History Main / ContinuityCreep

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': The games went from being almost completely separated with extremely little plot to having dense plots with immense amounts of cutscenes and backstory, to the point where it no longer makes sense sometimes. Interestingly it rarely ever crosses over multiple games; you can play ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' without having played ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'', for example, as the links between other games tends to be only for a few specific events that are given due exposition when brought up again.

* The first ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda'' games had so little of a connecting storyline, that most fans thought it was just the same story, retold over and over and over (a misconception still held by some today). Then came ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', which had an implicit connection to ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast's'' Imprisoning War (later confirmed in the 25th anniversary encyclopedia ''[[AllThereInTheManual Hyrule Historia]]'' to be the result of [[AlternateTimeline one of three possible aftermaths]] of ''Ocarina''s story where Link is defeated), which then continues to ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]]'' also had a direct connection to ''Ocarina'', the first game to explicitly confirm a timeline with more than one Link, with two sequels, ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'' clearly following this story too. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', though mostly only seen through hints in-story, was confirmed by WordOfGod and ''Hyrule Historia'' to follow the "child" AlternateTimeline at the end of ''Ocarina'' (a different one to the one ''Link to the Past'' follows).

* The first ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda'' games had so little of a connecting storyline, that most fans thought it was just the same story, retold over and over and over (a misconception still held by some today). Then came ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', which had an implicit connection to ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast's'' Imprisoning War (later confirmed in the 25th anniversary encyclopedia ''[[AllThereInTheManual Hyrule Historia]]'' to be the result of [[AlternateTimeline one of three possible aftermaths]] of ''Ocarina''s story where Link is defeated). ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]]'' also had a direct connection to ''Ocarina'', the first game to explicitly confirm a timeline with more than one Link, with two sequels, ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'' clearly following this story too. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', though mostly only seen through hints in-story, was confirmed by WordOfGod and ''Hyrule Historia'' to follow the "child" AlternateTimeline at the end of ''Ocarina'' (a different one to the one ''Link to the Past'' follows).
* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': The games went from being almost completely separated to being connected all over the place to the point where it no longer makes sense sometimes.

* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' was about Kenshin having sword fights and such in the Meiji era. Then the plot went further into his backstory, and while the series had never been lighthearted, it got a lot darker, including the death of his first wife [[spoiler:and the faked death of Kaoru]]..

** ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' began with almost entirely self-contained episode, and while it has yet to get a continuous StoryArc, [[HalfArcSeason more and more episodes became continuations of previous ones]]. Story editor Marty Isenberg says this is his preferred form of writing.

** The first two books being almost stand-alones are more because not enough of the background had been established for the over-arching plot Rowling had intended from the beginning. It wasn't until ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' that enough had happened that the plot that had been developing since chapter one of ''The Philosopher's Stone'' could show itself.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has experienced an increased level of continuity in season 3. While {{Continuity Nod}}s were common in previous seasons, and were able to make nods to very small details, several season 3 episodes have plots that act as outright continuations of of previous episodes, such as "Magic Duel" to "Boast Busters" and "Keep Calm and Flutter On" to "The Return of Harmony". Continued in season 4 with the season premier being a direct sequel to the previous season finale, and the Equestria Games mentioned in "Games Ponies Play" coming back as a recurring story arc.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

* ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'' wound up with this. The first two or four (depending on your point of view) games were pretty episodic. But then you have ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVAbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder'', where the BigBad is motivated by revenge for events from ''VideoGame/KingsQuestIIIToHeirIsHuman'', and the ending of ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVAbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder'' directly leads to ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVIHeirTodayGoneTomorrow'', which makes a ''lot'' of references to ''King's Quest III'', and includes anm incriminating letter linking three of the series villains to the same secret society. ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVIIThePrincelessBride'' hits, and the plot of that game directly ties back to ''VideoGame/KingsQuestIVThePerilsOfRosella'' ...And it all resets to NegativeContinuity with ''VideoGame/KingsQuestMaskOfEternity'', but few even consider that to be a KingsQuest game.

->'''Sam:''' Remember when we used to just... hunt Wendigos? How simple things were?
->'''Dean:''' Not really.

%%Don't remove the folders, they are the standard.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''Marvel/DC After Hours'' ([=AKA=] ''WebVideo/ImAMarvelAndImADC''), an online video series, started out as a simple parody of the "Buy a Mac" ads with Franchise/SpiderMan and Franchise/{{Superman}} discussing the relatively sorry state of movies based on DC characters compared to Marvel's. Gradually more characters were introduced until it completely morphed into a story-driven and occasionally quite moving piece of work, all while keeping the comic-based humor intact as various characters continue to praise or lament their latest films.
* FanFic/AGrowingAffection starts each book with a series of shorter arcs which lead into a longer arc at the end. The exception is book 3, which is a set of four medium length arcs.

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' started off with just the gang being in a typical D&D dungeon, which became a simple storyline about defeating a BigBad, and has since branched off into multiple long-running, complex storylines to the extent that individual strips are all but incomprehensible unless one reads the [[ArchiveBinge whole archive]]. (The book collection even added more strips at the beginning to make the story fit together more smoothly.)

-->Continuity tends to grow as works of fiction mature and get more of a history behind them.
-->Maybe I should start a new webcomic which ''begins'' with a rich story-based tapestry with a detailed background, and then devolves into disconnected gags with no ongoing story or continuity.

-->'''Shaenonn''': Remember when this was a simple strip about transvestites psychoanalysing lions?
-->'''Jeff''': I go where the muse takes me.

* According to WordOfGod, the Literature/WhateleyUniverse started out like this. Six authors writing inter-related short stories about their characters. It evolved into over a dozen {{Canon}} authors and ongoing arcs.
* Ostensibly, one of the reasons Rooster Teeth ended ''Machinima/RedVsBlue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles'' at Episode 100 was to put an end to the continuity creep and continue writing for the series from a point where newcomers could enjoy the show without ContinuityLockout. While they succeeded, the series from that point forth became [[CerebusSyndrome much more plot based]], and a good number of the [[CallBack Call Backs]] still require familiarity with all the older episodes (as opposed to just episodes from the most recent trilogy, ''Recollection'').
* Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos initially just consisted of a few blogs and Website/YouTube series that were all independent of each other as far as continuity went. The only links were Slender Man's appearance and his attributes, [[DependingOnTheWriter and the latter tended to be somewhat subjective]]. But with the accumulated references to previously made blogs and the development of the Core Theory, the continuity of the Mythos now is quite impressive. [[ContinuityLockout Newcomers may actually feel overwhelmed by how much they have to keep up with]].

* The ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'' began as just one guy telling stories about a single group of superheroes. Granted, the backdrop for these stories was a well-conceived and constructed world filled with dynamic characters that allowed huge changes to occur. Skip ahead fifteen years and there's close to thirty story-tellers all adding to the mythology of the series through the actions of nearly three hundred characters.
* ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'' started out as a series of text reviews looking at bad comics before transitioning to a standard video review show. Eventually it started gaining storyarcs that occurred in conjunction with the reviews, Linkara started receiving a regular supporting cast, and some events from the storyarcs even ended up affecting the reviews.

* The [[Film/MissionImpossible first]] [[Film/MissionImpossibleII three]] [[Film/MissionImpossibleIII movies]] in the ''Film/MissionImpossibleFilmSeries'' were each largely self-contained, connected only by Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames. However, a few characters carried over from ''III'' to ''[[Film/MissionImpossibleGhostProtocol Ghost Protocol]]''; Simon Pegg's character Benji was elevated from a minor character to a team member and Brandt's backstory involves the [[spoiler:faked, but he doesn't know that]] death of Ethan's wife from ''III''. ''[[Film/MissionImpossibleRogueNation Rogue Nation]]'' has even more continuity, with the bulk of characters from the previous film returning in supporting roles, Benji getting even more focus, and a major subplot dealing with the fallout from the previous movie.

** Season 21 seems to have returned to the show's StatusQuoIsGod days, with one RunningGag but little else for continuity.

* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' became more and more self-referential after the episode "Tak, the Hideous New Girl" (especially since [[spoiler:Dib got a spaceship]] at the end which he would later try to continually replace). If it wasn't cancelled, it would have developed a MythArc about Operation Impending Doom 2 failing at the hands of the [[LaResistance Resisty]], and the story would have culminated in a movie.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' also started off as a series of done-in-one stories (with the occasional two-parter). Then in the second season, the [[ExecutiveMeddling toy company demanded]] an [[MerchandiseDriven arc concerning Starro]], which was told through the [[TheTeaser Cold Openings]] before being resolved as a two-part episode. To a lesser extent, the final season does this with Equinox, who was supposedly killed in the first season, but returned to seek vengeance on Batman and the [[Comicbook/JusticeLeagueInternational JLI]].

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' began going in this direction after second season finale, although the process was relatively gradual at first, with mythology episodes being separated by relatively typical adventures by the show's standard By the fifth season, however, the series began to suffer from a severe case of CerebusSyndrome and building up a long list of {{sequel episode}}s as well as flashbacks and ongoing story arcs, with fewer episodes able to stand on their own, culminating in three mini-series - Stakes, Islands and Elements.

The original ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' started off as a real AdventureTown-type show, with Ed and Al travelling to various places throughout the country and solving various problems. As more and more of the plot began to unravel, however, the series began shifting into telling one, continuous story with almost no breaks or time leaps in-between episodes.

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[[folder:Comics]]

[[folder:Films]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* Although the ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' games have never had any overarching plot line, they've gradually accumulated enough {{Continuity Nod}}s that there is a clear serial progression between games. ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime Partners in Time]]'' has the least amount of references to its predecessor, ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga Superstar Saga]]'', with a cameo appearance by TheDragon of the previous game being the only significant plot connection. ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Bowser's Inside Story]]'' had many more connections, with the aforementioned Dragon becoming the BigBad and the plot of ''Partners in Time'' being mentioned several times in side quests. ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam Dream Team]]'' has the most connections with its predecessors, with the FairyCompanion of ''Bowser's Inside Story'' filling the role once again, the Block-like Broque Monsieur and Broque Madame revealed to be members of an entire Brock race, Beanbean Kingdom races being prominently featured again, Bowser retaining his leitmotif and VacuumMouth from the previous game, and the RunningGag about Bowser being unable to remember Luigi's name finally getting resolution by the end. ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPaperJam Paper Jam]]'' dials back some of this but does make reference to games outside the Mario and Luigi series (Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker for example), brings back characters that have not appeared for a while (Toadette and King Bomb-omb) and gives some of them a lot of characterisation like the Koopalings (in comparison to past portrayals anyway). The games also have a minor character arc for Bowser where he goes from a HarmlessVillain in ''Superstar Saga'' to the BigBad of ''Paper Jam''.

* The original ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet'' takes place in an unspecified location ("Every town has an Elm Street.") and antagonist Fred Krueger is a mysterious figure, with his ability to terrorize in dreams left relatively unexplained. A very effective Horror film in its own right, the sequels (of varying quality) developed the mythology around the character, gradually revealing the central location as Springwood, Ohio, as well as Krueger's history and tried to provide some detail as to how he gained his ability to enter dreams. They also eventually confirmed the original implications that he was a pedophile, which the earlier films could not explore. (This was all, of course, coupled with the more [[Flanderization familiar incarnation of "Freddy" as a comedic killer]], so hardly perfect.)
* The ''Franchise/Halloween'' underwent this, with the original film being an effective and suspenseful Horror film on its own, and the [[Film:HalloweenII1981 first sequel]] continuing the story, intending to conclude the Michael Myers storyline, while revealing that [[spoiler:Laurie Strode is Michael's long-lost sister, who doesn't know about the familial relationship between them]]. When later films returned to the character, they tried to add increasing complexity that many audiences felt reduced the menace of the central character. Although the series has since been rebooted more than once, the reveal has long been respected as canon, and elements of the fourth through sixth films, such have been alluded to as well.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' started off random adventures parodying Johnny Quest by Season II it all became interlocking and connecting stories, some of which purposely aired out of order.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' did this in later seasons, when they had enough previous material to do so. One of the antagonists or one of Timmy's previous wishes gone wrong returns for revenge on occasion. This is especially prevalent in the episode concerning Unwish Island.
* If the first few episodes of the third season are any indication, ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' has finally become a show all about referencing itself.

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' starts going in this direction after second season finale, which gave the series a good case of CerebusSyndrome. As of season 5, the series has a long list of {{sequel episode}}s.

* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' still remains episodic for the most part, but it began to revisit previously established plot elements and build upon them more readily after its second season. There has also been a much larger emphasis on story arcs concerning character relationships since the fourth season.

* ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'' Season 1 is comprised of goofy standalone stories with a just pinch of continuity present in a few episodes, mainly the later ones. Season 2 has a MythArc which even a lot of the self-contained episodes are in some way related to.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' is an unusual example. For 17 seasons it mostly had no continuity, save for the very rare CallBack; heck, just look at its [[TheyKilledKennyAgain most famous joke]]. After creating the {{Continuity Cavalcade}} that was ''VideoGame/SouthParkTheStickOfTruth,'' however, the creators seem to have gotten a taste for it. Season 18 was mostly episodic, but featured numerous nods to earlier events in the season, with some subplots continuing throughout; season 19 had more continuity, with each episode contributing to an overall arc about PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad. Season 20 is basically one long story broken up into 10 episodes, but proved too ambitious for its own good, especially when [[RealLifeWritesThePlot the actual presidential election]] messed up the creators' planned story line. Season 21 seems to be back at Season 18's level.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' began as a series of isolated stories set in various AdventureTowns in time and space (although the characters did evolve throughout the season). However, the second season saw its first major reference to the past in the form of the return of the Daleks, after they had all died, with the HandWave explanation that this adventure took place ''before'' their destruction. This and future seasons saw an increasing number of recurring elements and characters. It wasn't until the seventies that the narratives started to become definitely interconnected, and in the eighties this turned into ContinuityLockOut and ContinuityPorn. The new series, while still containing series and multi-series long arcs (with a few stand-alones) has dialed back on the ContinuityLockOut, if not completely. That is until Creator/StevenMoffat took over New Who in season 5. Since then, all of the seasons have been connected by a long over-arching story about the identity of the Doctor and new orders and secret organizations seeing him as a threat.

* In a way, the "Zenithia trilogy" of ''Franchise/DragonQuest'' (games IV - VI). Despite large differences in the world maps of the games, the lack of connections between the games' plots, and there being very few ties between IV and V and almost none between VI and the other two, fans did argue that there were faint clues that the three games took place in the same continuity (like the Loto/Erdrick trilogy that comprises the first three games). This was even after [[WordOfGod series creator Yuji Horii said in an interview that]] the three games were intended to only be linked by the recurring appearance of a heavenly location named Zenithia. However, with the DS remakes, it's now official that the three games do take place in the same continuity, especially with [[spoiler: a bonus quest in VI spelling it out that IV and then V take place in the future after VI]].

* ''WebVideo/FriendshipIsWitchcraft'' is another comedy achieving this status through reoccurring jokes. The first episode is little more than a collection of random gags with some amusing quips about the source episode's plot. Over time however, many of it's best early jokes were referenced such as Fluttershy's status as a cult leader with Rarity as a follower, Applejack's war crimes, Pinkie's gypsy powers, Sweetie Belle is a robot, Twilight's villainous plans etc, and crafted a fairly coherent story with distinct characters. All while warping the original episode's plot into something barely unrecognizable from its source.