Line #3 Main/BackInTheSaddle


1	->''"Suit up boys, we're back in the saddle!"''
2	-->-- Peter Venkman, '''WesternAnimation/ExtremeGhostbusters''', as WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters take their first new case in almost a decade.
3
4	''Not'' ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin[[note]] unless the character is literally getting on a horse[[/note]]: When someone who no longer fights on the front lines, perhaps because they [[KickedUpstairs got promoted]] to a [[DeskJockey desk job]], or decided that they were getting too old for this and [[RetiredBadass retired]], returns to battle, either out of boredom or necessity. Can often apply to TheCaptain, a FourStarBadass, or maybe even [[OurPresidentsAreDifferent The President]] or [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething the King]].
5
6	Related to TenMinuteRetirement. In the case of Back in the Saddle, the retirement or promotion typically won't happen in the same story arc as the return to the action. This trope also applies to being KickedUpstairs or being otherwise made into a DeskJockey.
7
8	A sister-trope to HesBack, where the hero is out of action because of a HeroicBSOD or otherwise loses his groove.
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10	If a group is involved, may require PuttingTheBandBackTogether. Often a harbinger of StillGotIt.
11
12	----
13	!!Examples
14
15	[[foldercontrol]]
16
17	[[folder:Advertising]]
18	* Parodied in a Tostitos commercial where several former NFL players like Dan Marino, Jerry Rice, Emmett Smith, and Randy Moss, un-retired to play in the NFL again with hilarious results, e.g. Marino gets flagged for a "delay of game" penalty due to taking too long to read the planned plays.
19	[[/folder]]
20
21	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
22	* ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'': Amuro Ray - the AcePilot from the original ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' - is retired, and living in virtual house-arrest, since the Terran Government suspects that he might have spacer sympathies. As it turns out, they're right - after an encounter with the new hero, Kamille Bidan, he decides to join up with the AEUG, and jump back into the pilot seat of a HumongousMecha. (Though, sadly, he didn't retrieve the original Gundam [[BreakOutTheMuseumPiece from the nearby museum]] as many probably had hoped.)
23	* ''Anime/Macross7'': In the final few episodes, both [[CoolOldGuy Max]] and [[CoolOldLady Miria]] retake their positions as Valkyrie pilots and it is glorious.
24	[[/folder]]
25
26	[[folder:Comic Books]]
27	* Both ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' and ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' feature superheroes coming back from retirement.
28	** And in ''The Dark Knight Returns'', Franchise/{{Batman}} gets in a saddle.
29	* ''ComicBook/YoungJustice2019'': [[ComicBook/{{Superboy\|1994}} Kon-El]]'s old ComicBook/YoungJustice pals ComicBook/{{Robin\|1993}}, ComicBook/{{Impulse}} and ComicBook/WonderGirl manage to track him down on Gemworld where he was trapped when the timeline got mangled during Flashpoint and discover he's become a farmer, [[spoiler:gotten married and had a child]]. He rejoins the team and starts being a superhero again after being reconnected with his old friends.
30	[[/folder]]
31
32	[[folder:Fan Works]]
33	* ''The Scary Cases of Scooby-Doo'' actually starts at an indeterminate period after the Mystery Inc. gang retired from solving mysteries, and they're simply having fun visiting a haunted house attraction that opened in their town...At least, until a seemingly real amphibious monster shows up. Despite [[TheLeader Fred]] trying to [[AdventureRebuff get the gang to ignore the monster]], they nonetheless solve the ScoobyDooHoax behind it and get back into business.
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
37	* ''Film/HotShotsPartDeux''. After Topper Harley's IWillFightNoMoreForever retirement from the military, he's called back to duty when his old boss is captured while on a rescue mission.
38	* ''Film/IndependenceDay'': President Whitmore, getting back in the cockpit to rally the surviving military forces after they have been on the wrong side of a CurbStompBattle in order to SaveTheWorld. Foreshadowed earlier in the film with discussion that he was elected as the youthful war hero, only to be seen as being too young to be an effective politician. Quite a few of the other pilots were long-since retired, including Russell, who hadn't flown a military jet since the UsefulNotes/VietnamWar.
39	* ''Film/{{Predator}}''. Dillon, who at one time been one of Dutch's comrades but ended up a pencil pusher at the CIA. He went along on the mission to save his CIA friends.
40	* ''Film/SpaceCowboys''. A team of retired test pilots are called into action to repair a faulty satellite.
41	* ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture''. [[strike:[[TheCaptain Captain]]]] [[FourStarBadass Admiral]] Kirk, who's been working a desk as Chief of Naval Operations for several years, uses the V'Ger crisis to get himself returned to the Enterprise. This is a {{subverted}} example in that Admiral Kirk is not in fact in ''[[JurisdictionFriction command]]'' [[JurisdictionFriction of the Enterprise]], but rather is in command of the ''mission'' the Enterprise is on. Captain Decker has the responsibility (and arguably, the fun) of commanding the ship itself. Furthermore, it gets {{Deconstructed}} because Kirk has been behind a desk for several years, and thus his instincts are rusty, on top of the ship having been so heavily redesigned and refitted that she is no longer the ship he spent five years commanding anyways.
42	** ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'':
43	*** Doctor [=McCoy=] implores Admiral Kirk to get out from behind the desk and get in another starship, "before you really do grow old."
44	*** Admiral Kirk initially tries to insist that Captain Spock, the ship's commander, stay in command of the ship during the mission, as Captain Decker did in the previous film, but Spock insisted that the Enterprise rightfully belonged to Kirk. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Maybe because]] he knew what [[HeroicSacrifice happened]] to the [[MauveShirt last guy]].
45	** In ''Film/StarTrekGenerations'', Kirk gives Picard a piece of cautionary advice to never let himself be put behind a desk. It's also averted at the beginning of the film when Captain Harriman offers to let Kirk take command of the ''Enterprise-B'' during a crisis, but Kirk says that Harriman's place is in the center seat.
46	* ''Film/StarshipTroopers''. Rico's teacher Mr. Rasczak retired from the Mobile Infantry and became a school teacher, probably because he lost part of his left arm. After the start of the Bug War, he rejoins the Mobile Infantry with the rank of Lieutenant, with a cybernetic replacement on the stump of his arm. There's also Drill Sergeant Zim, who is so eager to get back on the front lines that he deliberately gets himself demoted to Private to do so.
47	** Happens to Rico himself in WesternAnimation/StarshipTroopersInvasion. Long since promoted in the now years-long war he returns to duty when the mission needs more help.
48	* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', two characters do this:
49	** Commissioner Gordon hasn't had much to do since Gotham City became (mostly) peaceful. He gets back into the swing of things when Bane comes to town.
50	** Batman has been retired for years at the beginning of the film, but he gets so antsy that he's back in the Batpod's saddle within thirty minutes.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Literature]]
54	* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', Mad Eye Moody is retired but is called back to active service by Dumbledore when Voldemort comes BackFromTheDead.
55	* In the ''Literature/{{Deathstalker}}'' series as part of Owen's plan to overthrow Empress Lionstone they plan to recruit Jack Random, the "[[RebelliousSpirit professional rebel]]". To their surprise, Random is now an old, world-weary retiree who, after one defeat too many, has taken up janitorial duties. They manage to bring him back in and he proves to still have a good bit of fight in him.
56	* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': in ''Literature/SkinGame''
57	** Michael Carpenter [[spoiler:(with Uriel's help)]] finds the strength to once more pick [[CoolSword Amorachius]] and leave his home to help his friends from evil.
58	** Harry invokes this to warn the Fomor that Chicago is under his protection once more.
59	* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'': Commander Root reactivates himself as a field agent when a hostage situation goes bad. Normally this requires extensive paperwork and an interview with the commanding officer, fortunately Root happens to have quite a lot of influence with him...
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
63	* ''Series/BuckRogersInTheTwentyFifthCentury'' episode "Return of the Fighting 69th". A long-retired bomber pilot and the rest of the crew from his squadron are called back to duty because they're the only ones who can navigate a treacherous asteroid belt.
64	* ''Series/StargateSG1'' has had General Hammond coming to TheSquad's rescue on a number of occasions. The most noteworthy case probably being when he showed up with his BigDamnGunship in the Season 7 finale.
65	** General O'Neill got to pull one of these in a later season when TheSquad finds an [[NeglectfulPrecursor Atlantean]] [[CoolStarship Puddlejumper]], which he uses to save the day because he is one of the [[BornWinner few people]] they know of who can operate one.
66	* In ''Series/UpstairsDownstairs'', James Bellamy is given a staff job when his views on the battle of Mons in UsefulNotes/WorldWarI are made public by Tory sympathisers. Later on, due to the frustrations of being away from the real fighting, and with the help of Hazel, who pulls a few strings for him, he returns to the front as a Major.
67	* ''[[{{Series/Mash}} MAS*H]]'' had a subversion when an old friend of Colonel Potter's shows up wounded at the 4077th. Potter initially thinks he transferred from the rear because he wanted to be useful again, but his friend tells him he only accepted a front-line command to earn his Combat Infantry badge (which would mean a promotion and a better retirement). The men under his command tell Potter he was utterly hopeless in the field and nearly got them all killed.
68	** Potter played this straight when he first appeared. He was a DeskJockey for two years before being sent to command the 4077, and Hawkeye was worried they were given a quack for a surgeon. Potter shows he StillGotIt.
69	* In ''Series/PowerRangersWildForce'', literally all of the retired Red Rangers return to action during the events of [[BatFamilyCrossover Forever Red]]. Then again, the Power Rangers have a saying, "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger."
70	* ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'': For AprilFoolsDay 2015, announcer George Gray introduced host Creator/DrewCarey, but instead, original host Creator/BobBarker walked in and handled the first Item Up For Bids and pricing game of the day (Lucky Seven), showing that even in his 90s, he still had the traits that made him one of the most iconic game show hosts.
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
74	* Wrestling/LouThesz wrestled in seven different decades, unsuccessfully retiring several times only to be called on when it was time to save a struggling territory or launch the career of a new star like Gara Singh, El Canek, or Wrestling/MasahiroChono (the latter being his student).
75	* After overcoming his drug addiction, Wrestling/EddieGuerrero returned to the independent circuit for the first time in five years for the Heartland Wrestling Association, picking up relatively easy wins against familiar opponents in similar situations like Jamie Noble or {{tag\|team}}ging alongside others of similar status such as Wrestling/DLoBrown and Wrestling/ValVenis. His first one-on-one match against an unfamiliar opponent, Impact Championship Wrestling's singles champion Wrestling/LowKi, saw Guerrero lose in a shocking upset.
76	* Haitian wrestler Tyree Pride had retired from in-ring competition and become a wrestler, most memorably for Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance World Heavyweight Champion Tokyo Monster Kahagas. But when Ring Warriors joined the NWA and was the focal point of the Alliance's attempt to re-establish itself in the Caribbean, Pride was pulled out of retirement to give the fans a familiar face to cheer.
77	* Wrestling/{{Sting}} retired from being Wrestling/{{TNA}}'s general manager and ended his retirement as a wrestler after coming to the conclusion he couldn't do anything about the damage Wrestling/BobbyRoode was doing to the company's image without coming off as biased against the champion. He decided to rise through the ranks until he could take the belt off Roode personally, although Bobby ended up losing the belt before Sting got a chance.
78	* Believing he had accomplished everything he cared to accomplish as a professional wrestler, Wrestling/KurtAngle voluntarily retired from in-ring competition to become the director of wrestling operations in Wrestling/{{TNA}} out of the belief the company needed better guidance after the abuses of Dixie Carter and Wrestling/{{M\|ontelVontaviousPorter}}VP. His rise to the position coincided with MVP being forced to wrestle again, although part of MVP's abuses ''were'' that he continued to insert himself into matches in spite of the unfair advantage his position gave him. He had only stopped wrestling because of a [[RealLifeWritesThePlot knee injury]] and had turned his abuses to instead showing overt favoritism to Wrestling/BobbyLashley.
79	* Lexie Fyfe, who had retired from ring work to run Wrestling/{{SHIMMER}}'s sister promotion SHINE, was "forced" out of retirement via an EngineeredPublicConfession by Allison Danger, who wasn't about to let her off the hook on the subject of sending Portia Perez out of SHIMMER with a loss. Danger also got Wrestling/DaizeeHaze to return, while Perez herself recruited The Lovely Lacey...though Lacey got out of the saddle and went back to managing when her regular partners Radiant Rain and Jetta got back on.
80	* El Hijo Del Santo, who had previously hung up his boots after getting discouraging results from his doctor's physical, returned to competing in the ring for his Todo X el Todo promotion in 2015. The next year the reason why became obvious. He was preparing to guide the career of his son, El Santo Jr, who debuted as his TagTeam partner in The Crash.[[/folder]]
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82	[[folder:Video Games]]
83	* In ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'', Dietrich Kellerman, the legendary Belkan AcePilot-turned-VeteranInstructor (and you have to be really good to become a legend of the [[BadassArmy Belkan Air Force]]), is sent back to the frontlines during the Belkan War to boost the troops' morale.
84	* ''VideoGame/IWasATeenageExocolonist'': Chief Surveyor Tonin will retire near the end of the second year, giving command of the surveyors to his second-in-command, Utopia. However, second-in-command positions are informal for most of the game, resulting in newly minted official second-in-command positions getting filled via election near the end of it. Some choices can result in Utopia's elected second-in-command being Tonin, who has come out of retirement.
85	* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', Solid Snake [[strike:gets back to business]] is kidnapped and forcibly recruited after retiring to raise sled dogs in Alaska.
86	%%* From '''''VideoGame/{{METAL WOLF CHAOS}}''''' we have '''MICHAEL''' Wilson, '''PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES''', who fights for '''''BURNING AMERICAN JUSTICE''''' after being betrayed by his Vice President '''''RICHAAAAAAARD''''' Hawk.
87	%% Please add more context and remove the excess formatting and allcaps.
88	* This gets Lt. General Raul of ''VideoGame/RadiantHistoria'' killed in one of many [[FissionMailed false]] [[BadEnding bad endings]].
89	* An odd example in ''VideoGame/StarcraftII: Heart of the Swarm'' -- Kerrigan has spent several years ''[[TheCorruption not being human]]'', so she's understandably been sidelined during her recovery process (and while the heroes find out how much they can trust her). When the Dominion shows up at the remote facility where she's hiding, though, she is forced to defend herself and then fight her way out of the base in a mission that is ''[[LampshadeHanging actually called]]'' "Back in the Saddle".
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Web Original]]
93	* A backstory element of ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'' includes the retirement Spectre, the UltimateGamer386 of the time and Amaras' mentor. One of the twists of the story includes Spectre coming back after a new faction was added to the game in which the story is set.
94	[[/folder]]
95
96	[[folder:Western Animation]]
97	* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', Bruce Wayne has long since retired from being Batman due to old age and a crippling heart condition. He now mentors and acts as the VoiceWithAnInternetConnection to the new Batman. However, on two occasions he's taken up the fight again. On the first, he did it with the aid of PoweredArmor. On the second, he was returned to a younger age through the use of a [[AppliedPhlebotinum Lazarus Pit]]. Both times, his [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic heroic theme]] from ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' plays for him. Both can be conveniently watched [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqRATvE-gXo here]].
98	* ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'': In "The Dog and Piggy Show", Jackie tells Jade that the crotchety old Uncle was a kickass martial artist when he was his age. Meanwhile, Uncle discovers that [[ImmortalityInducer the Dog Talisman possesses the powers of immortality and rejuvenation]], which he secretly uses to help Jackie fight the Dark Hand's newest enforcer, the freelancer Hak Foo.
99	* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'': Deconstructed in "Bills Are Made To Be Broken". After Bill's record for most touchdowns at Arlen High is unfairly broken, Hank finds out that Bill is technically eligible to play and tie the record ([[GracefulLoser even though Bill was okay with it being broken]]). However, in the 20+ years since Bill last played football, the fact that he's a fat, out-of-shape man in his 40s makes him not as energetic as he used to be and tires out quickly, saying that he can train or play the game; he can't do both. And when he plays the game, he keeps on going and scores, but the younger players piling on him quickly takes a toll on his body, managing to break his legs. And while he gets that touchdown, he's unable to move and is presumably carted off and has to rehab.
100	* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'', the decrepitly old Captain Righteous and Lefty are brought out of retirement because of their reputation in the past of being the only ones able to stop the Ministry of Pain. The Ministry themselves are also decrepitly old and have gone senile. They could have easily been stopped by the Powerpuffs, though Blossom insists that Righteous and Lefty be allowed to do it because the girls needed to respect their elders.
101	* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': The first arc of season 2 revolves around finding a surviving clone commander, CT-7567 "Captain Rex". While at first he is reluctant to get back into a war after so many years, the Jedi sent to recruit him accidentally brought the Empire with them. The ensuing fight between the clones and the Empire resparks Rex's BloodKnight heritage and he officially joins the rebellion.
102	* ''WesternAnimation/WingCommanderAcademy'': In one episode, the ''[[TheBattlestar Tiger's Claw]]'' is attacked while most of her fighter wing is away. Because his remaining pilots are badly outnumbered, Commodore Tolwyn decides to climb into a fighter to [[RankScalesWithAsskicking personally take part in the fighting]].
103	** Also {{inverted}} in at least one episode, where Tolwyn has Maverick stay aboard the ''Claw'' and supervise from the bridge while the rest of the fighter wing goes to fight the Kilrathi, in order to teach the cadet what it [[AnAesop means to be in command]], knowing that [[TheChainsOfCommanding others might die following your orders]].
104	* ''WesternAnimation/ExtremeGhostbusters'': Egon Spengler reunites with the rest of the original Ghostbusters (Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Winston Zeddemore) in the series' final episode. Venkman even quotes the trope name verbatum.
105	-->'''Venkman:''' Suit up boys, we're back in the saddle!
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Real Life]]
109	* In November of 1915, First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill resigned from the government to take a commission as an Army officer on the Western Front. Churchill had previously served in the British Army from 1895-1900.
110	[[/folder]]

Context Main / BackInTheSaddle