Line #28 Main/CopiedTheMoralsToo


1	[[quoteright:219:[[ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/copymorals.PNG]]]]
2
3	->''"H.A.R.D.A.C built you well. Perhaps... even better than he could have imagined."''
4	-->-- '''Franchise/{{Batman}}''' (to his robot counterpart after [[ThouShaltNotKill it refuses to kill]]), ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE62HisSiliconSoul His Silicon Soul]]"
5
6	After being beaten too many times by the good guys, a bad guy decides to create a copy of one of them for his own purposes. The methods used and the reasons for doing this vary: the villain may use a [[RobotMe robot duplicate]], or [[EvilDoppelganger an evil clone]], a [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifter]] or some other version of EvilKnockoff. Maybe the purpose is to [[TheInfiltration infiltrate the good guys]] with the copy, maybe it's the hope that having the hero's powers on his side will make him unstoppable, or perhaps the goal is to do a KillAndReplace, or to use the copy to blow up the base of the good guys.
7
8	Sometimes, however, something strange happens. Not only does this copy of the heroic character look like and pass for the hero, but begins to act like and/or adopt the hero's morality as well. Reasons for this may vary, perhaps it's the first time the copy has been [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe treated kindly]], or [[ThePowerOfFriendship had friends]], or simply because GoodFeelsGood or the original's goodness was baked into their mentality. This may well result in them turning against their evil creator and foiling whatever EvilPlan they had in mind.
9
10	This trope can also cover clones that fail their intended task because of ''non''-heroic traits carrying over to their creator's detriment, such as apathy, irresponsibility, or treachery.
11
12	A subtrope of GoneHorriblyRight. Compare and contrast MirrorCharacter, BecomingTheMask, LostInCharacter, DeepCoverAgent, AssimilationBackfire, and PreferableImpersonator. The copy themselves may not even know that they're a copy and genuinely believe that they're the heroic character, and thus might face a TomatoInTheMirror surprise when they discover their true identity. Trying to copy TheParagon or a character with IncorruptiblePurePureness is particularly likely to result in this trope playing out. Compare MorallySuperiorCopy, for when a clone or duplicate turns out to be morally superior to the villainous original.
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14	----
15	!!Examples:
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17	[[foldercontrol]]
18
19	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
20	* In ''Anime/TheBraveExpressMightGaine'', ArmsDealer Hoi Kow Loon makes an EvilKnockoff of the titular Might Gaine as [[PaintItBlack Black Might Gaine]]. However, the first thing Black does is help Might Gaine fortify a falling building and then join the heroic Brave Express Corps. Hoi Kow Loon does manage to make Black BrainwashedAndCrazy but the duplicate really is just as heroic and justice-driven as the original.
21	* ''Manga/DoctorSlump'': The evil Dr. Mashirito creates the robot Obotchaman, originally supposed to be an EvilKnockoff of Arale, and who has her same powers (including the SuperStrength). However, he also has her same IncorruptiblePurePureness, and despite being created only to destroy Arale, he really can't do it because she's too nice and cute. He eventually ends up befriending Arale and siding with her against Dr. Mashirito.
22	* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
23	** ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': this happens to Buu in the backstory when he absorbs the Grand Supreme Kai. He intended to gain the Kai's power, but he also got the Kai's [[IncorruptiblePurePureness innocence]]. While Buu had always been simple-minded, this caused him to lose his psychotic killer instinct and act more like a young child, blindly trusting authority figures and doing bad things merely because he didn't know any better.
24	** ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'': During the Potaufeu mini arc, the Commeson manages to absorb Vegeta's power and creates a duplicate of him. However, the copy also winds up inheriting Vegeta's massive ego, HonorBeforeReason fighting principles, and his love for Trunks, which makes him unable to be easily controlled by the Commeson and constantly defies his master's orders in favour of fighting Goku fairly.
25	* In ''Anime/GundamBuildFighters Battlogue'', in a (likely InUniverse) ShoutOut to Black Maight Gaine, Minato Sakai's backstory for the ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' kit that he designed (the [[PaintItBlack Dryon III]])) is that it was an EvilKnockoff made by an evil scientist based off the stolen plans of the Tryon 3, but it ultimately recognized the Tryon 3 as its brother and fought to save it.
26	* ''Manga/HunterXHunter'': Chimera Ants are born made up of whatever the Queen eats which is inserted into her genetic coding, allowing them to obtain the traits and abilities of those organisms. Ants made from humans wind up inheriting not only their intellect and ability to use Nen, but also their own sense of compassion and individuality. This results in the collapse of the Chimera Ant colony and several cases of rebellion towards the Queen and King.
27	* In ''Manga/MegaManMegamix'', [[spoiler:Copy Mega Man]] firmly believes that he's the real [[spoiler:Mega Man]] until he sees the Wily Chip in his collar and realizes the truth. After this, he intentionally goes on a rampage to exonerate the real version of him as part of a SuicideByCop.
28	* ''Manga/OnePiece'': The creation of Gecko Moria's zombies involve removing a person's shadow and inserting it into a lifeless corpse, giving it life again and [[PowerCopying allowing it to use the owner's non-Devil Fruit based fighting style]]. In addition, the zombie will also inherit the owner's personality and morals such as the zombie created from Sanji's shadow inheriting his policy to never kick a woman, Zoro's inheriting his principles about being a swordsman, or Oars inheriting Luffy's desire to be King of the Pirates. This makes them difficult to control in their early state, but it's {{downplayed\|Trope}} in that most of these personality traits eventually vanish and the zombies become completely loyal to Moriah and his officers.
29	* This is what ultimately causes the downfall of Hyper Metal Sonic in ''Anime/SonicTheHedgehogTheMovie''. Having copied the life data of Sonic in order to better fight him, Metal begins emulating Sonic's personality. Ultimately, when Sonic bested him, Metal chose to sacrifice himself to save Planet Freedom, bidding his foe a fond farewell.
30	* Anti in ''Anime/SSSSGridman'' is designed to be a kaiju capable of copying every power that Gridman has: Gridman gains SuperStrength, so does Anti. Gridman gets a new form that lets him fly, now so can Anti. Gridman's greatest power isn't his strength but rather his noble heart, three guesses what happens to Anti. Mistreatment by his creator and subsequent kind treatment from Gridman's allies helps spur the process along.
31	* In the Ryo-Ohki series of ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'', Dr. Clay has his robot Zero copy the body of Ryoko and infiltrate the Misaki house to kidnap Washu. However, she also copied the emotional feelings Ryoko has for Tenchi, and Zero ends up being paralyzingly flustered around him, and eventually refuses Dr. Clay's orders to assassinate Tenchi. After Dr. Clay is defeated, Washu convinces the real Ryoko to willingly merge with a dying "Zero Ryoko", while feeding the others a story about Zero being something between an EvilKnockoff and a PsychoPrototype to get them to accept it. (In the end, it boils down to Ryoko [[DefrostingIceQueen becoming more]] ''[[{{Tsundere}} dere]]'' after the merge.)
32	* ''Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise'': Scourge is an accidental EvilKnockoff of Optimus Prime, but Megatron made him into a Decepticon by imbuing his protoform with a fragment of his own spark. Near the end of the series, Scourge [[spoiler:tries to usurp Megatron (or Galvatron as he's known by this point) as leader of the Predacons/Decepticons, noting that when Megatron 'created' him, he must have absorbed a part of Megatron's ambition]].
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder:Comic Books]]
36	* ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk'': Qlippoths are shades created by [[EldritchLocation the Below-Place]] (i.e., Hell) from the memories of people in it, taking the forms of dead people important to the targets to upset them. While they are mindless and just acting out the roles without thought, the copying process is so precise that the qlippoths genuinely behave the way the real person would, even when this is counterproductive to [[EldritchAbomination their creator's]] goals. One based on Rick Jones actively helps the Hulk simply because it's programmed to act like Hulk's best friend, and in the GrandFinale, [[spoiler:another based on Jackie [=McGee's=] father encourages her onwards to save the day, even helping her understand her powers better]].
37	* The ''ComicBook/MarvelAdventures'' version of the Super-Adaptoid is stopped when ComicBook/{{Quicksilver}} notices that the Adaptoid doesn't just copy his powers, but also his attitude, so he gets the Adaptoid close to ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and the Adaptoid gets his morals, turning against his evil master.
38	* ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'' villain the Awesome Android at one point [[https://i.imgur.com/x9FULNd.png copies Thor's worthiness]] and [[HeelFaceTurn turns good]].
39	* In ''ComicBook/MegaManArchieComics'', the second Copy Robot is a malicious copy of Rock down to all of the Special Weapons he has currently equipped. But after Rock manages to subdue him, the Copy Robot has a change of heart because he's also copied Rock's ability to learn and ponders the life he could have as a domestic robot. Unfortunately, he doesn't get to ruminate on this for long, as he's [[HeelFaceDoorSlam immediately hit by a Crash Bomber]] and [[HeroicSacrifice shoves Rock out of the way before exploding]].
40	* In ''ComicBook/TheSimpsons'' comic "Fallen Flanders", Sideshow Bob does a VillainTeamup with Kang and Kodos, and creates an evil clone of Ned Flanders. However, the clone eventually gives up on being evil because the inherent goodness he took from Flanders was enough to override the villains' attempts to program him into being their pawn.
41	-->'''Clone:''' I envy you, Ned. Ever since I robbed that bank, I've felt my evil programming waning. I guess the goodness I inherited from you was too much, even for that nasty wasty old Rigellian technology.
42	* Something of a recurring problem for the Mecha Sonic series in ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' when they start to develop sapience, though it's less they copy his morals and more his fierce independence, which Robotnik hates. The most notable one was the original Mecha that attacked Floating Island. It rebuilt itself with a power gem and managed to capture Tails, using him as bait to force Sonic into a no holds barred beatdown. However, when the volcano Mecha had trapped Tails in began to erupt, the robot found he couldn't leave the fox to his fate and broke off his attack, using his power gem to stave off the lava while Sonic rescued their friend. Later this Mecha was recovered by the Freedom Fighters and became the ultimately tragic hero Shard.
43	* In ''ComicBook/SpiderBoy'', Killionaire's engineers use the hand of the Super-Adaptoid that Taskmaster stole to make an action figure called "Toy Soldier", with the powers of all of the Avengers. Even with its abilities diminished by its size, Toy Soldier is too powerful for Bailey to beat. After Bailey tries and fails to lift its copy of Mjolnir, he manages to talk it into doing some introspection given that it's considered "worthy" to wield Thor's hammer. After concluding that it does have free will, Toy Soldier refuses to continue serving Killionaire, as it has inherited the heart and soul of the Avengers along with their powers. It then flies off to fight evil as the heroes it's imitating would.
44	* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
45	** ''ComicBook/TheLifeStoryOfSuperman'': Defied. Lex Luthor grows a Superman clone and transfers Superman's memories into him; though, Luthor alters the memories involving their feud specifically to prevent the clone from turning on him.
46	** When Creator/GeoffJohns was writing for ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'', ComicBook/{{Superboy}} was {{retcon}}ned to be a sleeper clone created by Lex Luthor using a combination of his own DNA as well as Superman's. Despite being conditioned to obey Luthor, Superboy desired to be a hero like Superman and rejected Luthor's purpose for him.
47	* ''Comicbook/XMen'': In one of the versions about the first connection between Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force, the latter got disguised as the former, keeping the real one in a regeneration coccoon (Jean was suffering severe radiation poisoning). After being mentally manipulated by Master Mind, she let herself be consumed by a power hunger and had a FaceHeelTurn. Later on, however, she came to her senses and opted for a HeroicSuicide to save the universe from herself. As it was pointed out later, when other characters learned the truth about Phoenix's nature, is that the entity copied Jean's morality along with her body.
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
51	* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'':
52	** Played straight when Calvin first creates his Duplicator to make a [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1990/01/11 clone of himself]] to do the chores while he and Hobbes go play. Calvin is thwarted because the clone obviously hates chores just as much as Calvin does and refuses to do them, then later goes on to clone himself repeatedly.
53	--->'''Calvin:''' OK, Dupe! Hobbes and I are going out to play. You clean my room and when you're done, I've got some homework you can do, too.\
54	'''Duplicate:''' WHAT?! Forget it, bub! Find some OTHER sucker to do your dirty work! Last one outside is a rotten egg!\
55	'''Calvin:''' HEY! COME BACK HERE!\
56	'''Hobbes:''' He's a duplicate of you, all right.\
57	'''[[ItsAllAboutMe Calvin:]]''' [[ObliviousToHisOwnDescription What do you mean?]] [[MoralMyopia THIS guy is a total jerk!]]
58	** Inverted again in a later arc when Calvin makes a clone of himself that's pure good (by adding an ethicator to the duplicator), [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1991/04/01 and acts so differently that everyone gets suspicious.]] Despite the ethicator, Good Calvin ends up so frustrated at trying to deal with everyone ''expecting'' him to be bad that he threatens to beat up Calvin in anger, which makes him disappear in a PuffOfLogic.
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
62	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Coraline}}'', the [[ApologeticAttacker Other Father]] and [[StepfordSmiler Other Wybie]] are both copies of people in Coraline's life created by the [[HumanoidAbomination Other Mother]] to lure the young girl in to devour her soul, but she did a little too good a job copying them as both genuinely care about Coraline and [[spoiler:both pull {{Heroic Sacrifice}}s to save her life]]. The Other Bobinsky also seems to have genuinely inherited the real one's love of entertaining people, as he tries to convince Coraline to stay by promising they'll have fun and spend time together [[ObliviouslyEvil without realizing what the Other Mother actually intends to do with the young girl]].
63	[[/folder]]
64
65	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
66	* In ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'', V'ger creates a robot duplicate of Lt. Ilia to examine the "carbon units" infesting the ''Enterprise''. Kirk orders Decker, who was once her lover, to try to awaken any memories Robo-Ilia may have of the original, and Decker has some success in doing so.
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69	[[folder:Literature]]
70	* This trope is used intentionally throughout the ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'' franchise. While it had long been known how to create genetic duplicates of people (known as [[CallARabbitASmeerp gholas]] in universe) who may have a vague sense of the person they were before, but despite many attempts they've been unable to get a ghola to reclaim the full memories or past life of the person it was created from.
71	** In ''Literature/DuneMessiah'' a ghola regains past life memories for the first time when a ghola called Hayt made from the deceased Duncan Idaho is brainwashed to assassinate Paul Atreides. Idaho had UndyingLoyalty to the Atreides family and [[HeroicSacrifice gave his life]] so that Paul and Lady Jessica could escape their enemies, so when Hayt is triggered to kill Paul, he finds himself resisting and the trauma of the LogicBomb allows the ghola to recover complete recall of his past life memories. He not only resists the trigger but kills the person who used it. In later books, it is mentioned that Hayt was one of the lucky ones, as most other Gholas who are forced to undergo this type of trauma in an attempt to regain their memories more than often than not just go completely insane.
72	** In ''Literature/GodEmperorOfDune'', this is further expanded in that Leto II keeps cloning Duncan for centuries, but since all of the clones draw their memories from the times he served Duke Leto, every new Duncan is increasingly distressed by the disparity between [[AFatherToHisMen the old Atreides mores]] and the [[OmniscientMoralityLicense omniscient morality]] of the GodEmperor. It's remarked most of them end up dying in an attempt to assassinate him.
73	* ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'': During his invasion in ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'', Grand Admiral Thrawn planted [[DeepCoverAgent sleeper cells]] of clone soldiers on various planets as a hedge against defeat. Cell Jenth-44, undercover on the backwater farm world Pakrik Minor as the Devist family, were cloned from famous Imperial AcePilot [[ComicBook/XWingRogueSquadron Baron Soontir Fel]]. They got a semblance of his flying skills, but they also got his [[CallToAgriculture love of farming]], and by the present day have [[GoingNative Gone Native]]: when Moff Disra attempts to activate them, they decide their loyalty to their families and land far outweighs their loyalty to the Imperial Remnant. [[spoiler:Thrawn actually intended for this to happen, at least to an extent. Once the Galactic Civil War was over, his intention was that the sleeper cells would live out their lives on whichever planet they were assigned to...and be on hand to defend their planets from [[Literature/NewJediOrder an invasion that Thrawn knew would come someday]]. He simply thought that he'd win the Galatic Civil War before this happened, so his sleeper cells siding with the "Rebels" never would've been an issue had everything gone as planned.]]
74	* Throughout the novel ''Literature/JohnDiesAtTheEnd'', the protagonists learn that a DimensionLord called Korrok is priming an invasion of their dimension, staring by doing a KillAndReplace of certain people. Near the very end of the book, they learn that [[spoiler:Dave, one of the two main characters,]] is one of Korrok's moles, and successfully killed and replaced [[spoiler:the original Dave]]. However, unlike virtually every other one of these moles we see, the copy seemed to perfectly step into the shoes of the original, and went on to thwart Korrok's plan [[spoiler:and in a roundabout way, kill Korrok]] by continuing to take the same actions the original would have taken and continued living a more or less normal life afterward.
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77	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
78	* Done deliberately so with the [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Life-Model Decoy]] of May in ''Series/AgentsOfShield'', as she was designed as a ManchurianAgent of sorts who didn't even realize she was a machine, and whose programming was ''very'' subtle to the point she was made to feel as if she wanted to follow her orders. [[spoiler: It backfires when she ends up pulling a HeroicSacrifice and blowing herself up along with the much more evil robotic duplicates of Coulson and Fitz, in order to save the lives of Daisy, Simmons, and the surviving agents: she ultimately decides to [[GrownBeyondTheirProgramming screw her programming]] and do what she wants, which is be the hero.]]
79	* In the fourth season SeriesFauxnale of ''Series/Babylon5'' titled "[[Recap/BabylonFiveS04E22TheDeconstructionOfFallingStars The Deconstruction Of Falling Stars]]", one vignette shows that 500 years after the show's present time, a propagandist for a xenophobic, Orwellian faction of [=EarthGov=] uses holographic recreations of the B5 command crew to try to frame them as war criminals and mad scientists who experimented on humans at the behest of "alien masters". He starts by using holograms with the crews' actual personalities and memories intact before overwriting them with the new "evil" personalities he needs for his holo-recordings. However, the hologram of Security Chief Michael Garibaldi, as paranoid as the real one (and just as good with computers), gets the man [[EvilGloating monologuing about his plan]], secretly transmitting it and the base coordinates to the other, pro-Alliance faction. Just before the base is destroyed, he quietly says to the other holograms, ''"Rest easy, friends. Rest easy."''
80	* In the ''Series/BlakesSeven'' episode "[[Recap/BlakesSevenS2E3Weapon Weapon]]", the BigBad Servalan creates a clone of Blake to use as part of her plot. The clone promptly falls in love with a DamselInDistress, is morally disgusted by Servalan, and rebels against her.
81	* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
82	** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E4ResurrectionOfTheDaleks Resurrection of the Daleks]]", the Doctor gets a duplicate human created by the Daleks to do a HeelFaceTurn because he turned out too human.
83	** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E5TheRebelFlesh The Rebel Flesh]]", this happens accidentally (maybe) when the Doctor touches the pool that spawns 'gangers, living plastic replicas of people that have begun to rebel against their masters. The Doctor isn't at all upset by having a clone, because he understands that the 'gangers aren't evil, they just have a different perspective than the humans, and the two of them begin working together to solve the problem.
84	** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E6Extremis Extremis]]", aliens copy everyone, including the Doctor, into a VR simulation in an attempt to see how well their takeover of Earth will go. The Extremis Doctor is such a good copy that he's able to send the aliens' plans to his real-world counterpart.
85	* ''Franchise/KamenRider'':
86	** ''Series/KamenRiderDrive'': Roidmudes copy the emotions and often the morals of the first human they mimic, albeit realigned in favor of their RobotUprising. Their creator specifically programmed them to mostly seize on negative emotions and people of poor moral character to copy. The Medic Roidmude ''was'' one of the few exceptions, as her driving emotion was love, but she also copies the emotions of anyone she uses her HealingHands on, and doing this mostly to other villains has twisted her into an absolute monster by the time she appears. Shortly before her demise, she does this one more time by healing Drive and thus copying his goodness, purging her of the evil she'd accumulated so she can die as herself. Roidmude 004 is an aversion, as his creator made sure to program him to specifically ''only'' copy Krim Steinbelt's genius intellect without taking his morals.
87	** ''Series/KamenRiderGhost'': Specter spends much of the latter half of the series fighting a series of clones that are trying to KillAndReplace him... [[AbortedArc for some reason]]. However, as the clones act nothing like Specter, lack access to his SuperMode and never attack in groups, they aren't particularly difficult to defeat. Near the end of the series, the BigBad finally succeeds in creating a perfect clone of Specter... only for Specter's sister to wander into the fight, and the clone to [[BigBrotherInstinct instinctively protect her]]. This leads the confused clone (now indistinguishable from the original) to join the heroes, [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificing itself]] shortly thereafter to heal Specter while he's dying.
88	* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': In the episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS02E14Whispers Whispers]]", Chief O'Brien returns to the station to find everyone there acting suspiciously. He begins to suspect that everyone has come under the influence of some alien force that plans to to disrupt the peace negotiations that are to take place between two alien species. He investigates to the point he attempts to warn the delegation of a possible attack only to learn that he's actually a clone with the original's memories and personality, meant to be a ManchurianAgent and launch the very assassination attempt he was trying to stop. Two factors the ones responsible didn't account for was that a) the crew of Deep Space Nine got warned ahead of the plot (which is why they were acting so suspicious) and b) they were creating a duplicate of one of the most honorable men in the entire Alpha Quadrant.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Video Games]]
92	* ''VideoGame/Destiny2'': Averted with [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Clovis Bray I]]'s robotic Exo clone. [[TheSociopath Clovis]], who also [[BrainUploading converted himself into an AI]], had expected his Exo self to be just like him. However, the clone was created without his memories at first, but after experiencing things for a time before the memories were uploaded, the Exo-Clovis rejected AI-Clovis and his ways, becoming a defender of his people. [[spoiler: After fighting the Vex through 43 iterations of himself, Exo-Clovis eventually asked to be "reset" one more time, including having his designation changed, and thus became Banshee-44, [[UltimateBlacksmith the Tower Gunsmith]].]]
93	* In ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasyOperaOmnia'', Kuja implants a Dark Manikin of Vivi into the party after kidnapping the original. However, the Manikin starts taking on Vivi's mannerisms as well and instead of killing Zidane and the others like Kuja plans he ends up befriending everyone and becoming a surrogate little brother to Vivi [[spoiler: until he gives Vivi his brilliance back and dies]].
94	* In ''[[VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed The Force Unleashed II]]'', Starkiller's clone retains [[GeneticMemory the original's memories]] and ends up siding with the original's allies and turning against Darth Vader because of this.
95	* ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'': Pandora uses a cursed mirror to create an opposite of Pit to serve as Medusa's general. Instead, Dark Pit promptly attacks her and starts doing his own thing, crossing blades with Pit but mostly attacking the Underworld Armies. Multiple theories for this are thrown around InUniverse; the two most agreed-upon being that Pit's most defining trait is his loyalty to Palutena, so his opposite is obsessed with personal freedom and self-determines beyond that; and/or Pit was in the process of shattering said mirror the moment his copy emerged, leading to an irregular reflection.
96	* A heroic example from ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'': While the X parasites were so far portrayed as absorbing creatures and people and replicating their bodies without preserving much of the host's personality, [[spoiler:Quiet Robe, after his death is "resurrected" by a X and is still as benevolent as he was prior to dying, though it's unclear if it's actually him or if the parasite has been influenced by his memories]].
97	[[/folder]]
98
99	[[folder:Webcomics]]
100	* In ''Webcomic/DragonBallMultiverse'', Perfect Buu (or [[FanNickname Zen Buu]]) was left undefeated after succesfully absorbing Vegeto, and went on to destroy the Earth as he'd planned, only to note that he didn't feel like it anymore because he'd absorbed too many people who loved the planet and were now a part of him. He then proceeded to evolve into an AboveGoodAndEvil TricksterGod, a synthesis of all his moral constituents.
101	* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', this is how [[spoiler:The High Priest of Hel]] is defeated in the penultimate book, this foe being [[spoiler:Durkon after being transformed into a vampire; the vampire spirit takes over, while Durkon's soul is trapped inside his own mind and ForcedToWatch]]. Since [[spoiler:the vampire is essentially Durkon "on your worst day", Durkon realizes he can release enough memories to cause AssimilationBackfire (though he needs to trick the vampire into accepting all these memories). The High Priest gains Durkon's morality, and allows himself to be slain to stop Hel's plan.]]
102	[[/folder]]
103
104	[[folder:Web Original]]
105	* ''WebVideo/StampysLovelyWorld'': [[spoiler:Polly Reindeer's]] RottenRoboticReplacement is programmed by the BigBad to "Act like [[spoiler:the reindeer]] so no one gets suspicious" while [[spoiler:Polly]] was kidnapped. When Stampy finds out, he {{invoke\|dTrope}}s this when trying to use ExactWords against the robot, so that it would [[HeelFaceTurn turn against its creators]]. [[spoiler:It works.]]
106	-->'''Stampy:''' Its rules didn't make sense — it said to act like [[spoiler:Polly]] and to be evil, but [[spoiler:Polly]] would never be evil!
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Western Animation]]
110	* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'': With part of Rampage's spark, Megatron creates an EvilKnockoff of the late Dinobot, a former member of his crew who underwent a HeelFaceTurn, intent on making a soulless copy who could never betray or disobey him like the real Dinobot. Dinobot II is a heartless killing machine, until [[spoiler:Rampage dies]], allowing the original Dinobot's honor to surface, culminating in [[spoiler:him undergoing a HeelFaceTurn and stopping Megatron's plan [[RedemptionEqualsDeath as his last act in life]]]].
111	* Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse:
112	** During the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' "Heart of Steel" arc, a [[AIIsACrapshoot Rogue A.I.]] called H.A.R.D.A.C began implementing a plan to KillAndReplace all of humanity with [[RobotMe robotic duplicates]]. In a later episode a duplicate of Batman/Bruce Wayne is belatedly activated and brought online. However the duplicate, just like Batman, turns out to have a firm ThouShallNotKill principle, (something Batman himself notes when the duplicate passes up numerous opportunities to kill Batman) and when it thinks it has accidentally killed the real Batman it goes berserk with [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone horror and rage]], and promptly destroys H.A.R.D.A.C for good, destroying itself at the same time in the process.
113	** The version of Bizarro seen in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' is a failed clone of Superman created by Lex Luthor, who wants an army of Superman clones. He rejects Lex's plan, insisting that he really is Superman (despite rapidly undergoing [[CloneDegeneration both physical and mental degeneration]]) and trying to be a hero. His heroic deeds are all failures, but at the end of his first episode he does perform a HeroicSacrifice to save both the real Superman and Lois.
114	** ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'': In "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS1E18And19Legends Legends]]", members of the League are trapped in an AlternateUniverse in an idyllic city out of UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks, protected by its own superhero team, the Justice Guild -- who are all eventually revealed as illusions created by [[TheDogWasTheMastermind their kid sidekick]] Ray Thompson, who was actually a mutant with RealityWarper powers recreating the world he once knew AfterTheEnd. After the reveal, when the League is fighting Ray, the Justice Guild fights alongside them despite knowing that Ray's defeat would end their existence. "We died once to save this Earth, and we can do it again!"
115	* During one mission early in ''WesternAnimation/ExoSquad'', a rookie pilot named Alice Noretti who joined TheSquad goes missing and is presumed dead when her drop ship crashes. Later in the series BigBad Phaeton used her remains to engineer [[HalfHumanHybrid a human/Neo-Sapien hybrid]] that would have Noretti's appearance and could infiltrate the human fleet with the goal of [[DecapitationStrike assassinating]] [[BigGood Admiral Winfield]]. The hybrid finds herself horribly conflicted about carrying out the orders, and while she does kidnap Winfield she eventually refuses to go through with her programming to kill him as well, and commits suicide instead.
116	* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' has a villain make "evil clones" of the heroes. However, Uncle later discovers that a spell was used to make the clones evil, and once it is broken, they promptly side with the originals.
117	* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueAction'', the Justice League discovers that they are not, in fact, the Justice League, just copies built by Darkseid to study their methods, weaknesses, and tactics as he plots an invasion. Unfortunately for Darkseid, they are still committed to their heroic ideals, and perform a HeroicSacrifice to stop Darkseid's plans, erase the data he'd collected, and reduce his tactical strength before he could make any actual attempt.
118	* In the ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' episode "[[Recap/MiraculousLadybugS03E24Ladybug Ladybug]]", Mayura creates a sentimonster replica of Ladybug as a means of leaving Chat Noir vulnerable enough to take his miraculous. When the real Ladybug takes the item with the amok being used to control the sentimonster, she gives it to the replica and allows her the freedom of choice. The replica sides with the real Ladybug and Chat Noir against Mayura, having the real Ladybug's ethics as well as her powers and appearance.
119	* ''WesternAnimation/MuzzyInGondoland'': when the advances of Corvax, the evil court scientist, are rejected by Princess Sylvia, he creates a computer-generated clone of her that has both her appearance and personality. Unfortunately for Corvax, the personality match is too good and the clone is also repulsed by him.
120	* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': [[spoiler:Emperor Belos murdered his brother Caleb when the latter "betrayed" him in some way (he's implied to have fallen in love with and had a child with a witch, while Belos wants to destroy them). Since then, he's been creating a series of Grimwalkers, essentially magical clones, in the hopes of finally creating one to be a "better," more obedient [[ReplacementGoldfish version of him]], and has done this ''dozens'' of times over the centuries. These clones are all the people who have held the post of the Golden Guard, with Hunter being the latest iteration, and according to Belos, the one that came the closest. Given that he murdered all the previous Golden Guards for "betraying" (or even questioning) him, and tries to do the same to Hunter when Hunter realizes Belos has been lying about everything, it seems the Grimwalkers not only look like his brother, but share his better moral compass, too. Every single ''one'' eventually turned on him.]]
121	* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower'' has an episode where [[BigBad Hordak]] uses a creature which replicates She-Ra's powers. At a critical point in the battle, it turns out too much of her personality was copied as well.
122	* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "[=CopyBob DittoPants=]," Plankton makes clones of [=SpongeBob=] in an attempt to get the secret formula from Mr. Krabs; as [=SpongeBob=] is Mr. Krabs' best employee, Krabs would tell him the formula if he asked. The clone interacts with the real [=SpongeBob=] and has his exact same personality, then doesn't want to tell Plankton the formula once he learns it. Plankton sends another clone, with the same results. Eventually, he sends in an entire army of [=SpongeBob=] clones, but they disappear before he can learn the formula from them.
123	* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'', Dr. T.O. Morrow created a human-like android to infiltrate the heroes to defeat them from within. It was so good at its infiltration that it gave its life to save the heroes. Then he created Red Tornado, reasoning that an android that knew what it was would work better. Red Tornado likewise went full hero. Finally, he gave up and just created an android that was outright evil. That one immediately killed him (or rather, his robot duplicate) for being an inferior human.
124	-->'''Red Volcano:''' [[IronicEcho No more Pinocchios.]]
125	** There was one other Android early on that was programmed to be neutral, neither extremely heroic, nor evil like Red Volcano. This one failed due to being apathetic and aloof as a result of it's neutral programming, neither good enough to really fit in with the heroes nor evil enough to want to bother with the infiltration plan.
126	[[/folder]]

Context Main / CopiedTheMoralsToo