Unperson: Difference between revisions

Line 1:

{{quote|"''Nothing will remain of you: not a name in a register, not a memory in a living brain. You will be annihilated in the past as well as in the future. [[Time Travel Tense Trouble|You will never have existed]].''"|''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four|1984]]'', George Orwell}}

Line 18:

* Johan from ''[[Monster (manga)|Monster]]'' is notable since the one who is removing the evidence of his existence is himself. {{spoiler|He also did the same to General Wolf. All because the poor sap at one point asked him "how he felt".}}

* In ''[[Shakugan no Shana]]'', a large amount of people have had their power of existence consumed and turned into torches. When a torch's flame dies out, they disappear completely, and no-one ever remembers they existed.

* In ''[[One Piece]]'', the prison Impel Down has six levels. The sixth level of the ~~prison--reserved~~ for those who are most dangerous (whether to society or simply the World Government)--does not officially exist; the same could be presumed of its inhabitants. {{spoiler|Which is why several of them escaping was covered up.}}

* In ''[[One Piece]]'', the prison Impel Down has six levels. The sixth level of the prison—reserved for those who are most dangerous (whether to society or simply the World Government)--does not officially exist; the same could be presumed of its inhabitants. {{spoiler|Which is why several of them escaping was covered up.}}

* ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]'' has a variation on it: neither {{spoiler|[[Superhero|Wild Tiger]]}} nor {{spoiler|[[Secret Identity|Kotetsu T. Kaburagi]]}} were stricken from record and memory, but any indication that they're the same person was. Thus, it becomes much easier for {{spoiler|Maverick to frame Kotetsu for the murder of Samantha Taylor and have him hunted down by all of his former friends}}.

* In ''[[Bleach]]'', when Rukia is sent back to the Soul Society, everyone whom she interacted with has their memories of her existence erased. The ones with spiritual energy such as Ichigo and Orihime are the only ones who retained those memories.

Line 65:

* The [[Forgotten Realms]] ''Finder's Stone Trilogy'' of novels features the Nameless Bard, made an Unperson by the Harpers as punishment for the accidental death of an apprentice caused by his hubris.

* "Negation of Being" in ''[[The Assassins of Tamurin]]'', the third most severe punishment for a crime, after mutilation and execution.

* In the Lois Lowry novel ''[[The Giver]]'', the story's [[~~Dystopia|dystopian~~]] society has removed {{spoiler|Rosemary}}, the previous Receiver of Memory and {{spoiler|the Giver's daughter}} from the public memory, going as far as that her name cannot be used for a new child ever again, after {{spoiler|the memories she received dissipated out into the community when she applied for [[Released to Elsewhere|release]] (assisted suicide, and she knew what it was) and the members of the community had to feel emotion and pain for the first time.}}

* In the Lois Lowry novel ''[[The Giver]]'', the story's [[dystopia]]n society has removed {{spoiler|Rosemary}}, the previous Receiver of Memory and {{spoiler|the Giver's daughter}} from the public memory, going as far as that her name cannot be used for a new child ever again, after {{spoiler|the memories she received dissipated out into the community when she applied for [[Released to Elsewhere|release]] (assisted suicide, and she knew what it was) and the members of the community had to feel emotion and pain for the first time.}}

** There's a variant that is ''almost'' kinder: A young child dies, his parents are given a new child, same gender, and the same name, in order to "[[Replacement Goldfish|replace]]" the child that died. Because everyone's emotions are so dulled, this is an effective emotional replacement, rendering the original child meaningless.

* Another ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' example, this one non-canonical: in one of the early novels, [[Peter David]]'s ''Strike Zone'', the worst punishment in Klingon society is to be stripped of one's name. This actually matches pretty well with how the Klingons were eventually portrayed on the ~~show -- after~~ Worf accepts "discommendation", he's essentially an [[Unperson]] (this happens to him ''twice'').

* Another ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' example, this one non-canonical: in one of the early novels, [[Peter David]]'s ''Strike Zone'', the worst punishment in Klingon society is to be stripped of one's name. This actually matches pretty well with how the Klingons were eventually portrayed on the show—after Worf accepts "discommendation", he's essentially an Unperson (this happens to him ''twice'').

** Peter David did this again in ''[[Star Trek: New Frontier]]'': When the New Thallonian Protectorate is attacked, Si Cwan finds that one Thallonian was away from his post at the time ({{spoiler|actually, he was killed by the doppelganger impersonating Si Cwan's sister}}), and decides to Unperson him as punishment.

* In ''[[Tigana]]'', the residents of the titular country put up so much resistance to invading sorcerer-king Brandin of Ygrath (especially in killing his only son), that when he wins he casts a spell that erases Tigana almost completely. It disappears from all written record and living ~~memory -- except~~ the memories of the few surviving Tiganans themselves. They are magically prevented from speaking or writing of it and thus forced to live with the knowledge that when they've died, it will be as if they and their home never existed.

* In ''[[Tigana]]'', the residents of the titular country put up so much resistance to invading sorcerer-king Brandin of Ygrath (especially in killing his only son), that when he wins he casts a spell that erases Tigana almost completely. It disappears from all written record and living memory—except the memories of the few surviving Tiganans themselves. They are magically prevented from speaking or writing of it and thus forced to live with the knowledge that when they've died, it will be as if they and their home never existed.

* In Stephen Baxter's ''[[Xeelee Sequence]]'' novels, the alien Qax attempt to do this to the entire history of humankind, in a project know as the extirpation, in order to make them better slaves.

* Jason Taverner in [[Philip K. Dick]]'s ''Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said'' is a [[Genetic Engineering|genetically engineered]] singer and TV star who goes from global celebrity to Un-person literally overnight.

Line 94:

* [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome]] is a television example of making someone an "unperson" – a character that has some importance to the show's main premise will be dropped, with no proper farewell or explanation, and are not referred to again. [[Retcon|Even "dated" photographs will have the ex-family member cropped out]]. This "unperson" trope was named for a ''[[Happy Days]]'' character who was Richie Cunningham's older brother, Chuck. Chuck ended up being a superfluous character who usually appeared only in transitional scenes, was never given any meaningful dialogue, and was eventually written out without explanation. In fact, in the series' 1984 finale ("Passages," where Joanie and Chachi are married), Cunningham patriarch Howard toasts his family and mentions that his '''two''' children have married well ... leading longtime fans of the show, who were aware that originally there were three children, to scratch their heads and wonder "Where's Chuck?" (In a blooper reel, Tom Bosley indeed asks that question after the final cut.) Numerous other "unperson" examples of the [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome]] exist; see that page for more details.

* ''[[The Brady Bunch]]'': Temporarily, in the 1972 episode "Jan, the Only Child." Here, Jan feels insecure about her place as the middle daughter of a six-child blended family. When she is unable to get along with her siblings – almost always, these arguments are over privacy, courtesy and personal space issues – and declares she wants to become an only child, her sibilings (who tried to accomodate her) are '''''SO''''' offended that they declare her invisible ... ignoring her and staying out of her way. It isn't long before a tearful Jan declares she wants to become a person again in her siblings' eyes.

* ''[[Step by Step]]'': Young Brendan is shunned (unfairly) by his older siblings and stepsiblings in "Back to Basics." Why? For the "send him to hell" crime of having a months-overdue video that was found under his bed. Carol had found it, declared it the last straw in a series of increasingly irresponsible behavior by her children/step-children, and imposed a crackdown on privileges. Brendan is immediately targeted and is yelled at and/or shunned ... then becomes an "unperson" when Carol stiffens the punishment for their abusive behavior. Brendan eventually has enough and runs away to the only place where he's considered a person ... Cody's van! Carol and Frank eventually realize they were being too harsh on Brendan and help him to become a person ~~again -- by~~ making the others apologize.

* ''[[Step by Step]]'': Young Brendan is shunned (unfairly) by his older siblings and stepsiblings in "Back to Basics." Why? For the "send him to hell" crime of having a months-overdue video that was found under his bed. Carol had found it, declared it the last straw in a series of increasingly irresponsible behavior by her children/step-children, and imposed a crackdown on privileges. Brendan is immediately targeted and is yelled at and/or shunned ... then becomes an "unperson" when Carol stiffens the punishment for their abusive behavior. Brendan eventually has enough and runs away to the only place where he's considered a person ... Cody's van! Carol and Frank eventually realize they were being too harsh on Brendan and help him to become a person again—by making the others apologize.

* ''[[Alice (TV series)|Alice]]'': The 1983 episode "Sweet, Erasable Mel" humorously plays with the "unperson" concept when Vera accidentally erases all of Mel's financial records on his new computer. Naturally, Mel panics and believes he's been virtually erased from existence, but when he and Alice go to the bank to recover the information, the computers there go haywire, and it appears everything there is lost, too. (Of course, everything works out in the end.)

* ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'': Coy and Vance, who were "unpersons" before their arrival in Hazzard in 1982 – to replace Bo and Luke, after John Schneider and Tom Wopat sat out most of Season 5 as part of a dispute – and became "unpersons" ''after'' Bo and Luke returned. Indeed, the two "fake Dukes" are never spoken of again (in first-run episodes, anyway; their legacy remains in reruns) ... and it is as though they never existed.

Line 137:

*** While it was still active, the mentioning of Squats on the GW forums would get your account banned and the thread shut down and subsequently deleted. Asking questions about Squats at GW-sanctioned events would have security remove you from the event. GW really, really did not like the Squats.

** The two most significant Unpersons in the Imperium are the "Lost Legions"; the 2nd and Eleventh Legions of Space Marines and their Primarches. Whilst the [[Horus Heresy]] novels drop hints as to some great tragedy or accident (or even that they were the very first Space Marines to ever be corrupted by Chaos), absolutely nothing is known about them.

*** Chapters from the Cursed 21st Founding have been given this treatment as well, due to the bad luck and horrific mutations that plague ~~them -- the~~ Black Dragons have blades of razor-sharp bones growing from their bodies, the Flame Falcons are covered in living flame, the Sons of Antaeus have metal bones.

*** Chapters from the Cursed 21st Founding have been given this treatment as well, due to the bad luck and horrific mutations that plague them—the Black Dragons have blades of razor-sharp bones growing from their bodies, the Flame Falcons are covered in living flame, the Sons of Antaeus have metal bones.

* The "Zeroed" advantage in ''[[GURPS]]'', available to secret government operatives, [[The Men in Black]] and the like.

* ''[[Vampire: The Requiem]]'': Back during the days of Rome, it turned out an entire clan was suspected of working with [[Owl Be Damned|the strix]]. The clan was wiped out down to a man, and all references to their name ~~stricken -- they~~ are only known as the Traditores (or "traitors").

* ''[[Vampire: The Requiem]]'': Back during the days of Rome, it turned out an entire clan was suspected of working with [[Owl Be Damned|the strix]]. The clan was wiped out down to a man, and all references to their name stricken—they are only known as the Traditores (or "traitors").

* ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' gives us Revoke Existence, which does this to artifacts (machinery) and enchantments (long-lasting effects). Even the flavor text fits this.

** Let's not forget the card Door to Nothingness; "All memory of your existence will be wiped from reality. You will die, and no one will mourn."

Line 150:

* In ''[[Quest for Glory III]]'', being deemed "Without Honor" in Tarna does this: No one will trade, or even talk with you. The hero catches a thief at the beginning of the game. Said capture leads the thief to being declared honorless. The hero showing kindness to the thief and giving him food leads to said thief becoming [[Big Damn Heroes|an ally at a crucial moment]].

* ''[[Freelancer]]'' has the forced disappearance and the deletion of all the records of anyone that had something to do with alien artifacts. Juni finding this out is the moment that kickstarts the [[Conspiracy Theory]] plot.

* The first story arc involving Crey Industries in ''[[City of Heroes]]'' involves the attempted assassination and ~~[[Unperson|~~unpersoning]] of a woman (and her sister, when she becomes suspicious and gets involved), all because she had convinced her husband to quit his job with Crey.

* The first story arc involving Crey Industries in ''[[City of Heroes]]'' involves the attempted assassination and unpersoning of a woman (and her sister, when she becomes suspicious and gets involved), all because she had convinced her husband to quit his job with Crey.

* Featured in ''[[Sharin no Kuni]]'' in the form of The Maximum Penalty, the worst punishment an individual can receive. Basically, you're virtually isolated from society; no one can befriend you, no one can speak to you, no one can touch you, no one can even ''look at you''. No jobs, no fun, '''nothing'''. The only person allowed to interact with you is your assigned Special High Class Individual, and only for strictly monitoring purposes. Everyone subject to this punishment has a strange spiral-like mark tattooed in its skin and sewn in its clothes, so everyone can know its punishment.<br />{{spoiler|Ririko, being the daughter of Saburou Higuchi (the one that started the uprising years ago), receives this punishment, and Houzuki is the Special High Class Individual in charge of her. He uses her to put pressure on Kenichi (actually Ken, Ririko's brother) to become a Special High Class Individual, promising him that once he does, he'll let him take care of Ririko.}}

* In ''[[Arcanum]]'' there is this disturbing quest involving a [[Government Conspiracy]], which among other things standard for this sort of story, also includes the man-disappears-and-is-replaced motif.

Line 162:

* This was actually one of the devices used by the Five Gods in ''[[Guild Wars]]'' to imprison their fallen brother, Abaddon. His followers and any literature, art, or structure associated with Abaddon was banished into the Realm of Torment. Even long after his defeat, souls touched by Abaddon's power were taken to the Realm to be cleansed. Unfortunately, enough escaped their efforts to guide new followers in bringing about Nightfall.

** In the case of Abaddon, it was actually very important this happen. He was the God of Secrets, so a mortal simply possessing knowledge of his existence was enough to give him a connection to Tyria.

* In ''[[Nancy Drew|The Captive Curse]]'', it's implied that tales of "the Monster" had their roots in the case of a medieval criminal who'd been declared an [[Unperson]] after he escaped from the castle dungeon. As no one was allowed to speak his name, rumors about this fugitive eventually re-cast him as an anonymous inhuman freak.

* In ''[[Nancy Drew|The Captive Curse]]'', it's implied that tales of "the Monster" had their roots in the case of a medieval criminal who'd been declared an Unperson after he escaped from the castle dungeon. As no one was allowed to speak his name, rumors about this fugitive eventually re-cast him as an anonymous inhuman freak.

* In the [[Mega Man Zero]] series, Dr. Weil is said to have been so heinous (having kicked off a war that wiped out 60% of mankind and 90% of [[Ridiculously Human Robot|reploidkind]] ) that all records of him have been suppressed by Neo-Arcadia, to the extent that libraries containing records of his actions have been flooded and anyone who finds out about him is declared a Maverick. Of course, this is intended to prevent anyone from doing what he did again.

Line 198:

* Most restaurants have policies where the waitstaff can refuse service to a particular individual for any reason, sometimes by refusing to acknowledge them (and thus, fitting the trope). Usually, this is done to customers who have been particularly rude or obnoxious, drunk or acted "creepy" toward waitresses in the past.

* The Romans did this and they called it ''[[wikipedia:Damnatio memoriae|damnatio memoriae]]'' or "damnation of memory".

** This also happened in ancient Egypt to perceived traitors (most notably, the heretical Pharaoh Akhenaten, who had tried to [[Unperson]] ''the entire Egyptian Pantheon''). These disgraced people had their carved images, monuments, etc. either effaced or obliterated, wiping out not only their images but also their names. Given the Egyptian focus on the afterlife, and the need for a perpetual image and name to ensure that afterlife, this was a very serious punishment.

** This also happened in ancient Egypt to perceived traitors (most notably, the heretical Pharaoh Akhenaten, who had tried to Unperson ''the entire Egyptian Pantheon''). These disgraced people had their carved images, monuments, etc. either effaced or obliterated, wiping out not only their images but also their names. Given the Egyptian focus on the afterlife, and the need for a perpetual image and name to ensure that afterlife, this was a very serious punishment.

*** The 1956 version of ''[[The Ten Commandments]]'' has Moses killing a high-ranking Egyptian to rescue a Hebrew slave and then being declared an Unperson by his foster father Seti, after the crime is discovered.

*** Ironically, because of this modern scholars often have a better idea of the lineage of pharaohs than they themselves did, because we have access to records that were sealed in tombs and thus not altered to erase someone the way the records they would have access to were.