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->''What? You want to know ''my'' secret origins? Well...maybe another time...''
-->--'''[[AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]]'''
When you are writing a work of fiction you often want the audience to know how what is came to be. Often this is achieved by in the first issues or episodes but almost as often, for whatever reason, this can't happen. Perhaps the character was originally meant to be mysterious, a figure robed in secrets and mystique and now their past has emerged. Alternatively the writers might not have had an origin laid out for them, perhaps due to the fact that they were [[EnsembleDarkhorse meant as a minor character who gained a fanbase]] or were simply a MonsterOfTheWeek that happened to come back once or twice. Or it could be that the thing without the background is more than just a character, perhaps the entire universe has a history that the author wants to get across, and there is no way of doing that at the same time that a first issue gets readers.
An origins issue is an issue, episode or whatever that exists primarily to examine the origin of a character or setting after the work has been going for a while. Many prequels qualify, but not all. Likewise whilst many things have had extended flashbacks it does not necessarily count. However the issue or episode need not be all set in the universe's past to qualify, so long as exploring that past in the point. Done well these works help build the universe's mythos and continuity, done badly they just feel like the author trying to show how clever they are. Worse still are the origins issues where the writer does not bother to check their own continuity and creates a mess of plot holes and poor characterisation.
Compare with a PilotEpisode, which usually sets up the origins of the main characters and setting in the first episode. Television characters can have an Origin Episode of sorts if they receive ADayInTheLimelight or a LowerDeckEpisode. See also StartOfDarkness.
----
!!Examples
[[AC: {{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* The tenth episode of ''PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' is dedicated to [[DarkMagicalGirl Homura]]'s backstory, finally explicitly explaining her mysterious powers, behavior, and motivations.
* The last chapter in the fourth volume of ''HidamariSketch''--one of the few not in {{yonkoma}} format--was spent on explaining the origins of Natsume's {{tsundere}} attitude towards Sae.
* ''{{Manga/Bleach}}'' anime
** Episode 32 "Stars and the Stray" told the story of Rukia Kuchiki's origin, as remembered by Renji Abarai.
** Episode 97 explains how the Bount were created. Soul Reapers were carrying out a project to create immortal souls and an experiment got away from them, causing a number of human beings to become the Bount.
** During the ''Zanpakutō: The Alternate Tale'' arc, Koga's origin story was told in episodes 250 and 251.
* The "Teresa of the Faint Smile" arc of ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' tells Clare's origin.
* There was quite a big arc in the manga of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' explaining Hoenheim and Homonculous' origins.
[[AC: ComicBooks]]
* Many fans of [[WonderWoman Donna Troy]] feel that she has had too many of these.
* ''ElfQuest'' T.O.S. #13: "[[http://www.elfquest.com/gallery/OnlineComics/OQ/OQ13/DisplayOQ13.html The Secret of the Wolfriders]]"
* JudgeDredd has had two very well received ones. First was ''Judge Death: Boyhood of a Superfiend'', commissioned for the launch of the ''JudgeDredd Megazine''. In it Judge Death employs a journalist to interview him and spread his message, to explain to the people of the world why they are better off dead. Death was a creepy little boy. Later there was ''Origins'' to mark the 30th anniversary of Judge Dredd where Dredd explains the secrets and history of the Dredd universe (straightening up the continuity along the way) whilst on a mission to recover something that might unravel those secrets.
* {{X-Men}}: The ''Wolverine Origin'' comic. And TheMovie, for that matter.
* DCComics had an entire series, ''Secret Origins'', in which each issue was an OriginsIssue for a different character (either one who had never been given a proper origin in their own series, or an established character for whom DC wanted to establish a new baseline origin following a ContinuitySnarl or similar problem).
** Likewise, Marvel's ''Uncanny Origins''.
* ThePhantomStranger had four of these in the same issue, all contradicting each other.
* ''StrontiumDog'' had two long-running stories in this vein: "Portrait of a Mutant" examined Johnny's early life, his time in the mutant resistance, and how he eventually took up bounty hunting; it was framed as Johnny telling Wulf and the Gronk why he's so eager to claim the small bounty on Nelson Bunker Kreelman. "Max Bubba", framed as Wulf's reminiscenses, told the story of how Johnny and Wulf first met and teamed up.
[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* This was part of the reason for the ''StarWars'' prequel trilogy.
* ''TheMuppetMovie'' serves as this for ''TheMuppetShow'', though Kermit makes clear that some artistic liberties have been taken.
* As evident by the titles, ''Film/{{X-Men}} Origins: Wolverine'' and ''X-Men: First Class''. (though both works had MASSIVE amounts of ContinuitySnarl, specially with each other!)
* ''{{Prometheus}}'' was originally going to be this for ''{{Alien}}'' but has since evolved into something else, although there may still be connections with the ''Alien'' franchise (such as the presence of the Weyland Corporation and androids).
[[AC: LiveActionTelevision]]
* ''{{Lost}}'' has these reasonably often.
* Notably averted in ''BurnNotice'': the made-for-TV-movie "The Fall of Sam Axe" pointedly showed how Sam managed to get his honorable discharge from the Navy [=SEALs=] despite his womanizing attitude, but in the timeline of the movie, he already knows SuperSpy Michael Westen, seeking advice with his personal problems. Throughout the entire series, it's never been revealed exactly how a CIA spy and a Navy SEAL met and became best friends.
* ''WhiteCollar'' has an episode dedicated to how Peter and Neal first met.
* ''HowIMetYourMother'' has the episode "How I Met Everyone Else", which showcases how the core group (except Robin, who joined the group in the pilot) met and became friends[[hottip:*: Marshall and Ted met in college, Lily and Marshall met when she was "inexplicably drawn" to his dorm room one morning, Barney and Ted met in the bathroom at a bar, and Barney and Marshall met at the same bar some time later]].
* On ''DoctorWho'' it only took 11 years and four Doctors battling the Daleks before we finally got to see how they were created by Davros, after which point he became a recurring villain in Dalek stories.
** There's at least two ''different'' origin stories for the Cybermen. When they first appeared in the final William Hartnell story, they were created on [[ItMakesSenseInContext Earth's twin planet]] as a race of "perfect beings". In the revived series, however, they originated in a paralell universe (though created for similar reasons). While it's never firmly established that the ones encounted in ''The Next Doctor'' and every appearance since were the same cybermen, they do more closely resemble the paralell universe version than those of the classic series. Then again, the classic series cybermen did evolve quite a bit over the course of time...
* ''Series/TheXFiles'' had several origin episodes, including one for the BigBad ("Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man") and TheLoneGunmen trio ("Unusual Suspects").
* ''{{Xena}}'' had several over the course of the show, showing how she developed from a village girl into an evil Warrior Princess. (She had a HeelFaceTurn during her guest appearances on ''HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'' before she got her own show.)
* ''{{Chuck}}'' eventually showed us the backstory as to how Sara became a CIA operative, starting as a young teen when she was a grifter with her father.
* ''{{Series/Highlander}}'' had "Family Tree" for Duncan, and for recurring characters, there was "Legacy" for Amanda, "Comes A Horseman" showed Cassandra's origin and there was one for Fitz ("Star Crossed"?).
* ''ForeverKnight'': Nick's vampire origin was shown in the pilot, 'Dark Knight'
* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' first showed Angel's origin in 'Becoming part 1 and 2' but ''{{Angel}}'' elaborated on it in 'The Somnamublist' I think. Spike's was 'Lies My Parents Told Me' to a point and 'Lover's Walk'.
* ''TheTribe'' had two of these in the second season; one focused on Zoot and Ebony; the other focused on Lex and Ryan (though the latter example was submerged as a very long flashback).
[[AC: VideoGames]]
* ''TheLegendOfZelda SkywardSword'' explains the origin of the Master Sword; more specifically, how the Master Sword used to be a sentient being and originated as the Goddess Sword.
** Prior to that, ''TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' showed the StartOfDarkness for Ganon, the series BigBad; and ''TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'' had the creation of the Four Sword from the, well, "Four Swords" games, and like the Master Sword originally went by a different name (in this case, the Picori Blade), and although it's part of the backstory, ''TheMinishCap'' also explains Vaati's StartOfDarkness (and shows that he wasn't always a floating FacelessEye).
* Pretty much [[StockSubtitle anything with the subtitle "Origins"]].
** ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins''
** Oddly enough, excluding ''DragonAgeOrigins.'' The "origins" in question are the first act of the game and cover how the main character became a Grey Warden. They have nothing to do with the origin of the setting, any other characters (except possibly [[TheWoobie Jowan]]), or the Blight.
* Speaking of ''DragonAgeOrigins'', the DLC campaign ''Leliana's Song'' provides an origin story for the eponymous character, which is only alluded to in the game proper.
* Jack's loyalty mission in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' reveals a lot of details on her origin, including ones she wasn't aware of herself.
[[AC: {{Webcomics}}]]
* The ''HomestarRunner'' short [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/hremail7.html "Hremail 7"]] explains the origin of Strong Bad Email. And, in the process, [[http://hrwiki.org/wiki/Hremail_7#Remarks messes up]] what little continuity the HR-verse has.
** Then again, it was ''[[CloudCuckoolander Homestar]]'' who was [[UnreliableNarrator the one explaining the SBemail origins]].
* ''On the Origin of PC's'' and ''StartOfDarkness'' for ''OrderOfTheStick''
* Oddly, [[EverydayHeroes Mr. Mighty's]] wife, Jane, got to tell her [[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=122766 origin story]] before Mr. Mighty did. Then again, maybe the author just enjoyed drawing all those {{Stripperiffic}} outfits.
* The Shaker Woods story arc in YehudaMoonAndTheKickstandCyclery, which makes everything look HarsherInHindsight.
[[AC: WebOriginal]]
* The origin novel for Phase didn't come out until about four years after the WhateleyUniverse started.
[[AC: WesternAnimation]]
* ''{{Gargoyles}}'' has both this and a conventional first episode origins set up. The first five episodes established the main characters (heros and villains) and their situation. Later [=MacBeth=] was introduced, and they then combined a multi-episode arc with telling the origin of [=MacBeth=] (he really ''is'' {{MacBeth}}) and his history with Demona.
* ''ThePowerpuffGirls Movie'' didn't originally set out for this--the first story pitch was to have been all of the show's main villains fighting with each other over who will rule Townsville. Creator Craig [=McCracken=] found it left little screen time for the girls themselves, so it became an origin story and their haphazard first adventure.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheStorm The Storm]]" gives the backstories of Aang and Zuko via FlashBack.
* This was the plot point of the ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' episode "Seems Like Old Crimes", which focused on Aladdin telling everyone the story of how he and Abu first met, long before the events of the first movie.
----
->''What? You want to know ''my'' secret origins? Well...maybe another time...''
-->--'''[[AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]]'''
When you are writing a work of fiction you often want the audience to know how what is came to be. Often this is achieved by in the first issues or episodes but almost as often, for whatever reason, this can't happen. Perhaps the character was originally meant to be mysterious, a figure robed in secrets and mystique and now their past has emerged. Alternatively the writers might not have had an origin laid out for them, perhaps due to the fact that they were [[EnsembleDarkhorse meant as a minor character who gained a fanbase]] or were simply a MonsterOfTheWeek that happened to come back once or twice. Or it could be that the thing without the background is more than just a character, perhaps the entire universe has a history that the author wants to get across, and there is no way of doing that at the same time that a first issue gets readers.
An origins issue is an issue, episode or whatever that exists primarily to examine the origin of a character or setting after the work has been going for a while. Many prequels qualify, but not all. Likewise whilst many things have had extended flashbacks it does not necessarily count. However the issue or episode need not be all set in the universe's past to qualify, so long as exploring that past in the point. Done well these works help build the universe's mythos and continuity, done badly they just feel like the author trying to show how clever they are. Worse still are the origins issues where the writer does not bother to check their own continuity and creates a mess of plot holes and poor characterisation.
Compare with a PilotEpisode, which usually sets up the origins of the main characters and setting in the first episode. Television characters can have an Origin Episode of sorts if they receive ADayInTheLimelight or a LowerDeckEpisode. See also StartOfDarkness.
----
!!Examples
[[AC: {{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* The tenth episode of ''PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' is dedicated to [[DarkMagicalGirl Homura]]'s backstory, finally explicitly explaining her mysterious powers, behavior, and motivations.
* The last chapter in the fourth volume of ''HidamariSketch''--one of the few not in {{yonkoma}} format--was spent on explaining the origins of Natsume's {{tsundere}} attitude towards Sae.
* ''{{Manga/Bleach}}'' anime
** Episode 32 "Stars and the Stray" told the story of Rukia Kuchiki's origin, as remembered by Renji Abarai.
** Episode 97 explains how the Bount were created. Soul Reapers were carrying out a project to create immortal souls and an experiment got away from them, causing a number of human beings to become the Bount.
** During the ''Zanpakutō: The Alternate Tale'' arc, Koga's origin story was told in episodes 250 and 251.
* The "Teresa of the Faint Smile" arc of ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' tells Clare's origin.
* There was quite a big arc in the manga of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' explaining Hoenheim and Homonculous' origins.
[[AC: ComicBooks]]
* Many fans of [[WonderWoman Donna Troy]] feel that she has had too many of these.
* ''ElfQuest'' T.O.S. #13: "[[http://www.elfquest.com/gallery/OnlineComics/OQ/OQ13/DisplayOQ13.html The Secret of the Wolfriders]]"
* JudgeDredd has had two very well received ones. First was ''Judge Death: Boyhood of a Superfiend'', commissioned for the launch of the ''JudgeDredd Megazine''. In it Judge Death employs a journalist to interview him and spread his message, to explain to the people of the world why they are better off dead. Death was a creepy little boy. Later there was ''Origins'' to mark the 30th anniversary of Judge Dredd where Dredd explains the secrets and history of the Dredd universe (straightening up the continuity along the way) whilst on a mission to recover something that might unravel those secrets.
* {{X-Men}}: The ''Wolverine Origin'' comic. And TheMovie, for that matter.
* DCComics had an entire series, ''Secret Origins'', in which each issue was an OriginsIssue for a different character (either one who had never been given a proper origin in their own series, or an established character for whom DC wanted to establish a new baseline origin following a ContinuitySnarl or similar problem).
** Likewise, Marvel's ''Uncanny Origins''.
* ThePhantomStranger had four of these in the same issue, all contradicting each other.
* ''StrontiumDog'' had two long-running stories in this vein: "Portrait of a Mutant" examined Johnny's early life, his time in the mutant resistance, and how he eventually took up bounty hunting; it was framed as Johnny telling Wulf and the Gronk why he's so eager to claim the small bounty on Nelson Bunker Kreelman. "Max Bubba", framed as Wulf's reminiscenses, told the story of how Johnny and Wulf first met and teamed up.
[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* This was part of the reason for the ''StarWars'' prequel trilogy.
* ''TheMuppetMovie'' serves as this for ''TheMuppetShow'', though Kermit makes clear that some artistic liberties have been taken.
* As evident by the titles, ''Film/{{X-Men}} Origins: Wolverine'' and ''X-Men: First Class''. (though both works had MASSIVE amounts of ContinuitySnarl, specially with each other!)
* ''{{Prometheus}}'' was originally going to be this for ''{{Alien}}'' but has since evolved into something else, although there may still be connections with the ''Alien'' franchise (such as the presence of the Weyland Corporation and androids).
[[AC: LiveActionTelevision]]
* ''{{Lost}}'' has these reasonably often.
* Notably averted in ''BurnNotice'': the made-for-TV-movie "The Fall of Sam Axe" pointedly showed how Sam managed to get his honorable discharge from the Navy [=SEALs=] despite his womanizing attitude, but in the timeline of the movie, he already knows SuperSpy Michael Westen, seeking advice with his personal problems. Throughout the entire series, it's never been revealed exactly how a CIA spy and a Navy SEAL met and became best friends.
* ''WhiteCollar'' has an episode dedicated to how Peter and Neal first met.
* ''HowIMetYourMother'' has the episode "How I Met Everyone Else", which showcases how the core group (except Robin, who joined the group in the pilot) met and became friends[[hottip:*: Marshall and Ted met in college, Lily and Marshall met when she was "inexplicably drawn" to his dorm room one morning, Barney and Ted met in the bathroom at a bar, and Barney and Marshall met at the same bar some time later]].
* On ''DoctorWho'' it only took 11 years and four Doctors battling the Daleks before we finally got to see how they were created by Davros, after which point he became a recurring villain in Dalek stories.
** There's at least two ''different'' origin stories for the Cybermen. When they first appeared in the final William Hartnell story, they were created on [[ItMakesSenseInContext Earth's twin planet]] as a race of "perfect beings". In the revived series, however, they originated in a paralell universe (though created for similar reasons). While it's never firmly established that the ones encounted in ''The Next Doctor'' and every appearance since were the same cybermen, they do more closely resemble the paralell universe version than those of the classic series. Then again, the classic series cybermen did evolve quite a bit over the course of time...
* ''Series/TheXFiles'' had several origin episodes, including one for the BigBad ("Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man") and TheLoneGunmen trio ("Unusual Suspects").
* ''{{Xena}}'' had several over the course of the show, showing how she developed from a village girl into an evil Warrior Princess. (She had a HeelFaceTurn during her guest appearances on ''HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'' before she got her own show.)
* ''{{Chuck}}'' eventually showed us the backstory as to how Sara became a CIA operative, starting as a young teen when she was a grifter with her father.
* ''{{Series/Highlander}}'' had "Family Tree" for Duncan, and for recurring characters, there was "Legacy" for Amanda, "Comes A Horseman" showed Cassandra's origin and there was one for Fitz ("Star Crossed"?).
* ''ForeverKnight'': Nick's vampire origin was shown in the pilot, 'Dark Knight'
* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' first showed Angel's origin in 'Becoming part 1 and 2' but ''{{Angel}}'' elaborated on it in 'The Somnamublist' I think. Spike's was 'Lies My Parents Told Me' to a point and 'Lover's Walk'.
* ''TheTribe'' had two of these in the second season; one focused on Zoot and Ebony; the other focused on Lex and Ryan (though the latter example was submerged as a very long flashback).
[[AC: VideoGames]]
* ''TheLegendOfZelda SkywardSword'' explains the origin of the Master Sword; more specifically, how the Master Sword used to be a sentient being and originated as the Goddess Sword.
** Prior to that, ''TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' showed the StartOfDarkness for Ganon, the series BigBad; and ''TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'' had the creation of the Four Sword from the, well, "Four Swords" games, and like the Master Sword originally went by a different name (in this case, the Picori Blade), and although it's part of the backstory, ''TheMinishCap'' also explains Vaati's StartOfDarkness (and shows that he wasn't always a floating FacelessEye).
* Pretty much [[StockSubtitle anything with the subtitle "Origins"]].
** ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins''
** Oddly enough, excluding ''DragonAgeOrigins.'' The "origins" in question are the first act of the game and cover how the main character became a Grey Warden. They have nothing to do with the origin of the setting, any other characters (except possibly [[TheWoobie Jowan]]), or the Blight.
* Speaking of ''DragonAgeOrigins'', the DLC campaign ''Leliana's Song'' provides an origin story for the eponymous character, which is only alluded to in the game proper.
* Jack's loyalty mission in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' reveals a lot of details on her origin, including ones she wasn't aware of herself.
[[AC: {{Webcomics}}]]
* The ''HomestarRunner'' short [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/hremail7.html "Hremail 7"]] explains the origin of Strong Bad Email. And, in the process, [[http://hrwiki.org/wiki/Hremail_7#Remarks messes up]] what little continuity the HR-verse has.
** Then again, it was ''[[CloudCuckoolander Homestar]]'' who was [[UnreliableNarrator the one explaining the SBemail origins]].
* ''On the Origin of PC's'' and ''StartOfDarkness'' for ''OrderOfTheStick''
* Oddly, [[EverydayHeroes Mr. Mighty's]] wife, Jane, got to tell her [[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=122766 origin story]] before Mr. Mighty did. Then again, maybe the author just enjoyed drawing all those {{Stripperiffic}} outfits.
* The Shaker Woods story arc in YehudaMoonAndTheKickstandCyclery, which makes everything look HarsherInHindsight.
[[AC: WebOriginal]]
* The origin novel for Phase didn't come out until about four years after the WhateleyUniverse started.
[[AC: WesternAnimation]]
* ''{{Gargoyles}}'' has both this and a conventional first episode origins set up. The first five episodes established the main characters (heros and villains) and their situation. Later [=MacBeth=] was introduced, and they then combined a multi-episode arc with telling the origin of [=MacBeth=] (he really ''is'' {{MacBeth}}) and his history with Demona.
* ''ThePowerpuffGirls Movie'' didn't originally set out for this--the first story pitch was to have been all of the show's main villains fighting with each other over who will rule Townsville. Creator Craig [=McCracken=] found it left little screen time for the girls themselves, so it became an origin story and their haphazard first adventure.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheStorm The Storm]]" gives the backstories of Aang and Zuko via FlashBack.
* This was the plot point of the ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' episode "Seems Like Old Crimes", which focused on Aladdin telling everyone the story of how he and Abu first met, long before the events of the first movie.
----
to:
->''What? You want to know ''my'' secret origins? Well...maybe another time...''
-->--'''[[AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]]'''
When you are writing a work of fiction you often want the audience to know how what is came to be. Often this is achieved by in the first issues or episodes but almost as often, for whatever reason, this can't happen. Perhaps the character was originally meant to be mysterious, a figure robed in secrets and mystique and now their past has emerged. Alternatively the writers might not have had an origin laid out for them, perhaps due to the fact that they were [[EnsembleDarkhorse meant as a minor character who gained a fanbase]] or were simply a MonsterOfTheWeek that happened to come back once or twice. Or it could be that the thing without the background is more than just a character, perhaps the entire universe has a history that the author wants to get across, and there is no way of doing that at the same time that a first issue gets readers.
An origins issue is an issue, episode or whatever that exists primarily to examine the origin of a character or setting after the work has been going for a while. Many prequels qualify, but not all. Likewise whilst many things have had extended flashbacks it does not necessarily count. However the issue or episode need not be all set in the universe's past to qualify, so long as exploring that past in the point. Done well these works help build the universe's mythos and continuity, done badly they just feel like the author trying to show how clever they are. Worse still are the origins issues where the writer does not bother to check their own continuity and creates a mess of plot holes and poor characterisation.
Compare with a PilotEpisode, which usually sets up the origins of the main characters and setting in the first episode. Television characters can have an Origin Episode of sorts if they receive ADayInTheLimelight or a LowerDeckEpisode. See also StartOfDarkness.
----
!!Examples
[[AC: {{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* The tenth episode of ''PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' is dedicated to [[DarkMagicalGirl Homura]]'s backstory, finally explicitly explaining her mysterious powers, behavior, and motivations.
* The last chapter in the fourth volume of ''HidamariSketch''--one of the few not in {{yonkoma}} format--was spent on explaining the origins of Natsume's {{tsundere}} attitude towards Sae.
* ''{{Manga/Bleach}}'' anime
** Episode 32 "Stars and the Stray" told the story of Rukia Kuchiki's origin, as remembered by Renji Abarai.
** Episode 97 explains how the Bount were created. Soul Reapers were carrying out a project to create immortal souls and an experiment got away from them, causing a number of human beings to become the Bount.
** During the ''Zanpakutō: The Alternate Tale'' arc, Koga's origin story was told in episodes 250 and 251.
* The "Teresa of the Faint Smile" arc of ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' tells Clare's origin.
* There was quite a big arc in the manga of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' explaining Hoenheim and Homonculous' origins.
[[AC: ComicBooks]]
* Many fans of [[WonderWoman Donna Troy]] feel that she has had too many of these.
* ''ElfQuest'' T.O.S. #13: "[[http://www.elfquest.com/gallery/OnlineComics/OQ/OQ13/DisplayOQ13.html The Secret of the Wolfriders]]"
* JudgeDredd has had two very well received ones. First was ''Judge Death: Boyhood of a Superfiend'', commissioned for the launch of the ''JudgeDredd Megazine''. In it Judge Death employs a journalist to interview him and spread his message, to explain to the people of the world why they are better off dead. Death was a creepy little boy. Later there was ''Origins'' to mark the 30th anniversary of Judge Dredd where Dredd explains the secrets and history of the Dredd universe (straightening up the continuity along the way) whilst on a mission to recover something that might unravel those secrets.
* {{X-Men}}: The ''Wolverine Origin'' comic. And TheMovie, for that matter.
* DCComics had an entire series, ''Secret Origins'', in which each issue was an OriginsIssue for a different character (either one who had never been given a proper origin in their own series, or an established character for whom DC wanted to establish a new baseline origin following a ContinuitySnarl or similar problem).
** Likewise, Marvel's ''Uncanny Origins''.
* ThePhantomStranger had four of these in the same issue, all contradicting each other.
* ''StrontiumDog'' had two long-running stories in this vein: "Portrait of a Mutant" examined Johnny's early life, his time in the mutant resistance, and how he eventually took up bounty hunting; it was framed as Johnny telling Wulf and the Gronk why he's so eager to claim the small bounty on Nelson Bunker Kreelman. "Max Bubba", framed as Wulf's reminiscenses, told the story of how Johnny and Wulf first met and teamed up.
[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* This was part of the reason for the ''StarWars'' prequel trilogy.
* ''TheMuppetMovie'' serves as this for ''TheMuppetShow'', though Kermit makes clear that some artistic liberties have been taken.
* As evident by the titles, ''Film/{{X-Men}} Origins: Wolverine'' and ''X-Men: First Class''. (though both works had MASSIVE amounts of ContinuitySnarl, specially with each other!)
* ''{{Prometheus}}'' was originally going to be this for ''{{Alien}}'' but has since evolved into something else, although there may still be connections with the ''Alien'' franchise (such as the presence of the Weyland Corporation and androids).
[[AC: LiveActionTelevision]]
* ''{{Lost}}'' has these reasonably often.
* Notably averted in ''BurnNotice'': the made-for-TV-movie "The Fall of Sam Axe" pointedly showed how Sam managed to get his honorable discharge from the Navy [=SEALs=] despite his womanizing attitude, but in the timeline of the movie, he already knows SuperSpy Michael Westen, seeking advice with his personal problems. Throughout the entire series, it's never been revealed exactly how a CIA spy and a Navy SEAL met and became best friends.
* ''WhiteCollar'' has an episode dedicated to how Peter and Neal first met.
* ''HowIMetYourMother'' has the episode "How I Met Everyone Else", which showcases how the core group (except Robin, who joined the group in the pilot) met and became friends[[hottip:*: Marshall and Ted met in college, Lily and Marshall met when she was "inexplicably drawn" to his dorm room one morning, Barney and Ted met in the bathroom at a bar, and Barney and Marshall met at the same bar some time later]].
* On ''DoctorWho'' it only took 11 years and four Doctors battling the Daleks before we finally got to see how they were created by Davros, after which point he became a recurring villain in Dalek stories.
** There's at least two ''different'' origin stories for the Cybermen. When they first appeared in the final William Hartnell story, they were created on [[ItMakesSenseInContext Earth's twin planet]] as a race of "perfect beings". In the revived series, however, they originated in a paralell universe (though created for similar reasons). While it's never firmly established that the ones encounted in ''The Next Doctor'' and every appearance since were the same cybermen, they do more closely resemble the paralell universe version than those of the classic series. Then again, the classic series cybermen did evolve quite a bit over the course of time...
* ''Series/TheXFiles'' had several origin episodes, including one for the BigBad ("Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man") and TheLoneGunmen trio ("Unusual Suspects").
* ''{{Xena}}'' had several over the course of the show, showing how she developed from a village girl into an evil Warrior Princess. (She had a HeelFaceTurn during her guest appearances on ''HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'' before she got her own show.)
* ''{{Chuck}}'' eventually showed us the backstory as to how Sara became a CIA operative, starting as a young teen when she was a grifter with her father.
* ''{{Series/Highlander}}'' had "Family Tree" for Duncan, and for recurring characters, there was "Legacy" for Amanda, "Comes A Horseman" showed Cassandra's origin and there was one for Fitz ("Star Crossed"?).
* ''ForeverKnight'': Nick's vampire origin was shown in the pilot, 'Dark Knight'
* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' first showed Angel's origin in 'Becoming part 1 and 2' but ''{{Angel}}'' elaborated on it in 'The Somnamublist' I think. Spike's was 'Lies My Parents Told Me' to a point and 'Lover's Walk'.
* ''TheTribe'' had two of these in the second season; one focused on Zoot and Ebony; the other focused on Lex and Ryan (though the latter example was submerged as a very long flashback).
[[AC: VideoGames]]
* ''TheLegendOfZelda SkywardSword'' explains the origin of the Master Sword; more specifically, how the Master Sword used to be a sentient being and originated as the Goddess Sword.
** Prior to that, ''TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' showed the StartOfDarkness for Ganon, the series BigBad; and ''TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'' had the creation of the Four Sword from the, well, "Four Swords" games, and like the Master Sword originally went by a different name (in this case, the Picori Blade), and although it's part of the backstory, ''TheMinishCap'' also explains Vaati's StartOfDarkness (and shows that he wasn't always a floating FacelessEye).
* Pretty much [[StockSubtitle anything with the subtitle "Origins"]].
** ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins''
** Oddly enough, excluding ''DragonAgeOrigins.'' The "origins" in question are the first act of the game and cover how the main character became a Grey Warden. They have nothing to do with the origin of the setting, any other characters (except possibly [[TheWoobie Jowan]]), or the Blight.
* Speaking of ''DragonAgeOrigins'', the DLC campaign ''Leliana's Song'' provides an origin story for the eponymous character, which is only alluded to in the game proper.
* Jack's loyalty mission in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' reveals a lot of details on her origin, including ones she wasn't aware of herself.
[[AC: {{Webcomics}}]]
* The ''HomestarRunner'' short [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/hremail7.html "Hremail 7"]] explains the origin of Strong Bad Email. And, in the process, [[http://hrwiki.org/wiki/Hremail_7#Remarks messes up]] what little continuity the HR-verse has.
** Then again, it was ''[[CloudCuckoolander Homestar]]'' who was [[UnreliableNarrator the one explaining the SBemail origins]].
* ''On the Origin of PC's'' and ''StartOfDarkness'' for ''OrderOfTheStick''
* Oddly, [[EverydayHeroes Mr. Mighty's]] wife, Jane, got to tell her [[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=122766 origin story]] before Mr. Mighty did. Then again, maybe the author just enjoyed drawing all those {{Stripperiffic}} outfits.
* The Shaker Woods story arc in YehudaMoonAndTheKickstandCyclery, which makes everything look HarsherInHindsight.
[[AC: WebOriginal]]
* The origin novel for Phase didn't come out until about four years after the WhateleyUniverse started.
[[AC: WesternAnimation]]
* ''{{Gargoyles}}'' has both this and a conventional first episode origins set up. The first five episodes established the main characters (heros and villains) and their situation. Later [=MacBeth=] was introduced, and they then combined a multi-episode arc with telling the origin of [=MacBeth=] (he really ''is'' {{MacBeth}}) and his history with Demona.
* ''ThePowerpuffGirls Movie'' didn't originally set out for this--the first story pitch was to have been all of the show's main villains fighting with each other over who will rule Townsville. Creator Craig [=McCracken=] found it left little screen time for the girls themselves, so it became an origin story and their haphazard first adventure.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheStorm The Storm]]" gives the backstories of Aang and Zuko via FlashBack.
* This was the plot point of the ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' episode "Seems Like Old Crimes", which focused on Aladdin telling everyone the story of how he and Abu first met, long before the events of the first movie.
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Sinkhole of a subjective trope. Opinions don\'t go in main pages
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* JudgeDredd has had two very well received ones. First was ''Judge Death: Boyhood of a Superfiend'', commissioned for the launch of the ''JudgeDredd Megazine''. In it Judge Death employs a journalist to interview him and spread his message, to explain to the people of the world why they are better off dead. [[NightmareFuelUnleaded Death was a creepy little boy.]] Later there was ''Origins'' to mark the 30th anniversary of Judge Dredd where Dredd explains the secrets and history of the Dredd universe (straightening up the continuity along the way) whilst on a mission to recover something that might unravel those secrets.
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* JudgeDredd has had two very well received ones. First was ''Judge Death: Boyhood of a Superfiend'', commissioned for the launch of the ''JudgeDredd Megazine''. In it Judge Death employs a journalist to interview him and spread his message, to explain to the people of the world why they are better off dead. [[NightmareFuelUnleaded Death was a creepy little boy.]] boy. Later there was ''Origins'' to mark the 30th anniversary of Judge Dredd where Dredd explains the secrets and history of the Dredd universe (straightening up the continuity along the way) whilst on a mission to recover something that might unravel those secrets.
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* The "Teresa of the Faint Smile" arc of ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' tells Clare's origin.
* There was quite a big arc in the manga of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' explaining Hoenheim and Homonculous' origins.
* There was quite a big arc in the manga of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' explaining Hoenheim and Homonculous' origins.
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* ''Series/TheXFiles'' had several origin episodes, including one for the BigBad ("Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man") and TheLoneGunmen trio ("Unusual Suspects").
* ''{{Xena}}'' had several over the course of the show, showing how she developed from a village girl into an evil Warrior Princess. (She had a HeelFaceTurn during her guest appearances on ''HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'' before she got her own show.)
* ''{{Chuck}}'' eventually showed us the backstory as to how Sara became a CIA operative, starting as a young teen when she was a grifter with her father.
* ''{{Series/Highlander}}'' had "Family Tree" for Duncan, and for recurring characters, there was "Legacy" for Amanda, "Comes A Horseman" showed Cassandra's origin and there was one for Fitz ("Star Crossed"?).
* ''ForeverKnight'': Nick's vampire origin was shown in the pilot, 'Dark Knight'
* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' first showed Angel's origin in 'Becoming part 1 and 2' but ''{{Angel}}'' elaborated on it in 'The Somnamublist' I think. Spike's was 'Lies My Parents Told Me' to a point and 'Lover's Walk'.
* ''TheTribe'' had two of these in the second season; one focused on Zoot and Ebony; the other focused on Lex and Ryan (though the latter example was submerged as a very long flashback).
* ''{{Xena}}'' had several over the course of the show, showing how she developed from a village girl into an evil Warrior Princess. (She had a HeelFaceTurn during her guest appearances on ''HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'' before she got her own show.)
* ''{{Chuck}}'' eventually showed us the backstory as to how Sara became a CIA operative, starting as a young teen when she was a grifter with her father.
* ''{{Series/Highlander}}'' had "Family Tree" for Duncan, and for recurring characters, there was "Legacy" for Amanda, "Comes A Horseman" showed Cassandra's origin and there was one for Fitz ("Star Crossed"?).
* ''ForeverKnight'': Nick's vampire origin was shown in the pilot, 'Dark Knight'
* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' first showed Angel's origin in 'Becoming part 1 and 2' but ''{{Angel}}'' elaborated on it in 'The Somnamublist' I think. Spike's was 'Lies My Parents Told Me' to a point and 'Lover's Walk'.
* ''TheTribe'' had two of these in the second season; one focused on Zoot and Ebony; the other focused on Lex and Ryan (though the latter example was submerged as a very long flashback).
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* ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins''
** Pretty much [[StockSubtitle anything with the subtitle "Origins"]].
** Pretty much [[StockSubtitle anything with the subtitle "Origins"]].
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* ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins''
**Pretty much [[StockSubtitle anything with the subtitle "Origins"]]."Origins"]].
** ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins''
**
** ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins''
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* Speaking of ''DragonAgeOrigins'', the DLC campaign ''Leliana's Song'' provides an origin story for the eponymous character, which is only alluded to in the game proper.
* Jack's loyalty mission in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' reveals a lot of details on her origin, including ones she wasn't aware of herself.
* Jack's loyalty mission in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' reveals a lot of details on her origin, including ones she wasn't aware of herself.
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* This was the plot point of the ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' episode "Seems Like Old Crimes", which focused on Aladdin telling everyone the story of how he and Abu first met, long before the events of the first movie.
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** During the ''Zanpakutō: The Alternate Tale'' arc, Koga's story was told in episodes 250 and 251.
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** During the ''Zanpakutō: The Alternate Tale'' arc, Koga's origin story was told in episodes 250 and 251.
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** During the ''Zanpakutō: The Alternate Tale'' arc, Koga's story was told in episodes 250 and 251.
