[Hated Trope] Crossovers that fundamentally don’t understand the source material

[u/Calvinball08]

When a crossover basically does the exact opposite of what the source material clearly lays out because the creators clearly just don’t care about the source material at all.

Emil - Dead by Daylight

The one that inspired this post. Emil as a character is the most hopeful, optimistic, and kind character in the entire NieR series, maybe in all of Yoko Taro’s games (maybe aside from Yonah). His goal is to help as many people as he possibly can and even when he goes through immense suffering he always comes out the other side ready to keep on helping people.

Then Dead by Daylight adds him as a killer skin, because “he looks creepy.” You know, the aspect of the character that’s his biggest struggle, that causes him to be scared of how people will judge him, and that makes him hate himself. That’s what we’ll base our entire concept on. Genius idea.

Iron Giant - Ready Player One

Technically you could argue that it’s not an example because it’s just a part of the game and Wade is the one misunderstanding the source material. To that I raise you that this is actually an in universe example of the trope, with the game including the Iron Giant as a crossover where you can use him as a weapon, thereby misunderstanding the source material.

Also it’s probably the filmmakers completely misunderstanding the source material/not caring as well.

[u/Spiral_Pix]

I kinda think Emil works for Legion because they are the type of posers that wouldn't have actually played Nier and just think the outfit is cool. Unless the skin is implying it IS Emil? But someone like the Legion killers not understanding a complex character makes total sense.

[u/liltone829b → u/Spiral_Pix]

the Emil skin IS a cosplay as far as i can tell

[u/Calvinball08 → u/Spiral_Pix]

I guess that’s fair, but I’m not a big fan of the implication of “they’re just misunderstanding the character” when it’s the only exposure to the character most will have and most won’t find out that they’re misunderstanding him.

Also I get the feeling it probably isn’t an intentional explanation, just one that works out

[u/Argent333333 → u/Calvinball08]

One more thing to consider is the entity in DBD seems to revel in forcing its captives to act in ways antithetical to theor personality. For example, Kaneki being kept in a state of constant forced starvation.

[u/Grand_Chadmiral → u/Argent333333]

or Vecna being limited in his power, and god knows if Sadako has been copied to the Clown's VHS tapes

[u/Legatharr → u/Grand_Chadmiral]

Vecna is limited mainly because he had just escaped from a different torture dimension ruled by eldritch entities that kidnaps people from across the multiverse using mists, and the Entity didn't want that to happen again, but to its torture dimension this time.

Which is honestly dumb, tbh. No darklord, not even Vecna, should be able to overpower the Dark Powers

[u/LittleSisterPain → u/Calvinball08]

If it's the only exposure most people will have, then fuck does it matter?