History Main / DoppelgangerSpin

A common subversion is that ''none'' of the clones is the real adversary, who is secretly hiding somewhere nearby instead.

* ''VideoGame/MissionImpossibleKonami'': The third level boss would spin and teleport around the [[TemporaryPlatform crumbling floor]] of the arena while creating transparent doubles of himself. The doubles are intangible and cannot be hurt, but still throw very real shuriken at you.

* The UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi|2002}}'' enables you to "stealth dash" to move quickly, leaving behind a stationary image of yourself which can confuse some enemies into attacking it. Dashing many times can leave many images.

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Villain [[Characters/SpiderManCentralRoguesGallery Mysterio]] is fond of this tactic, although he uses [[MasterOfIllusion holographic projectors]] and other technological means rather than any natural ability.
* An ''actual magician'' like ComicBook/DoctorStrange has been doing [[https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRIRvPPWTHxt6u9Pmla1XcZn6_-H-nZ2kmkaaTTWm8p5POSpSeWO0Fv9vpLsQ this]] since the 60s; he’s even able to trick other magic users like Loki with the technique.
* ComicBook/TheFlash's enemy The Mirror Master practically made this trope in comics; it's one of his favorite tricks. In fact, the various Flashes have mimicked this ability many, many times.
* ComicBook/MultipleMan from ComicBook/XFactor is another one who can manage this trope.
* ComicBook/{{Firestorm|DCComics}}'s enemy Multiplex.
* ComicBook/IronMan used this trick a lot in the old days, courtesy of his suit's built-in image inducer. Nowadays Tony can control machines with his brain, so he likes to use ''real'' Iron Man suits as the "dummies". Then there were the few times when he was using remote-controlled suits or simply having his friends put on extra suits to give him some back-up.
* British 1980's ''Starblazer'' comic. The Clone Burst device created multiple holographic copies of the user as a decoy.
* In ''ComicBook/Supergirl1984'', evil sorceress Selena creates magically a bunch of copies of herself to surround Characters/{{Supergirl|TheCharacter}} and prevent her from saving Ethan.
%% * In ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'', Sonic tended to use this from time to time, using his super speed to confuse his opponents.

* [[Characters/MarvelComicsLoki Loki]] had this power since the first ''[[ComicBook/TheAvengers Avengers]]'' story, though he uses it more frequently in the movies.
* [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]] has an Image Projector that can create a lifelike projection of himself nearby. He uses it as a decoy.
* Characters/{{Wonder Woman|TheCharacter}} has been using her speed to create after images/speed clones since her earliest appearances.

* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' did this with a rifle-toting hunter, a devious duck and a hall of mirrors (with one mirror already shot through):
-->"Ah, yes, Mr. Frischberg, I thought you'd come... but which of us is the ''real'' duck, Mr. Frischberg, and not just an illusion?"

[[folder:FanWorks]]

[[folder:Films - Live-Action]]
* ''Film/SupermanII''. Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}} generates duplicates of himself to baffle his enemies (and the audience) in the climax, the same battle where we learned his S-shield can be torn off and used as a poorly-animated weapon.
* The otherwise rather forgettable kung fu film ''Film/TheEmperorAndHisBrother'' has one moment that stood out, which is when the hero, Chen Chia-lo, reveals his ''chi'' ability to his fullest extent, which allows him to conjure one to two translucent copies of himself to fight alongside himself, where he can fight multiple opponents ''at the precise same time''.
* ''Film/TotalRecall1990''. Quaid's wrist {{hologram}} device gives him a single image version, which he and Melina use to distract and kill Cohaagen's guards.
* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:
** Loki does this a couple of times in ''Film/{{Thor}}.'' He does it again in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', prompting Loki to mock Thor when he doesn’t realize they’re copies.
---> “Are you ever not going to fall for that?”
** Invoked by Dormammu in ''Film/{{Doctor Strange|2016}}'' - in the first round of the Final Battle, Dormammu blasts a version of Doctor Strange and then sees another one appear. He immediately suspects this trope and asks if it's an illusion, and upon hearing the new Strange say "this is real," he says "good" and blasts him again. [[spoiler: In fact, there are no illusions, it's a time loop and it's real every time.]]
** Utilized by Doctor Strange in the fight against Thanos in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''. He creates dozens of duplicates which use magical whips to restrain the Mad Titan. Unfortunately, Thanos uses the soul stone to pick out which Strange is the real one, and the power stone to obliterate the rest.
** Early in ''Film/{{Eternals}}'', Sprite hides herself and Sersi from a Deviant by creating a crowd of illusory duplicates of themselves that start walking back and forth.
* In ''Film/HighlanderThreeTheSorceror'', Nakano creates two illusions of himself to fend off Kane and his two sidekicks so Connor can escape.
* ''Film/TangoAndCash'' has the villain Jack Palance in a maze of mirrors near the end.
* Spaghetti Western ''Film/MyNameIsNobody''. Nobody using mirrors to scare his opponents. [[PunnyName Nobody]] [[{{Pun}} did it]].

* In some of the later ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' games, Goro Majima as a boss has the ability to summon shadow clones to attack the player solely by doing a backflip, which stands out in a game that's otherwise mostly grounded in a sort-of heightened realism (though it's also likely meant to be a representation of his agility).

* The recurring boss Pesanta in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4Remake'''s version of the [[AnotherSideAnotherStory "Separate Ways" campaign]] summons multiple illusory copies of herself during encounters. Thankfully, the real Pesanta has a tell (her eyes glow a bright orange), while the "illusions" are still capable of harming Ada even as her attacks pass cleanly through them.

* The sequel ''VideoGame/Nightshade2003'' has this as well as a [[LimitBreak special attack]] which enables the heroine to summon a gang of clones and send them at an enemy.

* The sequel ''VideoGame/NightshadeKunoichi'' has this as well as a [[LimitBreak special attack]] which enables the heroine to summon a gang of clones and send them at an enemy.

* One of Margery Daw's favorite attacks in ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana''.

* The Poe spirits in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'' do this, as do the Wizzrobes in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]''. The Poes take the trope's name literally; the real one ''spins''.
** A form of this trope also appeared in the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI first game]] in the series. In the graveyard, touching the tombstones released ghosts known as Ghini, all of which were unkillable except for the "lead" Ghini, which would already be present onscreen; killing the lead Ghini defeated all of them at once. It was fairly easy to identify the lead Ghini, as it was more opaque than the others, but it was vexing in that while you couldn't hurt the other Ghini, ''they'' could most definitely hurt ''you''.
** The original Ghini also moves differently than the others, only moving in the cardinal directions as opposed to the "clones" and their free-floating more akin to Keese and the like.