History Main / RidiculouslySuccessfulFutureSelf

* Ben of ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'' runs into two versions of his future self, Ben 10,000, from different timelines, one in the original series and one in ''WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien''. Both versions have a BadassBeard, are quite buff and good-looking, respected as heroes throughout the universe and can wield their shape-changing devices to their full potential. Justified in that Ben is already working towards achieving such a future even before meeting his future self.

** Helga marries the love of her life, Arnold (even taking his last name), and has three children with him: two sons named Andrew "Andy" Phillip Shortman and Henry Miles Shortman and a daughter named Megan Gertrude Shortman.
*** Arnold ultimately becomes a world-renowned anthropologist as an adult, being most well-known for his work and research with the Green-Eyed People of San Lorenzo--his primary workplace is Hillwood University.
*** Helga becomes a top-selling/world-renowned poet, novelist and short story writer (specializing in ''romance'' literature), with her most famous work being "Cecile," which ends up turning into a series--in fact, by the time Henry's a year old, she's on 10th-book in that series. Helga had also published her first novel (the first book of the ''Cecile''-series) when she was still pregnant with Andy (at around 24 or 25[[note]]While this may not be the youngest age to ever become a published author, getting a book published while in your early to mid-20s is still fairly young. Especially since, on average, most authors don't have their first work published until they're well into their 30s[[/note]]).

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'': After dumping [[{{Nerd}} Sheldon]] for [[JerkJock Sebastian]], Pteresa declares to fellow {{Alpha Bitch}}es Brit and Tiff thar “[[TemptingFate popular people always win in the end]]”. The scene then cuts to [[FutureLoser twenty years later, when Pteresa is a disheveled, disgruntled mother constantly having to bail her husband out of jail, and the Crust Cousins aren’t looking too hot, either]]. They tell Pteresa that she should have married Sheldon, who apparently a billionaire by now.

* The ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' DistantFinale (with {{Flashback}}s) revealed that, as an adult, Numbuh 4 (who was BookDumb to the point of near-illiteracy during the present) becomes a top doctor who had graduated ''with honors'' from '''Harvard''' while Numbuh 3[[spoiler: (who Numbuh 4 marries)]] becomes a high-ranking business executive, [[AscendedFanboy even becoming the head of the Rainbow Monkey-corporation]].

* The title characters of ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' don't actually meet their counterparts when they go twenty years into the future, because Phineas is in Sweden "for the awards ceremony"[[note]]The Nobel Prizes--among others--are awarded in Stockholm[[/note]] while Ferb is at Camp David[[note]]The President's country retreat. (Note that Ferb is a naturalized Briton, so part of the Constitution might have changed.)[[/note]] Given what the pair can accomplish in an afternoon, [[JustifiedTrope this is hardly surprising.]]

** It's possible that Ferb didn't actually become the president--assuming that he does actually work for the US-government, he could be a presidential adviser or something.
** Oddly enough, averted for both the title characters in "Act Your Age," which takes place ten years after the events of the show proper; they're just ordinary kids with college plans, although, as might be expected, they have a ''lot'' of acceptance letters to choose from. (The original plan for the episode played this trope completely straight with Ferb by depicting him on the verge of Zuckerberg-esque success with an Internet company and therefore about to jump straight into business without a degree, but the subplot was axed due to time constraints.) More successful are Candace, [[spoiler: a highly promising young lawyer who has managed to blow everyone away with her dissertation on "modern investigative techniques for establishing proof of guilt with or without physical evidence" despite its apparent baselessness]], and Baljeet, who, while his peers are heading off to college, is [[spoiler:already a college professor]].

** Arnold becomes a world-renowned anthropologist as an adult, being most well-known for his work and research with the Green-Eyed People of San Lorenzo.
** Helga becomes a top-selling/world-renowned poet, novelist and short story writer (specializing in ''romance'' literature), with her most famous work being "Cecile," which ends up turning into a series (in fact, by the time her three children are 9, 5 and 1, she's on her 10th-book in the series). Helga had even published her first novel (the first book of the ''Cecile''-series) when she was pregnant with her oldest child (at around 24 or 25[[note]]While this may not be the youngest age to ever become a published author, getting a book published while in your early to mid-20s is still fairly young. Especially since, on average, most authors don't have their first work published until they're well into their 30s[[/note]]).
** Gerald's old friend, Fuzzy Slippers, eventually started his own company, where Gerald ends up working as a high-ranking executive.
** Phoebe becomes the head scientist at a big robotics corporation based in the Hillwood-area.
** Rhonda becomes a top fashion designer, with her fashion house being based in the Hillwood-area.
** Curly (who goes by his real name of "Thaddeus" as an adult) mellows out greatly as an adult[[note]]He apparently had a lot counseling and therapy done in middle and high school[[/note]] (but is still pretty eccentric) and has also become a renowned artist and photographer.
** Mr. Green (who ran the butcher shop, "Green Meats") has become the mayor of Hillwood by the time Helga's oldest child is in 4th-grade. Harold took over the butcher shop (which is still call "Green Meats") and proves to be very successful.

** Helga becomes a top-selling/world-renowned poet, novelist and short story writer (specializing in ''romance'' literature), with her most famous work being "Cecile," which ends up turning a series (in fact, by the time her three children are 9, 5 and 1, she's on her 10th-book in the series). Helga had even published her first novel (the first book of the ''Cecile''-series) when she was pregnant with her oldest child (at around 24 or 25[[note]]While this may not be the youngest age ever to have become a published author, getting a book published while in your early to mid-20s is still fairly young. Especially since, on average, most authors don't have their first work published until they're well into their 30s[[/note]]).

** One of his future self also hints that his cousin Gwen became President of Earth.

* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': Most of the main casts' futures in the DistantFinale are rather modest: Skip and Benson still work at the park decades later while Muscle Man and Rigby are just shown raising families. However, Mordecai goes from a slacker working a dead-end job at a park to fully realizing his dream of being an artist, even getting his own exhibit. Hi-Five Ghost becomes a DJ popular enough to tour Europe. Of course, pretty much anything they could do pales in comparison to their accomplishments as the Park Crew, having [[spoiler:saved the entire universe from destruction]].

* If there is a ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' salt fic with a TimeSkip at the end, expect to see Marinette being a ridiculously successful fashion designer/whatever the author wants to make her, who is generally married to the love of her life. Anyone who supported her will also most likely be successful as well. On the flip side, anyone who bullied her is generally shown to be either in an average life style or a FutureLoser.

* The ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' DistantFinale (with {{Flashback}}s) revealed that Number 4--BookDumb to the point of near illiteracy during the present--becomes a successful doctor who had graduated ''with honors'' from '''Harvard University''' while Numbuh 3 [[spoiler:(who Numbuh 4 marries)]] becomes a successful businesswoman, [[AscendedFanboy even becoming the head of the Rainbow Monkey-corporation]].

-->-- '''Orton Mahlson and [[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz]]''', ''"WesternAnimation/MiloMurphysLaw"''

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutron'' involves the main characters viewing their themselves in the future: Jimmy's won the Nobel Prize in ''every'' category, Carl's a professional llama breeder whose llamas can ''breathe underwater and talk'', and Sheen's a fashion model so popular that (according to Jimmy) it's headline news whenever he ''changes his socks''. Then they [[TimelineAlteringMacGuffin screw up the future by giving Libby a plant]] that turns her into an EvilOverlord and them into {{Future Loser}}s, and spend the rest of the episode trying to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong.

* ''ComicBook/XMen'' stories set in the future often say that ComicBook/KittyPryde becomes president of America.

Cross DistantFinale with ImprobableAge, sprinkle a little FutureBadass and leave to simmer.

* Film/BillAndTed are complete idiots, but in the future their SimplemindedWisdom somehow results in world peace, [[CrystalSpiresAndTogas an advanced utopia]], and the invention of TimeTravel.

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]
* Brooke Davis of ''Series/OneTreeHill'' has become a millionaire leader in the fashion world by four years after graduating high school. She runs her ultra successful clothing line, magazine and tv channel at the ripe old age of twenty two.

* In ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'' (episode 2 season 2), the sisters travel 10 years to their future selves for a day, and Prue finds herself the super rich owner of numerous big successful auction houses over the world. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] because they change that future from happening, and later made impossible because of [[spoiler:Prue's early death]].

* ''Series/{{Bones}}'' is extremely successful without time travel, but at her high school reunion she just can't do her usual thing of casually bringing up the fact that she's very sexually attractive/intelligent/wealthy/famous despite (or perhaps because of) Booth's coaching.

* A season 7 episode of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' features flash forwards within several flashbacks. Ted and Marshall formed a pact during their college days that they will watch the original Star Wars trilogy every three years while envisioning how their lives will be in three years. Barney eventually joined the pact a few years before the series starts. Ted imagines himself being a successful architect who has designed multiple skyscrapers and is married to a woman who resembles Robin, has a name starting with R, and is from another country. Marshall imagines himself with a mustache, married to Lily, and a successful lawyer with a family of five children. Barney's is always the same, being with another woman before pushing her out of the apartment. And in each of their imaginations, Ted and Marshall somehow developed a thick British accent.

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Webcomics ]]
* Subverted in ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' when Torg starts acting all smart and educated after some information a [[TimeTravel Time Traveler]] left behind indicates he becomes a world famous professor in the future.

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* Ben of ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'' runs into two version of his future self, Ben 10,000, from different timelines, one in the original series and one in ''WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien''. Both versions have a BadassBeard, are quite buff and good-looking, respected as heroes throughout the universe and can wield their shape-changing devices to their full potential. Justified in that Ben is already working towards achieving such a future even before meeting his future self.

** Bart's future career path in the several flashfoward episodes goes from a garage band member to unemployed stoner to demolition man to law school student to (down the road) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Apparently the Simpsons become the next Kennedy family.

--> '''Future!Cartman''': God''damnit''

** Also, [[AsianAirhead Stacy]] is President of Uruguay. Interestingly, WordOfGod says they came up with an explanation for how this happened when somebody at the studio asked them about it, but didn't reveal what.

[[folder: Other ]]

* A Marty [=McFly=] impersonator appears on the cruise ship in the ''Solar Sailors'' episode of the ''WesternAnimation/BackToTheFuture'' cartoon, implying that Marty's music
career takes off.

* A season 7 episode of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' features flash forwards within several flashbacks. Ted and Marshall formed a pact during their college days that they will watch the original Star Wars trilogy every three years while envisioning how their lives will be in three years. Barney eventually joined the pact a few years before the series starts. Ted imagines himself being a successful architect who had designed multiple skyscrapers and is married to a woman who resembles Robin, has a name starting with R, and is from another country. Marshall imagines himself with a mustache, married to Lily, and a successful lawyer with a family of five children. Barney's is always the same, being with another woman before pushing her out of the apartment. And in each of their imaginations, Ted and Marshall somehow developed a thick British accent.

But now there's all these expectations that I’ll just... have to realign,\\

* Kind of approached from the other direction in ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}''. Vimes, a happily married man awaiting the birth of his first child, an alcoholic who has very successfully quit drinking, one of the richest people in Ankh-Morpork, a duke, at the top of his profession and one of the most powerful people in the city, goes back in time thirty years, meets his eighteen-year-old self and realises what an idiot he was.

* In ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'' (episode 2 season 2), the sisters travel 10 years to their future selves for a day, and Prue finds herself the super rich owner of numerous big successful auction houses over the word. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] because they change that future from happening, and later made impossible because of [[spoiler:Prue's early death]].

* In ''Disney/MeetTheRobinsons'', HeartwarmingOrphan and [[BunglingInventor unsuccessful inventor]] Lewis actually travels to the future, which has become a Utopian place thanks to the inventions of scientific genius Cornelius Robinson. Later we find out that [[spoiler:Cornelius is actually Lewis' future self.]]

* Kind of approached from the other direction in ''Discworld/NightWatch''. Vimes, a happily married man awaiting the birth of his first child, an alcoholic who has very successfully quit drinking, one of the richest people in Ankh-Morpork, a duke, at the top of his profession and one of the most powerful people in the city, goes back in time thirty years, meets his eighteen-year-old self and realises what an idiot he was.

[[/folder]]

* A Marty McFly impersonator appears on the cruise ship in the ''Solar Sailors'' episode of the ''WesternAnimation/BackToTheFuture'' cartoon, implying that Marty's music

* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': Most of the main casts' futures in the DistantFinale are rather modest: Skip and Benson still work at the park decades later while Muscle Man and Rigby are just show raising families. However, Mordecai goes from a slacker working a dead-end job at a park to fully realizing his dream of being an artist, even getting his own exhibit. Hi-Five Ghost becomes a DJ popular enough to tour Europe. Of course, pretty much anything they could do pales in comparison to their accomplishments as the Park Crew, having [[spoiler:saved the entire universe from destruction]].