History Main / HighSchoolAU

[[caption-width-right:350:[[ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} Barbara Gordon]], [[{{Franchise/Batman}} Bruce Wayne]], the Scarecrow, [[ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} Selina Kyle]], ComicBook/TheJoker, ComicBook/HarleyQuinn, Poison Ivy, Bane, and Mr. Freeze.[[note]]And starring Al Pennyworth as the [[AlmightyJanitor Wise Janitor]].[[/note]]]]

** A SpinOff called ''Manga/AttackOnTitanJuniorHigh'' was released, though as the name implies, it's technically a Junior High AU.

* ''Script/TheCreepyTeenYears'' is Website/AlternateHistoryDotCom in an interdimensional high school.

* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] in the ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' anime. The series takes place mostly in a high school (granted, it's a [[AcademyOfAdventure high school for superheroes]], but a high school regardless). The third ending credits sequence features the characters in a HighFantasy setting. [[EmpoweredBadassNormal Deku]] becomes a clumsy traveller in a rather Bilbo-Baggins-esque get-up (with a sword that's apparently possessed by [[BigGood All-Might]]), Todoroki is a prince in a white horse, Uraraka is a mage, Iida a KnightInShiningArmor, and [[HavingABlast Bakugo]] is a DragonRider. We also get to see all of Class 1-A, who are all featured as some [[AnAdventurerIsYou fantasy class or other]]. The beginning implies this is a class play of some sort.

* ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'', of all things, has the DatingSim VisualNovel ''Gakuen Hetalia'', penned and illustrated by the author himself and later adaptated into a PSP game (not by Himaruya, though). Because what everybody needs is an AU where [[MoeAnthropomorphism Moe Anthropomorphisms]] of countries who normally make up a CastFullOfPrettyBoys have friendly and/or romantic hijinks with a newcomer country, er, girl in the [[BoardingSchool Boarding School of World]]. (Bad thing is that it made Seychelles, said newcomer country, [[DieForOurShip horribly unpopular among the rabid and jealous fangirls]] who falsely accused her of either being a MarySue, "stealing all the bishonen for herself", or standing in between their favorite yaoi couples.) The ''Gakuen'' universe has been expanded in manga strips, and it eventually debuted in the AnimatedAdaptation. Among other things, it has France hanging with China and Turkey in the [[SupremeChef Gourmet Club]], Estonia and Ukraine in the music club, Seychelles peeking into other people's clubs too, etc. It's specially "famous" for introducing Romania, who is a member of the Magic Club with England.

A subtrope of TransplantedCharacterFic. Compare SpinoffBabies, CoffeeShopAUFic, and ModernAUFic. Contrast SuperFic.

** ... and replaced with ''WesternAnimation/{{Ultimate Spider-Man}}'' just in time for ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan''. ''USM'' has ComicBook/LukeCage, ComicBook/IronFist, ComicBook/WhiteTiger and ComicBook/{{Nova}} attending the same high school as Peter Parker. While White Tiger and Nova are [[CanonImmigrant Canon Immigrants]] created for the show (albeit as {{Legacy Character}}s of existing heroes - the original Nova was originally a teen, the original White Tiger was an adult when he got his powers), Luke Cage (who uses his old Power Man alias in the cartoon) and Iron Fist are always depicted as adults in the comic books, with Cage in particular being much older than Spider-Man and Iron Fist not finishing his training until adulthood.

* ''[[WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The Series]]'' takes place during Flint's high school days and, through some slight retconning, Sam goes to the same school.

** ... and replaced with ''WesternAnimation/{{Ultimate Spider-Man}}'' just in time for ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan''. ''USM'' has ComicBook/{{Luke Cage|HeroForHire}}, [[ComicBook/ImmortalIronFist Iron Fist]], ComicBook/WhiteTiger and ComicBook/{{Nova}} attending the same high school as Peter Parker. While White Tiger and Nova are [[CanonImmigrant Canon Immigrants]] created for the show (albeit as {{Legacy Character}}s of existing heroes - the original Nova was originally a teen, the original White Tiger was an adult when he got his powers), Luke Cage (who uses his old Power Man alias in the cartoon) and Iron Fist are always depicted as adults in the comic books, with Cage in particular being much older than Spider-Man and Iron Fist not finishing his training until adulthood.

* Hollywood seems to enjoy giving Creator/WilliamShakespeare the High School AU treatment, with notable examples including ''Film/{{O}}'' (''Theatre/{{Othello}}''), ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou'' (''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew'') and ''Film/ShesTheMan'' (''Theatre/TwelfthNight''). The thriller ''The Glass House'' is vaguely ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' (with the obligatory shout-outs), and vaguely High School (everyone stays the same ''relative'' ages, so most characters are adults.)

** The ''Manga/NeonGenesisEvangelionAngelicDays'' spinoff is actually a ''subverted'' High School AU, as it is quickly revealed that all the HumongousMecha and AncientConspiracy stuff is going on in this universe too, the main difference being that everyone's a whole lot less {{wangst}}y about it.

* ''Manga/TokyoMewMew'' had a kindergarten AU in the manga, entitled ''Petite Mew Mew''. Interestingly, the characters' natures as magical {{animorph||ism}}s were ''emphasized'' rather than discarded; for example, Lettuce/Retasu is a finless porpoise ''all the time'', and has to be carried around in a fishbowl.

* ''WebVideo/WatchmenTheHighSchoolYears'' turns the cast of ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' into teenagers. HilarityEnsues.
* WebVideo/LoadingReadyRun once did a sketch where desperate Hollywood producers listen to increasingly ridiculous High School [=AUs=] of various monsters (including, yes, Cthulhu) to use as the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' phase dies out. Eventually they green-light one involving a burrito.
* ''Nothing Much to Do'', a Vlog SettingUpdate of ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing''.
* ''WebVideo/CarmillaTheSeries'' is ''Literature/{{Carmilla}}'' in a modern-day college.

* The Creator/MegCabot Novel ''Literature/AvalonHigh'' is pretty much a published version of this. It's KingArthur... in a high school!

* ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'' has been described as "The High School AU of the KingArthur legend". Certain changes, including making Merlin and Arthur the same age (late teens, early twenties) and a [[AnachronismStew loose interpretation of history]], definitely fit the trope.

** ''Anime/AttackOnTitanJuniorHigh''

** ''Anime/AttackOnTitanMiddleSchool''

* ''VideoGame/CardCityNights'' is a MassiveMultiplayerCrossover where characters from ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'', ''VideoGame/IttleDew'', ''VideoGame/HyperPrincessPitch'' (among others) play card games.

* ''Advertising/HungryDays'' has [=AUs=] for ''Anime/KikisDeliveryService'', ''Anime/HeidiGirlOfTheAlps'', ''Anime/SazaeSan'', and ''Anime/OnePiece''.

!!Examples:

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

* The [[VisualNovel Sim-Dating game]] for ''Anime/{{Hakuouki}}'' has a sequel that places all the characters in a modern high school setting.

* Some people have claimed that ''Film/StarTrek2009'' is an attempt to do something similar to this with the established characters from [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries the original series]]. The [[NeverLiveItDown popular fan misconception]] is that all the main characters are cadets, when in fact only Kirk, Uhura, and [=McCoy=] are students (and [=McCoy=] is already a fully qualified doctor). The captain's chair is traded around quite a bit as well, although it's made very clear that Kirk's promotion is for the duration of the current crisis only. Of course, then he goes and saves the Federation and makes the jump from Cadet to Captain in one fell swoop...

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' plays with the trope--since the original series already takes place (for half of its run anyway) in a junior high school, one of the spinoffs takes place in a '''kindergarten''' instead, with the students aged down and the (originally child prodigy) teacher and his best friend '''aged up''' to adults.

* ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'': Archie did this to Sonic and his friends in one issue. It was not well-received.

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'', of all things, has the DatingSim VisualNovel ''Gakuen Hetalia'', penned and illustrated by the author himself and later adaptated into a PSP game (not by Himaruya, though). Because what everybody needs is an AU where [[MoeAnthropomorphism Moe Anthropomorphisms]] of countries who normally make up a CastFullOfPrettyBoys have friendly and/or romantic hijinks with a newcomer country, er, girl in the [[BoardingSchool Boarding School of World]]. (Bad thing is that it made Seychelles, said newcomer country, [[DieForOurShip horribly unpopular among the rabid and jealous fangirls]] who falsely accused her of either being a MarySue, "stealing all the bishonen for herself", or standing in between their favorite yaoi couples.) The ''Gakuen'' universe has been expanded in manga strips, and it eventually debuted in the AnimatedAdaptation. Among other things, it has France hanging with China and Turkey in the [[SupremeChef Gourmet Club]], Estonia and Ukraine in the music club, Seychelles peeking into other people's clubs too, etc. It's specially "famous" for introducing Romania, who is a member of the Magic Club with England.