History Main / DecompositeCharacter

** ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters'' sees Dr. Serizawa horrified by the existence of the Oxygen Destroyer like his counterpart in ''Film/Godzilla1954'' -- only since he didn't create the thing unlike the original Serizawa, this Serizawa lacks [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone the original's immense guilt over it]]..

* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'' Shredder a.k.a. Oruku Saki is revealed to be an utrom, making him a CompositeCharacter of Shredder and Kraang. Then it's revealed that the utrom only appropriated the persona of Shredder. The original Shredder was a demonic entity that terrorized Japan centuries earlier. Then it's revealed that Shredder and Oruku Saki, started as two separate beings, the Shredder was a demon and Oruku Saki was an [[AmbitionIsEvil ambitious]] BadassNormal who merged with the demon after making a DealWithTheDevil.

** In the [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998 original cartoon]], Sedusa was first introduced disguising herself as a woman named "Ima Goodelady" to seduce Professor Utonium. In this anime, the design of the Ima Goodelady persona was used to create Professor Utonium's astronaut wife independent from Sedusa.

* ''Fanfic/HonokasBizarreAdventure'' (''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'' & ''Anime/LoveLive''): Many of [[Manga/DiamondIsUnbreakable Josuke Higashikata's]] traits are split among some of the girls of µ's.

* ''[[Fanfic/StarWarsVsWarhammer40K Star Wars vs Warhammer 40K]]'' (''Franchise/StarWars'' & ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000''): [[spoiler:The difference in characterization between the [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars 2003 version]] and [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars 2008 version]] of General Grievous is explained as them being two different people; the 2003 version is the original and true Grievous, whilst the 2008 version is an inferior fake whom Palpatine and Dooku installed in the former's place when they deemed he was becoming too hard to control.]]

** [[Characters/MarvelComicsRogue Rogue]] is a composite character of Rogue and [[Characters/MarvelComicsKittyPryde Kitty Pryde]]. However, Kitty herself also appears, making her an example of this trope. Movie Rogue also takes influence from [[Characters/XMen90sMembers Jubilee]] having the [[AgeAppropriateAngst teen angst]] and role as Wolverine’s MoralityPet from the comics, though again much like Kitty, Jubilee herself appears albeit much later on.
** [[Characters/XMenMutants Moira MacTaggert]] was changed to an American CIA agent in her late twenties/early thirties during the Cuban Missile Crisis in ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', so Creator/OliviaWilliams' Scottish doctor in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' (who is in her late thirties in 2006) becomes a separate person in the movie-verse who happens to share the same name.
** Characters/{{Emma Frost|WhiteQueen}} in ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' is a grown woman, despite the film being set decades before a much younger girl with a different background, but similar powers (minus telepathy) appeared in ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine''. She was only called "Emma" in the credits, but one of the DVD featurettes confirms that she is indeed Emma Frost.

* The ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse New Series Adventures'' novel ''The Resurrection Casket'' is ''Literature/TreasureIsland'' RecycledInSpace. There's a character called Jimm, who has all the characteristics of Jim Hawkins, but most of the key plot points go to Rose Tyler.

** TheLadyOfTheLake is also a title. Furthermore, there are different characters named Vivian, Niniane and Nimue, which are just variants of the same character's name in Myth/ArthurianLegend.

* Myth/ArthurianLegend: For an object example, this explains the ExcaliburInTheStone issue. Over time, two legends about King Arthur's sword developed: one version said that he pulled it from a stone, while another claimed that he got it from the TheLadyOfTheLake. In ''Literature/LeMorteDArthur,'' Malory decided to include both legends, claiming that he pulled an unnamed sword from the stone and then got Excalibur from the Lady. Modern retellings will sometimes call the Sword in the Stone "Caliburn," which is the same name as "Excalibur," but in Latin instead of French.
** TheLadyOfTheLake wound up having enough contradictory characterizations that Malory included two: an unnamed one who gave Excalibur to Arthur and was killed by Sir Balin, and then Nimue, described as "the chief lady of the lake." The idea of the Lady being some sort of legacy title is fairly common in modern depictions; often the first is named Vivien and the latter Nimue, which, as with Caliburn/Excalibur, are variants of the same name.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Castlevania}}'': Due to the showrunners (particularly Creator/WarrenEllis)’s disdain for poor Grant, his position in the story gets divvied up and given to original characters in his absence. Greta fulfils his role as the fourth hero who befriends the heroes in battle and gets a happy ending while other ally Zamfir gets his use of daggers and rogue appearance. Not to mention, Trevor mentions meeting a “Pirate of the Roads” so Grant himself does technically really exist as well, albeit as TheGhost.

** The "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E6TreehouseOfHorrorV Treehouse Of Horror V]]" segment "The Shinning" parodies ''Film/TheShining'', and Danny Torrance's part is split between the Simpsons children. Bart has the titular psychic power, Lisa sees the waterfall of blood spilling out of the elevator, and Maggie spells out "REDRUM" with her blocks.

** In the ''X & Y'' saga, the attributes of the PlayerCharacter are split between X (TheHero who moved from unknown lands) and Y (Grace's daughter).
** In the ''Gold and Silver'' saga, the male and female Executive designs are used for [[CoDragons Carl and Sham]]. In the ''Heart Gold and Soul Silver'' saga, the remakes' Executives make an appearance, including Arianna and Archer, who use updated versions of the original designs.
** Similarly, the ''Ruby and Sapphire'' saga uses the same Admins as the games (with the addition of one CanonForeigner for each team). The ''[=OmegaRuby=] and [=AlphaSapphire=]'' saga introduces the remakes' Admins... with the same names as the old ones (They're codenames).
** The ''Diamond and Pearl'' saga has Diamond (the male player character) as Pearl's (the rival) childhood friend however Platinum (the female playable character) is the one fighting gyms.
** The ''Sun and Moon'' saga does something similar with Sun (the male player character) and Moon (the female player character). Sun takes on the Island Challenge while Moon is the one who befriends Lillie and Gladion.

** Ethan's original ''Gold and Silver'' design appeared as Jimmy in ''Anime/TheLegendOfThunder''. His remake design later [[TheCameo cameoed]] in ''Anime/PokemonZoroarkMasterOfIllusions'' [[IdenticalStranger as an entirely separate person]].
** Silver, the rival from ''Gold and Silver'', had a cameo appearance in ''The Legend of Thunder'', in addition to serving as the basis for his {{Expy}} Paul from the ''Diamond and Pearl'' anime.
** The [[https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/File:Pokemon_Journal.jpg nurse design]] from ''Red and Blue'' served as a basis for both Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. Ironically, later games would [[RetCanon redesign the nurses to look closer to Nurse Joy.]]

* ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'' does this with Okita Souji. Okita's role as the young but stubborn captain of the Shinsengumi goes to Okita Sougo, but his illness and premature death from it went to [[spoiler:Sougo's sister Mitsuba]].

* ''WesternAnimation/AroundTheWorldWithWillyFog'': Rigodon and Tico (a cat and a hamster replacing Passepartout from [[Literature/AroundTheWorldInEightyDays the novel]]), and Dix and Bully (two dogs replacing Fix from the novel). Both pairs [[ThoseTwoAnimals rarely split]].

* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14114693/1/Gargoyles-and-Turtles-Unsung-Defenders Gargoyles and Turtles: Unsung Defenders]]"'' (''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' & ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles''): As part of the fic involves a mix of features from various ''TMNT'' adaptations, Ch’rell and the Shredder are colleagues; in [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 the 2003 series]], Shredder and Ch’rell were the same person, with ‘Shredder’ being a robot suit controlled by Ch’rell.

* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': WesternAnimation/ElmerFudd himself is one of those from WesternAnimation/PorkyPig's role and appearance from the cartoon "WesternAnimation/PorkysHareHunt". The debut of Happy Rabbit, who evolved into WesternAnimation/BugsBunny.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Castlevania}}'': Due to the show runners (particularly Creator/WarrenEllis)’s disdain for poor Grant, his position in the story gets divvied up and given to original characters in his absence. Greta fulfils his role as the fourth hero who befriends the heroes in battle and gets a happy ending while other ally Zamfir gets his use of daggers and rogue appearance. Not to mention, Trevor mentions meeting a “Pirate of the Roads” so Grant himself does technically really exist as well, albeit as TheGhost.

* InUniverse example in ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}'': [[spoiler:Vasher is revealed to be Kalad the Usurper, the tyrant acredited with starting the now infamous Manywar, as well as Peacegiver the Blessed, the legendary figure who is said to have ended it with diplomacy. According to Vasher, people couldn't understand why he'd had a HeelRealization, and worked to end the war he'd started, so history just assumed he was two different people, and he never bothered setting the historical records straight. For added bonus, he's ''also'' one of the Five Scholars, who discovered the methods of making Lifeless that allowed the war to begin in the first place]].

* The pirate-focused series ''Manga/OnePiece'' splits the real-life [[UsefulNotes/{{Blackbeard}} Edward "Blackbeard" Teach]] into Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate and Marshall D. "Blackbeard" Teach.

** The ninth NonSerialMovie ''Anime/EpisodeOfChopperPlusBloomInTheWinterMiracleSakura'' being a remake of Drum Island arc (somehow set after the Water 7 arc despite Chopper being introduced long before) decomposites Wapol, the ArcVillain who is split into two, one side being he’s goofy LaughablyEvil original self and other being his CanonForeigner brother Musshuru who’s more serious and a better fighter allowing for Luffy (who had [[SuperMode Second Gear]] at this point) to have more of a challenge, he’s even sent flying by Luffy in the same way Wapol was.

* In a supplemental book to the Rev. W. Awdry's ''Literature/TheRailwaySeries'', Henry the green engine is implied to be two separate engines before and after his crash and subsequent rebuild at Crewe, owing to technical discrepancies over the feasability of this rebuild.

** The most interesting case is that of [[UsefulNotes/RichardIII Richard of Gloucester]], King Theatre/RichardIII. At least four characters -- Ned Stark, Stannis Baratheon, Tyrion Lannister and Theon Greyjoy have aspects dealing with his life and legend. Ned Stark shares Gloucester's popularity in Northern England. Stannis has his NoSocialSkills among the English nobility, stemming from his rigid sense of duty and justice, as well as his gifts as a military commander. Tyrion Lannister is essentially a tribute to the rhetorical splendor of Shakespeare's Richard III, complete with disability and DeadpanSnarker {{Angst}}, he's eventually framed for the death of his nephew (like some historians believe of Richard himself) and becomes so notorious that a play is made of his life in Braavos which does for him what Shakespeare did for his counterpart. Theon Greyjoy's reputation as the killer of the young Stark Princes directly echoes the "Princes of the Tower" legend, with Theon subsequently tortured into becoming a disabled freak with a limp called, "[[MeaningfulName Reek]]"[[note]] [[DontExplainTheJoke get it Rick, as in Richard!]][[/note]]

!!These are numerous folders with other examples.

!!This is an example. That is also that example.

Not to be confused with LiteralSplitPersonality, which is when one character is split into two or more separate people by some magical or super-scientific means within the fictional work itself. Compare MultiSlotCharacter, a video game specific trope in which a characters different incarnations are separate characters.

Not to be confused with LiteralSplitPersonality, which is when one character is split into two or more separate people by some magical or super-scientific means within the fictional work itself.

* ''WebOriginal/HamstersParadise'': The baywulves from the original sketches were split into two species, the northhounds and the southhounds, with the group as a whole being referred to as the calliducyons. The baywulf name is still in use as a subspecies of the southhounds.