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| 3 | %% The examples have been alphabetized. Please put any new example in its proper place in the folder rather than at the end. |
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| 6 | |
| 7 | Sometimes, OnlyTheLeadsGetAHappyEnding in a story. And other times, it's the opposite; the main characters are the only ones stuck with a DownerEnding while side characters and/or the overall setting gets a HappyEnding. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | Maybe the BigBad is defeated and the world is saved, but TheHeroDies in the process. Maybe the main characters, in order to defeat the BigBad, have to [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifice themselves]] so the world can live on. Maybe the story is making a point about our heroes nobly putting the safety and prosperity of the world over their own happiness. Or maybe the main character is a VillainProtagonist whose demise is a happy ending for everyone else. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | A form of BittersweetEnding. TheHeroDies is a subtrope. See also BetterIfNotBornPlot. If the fates of the main characters come off as particularly cruel and undeserved, this can become an AudienceAlienatingEnding. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | '''''Note:''''' This is a SpoileredRotten trope, which means that '''EVERY SINGLE EXAMPLE''' on this list is a spoiler by default and most of them will be unmarked. [[Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned This is your last warning]], only proceed if you really believe you can handle this list. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | ---- |
| 16 | !Examples: |
| 17 | |
| 18 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 19 | |
| 20 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 21 | * By the end of ''Manga/{{Bokurano}}'', the pilots' home universe survives, but all of them die, [[SparedByTheAdaptation except for Kana and Seki in the anime]]. |
| 22 | * ''Anime/CodeGeass'': [[Characters/CodeGeassLelouchLamperouge Lelouch vi Britannia]] [[ThanatosGambit orchestrates his own assassination]]. Suzaku Kururugi, who [[FakingTheDead fakes his own death]] to forever take on the identity of [[MyHeroZero Zero]], is the one to kill Lelouch and must now forever remain LonelyAtTheTop. The surviving major characters move on with their lives; Kallen Kozuki gets to finish school without having to hide her identity, Kaname Ohgi and Villetta Nu have BabiesEverAfter (and probably both go back to teaching school after Ohgi's term as prime minister), Shinichiro Tamaki opens a bar, and Empress Nunnally vi Britannia, Chairman Kaguya Sumeragi, and Empress Tianzi Lihua rule over a peaceful world. And C.C. rides off in a cart to who-knows-where. The CompilationMovie continuity -- specifically the aptly-named ''[[Anime/CodeGeassLelouchOfTheResurrection Lelouch of the Re;surrection]]'' -- subverts this in Lelouch's case, [[BackFromTheDead as C.C. brings him back from the dead]], and the now immortal Lelouch joins C.C. in WalkingTheEarth. |
| 23 | * Downplayed in the anime version of ''Anime/DarlingInTheFranxx'', where Hiro and Zero-Two die or [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascend]] after successfully defeating the [=VIRMs=] forces in space, which leaves their friends back on Earth to live happy and peaceful lives as they rebuild the Earth, but the two are reincarnated in the DistantFinale and resume their romance. |
| 24 | * ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans'': The main members of [[LaResistance Tekkadan]] (Mikazuki, Orga, Akihiro and Shino) all die one by one in the final episodes, and Tekkadan is destroyed, but everyone else still alive (and [[TheBadGuyWins that includes]] [[BigBad Rustal Elion]] and his entourage, [[TheDragon Julieta Juris]]) get happy endings. Kudelia gets elected leader of a newly independent Mars, Eugene and Chad survive the final battle and become her aides, most of the other surviving Tekkadan members all get jobs at the repair shop Nadi and Merribit open up, Atra becomes a farmer and raises her new child with Kudelia, Azee sets up a new Teiwaz subsidiary with the surviving Turbines, and [[WellIntentionedExtremist Rustal]] uses his new position as the undisputed leader of Gjallarhorn to enact some reforms, including signing a treaty banning the use of [[ChildSoldiers Human Debris]], while setting Julieta up to be his successor. The only living exception is Ride, who refuses to let Gjallarhorn get away with their crimes and is last seen assassinating one of their big collaborators, with the story glossing over how this will affect the other survivors and if they'll start being hunted down again. |
| 25 | * ''Anime/ReCreators'': In the end, all of the heroes (real and fictional) are dead, returned to their fictional worlds to continue living their lives as their creators write them with no control over this, or are [[HeroicBSOD completely traumatized]] from either the aforementioned two points or [[FailureHero how little they could accomplish]]. [[TheBadGuyWins The Military Uniform Princess wins]] and walks away into the sunset with her beloved Creator resurrected, ironically because of an InUniverse invocation of OnlyTheLeadsGetAHappyEnding to appease her (because trying to fight her SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum head-on [[InvincibleVillain did not work]]). As for Magane Chikujōin, the other villain of the story, [[KarmaHoudini she stays in the real world to continue her campaign of murder uninterrupted in America]]. |
| 26 | * ''Anime/{{Raideen}}'': In the GrandFinale, Akira and his friends have finally defeated the [[AliensAreBastards Demon Empire]] and ensured they'll never wreak havoc on Earth or any other planet again...at the cost of Akira's long lost mother, Princess Lemuria, dying and giving her life to ensure a shot at Barao's OneWingedAngel form. As she lies dying in Akira's arms, her cold exterior breaks as she tells him she's proud of him. All the cast can only stare in sadness as the Ancient Ship of Mu picks up her body for the last time. |
| 27 | --> '''Akira:''' I won... I won because of my mother! |
| 28 | * ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'': While humanity progresses and moves forward, the protagonists take big hits. The supporting section of the group survives but must deal with the deaths of the gunman pilots (especially the Black sisters with Kittan's death and Leyte and her children with Makken). They do rescue Nia, only for her to die a week later, after her marriage with Simon. Simon ends up WalkingTheEarth with Boota and Yoko returns to her isolated life as a teacher and later principal. Considering the overall messages, this is pretty jarring. The movies aren't as bad. While Kittan still dies, the other pilots still live. Nia's death still occurs and Simon's and Yoko's fates are still the same, if not played out mildly more optimistically[[note]]also unsurprisingly, many of the ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' games in which ''Gurren Lagann'' is featured [[FixFic have a method to keep Nia alive]] as part of the {{Golden Ending}}s[[/note]]. |
| 29 | * ''Anime/YuGiOhVRAINS'': For a series that has happier endings for its other protagonists, Yusaku is the only Yu-Gi-Oh! protagonist to outright have a DownerEnding by being forced to kill Ai for the latter's SelfSacrificeScheme, and his final appearance following the last Duel is heartbreaking as he is mourning Ai's death. Meanwhile, the supporting cast had happier endings as shown in the timeskip, though the show tries to end his story optimally through a short HesBack moment for him that shows him searching for Ai and TheStinger implies that Ai survived anyway. |
| 30 | [[/folder]] |
| 31 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 32 | * ''ComicBook/BlackScience'': The Multiverse is restored to health, everybody who died is revived, the bad guys are defeated, all of the supporting cast gets to ride off into the proverbial sunset, and Earth becomes a peaceful utopia where almost everyone is happy... but the StableTimeLoop that makes this possible ''requires'' that the central-most cast (the [=McKays=], Kadir, and Chandra) all meet a horrible end that [[ShootTheShaggyDogStory render their struggles pointless]]; the Kids and Chandra die, Kadir goes completely insane, and Grant and Sara go back in time to try and get their children back, becoming the evil alternates of themselves that [[ChekhovsGunman appeared back near the start of the series]] and are obviously DoomedByCanon. |
| 33 | * In ''ComicBook/RunawaysRainbowRowell'', the only Runaway who is guaranteed a happy ending is Klara, who quit the team prior to the beginning of the series and got adopted into a loving family. Meanwhile, her former teammates are stuck dealing with the ramifications of their various previously dead members all being resurrected, which has included the rise of a new generation of the Gibborim and the activation of Victorious, Gert's future mortal nemesis. |
| 34 | [[/folder]] |
| 35 | |
| 36 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 37 | * ''Fanfic/CharlesMansonVsTheTeletubbies'' opens with the main character, UsefulNotes/CharlesManson, bragging about how he tricked the entire world into thinking he was dead and planning on resuming his crusade of serial killing. However, he makes the mistake of messing with the Teletubbies and is killed as he begs for mercy. |
| 38 | * ''Fanfic/FalloutEquestria'': By the end of the fanfic, the last two Element Bearers have been found, the Gardens of Equestria, which is designed to purge the land of radiation and taint, has been activated, alicorns are now a viable pony species, and the New Canterlot Republic is a stable government. However, for this to happen, Littlepip, the main character of the fic, had to permanently seal herself into the SPP mainframe, essentially giving up everything she holds dear and placing her in an AndIMustScream situation to ensure control of the weather. The only alleviation of this bleak ending for Littlepip is that the afterword shows that her friends can occasionally see her, and sealing herself extended her life after it was cut short by her times in the Wasteland. |
| 39 | * ''Fanfic/TheFlashSentryChronicles'': The ending of ''Season 9'' ends with one of these. It initially seems that by defeating Armalum and the LegionOfDoom, Flash has successfully prevented the future he was warned about so long ago and has constantly been reminded of, where [[HeroicSacrifice he must sacrifice himself to save everyone]]. However, it is revealed that due to Armalum seemingly killing [[TopGod Faust]], the whole world is starting to fall apart without a God to maintain it. Flash is the only one that can take her place due to wielding both the Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow now, and says a tearful goodbye to his family and all of his closest friends, including his lover Twilight, before he proceeds to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence, saving the entire world and everyone in it, but leaving behind his heartbroken friends, seemingly ending the series with an extremely BittersweetEnding. However, the next story, ''The Last Problem'', subverts this when it is revealed that Flash's sacrifice restored Faust, and she managed to bring him back to life by rebuilding his body six months later, allowing Flash to rejoin Twilight and the others shortly after her coronation, and granting him the future he deserves and giving everyone a BelatedHappyEnding. |
| 40 | * ''VideoGame/{{Ribbit}}'': In the "Remains Uncertain" ending, Manos is destroyed and the world is restored, the [=NPCs=] are back to normal, and Noyno is crowned king, with him promising to let go of his JerkassFacade and be a just king. But YOU and Susie, who have grown close over the journey, end up having to fight each other, as Susie, being TheMaster who served Manos and a ghost herself, must be killed to fully rid the world of Manos' influence. The two drag out the fight, wanting a way out but unable to think of one, and the game ends before we see the result. The secret NewGamePlus ending indicates Susie won, but by that point, YOU is able to forcibly change the ending to a better one for everyone. |
| 41 | [[/folder]] |
| 42 | |
| 43 | [[folder:Films -- Animated]] |
| 44 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfIchabodAndMrToad'': Possibly, in ''The Story of Ichabod Crane''. Ichabod either gets killed by the Headless Horseman or splits town and finds a wife of his own. [[UncertainDoom It's left ambiguous if he survived]], but if you go with the interpretation that he died, Brom Bones (the AntiVillain antagonist) marrying Katrina (Ichabod's crush) could qualify. |
| 45 | * ''Animation/LeafieAHenIntoTheWild'': The titular protagonist Leafie opts to [[HeroicSacrifice allow One-Eye to eat her so that she can provide milk to her litter of weasels]] after her [[InterspeciesAdoption adopted duck son Greenie]] becomes the leader of a flock. |
| 46 | [[/folder]] |
| 47 | |
| 48 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 49 | * ''Film/KamenRiderZeroOneOthersVulcanValkyrie'': By the end of the film, Isamu and every member of Metsubojinrai end up taking each other down in a [[MutualKill Mutual]] MercyKill; everyone presumed dead thanks to an entirely-avoidable tragedy nobody can get justice for; making this the second time Aruto has had to see his loved ones die. The incident worsens the relations between Human and Humagear to record levels; a now-powerless Yaiba forced to argue with a hostile Defense Minister intent on bringing new anti-AI legislation to the table (implying that the fighting will just continue). Both The Ark and Gai Amatsu sit the entire Kamen Rider Metsubojinrai incident out and get away scot-free with all the suffering they heaped on the heroes during the show as a result; The Ark took refuge in the internet and gathered more data while Gai reformed into an AntiHero and ended up starting his own company ([[Recap/KamenRiderZeroOneKamenRiderGenmsThePresidents albeit with complications]]). Everyone other than the heroes is for the better...at least until HistoryRepeats and [[Series/KamenRiderOutsiders another evil AI rears its ugly head.]] |
| 50 | * ''Film/TheMist'': The movie ends on a much more hopeful note for mankind than the book, as the military is seen rescuing survivors, clearing out the mist, and exterminating the monsters inside it. However, it has a much, ''much'' worse fate for the main characters, with the father performing a MercyKill on his son and the others, [[GaveUpTooSoon not realizing rescue was only moments away]]. |
| 51 | * ''Film/RogueOne'' ends with all the main characters dead, but they've accomplished their mission and given the Rebellion a fighting chance against the Death Star. |
| 52 | * ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'': The MCU version of [[Characters/MCUPeterParker Peter Parker]] ends up with the absolute worst resolution of everybody else in the cast: Despite the events of the film, MJ and Ned get into MIT. Happy loses his apartment and his love, and his job is still at risk because of the government investigating Stark Industries, but there is a chance he will bounce back. Doctor Strange did exactly what he wanted to do, exiling the people who incurred the MCU and only getting a few bruises and annoyance from it (he did show some respect in the end to Peter, but considering everything else Peter wound up putting him through, it's peanuts). The villains and the other Spider-Men returned to their respective universes with the implication that they resolved their plights (and for the villains, did not die). Meanwhile, Peter is magically {{Unperson}}ed, Aunt May dies, and he is still despised as Spider-Man [[AllForNothing while losing everyone and everything he had over the course of the previous films]]. He doesn’t even want to repair his relationship with MJ and Ned [[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies for fear of dragging them back into his own misery]]. By the film’s end, he still soldiers on, [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility because with great power...]] |
| 53 | [[/folder]] |
| 54 | |
| 55 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 56 | * ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': A TimeSkip reveals a world that is brighter and kinder than is usual for the series, and lead characters who've all but fallen apart. The long-enslaved Hork-Bajir are free and living in Yellowstone, the Yeerks and Taxxons have escaped their bodies and live in other forms, there is peace and trade between humans and Andalites. Eva, Alloran, and other hosts get to live free. But Rachel is dead, Jake is mired in depression and self-hatred, Tobias lives as a hawk in isolation, Ax has gone BloodKnight and recklessly pursues trouble, and Marco keeps himself busy and claims happiness but jumps to throw it all away for a suicide mission. Cassie calls herself and Marco the "only two survivors" among the Animorphs, but she's the only one who's managed to move on and make a new life and find love. The last several books in the series feature these characters looking at their options and choosing again and again to work for that world above their own personal interests, so perhaps it's not surprising. |
| 57 | * ''Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'': Claude Frollo is thrown from Notre Dame by Quasimodo, Esméralda is hanged for the murder of Phoebus (although he never died) and Quasimodo starves himself to death near her body. Phoebus gets the "happy" ending of marrying Fleur-de-Lys, but Hugo informs the reader he's likely to have an AwfulWeddedLife. Pierre Gringoire ([[NoHistoricalFiguresWereHarmed based on an actual playwright]]) is successful, though, as he becomes a playwright of tragedies that get him positive attention. |
| 58 | * ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'': This happens with the main characters Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. After ruling Narnia for many years, leaving it as a wonderfully happy place, and becoming young adults themselves, they accidentally go back through the wardrobe, finding themselves as children in ordinary clothes in the mundane reality of their own world. They realise that the wardrobe will never take them to Narnia again, but they are given the hope that they might return to Narnia one day. |
| 59 | * At the end of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', Middle Earth is saved from Sauron (and his [[SoulJar One Ring]] destroyed so he will never be back), the Shire is saved from Saruman, but Frodo has been damaged in the process of the destruction of the One Ring, and goes off to the Grey Havens while leaving Sam behind. |
| 60 | * ''Literature/TheMetamorphosis'': The protagonist Gregor undergoes a transformation where he becomes an insect-like being. In the end, after overhearing his neglectful family state that they'd be better off without him, he [[SuicideForOthersHappiness opts to starve to death so that they can live in peace]]. Though his mother and sister Grete are shaken by this at first ([[LackOfEmpathy his father certainly isn't]]), they move on with their lives, and [[YoungestChildWins Grete becomes more successful]]. |
| 61 | * ''Literature/VasquezPrivateEye'': All of Johnson's friends and those affected by the fallout of the Firebird Airlines crash are able to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the current murder spree, while Johnson himself has to live with the knowledge that his own mother had murdered several people and enabled numerous KarmaHoudini moments to make it possible. |
| 62 | [[/folder]] |
| 63 | |
| 64 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 65 | * ''Series/TwentyFour'' frequently has Jack Bauer save the day while refusing to grant him a measure of peace. Day 1 ends with the murder of his wife and ''[[Series/TwentyFourLiveAnotherDay Live Another Day]]'' ends with him surrendering himself to the Russians. He loses another three significant women in his life along the way. |
| 66 | * ''Series/ChoushinseiFlashman'': The Flashmen end up defeating the Mess Empire once and for all, yet end up almost succumbing to the Anti-Flash Phenomenon and have to leave Earth, their home planet, as a result. |
| 67 | * ''Series/KamenRiderBlade'': The Battle Fight is restarted, preventing the apocalypse, but at the cost of Kenzaki becoming a Joker Undead and making sure he never crosses paths with Hajime again, lest the two fight and end up restarting the apocalypse. |
| 68 | * ''Series/{{Loki|2021}}'': The series ends with [[Characters/MCULokiLaufeysonVariantL1130 Loki]] successfully dissolving the Temporal Loom, saving the branched timelines from the failsafe destruction and allowing all of his friends and loved ones to survive. But by doing so, he is condemned to a life of solitude where he will spend the rest of his days sustaining the branches of time indefinitely. |
| 69 | * ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'': At the end of "Terra Prime", the conference that will eventually lead to the formation of the United Federation of Planets has been established, making it a happy ending for society as a whole. On the other hand, the ending is far from happy for the crew of the ''Enterprise'', since [[DeathOfAChild a baby named Elizabeth is dead]]. This is particularly sad for Trip and T'Pol since Elizabeth was created from their DNA, so they kind of saw her as their daughter. |
| 70 | * ''[[Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody The Suite Life on Deck]]'', and by extension its parent series, ends on a rather downer note for both Zack and Cody. They've both graduated high school, but Maya dumped Zack before heading off to the Peace Corps while Cody was rejected by Yale even though Bailey got in. With all of their friends going off in separate directions, the two of them depart the S.S. Tipton unsure of what their next steps are. |
| 71 | * ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'': ''[[Series/TorchwoodChildrenOfEarth Children of Earth]]'' ends with the 456 being defeated, the children of Earth being saved from their fate of being turned into a FantasticDrug, and the corrupt British government being given punishment for their actions in the whole fiasco. However, of the three main protagonists, Ianto is dead, and Jack had to sacrifice the life of his own grandson to defeat the invasion, breaking down his relationship with his daughter for good. In the end, Jack, unable to live with the guilt, departs Earth, and Torchwood is thus disbanded. |
| 72 | [[/folder]] |
| 73 | |
| 74 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 75 | * In ''Theatre/DonGiovanni'', the eponymous character, a lecherous, deceitful jerk with at least two attempted rapes on his conscience, is DraggedOffToHell after [[RedemptionRejection refusing to repent]]. His victims are incredibly relieved to be rid of him (even Elvira, who still harbored a MadLove for him, joins in the final celebratory chorus, and her feelings were clearly shown to be a DestructiveRomance that did her no good). |
| 76 | * In ''Theatre/{{Hadestown}}'', Orpheus and Eurydice end up in the worst position by the end of the play, as they're separated forever. Meanwhile, Hades and Persephone are on the mend and spring returns to the world above, and there's an implication that Hadestown itself will improve. |
| 77 | * ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'': A downer for both participants in the duel: Alexander Hamilton is killed at the age of 49 with his reputation in tatters, and Aaron Burr [[NeverLiveItDown will be remembered as a villain for all time]]. Additionally, Hamilton has lost his best friend, son, and father figure. However, Hamilton's widow Eliza dedicates the next fifty years of her life to preserving Hamilton's legacy, and for the nascent America as a whole, the future looks bright, thanks in part to Hamilton's brilliant financial system, something even his surviving rivals Jefferson and Mafison have to admit. |
| 78 | * ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' is only a tragedy from the perspective of the titular VillainProtagonist, who is ultimately slain after he has become a murderous tyrant oppressing Scotland, and the story ends with [[RightfulKingReturns the rightful and good prince Malcolm taking the throne]]. |
| 79 | * ''Theatre/OnceOnThisIsland'': Ti Moune doesn’t get to be with Daniel, the boy she loves, and he marries Andrea instead. But the gods are moved by the strength of her love for Daniel, and instead of simply letting her die, they turn her into a tree. It breaks open the gates of the Hotel Beauxhomme, allowing the peasants and the rich to mingle together and become one. A young peasant girl and Daniel’s son play in the branches of Ti Moune’s tree, hinting that they will fall in love and live happily ever after and that it was her sacrifice that made such a thing possible. |
| 80 | * ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'' kill themselves in the end, but this makes the surviving members of their FeudingFamilies as well as the Prince realize how destructive their enmity is and agree to bury the conflict for good, bringing a new era of peace between them. |
| 81 | * In ''Theatre/TheSnowMaiden'', the Snow Maiden is melted by the sun and her bridegroom Mizgir drowns himself in despair. Tsar Berendey declares that thanks to the Snow Maiden's death, the people will no longer have to endure SpringIsLate, and everybody sings a chorus praising the sun-god. |
| 82 | [[/folder]] |
| 83 | |
| 84 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 85 | * ''VideoGame/Bayonetta3'': Though Singularity is defeated and the multiverse saved from his plans to rule it, allowing the characters to return back to their old universes, but Arch Eve Bayonetta and Luka are DraggedOffToHell, though they at least accept their fate and [[TogetherInDeath go together]]. |
| 86 | * ''VideoGame/BlazblueCentralFiction:'' The game ends with Ragna [[RetGone erasing himself from existence and everyone's memory]] so that life can move on because he realizes he is the titular "Central Fiction" that the [[DeusEstMachina Master Unit Amaterasu]] keeps "dreaming" of, and keeps resetting the world for the sake of. The game ends with a WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue where most of the cast (especially Ragna's siblings) live their lives happily. |
| 87 | * ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'': At the very end, Conker the title character becomes king against his will, and he's deeply depressed because his girlfriend Berri was killed in front of him and wasted the only chance he got at resurrecting her. Everyone else, however, can live in peace now that the original ruler, the Panther King, is dead. |
| 88 | * ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'': In [[MultipleEndings one ending]], the player character [[SoulPoweredEngine sacrifices their soul to rekindle the First Flame]] that sustains civilization as the world knows it. ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' [[BelatedHappyEnding confirms]] that this led to a renewed age of prosperity, but it still left the Chosen Undead [[AndIMustScream to burn]]. |
| 89 | * ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'': |
| 90 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': The game ends with the defeat of the world's evil overlord Sin, which had tyrannized the world for one thousand years. All characters all over the world can be seen partying in the ending sequence, but the main character Tidus disappears, as he was only a dream by the Fayth and they stopped dreaming when Sin was defeated. He leaves his love and the female lead Yuna behind, who is heartbroken. However, this can be subverted in the GoldenEnding of the successor ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'', where Tidus comes back after all. |
| 91 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXVI'': Despite all the death and chaos, with even more implied to be on the way, the ending has a note of hope with Ultima beaten for good and mankind left to forge their own future. But it comes at the cost of Cid, Dion and ([[UncertainDoom maybe]]) Joshua being dead, and Clive beginning to petrify all alone thanks to overuse of his Dominant powers throughout the game. The only leads left alive are Jill and Torgal, who are shown to be devastated as they seem to realize what happened to Clive, whose final fate is left unknown. |
| 92 | * ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'': In-universe during Furina's story quest. After much debate on how to end "The Little Oceanid", the cast pick this route. Both the Oceanid and her human lover tragically lose each other (and their dreams) forever, but in exchange the water of their society is replenished creating joy for the rest of their town. This is poignant for Furina since she ended the archon quest miserable, after sacrificing so much to save her country. |
| 93 | * ''VideoGame/HaloReach'': At the end of the game's campaign, the Pillar of Autumn containing the ship's captain Jacob Keyes, Cortana and the Master Chief in cryostasis successfully escape Reach, but every member of Noble Team (with the exception of Jun, the team's sniper) died, with the main protagonist Noble Six staying behind to keep the Covenant from going after the Pillar of Autumn. Noble Six's sacrifice would ultimately allow humanity to win the war not just against the Covenant, but also the parasitic Flood. |
| 94 | * ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'' ends with the main Hero Maxim and his wife Selan sacrificing themselves to save the world. [[spoiler: The [[VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals DS remake]] gives you a chance at an alternate happy ending, though, courtesy of NewGamePlus.]] |
| 95 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManZero4'': Zero is [[BolivianArmyEnding implied]] to die at the end of the game after his battle with Doctor Weil, and Ciel is heartbroken at the loss of her crush, but at least the world is saved and the surviving humans and Reploids can live in peace, free from Weil's oppressive rule. |
| 96 | * ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'': Both the main story and the [[CanonImmigrant now-canon]] Aftermath [=DLC=] end like this. Past Liu Kang has become [[PhysicalGod a God of Fire and Thunder]] thanks to Raiden's intervention and fusion with both the Past and [[EvilTwin Reve]][[AlternateSelf nant]] Liu Kangs. With his new strength and additional abilities, he is able to defeat [[UpsettingTheBalance Cet]][[MotherNature rion]], [[TimeMaster Kro]][[DiscOneFinalBoss nika]], and [[HijackedByGanon Shang Tsung]], thus making Liu Kang the new Keeper of Time. In doing so however, everyone he knew and loved before has had their lives (and all the lives in the universe) reset and reshaped to his design. Come ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'', he succeeded at making all of his friends' and mentor's lives, as well as his neighboring realms, much more peaceful than before. |
| 97 | * ''VideoGame/NightmareOfTheSnow'': The true ending, only available in NewGamePlus, sees the ghosts trapped inside the pocket dimension finally freed and able to ascend... but only because the heroine Yuki sacrificed herself to the ice god Hikami, leaving both her best friend and love interest heartbroken. The ending at least shows [[RayOfHopeEnding they might have found a way to bring her back]], leading into the sequel, ''Restless Dreams''. |
| 98 | * In ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing'', Mario and his partner, the Origami fold Olivia, succeed in stopping Olivia's brother King Olly from performing a Toad genocide, just before he would have finished folding ThousandOrigamiCranes, which would have granted him the wish to do so. Olivia finishes the 1000th Origami crane instead and wishes that every doing of Olly be undone. Unfortunately, that includes herself, who Olly folded to reign by his side. Therefore, she vanishes and unless you reach the GoldenEnding, there will be a big party in Toad Town without Olivia. |
| 99 | * ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'': |
| 100 | ** The ''VideoGame/Persona2'' duology ends with the heroes having saved the world in the ''Eternal Punishment'' timeline after the heroes of the ''Innocent Sin'' world failed to do so, but Tatsuya has to return to the doomed ''Innocent Sin'' timeline to prevent a repeat of said bad ending. |
| 101 | ** ''VideoGame/Persona3'': The game ends with the Fall successfully averted and Nyx sealed away, but it comes at the cost of the protagonist sacrificing their life in the process. ''The Answer'' campaign deals with the fallout of said sacrifice among their friends and allies in SEES. |
| 102 | * ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'': In the best ending, the Nameless One convinces their mortality, the Transcendent One, to rejoin with them. This means that they're no longer immortal and now all the crimes their past incarnations have committed have come due and they're going to be punished with an eternity in the Lower Planes. However, they resurrect all the companions that accompanied them to the Fortress of Regrets, Morte has been able to let go of his guilt, Dak'kon has been freed from his servitude, and all of them are free to go off and live their own lives. And Fall From Grace promises the Nameless One that she'll search the Lower Planes until she finds him. |
| 103 | * In ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers'', the hero and their partner succeed in saving the world by defeating Primal Dialga and preventing the Temporal Tower from collapsing, which would have caused the time to stop and the world to be stuck in eternal darkness. However, the main character, who themselves was from a bad future in which the time had indeed stopped, disappears, as their time was prevented from ever happening. The partner is left behind at the feet of Temporal Tower, grieving and lonely. However, in a true DeusExMachina, Dialga uses their power to revive the hero a couple of in-game weeks later, subverting the trope. |
| 104 | * ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'': [[PlayerCharacter Arthur Morgan]] [[TheHeroDies dies]]. John Marston is able to settle down with his family, but anyone who played [[VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption the first game]] knows [[DoomedByCanon it won't last long]]. Meanwhile, though some gang members like Strauss and Karen come to bad endings, some of the others are able to move on and lead successful lives. Namely: [[CampCook Pearson]] ends up getting married and owning the general shop in Rhodes. [[BrainyBrunette Mary-Beth]] moves away and becomes a writer of some repute. [[BadassNative Charles]] leaves the gang to seek a new life in Canada as a family man. [[DeadpanSnarker Tilly]] marries a lawyer in Saint Denis and lives in a beautiful estate house with him and their daughter. [[TheAlcoholic Swanson]] drops his drinking habit and moves to New York where he becomes a preacher. And [[DarkActionGirl Sadie]] cools down her AxCrazy tendencies and moves to South America in search of a quiet life. |
| 105 | * ''VideoGame/SeraphicBlue'': Vene, the main party member, is still struggling with nihilism and barely survives a rare disease in the ending while the other party members seem to have found far more peace of mind. |
| 106 | * ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'': This is how Gamma's story ends. Gamma takes it upon himself to destroy his brothers and free the Flicky birds within them. He immediately adds himself to his log, making it abundantly clear that he's planning on [[SuicideMission killing himself in order to free the Flicky inside him]]. However, before he gets to do that, [[MutualKill Beta fires a beam at him before they both explode]], which releases the Flicky. Everyone else seen in Gamma's story will get a happy ending in some way (Sonic, Amy, Tails, Big, and Knuckles), but Gamma ends up DyingAlone, as almost no one knew him that well, and [[NeverGotToSayGoodbye Amy never sees him again like she wanted to.]][[note]]Although in the ''Anime/SonicX'' adaptation, she does get to say goodbye to him.[[/note]] |
| 107 | * ''VideoGame/StarcraftIILegacyOfTheVoid'': Amon [[DeaderThanDead died for good]] in the epilogue, his Hybrids no longer exist, and all three races enjoyed a period of relative peace ([[VideoGame/StarcraftIINovaCovertOps until the next conflict]], anyway), with the Zerg being led by the Kerrigan-mentored Zagara, the Terran Dominion being rebuilt under Valerian Mengsk's leadership (which also includes the former Raynor's Raiders), and the Protoss finally united and having returned to their homeworld of Aiur (plus, the Purifiers and the Tal'Darim dissenters having been accepted as part of the Protoss society as a whole). But all of this came at heavy costs: armies aside, Kerrigan used most, if not all, of her Xel'Naga-infused life essence to banish Amon from existence, and it's heavily implied in the epilogue at the Mar Sara bar that Raynor and her AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence, never to be seen again. And that's not counting the many heroes and named characters who died between 1998's ''VideoGame/StarcraftI'' and the epilogue of this game. |
| 108 | * ''VideoGame/UnrealIITheAwakening'': While the Tosc threat is gone for good alongside [[ArtifactOfDoom the Artifacts]] and [[EvilAllAlong Sector Commander Hawkins]], lots of people (including protagonist John Dalton's own crew and [[PunchClockVillain the crew of the Dorian Gray]]) ended up dead. As for Dalton himself, he's left stranded in outer space in an escape pod of the Dorian Gray, without fuel, listening to his crew's last words. |
| 109 | * ''VideoGame/UnrealTournamentIII'': The Necris invasion was fended off, so Taryd is safe. However, in their quest for revenge, most of the Ronin team ended up dead, with Jester [[DiedInYourArmsTonight dying in Reaper's hands]], and Reaper, the sole survivor, being on the receiving end of a BolivianArmyEnding. |
| 110 | * ''VideoGame/UntilDawn'': [[MultipleEndings Depending on the choices and reactions the player makes]], it is possible for the FinalGirl Sam and/or {{Deuteragonist}} Mike to be the only playable characters to die trying to stop the wendigos, since they cannot be killed in the narrative until the final battle, while the others are safe by that point as long as they get out of the house in time. Downplayed, since the survivors are left to be questioned by the authorities and none of them are in a better place to survive their ordeal (except perhaps for Chris and Ashley getting together). Not to mention, Josh "surviving" guarantees him [[FateWorseThanDeath turning into a wendigo]]. |
| 111 | [[/folder]] |
| 112 | |
| 113 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 114 | * In the true end of ''VisualNovel/ChaosChild'', the titular disease is cured and the heroines all get to live their lives... without Takuru, who ends up in jail for the New New Gen Murders that he didn't commit. |
| 115 | * In some endings to ''VisualNovel/LongLiveTheQueen'', Elodie makes her kingdom a better place and makes "her legacy stretch into the future" at a tragic price for her personal life: |
| 116 | ** If her beloved father Joslyn duels the King of Shanjia, the Shanjian invasion is called off, but Joslyn is killed or sent into a vegetative state in the duel. |
| 117 | ** Under certain conditions, Elodie can be poisoned and rendered infertile by her aunt Lucille, and it can lead to the breakdown of her marriage. |
| 118 | ** If Elodie is attracted to WorkingClassHero Evrard but has low Noble Approval, the epilogue has her realize their marriage will not be accepted and resort to being BetterAsFriends. |
| 119 | ** In the most clear-cut example of the trope, if Elodie destroys the invading Shanjian fleet with magic, she unleashes the terrible Kraken, and she has a choice of performing a HeroicSacrifice to pacify him. |
| 120 | * ''VisualNovel/TheSongOfSaya'' has two of the three endings: |
| 121 | ** In the first available ending, Fuminori is locked away in a sanitarium for Saya's murders, and while his agnosia is cured, this means [[EldritchAbomination Saya herself]] cannot pursue a relationship with him any longer as her true form could drive him insane, so they have to say a tearful goodbye. But this is also the only ending where Yoh and Ryoko are unharmed, and Koji's sanity is still intact. |
| 122 | ** In the "humanity wins" ending, Koji successfully saves the world from Fuminori and Saya, killing them for good. Unfortunately, he's now the PTSD-addled SoleSurvivor of the gruesome events. He can't receive any help for this since the world is blissfully unaware of Saya's existence, and the only thing that keeps him from shooting himself is the fact that he can do it easily if he wants to. |
| 123 | [[/folder]] |
| 124 | |
| 125 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 126 | * ''WebAnimation/MetaRunner'': While most of the heroes managed to [[EarnYourHappyEnding Earn Their Happy Ending]] after defeating Sheridan once and for all, lead character Tari was forced to give up her physical presence in order to ensure the full resurrection of Lucinia, and her human friends are left believing that she’s truly gone. But it’s not all hopeless; she managed to bring Theo back and relocated themselves into her own server cobbled together from the remains of Sheridan’s server where they have all the time in the world to play video games for fun together, and Tari remains hopeful they’ll manage to find a way back to reality one day. |
| 127 | [[/folder]] |
| 128 | |
| 129 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 130 | * ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'': In "[[Recap/CourageTheCowardlyDogS2E14TheMagicTreeOfNowhereRobotRandy Robot Randy]]", the titular Randy learns to use his gifts to make people like him. But in doing so, Courage, Muriel, and Eustace's home is completely destroyed and all they are left with are Randy's wooden Reindeer, merely as a token of their friendship. [[JerkassHasAPoint Eustace even lampshades how much they were screwed over in the end]]: |
| 131 | --> '''Eustace''': Great! Now we can rebuild the farmhouse with these stupid reindeer! |
| 132 | * ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'': In the ChristmasSpecial ''"[[Recap/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriendsS3E10ALostClaus A Lost Claus]]"'', it's an interesting case since of the two main characters, it only applies to Bloo and not Mac. Bloo spends the whole special scheming to get more presents after learning that he’ll only get one from Herriman now that he's living at Fosters, whereas Mac is having an existential crisis after learning that Imaginary Santas exist, and therefore, Santa might not be real after all. Luckily by the special's ending, Mac's faith in Santa's existence is restored, which is only re-enforced after learning about what happened to Bloo. After a botched attempt at [[YetAnotherChristmasCarol re-enacting the events of a Christmas Carol]], Bloo winds up with no gifts at all, and is given a large pile of coal instead. |
| 133 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': Season 3 ends on this note. Everyone was saved, Zaheer was defeated, and a new Air Nation is born. Everything looks bright for everyone--except [[Characters/TheLegendOfKorraAvatarKorra Korra]] herself, who is physically and mentally broken from her experiences. |
| 134 | * ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' ends with Jack and Ashi returning to the past and slaying Aku, ending his threat forever. However, when Jack and Ashi go to get married, NoOntologicalInertia kicks in and Ashi is erased as Aku was killed way before she was born. It’s no surprise that ''VideoGame/SamuraiJackBattleThroughTime'' undoes this. |
| 135 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Squidbillies}}'': In the series finale, despite being the central character, Early is the ''only'' one not to have things go well for him. Rusty and Tammi move out with their son Randy. Lil has a good boyfriend and is becoming sober. Granny becomes a ghost and reunites with Gaga Pee-Pap. Sheriff and Deputy Denny plan on starting a podcast. As for Early, most of his family members have distanced themselves from him, and he is left alone to wallow in his own misery. |
| 136 | [[/folder]] |
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