"I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Difference between revisions

Egad!! Your best friend, loyal [[Nakama]], or long standing love interest has been [[Split Personality Takeover|taken over]] by [[The Virus]], [[Brainwashed and Crazy]], [[Charm Person|mind]] [[Puppeteer Parasite|controlled]], [[Demonic Possession|possessed]] or subjected to [[Kryptonite Factor|Red Kryptonite]], [[Green Rocks]], some sort of [[MacGuffin]] or mind-bending [[Applied Phlebotinum]]!

 

 

Often accompanied by the phrase "I know you are in there somewhere." The hero stalls the fight trying to snap the friend out of it. Sometimes the effect is less than total salvation, only giving the friend the willpower [[Driven to Suicide|to off themself]] or [[I Cannot Self-Terminate|let]] [[Suicide by Cop|the hero]] [[Mercy Kill|off them]]. This can be especially [[Tragedy|tragic]] if they've been [[Fighting From the Inside]] just to give them the opportunity.

Only the [[Ideal Hero]] can pull this baby off. It's usually saved as a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] for them, to show just how amazingly, totally, completely ''awesome'' they are. It's also a pretty big deal for whoever manages to snap them out of it.

 

 

See also [[Battle in the Center of the Mind]], [[Fighting Your Friend]], and [[Defusing the Tykebomb]]. Contrast [[Sheathe Your Sword]], where the hero wins without fighting, but usually there isn't a relationship between the protagonist and antagonist. See [[They Still Belong to Us Lecture]] for the villain version. Compare [[Deprogram|Deprogramming]], a far more drawn out process. See also [[Resist the Beast]].

* ''[[Cardcaptor Sakura]]'', during the Final Judgment; {{spoiler|Sakura couldn't hurt Yue, the true form of her crush Yukito, and so she lost the first time around. Once Kaho uses her bell as a [[Reset Button]], Sakura tries it again and succeeds}}.

* In the second ''[[Futari wa Pretty Cure]] Max Heart'' movie, {{spoiler|Cure Black tries this on the [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] White, but it doesn't work, and Black herself ends up in the same condition. Eventually they each snap out of it on their own}}.

** In the ''[[Heartcatch Pretty Cure]]'' movie, Cure Blossom tries to snap out Oliver of his brainwashed state by talking to him. When that doesn't work, Cure Marine yanks out Blossom's hair bow, her loose hair snapping him out of it when Oliver realizes Blossom is Tsubomi (she had spent a good time with him with her hair down, not in her tradition twin tails).

** In the ''[[Yes! Pretty Cure 5]]'' movie, Cure Dream faces down a mind controlled Coco and, because of it, she's slowly turning into chocolate. Dream continues to call out his name and it slowly snaps him out of it, but it only takes hold once [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|she ends up throwing her arms around him, murmuring "Remember me", then]] ''[[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|kissing him]]''.

** Fans speculate, perhaps hopefully, that it didn't entirely fail during this timeline. [[Alternate Character Interpretation|Oktavia does seem to hesitate]]. The real roadblock is that there's nowhere else to go from there. As puella magi, their only real skill is killing witches; they have no means of healing them.

* ''[[Fresh Pretty Cure]]'' has Inori trying this on Lucky, who is turned into a monster. It worked, if it wasn't for Eas stopping it.

** As of 334, {{spoiler|it has worked. Asuna snaps out of her coma and returns to the action. And in the middle of this, she stops a little to thank the girls for saving her.}}

* In ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]'', Kotetsu becoming [[Unperson|Unpersoned]] and declared a killer means that he soon find himself being pursued by his own superhero friends, who have had all their memories of him altered courtesy of the show's [[Big Bad]]. {{spoiler|The trope is subverted in that Kotetsu tries to make them remember him but has little luck ([[Power of Love|except maybe with Karina, who has a crush on him]]).}}

{{quote|'''Ranma:''' We're your friends! Shampoo, try to remember!

'''Shampoo:''' Shampoo have no friends! }}

 

 

* Happens quite a lot during [[Blackest Night]]. Sometimes, the fallen hero's friends are actually "in there somewhere", but most of the time words are useless and the possessed Black Lanterns are nothing more than mindless shells with super powers.

** Bonus points if the possessed mindless shell convinces the more gullible hero that s/he is actually in there somewhere.

* Early in Ben Dunn's ''[[Ninja High School]]'', [[Ordinary High School Student]] Jeremy was brainwashed into being a sort of combination [[Mad Scientist]] and [[Evil Overlord]] (in a rather [[Putting on the Reich|Nazi-looking]] uniform). On at least one later occasion, he relapsed. ("Using what I could salvage from your school's workshop, I was able to take control of every civilian satellite...." He'd also built a bunch of robot soldiers. All this in less than a day.) Ichi dragged him back to sanity by hugging him while tearfully saying, "Please. You're not this person. You're not this person."

* Inverted in ''[[Ultimate Marvel]]'', in a team-up between the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. One of the {{spoiler|Sentinels from the future, patterned on Wolverine,}} insists that (paraphrased) "I didn't do it, I'm still you inside". So far it's unknown if it was telling the truth.

 

== Films -- Animation ==

* [[The Movie]] of ''[[Batman Beyond]]'', ''Return of the Joker'', condenses this down to {{spoiler|having the badly beat-up Batman merely mutter ''"... Tim."'' as his previous [[Sidekick]] turned [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] is about to murder him. It's just about enough to make Tim kill ''someone else'' instead of Batman, but it takes [[Deprogram|a year of intensive therapy]] to render poor Tim even ''partially'' sane. He's ''still'' suffering from after-effects of the brainwashing 40 years later}}.

* ''[[The Iron Giant]]'': "You don't have to be a gun".

* Subverted in ''[[World War Z]]'', where ''millions'' die after trying this on their zombified relatives. Later leads to a {{spoiler|[[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]] when it works on orphaned children during the fight to reclaim America, children the army was planning to shoot on sight as lost causes.}}

* In ''[[A Wrinkle in Time]]'', Charles Wallace has been taken over by the evil IT; Meg saves him with {{spoiler|[[The Power of Love]]}}, quite literally.

* Creel has one of these with {{spoiler|Velika}} in ''Dragon Slippers'' when the slippers take over {{spoiler|her}} mind.

* Tris faces {{spoiler|A [[Brainwashed|stuck-in-the-Simulation]] Tobias/Four}} at the end of [[Divergent]].

* In ''[[The Shining]]'', {{spoiler|Danny uses his "shining" to reawaken his father's spirit long enough for him to say how much he loves him before the Overlook Hotel obliterate what's left of his soul}}.

 

 

** Dean also ends up giving {{spoiler|Sam}} this speech twice, once when {{spoiler|he is possessed}} and once when {{spoiler|he gets addicted to demon blood}}.

*** And again, when {{spoiler|Sam is possessed by Lucifer in the Season 5 Finale; except Dean doesn't fight back}}.

* An episode of ''[[The Equalizer]]'' had Robert McCall's trusty sidekick Mickey Kostmayer kidnapped by the KGB in order to test their evil brainwashing technology. They make Kostmayer think that his [[Heterosexual Life Partners|long-time friend]] has accused him of murder and treason, making Kostmayer kill an image of McCall in blind rage. When the Real McCall is sent into the room as a test, he gets through to Kostmayer by saying he forgives him, and that he hopes Kostmayer does the same.

* ''[[UFO]]'' ("The Man Who Came Back"). Commander Straker tries this when his friend Collins turns out to be a [[Manchurian Agent]] sent by the aliens, but to no avail.

** Note that you can't do this unless you either did a sidequest earlier in the game and still have the reward from that quest, which has no other real value, or you have an insanely high Persuade check.

* Same goes in ''[[Knights of the Old Republic (video game)|Knights of the Old Republic]]'', which largely [[Recycled Premise|recycled the plot]] of ''NWN'' in this aspect. The same character you save this way will be completely disbelieving of your naivety when she finds out you tried it on the [[Big Bad]].

* Subverted in ''[[Mega Man Star Force]]''. Fighting the first human-merged-with-alien, Mega Man is reluctant to attack because a human is in there and defeating the enemy would mean killing the human as well. Omega-Xis, the alien who gives Mega Man ''his'' powers, promptly corrects this misconception, assuring Mega Man that defeating the enemy is the only way to get rid of the alien and restore the human.

** Played straight with Acid Ace, however. {{spoiler|Joker, being Ace's "dark half", can corrupt Acid and drive Acid Ace into a berserk state, and he does near game's end. The first time around, you need to stall for time until Acid Ace's safety kicks in and forces him to revert; the second time you have to thoroughly beat the sense back into him, and just in time for a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] to boot.}}

* The fight against [[Super-Powered Evil Side|Maverick Zero]] in ''[[Mega Man X]] 5'', except X decides the best course of action is beating the crap out of Zero to bring back his true self, and does so (the fight ends more or less in a tie). Also Zero vs Iris in ''X4''. In both cases, unfortunately, {{spoiler|they die after becoming normal again}}, but for different reasons.

* Played straight twice in ''[[Mass Effect]]''. {{spoiler|Benezia}} breaks Saren's indoctrination briefly during the fight on {{spoiler|Noveria}} at Shepard and Liara's urging, and if you have sufficient Charm or Intimidate points, you can make {{spoiler|Saren}} break {{spoiler|Sovereign's}} control in the final fight. It's not much of a breakage in either case, though, as both kill themselves -- {{spoiler|Benezia}} goes for [[Suicide by Cop|suicide by Spectre]], {{spoiler|Saren}} shoots himself in the head -- [[I Die Free|rather than continue as evil pawns.]] This is because Reaper indoctrination is permanent. Any break is only temporary.

* This only happens about fifteen times in ''[[Final Fantasy IV]]''. Rather, it might be easier to list the allies you ''don't'' have to fight.

* In ''[[Rival Schools]]'', if you choose to play with the teachers Hideo and Kyouko, at some point they're brainwashed. Later, one of them (the first one you picked) will snap out of it but not the other, so you'll have to team up with Batsu Ichimonji (whom you have just defeated beforehand) fight your companion.

** Variation: In any other team up with charas of the same school, one of the characters will be kidnapped, get [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] and join [[The Dragon]] Raizo. Your characters will try to talk to him or her, but will have to defeat him and Raizo in battle to get their companion back. {{spoiler|It turns out Raizo ''also'' was [[Brainwashed and Crazy]]... by the ''true'' [[Big Bad]], his nephew Hyo. You have to defeat the old guy to de-brainwash ''him'' too.}}

* In the "Dangerous Days Ahead" [[Story Arc]] from ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'', Torg tries this a little bit on Aylee. {{spoiler|Turns out it wasn't the real Aylee.}}

* Ivitho and Emojueel in ''[[Juathuur]]''.

* In ''[[Endstone]]'', [http://endstone.net/2009/06/10/issue-1-page-21/ Lord Quandal makes the appeal to Cole, but it doesn't work.]

 

** And he does it again in ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'', this time rooting for Lex Luthor after Brainiac hijacked his body and fused with him. Too bad for Supes that Lex was all in favor of the deal, and had even been the one to suggest complete fusion to begin with.

{{quote|'''Luthor:''' I ''am'' in here... and ''[[Evil Tastes Good|I like it]]''!}}

* In ''[[Ben 10]]: Race Against Time'', Gwen does it to Ben who is turned into a young version of the villain Eon. After a while, it works. Although, they way Gwen went about doing so made it [[Unfortunate Implications|sound]] [[Kissing Cousins|rather strange]].

** Later subverted in a [[Ben 10: Alien Force]] episode, where the Plumber's kids goes on a space station to save Max from Ben, who apparently went [[Axe Crazy]]. While fighting him, Pierce assumes Ben must have been [[Brainwashed and Crazy]], and attempt this trope on him. It apparently works, as Ben seems to come partially to his mind and beg for help... only to use the opportunity to catch him off guard and mock him for falling to the trick. {{spoiler|It's later revealed Ben was actually faking being evil as part of an act organized by Max to test the Plumbers' kid performances.}}

* ''[[Winx Club]]'' has one of those as the end of Season 2. With Bloom turned into a [[Dark Magical Girl]] by the [[Big Bad]], after her friends attempt to fight her yet cannot (half because it's their friend after all, half because Evil Bloom is VERY powerful), and after Riven [[Taking the Bullet|almost gets killed to shield an injured Musa]], it's up to Prince Sky to try talking Bloom out of it. It takes a while, but it finally works. It's also a mild subversion since this time the ''heroine'' is the one brainwashed and saved by her love interest.

* ''[[Danny Phantom]]'' in "What You Want" and "Control Freaks". In WYW, Danny tries to get through to a ghost-powered Tucker and fails. Danny winds up tricking Tucker in order to free Tucker from his evil ghost version. In CF, Sam attempts to get through to a brainwashed Danny, succeeding once, only to have Danny put under Freakshow's control again. She attempts later in the ending and only gets to Danny after getting tossed off a train over a bridge crossing in a valley. Danny comes to his senses and saves her before she falls to her doom.

** Zim tries this on his robot henchman GIR after the latter is overtaken by his "duty mode". True to the [[Failure Is the Only Option]] nature of the series, it doesn't work.

{{quote|'''Zim:''' GIR, you were my servant once, remember?

* Subverted in an episode of ''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars]]'', in which padawan Barriss Offee is taken over by a parasitic brain worm. When her friend Ashoka Tano tries this trope on her it has zero effect. In the end she has to rely on SCIENCE and lightsabers, followed up by some [[Les Yay|snuggly cuddling]].

* Another subversion in ''[[Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers|Galaxy Rangers]]'' episode "Psychocrypt" - By the time his team find him, Zach has already had his [[Life Energy]] ripped out and turned into a Slaverlord. Doc tries this, only to start dodging bullets. The Slaverlord-Zach also fires several ''direct'' shots at Goose, whose abilities allow him to shrug it off long enough to grab the crystal.

{{quote|'''Jimmy''': "Mom! Dad! You can't do this to me!"

'''Mom''': "Oh were happy to do it."

* Averted in ''[[The Venture Brothers]]'' "The Incredible Mr. Brisby". A group called the Orange County Liberation Front try to overthrow obvious Walt Disney parody, Roy Brisby and his empire using Bizzy Bee beanies taken from Brisby's laboratories intended for mind control and using them on the Venture brothers, Hank and Dean, as test subjects. As the battle erupts between the soldiers and the bee-suit workers, the hypnotized boys prepare to attack Brock. Instead of appealing to them, Brock threatens them: "You don't want to shoot me, boys. You know me. [[Heroic Sociopath|You know what I'll do to you if you do.]]" It works, as the boys' mind control is momentarily overridden by pure terror, long enough for Brock to lightly bash their heads together and remove the caps.

* Brutally subverted in ''[[The Spectacular Spider-Man]]''. The son of Dr. Connors aka The Lizard tries to get through to his rampagin mutated father. There's a flicker of recognition and hesitation in Lizard's eyes, and then it attempts to bite the kid's head off.

* In ''[[Jackie Chan Adventures]]'', Jade tries doing this to her dog, Scruffy, after if has been possessed by the mask of an evil [[Oni]] warrior, to the point of tears. It doesn't work, but Jackie and her team of animals (who were given powers by the defeated dragon demon Shendu's talismans) and a stuffed animal (also given life by the talismans) save her before Scruffy kills her.

** Played straight when Jade's same age friend, Paco, puts on another [[Oni]] warrior mask so that he can be scary for Halloween. The mask's evil slowly takes over him until he was willing to beat up his own wrestling idol, El Toro. On the edge of defeat, El Toro convinces him to remove his mask after he removes his own (which he and Paco agreed he would never do out of pride) and brings him back to his senses enough to fight off the demon's influence (in a rather comical, [[Jim Carrey]]-like fashion) and use Uncle's potion to remove it.