Line #42 Main/FusionDissonance


1	[[quoteright:318:[[TabletopGame/YuGiOh https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fusiondissonance_yugioh_transparent1.png]]]] [[caption-width-right:318:LadyOfBlackMagic + WhiteMage = Music/BillyIdol[[note]]''Top-left'': Witch of the Black Forest; ''Top-right'': Lady of Faith; ''Bottom'': Musician King[[/note]]]]
2
3	->'''Rata:''' Fusionist. How come it had lower stats than one of its materials?\
4	'''Shape:''' ...''What?''\
5	'''Rata:''' And then... ''Musician King''. Lady of Faith... Witch of the Black Forest... ''Dave Sabo''?\
6	'''Shape:''' Oh, Fusion monsters. Listen, [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness it was the middle ages]]. Nobody cares.
7	-->-- ''WebVideo/Rank10YGO''
8
9	Combinations from a FusionDance tend to retain specific traits of the mergers. The Composite and Mixed Form Shapeshifter varieties tend to retain traits from all of the merging components, while the Power Booster and Switcher usually take the appearance of one component then [[HybridPower retain the abilities]] of the others. Those of TwoBeingsOneBody are more varied and either treatment works for different cases.
10
11	However, there are instances of resulting fusions that are too different from their components. It could be that their fusion takes them apart on the atomic level and puts them back together in a way that it might as well be an entirely new body, or it involves some {{Shapeshifting}} but MorphicResonance is just unnecessary for the process. Whatever the case may be, none of the fused components are recognizable in the result just by mere observation.
12
13	When the fusion's anomaly is unintentional, it's a MergingMistake. It can overlap with Fusion Dissonance if the mistake deforms the result enough for the components to be unrecognizable. Compare with RandomSpeciesOffspring, for mismatching results from a [[SexualEuphemism different kind of combination]].
14	----
15	!!Examples:
16	[[foldercontrol]]
17	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
18	* Ankylomon and Angemon in ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'' [[FusionDance DNA digivolved]] into Shakkoumon -- which doesn't look anything like either one of them, due to being based on a [[https://www.britannica.com/art/dogu dogu]] doll with ornaments that are [[InterfaithSmoothie inspired by]] UsefulNotes/{{Taoism}} ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taijitu taijitu]]), Myth/JapaneseMythology ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magatama magatama]]), and UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} (a crown with a cross).
19	* ''Anime/DigimonFrontier'': The forms achieved through Fusion Spirit Evolution are normally created by mixing and matching parts from the earlier Human and Beast Spirit Evolution forms (which, in the toyline, also have an alternate combination representing the ancient Digimon who created them). However, supplemental material includes Fusion forms for the supporting cast which [[ToylessToylineCharacter couldn't possibly be replicated by a toy]] - e.g. the Ice fusion combining a snowman and a [[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti yeti]] into a giant penguin-shaped ice machine
20	* PlayedForLaughs in ''Manga/BoboboboBobobo'', where FusionDance forms ''never'' resemble their components in appearance or personality (or sometimes even [[ArtShift artstyle]]). The main character is a parody of [[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar Kenshiro]] with FunnyAfro and he can combine with [[Characters/BoboboboBoboboTheRebels a bunch]] of [[OurMonstersAreWeird weird monsters]] to form... {{Magical Girl}}s and {{Bishonen}}? On the debut fusion, [=BoboPatch=] claims to be so powerful that he can only maintain his form for one minute... but later fusions have completely random limits ranging from hours to seconds. One of the fusions in the manga is with Torpedo Girl (a literal female torpedo with a face and legs, not the Music/{{KISS}} song) resulting into a [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/torpedo_girbo.png parody]] of [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Sephiroth]].
21	* ''Anime/Daitarn3'': The Blue Berets from Episode 16 combine to form a [[MonsterOfTheWeek Megaborg]] instead of the usual single Meganoid [[MakeMyMonsterGrow growing]] and shapeshifting into one. Though they are Meganoid teenage rebels with a guerilla theme, they combine into a giant three-eyed mummy.
22	[[/folder]]
23	[[folder:Comic Books]]
24	* ''Creator/MarvelComics'':
25	** The [[NonhumanHumanoidHybrid half]]-[[Comicbook/TheEternals Eternal]], half-Deviant [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/ritter-twins/4005-72119/ Ritter Twins]] have the power to fuse with each other. Their first fusion, Tzabaoth, still has MorphicResonance to their uncombined forms because it's just their [[SpareBodyParts body parts overlapping]] in a [[TwoBeingsOneBody merged body]], but their second fusion is a black-and-gold WingedHumanoid with its eyes as the only discernible features on its face.
26	** Bastion, an enemy of the ''Comicbook/XMen'', was originally two separate characters: Master Mold and Nimrod. The former being the leader of the Sentinel robots, who was giant sized because his body was supposed to be a factory to manufacture more of them, and the latter being an advanced pink and white Sentinel from the BadFuture of ''ComicBook/DaysOfFuturePast'''s AlternateTimeline. The two of them were pushed into a mystic gate called the Siege Perilous at the exact same time and eventually reappeared as a normal-looking android who retained both machines' hatred for mutants.
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]
30	* ''Series/JAKQDengekitai [[VersusTitle vs.]] [[Series/HimitsuSentaiGoranger Goranger]]'': The [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Crime Big Four]] (Baron Iron Mask, General Sahara, Captain UFO, and Hell Boxer) merge to form the Big Four Robo. No, it isn't a HumongousMecha; this is [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness before those existed]] in ''Franchise/SuperSentai''. The Crime Big Four just look like humans wearing goofy metal headdresses, but the Big Four Robo is a tank-themed robot that doesn't have any features of its components.
31	* In ''Franchise/KamenRider [[{{Crossover}} x]] Series/KamenRiderW & [[Series/KamenRiderDecade Decade]]: [[TheMovie Movie]] War 2010'', the [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/kamenrider/images/9/99/Dummy_Dopant.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/196?cb=20190221154044 Dummy Dopant]] and [[Film/KamenRiderZO Neo]] [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/kamenrider/images/5/5c/Neo_Organism_%282010%29.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/350?cb=20160207134331 Organism]] combined into [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/kamenrider/images/f/fe/Ultimate_D.png/revision/latest?cb=20190221154044 Ultimate D,]] whose only resemblance is to the former's humanoid shape. This is justified since both creatures can {{shapeshift\|ing}}. The linked images are just their ShapeshifterDefaultForm and "[[EvolutionaryLevels larval form]]" respectively and the latter transformed into [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/kamenrider/images/e/ef/DCD-Doras.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20190315092850 Doras]] (a humanoid BigCreepyCrawly like Ultimate D but that's the only thing they have in common) earlier in the movie. That ability wasn't exhibited during its fight against Decade and W however, implying that it underwent ShapeshifterModeLock.
32	[[/folder]]
33	[[folder:Literature]]
34	* A set of illustrations in ''Literature/CodexSeraphinianus'' show a couple (humans) having sex slowly metamorphose into one [[{{Animorphism}} crocodile]].
35	[[/folder]]
36	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
37	* ''Series/HikoninSentaiAkibaranger'': In the first episode, the Akibarangers encounter two {{Meido}} cosplaying as [[Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger Nai and Mea]] who, instead of combining into the more thematically relevant vampire Vancuria like the originals, combines into the male aphid-themed Shibuyaseitakaawadachisohidenagaaburamushi.
38	* ''Series/GAROGoldStormSho'': Inverted by [[spoiler: the Horror fought in the first episode]] who is disguised as {{identical twin\|s}} girls that can move independently from each other.
39	[[/folder]]
40	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
41	* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'':
42	** As shown in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCQyx7rwiec these]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei4XE_EKn80 videos,]] some of the older Fusion Monsters look nothing like their recipes. In many cases, this is because they debuted in older video games, where the cards involved had more generic materials. For instance, Flame Swordsman was originally made in the 1998 ''VideoGame/YuGiOhDuelMonsters'' by fusing any fire-based monster with any humanoid warrior monster, but the card game started in 1999 and statted it as a specific Fire-type (Flame Manipulator) and a specific Warrior (Masaki the Legendary Swordsman)--two cards that could indeed be used to summon it in the video games, but have no connection or resemblance to Flame Swordsman apart from the broad concept of a fire guy and a sword-wielder.
43	** Even with the older video games in mind, the card game would often change the fusion materials for no clear reason. For instance, in these older video games, Musician King was made by fusing certain cards, mostly Fairies and Spellcasters, with Sonic Maid or Hibikime (both of which are music-themed), and Great Mammoth of Goldfine was made by fusing Mammoth Graveyard (a card it is a PaletteSwap of) with a Zombie monster. The card game changed Musician King's materials to two random Spellcasters that have no connection to music, and Great Mammoth of Goldfine's to two random Zombies that look nothing like it.
44	** Zigzagged later in ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'''s lifespan, when Fusion and similar monsters started gaining more non-specific materials, with the artwork depicting only the "canon" combination. E.g. the Metalfoes consist of a series of humanoid monsters riding vehicles, and a series of Fusion monsters representing the same characters wearing their vehicles as PoweredArmor... except that ''any'' of the Metalfoes' basic forms can be used as material for any of their Fusions. Most of these fusion monsters make it clear that the artwork is just a limitation in depiction. Like how the card "[=UFOroid=] Fighter" is simply a combination of [[FlyingSaucer UFOroid]] and any Warrior-Type card, with the result adding the ATK and DEF of its fusion materials. The Warrior depicted in that card is "Elemental HERO Tempest" for consistency with its first appearance in ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', but the idea behind the card is that the Warrior-type monster rides the [=UFOroid=] and it could have been any other Warrior.
45	** The game also has a whole class of "Fusion Substitute Monsters", which share versions of the effect ''"This card can be used as a substitute for any 1 Fusion Material whose name is specifically listed on the Fusion Monster Card, but the other Fusion Material(s) must be correct."'' (usually restricted to materials or fusions of a specific category). This was later {{Nerf}}ed by the introduction of Strict Fusion Summoning - monsters with an effect which prevents them from being Fusion Summoned except using materials with the proper names. At least until the introduction of Elemental Hero Prisma, a Fusion support card whose effect lets it ''change its name''.
46	* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': The Innistrad block drew heavily on Creator/{{Lovecraft}}ian imagery and saw the return of [[EldritchAbomination Emrakul and the Eldrazi]]. The block also introduced the "Meld" mechanic, where if you had certain cards in play, they would fuse into some [[BodyHorror horrific]] abomination of nature. For instance, the angels [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=414304&type=card Bruna]] and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=414319&type=card Gisela]] would meld to form [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=414305&type=card Brisela.]]
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Video Games]]
50	* As shown in the anime examples, a lot of fusions in ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' do not have MorphicResonance to their components, but ''Digimon Story: Super Xros Wars [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo Blue and Red]]'' exaggerate it. As there are too many to mention, let's just take a few:
51	** Patamon is a guinea pig with bat wings that can combine with Kuramon (spiky [[{{Oculothorax}} ball with one eye]]) to form [=IceDevimon=] (a humanoid demon with long arms and tattered wings). Or, in the ''Blue'' version, with Otamamon (tadpole), Wormmon (caterpillar), and Piximon (a {{Cephalothorax}} [[OurFairiesAreDifferent fairy]]) to form Calumon (a CarbuncleCreature with EarWings). Calumon's components make more sense in the ''Red'' version because it replaces everyone except for Piximon with Lopmon, Lunamon, and Terriermon (all with bodies with stubby arms and legs and rounded cutesy heads similar to Calumon's).
52	** Kuramon can also combine with Dracmon (looks like a kid vampire with eyes in its palms) and [=DemiDevimon=] (a Cephalothorax demon) into [[BedsheetGhost Bakemon]].
53	** [[PlantPerson Togemon]] (a cactus with boxing gloves) can combine with [[DreadfulDragonfly Yanmamon]] and [[InsectoidAliens Kabuterimon]] (a heavily stylized rhinoceros beetle) to form Lillymon (a fairy with leaves for wings and [[PlantHair petals for hair]] and skirt). In the ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' continuity and some of the other games, Togemon can evolve to Lillymon without fusion.
54	** [[KillerTeddyBear Monzaemon]] is combined from [[TalkingPoo Sukamon]], Numemon (a slug), and Apemon.
55	** [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent Goblimon]] and Armadillomon fuse into [[OurMinotaursAreDifferent Minotarumon]], which is pretty faithful to ''Myth/ClassicalMythology'' except for its [[ArtificialLimbs mechanical left hand]].
56	** Coelamon may only slightly resemble a coelacanth but it resembles its components (Crabmon and [[ClamTrap Syakomon]]) even less. Crabmon can evolve into Coelamon without fusion in other games.
57	* Every ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' game that has fusion mechanics usually have resultant demons that don't resemble their components except for some inherited skills.
58	** Regular fusions use a formula based on the fused demons' races and levels to determine the fusion result. Because the result is calculated by an algorithm rather than pre-determined, it always result in a demon that looks nothing like its components. For example, you can fuse a goddess, TheDevil, and a dragon then end up with a penis monster among other possibilities. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZEq6DG9ZP4 Seriously.]]
59	** Some games have Special Fusion, which requires specific components to create a predetermined demon. Even then, these are usually grouped by themes or mythological connections rather than appearances. For example, in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'', fusing the jealous goddess [[https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Aramisaki Aramisaki]] requires [[https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Skogsra Skogsra]], [[https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Bai_Suzhen Bai Suzhen]], and [[https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Lorelei Lorelei]], female beings who charm men from various mythologies. Each game has their own Special Fusions, and one game's Special Fusion demon might have different components, or even just be a regular demon.
60	** About the only {{aversion}} of this trope in the series is the demon [[https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Ardha Ardha]], who is usually made by fusing [[https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Shiva Shiva]] and [[https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Parvati Parvati]], and actually looks like a fusion of the two.
61	* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun1'': The FinalBoss is [[spoiler:Saturos and Menardi]] fusing into a huge two-headed dragon as a DesperationAttack. The aptly-named Fusion Dragon appears to be a mindless beast, both its heads are the same, and it doesn't use any of their spells.
62	* ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'': Ribby and Croaks (frogs in boxing gloves) combine into a slot machine (retaining Croaks' generic brown gloves) when Croaks swallows Ribby.
63	* In ''VideoGame/BombermanTournament'':
64	** For each dungeon, you need to fuse two [[{{Mons}} karabons]] to be able to open the final gate. Three of those four require {{Cartoon Creature}}s, so that doesn't seem too weird, but the fourth one requires mixing an eel ([[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bomberman/images/b/be/19.Unagi.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20130622134723 Unagi]]) with a {{pegasus}} ([[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bomberman/images/8/8d/21.Youni.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20130622134444 Youni]]) to create a winged sea-serpent ([[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bomberman/images/f/f9/Seawingartwork.JPG/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/310?cb=20130708150844 SeaWing]]). By this description, it might seem like it would just retain Unagi's body and Youni's wings but that isn't the case. [=SeaWing=]'s head has a different shape compared to either component's, its scales' pattern is different from Unagi's, and while Youni has hooves and feathered wings, [=SeaWing=] has claws and webbed wings.
65	** Afterwards, the boss will further fuse with the karabon you just fused to become a monster. All of the bosses are bomber-{{cyborg}}s (practically bombermen, humanoid but with mechanical parts), but most of the monsters have barely any relation with the components. To specify:
66	*** [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bomberman/images/3/38/MagnetBomberStoryart.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20121015211253 MagnetBomber]] fuses with [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bomberman/images/8/8c/Pommy_Fangs_2.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/310?cb=20110724045444 Pommy Fangs]] (a fanged electric ball) to create [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bomberman/images/0/05/MagnetDragon.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/310?cb=20121015210936 MagnetDragon]] (a long mechanical dragon).
67	*** [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bomberman/images/2/27/PrettyBomberStoryart.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20121015224054 PrettyBomber]] fuses with [[http://www.vizzed.com/vizzedboard/retro/user_screenshots/saves8/80346/GBA--Bomberman%20Tournament_Jul15%2021_41_21.png Pommy Sea]] (a [[https://bomberman.fandom.com/wiki/Pommy Pommy]] variant with fins) to create [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bomberman/images/9/9c/PrettyBalloon.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20121015223613 PrettyBalloon]] (a fat TentacledTerror).
68	*** [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bomberman/images/a/a6/PlasmaBomberStoryart.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20121016034702 PlasmaBomber]] fuses with [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bomberman/images/d/db/Guide-14_-_Kopya.JPG/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/310?cb=20130527133244 Pommy Dragon]] to create [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bomberman/images/0/0f/PlasmaRoc.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/310?cb=20121016034332 Plasma]]{{Roc\|Birds}}k.
69	*** The only aversion is [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bomberman/images/5/58/GolemStoryart.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20121016050205 GolemBomber]] fusing with the aforementioned sea-serpent to create [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bomberman/images/8/84/GolemGhost.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/310?cb=20121016045437 GolemGhost]] (a zombie-controlling phantom). The fusion retains [=GolemBomber=]'s head but with different colors.
70	* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'': Inverted through LiteralSplitPersonality. [[spoiler:Vergil splits himself with the [[DimensionalCutter Yamato]] into his human and demonic halves as V and Urizen respectively, neither of whom resembles his human or [[SuperMode Devil Trigger]] forms enough for their origins to be easily deduced]].
71	* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsV'': In one unlockable scenario, [[Anime/TheBraveExpressMightGaine Hoi Kow Loon]] demonstrates the creation of a [[MechaMook Paozu]] by combining mechs that aren't even from his anime: two [[Anime/Gundam00AWakeningOfTheTrailblazer mass-production type GN-XIV's]]. The Paozu then creates others of its type from the surrounding space debris. [[spoiler:When Anime/Zambot3 destroys the first Paozu's core that keeps its components fused, the two mobile suits re-emerge intact]].
72	* In ''VideoGame/SphinxAndTheCursedMummy'', when the mayor's [[VileVulture traitorous vulture advisors]] fuse together to fight Sphinx, their fused form is a golden human skeleton with bat-like wings and a skull shaped like a Pharaoh's nemes.
73	* In ''VideoGame/ConwaysGameOfLife'', glider synthesis is the practice of colliding gliders together to produce other objects. The end result usually bears very little resemblance to the gliders that originally created it.
74	[[/folder]]
75	[[folder:Web Comics]]
76	* ''Webcomic/AnsemRetort'': Axel and Zexion (both {{Bishonen}}) combine into a real life figure, the seventh president of the United States of America UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson, [[InsaneTrollLogic because Axel is a murderer and Zexion is a politician]].
77	[[/folder]]
78	[[folder:Western Animation]]
79	* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse''. Gem fusions have some features from each of their components, but usually put a unique twist on them and/or have features that aren't clearly traceable to any component. The more components a fusion has, the less influence from each one is visible. Take the five-Gem fusion Obsidian, for instance - if you couldn't see the signature gemstones of her components on her body, it'd be hard to tell ''who'' she's made of.
80	* ''WesternAnimation/PennZeroPartTimeHero'': In "At the End of the Worlds," the AmbiguouslyHuman Phyllis and her {{Evil\|CounterPart}} SpearCounterpart Phil merge into [[spoiler:The Guardian, which Penn and Boone call a "space gorilla."]]
81	* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'':
82	** [[spoiler:[[Recap/MiraculousLadybugS03E10Oblivio Oblivio]]]] is actually two people fused together [[spoiler:(Alya and Nino)]]. As a purple humanoid mist with [[TheBlank no facial features]] and has [[VoiceOfTheLegion overlapping]] [[EvilSoundsDeep deep voices]], it was hard to tell who they were originally. Even the akumatized item was changed from a computer tablet to a hand cannon.
83	** [[Recap/MiraculousLadybugS03E25HeartHunterBattleoftheMiraculousPart1 Heart Hunter]]'s [[TwoFaced two faces]] do not resemble both André and Audrey Bourgeois but unlike [[spoiler:Oblivio]], there are people around to see them transform.
84	* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'': Wiggy Jiggy Jed, a talking dog, is a fusion of four dogs whos only resemblance is that he's a dog. To make things even more confusing, all four dogs were female.
85	[[/folder]]
86
87	[[folder:Real Life]]
88	* In chemistry, a compound is a substance formed when two or more elements are chemically joined. When the elements are joined, the atoms lose their individual properties and have different properties from the elements they are composed of, depending on the nature of the bond and the other element(s) involved. This is why salt (sodium chloride) is edible, but elemental sodium and chlorine are highly reactive and poisonous.
89	* There are some English textbooks and other teaching materials for toddlers that teach compound words through pictures of the individual words and those words put together. Some of these make sense (e.g. [[https://i.pinimg.com/236x/0a/9e/8a/0a9e8a27d11d22c57c9ce9a76a4cab58.jpg cheese + cake = cheesecake]]) but for individual words that [[NonIndicativeName can't be taken literally]] when used in certain compound words, the pictures become less relevant (e.g. [[https://cdn.teachersprintables.net/samples/Compound_Word_Pictures.png fire + arm]] = firearm, but there might be a problem with this being taught to toddlers).
90	** In general, both English and German have quite a few of these as they both commonly combine words to make new ones, however the root words may only have a slight relation to what the compound refers to, be very culturally derived, or whose meaning may have changed or that might not be in common usage anymore.
91	[[/folder]]

Context Main / FusionDissonance