Memory Gambit: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

A scheme involving allowing your own memories to be [[Laser-Guided Amnesia|erased]] or [[Fake Memories|altered]] in order to fool others or even yourself, with a trigger set up to [[Easy Amnesia|restore them]]. This can be used to trick the enemy into believing you're on their side, because [[Manchurian Agent|even YOU think you are]]. Also an effective technique against overconfident mind-readers. If a [[Magnificent Bastard]] or [[The Chessmaster|Chessmaster]] has the power to manipulate memories, he will almost certainly attempt one of these. This can very easily turn into a [[Xanatos Roulette]], especially if the trigger is set to restore the memories at exactly the right moment (see [[Neuro Vault]]).

 

{{examples}}

* In ''[[Devilman]]'', it turns out that {{spoiler|Ryo Asuka}} is in fact the avatar of {{spoiler|Satan}}, who had his memories suppressed and turned into a human in order to infiltrate mankind and learn their weaknesses. This goes to plan, except that {{spoiler|Ryo/Satan}} falls in love with {{spoiler|Akira/Devilman}}, who until then were allies against the demons.

* Light Yagami in ''[[Death Note]]'' exploits the rule that anyone who relinquishes the ownership of a Death Note also loses all memory of owning it unless the person later touches the same Death Note to allay suspicion, even counting on his amnesiac self to genuinely join the side of good in tracking down the new owner of the Death Note as part of a massive [[Xanatos Roulette]]. This leads to [[Memetic Mutation|the popular phrase]] "Just as planned," '''eight episodes''' after putting his plan in motion.

 

 

* {{spoiler|Haruhi}} pulls this off on themselves in ''[[Kyon: Big Damn Hero]]''. {{spoiler|She also altered her thought processes slightly, changed how her powers work and still left room to give herself [[Mind Over Matter|some power to play freely]].}}

* Little-Pip uses one against the Goddess in [[Fallout Equestria]]

 

* In the [[Uglies]] series, Tally decides to become a "pretty" so she can test Maddy and Az's cure. IIRC, she writes a note before she does it and has Maddy and Az mail it to her after she becomes a pretty.

* ''Pandora's Star'' has a character who wipes his memory in an attempt to get away with murder. It doesn't work.

** Note that in this setting every human being can easily pull off a Memory Gambit and most people consider it an obvious step to take after committing a crime.

* In ''[[The Dresden Files|Ghost Story]]'', {{spoiler|it is revealed that Harry's murder in the end of the previous book was this mixed with [[Thanatos Gambit]]: before accepting a [[Faustian Bargain]] with the Winter Queen Mab, he contacted Kincaid to kill him a few hours later, then persuaded Molly to erase his memories of the arrangement to fool Mab.}}

* In ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'' Mr Bennet forces the Haitian to wipe his memories of sending Claire away for her safety so that no matter what the company does to torture him he'll never be able to reveal her whereabouts.

* The first half of season 3 of ''[[Alias (TV series)|Alias]]'' centers around the show's main character, Sydney Bristow, having lost two years' worth of memory (the season 2 cliffhanger had her wake up in Hong Kong two years after the events shown prior to that, with no memory to what had happened in the intervening time). Turns out she {{spoiler|had her own memory erased after engaging in some super-complicated undercover operation to make sure the bad guys don't find out where she hid some important artifact. Too bad the bad guys find the artifact anyway, and eventually she is informed about the events of those two years, just so she knows what the bad guys are actually up to.}}

* An episode of ''[[Buck Rogers]]'' had Buck put on trial for causing [[World War III]]. In fact, he had allowed himself to be brainwashed in order to infiltrate a conspiracy in an unsuccessful attempt to ''prevent'' World War III.

* A variant occurs in an episode of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' titled "Clues". The crew discover that their memories have been altered and that Data, whose memories are intact, has been lying to them. {{spoiler|They eventually discover that they ''consented'' to the memory erasure, because the inhabitants of a newly explored planet don't want anyone to know of their existence. They weren't supposed to have figured it out, but they do anyway; at the end of the episode, they decide to try again, and it works.}}

* Helen Magnus of ''[[Sanctuary]]'' pulls one off. Even when it's revealed the solution seems very [[Applied Phlebotinum]]ish.

 

 

== Tabletop Games ==

** One of main uses for [[Transferable Memory|Thought Bottle]] item, including at least once in a novel (see above).

** In 3.5, pulling this off is entirely possible using the Autohypnosis skill.

* Very possible in ''[[Shadowrun]]''. There's specialized equipment to program individuals through simsense, and some of the fiction in the 20th anniversary book even goes into a Shadowrunner using this as a way to gather information inside a nightclub by impersonating one of the staff right down to their personality. You can even take an advantage that makes you already programmed before the game starts, and as such you [[Manchurian Agent|can switch into and out of your "deep cover" persona with a code word]] - handy if your character's been captured.

* In ''[[Exalted]]'' there is a Sidereal of the Maiden of Secrets known as The Green Lady. In various guises, genders and names she serves Heaven, both Sidereal factions and 4 Deathlords. The reason she has not been found out is because she has hidden her true allegiance from even herself. For the curious, her true allegiance is to {{spoiler|Heaven, according to the Underworld book. Her ultimate goal is to learn some singular weakness that will lead to the defeat of the Deathlords once and for all. Making any attempt to pull this off intentionally, though, is going to tip somebody off who will in turn tip everyone else off and completely screw the plan. Making herself mostly crazy and hoping to stumble onto it more or less by accident is the best she can do. However, there's a chance she may unintentionally help the Deathlords destroy Creation before she succeeds.}}

* In ''Mage: the Awakening'' there is a rote which allows you to set up one of these by literally removing the memory from your mind until a later time. There is a Legacy which can grant this same benefit as a magical ability with the addition that when it expires, you can use it again to suppress the same memory without actually remembering the memory you want to hide.

* In ''[[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team|Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red/Blue Rescue Team]]'', {{spoiler|the main character agreed to both become a Pokémon and have his memory erased so that he can find out if he is worthy to save the world.}}

* The entire population of Lostime in ''[[Chocobo's Dungeon]]'' has their memories sealed {{spoiler|to prevent the [[Big Bad]] from returning}}.

* In ''[[Knights of the Old Republic|Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic]]'' one mission features your party to be caught and your ship confiscated and searched. One escape plan (there are several options, one for each party member except Carth, Bastila and the main PC) features [[Do-Anything Robot|T3M4]] getting a backup chip, so after the regular memory wipe, it can restore its memory and rescue the party. In the sequel, it is suggested that {{spoiler|Revan might have been running one of these [[Guile Hero|all]] [[Magnificent Bastard|along]], with the Jedi Council unwittingly playing directly into the plan.}}

* ''[[Wing Commander (video game)|Wing Commander]] III'' revealed that {{spoiler|Hobbes' defection to the Confederation}} was a Memory Gambit. (The hologram explaining that was removed from the PC version, but remained in a console version and the novelization.)

[[Category:Probability Tropes]]

[[Category:Evil Tropes]]

[[Category:Memory Tropes]]

[[Category:Truth and Lies]]

[[Category:The Plan]]