History Main / Synchronization

* ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'' and ''Series/TheDarkCrystalAgeOfResistance'': Due to them being the halves of their original [=urSkek=] selves, the [=urRu=] (Mystics) and Skeksis are connected, so that when a member of one race dies so does one of the other (so their numbers are always the same), and when a Skeksis is injured one of the urRu suddenly sustains an identical injury. The nature of this connection is a subtle clue to [[FusionDance the film's ending]].

* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': In "Claw and Hoarder: Special Ricktim's Morty", Rick befriends a dragon named Balthromaw, and the two end up "soul-bonding" (which disturbingly played out like intercourse), resulting in Rick feeling whatever he feels, including getting whipped, hung (as pictured above), and [[EyeScream getting an arrow to the eye]].

* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': In "Claw and Hoarder: Special Ricktim's Morty", Rick befriends a dragon named Balthromaw, and the two end up "soul-bonding" (which disturbingly played out like intercourse), resulting in Rick feeling whatever he feels, including getting whipped, hung, and [[EyeScream getting an arrow to the eye]].

* ''Film/TheSuicideSquad''. Starro's PuppeteerParasite's are an extension of him, so when his giant {{Kaiju}} form gives a MightyRoar they mimic it, and when Polka-Dot Man slices a limb off, everyone taken over by him stands on one leg and clutches the other while screaming in pain.

[[quoteright:238:[[Film/{{Dragonheart}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/synchro.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:238:''[[Film/{{Dragonheart}} "Through the heart, we share each other's pains and power."]]'']]

* ''Film/TheDouble'': [[spoiler: After Simon punches his IdenticalStranger James, he discovers that they have some sort of connection that causes them to share injuries. Simon then uses this link to kill James by jumping off a roof while James is handcuffed to a bed so he will receive life saving medical attention while James won't be found in time.]]

* The mechs of ''Anime/DualParallelTroubleAdventure'' are controlled via a pilot's "Life Sympathy", with higher levels being more powerful at the cost of feeling pain when the mech is damaged. Main character Kazuki is the only known male pilot and also has negative Life Sympathy levels that allow hit to pull off impossible feats.

* ''Series/MotherlandFortSalem'': {{Played with}}, as Raelle has a magical link to Scylla that allows Scylla to transmit messages to her via their palms. They don't share sensations otherwise.

Identical twins on TV often experience this due to TwinsAreSpecial, as with ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Corsican_Brothers The Corsican Brothers]]'' of literature. It's also common with the EnemyWithout.

Identical twins on TV often experience this, as with ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Corsican_Brothers The Corsican Brothers]]'' of literature. It's also common with the EnemyWithout.

[[quoteright:238:[[Film/{{Dragonheart}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/synchronization_trope_image3.jpg]]]]

If the link can ensure the death of a participant but doesn't otherwise transmit pain or other feelings, then it isn't a Synchronization but a case of CantLiveWithoutYou. Compare PsychicGlimpseOfDeath, where one party experiences the death of another while connected to their mind but is able to survive.

** ''Magazine/{{Dungeon}}'' magazine #73, SideTrek adventure "The Necromancer's Pet". The title creature is a pseudo-familiar in the shape of a bulldog. It wears a magical collar that can cast the Lifeline spell on other creatures. While the spell is in effect, half of all HitPoints of damage done to the pseudo-familiar is inflicted on the target of the spell instead.

* In the dramatization of ''Longitude'', one of the cranks seen by the Longitude Committee suggests using a "powder of sympathy" to link dogs in this way. The idea is that a dog on land would be injured at noon each day, causing its counterpart aboard a distant ship to bark in pain. In this way the sailors could keep track of Greenwich Mean Time. Not surprisingly the Committee didn't think much of the idea -- Untruth in Television, you might say. (Of course, they didn't think much of John Harrison's practical methods either.)

* ''Anime/MaiOtome'':

* In ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}} Fusion'', it's stated that when Samus puts on her semi-organic Power Suit, it bonds to her nervous system, which is why no one can remove her suit but her; this leads to problems when she needs emergency medical attention, like when the X Parasite infect her through the suit. It's also why when she is infused with Metroid DNA to save her life, her suit grows a layer of Metroid flesh; it couldn't be removed entirely and she had to be treated with it on. Fan speculation states her relationship with it may be more symbiotic: it's the reason why she feels pain when her suit is hit, why she regains health if she picks up energy, and why she can go hours or days on end non-stop without rest or eating (she siphons energy from her suit).

** Taken even further in''Anime/DigimonTamers''. First shown with Takato who's strong bond with his partner Guilmon causes him to start feeling Guilmon's pain at certain times (starting with the battle with the tiger Deva Mihiramon) as well as allowing him to mentally and emotionally connect with Guilmon, at times even allowing him to lend Guilmon strength. [[spoiler: After the main trio Bio-Merge with their Digimon, they discover that all three of them feel now feel their partners pain when they fight the D-Reaper in the real world.]]

** As noted, the empathic link between a wizard and familiar (or another character with an animal companion/paladin mount) is usually too weak to count as full synchronisation. However, there is a Corrupt spell, ''master's lament'' from ''Heroes of Horror'', which can strengthen this link to the point that any damage or magical effect suffered by the familiar or the master will be transferred to the other.

-->'''Balthromaw:''' It pains me that you feel my pain.
-->'''Rick:''' Yeah, how 'bout you suck your dick? Which is also somehow ''my'' dick.

* [[UsefulNotes/QuantumPhysics Quantum entanglement]]: UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein famously derided the concept as "spooky action at a distance". But it turned out that this phenomenon really exists.
** This is only a partial case. If you set the state of one of the particles, the entanglement will break. It's just that checking the state (which gives a random result) will get the same result for both particles. If you use this right, you can get effects that are statistically impossible under classical physics.

* Part this, part MentalFusion is required on the behalf of the pilots in ''Film/PacificRim'' so they can control the powerful [[HumongousMecha Jaegermechs]] with a neural link. More than one pilot is necessary to take the mental strain of moving a giant robot with your mind, so Jaeger pilots must be "Drift-compatible" in order to ensure that they can work together effectively. To facilitate this, most (though not all) pilot pairs are family members or romantic couples.

* Subverted in a rather cruel fashion in ''Anime/MaiHime'':

* In TheAnimeOfTheGame for ''VideoGame/{{Persona4}}'', [[AstralProjection Personas]] act more like [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Stands]] than in the games. The protagonists do all their fighting through their Personas, and feel any harm that afflicts said Personas.

* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}''

* In the final chapters of the Music/{{Vocaloid}} fic ''FanFic/RottingCamellias'', Miku finds a way to [[spoiler: use this trope against Meiko, who has been keeping her locked in a cage.]]

* ''FanFic/AChanceMeetingOfTwoMoons'': Alternate universe counterparts can develop this; in Artemis and Luna's case, it ultimately leads to [[spoiler:a full-blown PsychicLink, letting them speak telepathically to one another even from different worlds]].

** Shadow Clones suffer this as a limitation. For example, if the original gets hurt (or in Naruto's case, dons the Demon Fox cloak, which burns him), the clones will feel the same pain and possibly disperse. On an inverse note, if a clone is gathering nature energy and overloads, thus [[TakenForGranite turning into stone]], the creator will suffer the same fate.

** Organic Link Magic involves linking two or more things together such that damage to one will result in similar damage done to the other. Laxus' Thunder Palace involves using Lightning Lacrima that, if destroyed, establish a link with the destroyer that causes them to take damage equal to what took out the lacrima. [[spoiler:Brain's SuperPoweredEvilSide Zero is kept as a SealedEvilInACan via Organic Link magic connecting the six members of the Oracion Seis, with each seal fading as one of the Seis is defeated in battle.]]