That Man Is Dead / Anime & Manga

That Man Is Dead in anime and manga.

---

• The Lord of Terror episode of Ah! My Goddess:
  Belldandy: No, Urd!
  LOT!Urd: Urd...? She no longer exists, and that name is now forgotten.
• In Animerica, once Kiyone's finally succumbed to his evil side and stabs Lita, he instills fear into her by stating:
  Kiyone: Your brother no longer exists. You can call me... (smirks evilly) demon.
• Happens with the main character in Argento Soma. Starting as Takuto Kenishiro, in the first episode he has a traumatizing and disfiguring accident, and takes up a false identity to get revenge. Very near the series end, when the rest of the characters learn that, one calls him by his old name; he responds "I am Ryu Soma."
• In Attack on Titan:
  • Reiner Braun claims this in the aftermath of his Villainous BSoD.
  • Historia Reiss gives up her old name and personality (Krista Lenz) after her true identity is brought to light.
• Legally speaking, Baccano!'s Clair Stanfield "died" aboard the Flying Pussyfoot along with numerous other passengers. Since then, he's purchased a new identity (Felix Walken) for the purposes of getting married, and insists that everyone call him that from now on.
• In the fourth season of Bakugan, Mag Mel says this about Emperor Barodius when they're revealed to be one and the same.
• In the first season of The Big O, chapter 4 "Underground Terror", begins with Roger the Negotiatior hired by Paradigm Press (a branch of Paradigm Group) to convince Michael Seebach, to hand over a manuscript he was working on in exchange for a large retirement package. Seebach disappeared three months ago. So Roger tracks the reporter to an apartment that Seebach has rented and suddenly the room burst in flames. Roger escapes in the nick of time and then we hear this dialogue:
  Roger Smith: Are you Michael Seebach?
  Man in mummy bandages: Michael Seebach has vanished from this world. Go and tell that to your masters!
  Roger Smith: All right, so, what name you go by?
  Man in mummy bandages: By the time being, you can call me Schwarzwald.
  Roger Smith: Black Forrest?
  Man in mummy bandages: Report this to your masters: You can tell them (Evil Laugh) that they will never see their darling reporter in this city again! (Deranged Evil Laugh).
  • And that was even echoed later in chapter 17, "Leviathan"
    Roger Smith: We all know that newspaper reporter Michael Seebach no longer exists in this city
    Paradigm Group Executive: Michael Seebach is dead, but the agitator who calls himself Schwarzwald has returned.
• In Black Clover, after Nacht Faust (the enigmatic vice-captain of the Black Bulls) introduces himself to the Magic Knight captains following the Spade Kingdom's kidnapping of Yami and William Vangeance, Jack begins to recognize his face when Nacht cuts him off with this trope. At first it seems that Nacht has been changed by his deep-cover assignment in the Spade Kingdom, but in truth the person Jack was thinking of is Nacht's younger twin brother, Morgen, who died several years ago saving Nacht after he attempted to bind a Supreme Devil. Nacht was well aware of the mistake, but felt no need to elaborate at the time, making his statement more of a literal truth than a metaphorical one. The reason Jack did not recognize Nacht as himself is because at the time they last met Nacht had a drastically different appearance.
• In Black Lagoon, Rock ends the first arc by calling out his former boss (who spent most of said arc arranging his demise), stating that Okajima Rokuro is already dead and thus signifying his departure from his salaryman position and former life and joining the crew of the Lagoon.
• Bleach: When Aizen's status as the Big Bad was first revealed, Renji thought this trope was in effect and declared that he was no longer the Captain Aizen that he remembered. Aizen's casual response was that the Aizen that Renji remembered had never existed in the first place. It had all been a carefully crafted image to hide the truth, and he actually blamed Renji for being foolish enough for having fallen for it.
• In A Certain Magical Index, when Touma's memories are erased, he pretends it didn't happen so Index and the others don't worry. In private however, he sadly remarks that the old Touma who Index is in love with is dead, and all that is left is him.
• In Chrono Crusade, when Satella confronts Fiore about being her long-lost sister Florette, she gets this in response.
• The Grand Finale of Code Geass has Lelouch, after being killed by "Zero", telling Suzaku that he must go on with his life as Zero because he's been declared dead by everyone.
• Although he never says the actual quote, an important part of the character of Spike in Cowboy Bebop is that he considers himself already dead, having 'died' during his backstory when he faked his own death to escape The Syndicate and that his current life is just a 'bad dream' he'll eventually have to wake up from.
• Subverted in Cross Ange where Ange insists to Momoka to call her Ange instead of her real name Angelise. Momoka doesn't bite and still insists on calling her that regardless.
• In the last episode of the first season of Darker than Black, Anti-Hero Hei says that his loveable and harmless persona, Li "no longer exists".
• Beelzemon says this about his previous identity as Impmon in Digimon Tamers when he encounters the kids for the second time. The dub uses "That loser doesn't exist anymore!", though.
  • More like an alternate identity rather than an alter ego, but in the original Japanese version of Digimon Adventure 02:
    Kaiser: Call me 'Digimon Kaiser'.
    Daisuke: Geh, who'd call you that!? Ken, Ken, Ichijouji Ken!
    Kaiser: I'm seriously going to kill you.
  • Digimon also has an example that's made sort of Narmy by their tendency toward simply adding a word to an existing name when making names for One-Winged Angel forms. "I used to be Etemon, kid, but that was a long time ago! Now... [dramatic pause] I'm MetalEtemon!"
    • Then again, Metal Etemon was basically Captain Narm up until he went and killed Saber Leomon.
  • From Digimon: The Movie
    Young Kari: Koromon?
    Greymon: [who digivolved from an Agumon, which was a Koromon] I'm...Greymon...now.
• In Dragon Ball Z, Dr. Gero claims that he passed away when he became Android 20, though this was more him trying to hide the fact he is Dr. Gero.
• Done in a funny/creepy way in the Excel♡Saga manga. Watanabe, who has gone through a long series of cutie breaking moments (culminating in, after finally winning the heart of Hyatt, having her taken from him by Il Palazzo) has become a creepy homicidal whack job addicted to BDSM porn games. After he catches Sumiyoshi in a compromising position with Ropponmatsu 2 (a robot designed to resemble a young girl) he acts completely nonchalant. When Sumiyoshi asks what happened to the old Watanabe, with a psychotic grin on his face, Watanabe calmly says "Oh that guy? He's dead."
• Downplayed with Angel, aka Sorano Agria in Fairy Tail. She refuses to acknowledge herself as Yukino's sister and pretends not to know her when the two reunite in the Alvarez Empire arc. When it's obvious she can't fool Yukino and is pressed on the issue, she tearfully tells Yukino she isn't the sister of a murderer, but promises that Sorano will "return" once she's forgiven herself for her crimes. They do eventually get back together by the time of Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, this time embracing her true name.
• Miki of Fresh Pretty Cure! pulls an inverted quote of how she claims that the villain that Love fought is Eas all along, and that the woman known as Setsuna never existed. Love runs away to prove her wrong.
  • Played straight in the next episode:
    Wester: Come to your senses, Eas!
    Cure Passion: I am no longer Eas! I am Cure Passion!
  • And one more time in episode 25
    Nakewameke: I am..
    Cure Passion: Goodbye Eas!
  • Topping things off is the fact that she actually did die as Eas only for Akarun to revive her as Cure Passion.
• Honoo no Alpen Rose: Leonhardt Aschenbach says this about himself when the Nazis ask him to play at their concert, as he is furious at them for killing his parents.
  Leon: "Leonhardt Aschenbach died six years ago!"
• Scar from Fullmetal Alchemist never reveals his true name, saying he discarded it. Shortly before his death in Fullmetal Alchemist (2003), Lust asks him for his name. He responds that the true owner of his body, who had a holy name, died long ago. As he leaves to accept his fate, Lust bids him farewell with "Then goodbye... Scar." In the manga version, he eventually tells General Olivier Armstrong that she can just call him whatever she likes, because he's officially listed as dead and thus doesn't need a name.
• Used at the conclusion of Full Metal Panic!: Gauron keeps calling Sousuke by his 'old' name, from when he was a child-soldier in the local version of Afghanistan. It eventually DOES make the otherwise eternally-composed Sousuke crack...
• GaoGaiGar gives us this:
  Mamoru: You're Pizza of the Four Machine Kings!
  Soldato-J: That was a false name! The man named Pizza is dead! I am J. Reborn by the J-jewel as Soldato-J!
• The Geek Ex-Hitman: After their final confrontation, Marco's former mafia boss decides "the Oracle of Florence is dead", and that man is "just some 'otaku'."
• Gundam:
  • Subverted in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz:
    Dekim: Zechs Merquise?! I thought you were dead!
    Zechs: That's right, I was. But, I find that I cannot quietly sleep in my grave while Treize’s spirit is still roaming among us.
  • In episode 8 of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, after Zechs executes the Alliance commanding officer who took part in the Sanc Kingdom invasion in AC 182:
    Zechs: May you rest in peace, the betrayed and outraged Milliardo Peacecraft.
  • If you call Setsuna F. Seiei by the name of Soran Ibrahim, he'll be shocked. Very, very shocked.
• Higurashi: When They Cry:
  • "You need to forget about her. If you ever see me after today, the last thing you should do is approach me. The only thing that's going to be alive within me by then will be the demon." Ironically, even the identity she is referred to as up to that point is an assumed one.
  • Rena did this pre-moving back to Hinamizawa. She changed her name from her original "Reina" to distance herself from her past.
  • Rika does a variation in Rei when she breaks away from Bernkastel.
• Naraku in Inuyasha, in regard to his former self, Onigumo.
  Kaede: Do you mean, "Aye, Onigumo"? Is that not your name?
  Naraku: Onigumo... That name brings me such fond memories.
• Played with in Inside Mari. As a child Mari's mother forcibly changed her name from Fumiko to Mari to distance her from the memory of her deceased grandmother, who her mother loathed for being too affectionate. After the event Mari's personality became more subdued and aloof.
• Downplayed In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure with Dio Brando. In Part 1 he goes by his first and last names, showing no preference for how he's referred to. When he comes back in Part 3, he goes solely by his first name that has been completely capitalized as DIO. Given his A God Am I mindset and the fact that his first name is Italian for "God", it reads more like a title and less like a name.
• In Loveless, the two female Zeros Kouya and Yamato forfeit their match against Soubi and Ritsuka, meaning they can't fight anymore. They decide to "die" and call Nagisa to let her know.
  Kouya: From now on, we're going to live... As plain, ordinary Kouya and plain, ordinary Yamato. Your Zeros have died.
• A variation occurs early in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid when Nove tells Einhart the Sankt Kaiser and the King of Underworld are long gone and that Vivio and Ixpellia are just her friends. Vivio is merely the clone of the Sankt Kaiser, but Ixpellia really was the King of the Underworld centuries ago.
• In Maria no Danzai, as part of her plan to avenge the death of her son Kiritaka at the hands of his sadistic bullies, Mari Nagare divorces her husband, cuts off all contact with coworkers, friends and family, legally changes her name to Maria Akeboshi (her maiden name) and undergoes full-body plastic surgery to completely change her physical appearance, leaving virtually no one capable of recognizing her two years later. She even explicitly describes her old identity as the first person she ever murdered.
  Maria Akeboshi: Two years ago, the first person I murdered was Mari Nagare.
• In Monster, the real names of Johan and Anna Liebert are never revealed.
• In My Hero Academia, Endeavor says this in reference to his past as a Jerkass and Abusive Parent after learning the villain Dabi is his eldest son. He has a big My God, What Have I Done? moment and says it in tears while in the hospital severely wounded from the battle.
• In My-HiME, when Tate fights Obsidian Lord, he remarks that normally Tate would give up already, Tate responds that it may be so, but "that guy is already dead" (and not without a reason).
• In My-Otome, when Aswad Black Knight Rad is confronted by Youko and Midori, Youko calls him "Reito" (the name he used to go by before he was killed and rebuilt as a cyborg), prompting him to use this quote.
• In Nabari no Ou, Yoite claims that Sora, the name he was known by before being found by Hattori never existed.
• After Naruto finally smashes Tobi's mask, the latter tells the heroes they can call him by his old name if they wish, but it no longer means anything to him. Abandoning his old name and identity made it so much easier for Obito to commit himself to the Assimilation Plot without feeling like he was betraying everything he ever believed in.
  Tobi: I'm no one. I don't want to be anyone. All I care about is completing the Moon's Eye plan.
  • Subverted in Chapter 665, where he declares he is not Madara, but rather Obito Uchiha.
    Obito: I'm not you. The current me is the one who wanted to become Hokage: Obito Uchiha!
• In Negima! Magister Negi Magi, Nagi claims that Queen Arika has died on that ravine and the Arika that Nagi is with is just plain ol' Arika.
• In One Piece, Sanji uses this to reject his biological father:
  Sanji: I ran away from Germa 13 years ago. And Vinsmoke Sanji died at sea. That's what you wanted, remember? So admit it!!! You are not... my father!!! Vinsmoke Judge!!!
• Late in the anime version of Prétear, this trope appears when Sasame betrays his side.
  Sasame: The Knight of Sound...the Sasame you knew...no longer exists.
• In the second season of Princess Tutu, when Ahiru tries to talk to the Dark Magical Girl using the name she uses when untransformed, she usually responds with something like "I've already told you—there is no Rue!" When Mytho uses the name "Rue" to call her out of Despair and she responds, it's a sign she's given up on that part of herself.
• Not said verbatim, but you can definitely feel the change in Puella Magi Madoka Magica when Homura Akemi decides to change her image. At that point, Moe mura becomes Homurambo. But her old personality isn't completely gone...
  • Actually said by this line: "I won't depend on anyone, anymore."
• Revolutionary Girl Utena has Big Bad Akio admit that Prince Dios, the noble prince he's been identified with throughout the story, "no longer exists" and that all that's left is a bitter, villainous shell who has no interest in anything but retaining power for himself. Though given the nature of the show and character's record of deceit, it's hard to tell whether he means that he's lost his idealism, that he and Dios have somehow become separate entities or if he's just lying in an attempt to justify his actions or gain sympathy from Utena.
• There's a positive example of this at the end of Rurouni Kenshin. Knowing that his fighting prowess is readily fading, Kenshin sends a note to his longtime Inspector Javert / reluctant ally Saito, offering to take him up on a final duel. Saito tears up the offer, signaling that he's finally ending his grudge, and explains that the man he wanted to kill, the Hitokiri Battousai, no longer exists, and that he has no interest in fighting Himura Kenshin.
• Saiyuki has a third-person take on this trope in one of the backstory episodes, when Sanzo tells Gojyo that the Serial Killer Cho Gonou is dead, leading Gojyo to thinking that he's been executed. Turns out the Powers That Be allowed Gonou to become The Atoner under the new name of Cho Hakkai. (Upon Gojyo's angry reaction Sanzo simply points out that they couldn't have killed him since Buddhism forbids it.)
  • Hakkai himself does this right before killing Chin Yisou, who keeps addressing him by his old name. This happens to be the exact point where he sorts out the issues with his past, fully embracing his new identity and his goals as part of Sanzo's team.
• In the Strike Witches episode "Thanks", Gertrud Barkhorn tells Minna Dietlinde-Wilcke that the sister Chris once knew is dead and that she belongs to the Strike Witches. Barkhorn eventually gets over it by the end of the episode's second half.
• "D-Boy is no more... there's only Tekkaman Blade!!" *cue him launching to the moon and kicking Radam butt*
• Subverted in the Tenchi Muyo! OAV. Sasami believes that she died after taking a terrible fall when she was a toddler and that Tsunami had to revive her by merging with her lifeless body. Truth is, Sasami was about to die after said accident, but Tsunami merged with her to heal her injuries and have a body host. Because Sasami's young mind couldn't handle the major weight of what happened, she reasoned herself that Sasami really did die and that who she was now was just a vessel.
• In Transformers: Armada, when Wheeljack arrives on Earth, he tells Hotshot that the bot he knew is dead, and the new Wheeljack is a Decepticon.
• Transformers: Cybertron, when Megatron upgrades himself to Galvatron:
  Galvatron: I have changed. I am no longer Megatron. Megatron was a loser!
  Ransack: Woah, if you ain't Megatron no more, then who are you?
  Galvatron: I am invincible! I am Galvatron!
  • And then possibly a Lampshaded Subversion, as his personality doesn't really change:
    Optimus Prime: New look, same old lines.
  • There's also Overhaul, who after being reborn as Leobreaker, proclaims this from atop a cliff:
    Leobreaker: I have embraced my destiny. I am of Jungle Planet now. I'm Overhaul no more, I am LEOBREAKER!
• Subverted in Umineko: When They Cry with Tohya who didn't as much threw away his old identity as Battler as much as he is unable to accept it. Not only because trying to remember this identity initially caused him unbearable headaches due to brain damage (leading to a seizure), but also because the feeling of having memories that are not his own is too terrifying for him to handle.
• In Vampire Knight Yuuki is revealed to have been a pureblood vampire of the Kuran family all along. When Zero asks whether the human Yuuki still exists somewhere inside of her Yuuki replies that the human Yuuki no longer exists as the Vampire Yuuki 'ate her.'
• The Vision of Escaflowne: Folken says this when Van calls him Folken of Fanel. He says he is now Folken Strategos, head of the Zaibach empire.
• Ryo/Zane in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX when he assumes the "Hell Kaiser" persona in the dub:
  "The Zane you think you knew is long gone."
  • And, Judai said it Guardian Baou said this when the villain addressed him as the Supreme King. (Not very enthusiastically, however. He just said. "No... He's gone...")
• Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL has the Barian Emperor Nasch declare to Yuma, after a tirade on how he sided with Barian World of his own volition, that his friend Shark / Ryoga Kamishiro died when he embraced his fate as a Barian lord.

---