History Main / TheEndOfTheWorldASWeKnowIt

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' has this as the BigBad's goal in the ''New Testament'' series. However, Othinus isn't planning on just ending the world, Othinus will recreate it afterward. What form it will take, no one knows, but everyone agrees they don't want Othinus to be the omnipotent ruler of all creation. [[spoiler:In ''New Testament 8'' Othinus ''succeeds'' and ends the world with a wave of her hand. The last few pages of the book are nothing but total black. Touma is the only other survivor. After an adventure where Othinus creates world after world, she is eventually convinced to restore it to the way it was.]]

* In ''Manga/FullMetalAlchemist'', [[spoiler: Father opens the gate sacrificing the Earth itself so he can become one with God, and rips the souls of nearly every living thing in the country of Amestris with only a select few remaining humans and homunculi remaining. A true WhamEpisode. He makes a transmutation circle out of Amestris to do so, thus following the "Equivalent exchange" rule. Many people the brothers have met are seen passing out. Ed proceeds to beat Father to a pulp, and so Father enters the gates and the humanoid shape shown in earlier chapters to be 'wearing' Ed's arm and leg is hinted to be god, due to their similar colouring and grin. Father dies and they all live happily ever after]].

* The ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' franchise has a rather unusual condition for The End Of The World as We Know It to happen: [[spoiler:if the title character becomes ''too'' bored with her life, she could inadvertently destroy the universe in a subconscious attempt to create one more to her liking]]. Not only that, the rest of the SOS-dan suspects that [[spoiler:she has already done it]] at least once before -- but obviously no-one can tell.

* This is Friend's ultimate goal in ''Manga/TwentiethCenturyBoys''. [[spoiler: He comes [[NearVillainVictory dangerously close to succeeding]], too.]]

* All of the ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'' continuities, especially the anime, dealt with this trope in some way.

* This is the state of the world in ''ComicBook/{{BPRD}}'' since the start of the ''Hell on Earth'' arc, following a worldwide invasion of [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]] and [[{{Kaiju}} Kaijus]]. Civilization in pretty much gone and the remnants of humanity are trying to survive by avoiding the monsters.

* The film ([[Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1 and book]]) of ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' puts a comedic twist on this -- the world is destroyed to make way for an interstellar bypass. The joke is that the protagonist was trying to stop his house from being demolished for much the same reason... This becomes even more of a ShootTheShaggyDog moment when it is revealed that the destruction of Earth took place mere ''moments'' before the unveiling of the Heart of Gold and Infinite Improbability Drive, which render hyperspace bypasses completely obsolete. ''And'' that five minutes later the job the Earth was created for would have been done and (presumably) everyone could've left.

* All of the ''VideoGame/StarFox'' games deal with this trope on a more galactic scale; however, VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures plays this straighter with the potential end of only Dinosaur Planet (renamed Sauria in later games).

** In ''VideoGame/{{inFAMOUS 2}}'' we learn that [[spoiler: [[PropheticFallacy Kessler was missing a vital piece of information]] and the Beast's actual goal is to save as many people as he can from an incurable plague that's spreading across the world, but his process kills others. The evil ending is agreeing that this is the best course of action and helping him do it]].

** The current setting of ''Kingdom Hearts'' is actually the ''aftermath'' of a world ending scenario known as "the Keyblade War". The many worlds were originally one single world, bathed in the light of Kingdom Hearts. People began to fight over the power of Kingdom Hearts, and their conflict destroyed the original world. The next generation were able to reshape the world, creating the smaller ones we know today.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', a falling moon threatens to wipe out the world of Termina. In most other games in the series, the villain's only trying to ''rule'' the world.
** Stated at the very end of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'' that [[spoiler: Lorule, Hyrule's alternate dimension counterpart, was crumbling away after Princess Hilda's ancestors destroyed Lorule's Triforce. Death Mountain suffers from an everlasting winter, the swamp region is always flooded, constant earthquakes have torn the land apart, and the kingdom is overrun with monsters. Without the Triforce, Lorule would eventually be destroyed. Luckily, Link and Zelda use their own Triforce to restore Lorule's Triforce.]]

* In Myth/HinduMythology, the world is destined to eventually reach the Kali Yuga, an [[CrapsackWorld era of wickedness and moral degeneration]] ruled by the demon Kali (not to be confused with [[NamesTheSame Goddess Kali]].) This will also bring about the birth of [[MessianicArchetype Kalki, the final Avatar of Vishnu]] who will battle Kali and hit the world's ResetButton, bringing a golden age. Though due to the cyclic nature of the world in Hinduism, [[EternalRecurrence the Kali Yuga will come back eventually]].

** ''Two'' of these occur in "The Greatest Story Never Told", in which ComicBook/BoosterGold is relegated to traffic duty while the rest of the League -- the ''entire'' League, consisting of dozens of heroes-, battle against the [[EvilSorceror Dark Lord Mordru]], who will bring this about if he is not stopped. Instead Booster becomes a HeroOfAnotherStory when a HotScientist needs his help to stop a black hole consuming the planet.

[[caption-width-right:350:Administrivia/TheSecondGoogleIncident happened that year, too.]]

** As for the authenticity of the legend, [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] cautiously states that "it is not clear whether Lucas invented this legend or was inspired by it."

** Technically we are currently already in the Kali Yuga. It just lasts for 432,000 years, ending in 428,899 CE.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000's'':

* ''End Times'', from Vajra Enterprises, is all about preventing several apocalypses. The players are Survivors, the latest generation of people who find they can suddenly project their minds up to 10 years into the future or past, and witness an upcoming Apocalypse. The goal is to prevent it but the Apocalypse actively fights back. These apocalypses embody the collective fears of the current decade and could be described as a malevolent timeline. An apocalypse will manipulate minds and events to ensure it comes to pass. And as more of the human population dies/is robbed of free-will, the laws of reality begin to break down. For example, one of the earliest recorded apocalypses essentially tries to make World War 1 engulf the whole planet. As the war spreads and people die, sentient clouds of poison gas suddenly appear and begin actively hunting the survivors, re-animating those they kills as zombies.

* ''WebVideo/Lemmino'' has videos talking about previous times in history when the Earth either had close calls with extinction or possible threats that could cause extinction in the future called [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GcwAD_7tJY "Grazed by the Apocalypse"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx2-4l4s4Nw "Consumed by the Apocalypse"]].

[[folder: Web Videos]]

* In ''Myth/AztecMythology''', the world they lived in is the 5th world, the four before destroyed in a variety of ways from floods to a giant jaguar eating it. The 5th world will be destroyed by an earthquake unless the universe keeps getting power. What powers the world you may ask: blood. Hence the Aztec fondness for human sacrifices.

* In ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'', removing the [[PowerLimiter seals]] of the goddesses while on Earth -– it's noted that any carelessness with that level of power could result in massive damage, up to the end of the world. Belldandy removes hers only when the Lord of Terror threatens complete universal cessation of existence.

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[[caption-width-right:350:''[[UsefulNotes/ThomasJefferson I hold this truth to be self-evident, that all men may be cremated equal.]]''[[note]][[http://plussbjk.deviantart.com/art/end-of-the-world-118527756 Image]] by [[http://plussbjk.deviantart.com/ PLuSSbjk.]]]][[/note]]

!!Example Subpages:

!!Other Examples:

* ''[[{{Film/FourFortyFourLastDayOnEarth}} 4:44 Last Day on Earth]]'' Focuses on a New York couples relationship as they await the end of all life on earth which will happen at 4:44AM the next morning.
* In ''Film/{{Armageddon}}'', a large asteroid is coming with enough force to blow every last bit of life into oblivion, and two teams are sent, each with drilling equipment and a nuclear missile, to drill a tube, insert the missile, and split the asteroid in half before it's too late.

* In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', [[AngelicAbomination Galeem]] does this...''[[KillEmAll successfully]]''. It's only [[SpannerInTheWorks Kirby's escape]] that keeps ''World of Light'' from a full-on DownerEnding.
* The planet of ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' and ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' suffers from this like a recurring rash. It happened for sure 4000 years before Symphonia at the conclusion of a devastating war, when the planet was split in two and taken over by a malicious racial supremacist theocracy, and then again between Symphonia and Phantasia when another devastating war set the planet up to be nuked back to the dark ages by a meteor strike. Also, there were several during the 4000 years of theocratic rule due to a resource conservation scheme[[note]]Only one of the two halves would get the resources it needed at any given time, and it would periodically switch -- and when that happened, societies in the previously thriving half would crumble[[/note]], but we only know of one for certain[[note]]The fall of the dynasty ruling Sylvarant[[/note]]. It comes close to happening again in Phantasia[[note]]The Big Bad needs humanity to use as few resources as possible, and decided the best and easiest way to do that would be to KillEmAll, or at least nuke 'em to the stone age[[/note]] but the heroes stop it that time.

** ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' has a scenario that is even worse and to the letter; it's implied that if UltimateEvil Vaatu wins during a Harmonic Convergence, humans won't be around to see the next one, and Vaatu and the Dark Spirits will rule the world. [[spoiler:In the Book 2 finale, we see what would happen if Vaatu succeeded, but it didn't last]].

If the heroes are slated to succeed in preventing the End, they (and the audience) may be treated to [[StoryboardingTheApocalypse a detailed preview]] of what's coming. The most common subversion keys on the "as we know it" part of the phrase: the world may not actually end so much as be changed beyond of all recognition, thus "ending" an old world and beginning a new one. Depending upon the world this may actually be an improvement.

* In ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'', removing the [[PowerLimiter seals]] of the goddesses while on Earth -– it's noted that any carelessness with that level of power could result in massive damage, up to the end of the world. Belldandy removes hers only when the Lord of Terror threatens complete universal cessasion of existence.

* ''Franchise/TouhouProject'', in its eleventh game, finally featured a BigBad who was actually willing to pull one of these off. She just happened to be a crow who was ''[[ILoveNuclearPower powered by nuclear fusion, and turning the underworld into a new Sun]]''.

* ''Film/VanishingOnSeventhStreet'' has a mysterious phenomenon where darkness is causing people to disappear and sources of lights and ''even daylight hours'' are steadily running out.

** The Season 5 finale puts all of these to shame. [[ArcVillain Starlight]] [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom Glimmer's]] TimeTravel plan to ruin the Mane Six's friendship results in [[ButterflyOfDoom increasing worse]] {{Bad Future}}s with the various previous {{Big Bad}}s ([[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and the Flim-Flam Brothers]]) conquering Equestria since the Mane Six weren't there to stop it. This eventually culminates into Equestria becoming [[SugarApocalypse a barren wasteland of rock, dirt, and dead trees]] that wouldn't look out of place in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}''. This, plus [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath Twilight telling Starlight]] [[FromBadToWorse things could become even]] ''[[UpToEleven worse]]'' [[FromBadToWorse if she continued]], convinces [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Starlight]] to put things back to normal.

** On top of that, some Hindu scholars believe that we are living in the Kali Yuga ''right now'', just in the (relatively) very early stages of it.

* The Music/{{Genesis}} song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o02v0hkq3IA The Day The Light Went Out]]" is about ''something'' that arrives here and puts out the light... and then, it prepares ''to feed''...