Doppelganger (trope)
| Trope · Genre | ||
|---|---|---|
| Synonyms: | selfcest, clonecest | |
| Related: | Same-Actor Crossover | |
| See Also: | twincest, Evil Twin | |
| Tropes · Slash Tropes · Tropes by Fandom | ||
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | ||
| ||
Doppelganger fanworks (usually fic or fanart) depict a character interacting in some way with an identical copy of themselves; often, in a sexual/romantic manner (also known as doppelganger porn or doppelganger love.) This trope is also commonly referred to as clonecest or selfcest, especially in anime or manga fandoms. [1] [2] In a 2004 livejournal post, mctabby listed several other synonyms for the doppelganger trope: Selfslash. Self/Self. Doppelganger love, according to isilya. Reflexive slash, according to cedarlibrarian. Selfucking, according to florahart. OT1, according to lizardlaugh. [3]
Some fans use the term doppelganger synonymously with Evil Twin; others use it to refer to any fanwork that depicts two identical versions of the same character interacting.
In much the same way that some people explain slash by saying "one man good, two men better," the appeal of doppelganger fanworks seems to be "one BSO good, two of the same BSO, better!"
Sometimes doppelganger fic can be crackfic or a PWP, with no explanation of how the doppelganger has shown up, or why they suddenly want to have sex with their other self. However, some doppelganger fic is serious and explores issues of identity, self-image and destiny vs. free will.
The Premise
Some common doppelganger fic premises include:
- Two characters played by the same actor (a Same-Actor Crossover)
- A character + another version of that character from an alternate universe
- The same person at two different points in their personal timeline
- Clones, either canon or non-canon (aka clonecest) or an Evil Twin, or twincest
- "Artificial" doppelgangers, such as shapeshifters or robot or holographic duplicates
- A random doppelganger with no explanation whatsoever!
Examples
- Dark Angel: A Perfect Mirror by Gin/backinblack (Ben/Alec, two canon clones both played by Jensen Ackles)
- Fall Out Boy RPF: Hope in the Mirror by trollsttroll & mildly_neurotic (Pete Wentz/Pete Wentz)
- Harry Potter: eyes big love crumbs, by Isilya (Hermione/Hermione, with the help of a Time-Turner. Fic is currently unavailable online.)
- Harry Potter: The Fairest One of All by Violet Quill (Narcissa Malfoy/Nymphadora Tonks, while Tonks has shapeshifted into Narcissa's form)
- Heroes/Alias crossover: Die Hard, Live Easy by seaouryou (Adam/Sark, both characters played by David Anders)
- Sentinel: Sweet Child of Mine Blair Sandburg/Doctor Sandburg, slash
- Smallville: Forged by Punk (Clark Kent/Clark Kent)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation: Heal Thyself by cosmic_llin (Deanna Troi & her holographic duplicate) (gen)
- Stargate Atlantis: Too Much Information by telesilla. John Sheppard/Vegasverse!John Sheppard
- Sherlock Holmes/Cabin Pressure: Like a Cracked Mirror by sostrangechild -- "It is said that everyone in the world has a doppelgänger, and that if they were ever to meet, they would both perish instantly. Sherlock never did believe in nonsense like that and spends an afternoon with his."
In a rarer[4] variant, occasionally one lucky character gets to have a threesome with a pair of doppelgangers (or more).
- SHINee RPF: identical by goyangi (Key/Jonghyun x2)
- Star Trek: 2009: All This Faithfulness by curiouslyfic (Jim Kirk/Hikaru Sulu x2)
- Stargate Atlantis: The Amazing Adventures of Me, Myself & I, or: Five Times John and Rodney Accidentally Cloned Themselves by trinityofone. includes John/Rodneys and Rodney/Johns
- Stargate Atlantis: Something About John by chelle. Rodney/John/Rodney
- Stargate Atlantis: 3 + 1 = 2 by lavvyan. Rodney is John's boyfriends. John/Rodney/Rodney/Rodney
- SGA/SGA RPF crossover: And Be One Traveler by amireal and trinityofone. In which the actor playing Rodney McKay ends up on Atlantis and (briefly) in a threesome with that universe's John and Rodney.
In Canon
Many sci-fi/fantasy shows feature doppelgangers, but they don't always hit on/have sexual tension with their regular counterparts. However, sometimes they do!
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer: When Xander is split into two Xanders, his girlfriend Anya suggests that she should get to have sex with the two of them before they are recombined into one Xander. In another episode, when Willow meets her alternate universe evil twin, Evil!Willow licks her.
- Red Dwarf: Lister actually has sex with the genderswapped version of himself from an alternate universe. And gets pregnant.
- Deep Space Nine: In the Mirror Universe episodes, evil mirrorverse Kira Nerys creepily hits on regular canon Kira Nerys.
- Sliders: In one episode Quinn makes out with a woman who is a female version of himself from that alternate universe.
- Doctor Who: A mini-episode involving a timeloop has Amy flirting with herself and her husband Rory suggesting a threesome.
Resources
- Works tagged Doppelganger and Self-cest at the AO3
- Harry Potter: painless_j's Themed list: autoerotic HP fiction
References
- ↑ our_extinction, Rare Selfcest Pictures Posted July 8, 2010. Last accessed November 27, 2010.
- ↑ Reborn: Selfcest Hibari by kurui on deviantart
- ↑ mctabby, Happy Birthday to pinkfinity!!! Posted January 15, 2004. Last accessed November 27, 2010
- ↑ Perhaps not quite so rare in Stargate stories...
