History Main / ToAbsentFriends

* This is the entire theme of ''VideoGame/TombRaiderChronicles'', which consists of vignettes and flashbacks to Lara's exploits before her presumed death in ''VideoGame/TombRaiderLastRevelation''. The game even ends with a toast and this quote.

* Snap and Crackle on ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' toast Pop, who fell in the [[ItMakesSenseInContext Keebler Elves attack.]]

* ''Series/CSINewYork'' has done this twice, first for Aidan Burn near the end of the second season, and then for Jessica Angell at the end of the fifth season.

* Nearly universal in any sort of military fiction.

* This is the entire theme of ''VideoGame/TombRaiderChronicles'', which consists of vignettes and flashbacks to Lara's exploits before her presumed death in ''VideoGame/TombRaiderLastRevelation''.

* ''Franchise/StarTrekNovelVerse'': Upon the return of the ''Enterprise'' from her 5-year mission, the crew begins to applaud Kirk. He stops it with the admonition, "Not for me. For those who didn't make it back with us," and leads the crew in a round of solemn applause.

* In Creator/DanAbnett's ''Literature/GauntsGhosts'' novel ''Only in Death'', after Gaunt's [[spoiler:apparent]] death, Larkin barges into Rawne's office, even though Rawne is the commander. They reminesce about their Founding and how few of them are left, whom Gaunt took off Tanith. Larkin proposes toast to "Old Ghosts"; Rawne, to "Staying alive"; and then, in unison, they toast "Ibram Gaunt."

* Subverted in ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow''. Frank proposes a toast "to absent friends." Unbeknownst to everyone but Frank (and possibly Riff-Raff and Magenta), they're dining on Eddie, whose remains are under the table. The line was later used in the booklet included with the 25th Anniversary DVD edition as a tribute to actor Charles Gray (The Criminologist), the only non-surviving cast member at the time of that release.

* ''Series/TheWestWing'' episode "Requiem" combines this with the MeaningfulFuneral to provide a heartfelt (and TearJerker) send-off to Leo [=McGarry=] and, by extension, his actor John Spencer. Combined very effectively with the MeaningfulFuneral at the beginning of the episode; the funeral is presented so as to mourn Leo's death (and Spencer's), whereas the wake is about celebrating his life and how much his friends loved him.

An actual wake is possible, as the bereaved can talk and drink without a ceremony to go through. Or they may meet somewhere, and talk. (They may not even intend to grieve, but they end up doing so.) A bar is likely, because the wake often involves alcohol--so often that it generally does not appear only if it is impossible. Expect the dead to be toasted. (DrowningMySorrows may convert into this if the drinker bumps into another friend.) Sometimes the drink is poured on the ground as a LibationForTheDead.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' has an episode in which they find Scotty preserved in a transporter beam for over seventy years. As the events of the episode wear down on Scotty, he takes a private moment alone in a holodeck simulation of the original ''Enterprise'', where he toasts to his now-gone comrades.

* Occurs in Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel ''Discworld/NightWatch'', where the members of the Revolution gather every year on the twenty-fifth of May to remember their comrades who were killed.

* In Creator/RobertEHoward's "Literature/BeyondTheBlackRiver", ConanTheBarbarian and the sole survivor of the fort discuss the deaths at the end, particularly Valannus and Balthus.

* ''Literature/HaloGlasslands'' has an early scene where a pair of UNSC Marines travel to Sydney, Australia to have a drink in memory of a friend who died in the Covenant War. They find that the bar they'd planned to meet at took a direct hit during the fighting on Earth, and end up borrowing some booze from the construction workers clearing the debris.

** Happens twice in ''Film/StarTrekBeyond''. First, the film begins a few days before Kirk's birthday, and [=McCoy=] pours himself and Kirk shots, and a third, representing Kirk's lost father who was killed saving him as he was born. They tap their shot glasses to the extra glass, then to each others'. Then, towards the end, at his surprise birthday party, Kirk offers the toast, "To [[spoiler:the ''Enterprise'']]. And to absent friends."]]

* Played straight in ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock''. Kirk drops the trope name in a toast to Spock at the beginning of the scene in his apartment.
* Also played straight in ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' after [[spoiler:Data]] is killed while destroying the ''Scimitar'' to save the ''Enterprise''.
* This is also used in ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'' when [[spoiler:Captain Kirk offers the toast, "To the ''Enterprise''. And to absent friends."]]