History Main / SequelItis

* ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' is a well-regarded yearlong series that took place after ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', while its follow-up ''ComicBook/CountdownToFinalCrisis'' isn't due to it being responsible for the controversial FaceHeelTurn of Mary Marvel and other wide-sweeping character changes. This is not helped by the fact that Creator/DanDiDio once said that ''Countdown'' was ''52'' done right before it hit the shelves and due to its {{Padding}} structure.
* ''ComicBook/TheNail'' is one of the more beloved {{Elseworld}} stories, with its dark storytelling and interesting showcasing of a world without Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}} and how needed TheCape really is to the DCU. You'll find much fewer fans of ''Another Nail'', which featured a far more convoluted and silly plot without any real hook to draw it together.

* ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' is widely seen as one of the best ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' stories in history. ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightStrikesAgain'' is at best polarizing, mostly due to the {{O|utOfCharacter}}OC of non-Batman characters, some serious {{Author Tract}}s, and shockingly bad color work. Its prequel, the clunkily-titled ''ComicBook/AllStarBatmanAndRobinTheBoyWonder'', is generally regarded as SoBadItsGood. Its sequel ''ComicBook/DarkKnightIIITheMasterRace'' was [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel well-received]] due to it primarily written by Creator/BrianAzzarello than Creator/FrankMiller himself.

* ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' is a controversial event thanks to some some ''very'' inconsistent political strawmanning, but it's somewhat VindicatedByHistory because it gave the Marvel Universe ''itself'' something of a story arc, with ''Civil War'' kicking off a saga that led into the darker ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'' and ''ComicBook/DarkReign'', followed by a triumphant return in ''ComicBook/{{Siege}}'' and ''The Heroic Age''. That and it didn't actually derail many books for long, and some of the tie-ins and consequences from the run are very well-liked, such as the death of Captain America. ''ComicBook/CivilWarII'', on the other hand... it's ''never'' talked about fondly. It made everyone unlikeable, was setup for ''more'' ill-received stories such as Riri Williams' turn as Iron Man, Amadeus Cho's turn as the Hulk and ''ComicBook/InhumansVsXMen'', and was so bad that it's considered directly responsible for a ''huge'' AudienceAlienatingEra that took two years to end.
* The original ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies'' was a major success, and it's generally regarded as a lot of fun and surprisingly well-written. ''Marvel Zombies 2'', on the other hand, is mostly considered boring, due to trying to eke character growth out of a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot premise]] meant for gonzo absurdity and an extensive further story out of a plot where [[ToughActToFollow all the most interesting things already happened]]. ''3'' moved back into the absurdity and made it fun again, and is considered the major bright point after ''2''. Then ''4'' tried to continue on from ''3'' and was largely okay, but by that point, the premise was starting to run pretty thin. ''Return'' tried to give the franchise a finale, and had its moments, but suffered from very weird pacing and attempts at tying up plot points from ''2''. It didn't work, because ''Marvel Zombies 5'' came out, and was mostly a big joke on how much the premise had been milked dry, with the heroes, having exhausted the zombies on Earth, traveling to other universes to fight [[OurZombiesAreDifferent variant zombie plagues]] with new rules. [[FranchiseZombie There have been five non-numbered miniseries since then]], and most of them have been less about trying to write a good story and more about trying to write a story that does ''anything'' with the idea - not helped by the zombie craze being largely dead.

* ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'' first two arcs, written by Creator/MarkMillar, were very well received, for its reinvention of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' and its deconstruction of the superhero genre. Both stories neatly resolve all the subplots in them. But then Jeph Loeb wrote ''The Ultimates 3'' with a sudden genre shift to the worst vices of UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks, and the reception fell from a cliff.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'''s thirteen sequels are exceptionally infamous. It's a bad sign when there are more sequels than even horror movie franchises like ''Franchise/{{Halloween}}'', ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'', ''Film/ParanormalActivity'', or ''Franchise/FridayThe13th''. And in-between all of these movies, it got a TV show to boot. It must be said though [[ContestedSequel the quality of the series is up and down from movie to movie]], some are indeed mediocre to poor, but others are surprisingly solid. In the end, though most agree that none are a match for Bluth's original film, [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel some of the sequels got close.]]
* Some of Creator/DonBluth's other animated films have also been hit with Sequelitis: there are sequels for ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'', ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'' (both of which also got a TV series), and ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH''. ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTailFievelGoesWest'', though LighterAndSofter than the original, is actually considered a quality follow-up due to a higher budget theatrical release. ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven2'' is also considered a fairly solid sequel, even with the rampant TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot. ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH2TimmyToTheRescue'' on the other hand is considered terrible by practically all fans of the original. In all of those cases, Bluth was not involved with any of the sequels. The only sequels he was ever actually involved with making were the video game ''[[VideoGame/DragonsLair Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp]]'' and the ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}'' direct-to-DVD sequel ''WesternAnimation/BartokTheMagnificent'', which although not hugely popular, has fared better than some of the other sequels to his films. Incidentally, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Bluth was originally to have been involved in the other aforementioned sequels,]] but had to turn it down to due heavy development on his own projects at the time.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess'', despite being a minor bomb critically and financially, got initially two sequels. Being made with [[NoBudget fairly low budgets]] and based on films that weren't very good to begin with, they were very poorly received. Then a SequelGap of 14 years later and it got bombarded with a variety of [[AllCGICartoon all CGI]] sequels, making the series as infamous if not more so than ''The Land Before Time''. Most if not all of these posterior sequels are only ironically liked due to bad animation, lack of tonal consistency and just sheer bizarreness.
* The BigDamnMovie of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}},'' ''Bender's Big Score'', is pretty well-regarded in the fanbase, and places well in appraisals of the series. The succeeding three films vary in reception but are generally seen as being much worse. The general consensus is that ''Bender's Big Score'' feels like a movie, while the other three feel like overstretched episodes of the TV show that probably wouldn't have made for very good episodes to begin with.
* The first ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'' has a respectable Rotten Tomatoes score of 77%. The [[WesternAnimation/IceAgeTheMeltdown first sequel]] got a mediocre 57% (though it has since become a CultClassic), and it just went down from there (46%, 38%, and 16%; the last of these, ''[[WesternAnimation/IceAgeCollisionCourse Collision Course]]'', is considered one of the worst films of 2016 and is the first ''Ice Age'' movie to get WebVideo/AniMat's "Seal of Garbage", and [[BoxOfficeBomb bombed in the domestic box office]] in the 2016 Summer Bomb Buster). Although once Disney shut down Creator/BlueSkyStudios and made ''Westernanimation/TheIceAgeAdventuresOfBuckWild'' for Disney+, it was widely considered a new lower point - the only thing better than ''Collision Course'' was its Tomatometer, a still dismal 22% (and based on a much smaller pool of 32 reviews compared to over a hundred from the fifth film), as viewers couldn't get behind the low production values and shoddy animation, the absence of [[EnsembleDarkhorse Scrat]], Creator/SimonPegg being the only returning cast member, and a very weak script (for starters, Buck is on the title but [[SpotlightStealingSquad most of the focus is on]] [[TheScrappy the much less popular duo Crash and Eddie]], which is a big reason why [=AniMat=] gave it an even worse review than ''Collision Course'').
* While not reprehensible, ''WesternAnimation/Rio2'' is agreed on by both critics and audiences to be much weaker than the original ''WesternAnimation/{{Rio}}''.

* ''Series/BattlestarGalactica1978'' was never massively successful but it was popular enough for a large letter-writing campaign to make ABC commission ''Series/Galactica1980'' which was canceled after only 10 episodes killing the franchise. The show got a reboot 20+ years later with the critically acclaimed ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' which had a well-received spin-off-prequel ''Series/{{Caprica}}'' and two MadeForTVMovie installments. The final series of the remake was divisive, with a controversial series finale splitting fans. Afterwards it was clear audiences and the studios weren't impressed by the attempt to create another spin-off-prequel with ''Series/BattlestarGalacticaBloodAndChrome'' marking the end of the franchise for the near future, at least until the next inevitable reboot.

* ''Theatre/LoveNeverDies'', the sequel to ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'', is being slammed by many fans of the original, although the Australian run was extensively reworked by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with the greatest improvements being made to the characterization (of nearly all the characters) and the plot.

* Many rides at Ride/DisneyThemeParks fall prey to this. Perhaps the most puissant example of this trope in a Disney ride is the "Imagination" rides featured at the EPCOT theme park in Disney World. The original ride, Ride/JourneyIntoImagination, was a much beloved and very creative ride centering around the world of a child's imagination and starred the Dreamfinder, a red-bearded eccentric who collected dreams and creative thoughts, and his pet purple dragon Figment with a {{Clock|Punk}} or SteamPunk style. ExecutiveMeddling involving a potential change in sponsors caused the ride to close in 1998 for a complete overhaul. It was reopened in 1999 as "Journey Into Your Imagination", a completely redone ride featuring none of the charm possessed by the original, with the Dreamfinder MIA and Figment reduced to an extremely brief cameo. The new ride set a record for the most complaints received over a new attraction at a Disney Park. The revamp was received so badly, it was closed a mere 2 years later in 2001. In 2002 the ride received a later update, "Journey Into Imagination With Figment". Though it is a notable improvement over the second version of the ride, most long-time Disney parkgoers tend to agree that the ride's first incarnation was by far its best.

* Part of the ''Franchise/{{Ben 10}}'' fanbase considers ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'' as such, though some would consider the series before it, ''[[WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien Ultimate Alien]]''. ''[[WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce Alien Force]]'' has also been hit by this, owing to the tendency of the sequels to take liberty with the canon at the risk of contradicting one another or the original series.

The inverse tropes are SurprisinglyImprovedSequel (a good sequel to a mediocre or terrible work) and EvenBetterSequel (an awesome sequel to a good original work). Compare ContestedSequel (when there is considerable division about the sequel's quality), InNameOnly (when a sequel is strangely divergent from its predecessor), VillainBasedFranchise (when a sequel retains the monster or villain but features none of the original heroes), and CapcomSequelStagnation (Where it's the ''same'' game, with minor tweaks and additions, re-released over and over like string of mediocre sequels). Can be caused by a poor choice in SequelEscalation, and lead up to FranchiseZombie if a sequel that should have been a FranchiseKiller doesn't destroy the series. Backlash against sequels has made many reviewers {{Sequelphobic}}. Some fans treat such sequels with FanonDiscontinuity. See also SophomoreSlump, TheProblemWithLicensedGames, and SeasonalRot. For TV series, this can sometimes be a result of a PostScriptSeason. The reason why SequelSnark and RidiculousFutureSequelisation became common jokes. And, of course, ''any and all'' of this can happen just as easily with {{Prequel}}s.

In other words, {{Sequel}}s to works, generally created on the impetus of box office revenue, are rarely as good as the work they're a sequel to. If there's a third installment, it will frequently mark a sharp downhill turn even when the second work turned out all right. And even if there's a good trilogy, [[TrilogyCreep going beyond ''that'' has an even greater chance of crapitude]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess'', despite being a minor bomb critically and financially, got initially two sequels. Being made with [[NoBudget fairly low budgets]] and based on films that weren't very good to begin with, they were very poorly received. Then a SequelGap of 14 years later and it got bombarded with a variety of [[AllCGICartoon all CGI]] sequels, making the series as infamous if not more so than ''The Land Before Time''. Most if not all of these posterior sequels are only ironically liked due to severe UncannyValley, lack of tonal consistency and just sheer bizarreness.

See also Creator/{{Egoraptor}}'s web '''[[WebVideo/{{Sequelitis}} series]]''' [[NamesTheSame of the same name]].

* Parodied in ''Comicbook/TheSimpsons'' comic book storyline "When Bongos Collide!", in which [[EveryoneIsASuper everyone in Springfield gets superpowers]] as a [[ILoveNuclearPower result of a nuclear explosion]]. Troy [=McClure=]'s alter-ego, The Sequelizer, has the power to "create an infinite number of copies of [himself] -- although [[CloneDegeneration each is only 50% as powerful as the one before]]."

* Rumor has it Creator/YoshiyukiTomino invented the KillEmAll trope partly to prevent this from occurring, as he routinely claimed to despise sequel work. Obviously it ''greatly'' backfired with ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' (the franchise continued even after the original principal characters [[AcePilot Amuro Ray]] and [[RedBaron Char Aznable]] died), but most of Tomino's other works, such as ''Anime/AuraBattlerDunbine'' and ''Anime/SpaceRunawayIdeon'', otherwise ended with their initial series since most of their casts (or their ''entire'' setting in the case of ''Ideon'') were killed off.

The inverse tropes are SurprisinglyImprovedSequel (a good sequel to a mediocre or terrible work) and EvenBetterSequel (an awesome sequel to a good original work). Compare ContestedSequel (when there is considerable division about the sequel's quality), InNameOnly (when a sequel is strangely divergent from its predecessor), and VillainBasedFranchise (when a sequel retains the monster or villain but features none of the original heroes). Can be caused by a poor choice in SequelEscalation, and lead up to FranchiseZombie if a sequel that should have been a FranchiseKiller doesn't destroy the series. Backlash against sequels has made many reviewers {{Sequelphobic}}. Some fans treat such sequels with FanonDiscontinuity. See also SophomoreSlump, TheProblemWithLicensedGames, and SeasonalRot. For TV series, this can sometimes be a result of a PostScriptSeason. The reason why SequelSnark and RidiculousFutureSequelisation became common jokes. And, of course, ''any and all'' of this can happen just as easily with {{Prequel}}s.

* Being nothing like the previous work(s), but not because they want to stay fresh or try to innovate, but for other reasons like not being able to do something like the original thanks to the plot/actors/lower budget/rating/licenses/etc, or [[{{WereStillRelevantDammit}} relying on what is current and/or popular]] or [[FollowTheLeader trying to be more like other successful movies]].

* ''Anime/TwinPrincessOfWonderPlanet'' has a sequel series in the form of ''Gyu!''. It took virtually all of the characters out of their unique world and put them into a generic school location and had a similarly generic MonsterOfTheWeek format (going along the success of the previous series delving into MagicalGirlWarrior later during its run) and DemotedToExtra everyone but Fine and Rein. While it did introduce a handful of good characters, [[FanonDiscontinuity most fans like to pretend ''Gyu!'' never happened]].

* ''Series/BattlestarGalactica1978'' was never massively successful but it was popular enough for a large letter-writing campaign to make ABC commission ''Series/Galactica1980'' which was canceled after only 10 episodes killing the franchise. The show got a reboot 20+ years later with the critically acclaimed ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' which had a well-received spin-off-prequel ''Series/{{Caprica}}'' and two MadeForTVMovie. The final series of the remake was divisive, with a controversial series finale splitting fans. Afterwards it was clear audiences and the studios weren't impressed by the attempt to create another spin-off-prequel with ''Series/BattlestarGalacticaBloodAndChrome'' marking the end of the franchise for the near future, at least until the next inevitable reboot.

* Even more than the film examples, ''Franchise/StarTrek'' suffered this in its series. ''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries The Original Series]]'' was considered an uneven novelty, a series that was either teeth-grating crap or the very pinnacle of science-fiction, depending on the given episode. ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration The Next Generation]]'' has been formally recognized as being among the top 100 shows ever made and a crowning achievement of television. Paramount came down with Sequelitis, commissioning '''three''' follow-up series (''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'', ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]'', and even a prequel in ''[[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Enterprise]]''). The critical reception deteriorated with each successive series, along with the ratings (though a few preferred ''[=DS9=]'' in later years). The last one made it to four seasons, the fourth one only made so that the series could be syndicated, and not end up a total failure. Although the jury is still out on ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' (set between ''Enterprise'' and ''The Original Series''), the general fan consensus seems to be that it's a good show in its own right, but the DarkerAndEdgier serial plotline and somewhat forced "mature" tone are a poor fit for ''Trek''. ''Series/StarTrekPicard'', a sequel to ''The Next Generation'' (including the movies... and [[Film/StarTrek2009 the film that started the Kelvin Timeline]]) is also a divisive affair due to its DarkerAndEdgier approach. As a matter of fact, the TropeNamer is Justin B. Rye’s [[http://jbr.me.uk/trek/3.html critical essay]] on the franchise, from all the way back in 1993. (The same essay also named OneShotRevisionism.)

* ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatianStreet'' was supposed to be a sequel to the Disney's 1961 film 101 Dalmatians; however, due to lack of advertising and promotion. No one was unaware of the series exisit. Also lack of character development, terrible writing, and Dolly being consider a terrible character. This series became underrated and a disgrace to the legacy. Irony the ''Film/{{Cruella}}'' saved the Franchise and it's legacy and thus according to WordOfGod, the 101 Dalmatian Street immeditely became {{Canon Discontinuity}}.

* ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' is a controversial event thanks to some some ''very'' inconsistent political strawmanning, but it's somewhat VindicatedByHistory because it gave the Marvel Universe ''itself'' something of a story arc, with ''Civil War'' kicking off a saga that led into the darker ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'' and ''ComicBook/DarkReign'', followed by a triumphant return in ''ComicBook/{{Siege}}'' and ''The Heroic Age''. That and it didn't actually derail many books for long, and some of the tie-ins and consequences from the run are very well-liked, such as the death of Captain America. ''ComicBook/CivilWarII'', on the other hand... it's ''never'' talked about fondly. It made everyone unlikeable, was setup for ''more'' ill-received stories such as Riri Williams' turn as Iron Man, Amadeus Cho's turn as the Hulk and ''ComicBook/InhumansVsXMen'', and was so bad that it's considered directly responsible for a ''huge'' DorkAge that took two years to end.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' was not considered nearly as good as ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''; In this case, however, it's less that the sequel is a terrible product and more that it just couldn't match the sheer acclaim of its parent show. ''Korra'' has plenty of fans and many high notes, but it is also considered to have several narrative shortcomings not present in the original show, which is considered one of the, if not the, greatest cartoons of all time, whereas Korra is believed to be "a decent followup". It's also worth noting that, because of this case of A ToughActToFollow, a sizable chunk of the first show's fandom has become a hatedom for ''Korra'', taking it apart over relatively forgivable or at least not too severe flaws simply because ''The Last Airbender'' lacked them. Later on, the show has since been VindicatedByHistory and now has a much larger fanbase, though the general consensus is still that its predecessor is better.

* The HateFic[=/=]FixFic ''FanFic/MyBravePonyStarfleetMagic'' has four sequels and counting [[note]]one's a "movie" and another is based on ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls''[[/note]], and they don't get any better. [=Beats0me=], a Website/DeviantArt member who draws parody comics of the fic, noted that the beginning of the series is SoBadItsGood, reminiscent of watching a corny old kids' action cartoon. However, the further it goes on, the more racism, sexism, and other disturbing content start cropping up.

* For ''Series/TheBookOfBobaFett'', critical reception and audience feedback took a dive compared to ''Series/TheMandalorian''. Viewers found the narrative structure too slow-paced, Boba's motivations aren't fully explained and some of the set pieces were a bit clumsily executed. The RequiredSpinoffCrossover with ''The Mandalorian'' helped, but also put the main plot of ''Boba Fett'' OutOfFocus to set up ''The Mandalorian'' Season 3, including a hasty reversal of one of Season 2's biggest changes to the status quo.

* ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatianStreet'' was supposed to be a sequel to the Disney's 1961 film 101 Dalmatians; however, due to lack of advertising and promotion. No one was unaware of the series exisit. Also lack of character development, terrible writing, and Dolly being consider a terrible character. This series became underrated and a disgrace to the legacy. Irony the ''Film/{{Cruella}}'' saved the Franchise and it's legacy and thus the 101 Dalmatian Street immeditely became {{Canon Discontinuity}}.

* ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatianStreet'' was supposed to be a sequel to the Disney's 1961 film 101 Dalmatians; however, due to lack of advertising and promotion. No one was unaware of the series exisit. Also lack of character development, terrible writing, and Dolly being consider a terrible character. This series became underrated and a disgrace to the legacy. Irony the ''Film/{{Cruella}}'' saved the Franchise and it's legacy and thus the 101 Dalmatian Street immeditely became [[Canon Discontinuity]].

* ''101DalmatianStreet'' was supposed to be a sequel to the Disney's 1961 film 101 Dalmatians; however,

* ''WesternAnimation/101DalmatianStreet'' was supposed to be a sequel to the Disney's 1961 film 101 Dalmatians; however,

* ''WesternAnimation/101DalmatiansStreet''

** In hindsight, this seemed more accredited to either season not following upon the novel storylines (not even reaching the point where [[spoiler:Gourry finds the Blast Sword]]), and instead simply repeating the first series in reverse. Otherwise, ''Slayers'' fans had been demanding a follow-up for quite some time, partly for the aforementioned and partly to alleviate the mediocrity that was ''Slayers Try''.

* Even more than the film examples, ''Franchise/StarTrek'' suffered this in its series. ''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries The Original Series]]'' was considered an uneven novelty, a series that was either teeth-grating crap or the very pinnacle of science-fiction, depending on the given episode. ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration The Next Generation]]'' has been formally recognized as being among the top 100 shows ever made and a crowning achievement of television. Paramount came down with Sequelitis, commissioning '''three''' follow-up series (''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'', ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]'', and even a prequel in ''[[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Enterprise]]''). The critical reception deteriorated with each successive series, along with the ratings (though a few preferred ''[=DS9=]'' in later years). The last one made it to four seasons, the fourth one only made so that the series could be syndicated, and not end up a total failure. Although the jury is still out on ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' (set between ''Enterprise'' and ''The Original Series''), the general fan consensus seems to be that it's a good show in its own right, but the DarkerAndEdgier serial plotline and somewhat forced "mature" tone are a poor fit for ''Trek''. ''Series/StarTrekPicard'', a sequel to ''The Next Generation'' (including the movies... and [[Film/StarTrek2009 the film that started the Kelvin Timeline]]) is also a divisive affair due to its DarkerAndEdgier approach.
** As a matter of fact, the TropeNamer is Justin B. Rye’s [[http://jbr.me.uk/trek/3.html critical essay]] on the franchise, from all the way back in 1993. (The same essay also named OneShotRevisionism.)

* ''Series/StargateSG1'' and its spin-off, ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', were both strong, well-regarded science-fiction series. The third series, ''Series/StargateUniverse'', felt to most fans like a soap opera filmed in a series of shipping containers.