Line #6 PutOnABus/VideoGames


1	* In ''Franchise/AngryBirds'', most games that feature the art style of ''WesternAnimation/AngryBirdsToons'' tend to omit Hal, Bubbles and Stella in order to stay TruerToTheText since Hal and Stella were AdaptedOut and Bubbles had an AdaptationalLateAppearance. The most notorious case was ''VideoGame/AngryBirds2'', as the game was a DolledUpInstallment, these birds where notoriously absent for 4 years until [[TheBusCameBack they all came back]] as [[GuestStarPartyMember Extra Birds]] as part of the [[MilestoneCelebration 10th anniversary of the franchise]].
2	* Tennenbaum in ''VideoGame/BioShock2''. However in the DLC "Minerva's Den, [[TheBusCameBack she makes a return]], explaining her absence in the second game as her working to get the Thinker out of Rapture.
3	* Grant [=DaNasty=] from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse'' and the [=DaNasty=] family line beside brief mentions and a doppelganger boss of him through out the series no one ever talks of him or his family before or after Dracula's Curse. No character has tried to take his place and in other games where Alucard and family members of the other two meet. One of the saddest video game examples as this is now over 30 years since the release of Dracula's Curse. He's not even present for the [[WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017 Castlevania Netflix series]], which is an adaptation of ''Castlevania III'' [[note]] Season 3 does have Trevor and Sypha mention a “Pirate of the Roads” which Creator/WarrenEllis confirmed was a throwaway reference to Grant, a gesture that did little to appease fans [[/note]].
4	** There's a fan divide, as while some would say [[TheBusCameBack he's a playable character in Castlevania Judgement for the Wii]]. Others would point out the game has a notable change in his design to the point he's unrecognizable and is treated as it's own isolated story from the main game, meaning at most its lip service to his existence.
5	** This is only more notable due to the real history of the Danesti family, which Grant is based off, are cousins and rivals of the the Drăculești/Dracul family where Vlad Tepes III, the basis of Dracula, hails from.
6	* In ''VideoGame/CoffeeTalk'', Freya and Hendry, two of your regulars, are absent for most of Episode 2 to fulfill their dreams. [[spoiler:[[TheBusCameBack They return towards the end of the game, however.]]]] In Freya's case, this is because Fahmi, who wrote her character arc in Episode 1, DiedDuringProduction, [[RealLifeWritesThePlot and half of Episode 2's story had to be rewritten to pay respect to him.]]
7	* In the ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' series, Crash's girlfriend Tawna never appeared in any of the main games after [[VideoGame/CrashBandicoot1996 the first one]], her only reappearance being in a side-game titled ''VideoGame/CrashBoomBang''. Her disappearance was never explained in-game, but in the now-defunct [[WordOfGod official website]] of ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack'', as well as in the manual for the Japanese version of the same, Tawna left Crash to be with Pinstripe Potoroo. There were also rumors of MoralGuardians not liking Tawna's character design having an influence on children (mostly due to her cleavage and body type), thus the developers made a new character to be more kid friendly; Crash's sister, Coco, who is a genius with technology.
8	** Eventually, Tawna would reappear in ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot4ItsAboutTime''. Granted, this is a version of her from another timeline, but it still counts.
9	* In ''VideoGame/DarkChronicle'' (aka ''Dark Cloud 2''), Flotsam serves as an early villain, although he's quickly put on a bus early on, not to return until the post-game dungeon.
10	* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'': EVERYONE who isn't Franchise/DonkeyKong, Diddy, Cranky, Funky or Dixie (And almost all the animal friends besides Rambi). Candy, Swanky, Kiddy, Chunky, Lanky, Tiny, and Wrinkly [[note]] though likely justified that she's a ghost now [[/note]], even King K. Rool is long replaced. All just vanished. Contrary to popular belief, Nintendo still owns the characters; they just stopped appearing outside of collectible trophies in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''. However, Tiny and Swanky have since appeared in ''VideoGame/MarioSuperstarBaseball'' (the former as a playable character and the latter as a cameo appearance) and K. Rool eventually returned as a playable character in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''.
11	* The Hero of Ferelden from ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' is revealed to disappeared completely by 9:40, explained through letters in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' as their quest to cure the Calling and grant themselves and fellow Wardens a longer life free of the taint and its negative effects. Subverted in Trespasser if the Warden is in a relationship with Divine Leliana: [[spoiler:she allows open romantic relationships within the Chantry, meaning the Warden once again becomes a very public figure to the people of Thedas.]]
12	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
13	** Eight[[note]]Clavicus Vile, Hermaeus Mora, Meridia, Namira, Nocturnal, Peryite, Sanguine, and Vaermina[[/note]] of the 16 [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Princes]] introduced in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'' do not appear in ''Morrowind''. These missing Princes obviously still exist, several of their artifacts appear, and they are mentioned in dialogue and in in-game books, but they do not make an appearance themselves. All of them [[TheBusCameBack return]] for ''Oblivion''.
14	** Between ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'':
15	*** Imperial [[TheSpymaster Spymaster]] of the Blades in Morrowind and the primary QuestGiver for the first act of the main quest, Caius Cosades, has this happen when he is [[spoiler:recalled to the Imperial City]] about halfway through the main quest. To the disappointment of some players, he does not appear in ''Oblivion'' despite it taking place in Cyrodiil (the Imperial province) only a few years later. However, [[https://www.imperial-library.info/content/ken-rolstons-texts Obscure Texts]] written by designer/developer [[WordOfGod Ken Rolston]] seem to indicate that Caius is alive and well following the Oblivion Crisis.
16	*** Jiub, ''Morrowind''[='=]s EnsembleDarkhorse who was a fellow prisoner of [[PlayerCharacter the Nerevarine]]'s at the start of the game, is not officially seen or heard from after that in-game. He was popular enough with fans to spawn numerous {{Game Mod}}s which add him back to the game and Fan Fics based on him. Bethesda got into the act in ''Oblivion'', with rumors indicating that he eradicated the hated [[GodDamnBats Cliff Racers]] in Morrowind and was made into a Saint as a result. Come ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'''s ''Dawnguard'' DLC, Jiub himself makes an apperance [[spoiler:as a spirit trapped in the Soul Cairn after having been soul-trapped during the Oblivion Crisis]]. He gives the player a quest to collect the scattered volumes of his opus, so that his legend may live on.
17	*** [[PlayerCharacter The Nerevarine]], according to rumors in ''Oblivion'', disappears in the years between the times when the games take place. He is said to have gone on an expedition to [[{{Wutai}} Akavir]] and hasn't been heard from since. Additionally, former [[PhysicalGod Tribunal deity]] Vivec disappears as well, with conflicting reports of him having been taken by the Daedra, killed by the Nerevarine, or escaped into Aetherious, the realm of magic. Due in no small part to the disappearance of these former protectors, Morrowind ends up being particularly hard hit by the Daedric invasion.
18	* ''VideoGame/{{Fahrenheit}}'' has [[spoiler:Tyler leaving to Florida with his fiancee, Sam]]. Even if you [[spoiler:choose to let him stay in New York]], he wouldn't appear in the next chapter.
19	* Dr. Madison Li in ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' gets this treatment in the ''Broken Steel'' expansion. Once you turn on the purifier, Dr. Li leaves the Capital Wasteland for the Commonwealth, even though she just witnessed a major breakthrough in her work. [[spoiler:''VideoGame/Fallout4'' sees her resurfacing as one of the head scientists of the Institute, with an option to have her defect back to the Brotherhood of Steel]].
20	* Yugiri in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' was introduced as a new character in the main story in patch 2.3 and was supposed to be a bigger support character in the ''Heavensward'' scenario. However, Yugiri's voice actress was murdered and the developers put the character on hold out of respect for the voice actress' family. By patch 3.5, the murder case was resolved and a new voice actress was hired, which brought back Yugiri in the story.
21	* During the TimeSkip between the first two ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' games and the third, six of the original eight heroes mysteriously vanish from the plot. Ivan, Mia and Jenna are seemingly just offscreen, given that their children are the new protagonists, but Piers and Felix have gone travelling and Sheba's whereabouts are not even mentioned. Since the game ends with yet another SequelHook, we hopefully haven't heard the last of them.
22	** Felix, at least, has a [[HeroWithBadPublicity good]] [[NeverAcceptedInHisHometown reason]] for pulling a vanishing act.
23	* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'': Starting with ''VideoGame/GuiltyGearXX'', a good number of characters went missing from the roster for a while.
24	** Everyone who's not Sol, Ky, That Man or, to a certain extent, Dizzy is completely absent from ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear2Overture'', which is part of what made it such a ContestedSequel (along with the GenreShift into a strategy game).
25	** Testament, who was an important character in the first two ''Guilty Gear'' games as Justice's [[TheDragon right-hand man]], went out of the picture since ''VideoGame/GuiltyGearXrd''. Aside from a very brief cameo prior, it wasn't until ''VideoGame/GuiltyGearSTRIVE'' where Testament returned as the last Season 1 DLC character.
26	** Among ''Xrd'''s roster, while most of them would make a return in later releases or at least made minor appearances in the game's Story Mode, the most notable total absences were Bridget, whose sole post-''XX'' appearance was in the ''Vastedge'' pachinko game, and A.B.A, who disappeared completely just after ''XX Accent Core Plus'' finally gave her her own Story Mode route. Bridget would eventually return to ''-STRIVE-'' as the first Season 2 DLC character, and likewise for A.B.A as the third Season 3 DLC character.
27	** Dizzy, Johnny, Jam, and Slayer are put a bus for ''Guilty Gear -STRIVE-'' despite most of the other ''Xrd'' cast returning. Anji [[TheBusCameBack gets off the bus]], and is playable for first time since ''Guilty Gear XX'' making this the first time he’s appeared without his partner Baiken (until she was added as DLC, at least). Johnny would return to ''-STRIVE-'' as the first Season 3 DLC character.
28	* In the first ''[[Franchise/DotHack .Hack://]]'' games for Platform/{{P\|layStation2}}S2, in volume 2 Mistral admits she is nearing the end of her pregnancy and can't do anything stressful so she has to log off for a while. She is not seen or heard from again until she magically reappears in the 4th volume. Aura pulls this as well, appearing frequently in volumes 1 and several times in 2, but seems to have forgotten to aid you in your quest in 3 and only appears a couple times in 4.
29	** ''VideoGame/DotHackGU'' does this with the majority of the characters in the game who are not Morganna factors or turned into Lost Ones. Although all of the characters are still selectable and can be adventured with at any time, none of the majority of them, for example Matsu, will ever have importance in the story again until the end of the 3rd game, and then it's optional.
30	* ''VideoGame/HalfLife''
31	** Gordon Freeman, the hero of the original ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'', is put away in the end, and in the end of ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''.
32	** In the end of ''VideoGame/HalfLifeOpposingForce'', G-Man stores the main character, Adrian Shephard away for an undisclosed period of time. This allows for reinstating the character in any future story, even if it is in a completely different era.
33	** At the end of ''Half-Life 2: Episode 1'', Gordon's security guard-buddy Barney Calhoun is put on a train at the end of the game. He does not appear in ''Episode 2'', nor is he mentioned.
34	* ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'':
35	** Jhun Hoon gets run over by a car in-between ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters2000 2000]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters2001 2001]]'', thus rendering him unable to participate in the latter. He recovers in time for ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters2003 2003]]'', but hasn't been playable since.
36	** Both Ángel and K9999 cut their losses and abandon NESTS at the end of ''2001''. The former [[TheBusCameBack reappears]] in ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIV XIV]]'', and the latter in turn in ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXV XV]]'', although under the contrived identity of Krohnen to escape any chance of [[BuryYourArt a repeat of what happened to him for 20 years]].
37	** Chizuru Kagura [[{{Depower}} loses her powers]] during the climax of ''2003'', and [[UselessWithoutPowers having lost her capability for combat]], spends the next few games on the sidelines. Once she regains her powers, she returns for ''XV''.
38	** [[VideoGame/ArtOfFighting Takuma Sakazaki]] gets beaten to unconsciousness in his own dojo at the end of ''2003''. As a result, he misses out on ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXI XI]]'' - and while he did become playable again in ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIII XIII]]'', he has gone back to being an NPC since.
39	** Likewise, Shingo Yabuki is assaulted by Orochi Iori in the end of ''XI'' and spends the entirety of ''XIII'' recuperating from his injuries. He comes back in ''XV'' as a DLC character.
40	** [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Team Samurai]]'s story in ''XV'' begins with both Mui Mui and Love Heart, who appeared in ''XIV'', returning to their home dimensions. And with Creator/{{SNK}} selling off their pachinko assets, they are unlikely to come back.
41	* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
42	** Riku, who is constantly appearing and re-appearing throughout the series, and changes his outfit and role almost every time.
43	** [[spoiler: Aqua in regards to the rest of the series after prequel ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep''. Eraqus and Vanitas are killed, and Braig is still around as Xigbar. Terra and Master Xehanort are still around as Xehanort/Xemnas (sort of, it's Terra's body and both their hearts, but amnesiac) and Ven is still sort of around as Roxas. However Aqua was trapped in the Dark Realm and has no alternate form so she's completely cut out of the story. Everything hints that she'll be making a return though once the series get back on track.]]
44	** This also happened to Sora in ''358/2 Days''. It's [[JustifiedTrope justified due to the story, though.]]
45	** '''All''' the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' characters drop off the face of the earth in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' as Tetsuya Nomura elected to put his original characters over recurring ones. [=FF=] characters only cameo as toy boxes in ''Franchise/ToyStory'' world.
46	* ''VideoGame/LoveAndPies'': Towards the end of Day 12, Joe tells Amelia that he'd be going on a two-day baker's retreat. She gets worried about how the café would do without him, but he tells her that he'll only go if she's alright with it. He reassures her that her friends and family will take care of her while he's out, and he hugs her before he leaves.
47	* Later ''VideoGame/MechWarrior'' games have left Clan mechs out; the creators probably don't want them to be gamebreakers to Inner Sphere mechs.
48	* ''VideoGame/MegaMan'':
49	** A number of characters have disappeared throughout the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series. Dr. Cain vanished after the third game, with some implications that [[BusCrash he retired and eventually died offscreen]], and the ''VideoGame/MegaManMaverickHunterX'' timeline retcons that he was killed before the game even ''started''. Both Douglas and Dynamo disappear without explanation after [[VideoGame/MegaManX6 the sixth game]], and the Lifesaver Reploids only appear in [[VideoGame/MegaManX5 the fifth]].
50	** Prairie and the Guardians from ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'' completely disappear in ''ZX Advent'', though their airship is used by [[SchrodingersPlayerCharacter Vent/Aile]] to help shuttle the player and a few Hunters to Ouroboros.
51	** Proto Man and Bass are completely absent from ''VideoGame/MegaMan11'', not even mentioned outside a single database entry. Duo's appeared in ''VideoGame/MegaMan8'' and a few other games released around the same time, only to fly off into space and never appear again outside of the occasional subtle cameo. King only appeared in ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'' and last the player heard from him he was WalkingTheEarth after his defeat. Cossack and Kalinka more or less vanished after ''VideoGame/MegaMan4'', though Cossack was mentioned as one of the creators of OVER-1 in ''VideoGame/RockmanXover'', and more recently Tundra Man from ''11'' was created by Cossack Robot Laboratories.
52	** The remaining Four Guardians completely disappear from the plot after ''VideoGame/MegaManZero3'', though it's later explained [[AllThereInTheManual in supplementary material]] that [[spoiler: they were all killed at the end of ''Zero 3'' when Omega was destroyed.]] The Mother Elf similarly flies off at the end of ''Zero 3'' and is completely absent from ''Zero 4''.
53	* [[BigBad Morden]], [[TheDragon Allen]], and the Rebel Army are nowhere to be found in ''[[VideoGame/MetalSlug Metal Slug 5]]'', instead being replaced by a much different terrorist organization called the Ptolemaic Army. Also, Nadia and Trevor, who appeared in the fourth game, are left out of the series following the fifth game, before [[TheBusCameBack their reappearance in]] ''[[VideoGame/MetalSlugDefense Defense]]''.
54	* In ''[[VideoGame/MitsumeteKnight Mitsumete Knight R : Daibouken Hen]]'', all characters of the original ''Mitsumete Knight'' game save for [[TheHero Sophia]], [[EmotionlessGirl Raizze]], [[HugeSchoolgirl Leslie]], [[{{Bokukko}} Hanna]], [[RichBitch Linda]], and [[spoiler: [[MonsterClown Carneau]]]] are reduced to mere cameos. Which is really baffling in Priscilla and [[MysteriousWaif Anne's]] cases, as both were poster girls in the original game [[DemotedToExtra and vital characters for its plot]], as well as being well-liked by the fandom.
55	* Due to the number of contractors available in ''{{VideoGame/PAYDAY2}}'' and the unbalanced distribution of new heists, several of them could be considered 'on the bus', though two have reappeared after long hiatuses already, [[spoiler: and one came BackForTheDead.]]
56	* ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers'': Like most ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' spinoffs, Igor is absent for unexplained reasons, leaving Lavenza in charge of the Velvet Room. Most of the Confidants from [[VideoGame/Persona5 the base game]] are also gone, but Iwai and Takemi leave signs explaining why they're gone.
57	* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
58	** Kanto EliteFour [[TheBaroness Lorelei]] is established in ''VideoGame/PokemonFireRedAndLeafGreen'' to have retired to her home in the Sevii Islands, explaining why she's absent from ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver''. She hasn't been seen or mentioned since in the mainline continuities.
59	** ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' saw the removal of the National Dex, meaning that for the first time in series history there would be Pokémon that would not be able to be [[OldSaveBonus brought through from other games]]. Leaks before the release date for the games suggested that the number of bussed Pokémon was ''upwards of 400'', meaning that more than half of existing Pokémon would not be appearing. To help soften the blow, about half of those 400 later [[TheBusCameBack came back via DLC updates]]. As of ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet: The Indigo Disk'', Patrat, Watchog, Pansage, Simisage, Pansear, Simisear, Panpour, Simipour, and Furfrou are the only Pokémon who have not returned to a main series game since the National Dex removal.
60	* Many characters including [[Franchise/DotHack Blackrose]], [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Lady]], [[VideoGame/FightingVipers Bahn]], [[VideoGame/MegaManLegends Tron Bonne]], [[VideoGame/ShiningForceEXA Toma and Cyrille]], [[VideoGame/RivalSchools Batsu]], [[VideoGame/ValkyriaChroniclesIII Imca]] and even [[OriginalGeneration Kogoro and Mii]] did not return for ''[[VideoGame/ProjectXZone Project X Zone 2]]''.
61	** In the case of Kogoro and Mii, however, the two are briefly mentioned at the end of Chapter 37 when the group stumbles upon the Koryuji Estate from the first game. It's revealed that Mii is now an intern at Shinra and Kogoro is working as an intelligence agent for Shinra.
62	* ''VideoGame/RandalsMonday'': [[spoiler:Kramer just disappears from the game after he sends you to prison]].
63	* Meta-example - ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsX'' is the first game since ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsNEO'' to not feature any one of ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'', ''Anime/DancougarNova'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny''; it also excludes ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'' and any form of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'' for the first time since their respective debuts.
64	* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' has the winning distinction putting ''every single one of its protagonists'' on a bus at some point, though characters do tend to reappear in [=REmakes=], Mercenary Mode, Crossovers and the [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheUmbrellaChronicles light gun]] [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheDarkSideChronicles Wii games]]. The five characters who've chronically had the most games and appearances are Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield and Ada Wong thus all five are considered the series mainstays.
65	** Rebecca Chambers story-wise is the first protagonist chronologically but despite being a main character of ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil0 RE0]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil RE1]]'' she was never seen again after those game, 21 years later she appears in ''Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta''. Rebecca's lack of appearances can be attributed Creator/ShinjiMikami having [[CreatorsPest disdain]] for her [[AuthorAppeal compared to the tougher]] ''[=RE=]'' [[ActionGirl heroines]].
66	** Billy Cohen, Rebecca's partner from ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil0 0]]'', who unlike other examples has official status of "[[UncertainDoom unknown]]" as he was a escaped convict. Billy's last appearance is Rebecca giving him a chance of freedom by taking his dogtags before he goes off into the wilderness never to be seen or mentioned again.
67	** Carlos Oliveira from ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis RE3]]'' is Jill's partner who helped defeat the eponymous Nemesis, is one of the few people to survive [[ZombieApocalypse the Raccoon City Incident]] and also seen in Jill's win screen. ''However'' post Raccoon City, Carlos is '''never''' seen again and Jill doesn't mention him.
68	** Bruce [=McGivern=] from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilGunSurvivor'' much like the game he starred in, ''was forgotten quickly''. Though he did appear in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' which is something.
69	** Although he's often considered the most popular character Leon S. Kennedy was PutOnABus after ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 RE2]]'' (1998) and didn't appear in a mainline Resident Evil game until ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 RE4]]'' (2004).... since the game was actually released in 2005 Leon was technically absent from the franchise for a total of six years and only mentioned once by Claire in ''Code Veronica''. Ironic since he's one of the most beloved characters nowadays. Leon’s prominence in the CG media has made up for his lack of appearances in the games after ''[=RE6=]'' (barring the ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake Resident Evil 2 remake]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4Remake Resident Evil 4 remake]]'' of course)
70	** Claire Redfield (Leon's partner) was lucky enough to get [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica a game]] fairly soon after ''[=RE2=]''... however she then vanished for 7 years until her appearance in ''Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration'' then Claire was then put on a bus for another 6 years until ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilRevelations2''. What’s most painful is the [[WordOfGod knowledge]] that [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Claire was actually supposed to Leon’s partner in]] ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 RE6]]'' but she was pulled out late into development and replaced with Helena so she could be in the aforementioned ''Revelations 2'' two years later meaning Claire’s bus trip got prolonged. Six years laters Claire returns in Creator/{{Netflix}}’s ''Anime/ResidentEvilInfiniteDarkness'' alongside Leon, the last time they stared together being ''Degeneration'' which was 13 years ago, although InUniverse it’s only one year later.
71	** Speaking of ''Revelations 2'', that was first time Barry Burton was seen seen since ''[=RE1=]'', a whooping 19 years later and it's his only canonically playable appearance.
72	** Sherry Birkin first appeared in ''[=RE2=]'' as a little girl taken in by Leon and Claire, only to be taken away by TheGovernment after the events of ''[=RE2=]''. Sherry only reappeared in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 RE6]]'' as a grown woman ''13 years later'', she reunites with Leon (who’s horrified that she's been raised by [[BigBad Simmons]] all this time). Sherry hasn't appeared with Claire in the games canonically since 1998, which considering their [[ParentalSubstitute relationship]] is upsetting. ''[=RE6=]'' has some files reveal that Claire got to see Sherry in the between years, but fans unmoved had the ShowDontTell response.
73	** Technically Chris was put a bus after ''Code Veronica'' since (not counting the light gun Wii Game ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheUmbrellaChronicles'') Chris didn't star in a mainline game for 9 years until ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil5 RE5]]''. Chris was also absent in both ''[=RE2=]'' and ''[=RE3=]'' holding out in Paris while his friends and family were in the middle of the ZombieApocalypse. Though after ''[=RE5=]'' Chris subsequently appears in ''[=RE6=]'', ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil7 RE7]]'', ''Vendetta'' and in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'' which more than makes up for his hiatus in which Leon [[SpotlightStealingSquad ruled]] the Resident Evil games and [=CG=] movies.
74	** Jill is considered the franchise's main ActionGirl appearing in more games than Claire, Ada and Rebecca combined so it's quite disconcerting that chronically after ''[=RE5=]'' (where she spent most of the game BrainwashedAndCrazy and her role taken by Sheva) Jill drops off the face of the earth for the rest of the games. The last we hear of her whereabouts is when Barry in ''Revelations 2'' gets a email from Jill where she says she's bored being stuck in a [=BSAA=] lab undergoing treatment and observation for all BioAugmentation she went through under Wesker's hand. Fans were quite upset that Jill is ''[[OutOfFocus still missing]]'' in both ''Village'' and ''Infinite Darkness'' while her costars are returning (although the latter at least has the excuse of being a prequel). '''''Finally averted''''' with ''Anime/ResidentEvilDeathIsland'' which after 11 years brings Jill back to star alongside Chris and Rebecca as well as Leon and Claire whom she's never met once or appeared with in canon until now. InUniverse with the film set in 2015, it’s only a 6 year bus trip for Jill since ''[=RE5=]''.
75	** Even Ada ended up Put on a Bus, as despite being an integral character in ''[=RE6=]'', she vanishes completely in the following titles. Even in ''Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta'' Leon (who’s smitten with her) makes no mention of her, despite Ada's prominence in the [[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation previous]] CG movie. Ada doesn’t return to join Leon and Claire for the ''Infinite Darkness'' series either, with newcomer [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute Shen May]] seemly filling her role. Ada’s fans might be further miffed to learn she was originally going to [[https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/screenrant.com/resident-evil-village-dlc-ada-wong/amp/ appear]] in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'', but was cut due to “conflicting scenarios”.
76	** Being PutOnABus is the fate of multiple partners in the more recent games e.g [[DamselInDistress Ashley Graham]], [[AmbiguouslyBrown Sheva Alomar]], [[TheBigGuy Parker Luciani]], [[FemmeFataleSpy Jessica Sherawat]] and [[ReplacementScrappy Helena Harper]] and [[LikeFatherUnlikeSon Jake Muller]]. Sheva was meant to appear in ''Vendetta'' but Rebecca took her place. Ashley does at the very least make a PreciousPhoto cameo in ''Infinite Darkness'' though.
77	* Angela Cross from the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series. She only appears in ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando Going Commando]]'' and is briefly mentioned on a radio broadcast in ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime A Crack In Time]]''. As the only female Lombax in the series, some fans have wondered why she was written out, especially considering the series' focus on Ratchet trying to find out what happened to the rest of his race.
78	* ''VideoGame/SakuraWars'': after the [[VideoGame/SakuraWars4FallInLoveMaidens fourth game]], Sumire Kanzaki would be retired from active duty as a result of her voice actress, Creator/MichieTomizawa, going into semi-retirement following her marriage. An OVA, ''Sakura Wars: ~Sumire~'', would depict Sumire's final mission with the Imperial Combat Revue before her retirement, and she would not appear in the main series again until [[TheBusCameBack her return]] as the Revue's new commander in ''VideoGame/SakuraWars2019''.
79	* Bosco doesn't appear in ''VideoGame/{{Sam and Max\|FreelancePolice}}'' season 3 due to being on a road trip to Las Vegas. It is later revealed he has a large gambling debt, and is forced to be a male stripper.
80	* As [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack Bright Noa]] deliberates during Scenario 20 of the Space Route in ''VideoGame/ShinSuperRobotWars'', Bright gets an unexpected transmission from someone he's never met before: [[Anime/VoltesV Chief Oka]] of the Federation Far East Base. He asks if Bright is planning to heed the order he just got to return, and Bright says that he doesn't see any alternative. Oka is adamant that Bright do no such thing, saying that as Bright is well aware, Staff HQ is anything but sane these days. There's no call for Bright to be punished for the whims of a [[CorruptPolitician few lunatics]], especially since [[ItsUpToYou he and his men]] are one of the few glimmers of hope mankind has left. Bright briefly protests that disobeying would get all his men branded as traitors, but Oka firmly points out that fighting the aliens comes first. He tells Bright to leave things to him and his friends at Staff HQ, though the [[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam Reinforce Jr.]] itself will have to be relinquished.\
81	\
82	Amuro is impressed with Oka, and after all the transfer is complete, Londo Bell decides to go to the Moon. This will fulfill the [[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam League Militare]]'s needs and let Amuro pick up the [[MidSeasonUpgrade Nu Gundam]] from its commissioned builders at Anaheim Electronics. [[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam Usso Evin]] is a little sad to see Gomez go, but most of the rest of the crew are still with the Londo Bell.
83	* A good majority of the characters who had appeared since before ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soulcalibur IV]]'' have suddenly either vanished without a trace or have successors put in their stead come ''Soulcalibur V''. What drives the knife even further here is that most of the characters that even did make it back get shafted in the story department, and play little to no role in the Story Mode. [[BrokenBase As one can see]], ''SCV'' has become something of a ContestedSequel because of this.
84	** Some of the disappearances are justifiable though. For example the two Korean characters, Yunseong and Mi-na, have no more reason to seek the Soul Swords (Yunseong's wanted Soul Edge to help win the war against Japan, Mi-na knew the sword was evil and went after him to stop him) - it can be safely assumed that they found out that the war was coming to an end and went home to live out the rest of their lives peacefully. Others however like Talim, Zasalamel and Amy, are just absent from the story with zero explanation as to what happened to them (given Talim and Amy would both be in their early thirties by the events of ''IV'' and Zasalamel is immortal, their absence is a real missed opportunity).
85	*** However it is strongly hinted that [[spoiler:[[LadyOfBlackMagic Viola]] ''is'' an adult Amy with no memory of her past identity. ''VI'' confirms this is indeed the case.]]
86	* ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'': Off the Hook is almost completely missing from the base game[[labelnote:*]]outside of an in-universe collab with the new band Damp Socks, one Sunken Scroll related to same, and a handful of locker decorations[[/labelnote]] despite being major characters in the [[VideoGame/Splatoon2 previous entry]], with the new idol trio Deep Cut taking their place. This is explained in-universe by saying that they're on a world tour, which makes since because they're musicians, but doesn't explain why nobody ever mentions them or seems to care that they're gone. Reassuringly, it was confirmed early on that [[TheBusCameBack their bus would come back]] for the DownloadableContent.
87	* Elora was an important character in ''VideoGame/Spyro2RiptosRage''. She's missing for most of [[VideoGame/SpyroYearOfTheDragon the third game]], despite other characters from her game getting larger roles then before, and only appears in an ending cutscene. She hasn't appeared in any other games since the original trilogy, especially odd since she was Spyro's love interest.
88	* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
89	** The Koopalings were gone for nearly 10 years before they reappeared in [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga the first Mario & Luigi game]]. They then disappeared another ''six'' years before their next role in ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii.''
90	** R.O.B. shares the trope in the ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' series (so far).
91	** In Toadette's case it seems worse. She hasn't been seen since ''Mario Super Sluggers''... And that's from 2008! Giving the fact that after her introduction in ''VideoGame/MarioKartDoubleDash!!'' she appeared in almost every Mario game until ''Super Sluggers'', it seems a little odd. Six years later, and she's back for ''VideoGame/MarioKart8'' and ''VideoGame/CaptainToadTreasureTracker''.
92	* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsUX'':
93	** Unlike the other cases where ''Gundam SEED Destiny'' was included, [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny Lacus Clyne]] is conspicuously absent for the majority of ''UX'''s plot, though she appears past chapter 40 (and she did help Arthun behind the scenes as shown in Scenario 22). Justified as she's now PLANT's chairlady.
94	** Grandma Virginia and Teacher Collins also never appear after chapter 2.
95	** Also Captain Shinobu Igarashi from ''Manga/LinebarrelsOfIron'' only makes one appearance in chapter 40 against Rouri and Kanamoto.
96	** Rouri and Kanamoto also, we can presume Rouri died when Asap shot him down, and it's not certain did Kanamoto return to Byston Well too with his Shinden after ''Anime/TheWingsOfRean'' finale.
97	* A rare literal example occurs in ''VideoGame/Uncharted3DrakesDeception''. Charlie Cutter, established as a ass-kicking Brit, has his last scene on a tour guide bus; Chloe Frazer gets put on the same bus. Neither of them appear again in the game; Cutter has never appeared at all. Chloe ends up replaced with Elena Fischer (just like in the second game). This is an example of RealLifeWritesThePlot, as Cutter's actor, Graham [=McTavish=], was to be cast in ''Film/TheHobbit'', meaning that he couldn't be around to voice Cutter for the last third of the game, since he was intended to be a part of the whole game. Chloe did, however, return to the series (as a playable character, no less) in ''VideoGame/UnchartedTheLostLegacy''.
98	* At the end of ''VideoGame/UncleAlbertsMysteriousIsland'', [[spoiler:Tom is brought back to his birth island]] and doesn't come back in future games, nor is he mentioned again.

Context PutOnABus / VideoGames