History EarnYourHappyEnding / AnimeAndManga

* ''Manga/SazanEyes'' has perhaps one of the most extreme examples ever: Yakumo Becomes the demonic manservant of Pai, falls in love with her, has [[TheDragon Benares]] manipulate his life and causes Pai to go missing; Yakumo searches for Pai for years and tries to return her memories, only to realize the Pai he found is a TomatoInTheMirror stand-in, so he has to find the real Pai AGAIN; he fails at his plan to destroy the soul of [[BigBad Kayan Wang]], and instead brings him BackFromTheDead; Yakumo makes a DealWithTheDevil to save Pai by being thrown into another dimension where he will constantly die and be revived in a zero-oxygen environment for months on end, all in order to find the last living triclops and bring her back to Earth; that triclops and Pai become part of a HumanSacrifice in a second plan to destroy Kayan Wang, but THAT fails spectacularly and lets Kayan Wang become a god; Yakumo subsequently has his ridiculously-powerful magic stripped from him at the last moment, so that he's just a normal human again, and Kayan Wang proceeds to cause TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt by absorbing the souls of all but 2-3 dozen humans (which doesn't necessarily preclude the souls of Yakumo's and Pai's loved ones); finally, Yakumo proves that he's perhaps the greatest {{Determinator}} in history by STILL managing to pull off a last-second win, reversing the apocalypse after it had already destroyed literally everything in the universe, returning the world and just about everyone to life, including Pai and Yakumo, who are now the only two immortal beings left, allowing them to spend eternity together.

** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency Battle Tendency]]'': [[spoiler: The vampiric menace is forever halted with the deaths of the Pillar Men and Kars is conscribed to an eternity [[AndIMustScream floating through space unable to die]], but Caesar's death will weigh heavily on Joseph for the rest of his life (which he now has to spend with an artificial hand to boot).]]

** Also in the anime, Ash is constantly unable to win Leagues, due to factors beyond his control, including most egregiously a Trainer who uses nothing but Legendaries. However, [[spoiler:things finally go his way in Alola and he finally wins the first ever Alola League, putting an end to his losing streak. It then gets better as he then defeats Kukui in the promised exhibition match, going so far as to defeat Tapu Koko when it decides to be the final opponent.]]

* ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'' did this as well, after at least five episodes of utter bleakness, kicked off with a BigDamnHeroes moment from [=SMS=], and culminating in [[spoiler:a nuclear disarming-of-giant-robot-via-shanking, one multi-kilometer high robot gut-punching another multi-kilometer robot, songs saving the day, the Vajra turning good and protecting the Frontier fleet, TheRival teaming up to take down the BigBad, Alto blowing off the BigBad's head with Michel's sniper rifle, and everybody being happy happy love love on the Vajra home planet. Oh, and EverybodyLives except Michel. Even the character with the terminal disease.]]

* ''Anime/BlueGender'' takes place in a very [[WorldHalfEmpty dark, gritty, cynical, cold world]] after [[GaiasVengeance the]] [[BigCreepyCrawlies Blue]] have taken over the Earth. Human life has lost all of its value and the only thing that matters is defeating the Blue, regardless of any and all cost. Idealistic protagonist Yuji and his DefrostingIceQueen love interest Marlene have lost everything to the Blue, and almost every friend they make through the course of the series dies, usually in a rather horrifying way. Yuji is even driven to the point of madness in one episode. In the end, however, Yuji's idealism [[CharacterDevelopment rubs off]] on Marlene, she pulls him back from the edge, humanity survives (we've been knocked back almost to the stone age, but at least we're not going extinct) and [[OfficialCouple Yuji and Marlene]] finally get to have a happy life together. [[EsotericHappyEnding Except that humanity as a whole will likely be unable to adapt to a world without technology and go extinct.]]

* ''Manga/TheMikosWordsAndTheWitchesIncantations'' looks like it builds up to a BuryYourGays ending, with Tsumugi (the title miko) dying soon after experiencing love for the first time, [[PreserveYourGays but then]] Letty (the title witch) confronts a freaking mountain god and claims a piece of its divine power for herself--something a mortal [[ThePowerOfLove shouldn't theoretically be able to handle]]-- [[AlwayssaveTheGirl to save Tsumugi's life]]. The two of them then go WalkingTheEarth in search of new adventures.

** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans'' had the Tekkadan survivors having in peaceful lives [[spoiler:despite losing several of their friends including their leader and their organization tarnished in history which forced them to change their identities. At least, they still get in touch with each others considering that they're still working with close colleagues such as the Arbau governement, Kudelia and Yukinojo. Likewise, Kudelia finally achieved her dream for a Martian independence where she became the first chairperson of the Martian Union. Even the antagonists have their happy ending where despite being a crippled war veteran, Gaelio started to form a relationship with Julieta who is going to be the next leader of the newly reformed Gjallarhorn. The only person who didn't get a happy ending is Ride who is guilt for letting Orga die and went a revenge spree by killing Nobliss Gordon]].

* ''Anime/BlueGender'' takes place in a very [[WorldHalfEmpty dark, gritty, cynical, cold world]] after [[GaiasVengeance the]] [[BigCreepyCrawlies Blue]] have taken over the Earth. Human life has lost all of its value and the only thing that matters is defeating the Blue, regardless of any and all cost. Idealistic protagonist Yuji and his DefrostingIceQueen love interest Marlene have lost everything to the Blue, and almost every friend they make through the course of the series dies, usually in a rather horrifying way. Yuji is even driven to the point of madness in one episode. In the end, however, Yuji's idealism [[CharacterDevelopment rubs off]] on Marlene, she pulls him back from the edge, humanity survives (we've been knocked back almost to the stone age, but at least we're not going extinct) and [[OfficialCouple Yuji and Marlene]] finally get to have a happy life together. [[EsotericHappyEnding Except that humanity as a whole will likely be unable to adapt to a world without technology and to extinct.]]

** Seldom has this trope been more triumphant than the ending of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamMSIGLOO''. Enduring [[WarIsHell episode after episode of disappointment]] and PyrrhicVictory, at the battle of A Bao A Qu, the main characters make their final stand against the Earth Federation who continue to attack out of {{revenge}} despite a ceasefire. The war crimes are caught on film by their science vessel, we see the main character's vehicles get shot up and the big mobile armor explode before everything goes fuzzy. [[spoiler: However, many of the victims of said revenge attacks escaped, ''[[TearJerker the two main characters included!]]'' A rare SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}} in what is otherwise a [[CrapsackWorld Crapsack Universe]].]]

* While not in full use in the series itself ([[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun because we don't get to see how they reach the ending]]), ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' plays this in regards to [[{{Samurai}} Setsuna]], a warrior who having lived her life as an [[FantasticRacism outcast]] [[HalfHumanHybrid half]]-[[{{Obake}} demon]], found happiness in protecting Konoka as a [[BodyguardCrush simple bodyguard]]. In their childhood [[FailureKnight she failed to protect Konoka]], causing her to distance herself from the girl in order to [[TrainingFromHell train harder]] and become [[TheStoic colder]], feeling that emotion was the weakness that caused her to fail. This distant relationship with Konoka was later resolved, and she become calmer and more cheerful, like her younger self. Later, in a pseudo SecretTestOfCharacter, [[NobleDemon Evangeline]] forced her to choose between which was more important: becoming a cold-hearted swordsman [[TheUnfettered without limits]] to better serve Konoka, or remain as she was in her current happy state, while losing her sword to Evangeline in doing so. With the two ideas conflicting with one another, only being able to lose with available options, [[TakeAThirdOption she chose to have both]]. Whether she'd actually be able to do this or have a happy ending at all has been a running plot-line for her ever since. As of chapter 252, [[spoiler:she has both and more. In a SugarWiki/{{heartwarming|Moments}} scene, she becomes Konoka's partner instead of bodyguard, and can thus help her instead of simply protecting her.]] She also [[spoiler: finally got to [[SchoolgirlLesbians make out with Konoka]], which she had obviously [[BodyguardCrush wanted to do for quite some time]].]]

* ''Anime/RahXephon''. [[spoiler:After episode 19, tragedies keep racking up until the world is saturated in an apocalyptic crescendo... then the PowerOfLove sings out. Cue symbolic surrealism followed by a SugarWiki/WarmAndFuzzyFeeling.]]

** The last season of Shakugan No Shana ''Final'' was this trope; [[spoiler: Yuji Sakai pulls a FaceHeelTurn in order to save the world knowing full well the ramifications of such an act and prepares to WalkTheEarth as TheAtoner before Shana calls him out and goes with him. '''''FINALLY''''' getting their happy ending in the process.]] '''[[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments It was]] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Awesome.]]'''

* While not in full use in the series itself ([[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun because we don't get to see how they reach the ending]]), ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' plays this in regards to [[{{Samurai}} Setsuna]], a warrior who having lived her life as an [[FantasticRacism outcast]] [[HalfHumanHybrid half]]-[[{{Obake}} demon]], found happiness in protecting Konoka as a [[BodyguardCrush simple bodyguard]]. In their childhood [[FailureKnight she failed to protect Konoka]], causing her to distance herself from the girl in order to [[TrainingFromHell train harder]] and become [[TheStoic colder]], feeling that emotion was the weakness that caused her to fail. This distant relationship with Konoka was later resolved, and she become calmer and more cheerful, like her younger self. Later, in a pseudo SecretTestOfCharacter, [[NobleDemon Evangeline]] forced her to choose between which was more important: becoming a cold-hearted swordsman [[TheUnfettered without limits]] to better serve Konoka, or remain as she was in her current happy state, while losing her sword to Evangeline in doing so. With the two ideas conflicting with one another, only being able to lose with available options, [[TakeAThirdOption she chose to have both]]. Whether she'd actually be able to do this or have a happy ending at all has been a running plot-line for her ever since. As of chapter 252, [[spoiler:she has both and more. In a SugarWiki/{{heartwarming|Moments}} scene, she becomes Konoka's partner instead of bodyguard, and can thus help her instead of simply protecting her.]] She also [[spoiler: finally got to [[SchoolgirlLesbians make out with Konoka]], which she had obviously [[BodyguardCrush wanted to do for quite some time]].]]

* ''Anime/RahXephon''. [[spoiler:After episode 19, tragedies keep racking up until the world is saturated in an apocalyptic crescendo... then the PowerOfLove sings out. Cue symbolic surrealism followed by a WarmAndFuzzyFeeling.]]

** In the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' anime, a wild Chimchar had a powerful ability it could not control. A trainer offered to take it with him and help it… but his solution was to treat it like a failure and put it through TrainingFromHell (including attacking it with his other Pokemon's strongest attacks [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill at the same time]] in order to activate Blaze again. Despite always trying its best, Chimchar was deemed useless and abandoned… and then offered a spot in Ash's team. Under his training, Chimchar was loved, healed from his mental scars, evolved into Infernape and mastered Blaze, even defeating his former trainer with it during their last battle.

** One wonders if [[spoiler:Nunnally]] would consider it a happy ending, though...
*** Indeed, given [[spoiler:her]] reaction to it all it could very well be interpreted as more of a BittersweetEnding.

*** Obviously it will be a Happy Ending for [[spoiler: Lelouch, if he did achieve CompleteImmortality (he did activate Geass in his both eyes), walking the peaceful world with C. C.]]

** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'': [[spoiler: The CosmicRetcon enacted by Pucci doesn't turn the universe into a world according to [=DIO's=] vision, but instead gives the reincarnated main cast a chance to live happy lives with Emporio as the only one who can truly appreciate their bond. Pucci also pulled a TotalPartyWipe on every main character save Emporio, and the universe resetting means that the entire Joestar lineage that we've been following since Part 1 no longer exists, ultimately making their struggle in that universe futile.]]

** And then, the GrandFinale has everyone else earn their ending [[spoiler: when they believe Haru makes a HeroicSacrifice to finally destroy Endless. Everyone (especially poor Elie) has to endure that knowledge for a whole year (with varying degrees of response). The ending's finally earned when they return to the site of the battle exactly one year later...and he reappears, having been [[TimeTravel sent one year into the future]] by Star Memory to save his life]].

* ''Anime/BlueGender'' takes place in a very [[WorldHalfEmpty dark, gritty, cynical, cold world]] after [[GaiasVengeance the]] [[BigCreepyCrawlies Blue]] have taken over the Earth. Human life has lost all of its value and the only thing that matters is defeating the Blue, regardless of any and all cost. Idealistic protagonist Yuji and his DefrostingIceQueen love interest Marlene have lost everything to the Blue, and almost every friend they make through the course of the series dies, usually in a rather horrifying way. Yuji is even driven to the point of madness in one episode. In the end, however, Yuji's idealism [[CharacterDevelopment rubs off]] on Marlene, she pulls him back from the edge, humanity survives (we've been knocked back almost to the stone age, but at least we're not going extinct) and [[OfficialCouple Yuji and Marlene]] finally get to have a happy life together.

** Seldom has this trope been more triumphant than the ending of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamMSIGLOO''. Enduring [[WarIsHell episode after episode of disappointment]] and PyrrhicVictory, at the battle of A Bao A Qu, the main characters make their final stand against the Earth Federation who continue to attack out of {{revenge}} despite a ceasefire. The war crimes are caught on film by their science vessel, we see the main character's vehicles get shot up and the big mobile armor explode before everything goes fuzzy. [[spoiler: However, many of the victims of said revenge attacks escaped, ''[[TearJerker the two main characters included!]]'' A rare CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming in what is otherwise a [[CrapsackWorld Crapsack Universe]].]]

* While not in full use in the series itself ([[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun because we don't get to see how they reach the ending]]), ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' plays this in regards to [[{{Samurai}} Setsuna]], a warrior who having lived her life as an [[FantasticRacism outcast]] [[HalfHumanHybrid half]]-[[{{Obake}} demon]], found happiness in protecting Konoka as a [[BodyguardCrush simple bodyguard]]. In their childhood [[FailureKnight she failed to protect Konoka]], causing her to distance herself from the girl in order to [[TrainingFromHell train harder]] and become [[TheStoic colder]], feeling that emotion was the weakness that caused her to fail. This distant relationship with Konoka was later resolved, and she become calmer and more cheerful, like her younger self. Later, in a pseudo SecretTestOfCharacter, [[NobleDemon Evangeline]] forced her to choose between which was more important: becoming a cold-hearted swordsman [[TheUnfettered without limits]] to better serve Konoka, or remain as she was in her current happy state, while losing her sword to Evangeline in doing so. With the two ideas conflicting with one another, only being able to lose with available options, [[TakeAThirdOption she chose to have both]]. Whether she'd actually be able to do this or have a happy ending at all has been a running plot-line for her ever since. As of chapter 252, [[spoiler:she has both and more. In a [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming heart-warming scene]], she becomes Konoka's partner instead of bodyguard, and can thus help her instead of simply protecting her.]] She also [[spoiler: finally got to [[SchoolgirlLesbians make out with Konoka]], which she had obviously [[BodyguardCrush wanted to do for quite some time]].]]

** The last season of Shakugan No Shana ''Final'' was this trope; [[spoiler: Yuji Sakai pulls a FaceHeelTurn in order to save the world knowing full well the ramifications of such an act and prepares to WalkTheEarth as TheAtoner before Shana calls him out and goes with him. '''''FINALLY''''' getting their happy ending in the process.]] '''[[CrowningMomentOfHeartWarming It was]] [[CrowningMomentofAwesome Awesome.]]'''

* While not in full use in the series itself ([[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun because we don't get to see how they reach the ending]]), ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' plays this in regards to [[{{Samurai}} Setsuna]], a warrior who having lived her life as an [[FantasticRacism outcast]] [[HalfHumanHybrid half]]-[[{{Obake}} demon]], found happiness in protecting Konoka as a [[BodyguardCrush simple bodyguard]]. In their childhood [[FailureKnight she failed to protect Konoka]], causing her to distance herself from the girl in order to [[TrainingFromHell train harder]] and become [[TheStoic colder]], feeling that emotion was the weakness that caused her to fail. This distant relationship with Konoka was later resolved, and she become calmer and more cheerful, like her younger self. Later, in a pseudo SecretTestOfCharacter, [[NobleDemon Evangeline]] forced her to choose between which was more important: becoming a cold-hearted swordsman [[TheUnfettered without limits]] to better serve Konoka, or remain as she was in her current happy state, while losing her sword to Evangeline in doing so. With the two ideas conflicting with one another, only being able to lose with available options, [[TakeAThirdOption she chose to have both]]. Whether she'd actually be able to do this or have a happy ending at all has been a running plot-line for her ever since. As of chapter 252, [[spoiler:she has both and more. In a [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming heart-warming scene]], she becomes Konoka's partner instead of bodyguard, and can thus help her instead of simply protecting her.]] She also [[spoiler: finally got to [[SchoolgirlLesbians make out with Konoka]], which she had obviously [[BodyguardCrush wanted to do for quite some time]].]]

** InuYasha and Kagome [[spoiler: reunite after being separated for three years by time.]]

** From ''Manga/PokemonSpecial'', Blue and Silver easily have the [[DarkAndTroubledPast most tragic childhoods]] out of all the main characters. both of them having been kidnapped when they were very little to be enslaved to become a mad man's personal soldiers. It takes a shit ton of effort on both their parts to take down the man responsible for their misery, and arguably even more effort to reunite with their parents after having been separated for over a decade. [[spoiler: And when it turns out Silver's dad is Giovanni...]]

* ''Manga/TheMikosWordsAndTheWitchesIncantations'' looks like it builds up to a BuryYourGays ending, with Tsumugi (the title miko) dying soon after experiencing love for the first time, but then Letty (the title witch) confronts a freaking mountain god and claims a piece of its divine power for herself--something a mortal [[ThePowerOfLove shouldn't theoretically be able to handle]]-- [[AlwayssaveTheGirl to save Tsumugi's life]]. The two of them then go WalkingTheEarth in search of new adventures.

* Shirou and Saber in the Fate route of ''[[VisualNovel/FateStaynight Fate/Stay night]]''. Not only does it take Shirou having to go the pain of defending Saber and fighting against the Masters in the Holy Grail Wars to be able to win, but he also has to deal with her returning to her own time period post the Grail's destruction. Furthermore, only in the hard-to-achieve GoldenEnding are we given the relief of seeing them meet up again in Avalon, and even then it is implied that they were separated from each other for years.
* By the end of ''Anime/CowboyBebop'', Ed and Ein have abandoned the ship to search for Ed's neglectful father, Jet's ship is wrecked and his leg injured, while Faye discovers that her family history is unsalvageable, and all of her friends old are dying. Meanwhile, Spike is planning a suicidal assault on Vicious' Red Dragon Syndicate. Spike discovers that the woman who abandoned him 3 years prior and sent him down his self-destructive, fatalistic path was still alive. He meets her in the cemetery where they had planned to run away together, and learns that she had abandoned him to avoid getting them both killed by Vicious, who returned from the Titan war furious at being betrayed by both his best friend and his lover. They reignite their plans to run away from the Red Dragon Syndicate, which they were both high-ranking assassins for. This plan lasts [[spoiler:about the span of half an episode, 10 minutes, of the series' 570, before she's tragically shot in the back by some mook on a fire escape.]] Before leaving he tells his friends perhaps the most he's ever told them about himself, and abandons the Bebop for the last time. In thin metaphors he explains to Jet and Faye that, since the disappearance of Julia and the loss of his eye, he's seen his past replayed in the fake eye and reality repeating in his real eye, leaving him uncertain if he is alive or in a bad dream. He tells them that the only way he can validate his love for Julia, and free himself from his dream-like state, is to find out if he was really alive by [[spoiler:dying]]. The only way the ending could have been more depressing, at least on the surface, is if Punch, Judy, the two remaining old men that dug the gates and Rocco's sister were all somehow killed in the climactic battle. There is a happy ending, however, for all of the characters. Ed finds a purpose, and has gained both friends and the potential for finding her father again. Jet resolved some major loose ends in his life and has a real shot at peace. Faye lost her past, but is a strong woman, and has a future ahead of her. Spike, in finding [[spoiler:death]], discovered that his life was not just a dream, and his love for Julia was genuine.

* ''Anime/WelcomeToTheNHK'' seems to make this point. It even manages to approach it from a quasi-religious angle without seeming preachy--[[AuthorTract a rare feat, unfortunately]].
** The religious angle is arguable; the novel makes a point of that even though religion is well-meaning by nature, it's unable to help people suffering from serious depression. Misaki's uncle and aunt are deeply religious, and want to help their niece to the best of their abilities, yet are still quite blind to the fact [[spoiler:that she's close to being suicidal.]]

* ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'' did this as well, after at least five episodes of utter bleakness, kicked off with a BigDamnHeroes moment from [=SMS=], and culminating in [[spoiler:a nuclear disarming-of-giant-robot-via-shanking, one multi-kilometer high robot gut-punching another multi-kilometer robot, songs saving the day, the Vajra turning good and protecting the Frontier fleet, TheRival teaming up to take down the BigBad, Alto blowing off the BigBad's head with Michel's sniper rifle, and everybody being happy happy love love on the Vajra home planet. Oh, and EverybodyLives except Michel. Even the character with the terminal disease.]]
** The 2nd movie ''looks'' like it ends with a BittersweetEnding, but WordOfGod confirmed that [[spoiler:Alto lives and Sheryl wakes up]].
* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' does this ''every season''. MoodWhiplash is used like a weapon by the writer, turning some of the darkest, most painful depths of despair into happy endings where almost everyone gets a Good End. ''A's'' has the darkest ending of the entire series, and it's merely a BittersweetEnding. The sole exceptions to this are [[spoiler:Precia Testarossa]] in Season 1 and [[spoiler:the overarching conspiracy within the TSAB and Jail Scaglietti]] in ''[=StrikerS=]''. Arguably, this prevents any case of KarmaHoudini that even the series' heavily grounded idealism couldn't excuse.
* The ending to the ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' manga has Kenshin HappilyMarried to his second wife Kaoru, and having given away his sword. Kaoru has restored her school to a lot of students and is the happy mother of Kenshin's kid Kenji at the same time, Sanosuke is off to see the world, Yahiko is a famous swordsman, and Megumi goes to Aizu to practice medicine while trying to find the rest of her family. The TV anime ends with a GeckoEnding but still a very positive outcome. The OVA on the other hand is a DownerEnding that wasn't even close to the manga's ending: [[spoiler: Kenshin and Karou are deathly ill, he ends up amnesiac in China and along with Sano he has to go through Hell and back to return to Japan, Kaoru is barely hanging on thanks to her desire to see Kenshin one last time, and in the end Kenshin goes back home and dies in her arms, only to have her dying soon afterwards]]. The only bits of hope are these: [[spoiler: Yahiko successfully dissuades Kenji from taking up the Hiten-Mitsurugi fighting style ''and'' helps him to stop hating his DisappearedDad. Soon after, Kenji takes off with his girlfriend (who looks like a younger Kaoru) to build a new life away from Tokyo]].
** That's why ''Seisouhen'' is a CanonDiscontinuity. Nobuhiro Watsuki [[WordOfGod publicly stated]] that it was made without his involvement, [[ExecutiveMeddling went absolutely contrary to his intentions]], and he doesn't consider it canon.
** Played straight in regards to [[spoiler: Fuji, the GentleGiant of the Juppongatana. Already an AntiVillain who was mentored by a SmugSnake after being almost killed by scared guards, he's regarded as pretty much a living weapon and not even a human, until Hiko Seijuuro sees through him and treats him like a person in their duel. Later, he cuts a deal with the Meiji government and becomes a rural guard in Hokkaido, finally having a peaceful life with friends and co-workers that see him as the good guy he is.]]
* ''Manga/{{Planetes}}'' waffles a bit at the beginning, then nosedives into increasingly cynical or even pessimistic territory... but idealism wins in the end, even with [[spoiler:the terrorist characters]].
** Terrorist subplot was [[RippedFromTheHeadlines greatly overblown in anime]], while the crazy salarimen antics were invented out of the whole cloth, but the manga had its share of troubles and hardships. They're mostly on the Fee's part, as [[TheWoobie most Clare's problems]] in the anime happened to ''her'' in the manga, though Tanabe didn't escape them too.
* While not in full use in the series itself ([[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun because we don't get to see how they reach the ending]]), ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' plays this in regards to [[{{Samurai}} Setsuna]], a warrior who having lived her life as an [[FantasticRacism outcast]] [[HalfHumanHybrid half]]-[[{{Obake}} demon]], found happiness in protecting Konoka as a [[BodyguardCrush simple bodyguard]]. In their childhood [[FailureKnight she failed to protect Konoka]], causing her to distance herself from the girl in order to [[TrainingFromHell train harder]] and become [[TheStoic colder]], feeling that emotion was the weakness that caused her to fail. This distant relationship with Konoka was later resolved, and she become calmer and more cheerful, like her younger self. Later, in a pseudo SecretTestOfCharacter, [[NobleDemon Evangeline]] forced her to choose between which was more important: becoming a cold-hearted swordsman [[TheUnfettered without limits]] to better serve Konoka, or remain as she was in her current happy state, while losing her sword to Evangeline in doing so. With the two ideas conflicting with one another, only being able to lose with available options, [[TakeAThirdOption she chose to have both]]. Whether she'd actually be able to do this or have a happy ending at all has been a running plot-line for her ever since. As of chapter 252, [[spoiler:she has both and more. In a [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming heart-warming scene]], she becomes Konoka's partner instead of bodyguard, and can thus help her instead of simply protecting her.]] She also [[spoiler: finally got to [[SchoolgirlLesbians make out with Konoka]], which she had obviously [[BodyguardCrush wanted to do for quite some time]].]]
* ''Manga/{{Mars}}'' has this in escalating spades, culminating in a white-knuckled, tear-jerking GrandFinale when Rei gets stabbed in the gut by recurring DepravedBisexual Masao Kirishima, while he's on his way to the party celebrating his marriage to the girlfriend he's been through hell and resolved all of their respective {{Backstory}} trauma with. They still get to live happily ever after.
* Saji Crossroad from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00''. [[TheWoobie The poor guy]] had [[BreakTheCutie everyone he loved taken from him]], spent most of a season finding out just how much he lost, wound up as the hostage of the very people he thought were responsible for it, then [[LoveHurts nearly died]] at the hands of [[BrokenBird the]] [[DarkActionGirl person]] (''and also'' [[MurderTheHypotenuse his]] [[Theatre/OedipusRex love]] [[MilitaryBrat rival]]) he was trying to return to ''multiple times''. And only ''barely'' succeeds in getting said person ([[spoiler: Louise]]) back to sanity. If ''anyone'' in recent fiction earned the right to a happy ending, it's him.
* The Creator/KyotoAnimation adaptation of ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'' had Tomoya [[spoiler:die, so that he would be reborn as the Garbage Doll in the Illusionary World. Only then could he be given the opportunity to save Nagisa and by extension, Ushio, when the Girl in the Illusionary World/Ushio sent him back in time, prepared to prevent Nagisa's DeathByChildbirth]].

* ''Anime/RahXephon''. [[spoiler:After episode 19, tragedies keep racking up until the world is saturated in an apocalyptic crescendo... then the PowerOfLove sings out. Cue symbolic surrealism followed by a WarmAndFuzzyFeeling.]]

* The ending of the Maya subplot in ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh''. Suffer the animosity of a thousand cats so you can actually own one, happy ending definitely earned.

* Used in the GrandFinale of the ''Anime/EurekaSeven'' anime. When Renton is huddled in a fetal position, believing Eureka is dead and that current events are going to cause TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, and begging Holland to beat on him like he used to. Holland simply tells him to stand up and get ready to go to where Eureka is. His way of saying "Don't expect us grown-ups to fix shit for you." If that was too cryptic, Holland pretty much says it when Renton is about to pilot the new Nirvash into battle, telling him to "Go steal away the woman you fell for! You're a man, aren't you?"
* The manga version of ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'' fits squarely within this trope. After the end, it's shown that almost all of the characters go on to live happy, normal lives, and those that don't are working towards their own chances to earn a happy ending. Even several of the villains get an AlasPoorVillain moment at their deaths.
* ''Manga/FushigiYuugi''. In the first volume, [[spoiler:Miaka successfully summons Suzaku--but not before losing [[AnyoneCanDie nearly all her Seishi]] (including [[LoveInterest Tamahome]]), struggling to [[AttemptedRape keep her virginity]], and falling out with her [[FaceHeelTurn best friend]].]] In the second volume, however, [[spoiler:Tamahome was reincarnated as Taka, making the ending considerably happier for her]].

** And then, the GrandFinale has everyone else earn their ending [[spoiler: when they believe Haru makes a HeroicSacrifice to finally destroy Endless. Everyone (especially poor Elie) has to endure that knowledge for a whole year (with varying degrees of response). The ending's finally earned when they return to the site of the battle exactly one year later...and he reappears, having been [[TimeTravel sent one year into the future]] by Star Memory to save his life]].
* In ''Manga/TwentiethCenturyBoys'', the BigBad Friend [[spoiler: actually manages to realise his plans of dominating the world, and manages to completely screw over the protagonist's attempts to stop him. ''Twice''.]] This includes [[spoiler:him releasing a virus that kills a ridiculous percentage of the world's population, among other things.]] It's only after [[spoiler:20 years (in story) since the series started]] that [[spoiler:the heroes finally manage to overthrow him and save the world.]]

* ''Anime/NowAndThenHereAndThere'' ends on a [[BittersweetEnding bittersweet note]], with [[spoiler: Lalaru fading so as to bring water back to the world and a very good portion of characters we liked killed off]], but given the [[TearJerker utterly depressing]] way the series plays out up until that point, it's clear what sweetness there was to the ending had to be fought for tooth and nail.
* ''Anime/PerfectBlue'', not unlike [[Film/BlueVelvet a certain other psychological thriller with "Blue" in the title]] (see below), pulls a happy ending at the last minute.
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': Ed and Al. Let's remember: Their father, Hohenheim, leaves them and their mother, Trisha, without telling them why (Trisha knew, though). They lose their mother at the tender age of 4-5. The parents of their best friend, Winry, were murdered. They try to bring their mother back from the dead just so they can feel the love they so desperately miss. They fail and come back screwed up. They than fail to save a little girl, Nina, from her insane father, Shou Tucker. Later they lose a close ally, [[spoiler: Hughes]], and later discover it was partly their fault he was murdered. They than have to deal with the fact they left a family broken. [[spoiler:Next, they discover said best friend's parents murderer, Scar, and have to try and stop her from trying to exact revenge. Then their close friend, Ling, is [[DemonicPossession possessed by a homonculus]]. Then they have to take on [[BigBad Father]], the original homunculus on a quest for godhood, who blinds Roy and steals the souls of ''everyone else in the country'' (dooming all those people to AFateWorseThanDeath) to fulfill that quest. Next, Al sacrifices himself so Ed could survive and win. Then Ed sacrifices his ability to use Alchemy to bring back Al. In short: wow, they really did deserve that happy family photo at the end of Chapter 108.]]
** Not to mention [[spoiler:everyone gets their soul back; Father is defeated; Al is saved (body included); Ling befriends Greed, regains control of his body, and becomes emperor of his home country; and Ed hooks up with Winry and [[BabiesEverAfter has two kids]]. It's also implied that Al hooks up with May, and Hohenheim can finally die in peace by Trisha's grave.]]
** The death of [[spoiler: Hughes]] wasn't their fault at all, despite what the boys may think. He was investigating the leader of his own military as a traitor. Even in RealLife, this could easily be seen as leading to treason; it didn't help that the people he was investigating were alchemical constructs with superpowers. It was only a matter of time, really.
** This trope is practically the moral of the story.
--->[[OpeningNarration "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return.]] [[MeaningfulEcho To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.]] [[BookEnds That is Alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange."]]
** The first ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' had more of a DownerEnding instead. They sacrificed for each other, and although [[spoiler:they brought each other back, they became separated from each other in different worlds. They reunited in TheMovie ''[[Anime/FullmetalAlchemistTheConquerorOfShamballa The Conqueror of Shamballa]]'', but wound up TrappedInAnotherWorld--ours]].
--->"A lesson without pain is meaningless. to gain something, you must sacrifice something in exchange. [[CharacterDevelopment But if you withstand the pain and overcome it, you gain a stronger heart]]. [[TitleDrop A heart made of full metal.]]"
* ''Manga/MaisonIkkoku'' features the {{Ronin}} Yusaku Godai's near never-ending attempt to graduate college, get a good job, and marry the woman he worships. In his path are middling grades, general mediocrity, financial woes, {{Jerkass}} roommates, a "girlfriend" he's too cowardly to dump honorably, a teen girl who is obsessed with him, and another suitor to the girl of his dreams, who is extraordinarily wealthy and perfect. Does he earn it? ''Hell yes''.
* Zorua and Zoroark from ''Anime/PokemonZoroarkMasterOfIllusions'' are kidnapped and taken from their home and then separated by the movie's sadistic BigBad, Grings Kodai. Zorua does manage to escape but is left searching desperately for his mother, who Kodai tricks into believing he still has Zorua and forces to rampage through the city. Both get electrocuted (and NOT the [[HarmlessElectrocution harmless kind]] normal to Pokemon), beaten, tortured, and put through absolute heck by Kodai. Then when it looks like they're finally about to reunite, [[spoiler: Kodai '''''KILLS''''' Zoroark right in front of Zorua!]] Finally, [[spoiler:Celebi restores Zoroark to life to repay Zorua for working his tail off to protect it]] and is finally reunited with Zorua, they get to witness Kodai get one of the most satisfying {{Humiliation Conga}}s in history, and are finally returned home. When you see them nuzzling each other as they arrive back home, you know they deserve it.

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' follows this trope to a T. The series itself is full of angst and tragedy, yet the main character manages to make things somewhat right [[spoiler:by forcing reality to rewrite itself by preventing {{Magical Girl}}s from becoming [[EldritchAbomination witches]] with her own hands]]. As a result, [[spoiler:Mami and Kyouko are brought back to life because they never died fighting witches]]. It came at the cost of [[spoiler:[[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence her own existence]], though she doesn't seem to care about that]]. It is implied that [[spoiler: Madoka]] takes fallen {{Magical Girl}}s to some kind of afterlife, which is a much better fate than [[spoiler:becoming a witch]].
** The [[VideoGame/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaPortable PSP game]] makes a [[EveryoneLives more conventionally]] happy ending possible, but it's one among over a dozen bad endings, only accessible after at least four previous completions of the game (in order to even unlock Homura).
** And in ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion'' [[spoiler: this is actually [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]]. Homura earns her own happy ending and creates a world where Madoka and Sayaka are still alive...by stealing a portion of Madoka's power to become ''[[SatanicArchetype the devil itself.]]'' It's heavily implied that this state of affairs won't last, and Homura explicitly states that her and Madoka will eventually become enemies.]]
* ''Anime/GunXSword'' is often praised for having a satisfying ending, but the characters really have to work (or, in some cases, wait) for it. [[spoiler: Van gets his revenge, but he is left walking the earth alone again afterwards. Wendy loses her last family member, and she has to wait for at least a few years for Van to wander back into her life.]] Sadly, not all the good guys get such a happy ending.
* ''LightNovel/{{Gosick}}'': [[spoiler: In many stories the crowning moment of awesome is when the hero or heroine dies for the other; in the last episodes of Gosick, Victorique and Kujo take the harder path ... and go through hell to live for each other.]]

* ''Manga/KimiWaPetto'' rewards [[spoiler: Sumire and Momo]] with this after they struggle through their feelings, relationships and fight to keep each other in their lives.
* So far in the ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'' anime at least, almost every battle the good guys have been in were very difficult to win. The bad guys often had some kind of ace up their sleeve, and the good guys had to really fight, or exploit a weakness, in order to win.
** The last season of Shakugan No Shana ''Final'' was this trope; [[spoiler: Yuji Sakai pulls a FaceHeelTurn in order to save the world knowing full well the ramifications of such an act and prepares to WalkTheEarth as TheAtoner before Shana calls him out and goes with him. '''''FINALLY''''' getting their happy ending in the process.]] '''[[CrowningMomentOfHeartWarming It was]] [[CrowningMomentofAwesome Awesome.]]'''

* Seldom has this trope been more triumphant than the ending of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamMSIGLOO''. Enduring [[WarIsHell episode after episode of disappointment]] and PyrrhicVictory, at the battle of A Bao A Qu, the main characters make their final stand against the Earth Federation who continue to attack out of {{revenge}} despite a ceasefire. The war crimes are caught on film by their science vessel, we see the main character's vehicles get shot up and the big mobile armor explode before everything goes fuzzy. [[spoiler: However, many of the victims of said revenge attacks escaped, ''[[TearJerker the two main characters included!]]'' A rare CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming in what is otherwise a [[CrapsackWorld Crapsack Universe]].]]
* ''Anime/GundamBuildFighters'' has Aila Jyrkiäinen, [[spoiler:who has endured [[DarkAndTroubledPast being an orphan, poverty, and getting poor treatment from Team Nemesis]]. After Reiji gives her an offer to stay at Sei's place in Episode 21, she quits Team Nemesis but not before [[CallingtheOldManOut calling them out for abusing her]]]]. This action ultimately resulted with [[spoiler:her hooking up with Reiji to the point where she went to Arian (via a wish through her Arista) so she could [[StayWithTheAliens stay with him]]]]. In the ''Anime/GundamBuildFightersTry'' OVA, it is finally revealed at TheStinger that [[spoiler:she and Reiji are married and had a daughter, who turns out to be the "Mysterious Girl".]]
* This is one of mangaka Creator/TanakaYutaka's signature tropes.
* In ''Manga/{{Bakuman}}'', Mashiro and Azuki fulfill their promise and end up together, but it takes 10 years and four manga series by the main characters to get an anime, and [[spoiler:Azuki has to prove herself worthy for the role, as well as weather some intense controversy after her relationship with Mashiro is leaked]]. The two of them also seem to invoke this trope, as Azuki once tells Mashiro that their happiness will be greater if they marry after their dreams come true.
* With his timeline in ruins thanks to the androids, Trunks from ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' goes back and meets Goku and his father to warn them of the upcoming threat. Then he manages to take massive levels of badass in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and also establishes a relationship with his aloof father Vegeta who gives him a sign of respect when he leaves. When he gets back to his timeline and easily destroys [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown The Androids and Cell as well]] finally restoring peace to his timeline. Then, [[HappyEndingOverride his happy ending gets overrided]] during the Goku Black saga of ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' and when we mean overrided, we mean [[spoiler:Zamasu successfully killing off everybody he fought so hard to protect, forcing Zen-Oh to appear and destroy his timeline, rendering all his efforts pointless]].
* From ''Manga/PokemonSpecial'', Blue and Silver easily have the [[DarkAndTroubledPast most tragic childhoods]] out of all the main characters. both of them having been kidnapped when they were very little to be enslaved to become a mad man's personal soldiers. It takes a shit ton of effort on both their parts to take down the man responsible for their misery, and arguably even more effort to reunite with their parents after having been separated for over a decade. [[spoiler: And when it turns out Silver's dad is Giovanni...]]
* This trope applies to every character in ''Manga/ACruelGodReigns'', but most notably the two main characters Jeremy and Ian. Jeremy has to recover from the sexual and physical abuse he received at the hands of his stepfather in addition to living with the guilt of being a murderer. Over the course of all of this he also has to deal with his multiple [[spoiler: {{Bungled Suicide}}s]], [[spoiler: [[FunctionalAddict drug addiction]]]], [[spoiler: [[HookerwithaHeartofGold prostitution]]]], post traumatic stress disorder, fear of emotions, trust issues, and chaotic relationship with [[spoiler: Ian]]. Ian has to try to piece Jeremy back together, deal with his {{Broken Pedestal}} image of his father, his feelings for [[spoiler: Jeremy and subsequent {{Gayngst}}]], his fear of becoming like his {{Archnemesis Dad}}, and try to make sense of his family's past. Nadia has to learn to let Ian go and recover her relationship with her mother, Claire. Eric and Valentine have to communicate in secret after they are torn apart. Natasha has to live with herself after not saving Jeremy and [[spoiler: at one point the stress weakens her to point of almost dying]]. And these are just SOME of the main plot threads.
* ''Creator/ChieShinohara'' tends to make her characters ''work'' for a happy ending.
** ''Manga/AoNoFuuin'': Over the course of the series, everything that could be shown as a way to end the series early is either destroyed or prolonged due to other, bigger issues needing to be resolved first. This escalates to the point that months go by and the population of Oni rises to entire city blocks being filled with them. Finally, when their population reaches around the 30.000, it's also revealed that Mt Fuji is about to erupt! Deciding that Soko will take responsibility as the leader of the Oni, she wants to go to sleep with them, deep inside Fuji to prevent its eruption, even if this will [[StarCrossedLovers separate her forever from Akira]]. But before she can, Hiko bans Soko from the Oni tribe and heads off to lead them herself in their sleep. Fuji's eruption is prevented, the problem of the Oni is dealt with, Akira's company will begin to change the world, so that the Oni will never become a problem again and Akira takes time off, so he can sleep with Soko and rid her of her powers as Soryu, so the two can finally be together as a normal couple.
** In ''Manga/AnatoliaStory'', another work of ''Shinohara Chie'', Yuri is kidnapped from her home and never does end up returning to her family or former boyfriend. She and Kail get involved in issues like wars or a plague, and watch as close friends and family die (by the time the series is over, the death toll includes Tito, Ursula, Rusafa, all of Kail's brothers but Jude, and Kail's father). They also suffer through Yuri miscarrying their baby, as well as every obstacle Nakia puts in the path of their relationship. By the story's end though, Nakia is discredited, Kail and Yuri are able to be wed, Yuri is crowned queen in Nakia's place, they discover that Yuri is pregnant again, and the closing narration tells how they ruled Anatolia well for the rest of their lives. As for their friends and allies who survived, the twins marry Kikuri and have four children with him, Hadi lives with them, Ilbani sees Kail's dream of a better country be realized (which was all Ilbani ever wanted in the series), and Jude and Princess Alexandra are wed.
* Few happy endings have ever been as hard-earned as that of ''Anime/MaiHiME''. Starting at the halfway point, [[spoiler:what began as a generally light series becomes a battle royale, with character after character falling victim to the [=HiME=] Festival. Everyone Mai cares about dies or turns against her -- and the Headmaster's plan, which brings them all back, couldn't have worked any other way..]]

* ''Anime/BlueCometSPTLayzner'' finished in a rather infamous GainaxEnding thanks to ExecutiveMeddling and an early cancellation that forced the creators to cut the story short. Later, however, the series got a three OAV's to try fixing the problem, and the third and last one fits in this trope to a T: [[spoiler: LaResistance wins and Earth is liberated. Roanne turns out to be a FakeDefector instead of TheQuisling and returns to his friends. Julia unlocks the Seal of Grados and convinces Ruu-Kain to lay down his hatred. Julia and Ru-Kain then decide to return to the Gradosian homeland to start working for peace and wait for the moment Grados and Earth can live together. Eiji comes back to Earth with Layzner and is reunited with his TrueCompanions, and the last image of the whole series is him and his girlfriend Anna ''finally'' having TheBigDamnKiss.]]
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' [[spoiler:succeeds in redeeming Sasuke, his goal since the end of Part I, and the [[DistantFinale epilogue]] shows that he's achieved his dream of becoming Hokage. However, what really seals the deal is that he manages to have a family, a son Boruto and a daughter Himawari, with [[OneTrueLove Hinata]], [[ChildhoodFriendRomance the girl who has acknowledged, admired, respected, and loved him for the way he is since the day they met]] -- something that he has no doubt wanted since the beginning]].
* ''Manga/SazanEyes'' has perhaps one of the most extreme examples ever: Yakumo Becomes the demonic manservant of Pai, falls in love with her, has [[TheDragon Benares]] manipulate his life and causes Pai to go missing; Yakumo searches for Pai for years and tries to return her memories, only to realize the Pai he found is a TomatoInTheMirror stand-in, so he has to find the real Pai AGAIN; he fails at his plan to destroy the soul of [[BigBad Kayan Wang]], and instead brings him BackFromTheDead; Yakumo makes a DealWithTheDevil to save Pai by being thrown into another dimension where he will constantly die and be revived in a zero-oxygen environment for months on end, all in order to find the last living triclops and bring her back to Earth; that triclops and Pai become part of a HumanSacrifice in a second plan to destroy Kayan Wang, but THAT fails spectacularly and lets Kayan Wang become a god; Yakumo subsequently has his ridiculously-powerful magic stripped from him at the last moment, so that he's just a normal human again, and Kayan Wang proceeds to cause TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt by absorbing the souls of all but 2-3 dozen humans (which doesn't necessarily preclude the souls of Yakumo's and Pai's loved ones); finally, Yakumo proves that he's perhaps the greatest {{Determinator}} in history by STILL managing to pull off a last-second win, reversing the apocalypse after it had already destroyed literally everything in the universe, returning the world and just about everyone to life, including Pai and Yakumo, who are now the only two immortal beings left, allowing them to spend eternity together.
** Yakumo and Pai aren't the only two who fit this bill, either. [[BetaCouple Ryoko and Hahn]] suffer through just as much crap as the OfficialCouple do, and ''still'' manage to pull off their HappyEnding without a hitch in the end.
* Applies to each major arc in ''Manga/FairyTail'', but is especially relevant after the TimeSkip as it involves [[spoiler: Fairy Tail having lost its fame and half of its members, becoming the most laughed-at guild in the region. Participating in the Grand Magic Games is treated as the only way that the guild can win back its status. So it's pretty painful to watch when the two Fairy Tail teams spend the first half of the Games trying to claw their way up from last place, sometimes due other guilds cheating. They manage to fight their way into first place by the end, but when they do finally win the Games, it's only because Sting of Sabertooth lost the will to fight in the last round and surrendered.]]
* ''Manga/TheMikosWordsAndTheWitchesIncantations'' looks like it builds up to a BuryYourGays ending, with Tsumugi (the title miko) dying soon after experiencing love for the first time, but then Letty (the title witch) confronts a freaking mountain god and claims a piece of its divine power for herself--something a mortal [[ThePowerOfLove shouldn't theoretically be able to handle]]-- [[AlwayssaveTheGirl to save Tsumugi's life]]. The two of them then go WalkingTheEarth in search of new adventures.
* All five main characters of ''Manga/InuYasha'':
** InuYasha and Kagome [[spoiler: reunite after being separated for three years by time.]]
** Miroku and Sango marry and have 3 kids.
** Shippo is enrolled in a Kitsune exam.
* In ''Manga/{{Gantz}},'' Kei and the other Gantzers have to endure ''absolute hell'' throughout the entire series. Whether it's the lowkey alien hunts of the early missions or the massive alien invasion, they're no strangers to death, gore, and destruction. Every character has experienced [[BodyHorror horrific injury]], [[DeathIsCheap died at least once]], and seen their friends and loved ones die around them in equally brutal fashions. However, after all that, they succeed in saving all of humanity, reuniting with their loved ones, and finally getting to ''rest.'' The final panel of the series is Kei collapsing onto Tae's lap, a look of absolute peace on his face, while the surrounding crowd cheers its thanks.
* In ''Manga/PandoraHearts,'' [[spoiler: after the world has been saved and he has waited over 100 years for their return, Gilbert is reunited with the reincarnations of Oz and Alice next to Lacie's grave in an afternoon bathed in golden light.]]
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans'' had the Tekkadan survivors having in peaceful lives [[spoiler:despite losing several of their friends including their leader and their organization tarnished in history which forced them to change their identities. At least, they still get in touch with each others considering that they're still working with close colleagues such as the Arbau governement, Kudelia and Yukinojo. Likewise, Kudelia finally achieved her dream for a Martian independence where she became the first chairperson of the Martian Union. Even the antagonists have their happy ending where despite being a crippled war veteran, Gaelio started to form a relationship with Julieta who is going to be the next leader of the newly reformed Gjallarhorn. The only person who didn't get a happy ending is Ride who is guilt for letting Orga die and went a revenge spree by killing Nobliss Gordon]].
* Each part of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' has this sort of theme, mostly due to its AnyoneCanDie nature. To wit;
** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood Phantom Blood]]'': [[spoiler: Dio has been defeated ([[SequelHook for now at least]]) and Erina gets to live happily in America with her adopted daughter and soon to be son, but it takes the lives of [[TheObiWan Will A. Zeppeli]] and [[TheHeroDies Johnathan Joestar]] to do so.]]
** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency Battle Tendency]]'': [[spoiler: The vampiric menace is forever halted with the deaths of the Pillar Men and Kars is conscribed to an eternity [[AndIMustScream floating through space unable to die]], but Caesar's death will weigh heavily on Joseph for the rest of his life (which he now has to spend with an artificial hand to boot).]]
** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]'': [[spoiler: [=DIO's=] finally dead for good and Jotaro has become a much more mature young man as a result of his time spent hunting him, but Kakyoin, Avdol, and Iggy all perished along the way (with Kakyoin's parents forever kept in the dark about the nature of their son's demise) and Polnareff is down a few body parts after his battle with Vanilla Ice (specifically the toes on his right foot and a few fingers on his left hand).]]
** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable Diamond Is Unbreakable]]'': [[spoiler: Kira has finally been defeated and Okuyasu was miraculously brought back to life during the climax, but all of Kira's victims (including Shigechi, Reimi, and Kosaku Kawajiri) are still dead and their families will never know what really happened to their loved ones (including Shinobu Kawajiri, despite the fact that her son was instrumental in bringing his killer to justice).]]
** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo Vento Aureo]]'': [[spoiler: Giorno has wrested control of the mafia from Diavolo, thereby ensuring that it will return to its days of helping the weak rather than victimizing them as well as ensuring that Trish can live a full life outside of her father's shadow. However, Abaccio, Narancia, and Bucellati all died ensuring that Giorno could realize his dream, and Diavolo himself is stuck in a FateWorseThanDeath for eternity.]]
** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'': [[spoiler: The CosmicRetcon enacted by Pucci doesn't turn the universe into a world according to [=DIO's=] vision, but instead gives the reincarnated main cast a chance to live happy lives with Emporio as the only one who can truly appreciate their bond. Pucci also pulled a TotalPartyWipe on every main character save Emporio, and the universe resetting means that the entire Joestar lineage that we've been following since Part 1 no longer exists, ultimately making their struggle in that universe futile.]]
** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun Steel Ball Run]]'': [[spoiler: Johnny finally gains his father's approval, and while he doesn't win the Steel Ball Run he does prevent Funny Valentine from completing his plan to abuse the Holy Corpse's power and grows more wise and mature as a person (in addition to regaining his ability to walk through use of the Spin). Unfortunately, Diego, Hot Pants, and Gyro Zeppeli all died in the process, and Valentine gets a CryForTheDevil moment given his truly noble intentions that only by chance ran counter to Johnny's goals for the corpse.]]
* The Franchise/DragonBall franchise, when taken as a whole is about a young boy who was born a weakling and wants to get stronger. He achieves that [[PhysicalGod and more]].
* ''Anime/DragonBallSuper''[='s=] Universal Survival Arc gives us this trope and more: [[spoiler:A long and painful fight against the man-mountain known as Jiren ends with Universe 7 on top, Android 17 the SoleSurvivor. Given a wish on the Super Dragon Balls, 17 uses it to restore the universes erased by Present and Future Zen-O, fulfilling a SecretTestOfCharacter and restoring Universe 7's good name. Even more, Frieza is resurrected again, this time as thanks for his services, but is warned by Goku that if he pulls anything, he'll be there to squash him.]]

* SazanEyes has perhaps one of the most extreme examples ever: Yakumo Becomes the demonic manservant of Pai, falls in love with her, has [[TheDragon Benares]] manipulate his life and causes Pai to go missing; Yakumo searches for Pai for years and tries to return her memories, only to realize the Pai he found is a TomatoInTheMirror stand-in, so he has to find the real Pai AGAIN; he fails at his plan to destroy the soul of [[BigBad Kayan Wang]], and instead brings him BackFromTheDead; Yakumo makes a DealWithTheDevil to save Pai by being thrown into another dimension where he will constantly die and be revived in a zero-oxygen environment for months on end, all in order to find the last living triclops and bring her back to Earth; that triclops and Pai become part of a HumanSacrifice in a second plan to destroy Kayan Wang, but THAT fails spectacularly and lets Kayan Wang become a god; Yakumo subsequently has his ridiculously-powerful magic stripped from him at the last moment, so that he's just a normal human again, and Kayan Wang proceeds to cause TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt by absorbing the souls of all but 2-3 dozen humans (which doesn't necessarily preclude the souls of Yakumo's and Pai's loved ones); finally, Yakumo proves that he's perhaps the greatest {{Determinator}} in history by STILL managing to pull off a last-second win, reversing the apocalypse after it had already destroyed literally everything in the universe, returning the world and just about everyone to life, including Pai and Yakumo, who are now the only two immortal beings left, allowing them to spend eternity together.

* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' [[spoiler:Naruto succeeds in redeeming Sasuke, his goal since the end of Part I, and the [[DistantFinale epilogue]] shows that he's achieved his dream of becoming Hokage. However, what really seals the deal is that he manages to have a family, a son Boruto and a daughter Himawari, with [[OneTrueLove Hinata]], [[ChildhoodFriendRomance the girl who has loved him since childhood]] -- something that he has no doubt wanted since the beginning.]]