History Main / HesBack

* The album ''Hysteria'' was basically a He’s Back album for drummer Rick Allen who had lost an arm in a car crash and had to spend months learning to drum again with a custom made drum kit.

** All of the above would be nothing compared to returning to the ring in 2018. Bryan was forced to retire in 2016 due to multiple concussions and spent his post-wrestling career as the General Manager of [=SmackDown=], co-hosting Talking Smack with Renee Young, and calling the [[Wrestling/WWECruiserweightClassic Cruiserweight Classic]] with Mauro Ranallo. Then on March 20, 2018, it was announced that he was cleared by doctors to return to in-ring competition. He made his in-ring return at [=WrestleMania=] 34 (at the same arena he triumphed at four years prior, no less) and performed like he never left.

** All of the above would be nothing compared to returning to the ring in 2018. Bryan was forced to retire in 2016 due to multiple concussions and spent his post-wrestling career as the General Manager of [=SmackDown=], co-hosting Talking Smack with Renee Young, and calling the [[Wrestling/WWECruiserweightClassic Cruiserweight Classic]] with Mauro Ranallo. Then on March 20, 2018, it was announced that he was cleared by doctors to return to in-ring competition. He made his in-ring return at [=WrestleMania=] 34 (at the same arena he triumphed at four years ago, no less) and performed like he never left.

* What was thought to be Bryan Danielson's final independent pay per view appearance, his final any kind of pro wrestling appearance not under the Wrestling/{{WWE}} banner was in 2009 in Wrestling/DragonGate USA, where he requested the hardest possible match up he could get, and after losing to Open The Dream Gate Champion Naruki Doi, told fans he didn't think he could remain the best in the world while in WWE and urged them to continue to support independent pro wrestling, assuring them new wrestlers would take over his position as such, if they had not already. Well, WWE fired Danielson for being too violent, so he returned to DGUSA the next year, ready to once again become, ''Best In The World''.

!!Examples:

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' has a happy variant of this. After the horrors she suffered through in The Eclipse and spending the last three years in-series as TheOphelia, Chapter 355 shows the return of Casca.
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** Ichigo spends the entire Arrancar Arc struggling with his fear of his [[SuperpoweredEvilSide inner Hollow]], falling into despair after he obliterates Ulquiorra and almost kills Uryuu. Gin tells him to run away as he's no longer in any state to fight Aizen. However, Isshin encourages Ichigo to train one last time, which allows Ichigo to confront and reconcile with his inner spirits. Upon returning to the battlefield, Gin acknowledges Ichigo has regained his fighting resolve, and Ichigo then proves it by curb-stomping Aizen.
** During the Lost Agent Arc, Ichigo's friends and family are brainwashed against him, and the one ally remaining to him turns on him, stabs him and steals his power. Ichigo is left on his knees, powerless and sobbing. The Shinigami turn up to restore his Shinigami power in the same fashion as Chapter 1. His resolve returns in full force and he thrashes the ArcVillain.
* During ''Anime/BloodPlus'', David begins [[DrowningMySorrows drowning his sorrows]] after a major tragedy, but recovers and reverts to his old BadassNormal self when Saya returns.
* In Light novel Volume 8/Episode 7 of the second season of ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' Accelerator gets one of these. After being shot in the head and hospitalized, ending up with severe brain damage in Volume 5, he comes back to [[CurbStompBattle mop the floor]] with Awaki Musujime, showing that he's still the strongest in Academy City. You can see the scene [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pREOMmhHyU8 here]].
--> '''Accelerator''' "But you see, just because I'm weaker, doesn't mean that you're stronger, does it?!"
* After Lelouch lost a critical battle and was rejected by his sister Nunnally early in the second season of ''Anime/CodeGeass'', he abandoned his troops and fell into a deep depression, even resorting to drug use. Later, when the Black Knights' submarine has been surrounded by Britannian Navy vessels and they have all but given up hope, Lelouch shows up with a handheld radio and some marine charts and singlehandedly leads them to victory against the entire Britannian fleet. Oh yeah, he's back.
** Earlier, when he [[spoiler:gets his memories back at the beginning of [=R2=]]], you watch as his Geass comes back into his eye and he repeats the first scene where he got it. He even makes a gloating, [[LargeHam over-the-top]] speech.
* In Season 2 of ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'', Hei is introduced in bad shape, [[DrowningMySorrows drinking heavily]], and acting like a jerkass. He starts to mellow a bit from roughly Episode 3 onward, but what seems to mark him as being "back" is regaining his BigEater habits in Episode 8 which he had abandoned during his funk, and sticking to his promise to stop drinking.
** And immediately after that he actually [[PermaStubble gets around to shaving]], cuts his hair, and [[spoiler:digs out an IconicItem stash to replace the stuff he lost]]. He's definitely back now.
* Villainous example in ''Manga/DeathNote''. Following a [[spoiler: MemoryGambit that ranks as one of the best in the history of the universe]] Light let's the audience know he's [[JustAsPlanned back on form]].
* An excellent example of this comes from ''Manga/DragonBall Z'', when Goku comes back after his first death. First Nimbus scoops Gohan up right out of the blue. Then everyone turns around to see Goku looking all badass as he's standing a few feet away.
** Cell has a villainous example when he's back as Super Perfect Cell after having been blown to bits by his own TakingYouWithMe technique; Once he's done regenerating, a wind kicks up out of nowhere, blowing sand up and obscuring vision, then lightning starts circling around said obscuring sand, and finally a pointed index finger extends from the sandstorm, firing a ki-attack which nearly {{One Hit Kill}}s one of the heroes. The kicker is Cell's nonchalant quote afterwards.
--> *evil chuckle* ''"My aim is as good as ever!"'' *smug laughter* ''"It's so good to be back!"''
** Frieza gets a double-dose of this: first, after his defeat on Namek, he comes to Earth as a cyborg to dole out some vengeance...before being dispatched by Trunks; then a second time in the movie ''Anime/DragonBallZResurrectionF'', where he's wished back with the Dragon Balls, more dangerous than ever. [[spoiler:He triple-dips in ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' when Whis restores his life as Beerus' thanks for his actions in the Tournament of Power, instead opting to go and rebuild his empire instead of trying to squash Goku again.]]
* Renton Thurston in ''Anime/EurekaSeven''. After his FreakOut in Episode 20, which resulted in his HeroicBSOD and Renton thinking [[spoiler: [[PoorCommunicationKills Eureka and most of the crew hated him]], leaves the Gekkostate in Episode 21]]. This moment comes around Episode 26.
* In Episode 84 of ''Manga/FairyTail'', a heart-to-heart talk with [[spoiler:Happy's parents]] allows Happy and Charle to regain their confidence and their ability to fly.
* A villainous version by Envy in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''. After he's [[spoiler:reduced to his true powerless form]], May brings him to the underground of Amestris, where they encounter Mannequin Soldiers, mindless humanoid creatures powered by human souls. Envy slips out of [[spoiler:his jar]] and right into the mouth of one of them, who proceeds to swallow him whole. Envy then takes over the creature (while yelling "I'M BACK!"), has it start devouring and assimilating the others, until he has enough energy to morph into his OneWingedAngel form, which then transforms into his default human form. At this point, he lets out a maniacal EvilLaugh and screams "I'M ALIVE AGAIN!!"
** [[spoiler: Lan Fan's]] epic return, complete with [[spoiler:a new, bladed Automail arm]], which she uses in her best impression of a human Cuisinart on [[spoiler: Gluttony.]]
** Performed by Roy Mustang [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime version's]] movie, ''[[Anime/FullmetalAlchemistTheConquerorOfShamballa The Conqueror of Shamballa]]''. After spending the entire movie [[HeroicBSOD moping]] up in the north, he returns to Central [[BigDamnHeroes just in time]] to [[spoiler: save the city and his men from [[StupidJetpackHitler the Thule Society's soldiers]]]].
* [[spoiler:Shishioh Gai]] in ''Anime/GaoGaiGar FINAL.'' [[spoiler:After being forced to fight and destroy (clones of, though nobody knew at the time) Mamoru and Galeon, being left to fight alone thanks to the rest of GGG being taken out of commission via chemical warfare, finding Cain (the creator of Galeon and the G-Stones) in league with the enemy, losing to Palparepa, Gaofighgar's destruction, and being forcibly mind-controlled by the Sol Masters to fight his own allies in a replicant Gaofighgar, he had a pretty reasonable HeroicBSoD. Good thing he snapped out of it just in time to become the one force capable of stopping them: [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome The God of Destruction, Genesic GaoGaiGar!]]]]
** [[spoiler: The Gutsy Geoid Guard]] get one in Episode 34, snapping back from their apparent annihilation by [[spoiler:Pasder and the first three Primevals]] and showing up just in the nick of time to curbstomp ZX-04.
* ''Anime/GoPrincessPrettyCure'' has a particularly epic moment. After being sent into a HeroicBSOD in Episode 38 [[spoiler:so serious that all of Yumegahama was capable of being plunged into despair [[PsychosomaticSuperpowerOutage and Haruka couldn't even transform]]]], Haruno Haruka managed to pull off a comeback in Episode 39, singlehandedly turning the tide of a losing battle.
* Eiji Date from ''Manga/HajimeNoIppo'' spent ''years'' outside the ring after [[spoiler: horribly losing to the World Champion, suffering several injuries ''and'' seeing his IllGirl wife suffer a ConvenientMiscarriage]]. After [[spoiler: his spouse tells him to try it again one last time]], he returns to the boxing rings ''most amazingly''.
* In ''Anime/HeartCatchPrettyCure'' Yuri suffers from a massive HeroicBSOD due to [[spoiler:her partner dying, losing her fight against Cure Dark and losing her powers]]. She easily rebuffs Tsubomi and Erika's attempts to get her to help them and rejects Potpourri's request to be the third Precure. It isn't until [[spoiler:the Great Heart Tree allows her to reunite with her partner's spirit and she asks the tree to restore her powers]] that she comes back and aids the rest of the Precures in style.
* Mel leaving Meltic Star before the events of ''Anime/KirattoPriChan'' caused Anna to stop doing concerts and even go as far as removing any trace of them from the channel. In Episode 9, after gaining motivation to "challenge herself" thanks to Sara's guest appearance in Miracle Kiratts' newest stream, she announces her return to the concert world, which caused the stream she announced it in to be bombed with likes instantly as the fans were screaming out that "Anna is back"! And to top it off, her re-debut song was none other than Play Sound, a duet with Sara that is a complete BANGER.
* In ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid'', Vivio suffers from RedemptionDemotion, due to her inner injuries she received during her fight against her [[ActionMom Nanoha-mama]] in ''[[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers StrikerS]]'', thus making her a HandicappedBadass. Her Adult Mode is notably weaker than her Sankt Kaiser Mode, as it lacks the [[AntiMagic Anti-Magic Field]] and strength. The result is that Vivio loses to opponents she wouldn't lose normally. [[spoiler:However, after training with Nanoha for her second rematch with [[TheRival Einhard]], Vivio retains her Sankt Kaiser Mode and [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomps]] Einhard.]]
** Way back in [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha the first season]], there was [[DarkMagicalGirl Fate]] recovering from her HeroicBSOD. Complete with a ThemeMusicPowerup being sung by [[Creator/NanaMizuki her voice actress]].
* After getting sidelined in the second episode of ''Anime/{{Mazinkaiser}}'', [[Anime/GreatMazinger Tetsuya Tsurugi and the Great Mazinger]] return in style for the finale, rescuing the members of the Photon Power Plant from a massive MechanicalMonster with a ''Double Thunder Break''.
* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' Kira Yamato has one of these, gaining a kickass new HumongousMecha and dropping his {{Wangst}} for good.
* Tenma in ''Anime/{{Monster}}''; the series is long enough to provide several instances, but the most moving instance happens at the very end, when, after a long battle of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, he decides to stick to his original principles [[spoiler:and save the life of the man who had put him through living hell]].
* In ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', during the Paranormal Liberation War arc, two of them occur, one right after the other:
** In Chapter 291, before Dabi can attack Endeavour and Shoto Todoroki, [[spoiler:Best Jeanist tangles up both Dabi and Gigantomachia, revealing he had survived his supposed death at Hawks' hands.]]
** In Chapter 292, a group of Nobu race in to rescue Gigantomachia, [[spoiler:only for Lemillion to phase up from the ground and slug them all down while shouting out his signature "POWERRRRRRR!" battlecry, signalling his restoration of his Quirk.]]
* After getting beaten to a pulp during his encounter with his brother and having to be bailed out on multiple occasions by his scrappy formerly-underachieving rival, Sasuke is able to regain his badassery after the timeskip of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. Unfortunately, it involves him [[FreakOut betraying his friends, defecting from his village]], and [[FaceHeelTurn joining up]] with the BigBad, Orochimaru.
** Actually, this is an inversion, as while Sasuke may figuratively 'come back', he literally LEAVES the team to do so, and the first scene of him afterwards was not him coming back to his team, but his team finding him; so it's less like this trope, and more like 'We found him'.
** Rock Lee in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', after spending an annoying amount of time in the hospital while supporting characters tell him he will never fight again, undergoes dangerous experimental surgery. Pretty much immediately upon recovery he rushes out to save Naruto from Kimimaro, TheDragon of Orochimaru's Sound Five. He does better than the main character, and for a time is able to hold him off and even take the upper hand.
** The Ninja World War arc has seen tons and tons of these, with plenty of dead characters brought back suddenly as zombies (both characters that had been seen previously and even a few who were only known by reputation). Cue mass OhCrap reactions when these zombie-ninjas arrive on the various battlefields.
** In Chapter 665, [[spoiler: [[BigBad Obito Uchiha]] betrays Madara]], referring to himself by his true name, and adding that [[spoiler: he's the man who wanted to be Hokage, not Madara.]]
* Negi in ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi''. During the Eva story arc he runs away, convinced Asuna and the other girls are in danger because of his presence. Meeting up with Kaede changes his mind.
** Negi plays with this trope a lot, three times in the festival arc [[spoiler: getting freed from the prison, and waking up during the final battle, and after Yue's BrightSlap (although this one is told out of order so it's hard to tell he was lost before the HesBack moment)]] and many times during the Magical World arc [[spoiler: after getting stabbed though the chest by Fate, during the fight with Rakan, and mastering Magia Erebea.]]
* Shinji of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' has at least three such moments. Asuka also has a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bpx66Ld-TI major one]] in ''End of Evangelion''. (And if you expect them to subvert the trope, you're right -- [[spoiler: she's back, but it still isn't enough; rather than actually ''win'', Asuka merely goes down fighting impossible odds]].)
* Luffy in ''Manga/OnePiece'' undergoes a TenMinuteRetirement after [[spoiler:Ace dies]]. Jinbe knocks him out of it relatively quickly, and he's back on his feet in no time.
** Robin gets one earlier at the end of the Enies Lobby arc when she [[KickTheSonOfABitch snaps Spandam's spine in two like a twig]] after spending 40+ chapters at his mercy.
** The anime's 15th opening, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeC1K4dGb80 We Go!]]" is essentially "He's Back: The Song".
** Heck, the entire "Return to Sabaody" arc might as well be titled "He's Back: The Story Arc", "He" being the entire Straw Hat crew.
* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesRubyAndSapphire'': Ash's Grovyle's evolution into Sceptile coincides with a HeroicBSOD after being [[HeartbrokenBadass rejected by his love interest]], losing his ability to use his attacks. After seeing Ash put himself in mortal peril just to save Sceptile two episodes later, Sceptile regains all his attacks, and uses them to save Ash.
* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'': Kenshin recovers from his HeroicBSOD when Tsubame pleads with him to save Yahiko. He races off to do that while an old man (later revealed to be [[spoiler: his father-in-law]]) mentions that a cry for help, not for vengeance, is what spurs him on. He finally arrives and performs the Kuzu-Ryusen to save Yahiko. The good guys arrive, and all see that Kenshin has made his dramatic entrance, with the last bit of dialogue emphasizing ''who'' came back:
-->'''Saitou:''' Battousai.
-->'''Aoshi:''' No.
-->'''Yahiko:''' ''Kenshin.''
* ''Anime/{{Simoun}}'': Neviril, after mourning Amuria's death for approximately six million episodes.
* In ''Manga/SoulEater'', Black Star is having trouble coping with his recent losses and not being able to master [[DeadlyUpgrade Shadow Star and the Uncanny Sword mode]], so he and Tsubaki decide to take a leave from school for a bit. Chapters later, during the DWMA's attack on Arachnaphobia at Baba Yaga's Castle, Black Star and Tsubaki arrive on the scene and are told to wait for their cue to head into the battlefield. Instead of waiting, Black Star chooses to enter in a fashion more suited to his style: tearing through the woods at extreme speeds while yelling at the top of his voice, ready to destroy anything in his way.
* ''VisualNovel/SteinsGate'': "I'll say it once more. I am the mad scientist Hououin Kyouma... and the world is in the palm of my hand!"
* In ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'', in the climax of the War of the Underworld Arc, we get a spectacular one of these, courtesy of [[TheHero Kirito]]. After spending most of the arc in an AngstComa [[spoiler: due to Eugeo's death]], he finally wakes up, [[spoiler: and proceeds to freeze 30,000 Korean and Chinese players solid, then turn [=PoH=] into a tree and defeat Gabriel, essentially saving everyone in Underworld.]]
* A perfect example of this would be Simon in ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', who [[HeroicBSOD completely breaks down]] following [[spoiler:Kamina's death]] only to snap out of it several episodes later in a manner that is [[Awesome/MechaAnime completely and utterly]] ''[[Awesome/MechaAnime awesome]]''. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l__YXXkdpi8 For all those who]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySY7HWYDyZQ wished to be]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrQaHJ74doQ exposed to said awesome, check it out. Warning, spoilers!]]
* Vash from ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'' at least twice he hangs it up, only to come back with basically "I don't have time for this Emo idiocy! I have to save the world!
* ''LightNovel/TrinityBlood'': Abel's self-esteem drops dramatically after he fails to save a colleague (who had just revealed that she was in love with him) from being crushed by rocks in a cathedral collapsed by the bad guys. It gets so bad he completely slides into apathy, convinced that he isn't capable of saving anyone, up to the point when he attempts to quit AX. He shakes it off sharply when he learns that Caterina is now in danger and rushes off to save her.
** It's even better in the novels. After failing to save [[spoiler: Noelle]], Abel disappears for a while, only to reappear in Rome trying to stop the bad guy on his own. After basically quitting AX and rejecting two of his friends, he's confronted by Caterina. The two share a rather touching scene together, during which Caterina reminds him that, when they first met, he said he wanted to save humanity, and that in that struggle, he's not alone (meaning, among others, her). Abel gets his He's Back scene immediately after that.
* Judai's return to Duel Academia in Season 2 of ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' after recovering from the side-effects of a failed mind control spell.
* After sitting most of the season out on the sidelines, and with both his company and younger brother in peril, Kaiba got an epic one during the Duelist Kingdom arc of ''Anime/YuGiOh'', complete with [[ThemeMusicPowerUp musical accompaniment.]]
---> Listen up, 'cause now I'm back!

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}'': Barbara Gordon gave up on being Batgirl after the Joker shot her and left her with waist-down paralysis. After several years in comic time (twenty-three years in real time), [[ComicBook/Batgirl2011 Barbara regained the use of her legs and became Batgirl again]].
* Due to his crippling defeat at the hands of Bane, Franchise/{{Batman}} was relegated to a wheelchair. Following his recovery and [[TrainingFromHell regaining of his old martial arts skills]], he finally regained his confidence and put on the batsuit again.
-->'''ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}}''': Welcome back.\\
'''Batman''': A little premature, Robin. I won't really be back until I've retaken Gotham...and that battle starts ''now''!
* A truly epic example in ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' where Batman comes out of retirement after 10 years and [[OldSuperhero is around his 60s.]] What we get are panels of him warring on horrified criminals, news reporters talking about a man dressed like a bat kicking the asses of criminals all over the city, among other reactions. And this is all in his first night back.
-->'''Reporter:''' Police phone lines are jammed with citizens describing what appears to be a siege on Gotham's underworld... by the Batman.
* After the events of ''ComicBook/BatmanEndgame'', Bruce Wayne had been living with no memory of his time as Batman, with Alfred telling Superman and the rest of the Bat-family to leave him be. However, a combination of rescuing [[ComicBook/WeAreRobin one of the Robin Movement kids]] and an encounter [[spoiler:with a possibly healed Joker]] results in him starting to remember everything. However, it's Mister Bloom's rampage and having a child center he worked on explode thanks to an infected kid that leads Bruce to return to the manor, confront Alfred and tell his loyal butler the five words he did ''not'' want to hear: '''''Take me to my Cave.'''''
* ComicBook/CaptainAmerica does this following his death and in style: leading both the Registration and Renegade Avengers against the Red Skull, barking orders out as if nothing went wrong, then, finally, showing the rest of America that, yes, he's back.
* ''ComicBook/DaredevilBornAgain'' has this when the Kingpin, knowing that Matt Murdock, whose life he completely ruined, sends the SuperSoldier lunatic, Nuke, to attack Hell's Kitchen. As the maniac is laying waste to the slum, he is struck with a billy club as it ricochets back to Daredevil. There, back in costume after so long and framed by the flames, Matt is ready to show the monster that there will be the devil to pay for all the harm he caused that night!
** Creator/ChipZdarsky's run on ''Daredevil'' has Matt renouncing Daredevil after accidentally killing a criminal, though he continues to fight crime in simple, alternative mask. As Hell's Kitchen plunges into chaos, ordinary citizens don the cowl to fight for their neighborhood, but are quickly defeated. This causes Matt to realize Daredevil has become such a meaningful symbol for the residents of Hell's Kitchen, and inspires him to once again don the mask.
* ''ComicBook/DCComicsBombshells'': ComicBook/SteveTrevor spends most of the first two volumes suffering from PTSD and unwilling to fight. Then he sees two children being threatened by a monster. He immediately jumps in, punches the monster, then carries the children to safety. He tells Diana that the nightmares are gone.
* At the start of the ''Magazine/DoctorWhoMagazine'' comic "The Blood of Azrael", the Doctor is sulking over having lost the TARDIS in the previous story, and refuses to engage with the problem, even though Clara is doing her best to help. Halfway through part two, they end up at a hospital where the Doctor gets roused enough to stop an alien child getting inappropriate treatment. The child gives him a hug and says "You're a good doctor", and the next panel has him bounding towards Clara, talking nineteen-to-the-dozen about their next move.
* Cobra Commander has a pretty big one in the Creator/{{Marvel|Comics}} ''ComicBook/{{GI Joe|A Real American Hero Marvel}}'' series, in Issue 98. [[spoiler:He'd been [[InTheBack shot in the back]], [[BuriedAlive buried in a shallow grave]] and LeftForDead while Fred VII, the man who shot him, [[DeadPersonImpersonation masqueraded as Cobra Commander]]. Fortunately for the real Commander, it was standard Crimson Guard policy to have Siegies spy on each other, and Fred VIII rescued him and got him to a Cobra doctor -- another Fred -- in time. Then, the Commander simply bided his time until he was ready to come back to Cobra Island and clean house]].
* After the events of ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'' the ComicBook/ElongatedMan became "Un-Elongated" and began to verge closer and closer to despair and insanity. In ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'', he gets involved in the Cult of Connor and seems to step ''over'' the edge of insanity, [[DrowningMySorrows perpetually carrying a flask]] and [[BeardOfSorrow letting his personal hygiene fade away]], but in the climax of his personal story, [[spoiler: he reveals that he knew Felix Faust had been manipulating him the whole time and had actually been manipulating ''him'']]. For the first time in weeks Ralph Dibny is clean shaven and wearing a neat suit and tie and reveals that ''everything'' has gone according to ''his'' [[XanatosGambit plan]].
* Tony Stark, aka ComicBook/IronMan, had the "Demon in a Bottle" story arc where he developed and then suppressed his alcoholism. Years later in the Obadiah Stane Saga, he had a major relapse in which his alcoholism increased more and more, leading to him dumping the suit and handing it over to Jim Rhodes and Obadiah Stane taking over his company. Eventually he sobered up, manned the hell up, then suited up, proceeded to take back his company, and then face off against Stane in his Iron Monger battlesuit, intending to kill him, but Stane committed suicide so that Tony would be robbed of any "real" victory.
* ''ComicBook/TheJoker'':
** An interesting case of a hero's return causing a villain's return occurs in any number of the times the Batman has "died", causing the Joker to go temporarily sane or catatonic. Which always reverses itself upon Batman having his own He's Back moment.
** After a year-long absence, he returned in ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'', to the horror of Gotham. His first act is an assault on the GCPD resulting in the murder of 19 officers.
** And as of the ''ComicBook/BatmanEndgame'' arc, after having been absent for two whole years (not counting a revised origin story in ''ComicBook/BatmanZeroYear''), Joker is back in town.
* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' went through this kind of character arc throughout the events leading up to "Necropolis" and the aftermath of those events.
* In ''ComicBook/KickAss'', [[spoiler:Hit-Girl, having spent the first four issues of Volume 2 trying to be normal, steals a cop's gun & guns down Red Mist's {{Mook}}s after they set-off a bomb & kidnap Dave at his father's funeral]].
* ComicBook/ScottPilgrim's Finest Hour gives us the page picture: After [[spoiler:Ramona leaves]] Scott is an absolute wreck and withdraws from everyone and pretty much gives up on life... but after Gideon shows up in town Scott takes a wilderness sabbatical to visit Kim [[spoiler:who reveals that Scott's been a real bastard in his relationships. As if that wasn't enough Scott encounters his evil clone Negascott, who turns out to be the negative memories of his past. After merging with him]] Scott's better than ever and ready to finish what he started and... Well, see the page picture.
* At the end of the ComicBook/{{New 52}}'s ''Comicbook/SecretSix'' #12, [[spoiler: Ralph Dibny, still in his Damon Wells/Big Shot persona, discovers Sue has her memory back and is waiting for him. The final page is a splash panel of the first New 52 appearance of the World Famous Comicbook/ElongatedMan]].
* Princess Sally Acorn gets her moment in ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' Issue # 178. As Sally, Bunnie and Antoine are reminiscing of the past, Antoine mentioning his old cowardly ways and Bunnie's reassurance makes Sally remember her old times as leader of the Freedom Fighters. Tired of her angst and moping, Sally asks if Bunnie remembers her old dream of being the royal hairdresser. A few pages later, Sally leads both the Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix in chasing off Dr. Eggman and his Egg Beater robot, finally throwing herself out of {{Chickification}} and back into ActionGirl status.
* ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'':
** [[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 Post-Crisis Kara]] wanted to give up on being Supergirl after the destruction of ''Comicbook/NewKrypton'', but she donned her hero costume again to save Metropolis from ComicBook/{{Bizarrogirl}}.
** At the end of the ''ComicBook/RedDaughterOfKrypton'' storyline, Kara -- who had previously quit, left Earth and joined the [[Franchise/GreenLantern Red Lantern Corps]] -- becomes Supergirl again, and decides to return to Earth and protect the planet.
* In Issue #30 of ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'', Doc Ock comes to realize that his arrogance has always been his downfall and that Peter was such a hero because he had the same intelligence, but since it came at such a high price, he kept sabotaging himself so he wouldn't fall for it. [[spoiler: He decides that Peter is the true Superior Spider-Man, restores Peter's memories and destroys his own, asking Peter to rescue Anna Maria from the Goblin King. Peter's response? He ditches Ock's costume, dons his old red and blues, and declares, "My turn."]]
* Franchise/{{Superman}}:
** Superman abandons humanity for ten years in ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' because he feels that society has become morally degraded beyond repair. When he finally makes a comeback, the first thing he does is rescue a cablecar full of civilians from warring gangs of vigilantes. The narrator puts the scene best:
--->And suddenly, there was a wind. No, not a wind. A blur of motion, bending the steel of their weapons and changing the very course of the mighty river below. Even before the bystanders freed themselves from the cablecar, they knew. We all did. We knew... and remembered.\\
'''Bystander:''' [[MythologyGag Look! Up in the sky!]]
** ''[[ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman Reign of the Supermen]]'': The ''real'' Supes emerges from a robot, with an all-black suit (and silver logo), long hair, and tells his friends, "Don’t let the costume fool you. I’m Superman -- and I’m ''back''."
* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'': [[BigBad Megatron]], after having a HeelRealization and renouncing violence, is cornered with the rest of the cast by the [[StateSec Decepticon]] [[CreateYourOwnVillain Justice]] [[TortureTechnician Division]], and opts out of the fighting, leaving the rest of the cast to fight without him afraid that if he started fighting, he'd never stop. Then Ravage gets killed, and the Heroes are on their last legs. And suddenly, there's a massive explosion and Megatron comes out of the dust, Fusion Cannon in hand, ready to save the day.
** Over in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise'', Optimus Prime had rejected that title and reverted to being Orion Pax. During ''ComicBook/TheTransformersDarkCybertron'', Nova Prime kicks him around a bit while monologuing about the corrupted lineage of Primes, shifting between the forms of various Primes, including Orion himself, before Rodimus tells him that the title "Prime" is still a mark of heroism and honour ''because'' Orion was the one to claim it. When Nova Prime then knocks Rodimus out, the leader of the Autobots steps back up to the plate:
--->''[[https://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:RID26_my_name_is_optimus_prime.jpg My name is OPTIMUS PRIME!]]'' [punches clean through Nova's chest]
* ComicBook/UltimateMarvel:
** ComicBook/TheUltimates: With the U.S. literally coming apart at the seams, Steve's returned to being Captain America to keep the nation from falling apart even further.
** Downplayed in ''ComicBook/AllNewUltimates'': Lana practiced her grand return salute, and got filled of doubts and insecurities about it.
* ''Franchise/TheFlash'':
** In ''ComicBook/TheReturnOfBarryAllen'', Wally West was devastated when Barry Allen intentionally leaves him behind in a DeathTrap; even though Wally escapes, he felt that he should go into hiding that only a select few know of his survival. Other speedsters (plus Green Lantern Hal Jordan) decide to deal with Barry Allen when he goes rogue, but Wally was still affected by the betrayal that he refuses to lift a finger. But then Wally finds an important clue that reveals that the rogue Barry Allen is an impostor. Wally proceeds to return to being the Flash, and unmask the impostor as Eobard Thawne the Reverse-Flash. And in the duel of the two speedsters, Wally further overcomes his own limitations, a mental block he placed on himself that Nerfed his power, allowing him to fight Thawne on even ground and eventually win.
** In ''ComicBook/TheFlashInfiniteFrontier'' Wally learns that the explosion that killed the other heroes at Sanctuary during ''ComicBook/HeroesInCrisis'' wasn't even his fault but rather Savitar trying to take control of the Speed Force. This absolves Wally of all his self-inflicted guilt, allowing him to return to full power and beat Savitar when they returned to the present.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* In ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'', Steve Dallas was turned by aliens from a drinking, smoking, chauvinist womanizer into a caring, sensitive, "enlightened" man... but it seems it went too far, as his attempt not to offend, hurt, or impinge on anyone resulted in some people he cared for (okay, the women whom he enjoyed mutually exploitative relationships with) losing interest. Eventually, after the Last Straw Dumping, he ended up sitting naked on top of a fire hydrant in a near-foetal ball. Shortly afterwards, he asked Milo to "fetch them" ("them" apparently being his CoolShades), who tried to talk him out of it -- leading Steve to repeat the request more forcefully ("Steve -- they don't deserve this..." "Yes they DO. Now GET THEM!")... When he transformed, Milo screamed, in terror and warning, "He's BACK!" in a tone more suited to a horror sequel trailer. To which Steve replies in a thought balloon: "He's BAD."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]
* ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'':
--> '''Spider-Man:''' ([[spoiler:After months of mourning Gwen Stacy's death.]]) Hey, Spider-Man. Thanks for stepping up for me.
* ''Film/AnchormanTheLegendOfRonBurgundy'':
** Ron, after being fired, becomes a mess, grows a beard and starts drinking. He cleans up well, though.
** In ''Wake Up Ron Burgundy'', the DTV movie made up of deleted scenes from ''Anchorman'', Brick Tamland snaps out of his idiocy to bark out a series of Vietnam-style attack orders, prompting Ron to remark, "Looks like the Captain's back!"
* ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII'' uses a fairly innocuous "we're back" conversation (from one of the least stressful time travels in the movie) in the trailer to announce the return of the movie series itself.
* In ''Film/BlazingSaddles'', Jim was the fastest gun in the West, but the stress of having every gunslinger coming for him (culminating in getting shot in the hinder by a little kid) left him with shattered confidence, a shaky hand, and a drinking problem. When he comes back better than ever, he sits tall in his saddle and confidently shoots the guns out of everybody's hands, so fast that you never see his gun leave its holster.
* ''Film/TheColorOfMoney''. Fast Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) was forced to stop hustling at the end of ''The Hustler'' -- by the end of ''The Color of Money'', Felson has a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome as he declares, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=730Q-baXOhE Hey, I'm BACK!]]"
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', this happens twice, first when Batman returns after the stock market is hacked, then after Bruce escapes the HellholePrison he was put in following his CurbStompBattle with Bane.
-->'''Bane:''' So, you came [[BackForTheDead back to die]] with your city!\\
'''Batman:''' No. [[EpiphanyComeback I came back]] [[FinalBattle to stop you.]]
* And ''Film/DaysOfThunder'', given as it's essentially a remake of the above...
* In ''Film/DraculaUntold'', after insisting that ThatManIsDead, Vlad reverts back to the savage killer "Lord Impaler" to slay the Ottoman soldiers sent to take his son. He even manages to kill the last one via ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice.
* ''Film/TheExpendables2'' has Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger come out of a car and yell "I'm BACK!" as an ActorAllusion to his famous quote from the ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' films.
* ''Film/GhostbustersII'':
** Peter Venkman speaks for the whole team after catching the ghosts in the courtroom scene, with this BadassBoast:
--->'''Venkman:''' We're the best... we're the beautiful... we're the only... Ghostbusters!\\
'''Ray Stanz:''' We're back!
** Janine also gets to say it triumphantly as the music kicks in and the guys return to business, confirming "yes, we're back!" on the phone.
* ''Film/{{Hook}}'' is the Peter Pan edition of this trope. Peter Pan had left Neverland, grown up, forgotten everything and become boring, but when his ArchNemesis shows up for a final round, he has to spend most of the movie learning to be Peter Pan again.
-->'''Peter Pan:''' Pan the Avenger is back.\\
'''Captain Hook:''' And the Hook is waiting.
* The last half-hour or so of ''Film/HotFuzz''. After [[spoiler:being nearly killed and run out of town, Angel drives most of the way to London before stopping at a convenience store, having an epiphany, buying some CoolShades, and returning to Sandford to clean up the place via liberal application of MoreDakka]].
* Film/JohnWick left his life as a hitman to get married. Okay. His wife dies of illness. Shit happens. Mafiya boss' son destroys Mrs. Wick's parting gift to John, and steals his car. Wick responds by digging up all his old hitman gear and going after the fucker who did it, taking down a sizable criminal syndicate in the process. We can all agree with Winston, the owner of The Continental, that HesBack.
-->'''John:''' People keep asking if I'm back and I haven't really had an answer, but yeah, I'm thinking I'm back.
* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' has Aragorn doubting himself not wanting to deal with the pressure of being a king. Elrond shakes him out of it and he saves the day with his awesome influence.
* ''Film/MajorLeague'': In the second movie, Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn adopts a "corporate" image thanks to his new girlfriend and publicist, Rebecca Flannery. This includes him wearing suits and doing a commercial for Right Guard Sport Stick at a country club. He also gets rid of his trademark haircut from the first film. Unfortunately, his performance suffers as a result and he's eventually relegated to the bullpen and faces mockery from the fans and press. In the final game of the ALCS, Taylor, filling in for Lou as manager, signals for Vaughn to pitch in the final inning. Just before he comes out, Vaughn, off screen, finally tells off the obnoxious Indians fan who had been pestering him and insulting him throughout the film. The fan sees that "Wild Thing" has returned before we do and immediately shuts his mouth. Afterwards, he comes out of the bullpen wearing his leather vest from the original. Once people notice that "Wild Thing" has returned, the song "Wild Thing" is played over the stadium's P.A. system as Vaughn walks to the mound, recreating the scene from the first film. Vaughn then pitches while wearing his skull and crossbones glasses that he hadn't worn in the second film up to that point. All of this leads to him showing that he's gotten his intensity back and now remembers how to throw a fastball after apparently having forgotten how to do so.
-->'''Phelps:''' Oh no! Not that damn song again!
%% * ''Film/TheMask'' does this toward the end.
* At the end of ''Film/MenInBlack'', Kay [[spoiler:retires and wipes his memory]]. In ''Film/MenInBlackII'', he returns, and after being de-neuralyzed, he shoots an alien in the head (a RunningGag since [[spoiler:that particular alien can grow it back]]) leading Jay to say "You're back." Kay, however, insists he isn't, [[DoubleSubversion until he goes outside into the alien neighborhood and begins understanding]].
* A fairly brief one after [[LargeHam Barbossa's]] [[HeroicBSOD uncharacteristic silence]] following [[spoiler:Calypso's refusal to aid the pirates]] during the final battle of ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'':
--> '''Elizabeth:''' Captain Barbossa! We need you at the helm!
--> *beat*
--> '''Barbossa:''' *[[CharacterTics eyes widen]]* Aye, that be true!
* ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII'' after [[spoiler: Co dies at the hands of the Vietnamese soldiers]] Rambo stops holding back and [[RoaringRampageofRevenge releases all his fury by going on a killing spree wiping out every one of his enemies.]]
%% * ''Film/TheReturnOfCaptainInvincible''. The title says it all, really.
%% * This trope is basically ''Film/RockyIII'' in a nutshell.
* From the [[Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld film adaptation]] of ''Scott Pilgrim''. After [[spoiler: his band sells out and he dies at the hands of Gideon Graves [[JerkAss (though he sort of deserved it)]], he mans up, uses the 1-up he received during the twins battle, and marches back in for take two: smashing the bouncer, snapping Ramona out of her trance, and tag teaming with Knives to bring Gideon down]].
* This moment in ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'':
-->'''M:''' Where the ''hell'' have you been?
-->'''James Bond:''' [[HeroicBSOD Enjoying death.]] 007 reporting for duty.
* ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'':
** ''Film/SpiderMan2'' does it with Spidey (who starts losing his powers due to stress). In fact, the Daily Bugle announced his return in [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9y6dbNcRw1rc2lkjo1_1280.jpg its headline with the exact trope name]].
** There's also ''Film/SpiderMan3'' where he dons his trademark red and blue suit again for the first time since ditching the black one.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}''
** In ''Film/SupermanII'' when Superman [[spoiler: regains his powers after giving them up to live a normal life with Lois]].
** ''Film/SupermanIII'' also does this when Superman [[spoiler: is exposed to synthetic kryptonite, causing him to make a FaceHeelTurn. The krytponite eventually splits him into Clark Kent and the evil Superman in a junkyard. After a long battle, Clark eventually triumphs and the evil Superman disappears. Clark then rips open his shirt to reveal iconic "S" shield and once again dons the Superman costume, his first order of business to undo the damage his evil self had caused, as the theme music thunders to life.]] This is probably the only truly great moment in a movie that is mediocre at best.
** This is pretty much the whole point of ''Film/SupermanReturns''. The part of the soundtrack when he steps onto the plane to make sure everyone is alright, after five years of absence, is even titled "He's Back".
* In ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1990'', Leonardo announces "It's time to go ''back''" after he and the the other turtles receive a final message from Splinter via AstralProjection.
* In ''Film/{{Thor}}'', the eponymous god has spent the bulk of the movie depowered by Odin to learn a lesson. He proves he learned that lesson when [[spoiler:he lets the Destroyer [[HeroicSacrifice kill him]] to save his friends]]. At that moment, Mjölnir flies to his hand, breaking the sound barrier in the process, and by the time the dust clears he's back in action and a CurbStompBattle ensues.
** In the sequel, ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', having hit rock bottom and suffered a serious breakdown after [[spoiler: Frigga]] is killed, [[spoiler: Loki]] sacrifices himself to help Thor stop Malekith. But after Thor confronts Odin and renounces his claim to the throne, [[spoiler: Odin turns out to be a satisfied Loki in disguise]].
** In the second sequel, ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', during the final battle, Thor is being badly beaten and pinned down by his [[CainAndAbel older sister Hela]], after spending most of the movie BroughtDownToBadass and having to rely on his combat training after Hela shattered his hammer Mjölnir, his primary weapon. But then he sees a vision of Odin reminding him that he's the god of ''thunder'', not the god of hammers, and is able to finally fully harness and use his ShockAndAwe abilities without his hammer, using these powers to blast Hela with a huge bolt of lightning and take down dozens of undead mooks, immediately turning the tide of the battle in his and his allies' favor.
%% * ''Film/TopGun'' ("Maverick is re-engaging!")
* Played with in the Music/WeirdAlYankovic movie Film/{{UHF}} with ''Gandhi II''.
--> "He's back! And this time, he's mad!"
* ''Film/TheWaterboy'':
--> "Remember the time Bobby Boucher showed up at halftime and the Mud Dogs won the Bourbon Bowl, do ya?"
* In ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'' Eddie Valiant has this moment when he decides to finally put the past behind him and go back into Toontown to look for Jessica (who he believes has just killed R.K. Maroon). When he takes out his own toon-style revolver and the toon bullets ask him where he's been, he simply responds, "Drunk". (And to drive this home, he's about to drink from a bottle, but then changes his mind, throws it in the air, and uses the gun to shoot it.)
* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries''
** ''Film/TheWolverine'':
*** This happens when Logan figures out how his healing power was suppressed and manages to regain it all, turning him back into the near-unstoppable fighter we know and love.
*** TheStinger features [[spoiler: Magneto returning with his powers restored and Charles Xavier alive again]].
** ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'': After [[spoiler: receiving a pep talk from his future self]], Charles finally pulls himself out of his depression and is able to use his powers to their fullest extent.
** ''Film/{{Logan}}'': Wolverine gets this one last time when [[spoiler: he takes the SuperSerum to restore his powers so he can help the X-23 children]]. One [[OhCrap obviously panicked]] soldier's reaction says it all:
---->Oh shit! It's the Wolverine!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
%% * Eric Camden's return to the clergy in ''Series/SeventhHeaven''.
* Jack Bauer has undergone several such occurrences during ''Series/TwentyFour''[='s=] run, including [[spoiler:moving on from the murder of his wife (at the start of Season 2), overcoming a heroin addiction (halfway into Season 3), regaining his job at CTU after being fired for said heroin addiction (start of Season 4), and then returning to his job after going into hiding from the U.S. government (at the start of Season 5 and again at the start of Season 9).]]
** ''24'' pulled off one of the best Hes Back moments in the first episode of Season 2 when Jack Bauer overcomes his grief following the events of Season 1 and sets about saving the world again. Epitomized in the scene where a disheveled Bauer gets a shave and a haircut and once again looks like the official badass he is.
** Cruelly {{Subverted}} in Season 6, after Season 5’s CliffHanger of him [[spoiler:getting tortured by the Chinese government for two years]]. While he returns to the field to help CTU, he never does have a triumphant moment of getting over his trauma, and he seems just as broken at the end of the season as he did in the beginning. While Season 6 [[SeasonalRot had its share of writing problems]], this subversion is widely considered one of the better ideas as it shows that even Jack Bauer can’t get over every trauma he faces.
%%* Over the course of its fourth season, ''everyone'' in ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'' went through one of these.
* ''Series/{{Angel}}'' in "[[Recap/AngelS02E16Epiphany Epiphany]]" and again in "[[Recap/AngelS05E12YoureWelcome You're Welcome]]", though the second one doesn't become clear until some episodes later.
** Wesley slowly returned to the Fang Gang after he [[spoiler:had his throat cut]]. There isn't a particular moment, though. He's back all the way by the beginning of Season 5.
* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' has a few examples focusing on [[ComicBook/GreenArrow Oliver Queen]].
** In Season 1, [[spoiler:he encounters his EvilCounterpart, the Dark Archer (secretly Malcolm Merlyn), and suffers a brutal beatdown; he escapes alive, but the next episode shows him struggling to regain his confidence and focus. Eventually, his confidant John Diggle gives him a much-needed pep talk about drawing strength from his loved ones, and he recovers in time to don his costume and stop VillainOfTheWeek Firefly.]]
** In Season 2, [[spoiler:having failed to stop Malcolm from destroying the Glades and watched his best friend Tommy die in front of him, Oliver retreats to the island of Lian Yu, where Diggle and Felicity Smoak have to convince him to come back and save his family's company. Through reconnecting with his mother and sister while confronting his guilt over Tommy viewing him as a murderer, Oliver adopts a new ThouShaltNotKill approach, ultimately making a BigDamnHeroes return as the Arrow to save his sister from four murderous copycats.]]
** In Season 5, after being [[BreakTheBadass thoroughly tortured and broken]] by Prometheus, Oliver goes into withdrawal, disbanding the team and willing to [[DealWithTheDevil make a deal with the Bratva]] to have [[spoiler:Prometheus, civilian identity Adrian Chase, killed]]. John manages to get through to him with a RousingSpeech, reminding him that Oliver helped him out of a similar situation not too long ago. Oliver's spirit gets revitalized and he puts the team back together, complete with uplifting music to signify his return, though it takes several more episodes and some encouragement from Felicity for him to put the Green Arrow suit back on, and just in time to capture Prometheus, too.
* ''Series/AshVsEvilDead'': The pilot, "El Jefe", shows that Ash has spent the thirty-plus years since his first encounter with the Deadites in hiding, spending his days wallowing in survivor's guilt, indulging constantly in drugs, booze, and cheap sex. However, when the Deadites track him down in his trailer and attack him and his friends, he decides he's tired of running and fights back, showing that despite being an arrogant blowhard, he's still one of the most badass demon slayers in human history.
* Garibaldi at the beginning of Season 2 of ''Series/BabylonFive''. He gets [[spoiler:shot in the back and left to die by his own second-in-command, in process foiling his chance to save the President from assassination]], spends several episodes in a coma, is only brought out by use of a wacky alien healing device, and then is in his room [[spoiler:contemplating suicide]] because he thinks of himself as a failure. Then he overhears a crisis, figures out where the bad guys have stashed Ivanova, brazens his way into the room, and proceeds to kick ass. Yup, he's back.
** Captain Sheridan does this during the beginning of Season 4 after turning up during a major attempt to break up the coalition the Babylon 5 crew had created and run from a war against two major races. [[spoiler:In addition to this, he was actually dead at the time.]]
* A VillainProtagonist version at the end of "[[Recap/BreakingBadS5E15GraniteState Granite State]]", the penultimate episode of ''Series/BreakingBad''. [[spoiler:After being rejected by his family and knocking on death's door from the cancer, Walter White calls the police to the bar that he's in to let them track the phone so he can turn himself in. As he orders one final drink, he sees his former friends and co-founders of the company he left, Gray Matter, disowning his contributions to the business, causing him to fill with rage. As the ''Breaking Bad'' theme kicks in, the police show up and storm the bar looking for him, with only a half-drunk glass and tip left behind. Heisenberg has returned.]]
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' had several:
** "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E1WelcomeToTheHellmouth Welcome to the Hellmouth]]", deciding to resume slaying after it had gotten her kicked out of her previous school.
** Then again in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E12ProphecyGirl Prophecy Girl]]" (Season 1 finale) when she heads out to fight the Master after initially being terrified by the prophecy that the fight will kill her.
** At the beginning of Season 3 ("[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E1Anne Anne]]") a brief trip to hell reminds her of her purpose, and she returns to Sunnydale. This after getting kicked out of her house and killing her boyfriend in the Season 2 finale, at the start of the episode she is hiding out in LA waiting tables.
** "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E5BeerBad Beer Bad]]" near the beginning of Season 4 shows Buffy finding her power again after four episodes of being put way off-balance by College.
** When Spike discovers he can hurt demons, he promptly cuts loose and beats the shit out of one.
--->'''Spike:''' That's right! I'm back, and I'm a BLOODY ANIMAL! ''YEAH!!''
** "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E21Primeval Primeval]]" at the end of Season 4 has Buffy (plus a few other people) destroying Adam after several losing battles that had pretty well convinced her she couldn't win against it.
** The beginning of the Season 5 finale, "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E22TheGift The Gift]]" has Buffy stepping up to the plate and deciding to go out fighting after spending most of the previous episode catatonic, mentally reliving over and over the moment she gave up on defeating Glory.
** Subverted in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E2BargainingPart2 Bargaining, Part 2]]" when a traumatised Buffy starts kicking demon ass, causing her friends who are worried that she CameBackWrong to think the old Buffy has returned. Instead she's just acting on instinct -- Buffy runs away leaving her friends alone with the demon leader and tries to commit suicide.
** Subverted in Season 6 in general; it takes most of the season for Buffy to recover from her depression over having been wrenched back into the real world.
** After spending most of the second half of Season 7 in denial about all the people she was going to lose going up against the First, "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E20Touched Touched]]" has her deposed as leader of the potentials and kicked out of her own house by her sister, until Spike pulls her together and she decides she's going to take the Scythe from Caleb.
** Spike also has one in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E15GetItDone Get it Done]]" when he puts on Nikki's leather duster again for the first time after his re-ensoulment and heads out to kill the demon.
* The revival of ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' has JR coming out of semi-comatose state when his son tells him Bobby is selling off the family ranch.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** [[Recap/DoctorWho2005CSTheChristmasInvasion "The Christmas Invasion"]]: Having spent more than half of the episode in bed feeling ill, the Doctor is revived [[spoiler:by a cup of tea]] and emerges from the TARDIS, in his pajamas, to save the Earth.
--->"[[LeaningOnTheFourthWall D'ja miss me?]]"
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E8HumanNature "Human Nature"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E9TheFamilyOfBlood "The Family of Blood"]]: The Doctor is [[HumanityEnsues turned into a human]], with a false life created around him, and no knowledge (save odd dreams) of who he was. Most of "The Family of Blood" involves trying to persuade him to return to being the Time Lord he was. And when he does, he's ''angry''.
** Perhaps most gratuitously, this occurs in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E13LastOfTheTimeLords "Last of the Time Lords"]] however, when the Doctor has been aged almost to death, and is a shriveled, imp like creature kept by the Master in a birdcage. He doesn't just return to being the Doctor at the end of the story, [[spoiler:he turns into a floating, incandescent, godlike being (albeit briefly)]].
** The TARDIS and Donna get one in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E13JourneysEnd "Journey's End"]] when the metacrisis Doctor lands it inside the Crucible.
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E10VincentAndTheDoctor "Vincent and the Doctor"]]: Vincent van Gogh gets one after a scene where he's suffering from an episode of depression. Next scene? Back in effect, BadassLongcoat and [[NiceHat sweet hat]] in place, clearly ready to... [[ItMakesSenseInContext paint some monsters]].
** The Doctor gets another in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E13TheBigBang "The Big Bang"]] after [[spoiler:he gets brought back into existence by Amy.]]
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E7AGoodManGoesToWar "A Good Man Goes to War"]], Rory gets one [[spoiler:returning to his "Last Centurion" persona]], attacking the Cyberman fleet asking where [[spoiler:his kidnapped wife is]].
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E8LetsKillHitler "Let's Kill Hitler"]]: the Doctor is [[spoiler:poisoned, Amy and Rory are stuck inside a robot which is about to execute River, and the pain of his organs shutting down one by one is too much for him to try to help. Luckily a hologram of young Amelia Pond inspires him enough to change into a top hat, coat and tails and walking cane]], along with a HeroicSecondWind.
** [[Recap/DoctorWho2012CSTheSnowmen "The Snowmen"]]: The Doctor goes into a HeroicBSOD after losing Amy and Rory, and even stops wearing his trademark bowties. He gradually regains his senses, and it's when he realises he's wearing a bowtie again that he fully snaps out of it:
--->'''Clara:''' ''[noticing the room is getting colder]'' It's cooler.\\
'''The Doctor:''' Yeah it is, isn't it? ''Very'' cool... [[CatchPhrase Bowties]] ''[[CatchPhrase are]]'' [[CatchPhrase cool!]]
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS38E4NikolaTeslasNightOfTerror "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror"]]: After having spent the [[Recap/DoctorWhoS38E3Orphan55 previous episode]] in a darker and more aggravated state than usual as a result of something she found out at the end of the [[Recap/DoctorWhoS38E1E2Spyfall season premiere]], the Doctor is more cheerful and back to her old self... although the Skithra Queen asking her if she's ever seen [[spoiler:a dead planet]] clearly strikes a [[BerserkButton nerve]].
* Richard Dawson returned to host ''Series/FamilyFeud'' in the 1994-95 season, nine years after his original version ended (Ray Combs had hosted ''Feud'' in the interim since 1988, when CBS brought it back).
* ''Series/{{Frasier}}'': A worrying variation in Donny, who hits a bad depression after [[spoiler: he's jilted by Daphne, and desperately serves her a lawsuit.]] Frasier manages to talk him out of the latter, which he didn't seem all that committed to... but when he finds out that Frasier was complicit, Donny [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast "the Piranha"]] Douglas is back on the kind of top, ruthless form as when [[EstablishingCharacterMoment he was first introduced as Niles' divorce attorney.]]
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': When Sandor returns in "The Broken Man", he seems to have renounced violence and is living his life as a peaceful and humble villager. But then the Brotherhood Without Banners slaughters his friends, and ''the Hound'' returns with a vengeance.
* ''Series/{{Gotham}}'': After being [[spoiler:framed by the Riddler, incarcerated, and his fiancée Lee miscarrying their unborn child and subsequently leaving him out of grief and blame]], Jim Gordon spends the latter half of Season 2 and the first few episodes of Season 3 off the force, despite being cleared of all charges. Jervis Tetch's hypnosis forces him to confront his suicidal self-loathing head on, and he realizes that he wants to lives, accepting that he -- and the GCPD -- can still be a force for good.
** The Penguin spends a few episodes of Season 2 brainwashed and traumatized by Hugo Strange into abandoning his criminal aspirations, even meekly allowing himself to get tarred and feathered by his enemies. It takes [[spoiler: his stepmother murdering his father]] to snap him back to himself, which involves killing the offender's children, feeding her their roasted bodies, and then stabbing her in the throat. The episode ends with him sarcastically toasting her corpse, covered in her blood, having reclaimed his rightful inheritance while his leitmotif blares. He's back.
** Bruce Wayne spends most of mid-Season 4 in a self-loathing funk due to [[spoiler:killing Ra's al Ghul and failing to protect Alex Winthrop]], indulging in wild party behaviors and even firing Alfred when they argue about it. It takes a vision induced by one of Poison Ivy's chemicals for him to realize that he's become unrecognizable to his loved ones, and also that despite failing previously, he can still help and save people. The latter revelation, it should be noted, comes in the form of a vision of [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane his future self]] as BATMAN.
* At the end of Season 1 of ''Series/{{Homeland}}'', Carrie is convinced that she was wrong about Brody all along; she has also had a manic-depressive episode that has convinced her that she is insane, and in need of electric shock therapy, ''and'' she has been fired by the CIA. At the beginning of Season 2, she seems to be recovering mentally, and then gets asked by the CIA to go back into the field to deal with a source she had recruited years earlier. She does excellent work, and thinks that this might be her way back in; when she is then humiliatingly dismissed with a pat on the head, she is so depressed she attempts suicide. Then, just when she is at her lowest, Saul shows up with ironclad, smoking-gun proof that she was right all along.
-->'''Carrie:''' I was right?\\
'''Saul:''' You were right.\\
'''Carrie:''' I was right.
* When the ''Series/JonathanCreek'' episode "The Case of the Savant's Thumb" opens Jonathan has spent the three years since we last saw him getting married to a woman who doesn't hold with all this conjuring and crimesolving stuff and working as a middle-manager in her father's company. When she gets called to America shortly after a particularly baffling LockedRoomMystery takes place, he says goodbye to her, walks to the wardrobe, shoves all his nice suits out of the way, and pulls out the duffel coat.
* During Season 2 of ''Series/{{Leverage}}'', this happens with Sophie. After wondering who she really is due to her life as a grifter, she leaves for the second half of the season only to reemerge in the second season finale to save the team after Nate gets them in over their heads.
* This happens to Reese in one episode of ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle''. Malcolm decks him with a single punch after finally being pushed too far, causing him to behave submissively for much of the episode. At last, however, Reese intervenes when an old woman attempts to bully Malcolm and Dewey.
-->'''Malcolm:''' All right, Reese is back!\\
'''Reese:''' Do you want to take your teeth out before we start this, grandma?\\
'''Malcolm:''' Oh no, Reese is back!
* ''Series/TheMandalorian'': This trope ends up coming into play for [[spoiler: Boba Fett himself. As the show takes place five years after ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', he has spent all that time living life in isolation on Tatooine following his less than pleasant encounter inside of the Sarlacc Pit. Even his beloved armor, the last vestige of his father, found its way into the hands of the Marshall Cobb Vanth. It's only when the eponymous lead of the show arrives and is able to bargain his way into obtaining said armor from Vanth that Fett goes after it, with the assassin Fennec Shand (whom he saved from an earlier encounter with Din Djarin) in tow. As he bargains his way into getting it back, the Empire arrives and starts attacking. He quickly makes [[CurbStompBattle short work of their mooks]]. Then he gets his suit back... and the galaxy at large sees just why he's the most notorious bounty hunter of them all]].
** Perhaps one of the biggest examples of this trope in film or television history is seen in Season 2's "The Rescue". Just when it looks like the group will go down fighting against the Dark Troopers, a lone X-Wing arrives. Suddenly, all the Dark Troopers stop trying to get onto the bridge and turn their attention to the newcomer. Everyone is confused as to what (or who) could have made them stop. Who's arrived to save the day? [[spoiler: '''[[BigGood LUKE SKYWALKER]]''', who goes on to show why Jedi were once considered to be a OneManArmy and starts cutting through the Dark Troopers like they're a minor inconvenience. Just the sight of Luke, the man that defeated Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader and destroyed the first Death Star, causes Moff Gideon to turn from [[SmugSnake smug]] to being [[OhCrap absolutely terrified]], as he knows that his Dark Troopers are about to be dismantled like children's toys. Just seeing Luke Skywalker in action once again, in his prime, is a thing fans both old- and new-school alike have been dreaming about for nearly '''40 years''', especially since Luke had only really appeared post-''ROTJ'' in the books and comics before this epic reintroduction]].
* Throughout Season 9 of ''Series/NightCourt'', Dan Fielding began working on a charity organization and went from a lecherous womanizer to a goody two-shoes [[WeWantOurJerkBack that made everyone sick to their stomachs.]] What snaps him out of it is when a woman ends up disappointed after a date because he didn't sleep with her, and she slaps him. The stinging sensation on his face brings back some old memories and he immediately grabs her and carries her to the broom closet. After they both stagger out, Dan looks at Christine, who was standing out in the hallway, and just says "I'm ba-aaaaack!"
* ''Series/{{Oz}}''. Tim [=McManus=]' return as Unit Manager of Em City (after having being fired after a series of personal and professional humiliations) is actually announced by him saying "[[Film/Poltergeist1982 I'm baaaaack!]]"
* Anubis "Doggy" Cruger in the ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'' episode "Shadow".
** [[TheSixthRanger Tommy Oliver]] in the first and second seasons when he left the team. The way he played up his last days both times was pretty depressing, leading one to assume he might have stumbled into a heroic ditch...
** Jason returning to become the Gold Ranger in [[Series/PowerRangersZeo Zeo]] was just as surprising as it was was welcome.
*** Also Tommy's big return in Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder as TheMentor and TeamDad.
** In ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' Season 3's four-parter "Ninja Quest", Rito Revolto easily hands the Rangers their butts and forces them to find Ninjor and gain the new Ninja powers. When they come back with the new Ninja Zords, Rito squacks out "They're back!"
* ''Series/ThePunisher2017'' opens with Frank Castle trying to live a normal life after hunting down the people responsible for the murders of his wife and children. When a construction worker he befriends is in danger after a heist gone wrong, however, he goes back to doing what he does best; playing judge, jury, and executioner.
* After not being seen since Series 2 of ''Series/RedDwarf'' back in 1988, with the character (post-Hattie Hayridge) lost and presumed destroyed, Norman Lovett's version of Holly returned at the very end of Series 7 in 1997, in preparation for a full-time return in Series 8 (1999). In fact, one of Holly's first lines upon his return is, "He's back. Kicking bottom or what?"
* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'': While he first [[AlternateUniverse world-jumps]] in "Luthor", [[FauxAffablyEvil (E-2) Lionel]]'s triumphant [[DeadAlternateCounterpart "return from the dead"]] hits this trope full-force in "Beacon", where he shows up, usurps control of [=LuthorCorp=] from E-1 [[BrokenAce Tess]], and takes control of Lex's teenage clone Alexander. He utterly ''decimates'' any attempts from Tess to fight him in his first episode, basically reducing her to tears and almost winning out in the fight for Alexander during the episode. He was definitely back with a vengeance.
* ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'': After Episode 6, Spartacus is utterly depressed over the death of his wife Sura, so he gives up on trying to escape gladiatorial slavery and plunges into his role as Champion of Capua. After his best friend Varro dies in Episode 10, he gets even worse. In Episode 11, he has a FeverDreamEpisode that lets him see that [[spoiler: his master caused Sura's death so he would never want to leave]]. He recovers from his fever stronger than ever, and when his master asks if he's all right, he replies, "Yes, Dominus. I am myself again." [[spoiler: As he remembers who he really is, and begins to sow the seeds for the GladiatorRevolt.]]
* Oddly, ''Series/SportsNight'' attempted to do this with Casey in the very first episode. Unfortunately, this causes new viewers to think Casey is just a JerkAss until the very end of the episode.
* A team one for ''Series/StargateSG1'' occurs after their off-screen split at the end of Season 8. They're finally reunited early in Season 9, with Lt. Col. Cam Mitchell replacing Jack O'Neill, and the sort-of addition of Vala Mal Doran.
-->'''Mitchell:''' Looks like the band's back together.\\
'''Carter:''' Yeah. What's with the extra backup singer?
** Let's not forget Daniel's return from ascension at the beginning of Season 7. Granted, he doesn't know he's back at first, but still.
*** Or, basically, every single time Daniel has died or been thought dead. Of which there are several.
** A villainous one for Anubis showing back up after several thousand years of exile, all semi-ascended, and handing the rest of the System Lords their collective asses.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
** Castiel taking on the demons in "The Born Again Identity", SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic in the background.
** The end of the fifth season has a moment where, after spending the last several episodes in a HeroicBSOD, Dean's ultimately hit an absolute low and is ready to let the angel Michael take over his body. However, thanks the support of both Sam and Bobby, Dean is snap back to his usual self and the reveal that he's back comes via one of his trademark smirks, just before [[spoiler: he kills the SmugSnake head angel trying to make him go through the deal.]]
* In series 3 of ''Series/TheThickOfIt'', [[MagnificentBastard Malcolm Tucker]] is sacked. We then see him slumped on his sofa looking depressed in between his [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife futile attempts to find a fulfilling career outside politics]]. When he eventually returns to work in [[NotHimself casual clothes and looking like he's spent most of his time off crying]] it is genuinely disturbing. Happily he's soon charged with managing the party's election campaign, and the minute he [[BadassInANiceSuit gets back into a suit]] he reverts to his usual intimidating self. His PA Sam's happy face says it all.
** Also subverted in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZGUm4174WE this scene]], where former minister Cliff Lawton wants to stage a political comeback.
--->'''Cliff:''' To put it simply, I'm back!\\
'''Jamie:''' Oh fuck off, Cliff!
* ''Series/ThirdWatch'' had several of these: after Sully's battle with alcoholism in Season 4, and after Faith and Bosco got shot in Seasons 5 and 6 respectively and had to take a few months off work.
* ''Series/TheVampireDiaries'': Elijah's return in "The Ties That Bind".
-->'''Damon:''' So, why don't we talk about this? ''[shows dagger]''\\
''[a couple minutes later]''\\
'''Elijah:''' So, Niklaus, what'd I miss?
* Josh got his when he turned a political defeat into a resounding victory at the same time in ''Series/TheWestWing'' episode "Shutdown".
** The President got his in the first season episode "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet", when he endangered his own re-election to take a stand on issues like campaign finance reform.
* At the end of Season 1 in ''Series/TheWire'' [[spoiler:[[BadassLongcoat Omar]] leaves for New York while running from the Barksdale clan. In Episode 3 of Season 2 he comes back. And embarks on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge.]]
** He does this again in Season 5 against Marlo.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Will in ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars: Days of Ruin''. He breaks down after [[spoiler:his mentor, Brenner, gets killed by what's implied to be a nuke]]. He gets over it just in time to save his men from the pursuing enemy and strike back, determinted to carry on.
* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberium'', [[DarkMessiah Kane]] is fond of pulling these after he's been believed killed. Usually in DoNotAdjustYourSet ways. An excellent example (Though by far not the only one) is in the ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun'' where his followers are chanting his BadassCreed as a traitor is being executed.
--> '''[[TheDragon Anton Slavick]]:''' ''"In the name of Kane!"''\\
'''Mob''': ''"Kane lives in death!"'' \\
'''Anton Slavick:''' ''"In the name of KANE!"'' \\
'''Mob''': ''"Kane lives in death!"''\\
'''Anton Slavick:''' ''"[[RuleOfThree In the NAME OF KANE!]]"''\\
'''Kane, appearing on a big screen behind Slavick''': ''"[[LargeHam KANE!]]'' '''LIVES!!'''".
** Note that he pulls this off to great effect so many times[[note]]and it somehow ''does not'' detract from it.[[/note]] that by the time he is gone for good[[note]]He isn't killed, he leaves on his own accord[[/note]], people don't believe the news that he's gone for good.
* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', [[spoiler:Dante]] is beaten hard and presumed dead in the prologue, leaving Nero and V to try and defeat Urizen in his place. Unfortunately, in the month past Urizen has only gotten strong, easily tossing Nero around like a toy. Just when Nero is captured and all seems lost, [[spoiler:something flies in and destroys Urizen’s grip on Nero. A few missions later, we find out that this is Dante, awakened from a month long coma.]] While he initially doubts he can beat Urizen even with a boost from the Qliphoth and the Sparda, once he uses [[spoiler:the Rebellion on himself]] his power is multiplied greatly to the point that, in the battle that follows, [[CurbStompBattle Urizen is helpless]] against [[spoiler:Dante,]] who can shatter his crystal barrier, which took Nero an entire boss fight to destroy, with a few swipes of his sword in his [[spoiler:true demonic form, the [[PhysicalGod Sin]] [[OneWingedAngel Devil Trigger]].]] HesBack indeed.
* ''VideoGame/DukeNukem'': "They used to tell stories of a man [[VideoGame/DukeNukemForever who saved the world]]. Man whose very presence sent aliens [[OhCrap running back to their motherships]]. [[DevelopmentHell The man who disappeared]] [[{{Vaporware}} without a trace]]. [[AlienInvasion When the invaders came back]], they came back angry. They tore our planet apart bit by bit. But... they made one mistake: [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking They shouldn't have gone after our women.]]" HAIL TO THE KING BABY!
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', Terra finds herself unable to fight after the party gets separated in the World of Ruin. However, when Humbaba threatens the group of orphans that she cares for, and cuts down her friends who try to help, Terra snaps into her [[SuperMode Esper form]] and stays in it ''for the entire fight.'' Asskicking ensues.
** ''Franchise/CompilationOfFinalFantasyVII'':
*** In the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII original game]], Cloud has a spectacular mental breakdown under Sephiroth's [[MoreThanMindControl possession]], falls into the Lifestream and, due to exposure to such a powerful spiritual force, goes completely insane. It's only when he and Tifa both fall into the Lifestream together, and she [[JourneyToTheCentreOfTheMind enters his subconscious to talk to him]], that he regains his sense of self, in time to give an inspiring speech to the party and lead an assault on the Junon military base.
*** In ''[[Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren Advent Children]]'', when evil arises once more, Cloud at first [[RefusalOfTheCall refuses the call]], but [[ThePowerOfFriendship the combined encouragement from his friends]] manages to bring him out of retirement to save the day. In a totally badass fashion, nonetheless.
** Lightning, the main protagonist of [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII the]] [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2 XIII]] [[VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII trilogy]], was frozen in crystal to live through the [[spoiler: time crash at the end of XIII-2]], and slept for 500 years, when she finally [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin returns]] from her imprisonment to help save the world in the last game.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has a noteworthy example of a character last seen at the end of the main story questline of ''A Realm Reborn'': [[spoiler:Gaius van Baelsar, the original BigBad. He returns in the endgame story questline of ''Stormblood'', having survived his fight with the Warrior of Light and, upon realizing his actions and TheEmpire were being controlled by the [[GreaterScopeVillain Ascians]], took on the name of "Shadowhunter" and organized a resistance movement to root out the Ascians. His identity is only hinted at with his familiar mask kept on his belt until he finally reveals his identity in 4.5.]]
* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'': Kratos has a moment of doubt when his son is on the verge of death, and the only way to cure him is to descend into Helheim. But it's a place of impossible cold, where the Leviathan Axe will be of no use, and no flame lit in the Nine Realms will be enough to hold back the chill. Kratos considers for a moment, and then returns home. [[spoiler:Whereupon he opens up the floorboards and retrieves the Blades of Chaos. No flame lit in the Nine Realms can hold back the cold of Helheim... but Olympus wasn't ''in'' the Nine Realms. The God of War has returned.]]
* The reboot of ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'' leaves T.J. Combo near-penniless, banned from the ring, and publicly shamed by the time the game starts due to [=UltraTech's=] machination. His response? Give up his former cheating ways, rip out his own cyber-enhancements, and take the fight to [=UltraTech=] to prove that nobody can keep the champ down.
-->''"I took the easy route, once. It got me fame, fortune and glory. But it was all hollow. When I fell, I fell hard. I lost everything. But I'm back now, [[TheAtoner and this time, I'm doing it right.]] And don't think for a moment that I'll let anything get in my way. 'Cause if you give me that moment...I win!"''
** His [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JapDyUwAu8 theme song]] is practically a giant ''hype builder''; He has rediscovered his passion for boxing, feels a whole lot better about himself after removing his enhancements, and he is ''making a comeback''.
--> I'm back to '''Rise!''' I'm back to '''Glow!''' I'm back to '''Fly!''' I'm back to '''Soar!''' I'm back to '''War!''' Let the truth be '''Told!''' I feel on fire when my passion '''''Flow!'''''
* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'': Upon arriving at [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Beast's Castle]], Sora, [[WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck Donald]], and WesternAnimation/{{Goofy}} are surprised to learn that their old buddy The Beast has a much larger stick up his ass than usual, as shown when he swats away both TheHeartless and the heroes to make sure his precious rose is safe, then leaves without a word. After multiple attempts to get him to stop obsessing about the rose that Xaldin stole and the fact that he believes himself to be a monster now, you finally get the badass you had in the first game back after Sora reminds him of how it was before Belle showed up.
--> '''Beast''': I know one thing... This castle belongs to ''me''. Xaldin will never be welcome here.
** Another [=KH2=] example, when Sora, Donald, and Goofy are about to be overwhelmed by [[TheHeartless Nobodies]], fan-favorite Axel returns to help Sora kick ass...and then [[spoiler: [[HeroicSacrifice kills himself in the process]].]]
** Also, Riku when he turns back into his normal self. If anything, he becomes twice the badass he used to be.
** A much more subdued example: as you progress through the final world, you find that [[spoiler: Ansem the Wise, that is, the real Ansem]] has come there to set things right that [[spoiler: he himself]] put wrong in the first place instead of simply sitting in wait to hope things fix themselves. [[spoiler: A HeroicSacrifice ensues after forgiving himself for his anger and he damages Kingdom Hearts enough to prevent Xemnas's plan from coming to fruition.]]
* ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry3PassionatePattiInPursuitOfThePulsatingPectorals'': After being dumped by Kalalau, Larry does not know what to do. Give up on women forever, perhaps enter the ministry? No! Not Larry, Larry Laffer! So he summons a telephone booth, gets rid of the cool surfer look, and retrieves his classic polyester suit: the original swinger is at it again!
* Two instances in the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' trilogy, first when Shepard [[spoiler:wakes up on an operating table and proceeds to slaughter his/her way through a facility full of robots bent on killing him/her while grossly underarmed]] at the start of the second game, second when Shepard [[spoiler:gets exonerated and reinstated as an emergency measure]] at the beginning of the third game.
* ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'': [[spoiler:Getting shot down and losing your Power Suit?]] Running and hiding from just about everything? [[spoiler:A Chozo Trial boss fight later]], and The Hunter, who strikes fear into the hearts of the Space Pirate legions, is reborn, more powerful than ever. With dozens of Space Pirates now waiting between you and where you need to be, the ThemeMusicPowerUp starts playing and the Space Pirates get to experience what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a RoaringRampageOfRevenge by Samus Aran.
* [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Kamille]] gets his signature Zeta Gundam halfway through ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsV'' and while at first he's in his HeroicBSOD phase, he finally gets out of it after confronting Jerid and gives him a [[RammingAlwaysWorks Waverider Crash.]]
* In Chapter 8 (Jax's chapter) of the Story Mode of ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX''; it's been 25 years since Jax was restored to life and freed from Quan Chi's magic; he hated the thought of his daughter joining the military, and Sonya practically has to ''beg'' him to help now, seeing as said daughter is missing. However, when he finally gets to the Outworld and faces Quan Chi's revenants:
-->'''Revenant Kung Lao:''' Do not interfere, Jackson Briggs. Return to hiding.
-->'''Jax:''' Hiding? Guess I have been.
** He then proceeds to beat Kung Lao black and blue, proving he's ''done'' hiding.
* In ''VideoGame/MSSagaANewDawn'', the main character's best friend, Fritz, realizes he's TheLoad and feels that he isn't worthwhile anymore and, thus, disappears before a big battle, claiming he'll return when he's stronger. He lives up to that promise after the battle leaves the hero without his friends when he arrives to save the day, much more confident and armed with the FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam.
* ''VideoGame/NightInTheWoods'': At the start of the fourth chapter [[spoiler: Mae's concussed in a fall while running from the cultists, and is limited to clutching herself and walking. After they're trapped in the cave, she has an encouter (maybe?) with the eldritch monster they were sacrificing people to, and delivers a badass boast to make it leave her alone. At that point what should be needed to save the day, but a jumping puzzle? Cue Mae saying she feels better and the full jumping mechanics being restored]].
* Epilogue 1 of ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' comes after a rather long emotional and quiet stretch. [[spoiler: Arthur had died of tuberculosis to give John and his family a better life. John, now going under the name Jim Milton, finds work at Pronghorn Ranch working for David Geddes, who's been hassled by the Laramie Gang. One night, the gang attacks the ranch and John, having had enough of them, suits up for a shootout in the mission "Jim Milton Rides Again" to show that John Marston is back!]]
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'': [[spoiler:Chris Redfield suffers a HeroicBSOD after Ada Wong's {{Doppelganger}} Carla Radames kills most of his squad in Eastern Europe, leading him to become an [[TraumaInducedAmnesia amnesiac]] [[DrowningMySorrows drunk]] for the next six months until the BSAA find him and convince him to come back. When he finally regains his memories, he [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge becomes obsessed with getting revenge on Carla]], which leads to the deaths of even more of his men, and finally snaps out of it and returns to his old self after a meeting with Leon Kennedy.]]
* In ''VideoGame/SlyCooperThievesInTime'', during the battle against [[spoiler:Penelope, Bentley finally has shaken off his HeroicBSOD from discovering [[FaceHeelTurn her betrayal]] and shows up to take her on. And he's piloting a robot suit. ''Awesome.'']]
** Earlier on, during the events of ''VideoGame/Sly3HonorAmongThieves'', we learn that Murray blamed himself for Bentley [[VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves being crippled by Clock-La]], and later left the team to go find [[TheAtoner inner peace]]. The entire first chapter of the game revolves around Sly and Bentley trying to stop the environmentally-unfriendly schemes of [[TheDon Octavio]] in order to get Murray back. It culminates with Bentley nearly getting killed by Octavio, which provides the push Murray needs to jump in and [[BigDamnHeroes save the day]].
-->'''Murray:''' "The Murray" RETURNS!!!
* The Dark Side ending of ''Franchise/StarWars: VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic.''
** The Light Side ending as well, but in a more subtle fashion. Instead of being the galaxy-conquering variety of badass, you're the galaxy-''saving'' variety [[spoiler: that you were before the Mandalorian Wars and zero guidance got you DrunkOnTheDarkSide]].
** The scene in [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords the sequel]] where Kreia's coaching helps the Jedi Exile regain her confidence and powers.
* ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' has a villainous example in the "Decieved" trailer, with Darth Malgus announcing the Sith's return to the galaxy (after 300 years of what passes for soul-searching for the Sith) by attacking the Jedi Order's HQ head-on -- and winning.
-->''"And now, finally... [[PunctuatedForEmphasis We. Have. Returned.]]"''
* In ''Franchise/{{Star Wars|Expanded Universe}}: VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed'', Rahm Kota recovers from his self-pity and binge-drinking to become the mighty Jedi Knight he once was.
* When [[Anime/CodeGeass Lelouch]] suddenly finds himself revived in the world of Al-Warth in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsX'', he is in a HeroicBSOD due to the trauma of the series combined with his death and resurrection. [[Anime/MashinHeroWataruSeries Death God]] believes Lelouch to be a Dark Lord, because of the way Lelouch's actions shook his world. Using the [[MacGuffin Mirror of Truth]], Lelouch's true personality, which rejects all evil, is brought to the surface. [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Lelouch promptly rejects the notion of becoming a Dark Lord and leads the X-Cross to victory.]]
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'': A rather awesome one from [[spoiler:Milla considering she died and she had to practically will herself back into existence]].
* In ''VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorial 2'', this trope is an integral part of resident BrokenBird Kaori Yae's storyline. After a [[spoiler: 2-years]] long HeroicBSOD due to a traumatic event that occurred before the game's proper, she manages to overcome her past and turn back to the GenkiGirl she was, thanks to her relationship with the protagonist. The change in her attitude and appearance after she takes her resolve is ''dramatic'': she enters the Volley-Ball Club and fully involves herself in; her body language sprites change from unhappily talking-over-her-shoulder or holding-her-arm-and-looking-at-the-floor poses, to looking straight at you with [[WhenSheSmiles a beautiful and cheerful smile]]; her clothes' fashion at dates become colorful, elaborate and varied; she regulary comes to you to invite you for dates; and her somber [[{{Leitmotif}} theme tune]] is replaced with a [[NearVictoryFanfare peppier variation]] of it.
* ''VideoGame/WolfensteinTheNewOrder'': BJ Blazkowicz takes a large chunk of shrapnel to the back of the head at the end of the prologue, loses his memory and is reduced to a sorry state. He's taken in at a mental hospital in Poland and cared for by a kindly nurse. While he's down, [[AlternateHistoryNaziVictory the Nazis defeat the Allies and conquer the planet]]. The Nazis send a detachment to execute the patients and [[BerserkButton they make the big mistake of turning on the staff too]]...
-->''"[[BondOneLiner Nazi scum!]]"''
* ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'' starts off with BJ at death's door following the finale of the previous game, which saw him injured so badly that the only way he can even stand and walk is with PowerArmor. He is dispondent over his impending mortality and keeps fighting just so [[spoiler:he can give his unborn children a better world to live in after he dies. After getting beheaded by the Nazis, however, his friends recover his head and graft it onto an Ubersoldat body, granting him a new lease on life and his vim and vigor once more.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Creator/RobertDowneyJr fell into drug and alcohol abuse and dropped off of Hollywood's radar for the most part during the late 90's. Then came 2008 and Film/IronMan, [[CareerResurrection and he became a star again]].
* 3rd of September, 1939. Britain declares war on Germany, and the Royal Navy receives a message: [[UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill "Winston is back."]]
* UsefulNotes/DukeOfCaxias had retired from war and went into a career of politics. Then came the UsefulNotes/WarOfTheTripleAlliance, and once more he took command of the army.
* UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan retired from basketball in 1993 after the murder of his father. After a couple of unproductive seasons playing minor league baseball (and [[Film/SpaceJam saving the Looney Tunes characters from aliens]]), he announced his return to the NBA in 1995 with two simple words: '''"I'm back."'''
* General UsefulNotes/DouglasMacArthur on returning to the Philippines in 1944, fulfilling a vow he made 2 years earlier to do so.
* World-renown {{Pinball}} designer Creator/SteveRitchie stopped designing pinballs in 1995, due to Creator/WilliamsElectronics leaving the industry and the decline of arcade gaming in general. When he returned eight years later with ''Pinball/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines'', the advertisements simply said, in big, bold letters, '''HE'S BACK!''' [[note]]With the byline, "Steve Ritchie, designer of many of the greatest pinball machines of all time, brings you a new pinball for the 21st Century."[[/note]]
* Four years after announcing on a live television event that he was leaving Cleveland for Miami, UsefulNotes/LeBronJames announced his return to Northeast Ohio with a fantastically received ''Sports Illustrated'' essay that simply ended with "I'm coming home."
* Creator/{{SNK}} declared bankruptcy in 2001, and its various game franchises fell into the hands of other companies. CEO Eikichi Kawasaki then spend the next two years rehiring many ex-staff and rebuilding the company. By 2003, SNK Playmore had regained many (if not all) of its former franchises.
* After leaving Konami and founding his own studio, Creator/HideoKojima walked on stage at Sony's E3 2016 press conference to show off [[VideoGame/DeathStranding his new game]] and simply declared "I'm back!"
* Earvin "Magic" Johnson was forced to retire from [[UsefulNotes/{{Basketball}} the NBA]] during the 1991-1992 season due to his HIV Positive status, at a time when he was still playing at an All-Star level and public knowledge of HIV/AIDS was more rumor and urban myth than fact. In 1996, he was medically cleared to play and rejoined the Los Angeles Lakers for the 1995-1996 season, when HIV was better understood and was no longer considered an instant death sentence. Johnson returned both to show that people with HIV could live their lives normally and so that his final season would be played on his terms.
* Brazilian footballer Ronaldo suffered a nervous breakdown the day of Usefulnotes/TheWorldCup final in 1998, affecting his teammates who went on to lose 3-0. The following years had Ronaldo mostly off-field struggling with injuries (worst being [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TEB8zefQUk his knee collapsing]] upon a return to the pitch after five months). Some questioned whether the coach having faith in Ronaldo's recovery to call him for the 2002 World Cup would result in anything... and the result was that Ronaldo was the tournament's top scorer, with goals in all but one game, including both in the final.
* Italy's national football team was thought to have reached its all-time nadir when they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup group stage at the expense of Sweden. As a result of such a devastating and outright unpredicted outcome, then-coach Giampiero Ventura was sacked and then-Italian FA president Carlo Tavecchio was forced to resign. In came Roberto Mancini as the national team's new coach in 2018 amidst perplexity in the general populace; such questions were however quelled in due time, as the Azzurri not only utterly [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped]] their Euro 2020 qualification group, but have went ''34'' games unbeaten and counting, have qualified for the 2020/21 Nations League final four as hosts, and outright won Euro 2020 after beating England in the finals on penalties at a packed-out Wembley full of England supporters.
* Creator/{{Nintendo}}:
** Nintendo began as a popular playing card company, but was forced to move away from the market due to the lack of growth. The company struggled to find success in other ventures (including taxis, television, food, and [[BleachedUnderpants love hotels]]) for over a decade, causing their stock to plummet to disastrous lows. It wasn't until they moved into video games by distributing the UsefulNotes/MagnavoxOdyssey in Japan and creating UsefulNotes/ColorTVGame consoles during the 1970s that they regained sustainable profit, with 1981's VideoGame/DonkeyKong cementing their newfound success.
** In 2006, the prospect of Nintendo quitting the home console business altogether was becoming increasingly believable after the middling performances of the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 and the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube. Skepticism towards the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}, a console that relied on motion controls and outputted standard-definition video when HD was on the rise, also added to this public perception. However, the Wii proceeded to become a smash hit thanks to its ease of accessibility attracting the casual audience that competing console makers hardly considered, and became Nintendo's best-selling home console of all-time.
** In 2017, the launch of the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch following the commercial failure of the UsefulNotes/WiiU. Despite being seen by some as essentially a portable version of the aforementioned failure, the lessons learnt from the mistakes made during the Wii U's lifespan (from advertising to game library) led to the system having the best launch of any Nintendo system to-date and surpassing its predecessor's lifetime sales after less than a year on market, going on to also surpass the Gamecube, N64 and even the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]].
* In UsefulNotes/{{tennis}}, UsefulNotes/RogerFederer and UsefulNotes/RafaelNadal have defied predictions that they would never again return to top form after suffering injuries or having lackluster results too many times to count. The best example of this is when Federer and Nadal ended their 2016 seasons early due to injury and hadn't won a Grand Slam in over 4 years or 2 years, respectively, only to win 2 Grand Slams each the very next year.
** UsefulNotes/NovakDjokovic, after being nigh-invincible on the ATP tour in 2015-16, fell away from the top of the game and spent 2017 and the first half of 2018 nursing injuries or losing to lower-ranked players he would never have lost to just one year ago. He even said after a dispiriting loss to No. 71-ranked Mario Cecchinato at the 2018 French Open that he wasn't sure if he'd even play the grass season... then he won UsefulNotes/{{Wimbledon}} and the US Open and ended the season as the World No. 1.
** Juan Martín del Potro, after winning the 2009 US Open, has been [[GameBreakingInjury plagued by chronic wrist injuries]] and needed to take multiple extended breaks from tennis to undergo 4 wrist surgeries. His injuries were so serious that, after his 2012-13 resurgence back to the top 10 was cruelly derailed by them, he was contemplating retirement in 2015. Then in 2016, he went on a miraculous run at the Rio Summer Olympics to win a silver medal in spite of being ranked No. 141 at that time and having to beat Djokovic ''and'' Nadal to do it, helped Argentina to clinch the Davis Cup title by coming back from two sets down in his rubber, and re-entered the top 10 the following year.
* Quite a few examples can be found in UsefulNotes/{{NCAA}} Division I conferences.
** ASUN Conference (founded in 1978; adding football in 2022)
*** Jacksonville State[[labelnote:*]]in Alabama[[/labelnote]] joined in 1995, left in 2003, but is coming back in July 2021.
** Atlantic 10 Conference (founded in 1976; sponsored football from 1997–2006)
*** Penn State left in 1979, returned in 1982, and left for good in 1991.
*** Duquesne left in 1992 but came back a year later. Unlike Penn State, the Dukes remain in the [=A-10=] to this day.
** Big Sky Conference (founded in 1963)
*** Idaho left in 1996 and came back in non-football sports in 2014. Football returned to the Big Sky in 2018.
** Big South Conference (founded in 1984)
*** Charter member Campbell left in 1993 and returned in 2011. However, its football team didn't join until 2018.
** Big Ten Conference (founded in 1896)
*** [[UsefulNotes/UniversityOfMichigan Michigan]] left in 1907 but came back for good in 1916.
** Big 12 Conference (whose charter dates back only to 1994, with play starting in 1996, but unofficially traces its history to the formation of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1907 [the conference split in 1928, creating the Big Six and Missouri Valley Conferences])
*** Nebraska left in 1918 but returned in 1921. The Cornhuskers left for good in 2011.
*** Oklahoma A&M left when the MVIAA split in 1928, joining the Missouri Valley Conference. That school returned in 1958, a year after adopting its current name of Oklahoma State.
** Big West Conference (founded in 1969; dropped football after the 2000 season)
*** UC Santa Barbara left in 1974, three years after dropping football, and came back in 1976.
*** Variation: Hawaii was a member for women's sports only from 1984 to 1996. The Rainbow Wāhine[[note]]Hawaiian for "women"; normal English orthography doesn't include the "ā" character, making the singular form "Wahine" identical to the plural[[/note]] came back in 2012, bringing the Rainbow Warriors (their men's teams) along for the ride.
** Conference USA (founded in 1995)
*** Charter member UNC Charlotte, which changed its athletic identity to Charlotte in 2000, left in 2005. The 49ers came back in 2013, the same year in which they launched their football team (which joined [=C-USA=] in 2015).
*** Variation: UAB[[note]]Alabama–Birmingham[[/note]], also a charter member (it joined [=C-USA=] football in 1999), dropped football in 2015, [[BlatantLies claiming financial distress]]. It soon came out that the decision to drop football was politically motivated, leading to an uproar that soon caused the school to announce that football would return in 2017. UAB remained a conference member throughout its football hiatus.
** Horizon League (founded in 1979; non-football)
*** Notre Dame was never a member in men's basketball, but joined for other men's sports in 1982. The Fighting Irish left in 1986 and came back a year later, bringing their women's sports along in 1988 before leaving for good in 1995.
** Mid-American Conference (founded in 1946)
*** [[Film/WeAreMarshall Marshall]] joined in 1954 and was kicked out in 1969 amid a recruiting scandal, only a year before most of the football team died in a plane crash. The Thundering Herd returned in 1997, only to leave for good (this time voluntarily) in 2005.
*** Northern Illinois, which joined in 1975, left in 1986. The Huskies returned at the same time as Marshall, but remain in the MAC today.
** Missouri Valley Conference (the other half of the MVIAA split, and now the only conference that claims the MVIAA's history; dropped football in 1986)
*** Creighton left in 1948, a few years after dropping football, and returned in 1976 without football, leaving for good in 2013.
*** Drake left in 1952 in response to the MVC's failure to address [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Bright_incident a racially motivated on-field assault]] against one of its football stars. Bradley left at the same time in sympathy with Drake. Both schools returned in non-football sports a few years later (Bradley in 1955, Drake in 1956), but Bradley never returned to MVC football (dropping the sport in 1970) and Drake football didn't come back until 1971.
** Ohio Valley Conference (founded in 1948): No straight example, but a couple of variations.
*** Charter member Western Kentucky left in 1982, but its football team came back in 1999 before leaving for good in 2001.
*** Austin Peay has been a full member since 1962, but its football team left in 1997 before returning in 2007.
** Pac-12 Conference: While the current charter of the conference dates only to 1959, the Pac-12 claims the history of the Pacific Coast Conference, founded in 1915. The PCC disbanded in 1959 due to recruiting scandals and infighting, and five members founded today's Pac-12 as the Athletic Association of Western Universities. Three of the four PCC members that were left out of the AAWU joined in the following years, with Washington State joining in 1962 and Oregon and Oregon State in 1964.
** Southern Conference (founded in 1921)
*** VMI[[note]]Virginia [[MilitaryAcademy Military Institute]][[/note]] left in 2003, only to return in 2014.
*** East Tennessee State, which left two years after VMI, also came back in 2014.
** Southland Conference (founded in 1963):
*** Abilene Christian was a founding member, but left in 1973, while the league was transitioning from Division II to Division I, for another D-II conference. The Wildcats returned to D-I and the Southland in 2013, but will leave again in 2021 for the Western Athletic Conference.
*** Another founding member, Lamar, left in 1987, came back in 1999, and will ''also'' move to the WAC in 2021.
** Summit League (founded in 1982; dropped football after the 1984 season)
*** [[StrawmanU Oral Roberts]] left in 2012 and rejoined in 2014.
*** UMKC[[note]]Missouri–Kansas City[[/note]] left in 2013 and rejoined in 2020, a year after it changed its athletic identity to Kansas City.
** Sun Belt Conference (founded in 1976, began sponsoring football in 2001):
*** New Orleans left in 1980 and rejoined in 1991, leaving for good in 2010. It never had a football team while in the Sun Belt, and still doesn't.
*** Georgia State left in 1981 and returned in 2013, a few years after it added football.
*** Variation: New Mexico State joined in 2000, with the Aggies moving football into the Sun Belt in 2001, and left in 2005. The football team (but not the rest of the athletic program) returned in 2014 but was effectively kicked out in 2018.
*** Another variation: Idaho was never a full member, but played Sun Belt football during the same periods as NMSU.
** West Coast Conference (founded in 1952; non-football)
*** Charter member Pacific left in 1971 and returned in 2013.
** The Big East Conference takes this trope in a slightly different direction. For background, the Big East split along [[UsefulNotes/CollegiateAmericanFootball football]] lines into three blocs in 2013. One group of three schools, all of which played football in the top-level FBS, left for the Atlantic Coast Conference. The seven schools that did not play FBS football left as well, buying the "Big East" name and forming a new, non-football Big East. The remaining FBS schools, including founding Big East member [=UConn=][[note]]Connecticut[[/note]], remained in the old conference structure with the new name of American Athletic Conference. That said, Big East 2.0 maintained the competitive history of the original Big East in all sports that it sponsored. In 2020, [=UConn=] left The American for the Big East, parking its football team as an FBS independent. Although the current and original Big East are technically separate legal entities, both the (current) Big East and [=UConn=] consider the Huskies to have "rejoined" the Big East.
** Another variation is Western Athletic Conference football. The WAC had been a pretty good football league until an ill-advised expansion to 16 schools in 1996 led to more than a decade of turmoil, culminating in the WAC dropping football in 2012 after losing all but two of its football-playing members. The WAC managed to hang on to life by the skin of its teeth, and eventually picked up two new football schools moving up from Division II. The conference then started looking for more football schools, with a view to restarting its football league, this time in the second-level FCS. It hit paydirt in January 2021, announcing that five schools with FCS football would join in 2022, at which time the WAC would reinstate football. But then they decided to move the relaunch of football to July 2021 once the Southland Conference, which had been home to four of the five new arrivals, kicked its departing schools out a year ahead of schedule.
** Still another variation in NCAA men's ice hockey saw ''an entire conference'' figuratively come back from the dead. The Central Collegiate Hockey Association was founded in 1971, and established itself as one of the best NCAA conferences in that sport by the late 1980s. Things went along swimmingly until energy billionaire Terry Pegula funded the startup expenses for men's and women's teams at his alma mater of Penn State, kicking in a lavish new arena as well. This gave the Big Ten Conference six members with men's hockey teams, which was the exact number required for the conference to (1) officially sponsor that sport and (2) receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Accordingly, the Big Ten announced it would start a men's hockey league in 2013–14... which led to a massive conference realignment in that sport. When the dust cleared, the CCHA was no more. Though one of its members, Bowling Green, would keep ownership of the conference name. This proved important later in that decade, when the seven Midwestern schools among the 10 men's members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association got tired of being in a league with two schools in Alaska and one in Alabama. Four of these seven, Bowling Green among them, had played in the final season of the CCHA. In November 2019, said schools announced they would leave the WCHA after the 2020–21 season; three months later, they officially formed a new CCHA.
[[/folder]]

* Here's a big surprise in the November 12th, 2019 episode of WWE backstage. (the sound of static and a guitar rift not heard in five years)

* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'': Adora spends most of the episode "Beast Island" wrestling with her self-doubt, her guilt over her damaged friendship with Glimmer, and the depression-inducing Signal that pervades the island -- and it doesn't help that the Sword of Protection isn't working. When she, Bow, Swift Wind, and [[spoiler:Micah]] are all succumbing to the Signal, their eyes dulling, creepy vines wrapping around them, Adora gets a montage of memories of Glimmer, starting with their time at loggerheads but gradually being overtaken by memories of happier times. Then, [[PowerGlows her eyes start glowing]], and her TransformationSequence begins...
* An interesting inversion comes in the middle of the 15th season of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''. Stan turns ten, and suddenly begins to view everything around him in a much more ... erm ... crappy light. At the end of the two-episode long arc, he's back ... but only with [[DrowningMySorrows a bit of help]].

** Leonardo spends half of the fourth season of the 2003 Ninja Turtles cartoon in a funk after a huge near-miss with the Shredder. His increasingly maniacal training schedule, surly attitude, and short temper culminates in Splinter kicking him out to train with Hamato Yoshi's old master in Japan. Once he gets over his self-blame, Leo is able to return home... [[spoiler: to find the lair in ruins. But the turtle in blue is ''back.'' He has little trouble finding and gathering the scattered Turtles and Splinter. He even confronts the new leader of the Foot one-on-one while running errands for his battered comrades, and delivers a clear message of "don't bother my family again [[ItsPersonal or else]]."]]

* In "How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back," an episode of ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'', there were two examples. Bender's personality chip was removed by Morgan Proctor and hidden in the Augean files of the Central Bureaucracy, leaving Bender unable to say anything other than "I am Bender; please insert girder" in an emotionless monotone. It was explained that, in order to find it in time would require an atomic powered sorting machine, at which point Hermes calls out from the balcony "You rang?", his confidence having been restored. Then, when Bender's personality is successfully restored, he declares "I am Bender, baby! Please insert liquor!"

* In Issue #30 of ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'', Doc Ock comes to realize that his arrogance has always been his downfall and that the reason why Peter was such a hero was because he had the same intelligence, but because it came at such a high price he continued to sabotage himself so he wouldn't fall for it. [[spoiler:He decides that Peter is the true Superior Spider-Man, restores Pete's memories and destroys his own, asking Peter to rescue Anna Maria from the Goblin King. Peter's response? He grabs his old red and blues, ditches Ock's costume and declares "My turn."]]

* After the events of ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'' the ComicBook/ElongatedMan became "Un-Elongated" and began to verge closer and closer to despair and insanity. In ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' he gets involved in the Cult of Connor and seems to step ''over'' the edge of insanity, he [[DrowningMySorrows begins to perpetually carry a flask]] and [[BeardOfSorrow lets his personal hygiene fade away]], but in the climax of his personal story [[spoiler: he reveals that he knew Felix Faust had been manipulating him the whole time and had actually been manipulating ''him'']]. For the first time in weeks Ralph Dibny is clean shaven and wearing a neat suit and tie and reveals that ''everything'' has gone according to ''his'' [[ThanatosGambit plan]].

** After a year-long absence he returned in ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'', to the horror of Gotham. His first act is an assault on the GCPD resulting in the murder of 19 officers.

The distinguishing mark between 10-Minute Retirement and PassingTheTorch. The [[StatusQuoIsGod 'good' ending]] of WeUsedToBeFriends. It is also sister to BackInTheSaddle which is about a person who is physically out of the fight, either retired, promotion, or some physical injury inhibiting the person, where as this is about a HeroicBSOD. See ConscienceMakesYouGoBack and ChangedMyMindKid. See also TheCavalry, which can overlap with this.

The distinguishing mark between 10-Minute Retirement and PassingTheTorch. The [[StatusQuoIsGod 'good' ending]] of WeUsedToBeFriends. It is also sister to BackInTheSaddle which is about a person who is physically out of the fight, either retired, promotion, or some physical injury inhibiting the person, where as this is about a HeroicBSOD. See ConscienceMakesYouGoBack and ChangedMyMindKid.

** In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'', guess who's regained his attorney badge and makes a BigDamnHeroes entrance in the very first case, clad in a nifty new version of his familiar suit? Phoenix Wright himself, after seven years of unjust disbarment, has returned to the courtroom. An even better example is the DLC case, Turnabout Reclaimed, which shows Phoenix's first trial after getting back his attorney's badge. He not only proves his client innocent, [[spoiler:he proves that NOBODY was guilty. He held the Judge's verdict just to prove that the witness on stand was innocent as well.]]

--> '''Spider-Man:''' ([[spoiler: After months of mourning Gwen Stacy's death.]]) Hey, Spider-Man. Thanks for stepping up for me.

* ''Film/TheExpendables2'' has Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger come out of a car and yell "I'm BACK!" as a MythologyGag to his famous quote from ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' films.

* ''Film/SpiderMan2'' does it with Spidey (who starts losing his powers due to stress). In fact, the Daily Bugle announced his return in [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9y6dbNcRw1rc2lkjo1_1280.jpg its headline with the exact trope name]].
** There's also the third movie where he dons his trademark red and blue suit again for the first time since ditching the black one.

** ''ComicBook/TheFlashInfiniteFrontier'' features this happening again with Wally after the events of ''ComicBook/HeroesInCrisis'' upon learning [[spoiler:the explosion that killed the other heroes at Sanctuary wasn't even remotely his fault but the result of Savitar trying to take control of the Speed Force, complete with Wally returning to his '90s Flash costume when they return to the present and he proceeds to beat Savitar.]]

* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'':

** ''ComicBook/TheFlashInfiniteFrontier'' features this happening again with Wally after the events of ''ComicBook/HeroesInCrisis'' upon learning [[spoiler:the explosion that killed the other heroes at Sanctuary wasn't even remotely his fault but the result of Savitar trying to take control of the Speed Force, complete with Wally returning to his '90s Flash costume come they return to the present and beat Savitar.]]

* In ''ComicBook/TheReturnOfBarryAllen'', Wally West was devastated when Barry Allen intentionally leaves him behind in a DeathTrap; even though Wally escapes, he felt that he should go into hiding that only a select few know of his survival. Other speedsters (plus Green Lantern Hal Jordan) decide to deal with Barry Allen when he goes rogue, but Wally was still affected by the betrayal that he refuses to lift a finger. But then Wally finds an important clue that reveals that the rogue Barry Allen is an impostor. Wally proceeds to return to being the Flash, and unmask the impostor as Eobard Thawne the Reverse-Flash. And in the duel of the two speedsters, Wally further overcomes his own limitations, a mental block he placed on himself that Nerfed his power, allowing him to fight Thawne on even ground and eventually win.

[[caption-width-right:310:... and this time, ItsPersonal!]]

* In ''ComicBook/TheReturnOfBarryAllen'', ComicBook/WallyWest was devastated when Barry Allen intentionally leaves him behind in a DeathTrap; even though Wally escapes, he felt that he should go into hiding that only a select few know of his survival. Other speedsters (plus Green Lantern Hal Jordan) decide to deal with Barry Allen when he goes rogue, but Wally was still affected by the betrayal that he refuses to lift a finger. But then Wally finds an important clue that not only reveals that the rogue Barry Allen is an impostor, but also his real identity. Wally proceeds to return to being the Flash, unveil the impostor's masquerade as ComicBook/EobardThawne the Reverse-Flash. And in the duel of the two speedsters, Wally further overcomes his own limitations, a mental block he placed on himself that Nerfed his power, allowing him to fight Thawne on even ground and eventually win.

* Italy's national football team was thought to have reached its all-time nadir when they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup group stage at the expense of Sweden. As a result of such a devastating result, then-coach Giampiero Ventura was sacked and then-Italian FA president Carlo Tavecchio was forced to resign. In came Roberto Mancini as the national team's new coach in 2018 amidst perplexity in the general populace; such questions were however quelled in due time, as the Azzurri not only utterly [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped]] their Euro 2020 qualification group, but have went ''34'' games unbeaten and counting, have qualified for the 2020/21 Nations League final four as hosts, and outright won Euro 2020 after beating England in the finals on penalties at a packed-out Wembley full of England supporters.

* ''Anime/GoPrincessPrettyCure'' has a particularly epic moment. After being sent into a HeroicBSOD in Episode 40 [[spoiler:so serious that all of Yumegahama was capable of being plunged into despair]], Haruno Haruka managed to pull off a comeback in Episode 41, singlehandedly turning the tide of a losing battle.

** A rare HeelFaceTurn version in WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks. After the first movie, former-AlphaBitch Sunset Shimmer spends the entire sequel trying to find acceptance and atone for her cruelty, [[RealityEnsues but has trouble with this when everyone outside the Humane Six look at her with contempt]], and is no better than an outsider to our heroines. Even when she tries to stand up to the [[BigBad Dazzlings]], she gets knocked down a few pegs for her troubles, and everything that follows only serves to try and break her even more. And yet, despite everything she faced, when [[BigGood Twilight Sparkle]] calls out for her help, she only has a second of hesitation [[JumpedAtTheCall before she turns to face the Dazzlings down and fight alongside her friends]]. And her reward for her ordeal? [[spoiler:[[TransformationSequence She unlocks her own magic]] and [[SixthRanger transforms into her pony form alongside the Rainbooms]]. That moment when she poses with a hand on her hip and a cocky smirk? That's when you know [[HesBack she's back]]]].

* While Music/XJapan's reunion was somewhat of this trope for the entire band (or at least for drummer and bandleader Music/YoshikiHayashi) in 2007, a true example came in 2010 with the announcement of vocalist [[Music/ToshimitsuDeyama Toshi]]'s exit from [[PathOfInspiration Home Of Heart.]], bringing back both of the original founders of the band working together as they once did, and the 2010 return of original bassist Music/TaijiSawada (although his playing only one song led to some backlash). The only thing preventing this from being a complete example of this trope is AuthorExistenceFailure for both hide and Taiji.