History Main / SelfImposedExile

* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague episode [[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E19And20Hereafter "Hereafter",]][[spoiler: a plan of Comicbook/VandalSavage to TakeOverTheWorld ends up completely destroying the Earth and 30,000 years later, Vandal Savage is the last human on on the planet (thanks to his [[CompleteImmortality immortality).]] While playing host to a time-traveling Superman, Superman notices a spaceship in the backyard of his lavish estate, when Superman comments on it, Savage says he had planned to leave Earth and explore the universe but gave up on the idea thinking that after everything he'd done, he deserved to be punished.]]

Sometimes a person could be a part of a GovernmentInExile, even if they were not associated with the actions that led to that exile. For example the descendants of deposed monarchies may choose to continue to stay away from the current regime, even if the deposing antagonists died off generations ago. The modern descendants are not persecuted because they are so far removed that they are practically commoners at this point, especially if they are actually naturalized citizens of whatever country their deposed ancestors fled to. They may have more affinity for the country they were born in, as opposed to the country from which their royal or noble ancestors were exiled. And the current regime (which may be different from the deposing regime) may have no interest in an old ruling family whose status even its modern descendants no longer consider relevant. On the other hand, the descendants may still regard their once distinguished heritage with reverence but accept that YouCantGoHomeAgain, potentially tinged with a little OldShame.

* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'': Instead of retiring, street Judges who no longer meet the physical requirements of the job but don't see themselves as desk-job or instructor material take the Long Walk, in which they head out alone into the Cursed Earth to "bring the Law to the lawless". No one, including the Judge taking the Long Walk, expects to return. Some do it out of atonement or personal conviction (Dredd among them).

** In ''ComicBook/TheGirlWithTheXRayMind'', ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} is put under the effects of a device which turns all animals into plants when they go near her. Desperate, she flies to a barren desert island in the middle of the ocean so as not to endanger animal life.

* In the climax of ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch2StitchHasAGlitch'', Stitch, [[ResistTheBeast believing his destructive side is re-emerging and he can't stop it]], chose to leave Earth and isolate himself on a desolate planet where he couldn't harm anyone, unaware that he was actually suffering from out-of-control seizures as he neared the point of permanent shutdown. To make the situation worse, he was leaving in Jumba's ship, which contained the fusion chamber needed to recharge him.

* ''Film/SpiderManNOWayHome'': Peter Parker/Spider-Man decided to isolate himself from everyone, including his friends, allies and fellow superheroes, in order to keep them safe, after he nearly caused his universe to collapse because of a unstable spell. Despite this, Peter still continues helping the people of New York as Spider-Man in order to protect the innocent and to atone for his mistakes.

* Levi Zendt from Creator/JamesMichener's novel ''Literature/{{Centennial}}'' became an outcast among the Pennsylvania Dutch community, and departed for TheWildWest. There, he founded a homestead, farmland and a trading post. Many years later, he returned to make amends, but his kin still regarded Levi as an amoral apostate. Levi returned to Colorado, where he divested himself of his heritage.

* {{Series/MASH}}: When Colonel Potter finds out that the reason he was offered a post stateside is that negative reports were coming from his own M*A*S*H unit, he is so demoralized that he takes the offer out of the shame he feels for having somehow failed. [[spoiler: He takes the offer initially, that is. Once Captains Pierce and Hunnicut weed out the anonymous reports as having come from a mole in the outfit, Colonel Potter recants.]]

* One Moroccan folk tale, which was later featured in ''[[Literature/ArabianNights One Thousand and One Nights]]'' goes like this: An unlucky man named Akbar (the original version has this to be the local sultan), explodes in a fart in the middle of the market place, loud enough for everyone to hear - as the place is crowded with people. The man is ashamed and goes into hiding, and lives the life of a hermit for several years (varies from ten and up to 30 years at the most), until he thinks it safe to return to his home town, because now people [[TemptingFate surely have forgotten the incident]]. Coming into town, and the market square, he spots a new building he has never seen before and asks a boy when that building was erected. The boy answers accordingly:

* In ''Videogame/{{Arcanum}}'', the former king of the dwarves Loghaire Thunderstone has stepped down from his throne and exiled himself to a derelict mine known as the Dredge, ashamed at himself for banishing the Black Mountain clan and allowing elves to interfere in the dwarven justice system.

* ''VideoGame/TheEndTimesVermintide'' and ''VideoGame/VermintideII'': The dwarf ranger Bardin claims to be on a mission to rediscover the [[CityOfGold legendary city Karak Zorn]], but doesn't seem in any hurry to find it. The sequel reveals that he left his hold and wife out of shame after [[spoiler:an injury prevented him from warning them of a Skaven attack that killed many of his clan, including his son.]]

* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague episode [[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E19And20Hereafter "Hereafter",]][[spoiler: a plan of Comicbook/VandalSavage to TakeOverTheWorld ends up completely destroying the Earth and 30,000 years later, Vandal Savage is the last human on on the planet (thanks to his [[CompleteImmortality immortality).]] While playing host to a time traveling Superman, Superman notices a spaceship in the backyard of his lavish estate, when Superman comments on it, Savage says he had planned to leave Earth and explore the universe, but gave up on the idea thinking that after everything he'd done, he deserved to be punished.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'': In the end of "Predacons Rising", a GrandFinale of the original series, [[spoiler:[[BigBad Megatron]], after getting freed from Unicron's influence, [[HeelRealization realizes how much suffering he had brought to Cybertron]], disbands the Decepticon movement, and then willingly exiles himself from Cybertron, taking off into space to parts unknown]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague episode [[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E19And20Hereafter "Hereafter",]][[spoiler: a plan of Comicbook/VandalSavage to TakeOverTheWorld ends up completely destroying the Earth and 30,000 years later, Vandal Savage is the last human on on the planet (thanks to his [[CompleteImmortality immortality).]] While talking to a time traveling Superman, Superman notices a spaceship in the backyard of his lavish estate, when Superman comments on it, Savage says he had planned to leave Earth and explore the universe, but gave up on the idea thinking that after everything he'd done, he deserved to be punished.]]

* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague episode [[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E19And20Hereafter "Hereafter",]][[spoiler: after Comicbook/VandalSavage's plan to TakeOverTheWorld ends up completely destroying the Earth and 30,000 years later Vandal Savage is the last human on on the planet (thanks to his [[CompleteImmortality immortality).]] While talking to a time traveling Superman, Superman notices a spaceship in the backyard of his lavish estate, when Superman comments on it, Savage says he had planned to leave Earth and explore the galaxy, but gave up on the idea thinking that after everything he'd done, he deserved to be punished.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'': Simba, on the "advice" of [[EvilUncle Scar]], runs away from the Pride Lands after he's convinced that he killed his father.

* ''LetsPlay/EmpiresSMP Season 1'':

** In ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlSaga'', Superman executed three Kryptonian criminals in an alternate universe after they wiped out all life on the alternate Earth. The stress of going against his morals prompted him to briefly develop a split personality, taking on the identity of the street brawling vigilante Gangbuster during the night. Horrified by what he had become and fearing that he was losing control of his powers, he chose to exile himself from Earth into deep space in ''ComicBook/SupermanExile''. Ultimately he was abducted by Mongul and forced to fight in gladiatoral tornaments on Mongul's Warworld. Here, he also met an ancient alien being called the Cleric, who was present on Krypton centuries before its destruction, and shared much of Krypton's history with Superman. This helped Superman get his head straightened out and, once he took down Mongul, he returned to Earth.

** In ''ComicBook/TheGirlWithTheXRayMind'', ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'' is put under the effects of a device which turns all animals into plants when they go near her. Deserate, she flies to a barren desert island in the middle of the ocean to not endanger animal life.

This is the self-imposed version of TheExile where instead of society exiling the character, the character exiles themselves from it. For one reason, the character departing themselves from society will realize that because of the gravity of what they've done, society has no place for them. Another reason for their self-exile is because they may want to avoid receiving punishment from the law enforcement. Either way, the self-exiled character will need all the luck in finding useful resources to survive outside of society, and if they aren't lucky, the law enforcement will manage to catch up with them and arrest them.

Sometimes a person could be a part of a GovernmentInExile, even if they were not associated with the actions that led to that exile. For example the descendants of deposed monarchies may choose to continue to stay away from the modern regime, even if the deposing antagonists died off generations ago. The modern descendants are not persecuted because they are so far removed, that they are practically commoners at this point, especially if they are actually naturalized citizens of whatever country to which their deposed ancestors fled. They may have more affinity for the country in which they were born as opposed to the country from which their royal or noble ancestors were exiled. And the modern regime (which might presently be different from the deposing regime) may have no interest in an old ruling family whose status even its modern descendants no longer considers relevant. On the other hand, the descendants may still regard their once distinguished heritage with reverence but accept that YouCantGoHomeAgain, potentially tinged with a little OldShame.

Compare NoPlaceForMeThere when a character exiles himself because of his well-meaning, but questionable deeds to accomplish a better world. Also related to YouCantGoHomeAgain and StartingANewLife.

* ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': In the backstory, Hamato Yoshi went on a self-imposed exile to New York after fellow Foot Clan member, Oroku Nagi, when he was defending his wife, Tang Shen from Nagi's jealous wrath which permanently disgraced him from his position in the Clan. Shen accompanied him.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'': Alex exiles himself into fossa territory after his primal instincts show and he nearly kills his friends.

* In ''LightNovel/MyNextLifeAsAVillainessAllRoutesLeadToDoom'', the {{Bad End}}s of the Geordo and Keith routes in ''[[FictionalVideoGame Fortune Lover]]'' involve either of them exiling themselves after killing AlphaBitch Catarina to protect the PlayerCharacter, over the shame of killing his fiancée in Geordo's case, or his older sister in Keith's case.

* In the ''Fanfic/FacingTheFutureSeries'' story "Trial By Fire, after seeing the destruction her new [[PlayingWithFire fire powers]] caused, particularly hurting Danny, Sam becomes scared and runs away to the Ghost Zone. Fortunately, Danny manages to track her down and gives her the encouragement needed to eventually get control of her fire powers.

-->-- '''Han Solo''', ''Film/TheForceAwakens''

* The rooster Chanticleer from Creator/DonBluth's ''WesternAnimation/RockADoodle'' gets in a tussle with another rooster, and neglects to crow up the morning sun. When the sun rises without his prompt, the farm animals laugh him into exile. He turns up much later in the city as an Elvis {{expy}}.

* Levi Zendt from Creator/JamesAMichener's novel ''Literature/{{Centennial}}'' became an outcast among the Pennsylvania Dutch community, and departed for TheWildWest. There, he founded a homestead, farmland and a trading post. Many years later, he returned to make amends, but his kin still regarded Levi as an amoral apostate. Levi returned to Colorado, where he divested himself of his heritage.

* Levi Zendt from Creator/JamesMichener's novel ''Literature/{{Centennial}}'' became an outcast among the Pennsylvania Dutch community, and departed for TheWildWest. There, he founded a homestead, farmland and a trading post. Many years later, he returned to make amends, but his kin still regarded Levi as an amoral apostate. Levi returned to Colorado, where he divested himself of his heritage.

Sometimes a person could be a part of a GovernmentInExile, even if they were not associated with the actions that led to that exile. For example the descendants of deposed monarchies may choose to continue to stay away from the modern regime, even if the deposing antagonists died off generations ago. The modern descendants are not persecuted because they are so far removed, that they are practically commoners at this point, especially if they are actually naturalized citizens of whatever country to which their deposed ancestors fled. They may have more affinity for the country in which they were born as opposed to the country from which their royal or noble ancestors were exiled. And the modern regime (which might presently be different from the deposing regime) may have no interest in an old ruling family whose status even its modern descendants no longer considers relevant. On the other hand, the descendants may still regard their once distinguished heritage with reverence but accept that SocietyMarchesOn and YouCantGoHomeAgain mixed in with a little OldShame.

Sometimes a person could be a part of a GovernmentInExile, even if they were not associated with the actions that led to that exile. For example the descendants of deposed monarchies may choose to continue to stay away from the modern regime, even if the deposing antagonists died off generations ago. The modern descendants are not persecuted because they are so far removed, that they are practically commoners at this point, especially if they are actually naturalized citizens of whatever country to which their deposed ancestors fled. They may have more affinity for the country in which they were born as opposed to the country from which their royal or noble ancestors were exiled. And the modern regime (which might presently be different from the deposing regime) may have no interest in an old ruling family whose status even its modern descendants no longer considers relevant.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirlsMovie'': The girls exile themselves to the Moon upon finding out they were duped into helping Mojo take over the city and made everyone hate them even more.

* In ''LightNovel/MyNextLifeAsAVillainessAllRoutesLeadToDoom'', the {{Bad End}}s of the Geordo and Keith routes in ''[[FictionalVideoGame Fortune Lover]]'' involve either of them exiling themselves after killing AlphaBitch Catarina to protect the PlayerCharacter, over the shame of killing his fiancée in Geordo's case, or his older sister in Keith's case.