changes occur to boss subtitles in the middle of the boss fight, as in the DLC [[spoiler: Ludwig the Accursed returns to being Ludwig, the Holy Blade when he has a RestorationOfSanity]]. ''VideoGame/EldenRing'' has this happen several more times, with [[spoiler: the God-Devouring Serpent becoming Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, Godfrey, First Elden Lord becoming Hoarah Loux, Warrior, and Malenia, Blade of Miquella becoming Malenia, Goddess of Rot]]. Outside of boss fights, there's Godrick the Golden (last of the Golden Lineage) becoming Godrick the Grafted (because he dismembered hundreds of people and stuck their limbs on himself), and Godwyn the Golden becoming [[spoiler:Godwyn, Prince of Death upon being half-killed during the Night of Black Knives]].
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', Ganon, the BigBad of the whole ''[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]]'' series, is almost consistently referred to as "Calamity Ganon." Not "the calamity, Ganon," but "Calamity Ganon" as a whole proper noun. Previous incarnations of Ganon(dorf) were given fancy extra titles such as "Prince of Darkness," "Great King of Evil," and "Dark Lord," but this incarnation of Ganon is considered to be such a destructive entity that "Calamity" has come to be considered part of its proper name.
* In ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', the raider gang known as the Forged operate out of an iron foundry and have a fondness for [[KillItWithFire flame-based weapons]]. Their leader Slag even forces all initiated members to change their names to something associated with fire, heat or burning. When someone refused, Slag threw him into the iron furnace.
* Nathan Drake, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'', was born Nathan Morgan. He and his brother were forced to go on the run as teens and took the surname Drake to honor their mother (a historian) who believed that UsefulNotes/SirFrancisDrake had heirs.
* In ''VideoGame/Persona3'', the group of shadow-hunters the protagonist works with are known as the Specialized Extra-curicular Execution Squad (S.E.E.S.). Near the end of the game, after they decide to [[spoiler: face the supposedly unbeatable entity [[FinalBoss Nyx]], who will bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, against the advice of [[ApocalypseMaiden Ryoji, who will unwillingly bring forth Nyx]],]] the Fool social link (which represents the bond with your party members) is maxed out, and the Judgement social link is initiated, re-christening the group as [[spoiler: the Nyx Annihilation Team.]]
%% Persona 4 does this too but I don't know the context. If you have beaten the game, please add it here.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' has a case of this, though only if the player [[AllThereInTheManual checks the Chronicle option]] repeatedly as the game progresses. Ramza starts the game with his regular name of Ramza Beoulve, but after Chapter 1, he changes his name to his mother's surname, Ruglia, to distance himself from his family after everything that happened in the first chapter and his disgust with his brothers. Later, he returns to his name of Beoulve when he stops hiding from the past and follows his own path. Interestingly, both cases of this come with a SignificantWardrobeShift.
* Creator/{{SEGA}} of Australia initially was tasked with creating the ''SEGA Reborn'' series, a group of reboots that would be connected through a hub world. While SEGA of Australia shuttered and the project was shelved, one of the games, ''VideoGame/GoldenAxe Reborn'', had their prototype released for SEGA's 60th anniversary under the name ''Golden [[{{Pun}} Axed]]''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' has a few, most of which are [[AllThereInTheManual hidden in the lore]]:
** Most of the original [[{{Transhuman}} Awoken]] underwent something like this when they were reborn in the Distributary. For example, the human Uldwyn Sov became the Awoken Uldren Sov.
** Most Guardians undergo this, though they may not be aware of it, as they are [[BackFromTheDead resurrected]] with no memory of their past. Unless the Guardian finds some evidence to point to their previous name, most take a new one.
** All three of the Hive's rulership did something similar when they made their pact with the [[EldritchAbomination Worm Gods]]. The clever Sathona became Savathûn, the martial Xi Ro became Xivu Arath, and the curious Aurash became Auryx. Auryx would undergo a second one when he learned the power to Take, becoming Oryx.
** One of the first Risen to be called a "Guardian" was called Rezyl Azzir, but towards the end, he took another name. [[spoiler: After an encounter [[TheCorrupter Xyor, the Unwed]], Azzir became a [[FallenHero monster]] that [[HopeCrusher slaughtered villages]] and [[HeroKiller permanently killed other Guardians]], and took the name [[TheDreaded Dredgen Yor]], which meant "Eternal Abyss" in a forgotten language.]]
---> ''"Same meat, same bone, but [[ThatManIsDead so very different]]."''
** The lore reveals that the [[MouthOfSauron Emissary of the Nine]] has undergone several of these. [[spoiler: She was born as the human Nasya Sarwar, and when reborn as an Awoken in the Distributary she became Nasan Ar. After returning to the solar system and heading to Earth, she died and was resurrected as a Guardian, taking the name Orin. Finally, she sought out the Nine and was turned into their Emissary, surrendering her old identity and self completely.]]
* In ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'', it was revealed that the character Jesse [=McCree=] actually had the birthname Cole Cassidy, but took an alias when he became an outlaw. After officially rejoining Overwatch, he decided that the first step of letting go of his criminal past would be to take back his original name. [[labelnote:Real-life reason]][=McCree=] was [[{{Tuckerization}} named after a Blizzard dev]], who was fired after he was found complicit in sexual harassment in the company. The in-universe story was a way to avert SuddenNameChange while still removing the tribute.[[/labelnote]]
* ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'': it eventually comes out that the BigBad, Zachary Comstock, was not born with that name. He took that name after being baptized and "reborn" as a new man. [[spoiler:His birth name was Booker [=DeWitt=], and he is an AlternateTimeline version of the Booker the player is playing as.]]
* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXV'': Krohnen's backstory establishes him as having changed his name from [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters2001 K9999]]]] after cutting ties with his former employers NESTS. When Ángel calls him by his old name, he gets particularly snappy:
-->"Ángel, the name's Krohnen. Next time you screw that up, you'll regret it."
