History ButNowIMustGo / VideoGames

** Happens to [[spoiler:the main character]] at the end of ''VideoGame/Persona3''. He [[spoiler:''falls asleep and never wakes up'' because his soul is keeping Nyx from returning to destroy the world]]. And this is the '''GOOD''' ending.

** At the end of ''VideoGame/Persona5'', the protagonist completes his year-long probation, and leaves Tokyo to return to his hometown. [[spoiler:However, the rest of the team decides to accompany him on his road trip back home.]]
*** The sequel game, ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers'', has Joker return to Tokyo for summer vacation, albeit he and his friends end up having to travel around the country, so he doesn't return for long. They all part ways again at the end of the game [[spoiler: with new team member Sophia playing it the most straight, deciding to go with her creator Ichinose instead of the protagonist at the last minute.]]

* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'' ends with [[spoiler:Keves and Agnus being separated. This means that everyone must say their goodbyes to loved ones from the opposite nation as them, and return to their respective world. There is no way that they can see each other again ([[TheStinger that we know of]])]].

** At the end of ''[[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'', [[spoiler:Anjean and the other Lokomos leave the kingdom of Hyrule under the protection of Link and Zelda, since the defeat of Malladus fulfilled their duties]].

** Subverted in [[spoiler:''[[VideoGame/PokemonSuperMysteryDungeon Super Mystery Dungeon]]''. Your partner in ''Super Mystery Dungeon'' is (canonically) the second Pokémon in the Mystery Dungeon games to die. The partner's death involves them disappearing in a ball of light when you are supposed to leave for the human world, and, after explaining that they chose to erase their memories with the player due to them being Mew's reincarnation, they vanish in the ball of light, never to be seen again... Until the postgame story, where the player's wish to be with the partner causes the partner to be BackFromTheDead.]]

* This is very common at the end of the ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' games. Either Link's sidekick leaves Link or Link leaves Hyrule to go on a journey.
** ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' has Navi leaving Link at the end because Link isn't a Kokiri and the only reason she was sent to him was so he could fulfill his quest. Once that was done, she couldn't stay with him any longer.
** ''[[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' started with Link getting sidetracked while searching for his friend Navi. At the end of the game, Link leaves Termina and Tatl to continue on that quest.
** The Linked game ending for ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages]]'' shows that after Link stops Twinrova's plans to revive Ganon from coming to fruition, Link bids farewell to a crowd, departs Labrynna or Holodrum and sets off to the sea on a sailboat by himself. While the ending was originally implied to show both games as a prequel to ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]]'' with the same Link, later revision to the timeline stated that they happened after that game and featured a different Link.
** The ending of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]]'' has Link leaving his grandma and sister to search for new land. Similarly, [[spoiler:Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the true identity of the King of Red Lions, turns down Zelda's request for him to stay with them to find a new land to call home, as he feels himself to be forever bound to his fallen kingdom of Hyrule]].
** There's also ''[[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap Minish Cap]]'' where Ezlo leaves because the door to the Minish world is about to close and won't reopen for another hundred years. At least he leaves a parting gift.
** At the end of ''[[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', [[spoiler:Midna, now free of Ganon's curse, seals herself and all other Twili from Hyrule for eternity by destroying the Mirror of Twilight. The Mirror is corrupting and evil, and they will ultimately need to destroy it after they are finished using it.]] At the very end, Link is seen riding away from Ordon village on Epona, but it's never said where he's going.
** At the end of ''[[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'', [[spoiler:Anjean and the other Lokomos leave the kingdom of Hyrule under the protection of Link and Zelda, since the defeat of Malladus fulfilled their duties]].
** At the ending of ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', [[spoiler:Fi, the spirit living within the Master Sword and your companion throughout the game, seals herself in the Master Sword in eternal sleep after the defeat of Demise. Impa also leaves by dissolving into tiny balls of light.]]

* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'':
** Happens to [[spoiler:the main character]] at the end of ''VideoGame/Persona3''. He [[spoiler:''falls asleep and never wakes up'' because his soul is keeping Nyx from returning to destroy the world]]. And this is the '''GOOD''' ending.
** Happens to the main character at the end of ''VideoGame/Persona4'' when he has to return to his parents. Though considering the series, things could have been [[HeroicSacrifice much]], [[DownerEnding much]] [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt worse]]. Something of a subversion in that we know from the very beginning of the game that he'll be leaving town in one year. And depending on which dialog choices the player chooses, he might not want to leave at all. Also, in the True Ending, Teddie says that he's decided to stay in the TV world, but the rest of the cast calls him out for being overdramatic, pointing out that he can easily go back and forth between worlds and will be back in their world as soon as he gets bored.
*** Sequel ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' undoes this one: In order to investigate Teddie's call to a tournament for Persona users, Yu Narukami (the protagonist's CanonName) returns to his friends in Inaba less than two months after the end of the game.
*** While Yu does leave Inaba once more after the events in ''VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax'', ''Golden''[='s=] extended epilogue has him returning to Inaba ''again'', with no indication that he's going to be leaving permanently, if at all.
** At the end of ''VideoGame/Persona5'', the protagonist completes his year-long probation, and leaves Tokyo to return to his hometown. [[spoiler:However, the rest of the team decides to accompany him on his road trip back home.]]
*** The sequel game, ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers'', has Joker return to Tokyo for summer vacation, albeit he and his friends end up having to travel around the country, so he doesn’t return for long. They all part ways again at the end of the game [[spoiler: with new team member Sophia playing it the most straight, deciding to go with her creator Ichinose instead of the protagonist at the last minute.]]
* Averted in an interesting way in ''VideoGame/LunarEternalBlue''. [[spoiler:Lucia leaves Hiro on Lunar (a terraformed Moon AfterTheEnd) so that she can go back and terraform Earth. In the PlayableEpilogue, he finds a way to follow her and stays with her. Presumably through HumanPopsicle, he is able to be with her when her job is complete, centuries later.]]

* ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' ends like this with [[spoiler:The Nameless One]].
* Likewise the ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' series in ''[[VideoGame/BaldursGateIIThroneOfBhaal Throne of Bhaal]]'', in the ending where [[spoiler:you accept godhood.]]
* ''VideoGame/TalesSeries''
** [[spoiler:Kratos]] in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia''.
** In ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'', it's practically a ForegoneConclusion that when Dhaos is defeated and the world is saved, Claus and Arche will have to return to the past. Arche is a bit of a subversion, since she's a half-elf, and thus will still be around in 100 years, but Claus...
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'' pulls this off with Milla in the final scene of the game. She decides to [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence become the new Maxwell]] and leaves the human realm for the spirit realm.
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2'' pulls this off with Milla ''again'', but this time it is treated as a ForegoneConclusion for it to happen. After joining the party, Milla openly admits that she only has a limited amount of time to remain in the human realm. At the end of the game, her time is up and she has to return to the spirit realm. Her sister Muzét joins her in leaving the party at this point, though she has no such restriction and is the only Great Spirit who can easily go between realms, due to her powers.

* [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ryu's]] ending in every game he's been in. One of the most memorable phrases in gaming history from his ending in any ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'': "Already seeking the next challenge, ceremony means nothing to him. [[BloodKnight The fight is everything.]]" As we read it, the players see a lonely Ryu calmly walking into the sunset.
* Done ''for'' the hero in ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryIV''; in the middle of the reward ceremony, [[EccentricMentor Erasmus]] locates the hero via scrying and teleports him to Silmaria for the events of the fifth game, remarking "He's a hero, and heroes go where they are needed."
* The Avatar from ''VideoGame/UltimaIX'': During ALL the game it's said that you won't be back to Earth nor Britannia (the planet where the game is set) but you will ascend to another form of existence. The full name of that game is "Ultima IX: Ascension". No less.

* ''{{Franchise/Pokemon}}'':

* ''Franchise/DragonAge''
** Morrigan does this at the end of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins''. The Warden can follow her. She returns for ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' with a helping of character development and possibly a young son named Kieran.
** All Awakening epilogues state that after a few years of service, the Warden-Commander leaves for parts unknown. Her/His love interest may follow as well. ''Videogame/DragonAgeInquisition'' reveals that they are searching for [[spoiler: a cure for the blight]]. You can briefly communicate with them as well through a war table mission.

%%* ''VideoGame/ABoyAndHisBlob'': Happens at the end of the Wii version.
* ''VideoGame/Pikmin2001'': Throughout Olimar's journal entries, it becomes clear that he's become quite attached to the pikmin and their strange, blue world. Unfortunately, he's got a family back on his home planet, and the toxic atmosphere just doesn't help anything. If you reach the happy ending, the diminutive alien gives the cute pikmin one final glance before shaking his head and leaving them all behind.
* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'': The protagonists of both games end the games this way, and WordOfGod says they leave their party members behind. Importantly, they leave the seeds for the rebirth of the Jedi Order and the Republic, and their actual fates are covered partially by ''Videogame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' and an EU novel. [[spoiler:Both end up in the True Sith Empire, trying to stop the Emperor from starting a war with the weakened Republic. They end up getting betrayed by a temporary ally, with the Exile getting stabbed InTheBack by him and Revan being outmatched by the Emperor and kept in stasis for the next several centuries. But he does, however, manage to subtly influence the Emperor to hold off on attacking the Republic for 300 years or so.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}''
** Inverted in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout|1}}''. After defeating the BigBad [[spoiler: the Vault Dweller is denied re-entry into the vault by the overseer. He walks alone, into the sunset, cut off from everything he worked so hard to save.]]
** Played straight in the ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' DLC. After saving Christine from the immediate danger at the Big Empty and getting what he came for, Ulysses leaves.
* In ''VideoGame/MyLittlePonyFriendshipGardens'', you must let your pony cross the bridge to Ponyland at the end.
* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'':
** This is an unspoken agreement between Donald Duck and Goofy. Due to the "no meddling" rule, they know that eventually, they'll have to leave Sora forever. By the time of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', however, [[SubvertedTrope they've gotten far too attached to Sora to leave him]].
** After Franchise/WinnieThePooh [[spoiler:regains his memories of his friends]], he pleads with Sora to stay with him in the Hundred Acre Wood; Sora reassures him that "I will always be with you, right here", pointing out that he'll always be in Pooh's heart.
* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** In ''Videogame/SuperMarioRPG'', Geno leaves the party and his spirit returns to the Star Road after the heroes have completed their quest in fixing it and defeating the BigBad.
** In ''VideoGame/PaperMario64'', after Bowser has been defeated and the Star Rod is recovered, Twink bids farewell to Princess Peach and returns to Star Haven, and Mario's partners return to their hometowns, as well, [[spoiler:only for all of them to later be invited to Princess Peach's victory party]].
** Happens during TheStinger from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'': If you defeat [[BigBad Bowser]] with all 120 Power Stars, then we actually get to see a cutscene where Rosalina is actually shown bidding Mario/Luigi farewell and flying off to another part of the galaxy, followed by a Luma climbing out of a damaged spaceship. Moments later, however, Mario/Luigi is actually now back on Rosalina's ship!
** This also happens in [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 the sequel]], where after Bowser is defeated the Luma Mario/Luigi travelled with actually ends up seeing Rosalina's ship flying by and telling Mario/Luigi goodbye. However, she does return to help Mario/Luigi [[spoiler: complete World S, beat Bowser again, get all 120 Green Stars, and finally complete Grandmaster Galaxy.]]
* This is two of seven possible endings for Ein in ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'', including the one that's WordOfGod canonical. They're mostly the same, though; the only thing that changes is whether or not his familiar turns into a catgirl.
* Sundown's chapter in ''VideoGame/LiveALive'' ends with him leaving the town of Success because he's finally learned how to live once more. [[spoiler:He wouldn't have had a choice anyway since the BigBad abducts him moments after he leaves.]]
* This is [[spoiler: Akatsuki]]'s ending in VideoGame/AkatsukiBlitzkampf, where [[spoiler: he tells the defeated Murakumo that his AGodAmI stint is bullshit and disappears immediately afterwards. There's even a picture of him walking out and away from Murakumo's lair.]] [[spoiler: He does something similar in his ''VideoGame/UnderNightInBirth'' ending, where after defeating Hyde, Akatsuki decides to go to Mount Fuji to check on what's supposed to be an old lab (and where, in ''Blitzkampf'' story proper, he faces [[ActionGirl Kanae]] and later [[OldMaster Fritz]]).]]
* This can happen to the PlayerCharacter Prince in ''VideoGame/SuikodenV'' if he chooses to. It will definitely happen to his strategist, Lucretia Merces.
* In the modern ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' games, Sonic will usually run off to his next adventure whenever the latest Eggman threat ''du jour'' is stopped.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel IV'' has [[spoiler:Musse pulling off this trope to enact her "Mille Mirage" plan which requires her to fight off against the empire in the shadows and leaves the party after the climax of ''Cold Steel III''. This lasts for all of two weeks before she's reunited with Class VII and they tell her to join them to search for their teacher [[TheHero Rean]], who was captured during the finale of ''Cold Steel III''.]]

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'':
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestI'': After saving Princess Gwaelin and slaying the Dragonlord, the Hero is offered the throne of Tantegel, but he declines and sets off on a journey to explore new, uncharted lands beyond Alefgard.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'': The Hero disappears following the celebrations of their victory over Zoma at the end of the game, leaving behind only their sword, armor, shield, and mark to be passed down the kingdom through generations.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'': At the end of the game, Ashlynn has to leave her friends and love interest and return to Zenithia.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVII'': After Dharma Temple is saved, Zev chooses to leave his sister behind, asking Kasim to protect her in his stead.

* ''VideoGame/IntoTheBreach'': After defeating the Vek, the pilots of the mechs are forced to leave via time travel, as there is no other way to get them out of the blast zone of the bomb that destroys the Vek hive.

* ''Videogame/GodOfWarRagnarok'' ends with [[spoiler:Atreus leaving for distant lands in order to seek out the fate of the Jotnar, with his and Kratos' final words to one another being to [[AlwaysWithYou always be in each others' hearts]]. Kratos meanwhile learns of his destiny to be a benevolent deity of the Nordic land and [[AndTheAdventureContinues decides to continue protecting the nine realms]]]].

* [[spoiler:Mana Kirishima]] must do this in the ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': Girlfriend of Steel game. [[spoiler: And this is the ''happiest'' ending, people.]]

* In the modern ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' games, Sonic will usually run off to his next adventure whenever the latest Eggman threat ''du jour'' is stopped.

** ''[[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' started with Link getting sidetracked while searching for his friend. At the end of the game, Link leaves Termina and Tatl to continue on that quest.

* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'' ends with [[spoiler:Keves and Agnus being separated. This means that everyone must say their goodbyes to loved ones from opposing nations, and return to their respective world. There is no way that they can see each other gain ([[TheStinger that we know of]])]].

** [[spoiler: Princess Nyna]] does this in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemMysteryOfTheEmblem''. [[spoiler:After all the BreakTheCutie that she went through for [[TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask her heritage/position and the terrible mistake she committed for the sake of the continent]], she decides to leave Archanea in the hands of Marth and Caeda and leave.]]

** Morrigan does this at the end of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins''. The Warden can follow her.

** Subverted in ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver''. Red seems to have gone away since the events of the previous games, and not even his mother knows where he is; [[spoiler: however, he ''is'' still around. He eventually appears as a BonusBoss.]]

* ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonRescueTeam''... though it ends up subverted, as the protagonist stays after all.
** Played straight in [[spoiler:''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonGatesToInfinity Gates to Infinity]]''. For a little while, anyway.]]
** Subverted in [[spoiler:''[[VideoGame/PokemonSuperMysteryDungeon Super Mystery Dungeon]]''. Your partner in ''Super Mystery Dungeon'' is (canonically) the second Pokémon in the Mystery Dungeon games to die. The partner's death involves them disappearing in a ball of light when you are supposed to leave for the human world, and, after explaining that they chose to erase their memories with the player due to them being Mew's reincarnation, they vanish in the ball of light, never to be seen again... Until the postgame story, where the player's wish to be with the partner causes the partner to be BackFromTheDead.]]

** [[spoiler: N Harmonia]] in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite''.
*** [[spoiler: The sequel implies that Hilda and Hilbert pulled one of these off-screen.]]

* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'', this is an unspoken agreement between Donald Duck and Goofy. Due to the "no meddling" rule, they know that eventually, they'll have to leave Sora forever. By the time of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', however, [[SubvertedTrope they've gotten far too attached to Sora to leave him]].
** Also a TearJerker moment; after Franchise/WinnieThePooh [[spoiler: regains his memories of his friends]], he pleads with Sora to stay with him in the Hundred Acre Wood; Sora reassures him that "I will always be with you, right here", pointing out that he'll always be in Pooh's heart.

*** This also happens in [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 the sequel]], where after Bowser is defeated the Luma Mario/Luigi travelled with actually ends up seeing Rosalina's ship flying by and telling Mario/Luigi goodbye. However, she does return to help Mario/Luigi [[spoiler: complete World S, beat Bowser again, get all 120 Green Stars, and finally complete Grandmaster Galaxy.]]

* Happens during TheStinger from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'': If you defeat [[BigBad Bowser]] with all 120 Power Stars, then we actually get to see a cutscene where Rosalina is actually shown bidding Mario/Luigi farewell and flying off to another part of the galaxy, followed by a Luma climbing out of a damaged spaceship. Moments later, however, Mario/Luigi is actually now back on Rosalina's ship!
** This also happens in [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 the sequel]], where after Bowser is defeated the Luma Mario/Luigi travelled with actually ends up seeing Rosalina's ship flying by and telling Mario/Luigi goodbye. However, she does return to help Mario/Luigi [[spoiler: complete World S, beat Bowser again, get all 120 Green Stars, and finally complete Grandmaster Galaxy.]]

* In ''Videogame/SuperMarioRPG'', Geno leaves the party and his spirit returns to the Star Road after the heroes have completed their quest in fixing it and defeating the BigBad.

** One of the multiple endings to ''[[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'' has Link leaving if you select the "Dunno" choice when asked what do you want to do after the bad guy is defeated.

* Sunset's chapter in ''VideoGame/LiveALive'' ends with him leaving Succez Town because he's finally learned how to live once more. [[spoiler:He wouldn't have had a choice anyway since the BigBad abducts him moments after he leaves.]]

** There's also ''[[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap Minish Cap]]'' where Ezlo leaves because the door to the Minish world is about to close and won't reopen for another hundred years. At least he leaves a [[NiceHat parting gift]].

* ''VideoGame/Pikmin1'': Throughout Olimar's journal entries, it becomes clear that he's become quite attached to the pikmin and their strange, blue world. Unfortunately, he's got a family back on his home planet, and the toxic atmosphere just doesn't help anything. If you reach the happy ending, the diminutive alien gives the cute pikmin one final glance before shaking his head and leaving them all behind.

** Played straight in [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonGatesToInfinity Gates to Infinity]]. For a little while, anyway.]]
** Subverted in [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/PokemonSuperMysteryDungeon Super Mystery Dungeon]]. Your partner in ''Super Mystery Dungeon'' is (canonically) the second Pokémon in the Mystery Dungeon games to die. The partner's death involves them disappearing in a ball of light when you are supposed to leave for the human world, and, after explaining that they chose to erase their memories with the player due to them being Mew's reincarnation, they vanish in the ball of light, never to be seen again... Until the postgame story, where the player's wish to be with the partner causes the partner to be BackFromTheDead.]]