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{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]''{{'}}s Rei Ayanami has a few dozen soulless clones stored in an LCL tank. Every time she dies (happened twice so far), her soul is transferred into a new body and she's ready to go with no injuries and temporary amnesia. Despite being only fourteen years old, she states in episode 25 that she'd rather stay dead for good; seeing that all her clones have been destroyed two episodes prior and her current body was absorbed into a [[Cosmic Horror]] that later fell into pieces, it seems she got her wish.
* Lieutenant Motoko Kusanagi does this in the first season of ''[[Ghost in the Shell]]'' due to her previous body being damaged.
* In ''[[Soul Eater]]'' it turns out that {{spoiler|Giriko, being an Enchanter (one who can create artificially living beings) did this in case he ever died. It shows up when Maka and Soul kill him in the Book of Eibon and he returns immediately, as a woman.}}
* In ''[[Kara no Kyoukai:]]'', {{spoiler|Aozaki Touko has done this.}}
* In ''[[Lupin III: The Secret of Mamo]]'', {{spoiler|Mamo's method of immortality is making clones of himself; since he cloned his own mind perfectly, he always thought to carry on this operation. His plan hits a snag, though, as every clone is lacking in some way or another, and so eventually a newly made clone would be left with no value of life at all. In one dub Mamo even states: "The price is high for eternal life..."}}
== Comic Books ==
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* The ''[[Dark Empire]]'' comics had the reborn Emperor as the [[Big Bad]], and it's mentioned that he kept a number of cloned bodies for the purpose of this trope.
* In the [[Marvel Universe]], the original Hate-Monger is what you get if you apply this concept to [[Adolf Hitler]].
* In the ''[[
▲* [[Magnificent Bastard|Emperor Palpatine]] of [[Star Wars]] intended to live forever in this manner, transferring his soul initially to clones of himself grown especially for this purpose. After they were sabotaged, he attempted to take over Anakin Solo, Han and Leia's infant son, but Han shot him before he could perform the transfer, and Jedi Master Empatojayos Brand made a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] to hold his soul at bay until it was dragged into dark side hell.
== Literature ==
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** The Emperor wasn't above using this method himself and was reborn in a clone body some time after dying in ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', but then he was killed again and hasn't come back.
* In [[John Varley]]'s [[Eight Worlds]] series, the technology exists to make a copy of a person's memories, and to grow a clone from a tissue sample. Life insurance now consists of going in for annual (or more often, if you can afford it) backups of your memories, and if you get killed, your insurance company grows a clone, and loads your memories into it. Having more than one of you running around at once is very illegal, however, and any extra clones discovered are subject to summary destruction. This allows at least one unscrupulous character to create slaves with no rights or recourse, since their very existence is a crime.
* In Jeff Long's novel ''[[The Descent (novel)|The Descent]]'', the leader of the hadals (an ancient race of [[Beneath the Earth|subterranean]] hominids) has this ability, and is apparently so old that he was the original inspiration for the concept of Satan.
* In Terry Pratchett's ''[[Discworld]]'', History Monks "Sweeper" Lu Tze and the Abbot are both mentioned as being effectively immortal by two different means. The Abbot is continually reincarnated, transferring his memories to a younger body. But Lu Tze just seems to stay as a wiry old man forever.
▲== Live Action TV ==
* The re-imagined Cylons of ''[[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' download into new bodies, so long as there's a Resurrection Ship in range. Even the dog-level-intelligence Raider ships resurrect.
* ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'': Sheldon wants to do this, but is concerned that the technology won't be ready by the time his body dies.
* Semi-example in ''[[Red Dwarf]]'', where holograms can be made, instead of new bodies, but all ship crewmembers have their consciousness stored.
* The Asgard in ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' have done this at least once.
== Tabletop Games ==
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* ''[[Car Wars]]''. A duelist can arrange to have Gold Cross grow a clone from his cells and store a copy of his mind. If he dies, his mind is downloaded into the clone and the player continues to use the character.
* An early edition of ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' had the Stasis Clone spell. It created a clone of the caster, and when the caster died, their soul was immediately moved to the clone and the clone came to life. Prior to 3rd Edition clone spells created a living copy of the original with all their memories up to the point where the tissue sample was taken, and if the clone and original were active at the same time they'd try to kill each other. 3E changed that and made clones vegetables until the original died, at which point their soul would transfer and they'd lose a level, like any other form of resurrection.
* ''[[GURPS
* ''Mutant Future''. Before the fall of civilization clone banks could grow clones and record the original person's memories, personality and skills in a computer storage device. When the person died, their mind was implanted into the clone's brain, making them a perfect copy of the original.
== Video Games ==
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* [[Big Bad|Kane]] dies [[Once an Episode|in each game]] of the Tiberium timeline of the ''[[Command & Conquer]]'' games. ''Tiberian Twilight'' confirms that Kane is in fact {{spoiler|an extraterrestrial being in human form, and resurrects via cloning devices like those shown at the end of ''Firestorm.''}}
== Web Comics ==
* {{spoiler|Petey}} from ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]'' is effectively immortal, now that he has the resources to build as many bodies as he wants. {{spoiler|He may even be Type XI immortal, because his bodies are linked via hypernet nodes, and he sends several on suicide missions.}}
* Ran (and technically all other robots) from ''[[Bob and George]]''. Ran is a special case since he's made from such cheap parts that it's cheaper to just transfer his personality to a new body than it is to repair him.
* Quine in the
* Discussed and deconstructed in the
== Web Original ==
* Most Inner and Middle sphere polities in ''[[Orion's Arm]]'' have routine backups mandatory for their citizens. Though there are a couple exceptions who don't subscribe to "pattern continuity theory" and consider backups to be different people than the originals, at most a legal heir.
== Western Animation ==
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