History BookEnds / WesternAnimation

* ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine:''

* ''WesternAnimation/WolverineAndTheXMen'' has a three-part premiere called "Hindsight" and a three-part finale called "Foresight".

* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': the Season 1 premiere, "Tour of the Solar System", starts off in Jet's backyard. The Season 1 finale, "Commander Mom", ends in Jet's backyard.

** The first installment of the CGI switchover ends with Hiro leaving for Japan. In the 24th season, the last season of the CGI era, Hiro leaves for Japan again with Kenji.

* ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'': After a short flashback, "Operation: T.R.E.A.T.Y." begins with Numbuh 1 staring forlornly at an old picture of him and [[ArchEnemy Chad Dickson]] (then-Numbuh 274), sadly wondering why his former friend and mentor went rogue. Right afterwards, his team arrives and tries to convince him to raid a supply ship with them, to which he refuses. The episode ends with Nigel straightening out that same exact picture, [[spoiler:having finally learned [[FakeDefector the truth]] about Chad]], and once again has him staring at it sadly. His team then arrives, asking him to raid another supply ship -- except this time, they refuse to take no for an answer.

%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order.

** Early in the season 2 episode "Last Christmas!", Dewey is sitting alone in his room and says "Merry Christmas, [[spoiler:mom]]." while looking at an old family photo. At the end of the episode, [[spoiler:Della is shown alone on the moon looking at a copy of that very same photo and says "Merry Christmas, you guys. See you soon."]]

** Season six begins with the previous season's villain struggling to understand the importance of friendship, with the finale having her finally comprehend and use the lessons learned to help [[spoiler:overthrow Chrysalis as Queen of the Changelings.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': the season 1 premiere, "Tour of the Solar System", starts off in Jet's backyard. The season 1 finale, "Commander Mom", ends in Jet's backyard.

** The final episode of season 2, [[spoiler:Norman]] repeats the line he said in the first episode. [[spoiler: "Don't apologize. ''I'' never do."]].

** The first episodes of both seasons included a scene of the Justice League flying in to surround the awed teen heroes with a majestic piece of music, which the creators specifically referred to as being like the gods descending from Mount Olympus. The ending of season 2 has a scene of several Leaguers being surrounded by the team flying in, to the same music. It's hurt somewhat in that the majority of the team ''can't'' fly and are being carried by the Super-Cycle, so that there's barely enough airborne members to properly duplicate the "surrounding with awe" effect.

** The balance of the world was put of place when Sozin left Roku to die for his own selfish goal in an erupting volcano, as shown in "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheAvatarAndTheFireLord The Avatar And The Fire Lord]]", setting the seeds for the Hundred-Year War. The end of war shows the new Avatar, Aang, and the new Fire Lord, Zuko, willing to work together to rebuild the world and hence, restore balance to it.

** In the early Season 3 episode [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E02TheAntillesExtraction "The Antilles Extraction"]], after getting captured during a failed attempt to escape [[AcademyOfEvil Skystrike Academy]] with several would-be defecting cadets, Sabine snarks at Agent Kallus, regarding Governor Pryce, that they've "finally found someone who can do [his] job", which he looks like he took harder than expected — [[spoiler:because he's [[HeelFaceTurn turned]] ReverseMole, and was having doubts in his job and efforts at the time]]. In the season finale, [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E19ZeroHour "Zero]] [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E20ZeroHourPartII Hour"]], after [[spoiler:being exposed as the ReverseMole, and subsequently getting arrested and beaten up, and then managing to escape, Kallus stops Kanan on the ''Ghost'' en route to Yavin IV to thank him and the rest of the ''Ghost'' crew for trusting him, and Kanan in return thanks him for risking everything and putting everything he knew at risk.]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bookendswesternanimationsu.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse It all started and ended with Cookie Cats.]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Hilda}}'' has its first season begin and end with Hilda's old home, the wilderness, overlooking Hilda's [[spoiler: destroyed]] cabin.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Hilda}}'' has its first season begin and end with Hilda's old home, the wilderness, overlooking Hilda's [[spoiler: destroyed]] cabin.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Hilda}}'' has its first season begin and end with Hilda's old home, the wilderness, overlooking Hilda's destroyed cabin.

* The ''Franchise/{{Avatar|TheLastAirbender}}'' universe:
** ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''
*** The show ends the second season as it starts off with the first season: Katara looking overhead and carrying a comatose Aang in her arms. The first scenario is positive, finding the boy in the glacier for the first time to be revived, while the latter is negative as Aang has just been revived from having died.
*** The episode "Zuko Alone" begins with Zuko riding on his ostrich-horse, angsting and alone, and ends with (you guessed it) Zuko riding on his ostrich-horse, angsting and alone.
*** The OpeningNarration at the beginning of every episode ends with a shot of Aang that pulls up into the sky to show the title; the very last image of the series mimics this with a shot of [[spoiler:Aang and Katara kissing]] pulling up into the sky to show the words "The End".
*** In the first episode of the first season, Zuko is patrolling the South Pole and learns that Aang has returned, he starts obsessing and Iroh advises him to get some sleep, saying "a man needs his rest." In the last episode, Iroh and an utterly-exhausted Zuko find themselves on a raft after the siege at the North Pole. Zuko says that he's tired, and Iroh tells him that "a man needs his rest."
** ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' starts with a Southern Water tribe girl and a [[{{Muggle}} nonbender]] approaching a beam of light caused by the Avatar and ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfKorra'' ends with a Southern Water tribe girl and a [[{{Muggle}} nonbender]] approaching a beam of light caused by the Avatar.

*** The first episode is titled "The Boy in the Iceberg." The final episode is titled "(Sozin's Comet, Part 4:) Avatar Aang". Both refer to the same person.
*** The show ends the second season as it starts off with the first season: Katara looking overhead and carrying a comatose Aang in her arms. The first scenario is positive, finding the boy in the glacier for the first time to be revived, whilst the latter is generally negative suggesting a total opposite that Aang is dying.
*** The War began and ended with the arrival of Sozin's Comet: The first time heralded the genocide of the Air Nomads, and the second time heralded their final member defeating the Firelord and ending the war.

*** The beginning of the first season finale mimics the OpeningNarration perfectly, except for the backdrop being arctic, strongly indicating that, yes, Aang is now ready to save the world.
*** There is a bookend if you look at the story chronologically: Roku, the previous Avatar, was best friends with the Fire Lord in a time of peace. After 100 years of war, Aang is best friends with the new Fire Lord, heralding a return of peace.
*** Another in-story example: Roku learned Airbending alongside Monk Gyatso and was his close friend. Guess who later turns out to be Aang's teacher and greatest friend? [[spoiler: Aang also turns out to be Gyatso's last pupil]].
*** The previous two examples tie together into one big bookend. Aang asks Zuko in "The Blue Spirit" if they could have been friends if things were different [[spoiler: They were in another life, if we count Aang as descended from Roku, and Zuko from Sozin.]] Roku tells Aang that some friendships last longer than one lifetime [[spoiler: referring to Monk Gyatso]], and it turns out to be true.
*** The first season has BookEnds--in the first episode, when Zuko learns that Aang has returned, he starts obsessing and Iroh advises him to get some sleep, saying "a man needs his rest." In the last episode, Iroh and an utterly-exhausted Zuko find themselves on a raft after the Seige of the North. Zuko says that he's tired, and Iroh tells him that "a man needs his rest." Also, a highlighted by [[WordOfGod Avatar Extras]] the first season starts at the south pole and ends at the north.
*** The first book has two book ends:
*** They begin by leaving the South Pole, and end by arriving at the North Pole.
*** What was the first place they visited after leaving the South Pole? The Southern Air Temple. What was the last place they visited before arriving at the North Pole? The Northern Air Temple.
*** The first time we see someone bending (aside from the opening credits), Katara waterbends. The last time we see someone bending, Aang waterbends.
** Both ''Avatar'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' end with the Avatar sharing a heartfelt moment with their love interest. ''Avatar'' ends on Aang and Katara, while ''Korra'' ends on [[spoiler: Korra and Asami.]]

** The first episode of the original series has a scene where the Crystal Gems bring a 12 year-old Steven into the kitchen to give him his favourite treat (Cookie Cats), with him singing a silly rap about the feline-shaped ice cream sandwich. The final episode of [[WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture the sequel series]] has a 17 year-old Steven [[spoiler:gather them into the kitchen to give them said treat, with the Crystal Gems happily performing the rap instead, before realizing this was Steven's way telling them he's leaving Beach City and may not return]].

*** The episode also has a moment that doubles as a MythologyGag: The plot of the show's {{pilot episode}} is resolved by Steven making a comeback toward Garnet calling him a buttface, saying that while he's a child, she has no such excuse for acting like one. [[spoiler:The show's initial five-season MythArc ends with the BigBad calling him an immature child, with Steven jokingly responding that he ''is'' a child and asking what her excuse is, forcing her to realize that [[VillianousBSoD she isn't as perfect as she believes]].]]

* ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes'':

** Said series finale is called [[IntroductoryOpeningCredits "Thank You for Watching the Show"]], and the song plays one last time at the end of the episode, with K.O. speaking these words aloud over the same lyrics.