"I'll be back."
— T-800, Terminator
Here are tropes dealing with the return of a character, a group of characters, or even things.
Tropes:
Categories:
- Achilles in His Tent: A team member quits, but returns in time to help right when the group needs their specific abilities.
- Back for the Dead: A character who was written out of the show returns only to be killed off.
- Back for the Finale: A character who hasn't appeared in the series for a while returns in the final episode.
- Back from the Brink: The hero's home would have had its fate sealed had the hero not returned in time to save the day.
- Boomerang Comeback: A projectile hits its target or the thrower upon returning.
- Precision-Guided Boomerang: A boomerang or a projectile with similar properties always returns to the thrower no matter what.
- The Bus Came Back: A character who was written out of the show ends up returning to the series eventually.
- Came Back Strong: A resurrected person becomes more powerful than they were before they died.
- Came Back Wrong: A resurrection goes wrong, resulting in horrible side effects coming with the character coming back to life.
- The Cat Came Back: Person keeps coming back no matter what is done to get rid of them.
- Changed My Mind, Kid: Friend abandons hero, then returns to save them at the last minute.
- Chekhov's Boomerang: A plot device that has already been used once, then shows up again later.
- Clingy MacGuffin: Nothing the character can do will rid them of the plot-relevant object they're stuck with.
- The Dragons Come Back: A (sub)plot revolving around dragons or similar apex predators returning from exile/extinction.
- Failed Dramatic Exit: A character storms off to show how pissed they are at someone, but the mood is ruined when the character has to return for an unrelated reason.
- Heel–Face Return: A villain is reformed as soon as they make a comeback.
- He's Back!: Character who has been in a depression snaps out of their funk and gets back in the game.
- I Shall Return: The hero has to leave people who helped them in peril, but promises they will return to help them out soon.
- The Magic Comes Back: In a setting where magic is established to have disappeared, the magic ends up returning.
- Old Flame: Someone reunites with an old lover after years of the two not seeing each other.
- Reestablishing Character Moment: A character who has been gone from the story for a while is reintroduced in a way to remind the audience who they are and/or show off how they've changed since their last appearance.
- Returning Big Bad: A previous Big Bad returns after a period of absence to reclaim their role.
- Reunion Vow: Two people who leave each other vow that they'll somehow meet again later.
- Rightful King Returns: The proper ruler comes back to fix everything after things have gone to hell in their absence.
- Second Coming: Benevolent being returns to change the world for the better.
- Welcome Back, Traitor: Character temporarily switches sides and is welcomed back as if nothing happened when he changes back to his original affiliation.
- We Meet Again: Someone points out to their adversary that they've crossed paths again.
- We Will Meet Again: A thwarted villain vows that he will return to have his revenge against the hero.
