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The TVTropes Trope Finder is where you can come to ask questions like "Do we have this one?" and "What's the trope about...?" Trying to rediscover a long lost show or other medium but need a little help? Head to Media Finder and try your luck there. Want to propose a new trope? You should be over at You Know, That Thing Where.

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Scorpion451 Since: Jan, 2013
13th Aug, 2019 07:50:03 PM

Part of The Time Traveler's Dilemma - in many cases if they succeed, their story becomes The Story That Never Was, erasing themselves and all they did to save the past.

BattleMaster Since: Feb, 2015
13th Aug, 2019 09:44:08 PM

If the character is acting on information about the future that they know due to time travel, it's a form of them claiming Omniscient Morality License.

Edited by BattleMaster
eroock Since: Sep, 2012
14th Aug, 2019 01:38:31 AM

Expendable Alternate Universe alludes to this in its fourth paragraph.

Xhosant Since: Jun, 2012
14th Aug, 2019 02:23:37 AM

Great suggestions all around! They led me to Reset Button Suicide Mission, which is pretty spot-on on the heroic side, but I'd love a "Reset Button Colateral" for when the sacrifice is not limited to the person calling the shot.

Scorpion451 Since: Jan, 2013
14th Aug, 2019 08:03:40 AM

If by collateral you mean the issue that positive things can have happened that altering the timeline would erase, that part is The Time Traveler's Dilemma one I linked. (For instance, the classic "Alice and Bob have a daughter Charlie in the Bad Future who will likely be erased if they undo the event that drove them together.")

Reset-Button Suicide Mission is a good find for the part where the reset button can negate many of the costs you paid to push it, though; I'm adding a mention on TTD about the overlap between the two because they're so closely tied to one another.

Edited by Scorpion451
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