That Man Is Dead / Western Animation

That Man Is Dead in western animation TV shows.

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• In Adventure Time, the Ice King is a non-voluntary example of this trope. He was driven insane centuries ago and his current identity as the Ice King is a whole other person compared to his original identity, Simon Petrikov. He doesn't seem to remember much about his old life, but he is ashamed of it for seemingly no reason besides that he wore glasses back then. In "Betty" he temporarily reverts to Simon when an Anti-Magic villain depowers the crown. Sadly, the crown was also his Immortality Inducer and Simon starts dying as the centuries catch up to him. Over Simon's protests that he would rather die as Simon than live on as Ice King, Betty defeats the villain and restores the crown's power.
• In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Fire Lord Ozai invokes this trope when declaring himself the "Phoenix King"

  Ozai: Fire Lord Ozai is no more. Just as the world will be reborn in fire, I shall be reborn as the supreme ruler of the world. From this moment on, I will be known as The Phoenix King!

• In The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes:
  • Hank Pym eventually quits the Avengers, spurred by a desire to uphold his pacifist beliefs, and by guilt felt for creating Ultron. He has this exchange with Janet van Dyne:
    Hank: I know you can't accept this, but I'm done. I'm done with the Avengers. This isn't me anymore.
    Jan: No. You're Ant-Man!
    Hank: I'm not, Jan. I haven't been since Ultron, and honestly, probably even before that.
  • When Hank becomes Yellowjacket later in the series, he goes so far as to blow up his own laboratory to make it seem like Hank got murdered, then change his own biosignature.
  • The Winter Soldier also does this, when Captain America tries to address him by his former identity:
    Winter Soldier: You shouldn't have come here.
    Captain America: I had to, Bucky.
    Winter Soldier: Who's Bucky?
• The Batman:
  • "The Laughing Bat" when Joker is dressed as Batman.
    Batman: The costume party is over, Joker.
    Joker: [as Batman] Joker? Didn't you hear? The Clown Prince of Crime has checked out.
  • "Meltdown" had Ethan Bennett/Clayface struggling to not use his powers since they make him insane. Eventually, though he gives up to get revenge on The Joker. Batman always refers to him as "Bennett", until the response becomes a sarcastic "Who?"
    Clayface: Being Ethan Bennet is hard. Real hard. But being Clayface? It's cake. So say your goodbyes to Ethan Bennet. This is the last you'll ever see of him.
  • However, this became an aversion in a later episode when Clayface saw the error of his ways and became Ethan Bennett again.
• Batman: The Animated Series:
  • In "Two-Face: Part 2", Grace, Harvey Dent's fiancée, tries to comfort him:
    Grace: Harvey... (puts her hand on his arm)
    Harvey: (Looks away from her and pulls away) My name is Two-Face now...
  • "Feat of Clay: Part 2" has this with Matt Hagen/Clayface:
    Batman: Hagen, listen to me.
    Clayface: There is no Hagen. It's only me now... Clayface.
    • A bit later, when Batman shows Clayface videotapes of his former movie and TV roles and tells him "You can play those roles again Hagen, let me help you find a cure." Clayface outright screams: "No! Hagen's gone, make him stop haunting me!"
  • Riddler get this moment in "What Is Reality?"
    Riddler: The name is Riddler! Edward Nygma no longer exists! You may remember that he was fired by an ungrateful employer. That was a private matter and should have remained one.
• In the sequel series Batman Beyond, Bruce invokes the inverted "I'm not him any more" version:
  Terry: You have to do something! You're Batman!
  Bruce: I was Batman.
  • Subverted later in "Shriek", where he says that he doesn't refer to himself as "Bruce" in his own thoughts, meaning that he does still think of himself as Batman even if he's too old to actively engage in crimefighting.
• Ben 10: Omniverse: When Phil escapes from the Null Void, he claims he's losing control of the Terroranchula form he gained when Dr. Psychobos used him as a guinea pig for the Nemetrix. In reality however, the old Phil is long gone and the Terrorranchula was just using his face to guilt trip Max.
  Phil: Kid, there hasn't been a Phil in this body for years.
• Carmen Sandiego: In the pilot episode, Carmen (formerly known as Black Sheep) relayed her history to Crackle and explained how she could no longer go back to being a thief for V.I.L.E. Crackle tries to take her down with his electro-staff, but she's ready for him.
  Crackle: Bye bye, Black Sheep.
  Carmen: You weren't listening. I go by Carmen now.
• Codename: Kids Next Door has this in "Operation: S.P.A.C.E.":
  Numbuh 5: Yeah, you always were good with the 2x4 technology… Numbuh 11.
  Cree: My name is Cree! And you know that I'm not a member of the stupid Babies Next Door anymore. I'm with the adults now.
  • Subverted, in that Cree actually is her name, and Numbuh 11 was an old code name that doesn't apply to her anymore.
• A variation plays off on in this in the Grand Finale of Danny Phantom that finally lets Jack realize that there is no best-friend-from-college-Vlad, there is only a villainous man who has unfortunately been corrupted by his own hatred.
  Vlad: Jack, you have to help me! You wouldn't turn your back on an old friend, would you?
  Jack: An old friend, no. You? YES!
  • The Ultimate Enemy gives us this small exchange.
  Jazz: You're not Danny... That's why the Boomerang wasn't homing in on your ectosignature, You're not Danny!
  Dark Danny: I was, but I grew out of it.
• Parodied in Dan Vs. "The Superhero":
  "Because the Dan that built those is dead—or at least on vacation. I—am—DR. JERK! MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"
• Darkwarrior Duck, the Bad Future version of Darkwing Duck, refers to his past self this way: "Protecting St. Canard is a tough job. The old Darkwing Duck couldn't hack it. That's when Darkwarrior Duck came to town!"
• In The Fairly OddParents!: The Secret Origin of Denzel Crocker, Crocker's mother longs for the way her son used to be:
  Mrs.Crocker: What happened to the perky little ball of sunshine that used to be my son?
  Crocker: That child doesn't exist! I can’t even remember a time when I was happy!
• Stewie in Family Guy said it best in "Road To Europe".
  Meg: Jolly Farm is on, Stewie. Don't you want to watch?
  Stewie: The Stewie who loved Jolly Farm is dead, Megan. Meet the Stewie who loves funky fruit hats!
• Final Space: Episode 10, when Gary calls the Lord Commander by his old name, Jack, the Lord Commander angrily replies that Jack ceased to exist the day he was chosen by the Titans to free them from Final Space (as he believes was the case; he actually got his powers that day through sheer accident and the only thing he was "chosen" for was Invictus to eventually free him).
• Antagone in Frisky Dingo: "Grace Ryan is dead, and now you, Xander Crews, shall join her in... being dead!"
• Futurama:
  • When Bender finds religion in "Hell is Other Robots", he refers to his old, sinful personality in this manner:
    Bender: The old Bender's gone. He won't trouble you again.
  • "The Late Philip J Fry" has a rather literal example of this. After having gone around the end of the universe and back again, twice, Fry landed on his alternate self when the Professor's time machine arrived back in the present, before rushing to his date with Leela.
    Leela: I have to admit, I was afraid you wouldn't make it.
    Fry: That was the old Fry. He's dead now.
• Done in Gravity Falls "A Tale of Two Stans" by Stan, as he explains how he started the Mystery Shack by assuming his missing brother's identity and killing off his own.
  "The old me was dead, and I faked a car crash to prove it."
  • Played for Laughs in the final episodes with Toby Determined, who radically changes his way of dressing and declares that from now on, he shall be called "Bodacious T". Wendy just stares blankly at him and says that no one will ever call him that. In the Grand Finale, once Gravity Falls is saved, he's called "Bodacious T" on public television in his new job as a sports reporter.
• In He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002), Keldor ceased to be when Hordak "saved" him from the acid eating away at his face by turning him into Skeletor.
• Played for laughs in one episode of Jackie Chan Adventures when Captain Black is wearing an Oni mask.
  Captain Black: Three partners in crime [Finn, Ratso, and Chow], itchy for a makeover.
  Jade: The Captain Black I knew wouldn't do that.
  Captain Black: The Captain Black you know is on permanent vacation.
• Kim Possible has had a few of these such as Drew Lipski becoming Dr. Drakken, Lord Monty Fiske declaring "I... AM... MONKEY FIST!", and, of course:
  Gill: Hey, Ronnie. Remember me?
  Ron: Gil?
  Gill: I am no longer Gil. Now, I am Gill!
  Ron: Uh, what's the difference?
  Gill: I added an L. You know, as in gill. As in, THESE THINGS THAT GREW WHEN I MUTATED?!
• In Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Scarlemagne doesn't appreciate being called Hugo, the name Lio and Song gave him before his mutation, probably so he can forget the emotional baggage that comes with it.
• The Mask episode "The Good, The Bad, and the Fish Guy": "No more Fish Guy! For now on, I'm ultra cool mega Shark Dude, dude!"
• In Metalocalypse, Leonard Rockstein, aka Doctor Rockso, goes into rehab and claims "the clown is dead". Then he had to host Snakes and Barrels' second reunion show...
• Address an Akuma victim by their real name in Miraculous Ladybug, and they will almost certainly respond with words to this effect.
  Lady Wifi: Alya's been disconnected. I'm Lady Wifi!
  Zombizou: I'm not Miss Bustier anymore! I'm Zombizou!
  Anansi: Nora's not here to protect you anymore. I am Anansi: super spider!
• The Loud House: In "Musical Chairs", Mr. Bolhofner has taken over Lynn Sr.'s dad band, the Doo Dads, and thus has this to say at the start of their restaurant performance:
  Mr. Bolhofner: "The Doo Dads are doo dead. WE ARE RAGING BOLHOFNERS!"
• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
  • In "Putting Your Hoof Down", Fluttershy learns to be assertive to the point that she becomes a jerk. When Rarity and Pinkie Pie confront her about it, she yells that she's a New Fluttershy and that Old Fluttershy is never coming back.
  • During the flashback sequence in "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2", Princess Luna does this when she transforms into Nightmare Moon.
    Celestia: Luna! I will not fight you! You must lower the moon! It is your duty!
    Nightmare Moon: Luna? I am...Nightmare Moon! I have but one royal duty now: TO DESTROY YOU! [fires magic beam at Celestia]
• In The New Adventures of Jonny Quest, Race Bannon had a friend in the military who had a Face–Heel Turn after an accident which he blamed Race for and became Skyborg. After Race invoked the Save the Villain trope, he had a Heel–Face Turn and, the last time someone called him "Skyborg", he said his name was "Jud Harmon".
• Inverted on The Owl House. When Luz finds out Emperor Belos' true identity, he insists she stop calling him Belos and instead use his original name: Philip Wittebane.
• In the Pinky and the Brain serial "Brainwashed", Pinky asks Precious what happened to the kitty who used to bat him around and scratch him "so sweetly." Her reply? "That kitty is gone."
• The Powerpuff Girls Movie: "The hobo you knew as Jojo is no mo'! From here fo'wo' I shall be known as... MOJO JOJO!".
  • Before that, there was the episode where he explained his origin story:
    "It was on that day that Jojo became... Mojo Jojo!"
• The Real Ghostbusters: In the episode "The Grundel", a young boy named Alec comes under the influence of a Grundel. When pleaded to by his brother, he tells him "Alec doesn't live here anymore!"
• Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated.:
  Fred: Daphne! Now I need to talk to her!
  Daphne: Daphne's gone, call me Crush.
  • Unfortunately, Fred doesn't get it.
• On Sheriff Callie's Wild West, in the days of his youth, Tio the tortoise was a masked, face-paint wearing traveling yo-yo champion known as "El Yo-Yo." He gave it all up, however, after he accidentally injured a child and branded him with a star mark when the string on his favorite yo-yo, Star, snapped. In "The Good, the Bad and the Yo-Yo," a boy calling himself "The Twirler Kid" comes into Nice and Friendly Corners, demanding to see El Yo-Yo. Though the picture the boy shows looks a lot like him, Tio at first refuses to admit to anyone in town that was, in fact, El Yo-Yo. Eventually, after being caught with the mask and face-paint by Toby, he admits that he was El Yo-Yo, but "not anymore." Things come to a head when The Twirler Kid's poor yo-yoing disrupts Tio's checkers game, causing him to declare It's Personal. He dresses up once more as El Yo-Yo and confronts the kid at which point the kid shows him his star mark, revealing himself to be the kid that he had injured. However, he's not looking for Revenge. He long ago forgave El Yo-Yo for the injury, he just wants a teacher because he's so awful and he never had anyone to help him. He had long ago took up yo-yoing because he was so impressed with the tricks that El Yo-Yo had demonstrated.
• Played for Laughs in The Simpsons episode "Marge on the Lam". While Lionel Hutz babysits Bart and Lisa, Lisa catches him burning some old documents:
  Lionel Hutz: As of this moment, Lionel Hutz no longer exists. Say hello to Miguel Sanchez!
• Parodied on South Park with Christopher Reeve as a supervillain:
  Don't call me Christopher! That name no longer has meaning to me! Christopher Reeve was someone who lived his life in a wheelchair, always relying on others to help him. The old Christopher Reeve is dead. From now on, I am...Chris!
• In The Spectacular Spider-Man, Electro has developed this as part of his continued departure from sanity.
  • And he seems to be getting even worse:
    "I don't know anyone named Max. My name is ELECTRO! ELECTRO, I TELL YOU!!!"
  • He's not the only one, either; Sandman, Rhino and Doctor Octopus all get That Man Is Dead moments. Sandman in particular sometimes refers to "Flint Marko" as if he were a separate person, but more as a rhetorical device than anything - it's to emphasize how he's not a Bit Part Bad Guy any more, he's now a genuine Supervillain.
• Villains in Spider-Man: The Animated Series have a habit of using this trope:
  • Dr. Octopus has this in his debut episode saying "Dr. Octavius vanished in that explosion and Dr. Octopus was born."
  • The Green Goblin goes into this before he goes into another dimension.
    Spider-Man: Osborn, take my hand! It's your only chance!
    Green Goblin: There's no Osborn anymore, Parker. There is only the Green Goblin!
  • "There is no more Eddy Brock. There is only Venom!"
  • "Cassidy is gone. There is only Carnage!"
  • Spider-Carnage gets to say this line about Peter Parker - or, at least, that "He's GONE for GOOD!"
• Patrick does this in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Big Pink Loser" when he tries to imitate SpongeBob to win awards like he always does.
  Patrick: I was never closer to an award than the minute I started copying you.
  SpongeBob: But Patrick...
  Patrick: PATRICK'S NOT HERE!
• Star vs. the Forces of Evil: In "Monster Bash", Miss Heinous finds out about her heritage and regains her memories upon finding her nursery in a monster temple. She is the daughter of Eclipsa with her monster lover, making her a member of the Butterfly family. As her memories come back, she tells Gemin that he is no longer to call her Heinous and that she will go by her real name: Meteora.
• Star Wars Rebels: When Ahsoka Tano (Anakin's old apprentice) meets Darth Vader. She suspects he is Anakin, but isn't sure considering that he was a good man the last she saw him. Also serves as a Call-Forward to The Force Awakens. At the same time, however, he still calls her "my apprentice" rather than "Anakin Skywalker's apprentice", uses her actual name much like he used to, and aside from that moment he doesn't try to refute or correct her when she refers to him as Anakin either.
  Vader: Anakin Skywalker was weak. I destroyed him.
• Near the end of Static Shock, with a cure for the metahuman condition being disseminated through the city, the newly depowered (and correspondingly saner) Talon asks Static and Gear to call her Theresa.
• Steven Universe:
  • "Chille Tid": Lapis has this reaction when Steven begs her to let the Gems try and free her from her fusion with Jasper.
    Lapis: I'm not Lapis anymore. We're Malachite now.
  • "A Single Pale Rose" reveals that Rose Quartz was an example of this. Her original identity who "died" was Pink Diamond.
    Pink Diamond: Soon it will be just... Rose.
  • Played with in "Change Your Mind": Steven simply says he isn't (and never was) his mother, despite what Homeworld thinks. When his gem half is temporarily separated, he gets much more blunt, saying (and then shouting) that "She's gone."
• Superman: The Animated Series:
  • Metallo does this in "The Way of All Flesh", while tearing off half of his artificial skin to reveal his robot body:
    Metallo: There's the reality! The metal behind the man! It's all I am now! It's who I am... Metallo.
  • "Livewire" has this with the eponymous villainess:
    Superman: That's enough, Leslie Willis.
    Livewire: I'm not Leslie Willis anymore. Meet her replacement... Livewire!
• Splinter occasionally has this mindset during Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) with his clashes with the Shredder when Shredder called him Hamato Yoshi during their brief pre-battle banter.
• A slight variation: In the grand finale of Teen Titans (2003), Terra says, "The girl you want me to be is just a memory."
• Transformers:
  • How Galvatron feels about his previous form Megatron varies from version to version, and he has been known to refer to Megatron in the past tense a time or two.
  • Reformatted Transformers tend to take on new names after they change bodies, despite the personality remaining the same. In Transformers: Energon, Megatron even insists that Demolishor call Cyclonus "Snowcat" after the change, despite the fact that Snowcat does not actually seem to care.
    • Also from Energon: "Megatron doesn't exist anymore. I am the destroyer of worlds. All will bow before... Unicron."
  • Transformers: Animated: When Bumblebee tries to apologize for (unwittingly) getting Wasp (now Waspinator) falsely accused of being a spy:
    Waspinator: Wasp... forgive Bumble-bot.
    (Bumblebee smiles hopefully)
    Waspinator: ...but Waspinator NEVER forgive!
  • Beast Machines:
    Jetstorm, formerly Silverbolt: "Get it through your CPU! That program has been deleted. I'm Jetstorm now. PERIOD!"
    • After Rhinox's spark was reawakened, Tankor insisted that he still be called Tankor, and was still an enemy of the Maximals. Optimus Primal later held a small memorial service in honour of his old friend.
• WordGirl has this for a response to Steven Boxleitner becoming Dr. Two-Brains.
  Becky: Dr. Boxleitner?
  Dr. Two-Brains: Hi, kids! Dr. Boxleitner is no more. I am now Dr. Two-Brains!
• Several examples in X-Men: The Animated Series.
  • In "Come the Apocalypse"
    Archangel: Worthington is no more. Now, there is only Archangel. Let the world beware.
  • In the "Dark Phoenix" multi-parter
    Dark Phoenix: The mortal known as Jean Grey no longer exists. There is only...PHOENIX!
  • In "Out of the Past, Part 1":
    Lady Deathstrike: The Yuriko you knew no longer exists. I am Lady Deathstrike!
  • At the end of "Descent":
    Mister Sinister: Essex is no more. From this day forth you will address me as Mister Sinister!
• Young Justice (2010):
  • Arsenal has completely abandoned his past as Speedy, the original Roy Harper and Green Arrow's sidekick. He's given himself a buzz cut, gotten a new outfit, and become an Anti-Hero.
  • When Halo learns that her original name was Gabrielle Daou she rejects it preferring the name "Violet". Turns out this is because she really never was Gabrielle. Gabrielle truly is already dead, while Violet is the spirit of a Mother Box merged with Gabrielle's body. Violet rejected the name because, even though she was still unaware of her true nature, she subconsciously realized that she was not really Gabrielle.

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