History Main / DitchingTheDubNames

* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'': In Japanese, the games follow Japanese lawyer Naruhodo Ryuichi. When localizing the games in English for international audiences, Capcom changed the setting to [[ThinlyVeiledDubCountryChange California]] and the protagonist got renamed to Phoenix Wright. However for the spin-off duology ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney'' they instead used the original setting of Japan and Pheonix/Ryuichi's ancestor kept his Japanese name, Naruhodo Ryunosuke (presented as Ryunosuke Naruhodo to follow western full name conventions). This is because the story of the GAA games deals heavily with the relationship between Victorian England and Meiji Japan, so making the main characters American wouldn't have worked. The same applies to the Auchi/Payne of the era, Taketsuchi Auchi, whereas his modern counterparts were named Winston & Gaspen Payne in the English localization.

** The original English dub of ''VideoGame/Yakuza1'' renamed Shintaro Kazama to Shintaro Fuma and the Florist of Sai to Kage, as well as shortening the names of several other characters. ''VideoGame/Yakuza4'' reverted most of these changes, except the Florist, who was renamed "Kage the Florist", a combination of his English and Japanese names, in ''VideoGame/Yakuza2''; it would take until ''[[VideoGameRemake Yakuza Kiwami]]'' for the "Kage" to be dropped.

* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' had it happen to an entire series. Early on, there's been an attempt to localise the franchise's name as ''Revelations'', which has been used as a supertitle for ''The Demon Slayer'' (better known as ''VideoGame/LastBible'') and the original ''VideoGame/{{Persona|1}}''. However, this change, along with translations' general low quality, wasn't well-received, and later games opted for using the original Japanese name. This includes the UpdatedReRelease of ''Persona'', which was given the ''Shin Megami Tensei'' supertitle.
** In the aforementioned ''Revelations: VideoGame/Persona1'' English localization, many of the characters' names were Westernized. Some were rather simple, like Maki (Mary) and Yuka (Alana), while some are drastic, like Kei Nanjo (Nate Trinity) and Takehisa Kandori (Guido Sardenia). In the sequel, ''VideoGame/Persona2'' (specifically, ''Eternal Punishment''), while the Persona 1 cast's first name remained Westernized, they were given their Japanese surname, with Kandori himself claiming that his Westernized name was an alias. When ''Persona 1'' was remade for the PSP, all the names were reverted back to the original Japanese ones.

** In German, the first movie was released as "Krieg der Sterne". Starting with ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', "Star Wars" has been used.

* The Swedish dub for the original ''Anime/YuGiOh'' is based on the 4Kids dub but uses the original Japanese names for the characters.

* ''Franchise/DragonQuest''. Due to trademark issues, the series was renamed to ''Dragon Warrior'' outside of Japan prior to 2005, at which point Creator/SquareEnix finally acquired the rights to the original name and started using it in all languages and regions.

* ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'': In the English version of the first game, Thanatos was known as Tanatos as a result of a mistranslation. Come ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', they get by this by having Thanatos boast in the English dub about adding the "h" to his name.

Oftentimes, localizers decide to change certain names when translating a work for a different region. This can include the [[MarketBasedTitle name of the work itself]], [[DubNameChange or certain characters or things within it]]. The reasons for this vary, but ultimately it's driven by the desire to ensure that the work becomes as popular as possible with its new audience. However, sometimes, after a series has been around for some time, the localizer may decide to revert these changes and start using the same names as the original. This could be for a variety of reasons: the series might already be successful, and the localizers feel that changing the names is no longer necessary, the creators might want to keep the names the same in all regions for consistency's sake, the altered name may have been the result of a mistranslation or other mistake, or the original creator of the work might not like the localizers' changes and request that it be changed back. Globalization also plays a role. The Internet has also given fans in different countries the ability to engage with one another online, so companies may want to make things consistent across the world to avoid the confusion that comes with having different names in different regions. Having the same names across all countries also simplifies the production of merchandise and marketing materials.

* ''VideoGame/AnotherCode'': The original game on DS was released in North America as ''Trace Memory.'' When the game was remade for Platform/NintendoSwitch as a part of ''Another Code Recollection,'' it kept the original ''Another Code: Two Memories'' title, even in North America. This was likely for the sake of consistency, as the sequel [[RemadeForExport originally did not release in North America prior to the remake.]]

Oftentimes, localizers decide to change certain names when translating a work for a different region. This can include the [[MarketBasedTitle name of the work itself]], [[DubNameChange or certain characters or things within it]]. The reasons for this vary, but ultimately it's driven by the desire to ensure that the work becomes as popular as possible with its new audience. However, sometimes, after a series has been around for some time, the localizer may decide to revert these changes and start using the same names as the original. This could be for a variety of reasons: the series might already be successful, and the localizers feel that changing the names is no longer necessary, the creators might want to keep the names the same in all regions for consistency's sake, the altered name may have been the result of a mistranslation or other mistake, or the original creator of the work might not like the localizers' changes and request that it be changed back. Globalization also plays a role. The Internet has also given fans in different countries the ability engage with one another online, so companies may want to make things consistent across the world to avoid the confusion that comes with having different names in different regions. Having the same names across all countries also simplifies the production of merchandise and marketing materials.

* ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'' was originally renamed ''Yakuza'' outside of Japan. In 2022, Sega announced that from then on, the series would be known as ''Like a Dragon'' in English, a direct translation of its Japanese name ''Ryu ga Gotoku''.

Oftentimes, localizers decide to change certain names when translating a work for a different region. This can include the [[MarketBasedTitle name of the work itself]], [[DubNameChange or certain characters or things within it]]. The reasons for this vary, but ultimately it's driven by the desire to ensure that the work becomes as popular as possible with its new audience. However, sometimes, after a series has been around for some time, the localizer may decide to revert these changes and start using the same names as the original. This could be for a variety of reasons: the series might already be successful, and the localizers feel that changing the names is no longer necessary, the creators might want to keep the names the same in all regions for consistency's sake, the altered name may have been the result of a mistranslation or other mistake, or the original creator of the work might not like the localizers' changes and request that it be changed back. The Internet has also given fans in different countries the ability engage with one another online, so companies may want to make things consistent across the world to avoid the confusion that comes with having different names in different regions.

* ''Manga/CaptainTsubasa'' altered almost ''all'' names of the Japanese characters into Western names when it was brought to Europe and Latin America (the protagonist, Tsubasa Ozora, was known as "Oliver Atom" for decades in Spanish-speaking countries, and he's still often referred to that way by the fandom) until the 2018 anime, when all characters are referred by their original Japanese names.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManX5'': In the initial releases, the Mavericks were named after members of Music/GunsNRoses. When the ''Legacy Collection'' release came out, these names were abandoned for more accurate translations.

** Internationally, Princess Peach was originally called Princess Toadstool, which the localizers presumably thought was a better name for the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. In ''VideoGame/YoshisSafari'' and from ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' onwards, they switched to using her original name; ther latter game begins with a letter which she signs as "Princess Toadstool--Peach", implying that "Toadstool" is her last name, but the series has made little to no allusions to the former name since. The idea of Toadstool being her surname while her given name starts with a "P" [[OlderThanTheyThink dates back to]] ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow'', where Princess Toadstool once randomly referred to herself as "[[TranslationNod Princess P.]]".

** Series antagonist Dr. Eggman was originally renamed Dr. Robotnik internationally prior to ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''. That game had one reference to Eggman being a nickname that Sonic and Tails gave to him, similar to what ''Super Mario 64'' did with Princess Peach. Unlike the ''Mario'' series, however, Robotnik remained the character's real name in canon, although the use of it within the games was rare. Given a LampshadeHanging in ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' where Classic Tails refers to Eggman as "Dr. Robotnik" to which Classic Eggman responds, "Nobody calls me that anymore."

* ''Franchise/DragonQuest''. Due to trademark issues, the series was renamed ''Dragon Warrior'' outside of Japan prior to 2005, at which point Creator/SquareEnix finally acquired the rights to the original name and started using it in all languages and regions.

Oftentimes, localizers decide to change certain names when translating a work for a different region. This can include the [[MarketBasedTitle name of the work itself]], [[DubNameChange or certain characters or things within it]]. They may do this in order to ensure that the work becomes as popular as possible with its new audience. However, sometimes, after a series has been around for some time, the localizer may decide to revert these changes and start using the same names as the original. This could be for a variety of reasons: the series might already be successful, and the localizers feel that changing the names is no longer necessary, the creators might want to keep the names the same in all regions for consistency's sake, the altered name may have been the result of a mistranslation or other mistake, or the original creator of the work might not like the localizers' changes and request that it be changed back. The Internet and social media have also given fans in different countries the ability engage with one another online, so companies may want to make things consistent across the world to avoid the confusion that comes with having different names in different regions.

* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' had it happen to an entire series. Early on, there's been an attempt to localise the franchise's name as ''Revelations'', which has been used as a supertitle for ''The Demon Slayer'' (better known as ''VideoGame/LastBible'') and original ''VideoGame/{{Persona|1}}''. However, this change, along with translations' general low quality, wasn't well-received, and later games opted for using the original Japanese name. This includes the UpdatedReRelease of ''Persona'', which was given the ''Shim Megami Tensei'' supertitle.

** Thoughout the series, localizers sometimes mix up similar demons, and later fix these mistakes, resulting in this trope. The best example is Phoenix, Feng Huang, and Suzaku, a trio of fire-based bird demons. Feng Huang has been mistranslated as Phoenix as late as ''VideoGame/Persona5'', until ''VideoGame/SoulHackers2'' translated its name properly. Likewise, Suzaku was called Feng Huang up until ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'', until ''Persona 5'' restored its real name. Meanwhile, actual Phoenix was never mistranslated, but it shows up quite rarely. The fact that all three demons look quite similar, and never show up in the same game, only adds to the confusion.

* When ''VideoGame/Persona1'' was first localized in English, many of the characters' names were Westernized. Some were rather simple, like Maki (Mary) and Yuka (Alana), while some are drastic, like Kei Nanjo (Nate Trinity) and Takehisa Kandori (Guido Sardenia). In the sequel, ''VideoGame/Persona2'' (specifically, ''Eternal Punishment''), while the Persona 1 cast's first name remained Westernized, they were given their Japanese surname, with Kandori himself claiming that his Westernized name was an alias. When ''Persona 1'' was remade for the PSP, all the names were reverted back to the original Japanese ones.

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** Internationally, Princess Peach was originally called Princess Toadstool, which the localizers presumably thought was a better name for the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. In ''VideoGame/YoshisSafari'' and from ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' onwards, they switched to using her original name; ther latter game begins with a letter which she signs as "Princess Toadstool--Peach", implying that "Toadstool" is her last name, but the series has made little to no allusions to the former name since. The idea of Toadstool being her surname while her given name starts with a "P" [[OlderThanTheyThink dates back to]] ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow'', where Princess Toadstool once randomly referred to herself as "[[TranslationNod Princess P.]]".
** The original release of ''VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon'' on the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS is known as ''[[NumberedSequels Luigi's Mansion 2]]'' in the Japanese, European and Chinese versions. While it's unclear which name came first, considering the game was developed by the Canadian Next Level Games, the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch port is known as ''Luigi's Mansion 2 HD'' even in the North American and Korean versions.

** Fang the Sniper was known as Nack the Weasel in English, but had his name changed back from [[VideoGame/SonicDrift his next appearance]] onward. The prologue comic for ''Superstars'' and fifth Episode of ''WebAnimation/TailsTube'' state that Fang has been known by multiple aliases in the past, with "Nack the Weasel" being one fake name.

** Fang the Sniper was known as Nack the Weasel in English, but had his name changed back in the IDW comics and ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'' (with the latter changing it again to "Fang the Hunter") just in time to [[TheBusCameBack return to the franchise after a 27-year absence]]. The prologue comic for ''Superstars'' and fifth Episode of ''WebAnimation/TailsTube'' state that Fang has been known by multiple aliases in the past, with "Nack the Weasel" being one fake name.