Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Residual Self-Image

 Residual Self-Image
type
FeatureClass
 Residual Self-Image
label
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image
page
ResidualSelfImage
 Residual Self-Image
comment
Residual Self-Image is what you get when a Virtual Reality, Spirit World, or other alternate plane of existence designs the appearance of souls, spirits, or avatars in its domain off of personality and how people think of themselves, rather than real-world appearance.
In fiction, a world seen through residual self-images will often have Beauty Equals Goodness in effect, or else the absolute inverse. (Self-hatred might skew things a little.) Gender and (sometimes) species may be different in that VR than in the real world. Odds are, there will be a set of appearance tropes the VR is using to translate personality into looks...
Compare to Healthy in Heaven and Out-of-Clothes Experience. Supernatural versions that shows a discrepancy between visible sex or gender often fall under Supernaturally-Validated Trans Person. If the projection syncs to the characters changing self-image, that's Self-Perception Shapeshifting.
 Residual Self-Image
fetched
2023-11-05T18:14:48Z
 Residual Self-Image
parsed
2023-11-05T18:14:48Z
 Residual Self-Image
processingComment
Dropped link to GenderBender: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Residual Self-Image
processingComment
Dropped link to LawfulGood: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Residual Self-Image
processingComment
Dropped link to SpiritWorld: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Residual Self-Image
processingComment
Dropped link to SplitPersonality: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Residual Self-Image
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Residual Self-Image / int_2212773a
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_2212773a
comment
On an episode of Angel, Cordelia has an out-of-body experience after her powers begin to take a toll on her body. Skip the demon, her guide, remarks that astral appearances works like this; he says that most people he meets project an idealized image of themselves, and is impressed that she just looks like herself.
 Residual Self-Image / int_2212773a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_2212773a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Angel
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_2212773a
 Residual Self-Image / int_2ba1d958
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_2ba1d958
comment
The Matrix: Trope Namer. A person's avatar within the Matrix is generated by a combination of will and programming parameters established by the Matrix. This appearance can be markedly different from the "outer" self. One cut example was Switch, who was female in the Matrix but male in the real world (in the final film they're female yet androgynous as an homage to the original idea).
 Residual Self-Image / int_2ba1d958
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_2ba1d958
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Matrix
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_2ba1d958
 Residual Self-Image / int_36916611
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_36916611
comment
In Dreamfall Chapters ,when Zoë makes it to Arcadia in Book Three, she appears in appropriate clothing (if a little overdressed for the neighborhood, as she points out), her hairstyle is back to what it was in the first two books (although pinned back) and she no longer has her scar or dermal patch.
 Residual Self-Image / int_36916611
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_36916611
featureConfidence
1.0
 Dreamfall Chapters (Video Game)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_36916611
 Residual Self-Image / int_36faf733
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_36faf733
comment
In The Wounded Sky by Diane Duane, every time the Enterprise uses the experimental drive, the crew members experience a reality based on how they perceive themselves. While Kirk's self-perception is never actually described, McCoy provides a solid clue when he asks "Is that armor getting heavy, Jim?"
 Residual Self-Image / int_36faf733
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_36faf733
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Wounded Sky
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_36faf733
 Residual Self-Image / int_42efb78
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_42efb78
comment
Deadpool 2: The third time Wade Wilson is having a Near-Death Experience, he finally goes through the invisible wall to reach Vanessa. In doing so, he no longer looks like a mutant disfigured by cancer, but his original, handsome self (i.e. Ryan Reynolds without make-up).
 Residual Self-Image / int_42efb78
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_42efb78
featureConfidence
1.0
 Deadpool 2
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_42efb78
 Residual Self-Image / int_503d5009
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_503d5009
comment
Ayakashi Triangle:
At the start of the manga, Matsuri is transformed from male to female, which also lengthened and bleached his hair. Despite this, his thoughts often show his original body besides his current one (even his hair in unchanged). A chapter appropriately titled "The Shape of the Spirit" shows this is more than a visual, as when Matsuri put some of his spiritual energy into Lu to exorcise an ayakashi from her, she sees his male form (for the first time, confusing her). An omake also showed him as still male in his dreams. Matsuri has remained quite literally a boy in a girl's body. Eventually, we do see Matsuri's self image as a female, but if this is the Second Law of Gender-Bending taking effect or just an arbitrary depiction for the audience is unknown.
When Suzu was young, she created a Split Personality without Past-Life Memories, the Suzu the story follows. The original personality, latter called "Kanade", remains in Suzu's mind, keeping the appearance of a five-year old even as Suzu is fifteen. Kanade even has the same long hair before the Important Haircut that signified their personalities splitting.
 Residual Self-Image / int_503d5009
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_503d5009
featureConfidence
1.0
 Ayakashi Triangle (Manga)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_503d5009
 Residual Self-Image / int_55145659
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_55145659
comment
In the So I'm a Spider, So What? anime, Kumoko still thinks of herself as a cute girl reincarnated as a spider. As a result she perceives herself as being a cute(ish) spider with a highly expressive face which in turn is how the audience sees her most of the time. Without that self-image, other humans view Kumoko as a horrifying spider.
 Residual Self-Image / int_55145659
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_55145659
featureConfidence
1.0
 So I'm a Spider, So What?
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_55145659
 Residual Self-Image / int_5755b96a
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_5755b96a
comment
The Order of the Stick:
Roy discovers that everyone in the afterlife Lawful Good plane looks like an ideal version of themselves. His father looks the same as he did when he died, an old man, because he always was a Grumpy Old Man at heart, even when he was young. His mother, however, looks young and hot, because she never stopped thinking of herself as a 19-year-old looker.
Durkon in the Dwarven afterlife looks like he did before being vampirified. His true self not only is lacking the teeth and pasty skin of a vampire, he's also wearing his usual armor (the vampire was destroyed wearing robes) and his beard is at full length (the vampire's got shortened by a slash of Roy's sword).
 Residual Self-Image / int_5755b96a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_5755b96a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Order of the Stick (Webcomic)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_5755b96a
 Residual Self-Image / int_5b3356f8
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_5b3356f8
comment
Turning Red: When the Lee family undergoes a ritual to exorcise their Panda spirits, they enter a spiritual realm and usually retain their normal appearances there (aside from invariably having the hair color they would have if they were bound to their panda spirit). That is, except for Ming, who looks the way she did when she scarred her mother after losing control of her emotions as a teenager. It takes Mei's guiding hand, along with her mother's forgiveness, to get her to return to her normal age, symbolizing her finally letting go of the past and her desire for control.
 Residual Self-Image / int_5b3356f8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_5b3356f8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Turning Red
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_5b3356f8
 Residual Self-Image / int_60878253
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_60878253
comment
The Last Days of Foxhound: Decoy Octopus appears as nothing but a trench coat and fedora in the spirit world. When questioned on this by The Sorrow, he explains that it would make no sense for his soul to be in disguise—in fact, he doesn't think of himself as having any specific appearance at all. The coat and hat are because he's a fan of Humphrey Bogart.
 Residual Self-Image / int_60878253
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_60878253
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Last Days of FOXHOUND (Webcomic)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_60878253
 Residual Self-Image / int_6b3cfe38
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_6b3cfe38
comment
Bob and George: When George enters X's mind to save the others he's assimilated, he meets Protoman's core personality, which resembles a human being instead of a robot. Dr. Light explains that he designed his robots to be as human as possible, so their core personalities naturally would resemble humans.
 Residual Self-Image / int_6b3cfe38
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_6b3cfe38
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bob and George (Webcomic)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_6b3cfe38
 Residual Self-Image / int_6e4a2633
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_6e4a2633
comment
In The Skinjacker Trilogy, the appearance of children in Everlost is based on what they think of themselves. If some can remember exactly what they looked like when they were alive, then they'll look that way in Everlost, but their appearance can change if they think about one of their features too much (for example, someone uncomfortable about a large nose might have it get even bigger, and someone proud of their long hair might see it grow even longer). There are two extreme examples of this: Nick had chocolate on his face when he died, and he keeps thinking about the smear until it expands and starts to take over, and Mikey McGill, when falling to the center of the earth, pictured himself as a monster clawing his way back out, and remained that way after he escaped. He reverts back to his real appearance after his sister shows him a locket containing a picture of himself.
 Residual Self-Image / int_6e4a2633
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_6e4a2633
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Skinjacker Trilogy
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_6e4a2633
 Residual Self-Image / int_72262aee
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_72262aee
comment
In the third season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang visits Avatar Roku in the spirit realm. While there, Aang has his traditional shaved head and Air Nomad robes, rather than the short hair and Fire Nation disguise he is currently wearing.
 Residual Self-Image / int_72262aee
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_72262aee
featureConfidence
1.0
 Avatar: The Last Airbender
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_72262aee
 Residual Self-Image / int_7d8c61a2
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_7d8c61a2
comment
SCORPIO from Star Wars: The Old Republic. She is a highly advanced droid that loathes being labelled as such. Several instances have her appearing in human form via holographic technology. It's a point of interest that she chooses to look like this freed from the confines of her physical body, whether or not this is a default display, a disguise she merely favours or that it hints at a deeper longing to be more than a machine is still up for debate.
 Residual Self-Image / int_7d8c61a2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_7d8c61a2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Star Wars: The Old Republic (Video Game)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_7d8c61a2
 Residual Self-Image / int_98767116
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_98767116
comment
Later, Traitor: Vernon Tripe (a 10-year-old boy) appears as a wise old storyteller inside his mind, giving the reader an idea of how he sees himself.
 Residual Self-Image / int_98767116
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_98767116
featureConfidence
1.0
 Later, Traitor (Fanfic)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_98767116
 Residual Self-Image / int_a660fd96
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_a660fd96
comment
Avengers: Endgame has shades of this when Bruce Banner meets the Ancient One in 2012. By this point Bruce is permanently in Hulk form as a fusion of the two personas, but when the Ancient One knocks him out of his body, he's in his purely human appearance.
 Residual Self-Image / int_a660fd96
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_a660fd96
featureConfidence
1.0
 Avengers: Endgame
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_a660fd96
 Residual Self-Image / int_a7001b36
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_a7001b36
comment
In Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, when Rudeus first meets Hitogami in his dreams, Rudeus perceives himself as the thirty-something Japanese man he was before he died, rather than as the boy he's been living as in the ten years since he reincarnated.
 Residual Self-Image / int_a7001b36
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_a7001b36
featureConfidence
1.0
 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_a7001b36
 Residual Self-Image / int_accb04fd
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_accb04fd
comment
The Matrix: Path of Neo and Enter the Matrix, being part of The Matrix, have this for all the rebels. Both are also an example of Beauty Equals Goodness.
 Residual Self-Image / int_accb04fd
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_accb04fd
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Matrix: Path of Neo (Video Game)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_accb04fd
 Residual Self-Image / int_afccd271
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_afccd271
comment
In Know Thyself: the Prelude, Trinity is nearly moved to tears when she looks at Harry's self-image on his first return trip to the Matrix, dressed in baggy grey clothing that's still too large for him, showing his lack of self-confidence after years of abuse.
 Residual Self-Image / int_afccd271
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_afccd271
featureConfidence
1.0
 Know Thyself: the Prelude (Fanfic)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_afccd271
 Residual Self-Image / int_c1b7d57
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_c1b7d57
comment
In Accel World, duel avatars are something like a cross between this and Personality Powers - appearing as robotic beings with traits that represent the Burst Linker's traumas. In the Crossover story Versus, a glitchy VR device results in Kirito from Sword Art Online becoming connected to Brain Burst; the system's attempts to normalise his data result in him taking on the appearance of his longcoated SAO avatar.
 Residual Self-Image / int_c1b7d57
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_c1b7d57
featureConfidence
1.0
 Accel World
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_c1b7d57
 Residual Self-Image / int_c43144f5
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_c43144f5
comment
In Johannes Cabal and the Fear Institute Cabal and the three FI members journey to the Dreamlands and find their apprances changed to reflect their inner dreams-one looks like a swashbuckler, another a merchant, and the last a magistrate. Cabal himself doesn't change at all (though his gun turns into a sword because guns aren't poetic enough for the Dreamlands) because as one of them puts it "he's already what he wants to be."
 Residual Self-Image / int_c43144f5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_c43144f5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Johannes Cabal and the Fear Institute
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_c43144f5
 Residual Self-Image / int_c489a759
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_c489a759
comment
In Digimon Adventure 02, the DigiDestined always have the same outfits in the Digital World regardless of what they were wearing beforehand, which are completely different from anything they owned in reality.
 Residual Self-Image / int_c489a759
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_c489a759
featureConfidence
1.0
 Digimon Adventure 02
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_c489a759
 Residual Self-Image / int_c73d7277
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_c73d7277
comment
In Ghost Trick, a ghost's appearance depends on what they believe they are. This leads to a gag where a character's ghost momentarily took the wrong appearance, as well as the twist that the main character isn't who the player expects.
 Residual Self-Image / int_c73d7277
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_c73d7277
featureConfidence
1.0
 Ghost Trick (Video Game)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_c73d7277
 Residual Self-Image / int_cabb7dd6
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_cabb7dd6
comment
In Yokoka's Quest, when Copycat enters Mao's dream, Mao is wearing a recently acquired set of clothes that Copycat hadn't seen before, and that Mao wasn't currently wearing (as he's asleep in his nightwear). He also appears as a cat boy, despite hating his aspect of his appearance and wanting to revert to being human.
 Residual Self-Image / int_cabb7dd6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_cabb7dd6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Yokoka's Quest (Webcomic)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_cabb7dd6
 Residual Self-Image / int_cd940fd3
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_cd940fd3
comment
In the Animal Crossing fic Slice of Heaven, Rover is The Grim Reaper and his character customization questions help shape your form in the afterlife.
 Residual Self-Image / int_cd940fd3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_cd940fd3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Slice Of Heaven (Fanfic)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_cd940fd3
 Residual Self-Image / int_d294048
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_d294048
comment
Red Panda Adventures: In "The Darkness Beyond", Kit and John Doe enter a spiritual plane in order to find out what's happened to an Eldritch Abomination that's suddenly up and disappeared. While there, their forms, and even the dimension itself, shape themselves based on their own perceptions. Despite being on the tail end of pregnancy, Kit identifies as her superhero persona, the Flying Squirrel, so much that she appears in full costume and a more svelte figure than she ever had in reality. John Doe, meanwhile, appears in his original identity and appearance of "John Archer" even though he has been masquerading as the Red Panda, to the extent of changing his face, for several months by that point.
 Residual Self-Image / int_d294048
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_d294048
featureConfidence
1.0
 Red Panda Adventures (Podcast)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_d294048
 Residual Self-Image / int_dea46f95
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_dea46f95
comment
Surrogates has this trope in spades given that literally anyone can carry out their everyday lives through a robot that looks exactly how they'd like it to. Age, race and gender are decided by the user.
 Residual Self-Image / int_dea46f95
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_dea46f95
featureConfidence
1.0
 Surrogates
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_dea46f95
 Residual Self-Image / int_e5dc2763
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_e5dc2763
comment
SOMA: Up until he leaves Upsilon, Simon retains his self-image of himself as a human being; it's not until he finds himself miraculously surviving the collapse of the comm center roof and the subsequent flooding that his true robotic appearance flickers into view.
 Residual Self-Image / int_e5dc2763
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_e5dc2763
featureConfidence
1.0
 SOMA (Video Game)
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_e5dc2763
 Residual Self-Image / int_ed2a7866
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_ed2a7866
comment
Sword Art Online: After two years of being trapped in a videogame and forced to fight for their lives, the survivors of the SAO Incident have internalised aspects of their avatars to the point where they reflexively attempt to reach for their weapon or open menus in real life (though the game also modified their avatars to reflect their real-life appearances in order to prevent too much dissonance). In the Alicization arc, this results in SAO survivors being able to transform their Underworld avatars into their SAO ones through Heroic Willpower, as a side-effect of the consensus reality system that Underworld uses to fill out its finer details.
 Residual Self-Image / int_ed2a7866
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_ed2a7866
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sword Art Online
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_ed2a7866
 Residual Self-Image / int_fa274ce5
type
Residual Self-Image
 Residual Self-Image / int_fa274ce5
comment
Masters of the Universe: Revelation: It is mentioned that one can choose their form in the afterlife. When He-Man sacrifices himself and temporarily dies, everyone is surprised that he chooses to be the scrawny Prince Adam instead of the muscular He-Man.
 Residual Self-Image / int_fa274ce5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Residual Self-Image / int_fa274ce5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Masters of the Universe: Revelation
hasFeature
Residual Self-Image / int_fa274ce5

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Residual Self-Image
processingCategory2
Tropes of the Soul
 Ghostopolis (Comic Book) / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 Know Thyself: the Prelude (Fanfic) / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 Later, Traitor (Fanfic) / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 The Matrix / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 Deadpool 2 / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 Surrogates / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 Darkover / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 The Wounded Sky / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 Red Panda Adventures (Podcast) / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 Black Mirror Christmas Special
seeAlso
Residual Self-Image
 Dreamfall Chapters (Video Game) / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 Ghost Trick (Video Game) / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 SOMA (Video Game) / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 The Matrix: Path of Neo (Video Game) / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories (Video Game) / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 Yokoka's Quest (Webcomic) / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 Turning Red / int_a5db3e5
type
Residual Self-Image
 residualselfimage
sameAs
Residual Self-Image