[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/JustAnotherTiandi]

Wasn't Emil originally made to be a killer, and actively chooses to be a good person despite that? I remember folks saying something like that, but I'm not experienced in Neir to commit to those words. If so, it would fall in line just like how the Entity got that anime guy to be a killer despite being a hero there. The skin was called Emil's purpose, not Emil.

[u/TheTobarethian → u/JustAnotherTiandi]

Iirc he was made to keep Halua (His Sister) in line as he could petrify anyone he looked at Medusa-style.She was supposed to be a superweapon of sorts, but when he merges with, and defeats, her with Nier's help, he becomes 'The Ultimate Weapon'.

[u/JustAnotherTiandi → u/TheTobarethian]

Interesting. Thank you for sharing the lore on Emil. I can see how the Entity can make Emil's purpose work as a killer skin, but now it feels weird that it was given to Legion out of everyone.

[u/TheTobarethian → u/JustAnotherTiandi]

The wiki itself does a much better job explaining Emil, more so than I haha. I'm surprised myself at the choice, as there's definitely much better picks

[u/dark_kijin → u/JustAnotherTiandi]

It also seems like this Emil skin isn't actually Emil. It's Joey wearing an Emil cosplay. The skeleton print leggings are the same leggings used by Yoko Taro in his full Emil getup