# Back from the Dead Characters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 7, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391 "2007-09-07T18:12:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/41 "2007-09-08T02:12:41Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] The Sten series, the Eternal Emperor. When killed, a clone of him with copies of his memories was created, tested and set on a path back to the throne. Dahak, the AI of the starship _Dahak_, in _The Armageddon Inheritance_. Downloaded copies of his memories into another ship, which activated after his destruction. [/QUOTE] Again, the beer is on me if we ever meet. Screw politics…let’s talk SF! ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/42 "2007-09-08T02:23:55Z")
(Geek badge on!) Death is not permanent in the Dragon Ball Universe, as long as you didn’t die once before (per Earth rules) and you didn’t die of natural causes (per Namek’s rules). The afterlife isn’t too bad, either, even if you do end up in the Home For the Infinite Losers. ;D All of Earth got blown into bits by Buu and then resurrected in the final story arc. The main cast has also died and come back a few times, but who’s counting? They also fought zombie Hitler in one of the OVAs, but that’s neither here nor there. In Excel Saga, the main character Excel and her partner Hyatt both die on several occasions and are resurrected either via the Great Will of the Macrocosm resetting the universe or plot contrivance. Yu Yu Hakusho also opens with the main character (um…forgot his name, sorry) getting run over with a car and having to work his way back into the world of the living. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/43 "2007-09-08T02:52:11Z")
Continuity errors count? Susan from Space Mutiny. [Link to YouTube clip.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WibrgOM_5fo) Susan is laser blasted at 6:20, then back to life at 7:40. Sorry if it doesn’t count, but it is far too funny of a link not to share. Thanks to **Bytegeist** , whose post I stole this from. In another thread. ---
**Author:** ![H3Knuckles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@H3Knuckles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/H3Knuckles)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/44 "2007-09-08T02:57:11Z")
[QUOTE=dotchan] Yu Yu Hakusho also opens with the main character (um…forgot his name, sorry) getting run over with a car and having to work his way back into the world of the living. [/QUOTE] Yusuke Yurameshi. And I only watched the first two episodes of the anime once, several years ago. Oh, and read the first installment or two of the manga once when I first started collecting Shonen Jump. _So why on earth do I remember that?_ ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/45 "2007-09-08T03:12:09Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] Pretty nearly every TOS character died and was brought back. Besides Kirk and Spock, McCoy died in Shore Leave, and Chekov died in Hour of the Gun. I think Scotty died in The Changeling. If you’re talking real death, neither of your examples count, since he was put under by McCoy or Spock. Thought dead, yeah. You can add Tholian Web, where McCoy and Spock read Kirk’s last directive. [/QUOTE] In so far as Kirk is concerned - both ‘deaths’ count as ‘real’ - both were witnessed and verified by the Romulan command and by the Vulcans - neither of which would’ve accepted it otherwise. (The Romulan one is a little shaky here). Of course, I realize that the death on vulcan was both caused and cured by McCoy. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/46 "2007-09-08T03:40:33Z")
Casey & Andy, numerous times [http://www.galactanet.com/comic/1.htm](http://www.galactanet.com/comic/1.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/47 "2007-09-08T03:40:58Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Bill the Cat should qualify. [/QUOTE] Steve Dallas: For crying out loud, he’s not dead **again** , is he? A quote I use as often as possible. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/48 "2007-09-08T04:59:22Z")
Fox Mulder was three months in the ground before he was dug up and rejoined the land of the living. John Winchester crawled out of hell, literally, and seems to be little worse for wear. Optimus Prime died in the animated movie back in the 80s, but was soon back to leading his troops. Does Whistler from Blade count? They did that whole “He’s dead! Nah, we was just playin’” thing between the first two movies, so it’s not clear cut. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/49 "2007-09-08T06:11:28Z")
[QUOTE=DrFidelius] … Bucky’s back from the dead? [/QUOTE] Yes. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/50 "2007-09-08T06:20:29Z")
Oh,\*\* Neo\*\* and **Trinity** both died once and came back. The second time around though death happened to be a bit more permanent. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/51 "2007-09-08T09:14:10Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] Good one! [/QUOTE] Thank you! I’m pleased I remembered that, but that story is sort of the don’t-go-tampering-in-God’s-domain archetype, so it certainly belongs in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/52 "2007-09-08T13:13:44Z")
Remo Williams from the _Destroyer_ series. Everyone, from _Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy_. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2007, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/53 "2007-09-09T19:53:08Z")
Most of the cast of the Highlander movies and TV series. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/54 "2007-09-09T20:45:44Z")
Most characters in John Varley’s novels have died at least once, some many times over. I think Fox holds the record, though… ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/55 "2007-09-10T02:10:55Z")
[QUOTE=Kat] Most of the cast of the Highlander movies and TV series. [/QUOTE] Except for Sean Connery, most of them only died once, though. They took all sorts of wounds that would have normally been fatal, but they never actually died until they got decapitated, and I don’t think they usually recovered from that. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/56 "2007-09-10T02:33:43Z")
The Jack of Shadows from _The Jack of Shadows_, Roger Zelazny. When killed, he and others like him return from the dead; each has an unknown but limited number of extra lives. The Steel General, who “cannot be destroyed”, from _Creatures of Light and Darkness_, also by Roger Zelazny. Even when he’s been defeated, broken into bits and the bits smashed and scattered across the galaxy, they’ve been reassembled and he’s been reanimated. Plus, he fights with “temporal fugue”, which uses short range time travel to loop his own timeline and create multiple versions of himself; even an army’s worth. Smash some, and you won’t destroy the “real” General. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/57 "2007-09-10T14:22:11Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] The Jack of Shadows from _The Jack of Shadows_, Roger Zelazny. When killed, he and others like him return from the dead; each has an unknown but limited number of extra lives. The Steel General, who “cannot be destroyed”, from _Creatures of Light and Darkness_, also by Roger Zelazny. Even when he’s been defeated, broken into bits and the bits smashed and scattered across the galaxy, they’ve been reassembled and he’s been reanimated. Plus, he fights with “temporal fugue”, which uses short range time travel to loop his own timeline and create multiple versions of himself; even an army’s worth. Smash some, and you won’t destroy the “real” General. [/QUOTE] you’ve just reminded me that I really need to re-read his works - and why he was my favorite author when I used to spend a lot more time reading. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/58 "2007-09-11T04:45:51Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] Except for Sean Connery, most of them only died once, though. They took all sorts of wounds that would have normally been fatal, but they never actually died until they got decapitated, and I don’t think they usually recovered from that. [/QUOTE] Nope, they quite often died, they just came back to life after. The only permanent death was decapitation. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/59 "2007-09-11T05:54:18Z")
[QUOTE=Kat] Nope, they quite often died, they just came back to life after. The only permanent death was decapitation. [/QUOTE] And thier first ‘death’ is what set thier immortal “age” - a real death, albeit a non-permenant one. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391/60 "2007-09-11T17:43:05Z")
[QUOTE=dotchan] In Excel Saga, the main character Excel and her partner Hyatt both die on several occasions and are resurrected either via the Great Will of the Macrocosm resetting the universe or plot contrivance. [/QUOTE] I feel compelled to offer a correction. Excel dies numerous times in the first episode and is resurrected by the Great Will of the Macrocosm. Hyatt generally dies several times per episode and revives as mysteriously as she died, with no intervention from the Will. From YuYu Hakusho, Yusuke has been mentioned, but his mentor Genkai also dies and is revived. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-from-the-dead-characters/418391.md?page=2)