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nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010
2019-08-30 23:25:31

That description sounds pretty conclusive that "a new threat appears after the original happy ending" is absolutely not Happy Ending Override. I flat-out don't understand the argument apparently being made that it would be.

Edited by nrjxll
2019-08-31 09:24:18

According to PlayingWith.Happy Ending Override, this concept actually would be under "downplayed"... but it honestly just sounds like a separate but related trope to me.

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sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
2019-08-31 11:54:35

Honestly if it did count that could turn literally almost every sequel or spinoff ever into the trope.

My understanding of the trope is that it applies if the override happens offscreen between installments, meaning we come into the sequel and everything is already shot to hell, or, going by since of the examples on the page, if it's literally the first thing that comes as soon as the story starts. Essentially, we the viewers never get to really see the happy ending.

Neither of those apply here,I think, as the ads thus far suggest setup of what the peace is like before the new baddie comes along.

Edited by sgamer82
phalanx Since: Jun, 2012
2019-08-31 12:50:11

IMO "An installment of a series ends with an enemy being defeated, but the next installment introduces a new enemy to defeat" is so universal it's People Sit on Chairs. Conflict is necessary for a story to be a story, so if you want to continue a story past the point where the antagonist was defeated, you need to introduce a new antagonist.

Edited by phalanx
2019-08-31 13:05:01

That's not even really what I'm looking for. As I've stated in both these threads, the situation I'm thinking of is "the heroes get to enjoy their victory for a while, then some new threat shows up to ruin everything".

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phalanx Since: Jun, 2012
2019-08-31 13:06:58

How is that different? You're just saying the same thing in a different way.

2019-08-31 13:11:24

The world is at peace. The heroes believe their stories are over and they can finally rest. Time passes. The world is still at peace. The heroes are enjoying it. Then this new threat attacks. Or is that still too broad?

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4tell0life4 Since: Mar, 2018
2019-08-31 14:38:33

^ That's universal, and that's the problem

Second installment would have to introduce a new conflict, even if the first one ends "happily ever after".

We can never truly eradicate the coronavirus, but we can suppress its threat like influenza
Ngamer01 Since: Oct, 2010
2019-08-31 16:02:29

The following is just my 2 cents, but I think Happy Ending Override should require a specific retcon due to the next or later entry undoing a happy ending that was previously declared canon.

Let's say for example some heroes just defeated the big bad's plan of dropping a space colony on Earth. They do this by blowing up the space colony completely. The ending then consists of the bad guy meeting his end and the world lives peacefully from now on which is declared the canon ending.

Then the next story comes out that undoes the canon ending. The space colony actually crashed on Earth, the bad guy nearly wins by causing a near extinction of Earth's races, and our heroes are licking their wounds as the future looks bleak after barely avoiding annihilation.

Does this make sense? If not, the Happy Ending Override matter might need TRS treatment.

Edited by Ngamer01
Primis Since: Nov, 2010
2019-08-31 22:59:06

Here's a good example of Happy Ending Override:

In Final Fantasy XIII, the protagonist, Lightning, accomplishes her goal, that being to save her sister. The two reunite and the game ends on a high note. In XIII-2, it's revealed that immediately after reuniting, Lightning disappeared via Cosmic Retcon and everybody thinks she's dead. XIII's happy ending was literally overwritten.

Edited by Primis
WarJay77 (Troper Knight)
2019-08-31 23:00:12

This might need a Trope-Talk thread.

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Reymma Since: Feb, 2015
2019-09-02 09:25:13

Happy Ending Override should only apply to sequels that specifically undo the victory of the earlier instalment, not ones which create a new conflict/villain/threat. Whether it happens on or off screen does not matter, as I see it. (If it st

But there is inevitable ambiguity in cases like FF XIII-2 where whatever the hero was protecting is taken away by a new enemy. Or when the goal was very broad ("No more war!").

Stories don't tell us monsters exist; we knew that already. They show us that monsters can be trademarked and milked for years.
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