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* The final track of both the story and racing modes of ''VideoGame/FZero GX'' take place in Phantom Road; think of it as [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs Rainbow Road on LSD]]. Made even worse by the fact that the pattern on the track is moving and can actively disorient the player, which can cause ''a lot'' of screwing up on Slim-Line Slits.

to:

* The final track of both the story and racing modes of ''VideoGame/FZero GX'' ''VideoGame/FZeroGX'' take place in Phantom Road; think of it as [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs Rainbow Road on LSD]]. Made even worse by the fact that the pattern on the track is moving and can actively disorient the player, which can cause ''a lot'' of screwing up on Slim-Line Slits.

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* ''VideoGame/BatenKaitosOrigins'': The final boss is pretty standard, but if you went back in time and killed Wiseman on the Battlefield of Atria, then Wiseman's spirit shows up, assimilates Verus and the afterlings in the core, and turns into a monstrous demon in a starscape. Then, the rest of Malpercio shows up to help you defeat Verus-Wiseman. Then, afterwards, you're back in Tarazed Core, like all ''that'' never happened. Granted, it ''does'' make for a hell of a boss fight.
* In ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'', the Final boss is fought in The Darkness Beyond Time -- the place where things go when they no longer exist. The finale also seems trippy just because all the dialogue on Disc 2 is dedicated to explaining the back story of the game... and even after reading it all, you still need a Master's Degree in Strange Back Story-ology to understand it. If you don't use the eponymous item, Lavos just respawns from another timeline. If you do, cue GainaxEnding.
** Even its predecessor, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', doesn't escape from this. Once you enter Lavos' outer shell and initiate a battle with the "real" Lavos (The Core), the background graphics just goes all hippie on you, occasionally combined with semitransparent images of places you've been to in the past, present, and future.
*** The trippiness of ''Chrono Trigger'''s finale begins sooner than that; the Black Omen sequence is very bizarre by the standards of an otherwise pretty straightforward game, what with the dream/waking duality and the your-party-floating-in-jars and the Zeal's-a-mask-and-gloves-in-space.
* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
** The final levels from the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 first game]] and ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' take place in the Underworld/Hell. In ''[=DMC1=]'', it is depicted as [[WombLevel the innards of a giant monster]], complete with a [[BeatStillMyHeart giant pulsating heart]], which you enter through a mirror and the broken window roof of an upside down cathedral. In ''[=DMC3=]'', it is depicted as an amalgamation of several bizarre architecture such as a road that assembles itself before your very feet, a giant chessboard, a roomful of stairways that would make Creator/MCEscher's head hurt, a lake of blood, a broken time space warp connected via mirrors made of mercury, and a chamber made of purple flesh that is situated at the feet of a statue of a godlike figure so tall you can't even see its knees.
** The final battle in ''Devil May Cry 3'' takes place in a river. A river in ''[[BonusLevelOfHell Hell]]''. It doesn't ''appear'' to be Styx.
** In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'', Stage 18 is an apocalyptic battle, held on floating platforms, against a giant mobile statue and a combination of animated suits of armor. The final battle takes place in the normal-by-comparison, surprisingly-squishy innards of said giant demon made of animate marble.
* Technically, you are [[NoOntologicalInertia in a different world]] by the end of ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'', and it definitely shows. This trope applies most literally to the [[DroppedABridgeOnHim fifth ending]] however.
* ''[[VideoGame/{{Mother}} EarthBound Series]]'':
** ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'''s final area before the final boss battle looks like a giant bizarre vagina, leading into a maze of tentacle-like pathways over a void. If that's not bad enough, said final boss battle [[AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield sure]] is. The battle's inspired by an old-fashioned CSI-esque movie that starts (well, not immediately, but you get the point) with a close-up of the soon-to-be victim's face, which the creator saw as a child when he entered the wrong theater and mistook it for a rape scene.
** The sequel, '"VideoGame/Mother3'', does this as well. You're in a cavern miles below the city, when... whoa! What's the deal with the dropoffs? And the animate crystals and balls of electricity flying around?
* ''VideoGame/EternalSonata'' had the Elegy of the Moon zone. In contrast to the bright, colorful, and vibrant zones previously seen, the Elegy of the Moon is a rather...odd zone that is essentially purgatory for the souls lost to the mineral powder.
* ''VideoGame/FearEffect''. It seems normal enough at first, and then suddenly it starts turning into a precursor to ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness''...



* ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}} Infinity''. The first two games were straightforward enough, albeit with a fair amount of ambiguity. ''Infinity'' goes balls-out, featuring multiple timelines, dream levels, some of the most surrealistic text terminals in the series, and an ending over which fans still speculate nearly 20 years later.
* In ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'', the Final boss is fought in The Darkness Beyond Time -- the place where things go when they no longer exist. The finale also seems trippy just because all the dialogue on Disc 2 is dedicated to explaining the back story of the game... and even after reading it all, you still need a Master's Degree in Strange Back Story-ology to understand it. If you don't use the eponymous item, Lavos just respawns from another timeline. If you do, cue GainaxEnding.
** Even its predecessor, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', doesn't escape from this. Once you enter Lavos' outer shell and initiate a battle with the "real" Lavos (The Core), the background graphics just goes all hippie on you, occasionally combined with semitransparent images of places you've been to in the past, present, and future.
*** The trippiness of ''Chrono Trigger'''s finale begins sooner than that; the Black Omen sequence is very bizarre by the standards of an otherwise pretty straightforward game, what with the dream/waking duality and the your-party-floating-in-jars and the Zeal's-a-mask-and-gloves-in-space.

to:

* ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}} Infinity''. The first two games were straightforward enough, albeit final track of both the story and racing modes of ''VideoGame/FZero GX'' take place in Phantom Road; think of it as [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs Rainbow Road on LSD]]. Made even worse by the fact that the pattern on the track is moving and can actively disorient the player, which can cause ''a lot'' of screwing up on Slim-Line Slits.
* ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' goes from a somewhat realistic physics lab
with a fair amount NoOSHACompliance to the alien world of ambiguity. ''Infinity'' goes balls-out, featuring multiple timelines, dream levels, some Xen, a bunch of {{Floating Continent}}s of trippy, organic space.
* The finales of ''VideoGame/{{Hellsinker}}'' are notable for being incredibly surreal and weird even by the game's standards.
* In ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami2WrongNumber'' The Son dies in such a fashion; After a drug-fueled rampage, he enters a set of gates and walks into a rainbow of colors and brings forth the end
of the most surrealistic text terminals in the series, and an ending over which fans still speculate nearly 20 years later.
*
game. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome In ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'', the Final boss is fought in The Darkness Beyond Time -- the place where things go when they no longer exist. The finale also seems trippy just because all the dialogue on Disc 2 is dedicated to explaining the back story of the game... and even after reading it all, you still need reality, he simply walked off a Master's Degree in Strange Back Story-ology to understand it. If you don't use the eponymous item, Lavos just respawns from another timeline. If you do, cue GainaxEnding.
** Even its predecessor, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', doesn't escape from this. Once you enter Lavos' outer shell and initiate a battle with the "real" Lavos (The Core), the background graphics just goes all hippie on you, occasionally combined with semitransparent images of places you've been to in the past, present, and future.
*** The trippiness of ''Chrono Trigger'''s finale begins sooner than that; the Black Omen sequence is very bizarre by the standards of an otherwise pretty straightforward game, what with the dream/waking duality and the your-party-floating-in-jars and the Zeal's-a-mask-and-gloves-in-space.
building]].



* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' ends with the party entering "Space Memory", which is essentially outer space, except they can walk through it. Seeing how they entered it through Prison Island, which was located at the top of the Bionis, and were therefore entering the Bionis' (i.e. Zanza's) skull, they're essentially entering his own memories, which hints at his background involving space. The final battle itself takes place in an AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield, which occasionally changes to look like the party is in the sky.

to:

* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' ends Most ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' games end this way, usually with the party entering "Space Memory", which is essentially outer space, except they can walk through it. Seeing how they entered it through Prison Island, which was located at the top EldritchAbomination {{Final Boss}}es.

* The final part
of the Bionis, and were therefore ''VideoGame/LandsOfLore 2'' involves Luther entering the Bionis' (i.e. Zanza's) skull, they're essentially entering his own memories, which hints at his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBt3lef-yZk Chamber of Voices]] in the Huline Temple, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD4C8LA0_24 there raising the city of the ancient gods]] and travelling [[WombLevel through Belial's mother beast to the rebirth chamber]].
* ''VideoGame/LastScenario'': The entire final dungeon seems to be designed from the ground up to confuse you as much as possible, although it's really deceptively simple to figure out. Then there's the
background involving space. The during the final boss battle itself takes place in an AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield, which occasionally changes to look like and the party is in interior of the sky.biorite cluster.



* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
** The final levels from the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 first game]] and ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' take place in the Underworld/Hell. In ''[=DMC1=]'', it is depicted as [[WombLevel the innards of a giant monster]], complete with a [[BeatStillMyHeart giant pulsating heart]], which you enter through a mirror and the broken window roof of an upside down cathedral. In ''[=DMC3=]'', it is depicted as an amalgamation of several bizarre architecture such as a road that assembles itself before your very feet, a giant chessboard, a roomful of stairways that would make Creator/MCEscher's head hurt, a lake of blood, a broken time space warp connected via mirrors made of mercury, and a chamber made of purple flesh that is situated at the feet of a statue of a godlike figure so tall you can't even see its knees.
** The final battle in ''Devil May Cry 3'' takes place in a river. A river in ''[[BonusLevelOfHell Hell]]''. It doesn't ''appear'' to be Styx.
** In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'', Stage 18 is an apocalyptic battle, held on floating platforms, against a giant mobile statue and a combination of animated suits of armor. The final battle takes place in the normal-by-comparison, surprisingly-squishy innards of said giant demon made of animate marble.
* Technically, you are [[NoOntologicalInertia in a different world]] by the end of ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'', and it definitely shows. This trope applies most literally to the [[DroppedABridgeOnHim fifth ending]] however.



* They were already established outer planes in the Forgotten Realms setting, but ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights: Hordes of the Underdark'' has its final chapter in the frozen hell of Cania, and ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2: Mask of the Betrayer'' has its finale in The City of Judgment on the Fugue Plane.

to:

* They ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}} Infinity''. The first two games were already established outer planes straightforward enough, albeit with a fair amount of ambiguity. ''Infinity'' goes balls-out, featuring multiple timelines, dream levels, some of the most surrealistic text terminals in the Forgotten Realms setting, but ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights: Hordes of the Underdark'' has its final chapter in the frozen hell of Cania, series, and ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2: Mask of the Betrayer'' has its finale in The City of Judgment on the Fugue Plane.an ending over which fans still speculate nearly 20 years later.



* The final part of ''VideoGame/LandsOfLore 2'' involves Luther entering the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBt3lef-yZk Chamber of Voices]] in the Huline Temple, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD4C8LA0_24 there raising the city of the ancient gods]] and travelling [[WombLevel through Belial's mother beast to the rebirth chamber]].
* ''VideoGame/LastScenario'': The entire final dungeon seems to be designed from the ground up to confuse you as much as possible, although it's really deceptively simple to figure out. Then there's the background during the final boss battle and the interior of the biorite cluster.



* ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' goes from a somewhat realistic physics lab with NoOSHACompliance to the alien world of Xen, a bunch of {{Floating Continent}}s of trippy, organic space.

to:

* ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' goes Events in ''VideoGame/MystIVRevelation'' progress from a somewhat realistic physics lab mundane visit to Atrus's {{Steampunk}} residence, to forays into exotic, yet still coherent Prison Ages, to a surreal vision quest through {{Arcadia}}, to a final BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind sorting puzzle using abstract symbols and disjointed tidbits of recent past events.
* They were already established outer planes in the Forgotten Realms setting, but ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights: Hordes of the Underdark'' has its final chapter in the frozen hell of Cania, and ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2: Mask of the Betrayer'' has its finale in The City of Judgment on the Fugue Plane.
* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV'' features an ethereal crystal world inhabited by a disembodied voice named Le Roof who arms you before sending you off to a huge hole in the ground, where you enter a twisty-backgrounded epileptic-rainbow maze to fight the personification of evil. PS Online does a shorter version by having you arrive in a [[MoodWhiplash flower-filled field]] that quickly turns into a desolate wasteland when the BigBad arrives.
* In the finale of ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia2'', Jaffar warps the Prince into a weird otherworld
with NoOSHACompliance giant chess pieces, Kryptonite crystals, and an Creator/MCEscher-esque battleground.
* If the trippiness of ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' wasn't already high, the last level presents the Meat Circus, which is extremely dreamlike even when compared
to the alien world other mental worlds.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Robopon}} 2'', the final battles take place in an unexplained, creepy location called the Robopon Graveyard. All you know is this is where the souls
of Xen, a bunch of {{Floating Continent}}s of trippy, organic space.Robopon go when they're scrapped, and the graveyard is totally filled.



* ''VideoGame/EternalSonata'' had the Elegy of the Moon zone. In contrast to the bright, colorful, and vibrant zones previously seen, the Elegy of the Moon is a rather...odd zone that is essentially purgatory for the souls lost to the mineral powder.
* ''VideoGame/WildArms3'' has its final battles ''literally'' take place in a trippy dream sequence.
* ''VideoGame/BatenKaitosOrigins'': The final boss is pretty standard, but if you went back in time and killed Wiseman on the Battlefield of Atria, then Wiseman's spirit shows up, assimilates Verus and the afterlings in the core, and turns into a monstrous demon in a starscape. Then, the rest of Malpercio shows up to help you defeat Verus-Wiseman. Then, afterwards, you're back in Tarazed Core, like all ''that'' never happened. Granted, it ''does'' make for a hell of a boss fight.



* ''[[VideoGame/{{Mother}} EarthBound Series]]'':
** ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'''s final area before the final boss battle looks like a giant bizarre vagina, leading into a maze of tentacle-like pathways over a void. If that's not bad enough, said final boss battle [[AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield sure]] is. The battle's inspired by an old-fashioned CSI-esque movie that starts (well, not immediately, but you get the point) with a close-up of the soon-to-be victim's face, which the creator walked saw as a child when he entered the wrong theater and mistook for a rape scene.
** The sequel, '"VideoGame/Mother3'', does this as well. You're in a cavern miles below the city, when... whoa! What's the deal with the dropoffs? And the animate crystals and balls of electricity flying around?

to:

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Mother}} EarthBound Series]]'':
''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'':
** ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'''s The final dungeons of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' are a massive heavenly Domain called Purgatorium and a grandiose palace with swirly backgrounds called Lucifer's Palace.
** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'' has YHVH's Universe, a truly massive otherworldly location with space backgrounds and reflective blocky platforms that form an incredibly massive dungeon that dwarfs all of the other dungeons in the ''SMTIV'' duology in sheer size. The
final area has you walking up a long set of stairs through huge doors tens of times taller than you while the BigBad YHVH insists that you turn back at once if you want His forgiveness, before revealing Himself to be a crowd of heads in a vast expanse of space that are rendered in 3D even during the final boss battle looks like with Him in a giant bizarre vagina, leading into a maze of tentacle-like pathways over a void. If that's not bad enough, said game where most other enemies use 2D sprites.
* ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'''s true
final boss battle [[AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield sure]] is. The battle's inspired by an old-fashioned CSI-esque movie that starts (well, not immediately, but you get the point) with a close-up of the soon-to-be victim's face, fight takes place inside Tartaros, which the creator walked saw as a child when he entered the wrong theater is full of floating squares in various shades of pink or purple.
* ''VideoGame/SonicShuffle'': 4th Dimension Space has no real floor, letting you walk upside down, sideways,
and mistook for a rape scene.
** The sequel, '"VideoGame/Mother3'', does this as well. You're
diagonally in a cavern miles below the city, when... whoa! What's the deal with the dropoffs? And the animate crystals and balls of electricity flying around?space.



* Most ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' games end this way, usually with EldritchAbomination {{Final Boss}}es.
* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV'' features an ethereal crystal world inhabited by a disembodied voice named Le Roof who arms you before sending you off to a huge hole in the ground, where you enter a twisty-backgrounded epileptic-rainbow maze to fight the personification of evil. PS Online does a shorter version by having you arrive in a [[MoodWhiplash flower-filled field]] that quickly turns into a desolate wasteland when the BigBad arrives.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Robopon}} 2'', the final battles take place in an unexplained, creepy location called the Robopon Graveyard. All you know is this is where the souls of Robopon go when they're scrapped, and the graveyard is totally filled.
* In the finale of ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia2'', Jaffar warps the Prince into a weird otherworld with giant chess pieces, Kryptonite crystals, and an Creator/MCEscher-esque battleground.
* If the trippiness of ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' wasn't already high, the last level presents the Meat Circus, which is extremely dreamlike even when compared to the other mental worlds.
* ''VideoGame/SonicShuffle'': 4th Dimension Space has no real floor, letting you walk upside down, sideways, and diagonally in space.
* ''VideoGame/FearEffect''. It seems normal enough at first, and then suddenly it starts turning into a precursor to ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness''...
* ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'''s true final boss fight takes place inside Tartaros, which is full of floating squares in various shades of pink or purple.



* The finales of ''VideoGame/{{Hellsinker}}'' are notable for being incredibly surreal and weird even by the game's standards.
* The final track of both the story and racing modes of ''VideoGame/FZero GX'' take place in Phantom Road; think of it as [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs Rainbow Road on LSD]]. Made even worse by the fact that the pattern on the track is moving and can actively disorient the player, which can cause ''a lot'' of screwing up on Slim-Line Slits.
* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'':
** The final dungeons of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' are a massive heavenly Domain called Purgatorium and a grandiose palace with swirly backgrounds called Lucifer's Palace.
** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'' has YHVH's Universe, a truly massive otherworldly location with space backgrounds and reflective blocky platforms that form an incredibly massive dungeon that dwarfs all of the other dungeons in the ''SMTIV'' duology in sheer size. The final area has you walking up a long set of stairs through huge doors tens of times taller than you while the BigBad YHVH insists that you turn back at once if you want His forgiveness, before revealing Himself to be a crowd of heads in a vast expanse of space that are rendered in 3D even during the boss battle with Him in a game where most other enemies use 2D sprites.



* In ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami2WrongNumber'' The Son dies in such a fashion; After a drug-fueled rampage, he enters a set of gates and walks into a rainbow of colors and brings forth the end of the game. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome In reality, he simply walked off a building]].

to:

* In ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami2WrongNumber'' The Son dies ''VideoGame/WildArms3'' has its final battles ''literally'' take place in such a fashion; After a drug-fueled rampage, he enters a set of gates and walks into a rainbow of colors and brings forth trippy dream sequence.
* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' ends with
the end party entering "Space Memory", which is essentially outer space, except they can walk through it. Seeing how they entered it through Prison Island, which was located at the top of the game. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome In reality, he simply walked off a building]].Bionis, and were therefore entering the Bionis' (i.e. Zanza's) skull, they're essentially entering his own memories, which hints at his background involving space. The final battle itself takes place in an AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield, which occasionally changes to look like the party is in the sky.



* Events in ''VideoGame/MystIVRevelation'' progress from a mundane visit to Atrus's {{Steampunk}} residence, to forays into exotic, yet still coherent Prison Ages, to a surreal vision quest through {{Arcadia}}, to a final BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind sorting puzzle using abstract symbols and disjointed tidbits of recent past events.

Added: 1269

Changed: 2288

Removed: 1161

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* Creator/RainerWernerFassbinder's adaptation of the novel ''Literature/BerlinAlexanderplatz'''s epilogue features a sudden GenreShift from naturalistic HistoricalFiction to VisionQuest, filled with AnachronismStew, {{Futureshadowing}}, surreal imagery, and flashbacks and flashforwards.
* "[[Recap/ThePrisonerE17FallOut Fall Out]]" in ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'', which was ''massively'' controversial. A truly peculiar episode in which the main character barely speaks, one of the main villains pulls a HeelFaceTurn, there's a shootout set to "All You Need Is Love" by Music/TheBeatles, and a beatnik leads everyone in a DancePartyEnding. The DrivingQuestion of the series ("Who is Number One?") is finally resolved, but in a way that doesn't make any physical sense. [[TrollingCreator The creator has gone on record stating that he did this specifically to piss people off.]] Some ExpandedUniverse material (by other writers) has stated that, yes, it ''was'' an LSD trip, although a lot of fans of the original series reject this as a dismissively simple interpretation. Whatever your interpretation, this is probably the TropeMaker as far as television goes.



* Creator/RainerWernerFassbinder's adaptation of the novel ''Literature/BerlinAlexanderplatz'''s epilogue features a sudden GenreShift from naturalistic HistoricalFiction to VisionQuest, filled with AnachronismStew, {{Futureshadowing}}, surreal imagery, and flashbacks and flashforwards.



* In the finale of the original run of ''Series/TwinPeaks'', the Black Lodge is represented exclusively through the trippy dreamlike sequence, complete with strobe lights, maniacal screaming, and a doppelgänger chase scene. When ''Twin Peaks'' was revived for a third season decades later, it too ended with a truly perplexing final episode that seems to be set in a completely different timeline from the main series.

to:

* In "[[Recap/ThePrisonerE17FallOut Fall Out]]" in ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'', which was ''massively'' controversial. A truly peculiar episode in which the finale main character barely speaks, one of the main villains pulls a HeelFaceTurn, there's a shootout set to "All You Need Is Love" by Music/TheBeatles, and a beatnik leads everyone in a DancePartyEnding. The DrivingQuestion of the series ("Who is Number One?") is finally resolved, but in a way that doesn't make any physical sense. [[TrollingCreator The creator has gone on record stating that he did this specifically to piss people off.]] Some ExpandedUniverse material (by other writers) has stated that, yes, it ''was'' an LSD trip, although a lot of fans of the original run of ''Series/TwinPeaks'', series reject this as a dismissively simple interpretation. Whatever your interpretation, this is probably the Black Lodge is represented exclusively through TropeMaker as far as television goes.
* ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' stretched this out over its entire final season, only to [[InvertedTrope invert]] it in
the trippy dreamlike sequence, complete series finale proper. After eight seasons of the Conners struggling to get by and dealing with strobe lights, maniacal screaming, realistic issues, the family abruptly wins a huge lottery jackpot and a doppelgänger chase scene. When ''Twin Peaks'' was revived for a third become multimillionaires overnight. The rest of the season decades later, it too ended with consists of bizarre episodes, including fighting terrorists on a truly perplexing final episode train, Jackie being wooed by a foreign prince, a ''Film/RosemarysBaby'' spoof featuring the cast of ''Series/AbsolutelyFabulous'', and Roseanne and Jackie going to an exclusive health spa (which also features a lengthy ImagineSpot of Roseanne as [[Series/XenaWarriorPrincess Xena]]). In the finale itself, though, it's revealed that seems to be set in the entire season (and much of the actual series) was [[NestedStoryReveal actually a book Roseanne has been writing about her life]]; the lottery subplot was her dreaming of a situation completely different timeline from the main series.than her own as a form of escapism.



* ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' stretched this out over its entire final season, only to [[InvertedTrope invert]] it in the series finale proper. After eight seasons of the Conners struggling to get by and dealing with realistic issues, the family abruptly wins a huge lottery jackpot and become multimillionaires overnight. The rest of the season consists of bizarre episodes, including fighting terrorists on a train, Jackie being wooed by a foreign prince, a ''Film/RosemarysBaby'' spoof featuring the cast of ''Series/AbsolutelyFabulous'', and Roseanne and Jackie going to an exclusive health spa (which also features a lengthy ImagineSpot of Roseanne as [[Series/XenaWarriorPrincess Xena]]). In the finale itself, though, it's revealed that the entire season (and much of the actual series) was [[NestedStoryReveal actually a book Roseanne has been writing about her life]]; the lottery subplot was her dreaming of a situation completely different than her own as a form of escapism.

to:

* ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' stretched this out over its entire final season, only to [[InvertedTrope invert]] it in the series finale proper. After eight seasons of the Conners struggling to get by and dealing with realistic issues, the family abruptly wins a huge lottery jackpot and become multimillionaires overnight. The rest of the season consists of bizarre episodes, including fighting terrorists on a train, Jackie being wooed by a foreign prince, a ''Film/RosemarysBaby'' spoof featuring the cast of ''Series/AbsolutelyFabulous'', and Roseanne and Jackie going to an exclusive health spa (which also features a lengthy ImagineSpot of Roseanne as [[Series/XenaWarriorPrincess Xena]]). In the finale itself, though, it's revealed that of the entire original run of ''Series/TwinPeaks'', the Black Lodge is represented exclusively through the trippy dreamlike sequence, complete with strobe lights, maniacal screaming, and a doppelgänger chase scene. When ''Twin Peaks'' was revived for a third season (and much of the actual series) was [[NestedStoryReveal actually decades later, it too ended with a book Roseanne has been writing about her life]]; the lottery subplot was her dreaming of truly perplexing final episode that seems to be set in a situation completely different than her own as a form of escapism. timeline from the main series.

Added: 765

Changed: 261

Removed: 530

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* The King's Cross sequence in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' which is the manifestation of Limbo in Harry's mind. %%Also, earlier in the series, we have the Battle of the Department of Mysteries at the end of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix.''%%What about it?%%

to:

* %%* The King's Cross sequence Literature/BookOfRevelation in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' which is the manifestation of Limbo in Harry's mind. %%Also, earlier in the series, we have the Battle of the Department of Mysteries at the end of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix.''%%What about it?%%Literature/TheBible.



* The King's Cross sequence in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' which is the manifestation of Limbo in Harry's mind. %%Also, earlier in the series, we have the Battle of the Department of Mysteries at the end of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix.''%%What about it?%%
* ''Literature/OneHundredYearsOfSolitude'', by Gabriel García Márquez, ends with an almost metaphysical look at the small town setting, reminding us of the seven generations of Buendia family members we have met.
* The "Great Dance" sequence at the end of C.S. Lewis' ''Literature/{{Perelandra}}'', a trippy and colorful spiritual vision that takes a year and shows the protagonist the meaning of Life, the Universe and Everything. (No, not the Creator/DouglasAdams book.)



* ''Literature/OneHundredYearsOfSolitude'', by Gabriel García Márquez, ends with an almost metaphysical look at the small town setting, reminding us of the seven generations of Buendia family members we have met.
%%* The Literature/BookOfRevelation in Literature/TheBible.
* The "Great Dance" sequence at the end of C.S. Lewis' ''Literature/{{Perelandra}}'', a trippy and colorful spiritual vision that takes a year and shows the protagonist the meaning of Life, the Universe and Everything. (No, not the Creator/DouglasAdams book.)
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** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', of course, during the final boss fight [[spoiler:against Zeromus]].

to:

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', of course, during the final boss fight [[spoiler:against Zeromus]].against Zeromus.



** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' sends the party into the innards of Sin for the final dungeon. The first section is basically a bunch of tubes filled with shallow water and floating magical symbols (which maybe [[FridgeBrilliance makes sense]] because Sin is a creature created by magic). The next section is the ruins of an ancient city that is inside Sin... for some reason. The city is probably some part of [[spoiler:the original Zanarkand.]] [[spoiler:Or it's part of dream Zanarkand, the construct of the Yu Yevon, who creates and possesses Sin and has been explained a few minutes before arriving]]
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' has the ''Chains of Promathia'' expansion end in [[spoiler:the Celestial Capital of Al'Taieu, conveniently located in another freaking plane of existence.]]

to:

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' sends the party into the innards of Sin for the final dungeon. The first section is basically a bunch of tubes filled with shallow water and floating magical symbols (which maybe [[FridgeBrilliance makes sense]] because Sin is a creature created by magic). The next section is the ruins of an ancient city that is inside Sin... for some reason. The city is probably some part of [[spoiler:the the original Zanarkand.]] [[spoiler:Or Zanarkand. Or it's part of dream Zanarkand, the construct of the Yu Yevon, who creates and possesses Sin and has been explained a few minutes before arriving]]
arriving.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' has the ''Chains of Promathia'' expansion end in [[spoiler:the the Celestial Capital of Al'Taieu, conveniently located in another freaking plane of existence.]]



* In ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'', the Final boss is fought in The Darkness Beyond Time -- the place where things go when they no longer exist. The finale also seems trippy just because all the dialogue on Disc 2 is dedicated to explaining the back story of the game... and even after reading it all, you still need a Master's Degree in Strange Back Story-ology to understand it. [[spoiler:If you don't use the eponymous item, Lavos just respawns from another timeline. If you do, cue GainaxEnding.]]

to:

* In ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'', the Final boss is fought in The Darkness Beyond Time -- the place where things go when they no longer exist. The finale also seems trippy just because all the dialogue on Disc 2 is dedicated to explaining the back story of the game... and even after reading it all, you still need a Master's Degree in Strange Back Story-ology to understand it. [[spoiler:If If you don't use the eponymous item, Lavos just respawns from another timeline. If you do, cue GainaxEnding.]]



** ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'' ends with the World that Never Was again, but this time it's even worse. Many areas start off making no sense architecturally and are only slightly more intuitive as pathways are assembled from [[DiagonalCut cleanly sliced]] skyscrapers. One set of buildings warps and breathes, while others move up and down to serve as trampolines. Even the cutscenes are weird, thanks to a [[spoiler:DreamWithinADream]]. Also, [[spoiler:TimeTravel]].

to:

** ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'' ends with the World that Never Was again, but this time it's even worse. Many areas start off making no sense architecturally and are only slightly more intuitive as pathways are assembled from [[DiagonalCut cleanly sliced]] skyscrapers. One set of buildings warps and breathes, while others move up and down to serve as trampolines. Even the cutscenes are weird, thanks to a [[spoiler:DreamWithinADream]]. DreamWithinADream. Also, [[spoiler:TimeTravel]].TimeTravel.



* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' ends with the party entering [[spoiler:"Space Memory", which is essentially outer space, except they can walk through it. Seeing how they entered it through Prison Island, which was located at the top of the Bionis, and were therefore entering the Bionis' (i.e. Zanza's) skull, they're essentially entering his own memories, which hints at his background involving space]]. The final battle itself takes place in an AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield, which occasionally changes to look like the party is in the sky.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'' has The Moon That Never Sets. It's a rather surreal place with actual towns and forests, and the constant sound of the [[spoiler:Virage Embryo's heartbeat.]] The area right before the final boss is even more surreal, consisting of static-y television monitors and an overall weird, digital-looking landscape.

to:

* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' ends with the party entering [[spoiler:"Space "Space Memory", which is essentially outer space, except they can walk through it. Seeing how they entered it through Prison Island, which was located at the top of the Bionis, and were therefore entering the Bionis' (i.e. Zanza's) skull, they're essentially entering his own memories, which hints at his background involving space]].space. The final battle itself takes place in an AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield, which occasionally changes to look like the party is in the sky.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'' has The Moon That Never Sets. It's a rather surreal place with actual towns and forests, and the constant sound of the [[spoiler:Virage Virage Embryo's heartbeat.]] heartbeat. The area right before the final boss is even more surreal, consisting of static-y television monitors and an overall weird, digital-looking landscape.



* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'': The final area takes place inside the monstrous moon itself. Which, in fact, appears as a vast and beautiful green field with a single large tree in the center, surrounded by children at play. And then Link goes to fight the boss in a room painted like an acid trip... [[spoiler:and in its second stage, Majora's Mask ''runs around very fast making clucking noises''.]]
* They were already established outer planes in the Forgotten Realms setting, but ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights: Hordes of the Underdark'' has its final chapter in the [[spoiler:frozen hell of Cania]], and ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2: Mask of the Betrayer'' has its finale in [[spoiler:The City of Judgment on the Fugue Plane.]]

to:

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'': The final area takes place inside the monstrous moon itself. Which, in fact, appears as a vast and beautiful green field with a single large tree in the center, surrounded by children at play. And then Link goes to fight the boss in a room painted like an acid trip... [[spoiler:and and in its second stage, Majora's Mask ''runs around very fast making clucking noises''.]]
noises''.
* They were already established outer planes in the Forgotten Realms setting, but ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights: Hordes of the Underdark'' has its final chapter in the [[spoiler:frozen frozen hell of Cania]], Cania, and ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2: Mask of the Betrayer'' has its finale in [[spoiler:The The City of Judgment on the Fugue Plane.]]



* ''VideoGame/BatenKaitosOrigins'': The final boss is pretty standard, but if you [[spoiler:went back in time and killed Wiseman on the Battlefield of Atria, then Wiseman's spirit shows up, assimilates Verus and the afterlings in the core, and turns into a monstrous demon in a starscape. Then, the rest of Malpercio shows up to help you defeat Verus-Wiseman.]] Then, afterwards, you're back in Tarazed Core, like all ''that'' never happened. Granted, it ''does'' make for a hell of a boss fight.

to:

* ''VideoGame/BatenKaitosOrigins'': The final boss is pretty standard, but if you [[spoiler:went went back in time and killed Wiseman on the Battlefield of Atria, then Wiseman's spirit shows up, assimilates Verus and the afterlings in the core, and turns into a monstrous demon in a starscape. Then, the rest of Malpercio shows up to help you defeat Verus-Wiseman.]] Then, afterwards, you're back in Tarazed Core, like all ''that'' never happened. Granted, it ''does'' make for a hell of a boss fight.



* ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'''s true final boss fight takes place [[spoiler:inside Tartaros]], which is full of floating squares in various shades of pink or purple.

to:

* ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'''s true final boss fight takes place [[spoiler:inside Tartaros]], inside Tartaros, which is full of floating squares in various shades of pink or purple.



** The final dungeons of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' are [[spoiler:a massive heavenly Domain called Purgatorium and a grandiose palace with swirly backgrounds called Lucifer's Palace]].
** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'' has [[spoiler:YHVH's Universe]], a truly massive otherworldly location with space backgrounds and reflective blocky platforms that form an incredibly massive dungeon that dwarfs all of the other dungeons in the ''SMTIV'' duology in sheer size. The final area has you walking up a long set of stairs through huge doors tens of times taller than you while [[spoiler:the BigBad YHVH insists that you turn back at once if you want His forgiveness, before revealing Himself to be a crowd of heads in a vast expanse of space that are rendered in 3D even during the boss battle with Him in a game where most other enemies use 2D sprites.]]

to:

** The final dungeons of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' are [[spoiler:a a massive heavenly Domain called Purgatorium and a grandiose palace with swirly backgrounds called Lucifer's Palace]].
Palace.
** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'' has [[spoiler:YHVH's Universe]], YHVH's Universe, a truly massive otherworldly location with space backgrounds and reflective blocky platforms that form an incredibly massive dungeon that dwarfs all of the other dungeons in the ''SMTIV'' duology in sheer size. The final area has you walking up a long set of stairs through huge doors tens of times taller than you while [[spoiler:the the BigBad YHVH insists that you turn back at once if you want His forgiveness, before revealing Himself to be a crowd of heads in a vast expanse of space that are rendered in 3D even during the boss battle with Him in a game where most other enemies use 2D sprites.]]



* In ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami2WrongNumber'' [[spoiler:The Son]] dies in such a fashion; After a drug-fueled rampage, [[spoiler:he enters a set of gates and walks into a rainbow of colors and brings forth the end of the game. ]] [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome In reality, he simply walked off a building]].

to:

* In ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami2WrongNumber'' [[spoiler:The Son]] The Son dies in such a fashion; After a drug-fueled rampage, [[spoiler:he he enters a set of gates and walks into a rainbow of colors and brings forth the end of the game. ]] [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome In reality, he simply walked off a building]].
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* Perhaps the archetypal example: the end of ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'', as astronaut David Bowman goes [[spoiler:to "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite".]] Do not pretend to understand it. Although Creator/ArthurCClarke's companion [[AllThereInTheManual novel]] offers ''an'' [[MindScrewdriver explanation]], if you really must have one.

to:

* Perhaps the archetypal example: the end of ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'', as astronaut David Bowman goes [[spoiler:to to "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite".]] Infinite". Do not pretend to understand it. Although Creator/ArthurCClarke's companion [[AllThereInTheManual novel]] offers ''an'' [[MindScrewdriver explanation]], if you really must have one.



* The 1979 Disney science fiction film ''Film/TheBlackHole'' ends with [[spoiler:the main characters passing through a black hole; the villain appears to merge with a robot who then becomes Lord of Hell, whilst the heroes either ascend to heaven or simply pass through a white hole into another part of the universe. And then the film ends.]]
** The novelization suggests that the heroes [[spoiler:AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence after passing through the black hole, V.I.N.C.E.N.T. included.]]

to:

* The 1979 Disney science fiction film ''Film/TheBlackHole'' ends with [[spoiler:the the main characters passing through a black hole; the villain appears to merge with a robot who then becomes Lord of Hell, whilst the heroes either ascend to heaven or simply pass through a white hole into another part of the universe. And then the film ends.]]
ends.
** The novelization suggests that the heroes [[spoiler:AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence after passing through the black hole, V.I.N.C.E.N.T. included.]]



* In ''Film/{{Brazil}}'', the climax of the film is a sort of fever dream. It's ultimately revealed that [[spoiler:the hero has actually gone insane under torture and is hallucinating it all.]]

to:

* In ''Film/{{Brazil}}'', the climax of the film is a sort of fever dream. It's ultimately revealed that [[spoiler:the the hero has actually gone insane under torture and is hallucinating it all.]]



* ''Film/{{Interstellar}}'' is already the equivalent of ''2001'' fifty years later, so it wouldn't be complete without the trip [[spoiler:inside a black hole where aliens have set up infinite rooms showing Cooper's daughter's room throughout multiple time periods, and then the trip backwards and forwards through time and space as Cooper goes home.]]

to:

* ''Film/{{Interstellar}}'' is already the equivalent of ''2001'' fifty years later, so it wouldn't be complete without the trip [[spoiler:inside inside a black hole where aliens have set up infinite rooms showing Cooper's daughter's room throughout multiple time periods, and then the trip backwards and forwards through time and space as Cooper goes home.]]



* ''Film/{{Lucy}}'': As the titular protagonist transcends [[spoiler:her human existence by unlocking the full capacity of her brain and travelling backwards in time]], a reverse time-lapse occurs of the creation of earth, the universe, and everything else from Lucy's point of view.
* The 1974 ant thriller ''Film/PhaseIV'' ends with [[spoiler:the surviving human characters -- a man and a woman -- apparently being captured by ants and forced to become the next stage of human evolution, or something along those lines.]]
* ''Film/TheQuietEarth'' (1985), a rare post-70s example, ends with the main character [[spoiler:seemingly transported to the moon of a distant ringed planet, or possibly the afterlife, or perhaps he remains where he is and the universe changes around him. It makes no sense. It wasn't meant to.]]

to:

* ''Film/{{Lucy}}'': As the titular protagonist transcends [[spoiler:her her human existence by unlocking the full capacity of her brain and travelling backwards in time]], time, a reverse time-lapse occurs of the creation of earth, the universe, and everything else from Lucy's point of view.
* The 1974 ant thriller ''Film/PhaseIV'' ends with [[spoiler:the the surviving human characters -- a man and a woman -- apparently being captured by ants and forced to become the next stage of human evolution, or something along those lines.]]
lines.
* ''Film/TheQuietEarth'' (1985), a rare post-70s example, ends with the main character [[spoiler:seemingly seemingly transported to the moon of a distant ringed planet, or possibly the afterlife, or perhaps he remains where he is and the universe changes around him. It makes no sense. It wasn't meant to.]]



* John Boorman's deranged post-apocalyptic sci-fi film ''Film/{{Zardoz}}'' ends with [[spoiler:the main character and his wife growing old in timelapse, as their child grows up to adulthood, to no discernible cinematic purpose.]]

to:

* John Boorman's deranged post-apocalyptic sci-fi film ''Film/{{Zardoz}}'' ends with [[spoiler:the the main character and his wife growing old in timelapse, as their child grows up to adulthood, to no discernible cinematic purpose.]]



* In ''Literature/{{Perfume}}'', Grenouille finally uses his perfect perfume [[spoiler:at his execution. Overcome by the beauty of his fragrance, the crowd universally proclaims him innocent and then falls into a massive orgy. Unsatisfied with the perfume's hollow effects, Grenouille kills himself by dumping the remainder of the perfume over his head, causing a nearby crowd to devour him out of overwhelming love. Unlike most examples this one is only trippy because of the perfume's power over the mind.]]

to:

* In ''Literature/{{Perfume}}'', Grenouille finally uses his perfect perfume [[spoiler:at at his execution. Overcome by the beauty of his fragrance, the crowd universally proclaims him innocent and then falls into a massive orgy. Unsatisfied with the perfume's hollow effects, Grenouille kills himself by dumping the remainder of the perfume over his head, causing a nearby crowd to devour him out of overwhelming love. Unlike most examples this one is only trippy because of the perfume's power over the mind.]]
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* The Eclipse from the Golden Age arc of ''Manga/{{Berserk}}''. Many anime watchers know this as the finale of the 90s anime, and up until that point, the series was mostly grounded in reality with a few fantastical elements subtly implied. The last three episodes take place in a frightening hellscape ruled over by four archdemons who [[spoiler:want to make Griffith one of their own]] and in which most of the main cast is suddenly and brutally killed off by ravening monsters. Of course, this is the point where the manga takes off from, so this only applies to the anime.
* The manga version of ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'' takes the heroes to the demon world Pandaemonium for their final battles against [[BigBad Aion]]. [[spoiler:Pandaemonium is really a CoolStarship]], so it's filled with demon technology that's completely anachronistic for the setting, architecture that's obsessed with hexagons, demons who've had [[spoiler:their legion corrupted, driving them feral and making them look like mutant starfish]] and Pandaemonium herself, the demon's HiveQueen.
* The GrandFinale of the first season of ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' was very clearly inspired by Evangelion. However, unlike Eva, they had the decency to give at least a little explanation. It's possible to piece together all the groups' motivations, even if the [[EldritchLocation Gate-induced]] MindScrew is totally incomprehensible. The second season, well... [[spoiler:Let's just say that a Contractor copying the entire ''planet'' is one of the easier things to understand.]] If you think you know what happened, you're wrong.
* The ending of ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'' could be called an inversion of the trope. The ending takes place [[spoiler:in what the characters see as a strange alternate reality, but it's ''our'' reality, the real-world during World War I. It's the rest of the series that takes place in the world full of magic and monsters.]]

to:

* The Eclipse from the Golden Age arc of ''Manga/{{Berserk}}''. Many anime watchers know this as the finale of the 90s anime, and up until that point, the series was mostly grounded in reality with a few fantastical elements subtly implied. The last three episodes take place in a frightening hellscape ruled over by four archdemons who [[spoiler:want want to make Griffith one of their own]] own and in which most of the main cast is suddenly and brutally killed off by ravening monsters. Of course, this is the point where the manga takes off from, so this only applies to the anime.
* The manga version of ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'' takes the heroes to the demon world Pandaemonium for their final battles against [[BigBad Aion]]. [[spoiler:Pandaemonium Pandaemonium is really a CoolStarship]], CoolStarship, so it's filled with demon technology that's completely anachronistic for the setting, architecture that's obsessed with hexagons, demons who've had [[spoiler:their their legion corrupted, driving them feral and making them look like mutant starfish]] starfish and Pandaemonium herself, the demon's HiveQueen.
* The GrandFinale of the first season of ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' was very clearly inspired by Evangelion. However, unlike Eva, they had the decency to give at least a little explanation. It's possible to piece together all the groups' motivations, even if the [[EldritchLocation Gate-induced]] MindScrew is totally incomprehensible. The second season, well... [[spoiler:Let's Let's just say that a Contractor copying the entire ''planet'' is one of the easier things to understand.]] understand. If you think you know what happened, you're wrong.
* The ending of ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'' could be called an inversion of the trope. The ending takes place [[spoiler:in in what the characters see as a strange alternate reality, but it's ''our'' reality, the real-world during World War I. It's the rest of the series that takes place in the world full of magic and monsters.]]



* ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'' has its final battle in Michel's realm, which appears to be the dream of a drugged-up EvilutionaryBiologist: the pillars in the sky are DNA strands, fish are flying, and everything has wings grafted onto it. [[spoiler:There ''is'' evil genetic engineering involved, but Michel, being a DiscOneFinalBoss, is not aware of this.]]

to:

* ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'' has its final battle in Michel's realm, which appears to be the dream of a drugged-up EvilutionaryBiologist: the pillars in the sky are DNA strands, fish are flying, and everything has wings grafted onto it. [[spoiler:There There ''is'' evil genetic engineering involved, but Michel, being a DiscOneFinalBoss, is not aware of this.]]



* The ending to ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', especially the "[[MemeticMutation space hugs]]" scene; while floating around in a freaky sparkly fog, [[spoiler:[[LesYay Madoka and Homura]] have a heartfelt [[OutOfClothesExperience clothing-free conversation]]]]. Then the fog divides into two giant membranes, [[spoiler:Madoka DisappearsIntoLight, and Homura ends up back on Earth]]. Somewhat justified by the fact that [[spoiler:Madoka ''literally'' destroys and rebuilds the universe,]] so venturing into an "uncharted realm" in the meantime was inevitable.
* The finale of ''Anime/RahXephon'' had several characters running around inside Yolteotl (something approximately like Nirvana) with lots of trippy symbolism whilst [[spoiler:Quon and Ayato]] tried to figure out how they wanted to retune the world.
%% Needs Context * Anime/SerialExperimentsLain's [[spoiler:EndOfTheWorldSpecial]] had shades of this.

to:

* The ending to ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', especially the "[[MemeticMutation space hugs]]" scene; while floating around in a freaky sparkly fog, [[spoiler:[[LesYay [[LesYay Madoka and Homura]] have a heartfelt [[OutOfClothesExperience clothing-free conversation]]]]. conversation]]. Then the fog divides into two giant membranes, [[spoiler:Madoka Madoka DisappearsIntoLight, and Homura ends up back on Earth]]. Earth. Somewhat justified by the fact that [[spoiler:Madoka Madoka ''literally'' destroys and rebuilds the universe,]] universe, so venturing into an "uncharted realm" in the meantime was inevitable.
* The finale of ''Anime/RahXephon'' had several characters running around inside Yolteotl (something approximately like Nirvana) with lots of trippy symbolism whilst [[spoiler:Quon Quon and Ayato]] Ayato tried to figure out how they wanted to retune the world.
%% Needs Context * Anime/SerialExperimentsLain's [[spoiler:EndOfTheWorldSpecial]] EndOfTheWorldSpecial had shades of this.

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* ''Film/{{Interstellar}}'' is already the equivalent of ''2001'' fifty years later, so it wouldn't be complete without the trip [[spoiler:inside a black hole where aliens have set up infinite rooms showing Cooper's daughter's room throughout multiple time periods, and then the trip backwards and forwards through time and space as Cooper goes home.]]

to:

* ''Film/{{Interstellar}}'' is already the equivalent of ''2001'' fifty years later, so it wouldn't be complete without the ''Film/AntMan1'' takes us on a trip [[spoiler:inside a black hole where aliens have set up infinite rooms showing Cooper's daughter's room throughout multiple time periods, and then the trip backwards and forwards through the Quantum realm. "...a reality where all concepts of time and space become irrelevant as Cooper goes home.you shrink for all eternity." What Scott ends up seeing certainly lives up to that description.
* ''Literature/AtPlayInTheFieldsOfTheLord''. Moon gives the Indians the flu, they all die, Randy dies, and in the novel, Moon is (metaphorically) the only man on Earth. GainaxEnding indeed.
* The 1979 Disney science fiction film ''Film/TheBlackHole'' ends with [[spoiler:the main characters passing through a black hole; the villain appears to merge with a robot who then becomes Lord of Hell, whilst the heroes either ascend to heaven or simply pass through a white hole into another part of the universe. And then the film ends.]]
** The novelization suggests that the heroes [[spoiler:AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence after passing through the black hole, V.I.N.C.E.N.T. included.
]]



* Creator/BusbyBerkeley's movie [[BusbyBerkeleyNumber musical numbers]] often border on the surreal, but the finale of ''Film/TheGangsAllHere'', "The Polka Dot Polka," is easily as bizarre as the ending of ''2001: A Space Odyssey''. Its kaleidoscopic patterns will make your eyes bleed in Technicolor.



* The 1979 Disney science fiction film ''Film/TheBlackHole'' ends with [[spoiler:the main characters passing through a black hole; the villain appears to merge with a robot who then becomes Lord of Hell, whilst the heroes either ascend to heaven or simply pass through a white hole into another part of the universe. And then the film ends.]]
** The novelization suggests that the heroes [[spoiler:AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence after passing through the black hole, V.I.N.C.E.N.T. included.]]
* The 1974 ant thriller ''Film/PhaseIV'' ends with [[spoiler:the surviving human characters -- a man and a woman -- apparently being captured by ants and forced to become the next stage of human evolution, or something along those lines.]]
* John Boorman's deranged post-apocalyptic sci-fi film ''Film/{{Zardoz}}'' ends with [[spoiler:the main character and his wife growing old in timelapse, as their child grows up to adulthood, to no discernible cinematic purpose.]]
* ''Film/TheQuietEarth'' (1985), a rare post-70s example, ends with the main character [[spoiler:seemingly transported to the moon of a distant ringed planet, or possibly the afterlife, or perhaps he remains where he is and the universe changes around him. It makes no sense. It wasn't meant to.]]
* ''Literature/AtPlayInTheFieldsOfTheLord''. Moon gives the Indians the flu, they all die, Randy dies, and in the novel, Moon is (metaphorically) the only man on Earth. GainaxEnding indeed.
%%* ''Film/TheTreeOfLife''



* Creator/BusbyBerkeley's movie [[BusbyBerkeleyNumber musical numbers]] often border on the surreal, but the finale of ''Film/TheGangsAllHere'', "The Polka Dot Polka," is easily as bizarre as the ending of ''2001: A Space Odyssey''. Its kaleidoscopic patterns will make your eyes bleed in Technicolor.
* ''Film/{{Interstellar}}'' is already the equivalent of ''2001'' fifty years later, so it wouldn't be complete without the trip [[spoiler:inside a black hole where aliens have set up infinite rooms showing Cooper's daughter's room throughout multiple time periods, and then the trip backwards and forwards through time and space as Cooper goes home.]]



* Creator/DannyBoyle took the final 20 minutes of ''Film/{{Sunshine}}'' in a decidedly unusual direction, with the soundtrack reaching a screeching cacophony and the camera struggling to focus on what's going on. No doubt meant to signify the laws of physics breaking down due to the ship's proximity to the sun, [[JustifiedTrope which was predicted]] earlier in the film.



* ''Film/AntMan1'' takes us on a trip through the Quantum realm. "...a reality where all concepts of time and space become irrelevant as you shrink for all eternity." What Scott ends up seeing certainly lives up to that description.

to:

* ''Film/AntMan1'' takes us on The 1974 ant thriller ''Film/PhaseIV'' ends with [[spoiler:the surviving human characters -- a trip through the Quantum realm. "...a reality where all concepts of time man and space a woman -- apparently being captured by ants and forced to become irrelevant as you shrink for all eternity." What Scott the next stage of human evolution, or something along those lines.]]
* ''Film/TheQuietEarth'' (1985), a rare post-70s example,
ends up seeing certainly lives with the main character [[spoiler:seemingly transported to the moon of a distant ringed planet, or possibly the afterlife, or perhaps he remains where he is and the universe changes around him. It makes no sense. It wasn't meant to.]]
* Creator/DannyBoyle took the final 20 minutes of ''Film/{{Sunshine}}'' in a decidedly unusual direction, with the soundtrack reaching a screeching cacophony and the camera struggling to focus on what's going on. No doubt meant to signify the laws of physics breaking down due to the ship's proximity to the sun, [[JustifiedTrope which was predicted]] earlier in the film.
%%* ''Film/TheTreeOfLife''
* John Boorman's deranged post-apocalyptic sci-fi film ''Film/{{Zardoz}}'' ends with [[spoiler:the main character and his wife growing old in timelapse, as their child grows
up to that description.adulthood, to no discernible cinematic purpose.]]
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This is an EndingTrope, so '''expect spoilers ahead.'''

to:

This !!As this is an EndingTrope, so '''expect {{Ending Trope|s}}, [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff unmarked spoilers ahead.'''abound]]. [[Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned Beware]].

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* The last three or so episodes of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' -- whenever that [[SpaceIsAnOcean space ocean]] shows up.
** TTGL actually runs the gamut of types of this, from the over-the-top special effects epic, to a homage of the most memorable part of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'''s GainaxEnding, to the biggest AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield ''ever''.
* The ending of ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'' could be called an inversion of the trope. The ending takes place [[spoiler:in what the characters see as a strange alternate reality, but it's ''our'' reality, the real world during World War I. It's the rest of the series that takes place in the world full of magic and monsters.]]
* ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'' has its final battle in Michel's realm, which appears to be the dream of a drugged-up EvilutionaryBiologist: the pillars in the sky are DNA strands, fish are flying, and everything has wings grafted onto it. [[spoiler:There ''is'' evil genetic engineering involved, but Michel, being a DiscOneFinalBoss, is not aware of this.]]

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* The Eclipse from the Golden Age arc of ''Manga/{{Berserk}}''. Many anime watchers know this as the finale of the 90s anime, and up until that point, the series was mostly grounded in reality with a few fantastical elements subtly implied. The last three or so episodes take place in a frightening hellscape ruled over by four archdemons who [[spoiler:want to make Griffith one of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' -- whenever that [[SpaceIsAnOcean space ocean]] shows up.
** TTGL actually runs the gamut of types of this, from the over-the-top special effects epic, to a homage
their own]] and in which most of the most memorable part of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'''s GainaxEnding, main cast is suddenly and brutally killed off by ravening monsters. Of course, this is the point where the manga takes off from, so this only applies to the biggest AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield ''ever''.
anime.
* The manga version of ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'' takes the heroes to the demon world Pandaemonium for their final battles against [[BigBad Aion]]. [[spoiler:Pandaemonium is really a CoolStarship]], so it's filled with demon technology that's completely anachronistic for the setting, architecture that's obsessed with hexagons, demons who've had [[spoiler:their legion corrupted, driving them feral and making them look like mutant starfish]] and Pandaemonium herself, the demon's HiveQueen.
* The GrandFinale of the first season of ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' was very clearly inspired by Evangelion. However, unlike Eva, they had the decency to give at least a little explanation. It's possible to piece together all the groups' motivations, even if the [[EldritchLocation Gate-induced]] MindScrew is totally incomprehensible. The second season, well... [[spoiler:Let's just say that a Contractor copying the entire ''planet'' is one of the easier things to understand.]] If you think you know what happened, you're wrong.
* The ending of ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'' could be called an inversion of the trope. The ending takes place [[spoiler:in what the characters see as a strange alternate reality, but it's ''our'' reality, the real world real-world during World War I. It's the rest of the series that takes place in the world full of magic and monsters.]]
* ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'' has its final battle in Michel's realm, which appears to be the dream of a drugged-up EvilutionaryBiologist: the pillars in the sky are DNA strands, fish are flying, and everything has wings grafted onto it. [[spoiler:There ''is'' evil genetic engineering involved, but Michel, being a DiscOneFinalBoss, is not aware of this.
]]



* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. Not one, but ''two'' {{Gainax Ending}}s. ''The End of Evangelion'' contains several ''minutes'' of [[{{Blipvert}} images zipping by so fast they could be seizure-inducing]], many of them vaguely disturbing (the series had already had much shorter sequences like this). The series ended with a lot of [[ContemplateOurNavels navel-contemplation]], some of it trippy; the film basically had trippy graphics for most of the latter half. Fans are ''still'' divided over whether they're two different endings to the series, or just one ending told in two different ways.



* ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'' has its final battle in Michel's realm, which appears to be the dream of a drugged-up EvilutionaryBiologist: the pillars in the sky are DNA strands, fish are flying, and everything has wings grafted onto it. [[spoiler:There ''is'' evil genetic engineering involved, but Michel, being a DiscOneFinalBoss, is not aware of this.]]
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. Not one, but ''two'' {{Gainax Ending}}s. ''The End of Evangelion'' contains several ''minutes'' of [[{{Blipvert}} images zipping by so fast they could be seizure-inducing]], many of them vaguely disturbing (the series had already had much shorter sequences like this). The series ended with a lot of [[ContemplateOurNavels navel-contemplation]], some of it trippy; the film basically had trippy graphics for most of the latter half. Fans are ''still'' divided over whether they're two different endings to the series, or just one ending told in two different ways.



* ''Anime/ShadowSkill'' ends with a bizarre near-death dream sequence involving giraffes and lions, with lots of Fauxlosophic dialogue. It's pretty clear what is going on, but the way they choose to illustrate it is decidedly trippy.

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* ''Anime/ShadowSkill'' The ending to ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', especially the "[[MemeticMutation space hugs]]" scene; while floating around in a freaky sparkly fog, [[spoiler:[[LesYay Madoka and Homura]] have a heartfelt [[OutOfClothesExperience clothing-free conversation]]]]. Then the fog divides into two giant membranes, [[spoiler:Madoka DisappearsIntoLight, and Homura ends with a bizarre near-death dream sequence involving giraffes up back on Earth]]. Somewhat justified by the fact that [[spoiler:Madoka ''literally'' destroys and lions, with lots of Fauxlosophic dialogue. It's pretty clear what is going on, but rebuilds the way they choose to illustrate it is decidedly trippy.universe,]] so venturing into an "uncharted realm" in the meantime was inevitable.



* The manga version of ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'' takes the heroes to the demon world Pandaemonium for their final battles against [[BigBad Aion]]. [[spoiler:Pandaemonium is really a CoolStarship]], so it's filled with demon technology that's completely anachronistic for the setting, architecture that's obsessed with hexagons, demons who've had [[spoiler:their legion corrupted, driving them feral and making them look like mutant starfish]] and Pandaemonium herself, the demon's HiveQueen.
* The GrandFinale of the first season of ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' was very clearly inspired by Evangelion. However, unlike Eva, they had the decency to give at least a little explanation. It's possible to piece together all the groups' motivations, even if the [[EldritchLocation Gate-induced]] MindScrew is totally incomprehensible. The second season, well... [[spoiler:Let's just say that a Contractor copying the entire ''planet'' is one of the easier things to understand.]] If you think you know what happened, you're wrong.



* The ending to ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', especially the "[[MemeticMutation space hugs]]" scene; while floating around in a freaky sparkly fog, [[spoiler:[[LesYay Madoka and Homura]] have a heartfelt [[OutOfClothesExperience clothing-free conversation]]]]. Then the fog divides into two giant membranes, [[spoiler:Madoka DisappearsIntoLight, and Homura ends up back on Earth]]. Somewhat justified by the fact that [[spoiler:Madoka ''literally'' destroys and rebuilds the universe,]] so venturing into an "uncharted realm" in the meantime was inevitable.
* The Eclipse from the Golden Age arc of ''Manga/{{Berserk}}''. Many anime watchers know this as the finale of the 90s anime, and up until that point, the series was mostly grounded in reality with a few fantastical elements subtly implied. The last three episodes take place in a frightening hellscape ruled over by four archdemons who [[spoiler:want to make Griffith one of their own]] and in which most of the main cast is suddenly and brutally killed off by ravening monsters. Of course, this is the point where the manga takes off from, so this only applies to the anime.

to:

* The ending to ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', especially the "[[MemeticMutation space hugs]]" scene; while floating around in a freaky sparkly fog, [[spoiler:[[LesYay Madoka and Homura]] have a heartfelt [[OutOfClothesExperience clothing-free conversation]]]]. Then the fog divides into two giant membranes, [[spoiler:Madoka DisappearsIntoLight, and Homura ''Anime/ShadowSkill'' ends up back on Earth]]. Somewhat justified by the fact that [[spoiler:Madoka ''literally'' destroys and rebuilds the universe,]] so venturing into an "uncharted realm" in the meantime was inevitable.
* The Eclipse from the Golden Age arc of ''Manga/{{Berserk}}''. Many anime watchers know this as the finale of the 90s anime, and up until that point, the series was mostly grounded in reality
with a few fantastical elements subtly implied. bizarre near-death dream sequence involving giraffes and lions, with lots of Fauxlosophic dialogue. It's pretty clear what is going on, but the way they choose to illustrate it is decidedly trippy.
*
The last three or so episodes take place in a frightening hellscape ruled over by four archdemons who [[spoiler:want of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' -- whenever that [[SpaceIsAnOcean space ocean]] shows up.
** TTGL actually runs the gamut of types of this, from the over-the-top special effects epic,
to make Griffith one of their own]] and in which most a homage of the main cast is suddenly and brutally killed off by ravening monsters. Of course, this is the point where the manga takes off from, so this only applies most memorable part of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'''s GainaxEnding, to the anime.biggest AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield ''ever''.
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Berlin Alexanderplatz can't be the trope maker if the very next example down is from an even older show


* The King's Cross sequence in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' which is the manifestation of Limbo in Harry's mind. Also, earlier in the series, we have the Battle of the Department of Mysteries at the end of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix.''

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* The King's Cross sequence in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' which is the manifestation of Limbo in Harry's mind. Also, %%Also, earlier in the series, we have the Battle of the Department of Mysteries at the end of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix.''''%%What about it?%%



* Creator/RainerWernerFassbinder's adaptation of the novel ''Literature/BerlinAlexanderplatz'' has an epilogue that, made in 1980, is perhaps a TropeMaker and TropeCodifier. It is a sudden GenreShift from naturalistic HistoricalFiction to VisionQuest, filled with AnachronismStew, {{Futureshadowing}}, surreal imagery, and flashbacks and flashforwards.
* "[[Recap/ThePrisonerE17FallOut Fall Out]]" in ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'', which was ''massively'' controversial. [[TrollingCreator The creator has gone on record stating that he did this specifically to piss people off.]] ExpandedUniverse states that, yes, it ''was'' an LSD trip.

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* Creator/RainerWernerFassbinder's adaptation of the novel ''Literature/BerlinAlexanderplatz'' has an ''Literature/BerlinAlexanderplatz'''s epilogue that, made in 1980, is perhaps a TropeMaker and TropeCodifier. It is features a sudden GenreShift from naturalistic HistoricalFiction to VisionQuest, filled with AnachronismStew, {{Futureshadowing}}, surreal imagery, and flashbacks and flashforwards.
* "[[Recap/ThePrisonerE17FallOut Fall Out]]" in ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'', which was ''massively'' controversial. A truly peculiar episode in which the main character barely speaks, one of the main villains pulls a HeelFaceTurn, there's a shootout set to "All You Need Is Love" by Music/TheBeatles, and a beatnik leads everyone in a DancePartyEnding. The DrivingQuestion of the series ("Who is Number One?") is finally resolved, but in a way that doesn't make any physical sense. [[TrollingCreator The creator has gone on record stating that he did this specifically to piss people off.]] Some ExpandedUniverse states material (by other writers) has stated that, yes, it ''was'' an LSD trip.trip, although a lot of fans of the original series reject this as a dismissively simple interpretation. Whatever your interpretation, this is probably the TropeMaker as far as television goes.



* In the finale of the series ''Series/TwinPeaks'', the Black Lodge is represented exclusively through the trippy dreamlike sequence, complete with strobe lights, maniacal screaming, and a doppelgänger chase scene.

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* In the finale of the series original run of ''Series/TwinPeaks'', the Black Lodge is represented exclusively through the trippy dreamlike sequence, complete with strobe lights, maniacal screaming, and a doppelgänger chase scene.scene. When ''Twin Peaks'' was revived for a third season decades later, it too ended with a truly perplexing final episode that seems to be set in a completely different timeline from the main series.
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It uses the latest estimation of Dark Energy and mentions the heat death of the universe and big rip hypotheses, so changes Matter to Energy.


** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' Endwalker, the final expansion of the MythArc, ends in Ultima Thule, a realm located at the literal edges of the universe made up of concentrated Dynamis -- a mix of Dark Matter and emotional energy. The realm is suitably trippy and cosmic, with a gigantic black sun looming above and a bright star illuminating from below, and the entire landscape made up of floating 'islands' based on recreations of dead planets.

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** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' Endwalker, the final expansion of the MythArc, ends in Ultima Thule, a realm located at the literal edges of the universe made up of concentrated Dynamis -- a mix of Dark Matter Energy and emotional energy. The realm is suitably trippy and cosmic, with a gigantic black sun looming above and a bright star illuminating from below, and the entire landscape made up of floating 'islands' based on recreations of dead planets.
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Hiding a ZCE


* The Literature/BookOfRevelation in Literature/TheBible.

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* %%* The Literature/BookOfRevelation in Literature/TheBible.
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None


* The ending of ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'' could be called an inversion of the trope. The ending takes place [[spoiler:in what the characters see as a strange alternate realty, but it's ''our'' reality, the real world during World War I. It's the rest of the series that takes place in the world full of magic and monsters.]]

to:

* The ending of ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'' could be called an inversion of the trope. The ending takes place [[spoiler:in what the characters see as a strange alternate realty, reality, but it's ''our'' reality, the real world during World War I. It's the rest of the series that takes place in the world full of magic and monsters.]]



* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' pulls out all the special-effects stops and headache-inducing magical locations for its {{Final Battle}}s, despite the battle fields (in the first two seasons, at least) normally being pretty low-key.

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* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' pulls out all the special-effects stops and headache-inducing magical locations for its {{Final Battle}}s, despite the battle fields battlefields (in the first two seasons, at least) normally being pretty low-key.



* ''Breakdown'': One's character is brainwashed by a computer and sees himself where he was trained. Everything is now filled with a green haze, the steam shoots from random places, and the television screen is filled with static. He has to shoot all of his partners, then is attacked by large, half naked men while a light flies around him.

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* ''Breakdown'': One's character is brainwashed by a computer and sees himself where he was trained. Everything is now filled with a green haze, the steam shoots from random places, and the television screen is filled with static. He has to shoot all of his partners, then is attacked by large, half naked half-naked men while a light flies around him.



* The "Great Dance" sequence at the end of C.S. Lewis' ''Literature/{{Perelandra}}'', a trippy and colorful spiritual vision which takes a year and shows the protagonist the meaning of Life, the Universe and Everything. (No, not the Creator/DouglasAdams book.)

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* The "Great Dance" sequence at the end of C.S. Lewis' ''Literature/{{Perelandra}}'', a trippy and colorful spiritual vision which that takes a year and shows the protagonist the meaning of Life, the Universe and Everything. (No, not the Creator/DouglasAdams book.)



* Creator/RainerWernerFassbinder's adaptation of the novel ''Literature/BerlinAlexanderplatz'' has an epilogue that, made in 1980, is perhaps a TropeMaker and TropeCodifier. It is a sudden GenreShift from naturalistic HistoricalFiction to VisionQuest, filled with AnachronismStew, {{Futureshadowing}}, surreal imagery and flashbacks and flashforwards.

to:

* Creator/RainerWernerFassbinder's adaptation of the novel ''Literature/BerlinAlexanderplatz'' has an epilogue that, made in 1980, is perhaps a TropeMaker and TropeCodifier. It is a sudden GenreShift from naturalistic HistoricalFiction to VisionQuest, filled with AnachronismStew, {{Futureshadowing}}, surreal imagery imagery, and flashbacks and flashforwards.



* In the finale of the series ''Series/TwinPeaks'', the Black Lodge is represented exclusively through trippy dreamlike sequence, complete with strobe lights, maniacal screaming and a doppelgänger chase scene.

to:

* In the finale of the series ''Series/TwinPeaks'', the Black Lodge is represented exclusively through the trippy dreamlike sequence, complete with strobe lights, maniacal screaming screaming, and a doppelgänger chase scene.



** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' Endwalker, the final expansion of the MythArc, ends in Ultima Thule, a realm located at the literal edges of the universe made up of concentrated Dynamis -- a mix of Dark Matter and emotional energy. The realm is suitably trippy and cosmic, with a gigantic black sun looming above and a a bright star illuminating from below, and the entire landscape made up of floating 'islands' based on recreations of dead planets.

to:

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' Endwalker, the final expansion of the MythArc, ends in Ultima Thule, a realm located at the literal edges of the universe made up of concentrated Dynamis -- a mix of Dark Matter and emotional energy. The realm is suitably trippy and cosmic, with a gigantic black sun looming above and a a bright star illuminating from below, and the entire landscape made up of floating 'islands' based on recreations of dead planets.



** Even its predecessor, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', doesn't escape from this. Once you enter Lavos' outer shell and initiate a battle with the "real" Lavos (The Core), the background graphics just goes all hippie on you, occasionally combined with semitransparent images of places you've been to in the past, present and future.

to:

** Even its predecessor, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', doesn't escape from this. Once you enter Lavos' outer shell and initiate a battle with the "real" Lavos (The Core), the background graphics just goes all hippie on you, occasionally combined with semitransparent images of places you've been to in the past, present present, and future.



** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''[='s=] final world is called the World that Never Was (more accurately, it's a world that never should have been) and is on the edge of the realms of light and dark. It's a huge, completely empty fascimile of a city with an enormous, misshapen white castle/spaceship and a heart-shaped moon hanging over it. Then the buildings get weaponized...

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** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''[='s=] final world is called the World that Never Was (more accurately, it's a world that never should have been) and is on the edge of the realms of light and dark. It's a huge, completely empty fascimile facsimile of a city with an enormous, misshapen white castle/spaceship and a heart-shaped moon hanging over it. Then the buildings get weaponized...



** ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'' ends with the World that Never Was again, but this time it's even worse. Many areas start off making no sense architecturally, and are only slightly more intuitive as pathways are assembled from [[DiagonalCut cleany sliced]] skyscrapers. One set of buildings warps and breathes, while others move up and down to serve as trampolines. Even the cutscenes are weird, thanks to a [[spoiler:DreamWithinADream]]. Also, [[spoiler:TimeTravel]].

to:

** ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'' ends with the World that Never Was again, but this time it's even worse. Many areas start off making no sense architecturally, architecturally and are only slightly more intuitive as pathways are assembled from [[DiagonalCut cleany cleanly sliced]] skyscrapers. One set of buildings warps and breathes, while others move up and down to serve as trampolines. Even the cutscenes are weird, thanks to a [[spoiler:DreamWithinADream]]. Also, [[spoiler:TimeTravel]].



* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'' has The Moon That Never Sets. It's a rather surreal place with actual towns and forests, and the constant sound of the [[spoiler:Virage Embryo's heart beat.]] The area right before the final boss is even more surreal, consisting of static-y television monitors and an overall weird, digital looking landscape.

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* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'' has The Moon That Never Sets. It's a rather surreal place with actual towns and forests, and the constant sound of the [[spoiler:Virage Embryo's heart beat.heartbeat.]] The area right before the final boss is even more surreal, consisting of static-y television monitors and an overall weird, digital looking digital-looking landscape.



* ''VideoGame/EternalSonata'' had the Elegy of the Moon zone. In contrast to the bright, colorful, and vibrant zones previously seen, the Elegy of the Moon is a rather... odd zone which is essentially purgatory for the souls lost to the mineral powder.

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* ''VideoGame/EternalSonata'' had the Elegy of the Moon zone. In contrast to the bright, colorful, and vibrant zones previously seen, the Elegy of the Moon is a rather... odd zone which that is essentially purgatory for the souls lost to the mineral powder.



** ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'''s final area before the final boss battle looks like a giant bizarre vagina, leading into a maze of tentacle-like pathways over a void. If that's not bad enough, said final boss battle [[AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield sure]] is. The battle's inspired by an old-fashioned CSI-esque movie that starts (well, not immediately, but you get the point) with a close-up of the soon to be victim's face, which the creator walked saw as a child when he entered the wrong theater and mistook for a rape scene.

to:

** ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'''s final area before the final boss battle looks like a giant bizarre vagina, leading into a maze of tentacle-like pathways over a void. If that's not bad enough, said final boss battle [[AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield sure]] is. The battle's inspired by an old-fashioned CSI-esque movie that starts (well, not immediately, but you get the point) with a close-up of the soon to be soon-to-be victim's face, which the creator walked saw as a child when he entered the wrong theater and mistook for a rape scene.



* Pretty much every single ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' hack ever to some degree. Examples include VIP 2-5 (which have a ridiculously psychodelic looking rainbow coloured final level filled with random gimmicks), ''VideoGame/BrutalMario'' (second part of Bowser's Castle especially), VideoGame/AnSMWCProduction's void level, ASMT's void level and probably a whole lot of others.

to:

* Pretty much every single ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' hack ever to some degree. Examples include VIP 2-5 (which have a ridiculously psychodelic looking rainbow coloured psychodelic-looking rainbow-coloured final level filled with random gimmicks), ''VideoGame/BrutalMario'' (second part of Bowser's Castle especially), VideoGame/AnSMWCProduction's void level, ASMT's void level and probably a whole lot of others.



* The climax of the ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' special, "Destination Imagination", has the characters escaping from an imaginary world that exists within a toy box. As they escape, the imaginary friend that controls this world causes everything to [[LoadBearingBoss explode into a hallucinogenic void around them]]. Of course, the entire episode is pretty trippy anyway.

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* The climax of the ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' special, special "Destination Imagination", Imagination" has the characters escaping from an imaginary world that exists within a toy box. As they escape, the imaginary friend that controls this world causes everything to [[LoadBearingBoss explode into a hallucinogenic void around them]]. Of course, the entire episode is pretty trippy anyway.

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* ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' stretched this out over its entire final season, only to [[InvertedTrope invert]] it in the series finale proper. After eight seasons of the Conners struggling to get by and dealing with realistic issues, the family abruptly wins a huge lottery jackpot and become multimillionaires overnight. The rest of the season consists of bizarre episodes, including fighting terrorists on a train, Jackie being wooed by a foreign prince, a ''Film/RosemarysBaby'' spoof featuring the cast of ''Series/AbsolutelyFabulous'', and Roseanne and Jackie going to an exclusive health spa (which also features a lengthy ImagineSpot of Roseanne as [[Series/XenaWarriorPrincess Xena]]). In the finale itself, though, it's revealed that the entire season (and much of the actual series) was [[NestedStoryReveal actually a book Roseanne has been writing about her life]]; the lottery subplot was her dreaming of a situation completely different than her own as a form of escapism.



* Every album by Music/TheDoors does this. Sure, the songs in the middle are trippy, but the finale is the craziest. Frequently overlaps with Main/NightmareFuel and Main/EpicRocking

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* Every album by Music/TheDoors does this. Sure, the songs in the middle are trippy, but the finale is the craziest. Frequently overlaps with Main/NightmareFuel and Main/EpicRockingMain/EpicRocking.
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* Events in ''VideoGame/MystIVRevelation'' progress from a mundane visit to Atrus's {{Steampunk}} residence, to forays into exotic, yet still coherent Prison Ages, to a surreal vision quest through {{Arcadia}}, to a final BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind sorting puzzle using abstract symbols and disjointed tidbits of recent past events.
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[[folder:Film]]

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[[folder:Film]][[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

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