Only Mostly Dead: Difference between revisions

** Horrifically averted with Zoroark in the 14th movie. It is [[He's Dead, Jim|blatantly clear]] that she really was fully dead and that Celebi's actions were a full resurrection instead of a simple healing.

* In ''[[Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple]]'', {{spoiler|Kenichi himself}} is at one point 'killed' by an opponent using Muay Thai. Although Ryozanpaku's ridiculously good medicine manages a revival, there are some other serious consequences that continue for quite some time.

 

== [[Fan Fiction]] ==

* In ''[[Aeon Entelechy Evangelion]]'' Shinji got into this state after Mot's counterattack.

{{quote|“Do not worry,” Rei said, face emotionless. “He is only clinically dead.” There was a pause, just enough for the black-haired woman to take a breath to respond, before Rei added, “He will get better.“}}

* The British [[Hammer Horror]] film ''[[Wake Wood]]'' has the post-death caveat type - there is a ritual to bring a loved one back to life for a short amount of time, as long as the death didn't happen too long ago. A grieving couple bring back their dead daughter, [[Came Back Wrong|after lying about the length of time since the death.]] [[Blatant Lies|Hilarity ensues.]]

* ''[[In Like Flint]]''. A guard appears to be dead but Flint shocks his heart back into beating and performs [[CPR: Clean, Pretty, Reliable]] (brief, mild chest compression) on him and brings him back.

 

== [[Literature]] ==

* [[Harry Potter (novel)|Harry Potter]] {{spoiler|gives himself up to Lord Voldemort in an attempt to save his friends in the last book. Harry is hit with Avada Kedavra and his soul enters some form of limbo long enough for exposition from Dumbledore, but because Voldemort accidentally tied him to life by taking his blood, Harry eventually revives unharmed.}}

** Voldemort himself could count. He is hit by an unstoppable killing spell, but survives as a spirit 'less than the meanest ghost' {{spoiler|because he split up his soul and hid the pieces in ordinary objects}}. He eventually returns to his whole body.

* In ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy/The Restaurant At The End of The Universe|The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy]]'' famed Disaster Area frontman Hotblack Desiato is "spending a year dead for tax purposes". He still manages to eat at fine restaurants, travels the universe hooked up to his Death Support System, and employs a medium to translate his psychic impulses from beyond the grave into music.

* In ''[[Lonely Werewolf Girl]]'' the souls of dead werewolves go to the Forest Of The Werewolf Dead, fortunately Fire-Demon Malvera is able to intercept heroine Kalix's soul while it's just in the outskirts and bring her back. All for the [[Deal with the Devil|bargain price]] of one human girl's ability to love.

== Live Action TV ==

* In ''[[Torchwood]]'', {{spoiler|after Owen is killed and brought [[Back From the Dead]] by the second Resurrection Glove, he ends up in a state like this; he's clinically dead and all metabolism has ceased, but he is kept conscious and ambulatory (and non-decomposing) by residual [[Green Rocks]] in his system. How he manages to talk if he doesn't breathe is a question for [[Fridge Logic]] philosophers to decide.}}

* {{spoiler|Aeryn Sun}} on ''[[Farscape]]'' qualifies for this - she drowns and is given a tearful burial scene. Then Zhaan, grieving, decides to {{spoiler|give up her own life using her mystical Delvian powers}} and revive her deceased friend. Zhaan's able to do this because - yes! - {{spoiler|Aeryn's not totally dead!}}

* In the [[Stargate Verse]], there seem to be two levels of dead: "revivable by the Sarcophagus"-dead (which, as the sarc is purely non-magical advanced technology, should ''probably'' be considered "dead as best as Earth medicine can tell but not ''truly'' dead," but they call it dead) and dead-dead. Daniel Jackson winds up Only Mostly Dead on ''several'' occasions, though all of the original four got their turn at least once. (Kawalsky, on the other hand, winds up dead-dead.)

== [[Tabletop RPG]] ==

* Old-school [[RPG|RPGs]] based on AD&D rules often had relatively easy resurrection at shrines/churches for those willing to "donate."

*** "Dead", which could possibly be cured with a simple "Raise Dead" spell.

*** "Ashes", which was the result of a botched resurrection. This person could still be brought back for more gold, but if ''that'' failed...

** Though it should be noted that Pikmin [[And I Must Scream|can't uproot each other without Olimar's help...]]

* In ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics]]'', any defeated characters would fall over with a turn-counter above their heads. If a Raise-spell or a Phoenix Down is adminstered to them before the timer runs out, they return to life - they are [[Only Mostly Dead]] - but if the timer runs all the way out, they are [[Killed Off for Real]]. If this happens to any plot-important characters, it's Game Over. Interestingly enough, the same rules apply to all enemies... while Undead types may actually come back to life on their own after the timer runs out, unless a special spell is used to permanently destroy them.

*** And [[Fridge Logic|we all wondered]] why they didn't just use a Phoenix Down when [[It Was His Sled|Aeris dies]] in ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]''...

**** The heroes tried the full range of Phoenix Downs, Life spells and such during the [[Plotline Death]] in ''[[Final Fantasy V]]''. It didn't work.

** Wounded: Potential [[Game-Breaking Injury]], eg your aim becomes less accurate

** Incapacitated: Only Mostly Dead, may or may not come back

* In ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', players can be resurrected for the cost of a bit of mana, or by running their spirit back to their corpse. NPCs are slaughtered by the thousands, but respawn minutes later (or every week in the case of raid bosses). The only final deaths are dictated by the plot, and you can be sure that if the plot requires someone to die for real while you watch, you can do nothing to save them.

* In ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots]]'', {{spoiler|1=Big Boss is revealed to have been sealed away in a coma for 15 years after his "final" battle with Solid Snake, having been snatched away by the Patriots, his legs and arms amputated and his conciousness locked away with nanomachines. He shows up in the ending later again, alive and kicking, with new cybernetic limbs (as well as replacement limbs from his sons, Liquid and Solidus), only to be killed by FOXDIE.}}

** There is also a fourth level in multiplayer games: "Ghost". Ghosts revive if they find a resurrection shrine or after a set period of time automatically.

* ''[[Baldur's Gate]] II: Throne of Bhaal'' addressed this point by having the character Imoen ask {{spoiler|Sarevok}} what it was like to be dead. He pretty much responds with a "Pfft, like you've never been dead before", suggesting that in the game (rather than as in the Forgotten Realms) there's a distinction between Raise Dead dead and dead dead. Dead.

** Not everyone takes it so seriously. "Greetings, everyone. Sorry, no gifts or souvenirs this time but I'll keep you all in mind the next time I'm gone. Oh, Keldorn, the gods say 'hi' and that you should wash your underwear more thoroughly. Everyone ready? Let's go adventuring." Yes, this is said by someone brought back from the dead.

** Due to your character's...''unusual'' heredity, your character is the exception; dead is dead is very, very dead. Sadly this leads too some retcon-induced [[Fridge Logic]] with regard to {{spoiler|Imoen}}.

 

== [[Web Original]] ==

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

* In ''[[Girl Genius]]'', {{spoiler|Adam and Lilith Clay are ripped to pieces by Von Pinn. They are later resurrected by Agatha's love interest [["Well Done, Son" Guy|Gilgamesh]].}} Of course, they are {{spoiler|constructs, built by the Heterodyne boys.}}

** However, dialog elsewhere in the series makes the rules for being Only Mostly Dead more clear; having your brain incinerated, for instance, is described as being a [[Final Death]], while one character notes that even aside from that resurrection techniques usually don't work so well.

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

[[Category:Death Tropes]]

[[Category:Only Mostly Dead]]