| 1 | ->''You're here, there's nothing I fear\ |
| 2 | And I know that my heart will go on\ |
| 3 | We'll stay forever this way\ |
| 4 | You are safe in my heart, and my heart will go on and on'' |
| 5 | -->-- '''Music/CelineDion''', "[[Film/Titanic1997 My Heart Will Go On]]" |
| 6 | |
| 7 | A ([[MenAreTheExpendableGender usually male]]) LoveInterest ([[TemporaryLoveInterest temporary]] or otherwise) is killed off to show the (usually) female survivor's strength, perhaps as a HeartbrokenBadass. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | Note that the dead party doesn't have to be completely disposable: they often become TheLostLenore, and continue to have an impact on the heroine. There may also be SomeoneToRememberHimBy. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | The surviving character is also a likely recipient of RomancingTheWidow, although in other cases she'll choose to remain loyal to her deceased love's memory. For lovers who exist ''solely'' for this trope, see DisposableWoman. Compare and contrast TheMourningAfter and ExcessiveMourning. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | To anyone who finally got that Music/CelineDion song out of their heads only for it to [[EarWorm creep back in]], TropeCo/TropeCo sincerely apologizes. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | !!As this is a {{Death Trope|s}}, [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff unmarked spoilers abound]]. [[Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned Beware]]. |
| 16 | ---- |
| 17 | !!Examples: |
| 18 | |
| 19 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 20 | |
| 21 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 22 | * In ''Anime/AquarionEvol'', Yunoha gets this when Jin dies. Her heart almost ''doesn't'' go on, but she gets over her depression after a few episodes. |
| 23 | * The ending of ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' confirms that Mikasa loved Eren [[spoiler:and that Eren loved her too, however his death at her hands due to his ThanatosGambit prevents anything from happening. Chapter 139.5, that serves as the series epilogue, shows that Mikasa married and started a family with another man, finally moving forward in life like Eren wanted, but it also shows that she still visits him and places flowers symbolizing she still loves and mourns him. She is finally seen being buried in the scarf Eren gave her, showing she never forgot him]]. |
| 24 | * ''Manga/BlackClover'': When the body of Lumiere is about to crumble away after the battle against Zagred, Nero tells him that she'll go with him. Lumiere asks her not to, telling Nero that she should move on and not close off her potential by dying with him because she has so much left to accomplish with her life. Nero finds companionship without him in the Black Bulls, remembering Lumiere's words when they save her and Asta from the Magic Parliament. |
| 25 | * In ''Manga/CardCaptorSakura'', Maki runs a toy shop called Twin Bells, because that's what her late fiancé always dreamed of doing. Although she isn't shown to be seeing anyone else, she is shown to be [[FriendlyShopkeeper cheerful, content, and hard-working]], and her love for her fiancé is what motivates her to keep the store running. |
| 26 | * The manga adaptation of the spinoff game to the original ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'', ''Tomoyo After''. After Tomoya tells Tomoyo to be strong despite his imminent death, he dies, and Tomoyo lives on. |
| 27 | * ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'''s continuity, ''[[Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren Advent Children]]'', has a subplot involves [[{{Wangst}} Cloud Strife]] having [[MyGreatestFailure a self-pity]] toward [[DoomedByCanon Aerith's]] [[ItWasHisSled death]]. It takes a good portion of the movie for him to get over it, and so the girl can finally move on to the next world with her also-dead first-love/boyfriend, Zack (who was also DoomedByCanon). Ironically, Cloud did a [[MySiblingWillLiveThroughMe platonic]] version of this trope towards Zack in the original [=FF7=] itself, as Zack was Cloud's BigBrotherMentor, who sacrificed his life to save a teenage Cloud in the prequel ''VideoGame/CrisisCore''. |
| 28 | * Played with in ''Manga/FruitsBasket''. After her husband dies, Kyoko Honda goes insane from grief and nearly kills herself to reunite with him in the afterlife. While she does pull through and continue strongly on, she is motivated to do so by her love for her daughter (though she does still remember and love her husband). |
| 29 | * The manga of ''Manga/GakuenAlice'', with Yuka and Yukihara-sensei. He goes and dies ''the morning after they have sex the first (and obviously only) time''. If it wasn't for Mikan flubbing with time traveling, Yukihara-sensei never would have known he had a daughter at all. |
| 30 | * ''Anime/GlassFleet'': One night of romance and all Michel gets out of it is her lover's psychotic brother for a friend after her lover decides to [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifice himself]]. There may be a [[WildMassGuessing baby involved too]]. |
| 31 | * ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'': |
| 32 | ** Played straight by [[TheCaptain Murrue Ramius]] in the OVA epilogue of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'', sans child; she's depicted as coping well with the HeroicSacrifice of her love interest Mu La Flaga... until sequel series ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'' turns it into a subversion halfway through the series: Mu returns as CriminalAmnesiac Neo Roanoke, and suddenly Murrue isn't coping as well as she'd seemed to be up to that point. |
| 33 | ** This happens to Marvette Fingerhut and Elischa Clansky in ''Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam'', after Marvette's NewOldFlame Oliver commits an HeroicSacrifice first, and later Elischa's boyfriend Odelo perishes in the GrandFinale. The first of the girls is pregnant in the end of the story, too. |
| 34 | * Invoked in ''Anime/{{Hal}}''. Hal was killed in a plane crash, and a robot called Q01 was given his appearance and personality to help his girlfriend Kurumi come to terms with his death. [[spoiler:Though the end of the movie reveals that it's actually the other way around. Q01 was copying [[DeadAllAlong Kurumi]] to help Hal, and Hal had deluded himself into thinking he was the robot as a coping mechanism.]] |
| 35 | * ''Anime/IsabelleOfParis'': By the end of the anime, both of Isabelle's love interests, the much older ObliviousToLove Captain Victor Langlois and the UnluckyChildhoodFriend Jean, along all her friends and remaining family, have been decimated by the French army. Thus, Isabelle is forced to flee and start a new life elsewhere, but not before staring at the rubble of the city that she used to call home and uttering the following. |
| 36 | -->'''Isabelle:''' ''"I...live."'' |
| 37 | * The first part of the manga ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' uses a variant of this by making the dying lover be the main character. |
| 38 | * Occurs in the anime movie ''Anime/LikeTheCloudsLikeTheWind'', with a rather effeminate prince in the role of doomed love interest. |
| 39 | * Lindy Harlaown from ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' lost her husband about eleven years before the events of the first season. She went on to have a successful military career (she's an admiral by the time she was introduced) [[GoodParents while raising their son Chrono]], and it's clear that she's long since come to terms with his death. It also fits with her role as Precia Testarossa's GoodCounterpart, since one of Precia's primary flaws was her inability to cope with the death of her daughter Alicia. |
| 40 | * At the end of ''Manga/MaisonIkkoku'', Kyoko Otonashi finally marries Yusaku Godai, [[BabiesEverAfter and they even have a child together,]] though Kyoko still fondly rembers her late first-husband, Soichiro, as her first love. |
| 41 | ** In a very early chapter of the manga/episode of the anime, when Kyoko, her parents and Soichiro's father, Mr. Otonashi, go to the cementary to pay omage to Soichiro, Mr. Otonashi has a very frank discussion with Kyoko, where he bluntly tells her to move on. Mr. Otonashi implores her not to forget Soichiro and although the time she and his son were married were the happiest years of Socihiro's life, he also tells her that if she falls in love with someone else, then she has his blessings to be with that someone, since it's not healthy to be so obsessed with a dead man. |
| 42 | * In ''Anime/{{Monster}}'', though Martin dies almost [[YankTheDogsChain immediately after he and Eva realize they're in love]], he does leave a permanent impression on her character: After hearing of his death, the long-time alcoholic walks immediately into the nearest bar and, against all odds, [[DrinkBasedCharacterization orders coffee]] because she knew how much Martin detested liquor. She ends up quitting her ten-year habit altogether by the epilogue. |
| 43 | * ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'': |
| 44 | ** After Tsunade lost her boyfriend, Dan, decades ago, she developed a fear of blood, started to lead a hedonistic lifestyle, and came to view the position of Hokage as a fool's job. But then she meets the titular character. After a series of events, she decides to accept the mantle of the Fifth Hokage, partly as an honor to Dan, partly so she can protect everyone she holds dear. Her newfound perseverance is strong enough that when [[BelligerentSexualTension Jiraiya]] dies a few years later, she is devastated, but recovers much quicker than she did with Dan. |
| 45 | ** Asuma's death serves as this for Kurenai, who lives on to [[SomeoneToRememberHimBy give birth to their daughter]]. |
| 46 | * Referenced in ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' where Chisame suggests that Negi re-enact this trope with his older form by pretending to die in the Magic World's arena after he confesses his love for Ako and wins the last bout so that Ako won't get ''too'' heartbroken [[OlderAlterEgo in regards to the truth]]. |
| 47 | -->'''Chisame:''' And so, Nagi is "dead" and their love lives on forever in Izumi's heart. It's beautiful... \ |
| 48 | '''Natsumi:''' No! No way! \ |
| 49 | '''Akira:''' That's not a "Happy End" at all! |
| 50 | * In ''Manga/TheRoseOfVersailles'', Oscar and André become a couple and consummate their love. Then André bites it the next day, leaving Oscar alone to apparently singlehandedly win the day at the Storming of the Bastille, and dramatically die the day after André does. |
| 51 | * In the first season of TheNineties ''Anime/SailorMoon'' anime, Moon says her tearful goodbyes to the fallen Mamoru and walks with dignity to fight Beryl. In [[Manga/SailorMoon the manga]]... [[DrivenToSuicide not so much]]. |
| 52 | * Happens in ''Manga/SilentMobius'', wherein Katsumi finally recovers from her [[LoveMakesYouEvil bout of insanity]] after Roy’s murder by [[BigBad Ganossa]], and decides to move on. |
| 53 | * YuriGenre version: In ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}'', when [[TheAce Kanade]] was alive, she was [[TheWoobie Tsubasa]]'s sole source of strength. After Kanade's HeroicSacrifice, Tsubasa become an IceQueen to be able to continue fighting the Noise. When Hibiki comes into the scene [[RookieRedRanger inheriting (a shard of) Kanade's power]], Tsubasa doesn't take it well (read:at all). It is a subversion because it shows that Tsubasa is still pretty hung up on Kanade's death and it ended up holding her true potential back. Once she started accepting Hibiki, and truly got over Kanade's death, that is when her heart truly went on and she became even more powerful than her IceQueen days. |
| 54 | * ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'': |
| 55 | ** For such an otherwise uplifting show, it is pretty brutal about this. Not just one, but ''two'' of Yoko's potential lovers end up killed within 24 hours of only getting to first base. And it even works the other way: Nia experiences a CriticalExistenceFailure immediately after being officially married to Simon (as in, right there at the altar, not after the honeymoon). It's no wonder that both of them seem to be avoiding contact with other adults in the epilogue... |
| 56 | ** A minor character, Makken, performs a HeroicSacrifice in one of the final episodes. His wife Leyte gives herself no more than three seconds before setting aside her grief and contributing for the remaining battle to her fullest. |
| 57 | * In ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'', Wolfwood finally seals the deal with the girl (Milly), who he's been flirting with for a while... and bites it the very freaking next day. She, of course, is more of a main character, and stoically toughs it out with her pal, who's much luckier in the guy department. |
| 58 | ** In the manga, this relationship doesn't exist, and an incredible amount of HoYay with two other male characters (Vash and Midvalley) did, and his death ''could'' have had more meaning as this - instead he was given the WhatHappenedToTheMouse treatment so much by the surviving one of those so much that it made most of the slash fanbase ''hate'' Nightow for what seemed an obvious WriterCopOut paired with BuryYourGays. |
| 59 | [[/folder]] |
| 60 | |
| 61 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 62 | * The relationship between Ninjara and Mokoshan from ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesAdventures'' (see DisposableWoman for additional details) fits this trope perfectly. Including the child. |
| 63 | [[/folder]] |
| 64 | |
| 65 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 66 | * In the first story of ''Fanfic/BequeathedFromPaleEstates'', a main plot point is Oberyn Martell struggling to accept his ArrangedMarriage to Lyarra Stark, while he's still mourning for his paramour Ellaria. He ultimately comes to realise that even if his relationship for Ellaria was special and a big part of his life, he still has place in his heart for loving Lyarra. |
| 67 | * ''Fanfic/CrossAngeTheKnightOfHilda:'' Upon seeing that his friend Sarah had died years earlier, Rio falls into despair until two things pull him back [[spoiler: 1) a message left to him by Sarah that she entrusted to Jasmine 2) Hearing Hilda sing the lullaby her mother used to sing for her (Hilda had been egged on by Ange until her pride couldn't take it anymore)]]. |
| 68 | * In ''Fanfic/ADifferentLesson'', [[CrusadingWidow Xiulan the cow]] reveals that first husband was one of the victims of Tai Lung's rampage, and she eventually [[spoiler:loses her second husband, Zhuang, who ends up becoming collateral in the BigBad's EvilPlan [[LieToTheBeholder to frame Tai Lung for taking an innocent life]]]]. The first loss led to her hatred of Tai Lung, and the second only worsened it, leaving her more and more vulnerable to the villain's manipulations. However, the sequel vignette "Love Goes On And On" in ''FanFic/DifferentTalesDifferentLessons'' has her eventually come to terms with [[spoiler:Zhuang's death, thanks to [[DeadPersonConversation his ghost visiting her to offer consolation, advice, and a final farewell]]]]. This is at least partly motivated by the fact that she already had a child with him, rather than being pregnant with one, but also because he tells her that the future happiness of herself and their daughter Yi depends on letting go of her hatred towards Tai Lung. This is why in the end of the original fic, she finally allows Yi to be Tai Lung's god-daughter and eventually train in kung fu with him, since making peace with Tai Lung would have been crucial in bringing about the peace and forgiveness that he would have (and had already) wanted. |
| 69 | * This happens in ''[[Fanfic/BloomingMoonChronicles Hecate's Orphanage]]'' to Cadence, with the death of Thesis. However, this doesn't stop her from remaining a badass, though she never really has another love interest. |
| 70 | * The ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' story, ''[[Fanfic/LegacyTotalDrama Legacy]]'' does a gender flip with the bereaved Trent. He starts out in deep mourning after the death of his first love and continues to make annual gestures of remembrance, but he otherwise goes on to live a normal life. |
| 71 | * ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'': As per her introductory narration in the remastered version below, Grace is a [[PlayedStraight straight]] example, though the pain of losing her husband never really faded away. |
| 72 | -->''"Grace sighed as, for a moment, she felt every part of three hundred years catch up to her. No one, not even Annie who was twenty years her senior, would ever know what travails she had seen through in her three hundred years. Grace had come here from the [[GrimUpNorth North]], having [[YouCantGoHomeAgain lost her home]] a hundred years ago when the [[ForeverWar war]] between the Goddess Reborn and the Queen of the Jagged Crown began. She had seen terrible things during that journey, which included the loss of her dearest husband.'' |
| 73 | -->''Considering the fact that Grace was possibly the only Dark Elf in Baskerville, those travails would stay with her till the end of her days. Grace walked out, putting a cheery smile on her face. Still, life could be worse. She made people smile, laugh and forget that the world still needed to turn without anyone capable of stopping it."'' |
| 74 | * ''Fanfic/OneDayAtATimeNyame'' and its sequel ''Fanfic/TheSuperheroGame'' reveal that Donna Troy (Wonder Woman II) fell in love with Jason Todd-Wayne (Batman III) after the death of her FirstLove Roy Harper, who was Jason's best friend. In a strange variation of this trope, Roy's ghost was a barely a stumbling block in their relationship because by the time they had gotten together he had been dead for decades. |
| 75 | * In ''Fanfic/RainbowDoubleDashsLunaverse'', anypony looking for a serious relationship with Cadence gets "The Talk". Not the one about biology, that's generally already been covered before the relationship gets to this point, but The Talk about what it means to love an immortal. Cadence has loved in the past. She has wed some of her lovers, and though she was faithful to each of them while they lived, and mourned each of them after their death, each time the mourning ended and she found new love. And this will happen again. She cannot and will not hide that, and if the pony she gives the talk to cannot accept that, then they must leave, for she cannot change what she is. |
| 76 | * ''Fanfic/RedemptionKHR'' is the tale about how not only did Sawada Tsunayoshi redeemed the sins of the Vongola, but also how he learns to move on with his life after the death of his FirstLove. This is emphasized in the penultimate chapter during the celebration for the end of the Scolgio war, where Tsuna sees Chrome, hesitates briefly before asking her for a dance, at the urging of Kyoko's spirit. The epilogue reveals that he and Chrome would eventually marry and by all accounts have a happy life together, even though they couldn't have kids. |
| 77 | [[/folder]] |
| 78 | |
| 79 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 80 | * In ''Film/BecomingJane'', Jane breaks off her elopement plans with Tom so he can take care of his family, but she ends up with some priceless writing material. |
| 81 | * In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', this happens to a positive, strengthening effect with Bruce and Rachel, though it doesn't work out so well for Mr. Dent. |
| 82 | * ''Film/TheLastUnicorn'' has a slight variation. Lir isn't dead yet, but his mortal life is nothing compared to the immortal unicorn who will forever remember him and the love it had for him. |
| 83 | * ''Film/MoreThanEver'': Invoked, then defied. Hélène asks Matthieu to leave her because she thinks that he would be better off without a wife who isn't waiting around to die — he can start over and have a new family. He retorts that this way of thinking is incredibly hurtful to him. |
| 84 | * Grief for her boyfriend Glen helps turn Nancy from ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'' into an ActionGirl, and this revealed inner strength lets her cope with chronic nightmares until the [[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet3DreamWarriors third film]]. She goes on to become a professional dream therapist, kicking Freddy's ass once herself and becoming TheMentor to the third film's characters. |
| 85 | * In ''Film/{{Ophelia}}'', a PerspectiveFlip of ''Hamlet'', Ophelia outlives Hamlet and though she is grieved by the loss of him, she is resolved to keep living a fulfilling life and not give in to despair and vengeance. It's also implied he is the father of her daughter. |
| 86 | * Subverted (kinda-sorta) in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'' because Will becomes the Captain of the ''FlyingDutchman'', which means he must serve for 10 years at sea and Elizabeth can't join him during that time. They get one day together on the beach before he leaves and TheStinger after the credits shows Lizzie with a child, so you do the math. As Lizzie and the kid stand there, the ''Dutchman'' appears, with Will standing on the rigging. WordOfGod says that since Will fulfilled his obligation of ferrying souls to the afterlife and his love would be waiting for him by the time he's allowed to go ashore (a detail cut out of the movie), he will be coming back for good. He finally does come back for good as his curse is lifted in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMenTellNoTales''. |
| 87 | * ''Film/PlanetTerror'' kills off almost all the male characters (and the fate of the one who ''isn't'' killed off on screen is never resolved), and only one female character, although she gets [[BrainFood her brain eaten]] soon enough in the film that she barely qualifies as a character at all. |
| 88 | * In ''Film/{{Premonition}}'' the main character manages to reconnect with her husband and does try to save his life before ending up pregnant with their third child. |
| 89 | * ''Film/SomewhereInTime'' reverses this trope as the story is told from the man's perspective and he can't go on living without her. |
| 90 | * Sarah Connor at the end of ''Film/TheTerminator'', providing a popularizing template for the "left with child" version. It's actually a ForegoneConclusion; before she cuts him off, Kyle Reese tells her that the father of her son and future RebelLeader John Connor dies, but that she goes on to train John to fight back against the machines. It later turns out that Kyle is John's father; he and Sarah were only together briefly before he's killed protecting her, but she obviously cares deeply for him and she swiftly avenges him by [[TookALevelInBadass destroying the Terminator herself]]. The movie ends with a pregnant Sarah debating whether to tell John that Kyle is his father; she knows the future is going to be rough for humanity but also that she can guarantee their victory over Skynet. |
| 91 | * This trope takes its name from the love theme and ending song of ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'' (performed by Music/CelineDion), where Rose keeps her promise that she'll survive. In Jack's honor, she makes a new life for herself, spending several years having adventures that she never would have wanted or dared as a socialite, [[MarryForLove marries for love instead of money]], and has a family. |
| 92 | * Winnie in ''Film/TuckEverlasting'' learns through Jesse's love that it's better to live a limited life to the fullest then be stuck like a rock in a stream. |
| 93 | * An after-the-fact example in ''Film/TheWhalesOfAugust'' with Sarah, who still mourns the husband who was killed in World War I some forty years ago. On their anniversary she sets a table with two roses and his portrait, pours a glass of wine, and reminisces about how he undressed her on their honeymoon. |
| 94 | * ''Film/WonderWoman2017'': Diana will keep fighting for justice even though Steve died, sacrificing himself to save others. |
| 95 | [[/folder]] |
| 96 | |
| 97 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 98 | * Referenced in ''Literature/AmericanGods''. Jacquel mentions how the widower of the dead old lady he and Shadow are carting off to the morgue will soon be dead himself, since women are much better at surviving their men than the other way around. Considering he's actually a death god, he presumably knows what he's talking about. |
| 99 | * Subverted in the ''Literature/ApprenticeAdept'' series. Stile discovers a prophecy promising him a child, so he puts off romancing the Lady Blue until after the big battle [[YouCantFightFate to ensure his own safety]]. |
| 100 | * Happens to a character in Creator/MaggieFurey's ''Aurian'' books. Complete with kid, and coming back as a ghost. Multiple times, until Death gets cheesed off and puts a stop to it. |
| 101 | * Happens in the ''[[Literature/TheBlackMagicianTrilogy Black Magician]]'' series by Trudi Canavan. In the last book Sonea falls in love with the GoodAllAlong [[BigBad Akkarin]] and he sacrifices himself to help her defeat their enemies. |
| 102 | * In Creator/SuzanneCollins's ''Literature/CatchingFire'', Peeta tries to persuade Katniss that this trope will come into play if he dies. It only makes her [[MoreHeroThanThou more determined to save him at her own expense]]. |
| 103 | * At the end of the first book of Creator/AnthonyTrollope's ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfBarsetshire'', the elderly hero's daughter marries the secondary hero. At the beginning of the second book, he's died and left her with a baby-and enough money to be pursued by multiple suitors. |
| 104 | ** This is partly because Trollope ''hated'' John Bold, but also because he originally envisioned the second book to be more Slope vs. Arabin than it eventually turned out to be. If you read the book carefully, it changes form and direction at the end of Chapter Eight, which is where Trollope put it away for almost a year. When he returned to it, he'd found he'd written himself into a corner but didn't want to expend the energy to rewrite the first eight chapters. |
| 105 | * Totally subverted in ''The Dead Room'' by Heather Graham. [[ISeeDeadPeople Leslie]] is still mourning the death of her fiancé [[GhostlyGoals Matt]], and then she meets his [[UncannyFamilyResemblance cousin]]... who she does NOT get together with. She also gets murdered by the killer, and happily reunites with Matt in the afterlife. |
| 106 | * In Creator/RobinJarvis' ''Literature/DeptfordMice'' trilogy, Audrey manages to move on after [[StarCrossedLovers her true love Piccadilly]] is killed. Also there is Ysabelle in the prequel book, ''The Oaken Throne'', who accepts the office of Starwife after the death of Vesper and rules [[WizardsLiveLonger for nearly three hundred years]]. |
| 107 | * ''Literature/DreambloodDuology'': In that case, his heart. Ehiru, having become a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Reaper]], inevitably has to be sent to [[DreamLand Ina-Karekh]] by Nijiri, who is in love with Ehiru. Nijiri's only option is to face that they could never have been together because Ehiru's loyalty and love lay solely with their goddess Hananja. It is also the first Gathering Nijiri performs, making him Ehiru's successor, and is a turning point for Nijiri's development towards a calm, responsible young man and Gatherer. |
| 108 | * ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': |
| 109 | %%** [[spoiler: Susan]] becomes this for Harry after her death in ''Literature/{{Changes}}''. |
| 110 | ** It happens again in ''Literature/BattleGround'', this time with Harry having to deal with the death of [[spoiler: Karen, and so shortly after the two of them finally decided to act on their feelings for each other]]. |
| 111 | * Played for horror in ''Literature/FlyByNightSeries'', where the girl in question happily informs her father that it doesn't matter that he killed the beast, because she's about to bear its spawn. |
| 112 | * Cho Chang from ''Literature/HarryPotter''. In the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire fourth]] and [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix fifth books]] she still grieves for Cedric's death, but by the end of the story she was able to move on and get married. The same could be said with Harry, as by the seventh book [[BetterAsFriends she become friendly with him once more]]. |
| 113 | * In ''At All Costs'' from ''Literature/HonorHarrington'', Admiral Javier Giscard, ''de facto'' husband of President Eloise Pritchart of the Republic of Haven, is killed in battle, which quite simply breaks her heart. Never one to give in to grief, she eventually makes a dramatic midnight dash to the Manticore System, clears up several years' worth of misunderstandings with the Star Kingdom, and seals the deal by signing a political and military ''alliance'' with Manticore. '''Never''' will Eloise Pritchart allow the man she loved to die for nothing. |
| 114 | * Variant in the ''Literature/KateShugak'' mystery series. Kate's dead lover doesn't leave her with a baby... but she does wind up raising his teenage son from his previous marriage (the biological mother isn't dead; the kid just prefers Kate, and with good reason). |
| 115 | * In ''Literature/TheKingdomAndTheCrown'' the Greek girl Livia's Jewish husband is killed during a Roman ambush. Rather than return to her home, she opts to remain in his home village. |
| 116 | * In Creator/JackCampbell's ''[[Literature/TheLostFleet Lost Fleet]]'' novel ''Dreadnaught'', Rione tells Desjani that if anything happens to Geary, she may have to play this trope, as a grieving widow, to the hilt to save the Alliance. In ''Invincible'', Geary has AnxietyDreams of Desjani's death, and Desjani tells him that this would be his duty, that she doesn't want people to look at him and think she ruined him by dying, and that she herself would soldier on. |
| 117 | * If it's a {{Death Trope|s}}, the ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'' has it. In this case Seren Pedac (pregnant) and Trull Sengar (killed almost as an afterthought) in ''Literature/ReapersGale''. It serves as the moment where Seren finally decides to stop pitying herself and rolls up her metaphorical sleeves. |
| 118 | %%* The version with the child is played straight in the ''Literature/SallyLockhart'' trilogy. |
| 119 | * When Janie of Zora Neale Hurston's ''Literature/TheirEyesWereWatchingGod'' finally finds a man who loves and respects her after two failed marriages, she gets only about a year of happiness with him before he contracts rabies and goes crazy, forcing her to [[ShootTheDog shoot him]]. Not to worry, though; Janie's now independent enough to stand on her own without a man to support her and she'll always have fond memories of Tea Cake. |
| 120 | [[/folder]] |
| 121 | |
| 122 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 123 | * In ''Series/{{Alias}}'' season 5, played with when Vaughn is "dead". |
| 124 | * ''Series/AltaMar'': [[spoiler:Eva]]'s closing voiceover after the death of [[spoiler:Nicolas]] in Season 3 all but states this is what will happen to her. |
| 125 | * Played with in ''Series/{{Angel}}'' with the death of Wesley. Even though Illyria is not his girlfriend, it's later revealed in the comic continuation that she cared about him enough that his death made her even crazier. This is a brilliant example of the "finishing off the BigBad by herself" subtrope, as immediately afterward Illyria is given "one free shot" by Wesley's killer, who thinks she's the powerless human Fred and not the angsty hellgod that she actually is. Her rapid transformation from one to the other as she punches the bad guy is priceless. |
| 126 | * In ''Series/DoctorWho'', both Clara Oswald and River Song serve this function for the Doctor. The memory of Clara, in particular, keeps the Doctor functioning while trapped in a torture chamber-like location for ''billions'' of years. |
| 127 | * At the end of ''{{Series/Dollhouse}}'', Echo and Paul. Worse because not only will her heart go on,[[spoiler: a fully sentient copy of his consciousness will go on in her head, too.]] |
| 128 | * Happens multiple times in ''Series/DowntonAbbey'': |
| 129 | ** Tom loses Sybil to eclampsia just after she gives birth to their daughter, giving us a gender swap on the usual [[SomeoneToRememberHimBy surviving parent and baby]] story. He goes on to start his own business and builds a life independent of, but not excluding, her family. |
| 130 | ** Mary loses Mathew just after giving birth to their son. At first, Mary is completely heartbroken at Matthew's death and doesn't ''want'' to go on, but her family (especially her grandmother) convince her to continue on in Matthew's memory. She becomes a strong, independent woman, a full partner in managing the estate, and running her own life much more than was typical for women of the day. Later, she falls in love with Henry Talbot, and by the end [[spoiler: they're married and Mary is heavily implied to be pregnant with his child]]. |
| 131 | ** Edith doesn't know Gregson's fate for some time, but she is left pregnant with his child, and not only carries on her life as an independent businesswoman, but later arranges to "adopt" her own daughter (whose existence she had hidden) so she can have her back in her life. |
| 132 | * ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': Galadriel lost Celeborn in the wars against Morgoth, and even centuries later, she is still loyal to his memory. |
| 133 | * Touched upon a few times in ''Series/{{Lost}}''. A character dies in the final episode, and his long-time love goes on for years without him. But he, not she, is the main character. A closer example would be the characters Sun and Jin. After losing Jin, Sun goes on, delivers their baby and reinvents herself as a celebrity and a businesswoman. It later turns out, however, that Jin did not die after all... |
| 134 | * At the end of ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'', King Arthur dies, leaving Guinevere as the sole ruler of Camelot. Although the show ends before we get a chance to see how she manages things on her own, WordOfGod states that she brings about the Golden Age of Camelot, and actor Creator/BradleyJames went on to say that Arthur actually ''had'' to die so that the kingdom could be passed on to a ruler who was a peacemaker rather than a war hero. So presumably, she has a long and successful reign. |
| 135 | * It's "his heart will go on" in ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' when Clark finally loses Lana. |
| 136 | [[/folder]] |
| 137 | |
| 138 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 139 | * Music/TheDecemberists' song "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)" is about a young couple where the man has gone off to war, and is now "in the ground with the wolves and the weevils", leaving his wife alone and pregnant. |
| 140 | * The TropeNamer: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3QAqZQYLIQ My Heart Will Go On]]" by Music/CelineDion, the main theme and love theme to the aforementioned ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}''. |
| 141 | ** She also has another similarly-themed song, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdYaGt_sm3Q Immortality]]" (written by and recorded with the Music/BeeGees), released as a single in 1998. |
| 142 | * Decoded Feedback's "Another Loss" is a male example. "In my dreams you live forever, 'cause love will never die". |
| 143 | [[/folder]] |
| 144 | |
| 145 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 146 | * The ending of ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' implies this for Maria, in stark contrast to [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet the aforementioned Shakespeare play it's based on.]] |
| 147 | [[/folder]] |
| 148 | |
| 149 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 150 | * ''Franchise/BaldursGate'': |
| 151 | ** In ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'', if the PC is female (or male but chooses to romance someone else) Jaheira can be seen as an example of this. |
| 152 | ** More clearly in ''[[VideoGame/BaldursGateIIThroneOfBhaal Throne of Bhaal]]'', at the very end, actually in the "epilogue", a PlayerCharacter who had been in a relationship with Viconia becomes a male version. |
| 153 | * The loss of her husband is a [[FailureKnight defining part]] of Guard-Captain Aveline's character in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''. She gets past the loss, but it takes her a lot longer to get over her fear of failing those she cares about again, and she's only more badass for it. |
| 154 | * ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'': |
| 155 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' seems to end this way, occurring during Garnet's coronation, but without Zidane. The theme song "Melodies of Life" even resembles the TropeNamer song. Fortunately, it turns out to be a DisneyDeath, and Zidane even cites the song as what kept him alive. |
| 156 | ** This is pretty much the entire point of the ending of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' and the beginning of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2''. Said female tries to make sure EverybodyLives when she becomes the protagonist. |
| 157 | * This is the fate of the romance route with Shura in the ''Manga/FushigiYuugiGenbuKaiden'' ''Kagami No Miko'' video game. Said love interest dies, leaving the heroine, Mariko, to return to her own world heartbroken. |
| 158 | * Happens in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'': the potential romantic interest invariably dies in the ending. The PC, on the other hand, goes on to romp around the distant country side (with their ''new'' boy/girlfriend, no less) on an epic quest of personal discovery and soul-eating in the Expansion Pack. Sucks to be you, Casavir, Bishop, and Elanee. |
| 159 | ** However, you can actually tell your new love interest, "Sorry, I'm taken." |
| 160 | ** The second expansion pack suggests that Casavir lives, but he is a prisoner of an enemy country. |
| 161 | ** But Neeshka does survive, and it is relatively easy to put her romance plot back into the game. |
| 162 | * This occurs in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1''. After truly losing her fiancé, Gadolt, Sharla doesn't spend a very long time mourning. It only serves as an incentive for her to keep going with Shulk's crew, because she's now fighting not only for Gadolt, but for the world itself. |
| 163 | [[/folder]] |
| 164 | |
| 165 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 166 | * Subverted in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' "Heaven's Feel" [[DownerEnding Normal Ending]], Shirou dies in the final battle. Sakura moves into his house and [[TheMourningAfter remains in mourning for him right up until the day she dies]]. |
| 167 | * In ''VisualNovel/PiofioreFatedMemories'', notably in [[spoiler: Yang]]'s Good Ending, [[spoiler: Yang is killed by Gilbert after he hesitates going for the kill when Gilbert holds Liliana hostage, buying Gilbert enough time to kill him]] and while Liliana survives and returns to the church, she is left heartbroken. |
| 168 | [[/folder]] |
| 169 | |
| 170 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 171 | * In ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'' and [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002 its 2002 reboot]], this is the Sorceress's backstory (with Teela as the kid). |
| 172 | ** While the original series gives zero hint as to the identity of Teela's natural father, it should be noted that in the reboot, the father is actually still alive; however, he doesn't know about the little "gift" he left the Sorceress. The series itself hints that it's Teela's ''adoptive'' father Man-At-Arms, but WordOfGod states they meant it to be Fisto (who is Man-at-Arms' brother). |
| 173 | * [[spoiler:Losing her beloved Kanan]] doesn't stop Hera Syndulla of ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' from becoming an accomplished general in the Rebel Alliance, [[spoiler:even participating in the [[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi Battle of Endor]]]]. She's practically the dictionary definition of this trope, especially since she [[spoiler:gives birth to Kanan's son Jacen after his death]]. |
| 174 | * We have the song "It's Over, Isn't It?" from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'''s "Mr. Greg"; Pearl's love, Rose Quartz, is long dead, but she's still trying to get over her. |
| 175 | * At the end of the first season finale of ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'', Evangelyne says that her heart will not in fact go on, as it has been thoroughly destroyed by IdiotHero Sadlygrove's death. And at the beginning of Season 2 Sadlygrove comes BackFromTheDead and they both resume their relationship, averting this trope. |
| 176 | [[/folder]] |
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