History Main / EndingTheme

* ''AxisPowersHetalia'' has in absence of an opening song, an extremely catchy ending theme that all main characters (and some supporting characters) have sung.

* Exception: ''Anime/LuckyStar'' doesn't even ''have'' an ending theme, instead using a static image of a door while snippets of the characters karaokeing other songs (from anime and pop culture) can be heard from within. Halfway through the series, it's replaced with MinoruShiraishi in live action dancing about and doing his own karaoke.

* ''StellviaOfTheUniverse'' has two very different ones, and this isn't a matter of the theme being changed once during the season - the series switches back and forth between them repeatedly. Some episodes use "Kirei na Yozora" for their ED, while others have "The End of The World" (despite titles, the lyrics for both are entirely in Japanese).

The EndingTheme (usually written as "ED") is, predictably, similar to the [[AnimeThemeSong Opening Theme]] ("OP"). The major difference is they aren't really intended to show off or reveal anything about the show. Most have a [[SolemnEndingTheme slower or mellower song]] (often JapanesePopMusic) set to them. The images are sometimes more static in order not to obscure the longer list of animation credits needed.

Conversely, the EndingTheme can be ''more'' humorous and upbeat; depending on the age or tone of a series, you're more likely to see SuperDeformed characters or dancing in it than the opening.

Anime series are more likely to have separate opening and closing theme songs. Western series usually use an instrumental version of the opening theme for the EndingTheme.

* Franchise/KamenRider generally didn't have time nor production budget to spare for a dedicated ending sequence. Thus, the EndingTheme would be the battle music that plays during the episode's fight with the MonsterOfTheWeek.

** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E2TheReturnOfHarmonyPart2 Return of Harmony, Part 2]]" ended on a Franchise/StarWars homage, and thus transitioned into a SuspiciouslySimilarSong version of Film/ANewHope's EndingTheme.

* ''Anime/SailorMoonCrystal'' has "Gekkou" (Moonbow) by Music/AkikoKosaka, (a composer from both the 1992 anime and [[Theatre/SeraMyu musicals]]) and performed by JPop group Music/MomoiroCloverZ. It's a sedate, wistful romantic ballad that serves to counter the [=OP=]s JPop[=/=]ProgRock anthem.

* ''SailorMoon'' has one for each season. Most of them are mellower tunes, but the one for the silliest "comedy relief" season is an upbeat dance song ("Rashiku Ikimasho").

* ''BlackLagoon'' ends, in most cases, on a despair-tinged string piece that ends with a sudden outbreak of percussion. The majority of the piece stands in stark contrast to the aggressive opening and darkens the end of even the more upbeat episodes. They replace it once in the second season with the even sadder song [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CzHeS-WCr0&feature=related "The World of Midnight"]], which also appears in-series to highlight the saddest scenes. The only time the ending ''isn't'' depressing is the heart-pumping end of the second season.

* ''Tiny Brains'' gives us "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF7-L47ZPYk Batteries and Sockets]].

* ''{{Felicity}}'', ''Series/{{Lost}}'', ''Series/{{Alias}}'', ''Series/{{Fringe}}''... you name it, if it's produced or devised by JJAbrams (and not called ''What About Brian'') it'll have a theme at the end different from the opening. And often (but not always) the opening theme will be by Mr. Bad Robot himself as well.

* British police show ''TheSweeney'' used a slower and mellower version of its opening theme on the end credits, accompanying images of Carter and Regan packing up their stuff and going home for the night.

* ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' has one, narrated by {{Mako}}, no less!

* ''ThreeTwoOneContact'' used the same credits theme from 1983 until its cancellation, even after they rearranged the OpeningTheme. The first season had two ending theme variations, one was an instrumental version of the opening theme, the other was an extended version of the trailer/promo theme.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* Several of GerryAnderson's shows have separate opening and closing themes.
** ''Series/FireballXL5'' opens with an instrumental theme and closes with the song "Fireball".
** ''Series/{{Stingray 1964}}'' has an all-action opening theme and ends with the romantic ballad "Aqua Marina".
** ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' was all set to have a separate, lounge-esque theme with vocals for its closing credits, but it was scrapped weeks before the premiere. (However, "Flying High" - the song in question - is heard ''very'' briefly in the episode "Ricochet," and is also included on one of the soundtrack albums.)
** ''CaptainScarlet'' (original version) begins with a tense, atmospheric theme and opening narration, and closes with an [[LyricalDissonance upbeat theme tune]] (both instrumental and vocal versions were used over the course of the series).
** ''{{Joe 90}}'' has a fast synthesizer-based instrumental opening theme. A slower orchestral version is used for the close.
** ''{{UFO}}'' has a fast-paced opening theme, while the closing theme is an almost-ambient piece of atmospheric electronica.

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* Carol Burnett ended every episode of ''TheCarolBurnettShow'' by singing the song "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together," then tugging her ear.

* How could the hilarious ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' ending theme go unmentioned for so long?! The singer who sounds like he's dying (and he's not even singing words, just going "Oooooaaaaaah!") followed by the sound of a sick sheep/cow hybrid that could be coming from a kazoo? [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqEDxciPW5w It can't really be described in words]].

** ''{{Thunderbirds}}'' was all set to have a separate, lounge-esque theme with vocals for its closing credits, but it was scrapped weeks before the premiere. (However, "Flying High" - the song in question - is heard ''very'' briefly in the episode "Ricochet," and is also included on one of the soundtrack albums.)

* Variation: With all but two Heisei era ''Franchise/KamenRider'' shows lacking ending '''credits''', what are listed as ending songs in the opening are in fact {{Theme Music Power Up}}s. Nevertheless, the two Heisei series that do have ending credits (''[[KamenRiderKuuga Kuuga]]'' and ''[[KamenRiderHibiki Hibiki]]'') have slow, uplifting themes on them.

* [[Video/MightySwitchForce Mighty Switch Force 2]] has [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oi8Z-Jhsyg&list=FLg7Yw0vxIr5Ze_DZek8nTPw&index=2 Rescue Girl]].

* The final part of the trilogy, ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'', had their ending theme as [[spoiler: a combination of the most important songs of the first (The Eight Melodies), second (Smiles and Tears), and last (Mother 3 Love Theme) parts of the game.]]

* Just about [[Series/TheWestWing any]] [[Series/EarlyEdition series]] [[MySoCalledLife with]] [[Studio60OnTheSunsetStrip music by]] W.G. Snuffy Walden has different opening and closing themes.