History PlayingWith / AscendtoAHigherPlaneofExistence

** Bob ascends, but he is given the option to go back and takes it.

** Bob ascends, but he is given the option to go back and [[IChooseToStay takes it.]]

* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': Bob Ascends; it's set up as a big deal, it comes with powers that might or might not give him [[StoryBreakerPower Story Breaker Status]], the audience is left wondering what it will mean for the character and the show... but it's just because this was just the easiest way to [[PutOnABus put him on a bus]], and he's never discussed again.

** Bob's StoryBreakerPowers were making him literally too powerful for the universe - at that point it is either use it to leave to a universe with less hostile laws of physics or suffer a SuperpoweredMeltDown.

* '''Straight''': Bob gets killed, but he's The ObiWan to the hero, so his spirit hangs around giving the protagonist emotional support and cryptic advice for the rest of the series.

* '''Lampshaded''': When Bob Ascends, a GenreSavvy character waves and shouts, trying to get the attention of the [[TouchedByVorlons aliens taking him]] so they'll take him too.

* '''Played For Drama''': Glowing lights. Alice mourns [[GenreBlind even if she really should know better]]. [[EvilLaugh Mad, cackling laughter]] at Bob's [[AGodAmI newfound power]].

** [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Ascending is entirely possible]]... but Bob doesn't want to. So he doesn't.

** TheWoobie Ascends... and is still TheWoobie in the new dimension he's now stuck in.

* '''Downplayed''': ???

** CrystalDragonJesus gets [[{{Depower}} Depowered]].

** CrystalDragonJesus gets [[{{Depower}} De Powered]].

** CrystalDragonJesus gets [[DePower De Powered]].

* '''Inverted''': CrystalDragonJesus gets [[DePower De Powered]].

** Alternately, the HiveMind seems unpleasant, but it's not all that bad.

* '''Deconstructed''': Bob Ascends. His friends still grieve for him, because they may know he's Ascended but it's hard to believe, and they miss him because they don't get to see him anymore or know what he's doing. If he does come back, he now believes wholeheartedly in BlueAndOrangeMorality and/or is now [[BewareTheSuperman dangerous]]. If it's too easy to Ascend, [[ReligionOfEvil the wrong people may do it]].
* '''Reconstructed''': Bob's friends miss him, but he leaves mementoes for them now and then and pops up to offer solace in times of need. A need to BewareTheSuperman is hinted at, but Bob ultimately does the right thing despite [[AGodAmI the lure of power]], or his actions actually were [[OmniscientMoralityLicense serving the greater good]] even though it didn't look that way.

* '''Enforced''': Bob's actor wants off the show. The writers want to leave open the possibility of reusing the character, or just want to give him a dignified, awesome sendoff that completely inverts DroppedABridgeOnHim, so he gets SoapOperaDisease and the main characters manage an EpicHail so that {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s take him back to their planet to convalesce for an unstated amount of time.

* '''Defied''': Bob is waiting for the {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s to come down and help him Ascend. Too bad Alice has been giving him doses of the aliens' WeaksauceWeakness for weeks.

** Alternately, in a setting where DeathIsCheap, someone Ascends by accident. Or Ascends when they actually [[DeathSeeker wanted to die]].
* '''Played For Drama''': Glowing lights. Alice mourns [[GenreBlind even if she really should know better]]. [[EvilLaugh Mad, cackling laughter]] at Bob's [[AGodAmI newfound power]].
* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': Bob Ascends; it's set up as a big deal, it comes with powers that might or might not give him [[StoryBreakerPower Story Breaker Status]], the audience is left wondering what it will mean for the character and the show... but it's just because this was just the easiest way to [[PutOnABus put him on a bus]], and he's never discussed again.

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'''Basic Trope''': A more or less normal character becomes a [[AGodAmI much more powerful and generally non-corporeal being]] due to GoalOrientedEvolution, being TouchedByVorlons, using NinetyPercentOfYourBrain or something similar. This usually results in a much reduced role for the character, and [[RealLifeWritesThePlot sometimes that's the goal to start with]].

** Alternately, in a setting where DeathIsCheap, someone Ascends by accident. Or Ascends when they actually [[DeathWish wanted to die]].

* '''Subverted''': [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Ascending to a higher plane of existence is possible]] in this setting, and Bob should be capable of it... but no, he fails or [[AnyoneCanDie just plain dies]] and doesn't come back.

* '''Double Subverted''': It looked like Bob tried to Ascend, but he failed... but then it kicked in much later than it should have.

* '''Parodied''': Bob getting promoted to Regional Manager (or fired) from his desk job is treated as Ascending.

* '''Averted''': AnyoneCanDie, and there is no afterlife in this setting

* '''Played For Laughs''': TheWoobie Ascends... and is still TheWoobie in the new dimension he's now stuck in.

'''Basic Trope''': A more or less normal character becomes a [[AGodAmI much more powerful and generally non-corporeal being]] due to EvolutionaryLevels, being TouchedByVorlons, using NinetyPercentOfYourBrain or something similar. This usually results in a much reduced role for the character, and [[RealLifeWritesThePlot sometimes that's the goal to start with]].

* '''Zig Zagged''': Bob prepares to Ascend to solve some problem, but at the last minute it seems he doesn't need to. He goes through with it anyway, but he fails and remains a normal human or dies. But it seems that it did work after all. But he wishes it didn't because now he's stuck at a [[CelestialBureaucracy cosmic desk]]. [[OrIsIt Or Is He]]?

* '''Enforced''': Bob's actor wants off the show. The writers want to leave open the possibility of reusing the character, or just want to give him a dignified, awesome sendoff that completely inverts DroppedABridgeOnHim, so he gets SoapOperaDisease and {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s take him back to their planet to convalesce for an unstated amount of time.