u/No_Hunter1978

1. >!Ted Faro!< [Horizon: Zero Dawn]: >!Of course, the machine plague that ravages the world is created by his company which (admittedly) is a group effort. That said, Faro was the one who requested an encryption without a backdoor and the person who kept early glitches hush-hush. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Faro was the sole cause as is, but the final nail in the coffin is what he does to the Apollo database. A giant record of human knowledge and history, erased for a narcissist's fear that his descendants would (rightfully) blame him for the apocalypse. !<
2. >!Sybil!< [Look Outside]: >!Though it wasn't her intention, Sybil was the one who alerted the Visitor of Earth's presence. She spied it through her telescope, and the lovecraftian entity noticed her. Its approach (and the resulting horrors) were her fault, even if she didn't mean it.!<

Preferably a setting that is more "traditional" in its composition (swords and/or magic with limited tech beyond the medieval or renaissance eras). You get the idea.

Edit: Ignore the "randomly" part of the title. I didn't mean that part; just cosmic horror in fantasy settings, generally.

1. Elden Ring: I mean, the entire worldbuilding of the Lands Between hinges on the fact that an incomprehensible deity from beyond the stars gives god-like powers to their figurehead. Beyond that though, the stars are living beings, and the same is implied of the many moons in the game. Seems pretty cosmic to me.
2. A Song of Ice & Fire: Less so that the cosmic horror is confirmed is that a religion in GRR Martin's world is based on existing Lovecraft works (including Innsmouth-style fishmen and a namedrop of Carcosa).
3. Elder Scrolls: There is in universe speculation that the entirety of the Elder Scrolls cosmology is contained within the dream of a slumbering "Godhead." [Art by MGuillon]
4. Dungeons & Dragons: Being a ttrpg, a lot of the specifics are left up to interpretation, but a core subclass draws power from so-called "Great Old Ones." Also, Cthulhu is canon.
5. Legend of Zelda: In Link's Awakening, it's revealed that the entire world is dreamt up by a colossal flying whale called the Wind Fish.

This is usually an entirely undisguised way for the writers to make their favorite characters happy (essentially an official "fix-it fic"), but I eat it up every time. I also count the official "modern AUs" that anime especially like to toss in (even if it's not a "good ending" for the story itself, it still gives the characters a better life).

Arcane: >!Due to the malfunction of some eldritch tech, a couple characters are scattered across dimensions. In one of them, the world isn't suffering from most issues present in the main timeline. There is some debate as to whether it fits because - in order to achieve this ending - at least 1 (and likely 2 more) of the main characters had to die. That said, I think it still fits given all the other characters are in better places and if they were given the choice, most of those now-dead characters would sacrifice themselves for such an ending. Bittersweet but still "good" imo.!<

Mouthwashing: This one's canonicity is in question, but if you count external/bonus content, there exists a world where the events of this horror game never happened, and every character was actually an actor.

La La Land: This inclusion may be cheating a little - I'd argue that the "real" world's ending is also a good ending for the 2 main characters - but I'd be remiss if I didn't include it. >!The 2 MCs decide to chose their careers over their relationship with eachother, and in the epilogue, they fantasize about "what could've been" if they chose the opposite.!<

Attack on Titan: Not much to say about this one. In the epilouge of the AoT anime, we are given a couple-scene-long glimpse into a modern AU (or maybe reincarnation, who knows) where the main trio are alive and well.

Alien Stage: A similar case to AoT; there's some last-minute scenes in the finale where we are shown an AU where the aliens never came. There's also some comics (which i haven't personally read), and I think the creator has created 2 whole "good ending" AUs for this series.

Doki Doki Literature Club: On a first glance, the Side Stories from DDLC+ seems like a prequel of sorts. If you read into the lore however, >!it's revealed that though the characters in the main game may have undergone a version of these stories in their past, the actual "Side Stories" are a separate simulation where Monika isn't given awareness/control of her role as a video game character. As such, it's kind of the equivalent of turning off a game before the final mission and telling yourself it's now canon that John Marston has his happily ever after in your specific copy of RDR1 (for example). I'd say it still counts, however, but maybe I'm getting too loose with my definition of "alternate universe."!<

It has completely altered the way I look at hard magic systems as a concept. It's one thing to have magic hard enough for the audience to imagine innovative uses, but it's an entire other beast when said audience can create an in-universe way to bring their war crimes to fruition.

It also invertedly justifies the Witch cops and their stance on keeping spellcasting a secret to the public.

The universe, narrative, or another character gives them a clear opportunity to stop a negative arc only for them to deny it (with or without some deliberation).

1. The Grey Matter Deal [Breaking Bad]: >!There's probably a bunch of different moments during the show that fit this trope (it's kinda the whole point of Walter White as a character), but I think the first and most fitting example is Elliott's offer to Walter. He gives him the option to work at Grey Matter - which would give him great insurance and a clean way to pay off his cancer fees - but Walter refuses him out of pride. Instead, the rest of the show happens.!<
2. Esmerelda's Escape [Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame]: >!During the song "Hellfire," Judge Frollo sings about his "temptation" and prays for god to take away said temptation. And wouldn't you have it, a guard - bathed in white light - comes in at that exact moment to inform Frollo that Esmerelda (the subject of his carnal obsession) has fled. Frollo's response? "I'll find her myself!"!<
3. Andrew's Escape [The Coffin of Andy & LeyLey]: >!During the Shots & Such/Deadest of Dead Ends route, Andrew escapes the chains his sister put on him (after he tried, and failed, to kill her). After doing so, he just so happens to find someone's lost ID and meets a high-school friend who takes notice of Andrew's sickly appearance. Then the narration essentially runs through what could happen if Andrew asks for help (move in with him for a time, get a job using his newly acquired ID, and become the godfather of Friend B's child). Of course, Andrew doesn't ask for help, and goes crawling back to his sister... leading to some of the worst possible endings thus far.!<

It isn't uncommon for a story to have several antagonists, and I'm a particular fan of when most of those characters/factions are morally grey (or, at the very least, have an admirable goal) save for a single unredeemable example.

1. Big Jack Horner [Puss In Boots]: The movie has 3 primary antagonists in the form of Goldilocks (genuinely decent people who just so happen to want the same thing as the protagonists), Death (neutral force that has a sense of "honor"), and this trope's face, Jack Horner (good life, good family, horrible person).
2. Dung Eater [Elden Ring]: This game is built on a divine power struggle, and as such, the different storylines allow you to learn the pros/cons of different ideologies. Then there is the Dung Eater who makes it his goal in life to "defile" as many people as possible. Even the Frenzied Flame has an ideology that could appeal to some people ("burn it all down"); Dung Eater and his ending is built on the philosophy of "make a big of a negative impact as possible, so people will be forced to remember your name." It's a very real, very dangerous mindset that doesn't just exist in the realm of fantasy.

1. Abstract Daddy (Silent Hill 2)
2. Blue Star (Lobotomy Corporation)
3. Monster/Moonscorched Caligula (Fear & Hunger 2)

Maybe I'm tripping, but... is the Corrosion art for Outis's scissor EGO not supposed to be suicide imagery?

The newly announced Don EGO has the type of framing you would expect, and that just makes this art stand out even more. Why would they not include the abno's most distinguishing features (the scissors, plushie, and/or smile) in favor of having her legs hanging limply from above? As far as I'm aware, Will You Play? can't really levitate.

I genuinely feel like I'm undergoing my "the curtains are just blue" revelation because that seems... extremely dark to just squeeze into the background of an EGO corrosion. The logs make it clear she's supposed to represent child neglect, so maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. Still, I just felt the need to ask what people's thoughts are on this.

1. Mark VS. >!Conquest!< (Invincible): Invincible really likes this trope, and outside of the fight shown in the image, he does the same to >!Levy. It's just kind of funny that - in both cases - he fails to finish the job.!<
2. Neytiri butchers the humans (Avatar: Way of Water): After >!the death of her son,!<Neytiri can be seen repeatedly stabbing the dead bodies of one her human enimies, causing Spider (an ally) to hide.
3. Kratos kills Zeus (God of War): I like this execution especially because the scene quite literally can't end until you, the player, stops mashing O.
4. Heathcliff VS. Erlking (Limbus Company): After hearing Erlking's philosophy, Heathcliff grows dangerously angry and uses his EGO (special move) without prompting from the player. The animation is stretched out however, breaking the damage counter and changing the attack's "Sin Affinity" from envy (purple) to wrath (red).

For those who can't quite remember, those are:

1. Sunshower Dongbaek
2. Every Catherine (& Full-Strength Erlking)
3. Camille
4. Budding Paula
   • Also, Budding Camille, but his corroded form is almost identical to his base form save for skill names and a single passive)
5. Big, Scary Bear
   • Mostly a boss by technicality
6. Knight of the White Moon
7. Zilu
8. Sinclair
   • Also mostly a technicality
9. Pinky Nursefather (in all of her forms)
10. Roach Emperor
11. False Bongy
12. Fabius
13. Last Knight
14. Mayors

There are two bosses that could also be considered unique, but they have other fightable forms that they differ from minimally. Those are the Recollected G Corp Manager (main differences from the base G Corp Manager in sin affinities) and frenzied Sancho from LCCB Checkup.

This list was mostly made out of general curiosity, but it also got me thinking on if/when certain bosses would be added. A lot of these will probably be left behind (like Camille, Paula, and Sunshower Dongbaek), and others probably can't happen whether for lore reasons (Every Cathy) or licensing (all the Arkknights content). That said, I would be genuinely surprised if we don't eventually get a Roach Emperor and Pinky NF fight.

I did not expect to like this show as much as I do.

Obviously these things don't remove all culpability (especially in more extreme cases), but I love the angst this trope inspires.

Nebula (Guardians of the Galaxy): She was a child soldier alongside her sister, Gamora, but their "father" always had more love for the latter child. This ingrained itself in her psyche, and her actions are a conflicted mix of hating her father while still desiring his approval.

Azula (Avatar): She was conditioned by her father and turned into a ruthless psychopath. Admittedly, she's the most "evil" character on her own merits (at least of those in this post), but she still fits.

Lucio (Limbus Company): This trope probably applies to all of the House of Spiders apprentices, but I chose Lucio specifically because he embodies the concept most. Each of the 5 Nursefathers are essentially stand-ins for different forms of child abuse, and Valencia (Lucio's master/mother) is the resident physical abuser. Lucio probably holds the most hatred out of all the Apprentices, but he also has the sin of Sloth for a reason. His fantasies and unspoken promises are a series of "next times," and that would eventually>!lead to his death.!<

Edit: I don't know what happened to Azula; I hope it doesn't constitute a violation of Rule 3.

A lot of them are sweet, and I like getting a more detailed view of the abnos. The Sleeping Bag art is particularly cool; it's also the only clear image we get of its shorts and t-shirt.

I'm a huge fan of monsters that are symbolic expressions of something more mundane (one of the main reasons I love Silent Hill designs), but it's not often that you find a design that focuses on something as abstract as chest pain.

I would've already loved this Abnormality (the game's name for these monsters) just on a conceptual level, yet the design itself is great. As unsubtle as it is, I love the imagery of the physical body - specifically the ribs - being a sort of cage around an ethereal "inner self." The fact that said inner self is so... normal is a strong choice as well, just slapping the shadow person in a t-shirt and shorts.

Then the "EGOs" (the game's way of giving playable characters a super-move inspired by the Abnormalities) are just the cherry on top. I like how the rib motif is turned into a literal straight jacket, and having them carry around respirators solidifies the concept for those who otherwise overlooked the symbolism.

It's likely a pipe dream, but I find the idea extremely funny (and wonder how their kit would incorporate the concept).

u/rubiol gets credit for creating this monstrosity of a nugget.

Dimensional Furioso will be hype, trust.

>!(Farmwatch is mostly there for the meme; I will not be addressing him any further)!<

Personally, I can see characters like the Furry Gang and Gasharpoon becoming IDs in the future because they are likely to return at some point (Furry Gang is probably one of the biggest loose ends in Limbus so far and Ahab is part of the League).

Then, characters like Siegfried, the Indigo Elder, and the Night Drifter (who, despite some confusion regarding Drifting Blade Ryoshu, does NOT have an ID) are cool but relatively contained characters. I can see a return to K Corp leading to a Siegfried reuinion or the eventual "Color Fixer Mirror World" including the Indigo Elder; ND, however, isn't likely to have an ID if one isn't included in the SC Bokgak (for obvious reasons).

Canto 8 could probably have a section of its own. The vast majority of the Hierarch candidates could've been IDs - if it weren't for the Heishou - but now that Canto 8 is over, they are unlikely to be super relevant in the future.

Last (and certainly least) characters like Aya and Hopkins are unlikely to ever get IDs for the simple reason that they are fodder. They're Grade 8 when the average Canto 9 ID is Grade 1, and 00 IDs no longer exist. You can also include most basic enemies in this same space (Tieqiu, Casino Security, Misc Canto 9 Assassins, Fairy Long-Legs EGO, etc).

Dad Quixote (and Jia Mu, to a lesser extent) are in a strange middle ground where they already have distinct move sets and are roughly of modern ID power levels but are very dead. These are the ones that I find the most tragic because god would I love a Dad Quixote ID to power up the Bloodfiend team.

I know why it isn't common, and I realize LobCorp IDs are the best suited to this type of ID (seeing as they're nameless nuggets that can switch EGOs at the drop of a hat). That said, I have a personal desire to see how these IDs would evolve in-universe, and I think it could also be used as a way to "revitalize" old concepts without using the EGO method like BL Sault and SL Sang (though, this would completely invalidate the original ID if it's just better across the board).

Take - for example - LCD Ishmael. Aeng-du already had a Sinner counterpart in Faust (if less direct than other IDs), and I think it would've been cool to see Faust get that ID as a canonically future version of the old one. I see why they wouldn't do this (the more Sinners with separate Blade Lineage IDs, the stronger the team), but I would've liked it nonetheless.

Then there's Xichun; I feel like (if she hadn't died) it would've been cool to have an alternate Family Hierarch ID that uses the moves learned during Spring Cultivation. If you want OG Ximael to have a niche, maybe Future-Xichun lacks the interactions with Lord Lu and Wei Sang.

And you can get really crazy with the concept, applying it to IDs that have no mainline counterparts (at least counterparts that are still alive). It isn't going to happen in a million years, but I think a future LucioCliff would be cool. Mot only making a the ID stronger, but providing further closure on his story (I want him to be happy - sue me). In this hypothetical, you could blend Textbook with Precognition and Acceleration Rounds... and maybe give him the ability to teamkill ValenRodya just cause.

I don't know; it just feels like a pretty big niche that PM hasn't really dove into. Maybe in the future when Purgatorio starts or something?