- "I suspect that we will continue to die and be reborn until we finally get our life right. I do not know what we have to do to bring that about, though. And therein lies the frustration."
- ― The Nameless One (Planescape: Torment)
The power to pass one's spirit/soul into another body after death. Not to be confused with Resurrection as the user possesses a new body.
Contents
Also Called
- Born-Again Immortality
- Past Life
- Rebirth
Capabilities
The user is capable of surviving and escaping death by being reborn in the body of another or possess a body that was just born.
If they reincarnate by possessing another body they gain the physical capabilities of the host, but also the drawbacks and potentially the social connections as well.
If they reincarnate by being reborn in new body, their original powers may be radically changed in strength or they may end up with new powers.
Applications
- Divided Mind - If the personalities are distinct from each other.
- Past Life Awareness - User retains all memories, experience, wisdom, skills, knowledge and powers of their past lives.
- Past Life Power Access - User can access any powers they had in their former lives.
Variations
- Deity Reincarnation
- Demonic Reincarnation
- Dimensional Travel/Time Travel: The user may be reincarnated in any era or parallel world.
- Multi-Reincarnation
- Retroactive Immortality - by being reborn each time after death, the user is immortal.
Associations
- Absolute Reincarnation
- Life Manipulation
- Reincarnation Inducement
- Reincarnation Manipulation
- Remaking
- Respawning
- Samsara Manipulation
Limitations
- Soul Trapping
- Soul Destruction
- After rebirth, the user may still lose their powers, memories, etc, and would have to start over as a new person as a result.
- May be reborn as an infant.
- Memories may not return to the reborn immediately, and the process may take time or requirements.
- If they reincarnate into childhood or teenage, user may need to retrain their body to handle the powers/skills to prevent harm to their body.
- User's existence must be transferred inside the new body, ie. if the user is thwarted by outside forces, such as Reincarnation Denial, they will be unable to be reborn.
- May not be reincarnated in linear/causal manner, ie. being born before/during/after they died.
- May not be reborn in same world/plane/reality/verse they died in.
- May be limited to only reincarnating as the same exact species as they are.
- May have a limit to how many times the user can be reincarnated.
Known Users
See Also: Reincarnation and Born Again Immortality.
Cartoons
- Finn Mertens (Adventure Time)
- Avatars (Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend of Korra)
- First Spinjitzu Master (Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu); reincarnated as Lloyd Garmadon
- Kenny McCormick (South Park)
Comics
- Hawkman (DC Comics)
- Hawkgirl (DC Comics)
- Poison Ivy (DC Comics)
- Various Metahumans (DC Comics)
- Various Mutants (Marvel Comics)
- Apocalypse (Marvel Comics)
- Joshua Foley/Elixir (Marvel Comics)
- Groot (Marvel Comics)
- Loki (Marvel Comics)
- Moira MacTaggert (Marvel Comics)
- Hamato Yoshi (IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles); reincarnated as Splinter
- Hamato Yoshi's sons (IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles); reincarnated as the Ninja Turtles
- Rose Tattoo (WildStorm)
Movies
- Merrick (Buffy the Vampire Slayer film)
- Makoto Kobayashi (Colorful)
Literature
- Phoenix (Arkwell Academy); via Self-Resurrection
- The Eternal Champion (Moorcock Multiverse); John Daker, Erekose, Elric of Melnibone, etc
- Firefight (The Reckoners)
- Optimus Prime (Transformers Aligned Continuity); reincarnated as Orion Pax.
- Clan Leaders (Warriors)
Live Television/Movies
- The Charmed Ones (Charmed)
- Xian Yue (Holy Pearl); reincarnated as Ding Yao
- Sisters of the Dark (Legend of the Seeker)
- Nicci
- Darken Rahl (Legend of the Seeker)
- Clark Kent/Superman (Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman)
- Salupa/Kalagua/Dr. Eva Tabinas (Pedro Penduko at ang mga Engkantao)
- Bizarro (Smallville)
- Ingrid and Freya Beauchamp (Witches of East End); cursed to be reborn as Joanna Beauchamp's daughters every time they die
- Dash and Killian Gardiner (Witches of East End)
- Callisto (Xena: Warrior Princess); reincarnated as Eve
Anime/Manga/Manhwa/Manhua
- Dark Schneider (Bastard!!)
- Femto (Berserk); reincarnated as Griffith again via the Incarnation Ceremony
- Szayel Apporo Granz (Bleach); via Gabriel
- Otsutsuki Clan (Boruto: Naruto Next Generations)
- Clow Reed (Cardcaptor Sakura); reincarnated as Eriol
- Ceres (Ceres: Celestial Legend/Ayashi No Ceres)
- Everyone (Danmachi); except the Xenos
- Noah Family (D.Gray-Man)
- Rodcorte (The Death Mage Who Doesn't Want a Fourth Time)
- Vandalieu (The Death Mage Who Doesn't Want a Fourth Time)
- The Demon Slayers Corp (Demon Slayer); except Kiriya Ubuyashiki
- Apocalymon (Digimon Adventure); reincarnated as Meicoomon
- King Piccolo (Dragon Ball); reincarnated as Piccolo Jr.
- Kid Buu (Dragon Ball Z); reincarnated as Uub
- Grand Supreme Kai (Dragon Ball Z); reincarnated as Good Buu
- Granny Ayame (Dr Ramune Mysterious Disease Specialist) regains memories from her preincarnations.
- Mavis Vermillion (Fairy Tail); reincarnated as Mio
- Zeref Dragneel (Fairy Tail); reincarnated as Arleos
- Mother (Edens Zero)
- Greed (Fullmetal Alchemist)
- Dante (Fullmetal Achemist; 2003 anime)
- Hohenheim of Light (Fullmetal Alchemist; 2003 anime)
- Solnoids (Gall Force/Rhea Gall Force)
- Apollonius (Genesis of Aquarion)
- Celiane (Genesis of Aquarion)
- Hanyuu Furude/Oyashiro-sama (Higurashi When They Cry)
- Rika Furude/Frederica Bernkastel (Higurashi When They Cry)
- Kite (Hunter x Hunter)
- Yuka (Immortal Rain)
- Kikyo (InuYasha); reincarnated in Kagome Higurashi
- Asura's and Indra's vessels (Naruto)
- Orochimaru (Naruto)
- Nie Li (Tales of Demons and Gods)
- Sailor Soldiers (Sailor Moon)
- Mamoru Chiba (Sailor Moon)
- Athena (Saint Seiya)
- Hades (Saint Seiya)
- Poseidon (Saint Seiya)
- Pallas (Saint Seiya Omega)
- Maou (Sekai Maou)
- Elizabeth Liones (The Seven Deadly Sins)
- Hao Asakura (Shaman King)
- Chito & Yuuri (Shimeji Simulation)
- Kumoko/Shiraori (So I'm a Spider, So What?)
- Medusa Gorgon (Soul Eater)
- Michael Roa Valdamjong (Tsukihime)
- Mutsumi (Utawarerumono)
- Pharaoh Atem (Yu-Gi-Oh!); spirit/soul sealed in the Millennium Puzzle
- Saviors (World Break: Aria of Curse for a Holy Swordsman)
- Clear Note (Zatch Bell); reincarnated as White
Video Games
- Aita (Assassins Creed)
- Dracula (Castlevania); reincarnated as Soma Cruz
- Paddra Nsu-Yeul (Final Fantasy XIII-2)
- John Serias (Hiraheishi wa Kako wo Yumemiru)
- Herrscher of the Corruption (Honkai Impact 3rd)
- The Beast (inFAMOUS 2)
- Master Xehanort (Kingdom Hearts)
- Demise (The Legend of Zelda); reincarnated as Ganondorf
- Link (The Legend of Zelda)
- Princess Zelda (The Legend of Zelda)
- Althena (Lunar); reincarnated as Luna Noa
- Metroid Prime (Metroid); reincarnated as Dark Samus
- Princess Rei (Saga Frontier)
- The Hero (Shin Megami Tensei series)
- The Heroine (Shin Megami Tensei series)
- Alessa Gillespie (Silent Hill Series)
- Chao (Sonic the Hedgehog)
- Zasalamel (Soulcalibur)
- The Starbreed Guardian Horses (Star Stable Online)
- Hieda no Akyu (Touhou Project)
- Linne (Under Night In-Birth)
- Miang (Xenogears)
Web Animation/Series/Original
- Professor Ozpin (RWBY)
- SCP-515 - the Sleeper (SCP Foundation)
- SCP-1790 - Layla (SCP Foundation)
- SCP-2133-1 - Our Land, Our Bondage (SCP Foundation)
- Saturn Deer (SCP Foundation)
Gallery
Anime/Manga/Manhwa/Manhua
Two years after becoming a God Hand, Griffith (Berserk) was reincarnated on earth, with the full power of his God Hand form of Femto at his beck and call.
The Otsutsuki Clan (Boruto: Naruto Next Generations) can reincarnate themselves into whomever they brand the "Kama", though perfect compatibility is rare, as both Kawaki and Boruto Uzumaki are…
Due to having permanently assimilated the Grand Supreme Kai, Majin Buu (Dragon Ball series) has essentially become his reincarnation after expelling all his inner evil.
After the Noah were killed by the betrayal of the Nea D.Campbell except the Earl and Road, Noah Clan (D.Gray-man) every member were reincarnated by each generation awakening their Noah Genes over again except for Skinn Bolic.
Ayame (Dr Ramune Mysterious Disease Specialist) is able to reincarnate with full memory of her past lives.
Yuca (Immortal Rain) is the Spirit of Methuselah, and has constantly been reincarnating since the beginning of human history.
After their deaths, Asura's and Indra's Chakra (Naruto) have been reincarnated to vessel's worthy of their chakra, their current vessels are Naruto Uzumaki/Asura and Sasuke Uchiha/Indra.
Orochimaru (Naruto) using his "Living Corpse Reincarnation" to reincarnate himself into a new body, thus erasing any permanent damage and aging.
Elizabeth Liones (Nanatsu no Taizai) is the 107th reincarnation of a goddess cursed with a perpetual reincarnation.
Vandalieu (The Death Mage Who Doesn't Want a Fourth Time) is a reincarnated individual and can use Death-attribute magic to perform pseudo-reincarnation on others.
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Cartoons
Korra (Avatar: The Legend of Korra) is one of the many reincarnations of the Avatar, with her previous incarnation being Aang.
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Comics
Rose Tattoo (Image Comics) being the spirit of murder, she can never die. Whenever she does the spirit will pass onto a new host for her to inhabit.
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Literature
The Eternal Champion (Moorcock Multiverse) is endlessly reincarnated throughout the multiverse in different identities, doomed to eternal battle.
Elric of Melniboné is but one of the many incarnations of the constantly reincarnated Eternal Champion.
Ingrid and Freya Beauchamp (Witches of East End) are reborn multiple times throughout the centuries.
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Live Television/Movies
Salupa (Pedro Penduko at ang mga Engkantao) has this ability, resurrecting in the body of Dr. Eva Tabinas then becoming Kalagua.
Sister Nicci (Legend of the Seeker) gets Reincarnated into a new body with the aid of the Sisters of the Dark.
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Video Games
Master Xehanort (Kingdom Hearts) has reincarnated and faced Sora in various forms. From left to right: Ansem, Young Xehanort, Terra-Xehanort, and Xemnas.
In its death throes, the Metroid Prime (Metroid) steals Samus Aran's Phazon Suit and a sample of her DNA…
Michael Roa Valdamjong (Tsukihime) is nicknamed "The Infinite Reincarnator", having reincarnated 18 times in 800 years.
Hieda no Akyu (Touhou Project) Memory of Gensokyo, The Ninth Savant, is the current "Child of Miare", who is born in the Hieda family once in every few hundred years with the ability to "not forget anything she sees" and record Gensokyo's history.
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Web Animation/Series/Original
Professor Ozpin (RWBY) was given the ability to reincarnate after death by merging his soul with another like-minded person…
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Videos
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