History EarnYourHappyEnding / WesternAnimation

* With so many {{downer ending}}s for the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse [[Characters/DCAUBatman Batman]], the FullyAbsorbedFinale for ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E13Epilogue Epilogue]]", was about as happy an ending as Batman can ever expect but boy, did Bruce, [[Characters/DCAUTerryMcGinnis Terry McGinnis]], and the audience have to go through a lot to get it. Terry finds out that Bruce is [[ItMakesSenseInContext his biological father]] and is ''pissed'' about it. For most of the episode he's angry and bitter about Bruce, Batman, and fate. But with the help of Amanda Waller (again ItMakesSenseInContext), he realizes that he has control over his own life and that he ''isn't'' Bruce even if he may be his son. So in the end, Terry is determined to live a happy life and be Batman at the same time while Bruce is left with a protégé he trusts to carry on the/his fight after he's gone and a family he's always been looking for.
** [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE51TheManWhoKilledBatman "The Man Who Killed Batman"]] sees Sid go to jail after all, but considering he ''almost'' killed Batman and made ComicBook/TheJoker and Rupert Thorne look stupid, he receives a warm welcome as he's escorted into Blackgate.

* In ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'', Peggy Carter invokes the trope by name after she and the other transdimensional heroes recruited by TheWatcher deal with the season's BigBad. [[spoiler: apparently, she gets it, as does Natasha.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' ends a high note; after two seasons and several dozen shorts worth of thrills, spills, hardships and heartaches, the cast finally get what they've been working for; [[Characters/GravityFallsDipperPines Dipper Pines]] and [[Characters/GravityFallsMabelPines Mabel Pines]] have gone from belittled nobodies to town heroes, Stan has finally [[spoiler: reconciled with his estranged brother and they're living their childhood dreams of sailing all over the world and having adventures]], Soos [[spoiler: becomes the new head of the Mystery Shack and gets to be with his LoveInterest Melody]], [[Characters/GravityFallsTheAuthor the Author's]] fight against Bill Cipher finally ends [[spoiler: with Bill's destruction]], Old Man [=McGucket=] has made a fortune selling his inventions, moving from his shack in the dump to an opulent mansion, Pacifica Northwest and Gideon Gleeful both [[TookALevelInKindness are working on being better people]] and [[TheChewToy Toby Determined]] is now doing sports on the same network as Shandra Jimenez.

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' ends a high note; after two seasons and several dozen shorts worth of thrills, spills, hardships and heartaches, the cast finally get what they've been working for; [[Characters/GravityFallsDipperPines Dipper Pines]] and [[Characters/GravityFallsMabelPines Mabel Pines]] have gone from belittled nobodies to town heroes, [[Characters/GravityFallsGrunkleStan Stan]] has finally [[spoiler: reconciled with his estranged brother and they're living their childhood dreams of sailing all over the world and having adventures]], Soos [[spoiler: becomes the new head of the Mystery Shack and gets to be with his LoveInterest Melody]], [[Characters/GravityFallsTheAuthor the Author's]] fight against Bill Cipher finally ends [[spoiler: with Bill's destruction]], Old Man [=McGucket=] has made a fortune selling his inventions, moving from his shack in the dump to an opulent mansion, Pacifica Northwest and Gideon Gleeful both [[TookALevelInKindness are working on being better people]] and [[TheChewToy Toby Determined]] is now doing sports on the same network as Shandra Jimenez.

** [[spoiler: [[Characters/TheOwlHouseLilithClawthorne Lilith Clawthorne]] now runs a museum with Hooty, and like her sister, Eda, has acquired the ability to transform into a harpy form.]]

** [[Characters/TheOwlHouseEdaClawthorne Eda Clawthorne]], having spent most of her life as an anti-authority troublemaker and criminal, [[spoiler:who was estranged from her romantic partner Raine, her sister who cursed her, the owl beast who she was cursed with, and her parents, is able to reconcile with all of them, and presumably restarts her relationship with the formermost one, and is allowed to continue mentoring Luz as headmaster of an educational institution that she runs, called the University of Wild Magic, built on the remains of the Emperor's Castle, at the heart of the Isles.]]

* Happens in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''[='=] ''[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS27E5TreehouseOfHorrorXXVI Treehouse of Horror XXVI]]'' segment "Wanted: Dead, then Alive". [[spoiler:Sure, Bart Simpson gets {{impaled|WithExtremePrejudice}}, [[AndShowItToYou disemboweled]], used as a household item and a trophy, bludgeoned to death many times with a [[DropTheHammer sledgehammer]], and [[DeathMontage revived only to become a cosmic punching bag again and again and again]]; but in the end, he manages to [[BackFromTheDead get better]] and defeat Sideshow Bob with help from [[BadassFamily his family]]. Also, as Marge points out, he has been showing responsibility with Santa's Little Helper, which would explain his UndyingLoyalty and {{determinat|or}}ion to find Bart. Oh, and did we mention that he hangs out at Springfield University, with Bob as a new [[MixAndMatchCritters mix-and-match critter]]?]]

** In "Change Your Mind", the GrandFinale of the original series, [[spoiler: Steven is able to get through to White Diamond and show her that she can fulfill her own purpose of rising above flaws by accepting them for what they are. Steven brings White, Blue, and Yellow back to Earth and together they successfully heal all the Corrupted Gems, including Jasper and the Centipeetles. The Off Colors finally make it back to Earth for Lars to be reunited with Sadie.]]
** Although there are shades of BittersweetEnding in this episode, namely [[spoiler: the reactions of the Gems to Steven leaving, and the uncertainty of if he'll ever come back to Beach City or not]], the final episode of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture'', as well of the entire series, ends with [[spoiler: Steven in a better place mentally, him and Connie still together, and Garnet assures Steven that no matter the path he takes, she, Amethyst, and Pearl [[AlwaysWithYou will be a part of it]], and the Beach City residents cheer him as he leaves.]]

** The ending of ''[[WesternAnimation/SouthParkPostCovidTheReturnOfCovid Post Covid: The Return of Covid]]'' features a happy future for everyone who suffered in the previous BadFuture as a result of the Boys deciding to remain friends while the rest of the townsfolk decide to forgive each other. Stan has a successful career in the Space Force while his mother and sister are still alive, Kyle is HappilyMarried with two children who considers Stan their HonoraryUncle, Kenny's still alive and remains a successful scientist, and Butters is still sane and happy working at Denny's. Cartman is an inversion where he had a happy life in the BadFuture but chose to give it up for his peers sake, resulting in him becoming a homeless drunk in the revised future.

** [[spoiler:Simon Petrikov finally getting the life he always wanted, thanks to Betty's sacrifice]].
** [[spoiler:Bubblegum and Marceline snuggling together on a couch.]]

** [[spoiler:The final shot of the montage is Finn and Jake welcoming [[MissingMom Minerva]] and the other humans to Ooo.]]

** ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': [[EarthIsABattlefield Century-long war?]] Check. Implacable foe, impossible odds? Check. Last, best hope for [[strike: peace]] victory is ''[[ImprobableAge twelve]]''? Check. [[HeroicSacrifice Multiple]] [[RedemptionEqualsDeath heroes]] {{d|oomedHometown}}ead already? Check. Countdown to utter, utter defeat? ..oh, guess. Sounds like the sort of situation very few people walk away from alive, right? [[spoiler: Wrong. At the end of the Finale, ''all'' of the [[EverybodyLives good guys alive at the start of the finale are still here]], there are [[OfficialCouple three romantic pairs among them]], the war ended [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil without either side getting reduced to paste]], Ozai is sentenced to life in prison, Zuko gets to be Fire Lord with the hope that he will reform the Fire Nation from its imperialistic tyranny, and [[RetiredBadass Iroh]] [[IJustWantToBeNormal gets his tea shop back]]. Aang is able to make it all happen WITHOUT sacrificing his personal or ethical values.]] Which doesn't come easy either; his friends, his allies ''and'' [[spoiler:his prior incarnations - even the previous airbender incarnation that he expected to agree with him -]] were against him in that matter. Awesome, indeed.

*** [[spoiler: Aang and Katara [[BabiesEverAfter have had kids, some of whom have kids of their own]]; Zuko has allowed his daughter to take the postion of Fire Lord, she has a son who is an avid fire bender, and Toph's daughter is head of the police force that uses her signature metal-bending style.]]
*** ''Legend of Korra'''s first season. Korra goes through huge amounts of BreakTheHaughty, culminating in [[spoiler: Amon's removal of her bending]], after which she breaks down. [[spoiler: Then Aang shows up, telling her that she's finally connected with her spiritual side, and gives her both the knowledge of Energybending and her bending back. The season ends with her giving Lin her bending back, showing that all that Amon damaged can be repaired.]]

*** Asami Sato's [[MissingMom mother’s been dead for over a decade]] and ''still'' affects her, the boyfriend [[AndZoidberg (and his brother)]] she took in off the streets out of pure love and generosity cheats on her with her new friend, her [[ArchnemesisDad father’s]] EvilAllAlong, [[BeingGoodSucks she’s arrested for heroism, lived in a sewer and ate garbage soup]] and this was ''before'' said father being DrunkOnTheDarkSide enough to try to [[OffingTheOffspring kill]] her and this was just ''Season 1.'' [[FromBadToWorse Then]] despite all of the past year’s heroics being publicly known, she nearly loses her company due to guilt by association, screwed over by the man supposed to ''help'' her and rekindles her romance with said ex-boyfriend only to be dropped like a bad habit ''again'' all through no fault of her own. [[HopeSpot The company is saved and her personal issues seem over enough to be there for her best friend]] except [[spoiler: said best friend almost dies ''just'' as she realizes she’s in love with Korra,]] and Korra’s out of her life for three years instead of just a couple weeks, she gradually reconciles with her father only for him to [[spoiler: die in a HeroicSacrifice, leaving her truly without a family]] and is on the brink of a [[DespairEventHorizon breakdown]] when Korra’s AWOL after a FantasticNuke went off. How does she ''finally'' catch a break? [[spoiler: [[RelationshipUpgrade Her best friend, Korra, survives the Fantastic Nuke, and she actually reciprocates her feelings]]. When they are alone, Korra suggests they go on a vacation together, just the two of them - anywhere Asami wants. Asami decides they pay a visit to the Spirit World. The series ends with them holding hands and looking lovingly into each others' eyes.]]

* With so many {{downer ending}}s for the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse Franchise/{{Batman}}, the FullyAbsorbedFinale for ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', "Epilogue", was about as happy an ending as Batman can ever expect but boy, did Bruce, Terry, and the audience have to go through a lot to get it. Terry finds out that Bruce is [[ItMakesSenseInContext his biological father]] and is ''pissed'' about it. For most of the episode he's angry and bitter about Bruce, Batman, and fate. But with the help of Amanda Waller (again ItMakesSenseInContext), he realizes that he has control over his own life and that he ''isn't'' Bruce even if he may be his son. So in the end, Terry is determined to live a happy life and be Batman at the same time while Bruce is left with a protégé he trusts to carry on the/his fight after he's gone and a family he's always been looking for.

** [[spoiler: Fry does eventually win Leela's heart, but it takes him 8 years, and only happens after he matures enough to accept [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy that Leela's happiness is more important than his own, even if it means she finds it with someone else.]] It's just fortunate for him that the man he gave up Leela to is posthumously found to be an older double of Fry, making Fry a convenient DoppelgangerReplacementLoveInterest. His double had to wait 24 years and go through the same life lesson for Leela's love, and even then it's unfortunately short lived because of his untimely death.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' ends a high note; after two seasons and several dozen shorts worth of thrills, spills, hardships and heartaches, the cast finally get what they've been working for; Dipper and Mabel have gone from belittled nobodies to town heroes, Stan has finally [[spoiler: reconciled with his estranged brother and they're living their childhood dreams of sailing all over the world and having adventures]], Soos [[spoiler: becomes the new head of the Mystery Shack and gets to be with his LoveInterest Melody]], the Author's fight against Bill Cipher finally ends [[spoiler: with Bill's destruction]], Old Man [=McGucket=] has made a fortune selling his inventions, moving from his shack in the dump to an opulent mansion, Pacifica Northwest and Gideon Gleeful both [[TookALevelInKindness are working on being better people]] and [[TheChewToy Toby Determined]] is now doing sports on the same network as Shandra Jimenez.

* ''WesternAnimation/IHeartArlo'': In the Season 1 finale "The Uncondemning", Arlo responds to Edmée's danger and returns to the Louisiana swamp where he was raised for fifteen long years, where he finds it under a curse by the wicked Bog Lady, who lures Arlo to her with the addition of separating him from his friends and destroying their only way back home, before hypnotizing him into never leaving her again. It's only through the arrival of Bertie and Alia does Arlo snap out of her spell, allowing him to rescue Edmée, and the whole group reunites thanks to Marcellus' tracking devices, and when the Bog Lady turns down Arlo's apology, Edmée blows up her shack, which kills the Bog Lady and sends everyone flying onto a train unharmed. Arlo then happily reunites with Edmée and they make it back to Seaside for the Uncondemning, where Arlo sings and celebrates with his friends and has a lesson to heart that even though he doesn't live in the swamp anymore, it will always be part of him and where he's going.

** Luz, who spends a good chunk of the series questioning what she wants to do with her future due to being torn between the life she wants in the Boiling Isles and her attachment to her mother on Earth, [[spoiler:and spends a good chunk of the final season trapped in a self-loathing, depressive state prepared to abandon her dream of living in the Boiling Isles forever, manages to forgive herself for unintentionally aiding [[BigBad Belos']] [[FinalSolution Day of Unity plot]] and defeats him after dying and meeting the titan, and getting resurrected, and ends up living her dream of being a witch on the Boiling Isles with her mother's blessing, getting to stay with her FoundFamily and girlfriend Amity Blight.]]
** Eda, having spent most of her life as an anti-authority troublemaker and criminal, [[spoiler:who was estranged from her romantic partner Raine, her sister who cursed her, the owl beast who she was cursed with, and her parents, is able to reconcile with all of them, and presumably restarts her relationship with the formermost one, and is allowed to continue mentoring Luz as headmaster of an educational institution that she runs, called the University of Wild Magic, built on the remains of the Emperor's Castle, at the heart of the Isles.]]

** [[spoiler:Amity reconciles with the rest of her family, barring [[AbusiveParents her mother]], becomes an artifact gathering adventurer, and continues her relationship with Luz, with no sign of their relationship ending anytime soon.]]

** [[spoiler:Lilith now runs a museum with Hooty, and like her sister, Eda, has acquired the ability to transform into a harpy form.]]

** [[spoiler:The Collector ends up [[HeelFaceTurn turning over a new leaf]], forms genuine friendships with the main characters, and is given Francois as a gift by King, who wishes for his return, and is implied to visit the Isles from time to time in the finale.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'': After being sent into a BadFuture where the demon wizard Aku rules with terror, the titular hero had to spend several decades fighting Aku and his allies and being denied hard-won opportunities to get back into his own time before he could finally do so, defeat Aku and save the world. In a twist of drama, however, he also pays a great price for his victory - his girlfriend, a daughter of Aku whom he hoped to finally marry, [[GrandfatherParadox but could not exist since Aku was destroyed]]. Though after the initial heartbreak, Jack does seem to have found peace. [[spoiler: Fortunately, the video game interquel ''[[VideoGame/SamuraiJackBattleThroughTime Battle Through Time]]'' allows Ashi to live in the HundredPercentCompletion GoldenEnding, playing this trope as straight as possible.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerPuffGirls'' does so for ''The City of Frownsville''.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': [[EarthIsABattlefield Century-long war?]] Check. Implacable foe, impossible odds? Check. Last, best hope for [[strike: peace]] victory is ''[[ImprobableAge twelve]]''? Check. [[HeroicSacrifice Multiple]] [[RedemptionEqualsDeath heroes]] {{d|oomedHometown}}ead already? Check. Countdown to utter, utter defeat? ..oh, guess. Sounds like the sort of situation very few people walk away from alive, right? [[spoiler: Wrong. At the end of the Finale, ''all'' of the [[EverybodyLives good guys alive at the start of the finale are still here]], there are [[OfficialCouple three romantic pairs among them]], the war ended [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil without either side getting reduced to paste]], Ozai is sentenced to life in prison, Zuko gets to be king, and [[RetiredBadass Iroh]] [[IJustWantToBeNormal gets his tea shop back]]. Aang is able to make it all happen WITHOUT sacrificing his personal or ethical values.]] Which doesn't come easy either; his friends, his allies ''and'' [[spoiler:his prior incarnations - even the previous airbender incarnation that he expected to agree with him -]] were against him in that matter. Awesome, indeed.

*** Really, the entirety of Airbending and Air Nomad culture post-Hundred Year War, period. Once a thriving pacifistic society turned to near extinction, thanks to Fire Lord Sozin and the imperialistic Fire Nation using the comet to ''successfully'' wipe out the air nomads — sans Avatar Aang, who ironically was their main target. Then Aang (and Appa) go through a slumber for 99-years, which led the rest of the world to believe that all air-benders were extinct. And this is before Aang finally wakes up and realizes he has the burden of not only being the Avatar, but also the '''''LAST''''' airbender. Of course, we all know the story of Aang goes through all the struggles (alongside his friends) of finally ending the Hundred Year War, but that doesn't stop there — as he goes through all the great lengths post-''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' in restoring the air temples, finding new sky bison, and preserving Air Nomad culture through the Air Actolytes. After settling down with Katara as his wife, he ''finally'' has another airbender accompanying aside him through his youngest son, Tenzin, to which he goes through all the great lengths to spend time with him as a means for the latter to pass on his legacy. By ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', Tenzin does just that, having three kids — all of whom are air benders, and creating a new Air Temple at Republic City. It doesn't come without struggle, as Amon at one point kidnaps them and nearly takes away their bending before Korra saves them and finally unlocks her airbending abilities, followed by an even more significant threat with Unalaq and Vaatu. ''Then'' Harmonic Convergence happens, and all of a sudden, a handful of non-benders (Prime example being Bumi, Kai, Opal, and of course, Zaheer) gained airbending — which brings forth the return of a bending culture that has been gone for about '''170 years'''. Jinora being appointed as airbending master by her father can serving as a culminating moment for the entire air nation after so much struggle they've endured for nearly two centuries.

*** Really, the entirety of Airbending and Air Nomad culture post-Hundred Year War, period. Once a thriving pacifistic society turned to near extinction, thanks to Fire Lord Sozin and the imperialistic Fire Nation using the comet to ''successfully'' wipe out the air nomads — sans Avatar Aang, who ironically was their main target. Then Aang (and Appa) go through a slumber for 99-years, which led the rest of the world to believe that all air-benders were extinct. And this is before Aang finally wakes up and realizes he has the burden of not only being the Avatar, but also the '''''LAST''''' airbender. Of course, we all know the story of Aang goes through all the struggles (alongside his friends) of finally ending the Hundred Year War, but that doesn't stop there — as he goes through all the great lengths post-''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' in restoring the air temples, finding new sky bison, and preserving Air Nomad culture through the Air Actolytes. After settling down with Katara as his wife, he ''finally'' has another airbender accompanying aside him through his youngest son, Tenzin, to which he goes through all the great lengths to spend time with him as a means for the latter to pass on his legacy. By ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', Tenzin does just that, having three kids — all of whom are air benders, and creating a new Air Temple at Republic City. It doesn't come without struggle, as Amon at one point kidnaps them and nearly takes away their bending before Korra saves them, followed by an even more significant threat with Unalaq and Vaatu. ''Then'' Harmonic Convergence happens, and all of a sudden, a handful of non-benders (Bumi, Kai, Opal, and of course, Zaheer as prime examples) gained airbending — which brings forth the return of a bending culture that has been gone for about '''170 years'''. Jinora being appointed as airbending master by her father can serving as a CrowningMomentOfAwesome for the entire air nation after so much struggle they've endured for nearly two centuries.

* With so many {{downer ending}}s for the Franchise/{{DCAU}} Franchise/{{Batman}}, the FullyAbsorbedFinale for ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', "Epilogue", was about as happy an ending as Batman can ever expect but boy, did Bruce, Terry, and the audience have to go through a lot to get it. Terry finds out that Bruce is [[ItMakesSenseInContext his biological father]] and is ''pissed'' about it. For most of the episode he's angry and bitter about Bruce, Batman, and fate. But with the help of Amanda Waller (again ItMakesSenseInContext), he realizes that he has control over his own life and that he ''isn't'' Bruce even if he may be his son. So in the end, Terry is determined to live a happy life and be Batman at the same time while Bruce is left with a protégé he trusts to carry on the/his fight after he's gone and a family he's always been looking for.

* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'': After being sent into a BadFuture where the demon wizard Aku rules with terror, the titular hero had to spend several decades fighting Aku and his allies and being denied hard-won opportunities to get back into his own time before he could finally do so, defeat Aku and save the world. In a twist of drama, however, he also pays a great price for his victory - his girlfriend, a daughter of Aku whom he hoped to finally marry, [[GrandfatherParadox but could not exist since Aku was destroyed]]. Though after the initial heartbreak, Jack does seem to have found peace.

** Kyle yet again earns his happy ending in "Crack Baby Athletic Association", with help from [[spoiler: Music/{{Slash}} of Music/GunsNRoses fame.]]

** The ending of ''[[WesternAnimation/SouthParkPostCovidTheReturnOfCovid Post Covid: The Return of Covid]]'' features a happy future for everyone who suffered in the previous BadFuture as a result of the Boys deciding to remain friends while the rest of the townsfolk decide to forgive each other. Stan has a successful career in the Space Force while his mother and sister are still alive, Kyle is HappilyMarried with two children who considers Stan their HonoraryUncle, Kenny's still alive and remains a successful scientist, and Butters is still sane and happy working at Denny's. Cartman is the only exception where he had a happy life in the BadFuture but chose to give it up for his peers sake, resulting in him becoming a homeless drunk in the revised future.

** The ending of ''[[WesternAnimation/SouthParkPost CovidTheReturnOfCovid Post Covid: The Return of Covid]]'' features a happy future for everyone who suffered in the previous BadFuture as a result of the Boys deciding to remain friends while the rest of the townsfolk decide to forgive each other. Stan has a successful career in the Space Force while his mother and sister are still alive, Kyle is HappilyMarried with two children who considers Stan their HonoraryUncle, Kenny's still alive and remains a successful scientist, and Butters is still sane and happy working at Denny's. Cartman is the only exception where he had a happy life in the BadFuture but chose to give it up for his peers sake, resulting in him becoming a homeless drunk in the revised future.

** The ending of ''[[WesternAnimation/SouthParkPost CovidTheReturnOfCovid Post Covid: The Return of Covid]]'' features a happy future for everyone who suffered in the previous BadFuture as a result of the Boys deciding to remain friends while the rest of the townsfolk decide to forgive each other. Stan has a successful career in the Space while his mother and sister are still alive, Kyle is HappilyMarried with two children who considers Stan their HonoraryUncle, Kenny's still alive and remains a successful scientist, and Butters is still sane and happy working at Denny's. Cartman is the only exception where he had a happy life in the BadFuture but chose to give it up for his peers sake, resulting in him becoming a homeless drunk in the revised future.

* The finale of WesternAnimation/{{Squidbillies}} has Rusty's son leaving Dougal County with is mother who has full custody. Stuck between her invitation to come with them and loyalty to his abusive family, Rusty is torn. Then Granny suddenly dies (permanently this time) and after seeing his father's shameless, selfish behavior that includes ''grave robbing'' his mother of her wedding ring, his decision is made. With the help of Granny's ghost, he knocks out his father, takes the ring and Early's truck. He proposes to Tammy and escapes his father one last time, moving away and becoming a happy family man with over five children. Granny remains in Heaven with her late husband and only Early is left unhappy, bitter and drunk. Despite being a comedy first, the theme of Rusty escaping the Cuyler family cycle of abuse was a recurring theme and it is very satisying to see him finally break it and raise a happy, steady family.

* The finale of WesternAnimation/{{Squidbillies}} has Rusty's son leaving Dougal County with is mother who has full custody. Torn between her invitation to come with them and loyalty to his abusive family, Rusty is torn. Then Granny suddenly dies (permanently this time) and after seeing his father's shameless, selfish behavior that includes ''grave robbing'' his mother of her wedding ring, his decision is made. With the help of Granny's ghost, he knocks out his father, takes the ring and Early's truck. He proposes to Tammy and escapes his father one last time, moving away and becoming a happy family man with over five children. Granny remains in Heaven with her late husband and only Early is left unhappy, bitter and drunk. Despite being a comedy first, the theme of Rusty escaping the Cuyler family cycle of abuse was a recurring theme and it is very satisying to see him finally break it and raise a happy, steady family.

* The finale of Squidbillies has Rusty's son leaving Dougal County with is mother who has full custody. Torn between her invitation to come with them and loyalty to his abusive family, Rusty is torn. Then Granny suddenly dies (permanently this time) and after seeing his father's shameless, selfish behavior that includes ''grave robbing'' his mother of her wedding ring, his decision is made. With the help of his grandmother's ghost, he knocks out his father, takes the ring and Early's truck. He proposes to Tammy and escapes his father one last time, moving away and becoming a happy family man with over five children. Granny remains in Heaven with her late husband and only Early is left unhappy, bitter and drunk. Despite being a comedy first, the theme of Rusty escaping the Cuyler family cycle of abuse was a recurring theme and it is very satisying to see him finally break it and raise a happy, steady family.

** The four main characters, [[spoiler:aside from BoJack, who got a BittersweetEnding]], get this in the finale - [[spoiler:Todd reconnects with his mother and stepfather, maintains a stable romantic relationship, and VIM Agency's daycare idea has been the most successful venture he's had and will continue to run for the time being, Princess Carolyn gets married to Judah, Mr. Peanutbutter has finally learned to stop chasing relationships to find fulfillment, and while Diane ends her friendship with Bojack on mutual, if somber, terms, she finally finds happiness in Houston with Guy and as the author of the Ivy Tran mystery books]].

* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'' built itself to fame by unleashing a brutal DeconstructorFleet unto feel-good sitcom tropes and {{Hard Truth Aesop}}s ranging from, "Family is a tar pit" to "[[RejectedApology Sometimes it's too late to be forgiven]]" to "The only way live in a cruel, uncaring world is to keep yourself distracted with mindless tasks." But at the end of Season 4, a single, far off light is visible in the distance: [[spoiler: after losing Hollyhock, the girl he believed was his daughter (actually his half-sister, long story), [=BoJack=] abandons his trademark self-centeredness in the hopes he can make her happy, even if he never sees her again, by giving information that will lead Hollyhock to her birth parents over to her eight dads. [=BoJack=] even says he doesn't care if her dads lie about how they got it, as long as Hollyhock gets it. For his efforts, [=BoJack=] and Hollyhock are able to reconnect, and he flashes his first truly genuine smile in the series.]] Very possibly a far happier ending than most viewers had come to expect at that point.