Anime and Manga
Joseph: It's finally over. DIO took something precious from all of us. For a hundred years, he's taken whatever he wanted. His appetite for power has been insatiable.
Jotaro: He's taken far too much. You realize that.
Joseph: Yeah... He's taken things from us that we'll never be able to get back. The losses that we've endured on this journey stretch as far as the planet itself. But... thanks to their sacrifices, we're here to tell the tale, and carry on in their stead.
Jotaro: Kakyoin... Iggy... Avdol... it's over.
Jotaro: He's taken far too much. You realize that.
Joseph: Yeah... He's taken things from us that we'll never be able to get back. The losses that we've endured on this journey stretch as far as the planet itself. But... thanks to their sacrifices, we're here to tell the tale, and carry on in their stead.
Jotaro: Kakyoin... Iggy... Avdol... it's over.
"The town of Morioh, in which I live, bears deep scars... No... To be precise, it was scarred by Yoshikage Kira, a monster born from the town itself. Hayato's mom will be waiting for her husband to return... Shigechi's family will be waiting forever for their son to return... The families of all the boys and girls Yoshikage Kira has killed will continue to wait forever for their return... And these scars will continue to hurt... How can this pain be cured? I do not know... Whether it will become fatal to this town, or whether it will fade away eventually, I do not know."
— Koichi Hirose, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
"You bear witness to the end of your journey. It is not always a happy thing."
— The Skull Knight, Berserk
"I want to be the person Kaori looked up to. Let me be proof that you lived. And the summer you were there will be remembered as a happy story."
— Shizuku Hoshikawa, final narration, The Summer You Were There
"Every single job app ended in rejection. The money Naruko paid us was only enough to pay for this apartment's rent and the cost of living in Hii's aunt's house. We couldn't even afford cans of coffee anymore. All we had left was our hunger, our trash, our empty wallets and each other's warmth. In the little time we had left, we had sex. We'd forget about the tomorrow we dreaded, to escape from what we needed to do. We spoiled each other over and over. Over and over and over, until the day of our departure finally arrived.
We were both so utterly exhausted. Neither of us could bear to say a single thing that day. When we arrived at a port devoid of other people, the boat hadn't yet arrived. The extra little time we had until then... all I could feel was her warmth and affection. That was the happiest I had ever felt."
We were both so utterly exhausted. Neither of us could bear to say a single thing that day. When we arrived at a port devoid of other people, the boat hadn't yet arrived. The extra little time we had until then... all I could feel was her warmth and affection. That was the happiest I had ever felt."
— Haru Nishimiya, Throw Away the Suit Together
Fan Works
"There's still a silver lining, you know. Nobody won, but that doesn't mean everybody lost."
— Shanks, This Bites!, at the end of the War of the Best.
Film — Animated
"I'm not the fox I used to be. Not by choice. But these days, when I look at myself in the mirror, I try to keep a straight face. At some point, maybe I won't feel the need to turn away."
— Mr Fox's final newspaper column, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Film — Live-Action
"Final report of the commercial starship Nostromo, third officer reporting. The other members of the crew — Kane, Lambert, Parker, Brett, Ash, and Captain Dallas — are dead. Cargo and ship destroyed. I should reach the frontier in about six weeks. With a little luck, the network will pick me up. This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off."
— Ellen Ripley, Alien
"Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn't always roll that way."
— Tony Stark, Avengers: Endgame
"One late autumn night, the disciple awoke crying. So the master asked the disciple, 'Did you have a nightmare?' 'No.' 'Did you have a sad dream?' 'No,' said the disciple. 'I had a sweet dream.' 'Then why are you crying so sadly?' The disciple wiped his tears away and quietly answered, 'Because the dream I had can't come true.'"
— Sun-woo, A Bittersweet Life
Professor Lupin: Why do you look so miserable, Harry?
Harry: None of it made any difference. Pettigrew escaped.
Professor Lupin: Didn't make any difference? Harry, it made all the difference in the world! You helped discover the truth. You saved an innocent man from a terrible fate. It made a great deal of difference.
"And thus it was. A fourth age of Middle-earth began. And the Fellowship of the Ring, though eternally bound by friendship and love, was ended. Thirteen months to the day since Gandalf sent us on our long journey, we found ourselves looking upon a familiar sight. We were home. How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand, there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend...some hurts that go too deep...that have taken hold. Bilbo once told me his part in this tale would end, that each of us must come and go in the telling. Bilbo's story was now over. There would be no more journeys for him...save one. My dear Sam. You cannot always be torn in two. You will have to be one and whole for many years. You have so much to enjoy and to be and to do. Your part in the story will go on."
— Frodo Baggins, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
"Joe and Rita had three children, the three smartest kids in the world. Vice President Frito took 8 wives and had a total of 32 kids. Thirty-two of the dumbest kids ever to walk the Earth. OK, so maybe Joe didn't save mankind, but he got the ball rolling, and that's pretty good for an average guy."
—Narrator, Idiocracy
"The past catches up to you, whether you like it or not. It can be a gift or a curse if you let it. I will never forget the gift of Meg Loughlin, though I am plagued with the torment of failing again, failing somebody. But as she taught me, it's what you do last that counts."
—David Moran, The Girl Next Door
"Thus the Great One appeared who chose Evil's side. And according to legend, he is the one destined to plunge the world into Darkness. But as long as there are those who believe in Light, hope is still here."
—Narrator, Night Watch
"Things didn't work out the way I predicted. Accepting that's not easy... but easy doesn't enter into grown-up life. I'll take this American accomplishment. That's where I live; behind Fire Brigade 47, okay. But in front of SpongeBob. Hello, America."
Literature
"Even happy endings have little tears in their eyes."
— Oar, Ascending
Godzilla had won. They had won.
But the world was changed forever. So many cities destroyed, so many people dead. Things weren't just going to bounce back to the way they were.
And maybe that was as it should be. If Emma was right, with Ghidorah gone, the global ecosystem would rebound; the ravaged places would become green; forest would cover where Boston had been. The dying ocean reefs would thrive as they hadn't in a hundred years.
He hadn't wanted it to happen this way. But the eggs were broken. They needed to decide what kind of omelet to make.
It was the dawn of a new world. Or the return of a very old one.
But the world was changed forever. So many cities destroyed, so many people dead. Things weren't just going to bounce back to the way they were.
And maybe that was as it should be. If Emma was right, with Ghidorah gone, the global ecosystem would rebound; the ravaged places would become green; forest would cover where Boston had been. The dying ocean reefs would thrive as they hadn't in a hundred years.
He hadn't wanted it to happen this way. But the eggs were broken. They needed to decide what kind of omelet to make.
It was the dawn of a new world. Or the return of a very old one.
— Mark Russell's thoughts, Godzilla: King of the Monsters — The Official Movie Novelization
"But one day I'll have to explain about my nightmares. Why they came. Why they won't ever really go away. I'll tell them how I survive it. I'll tell them that on bad mornings, it feels impossible to take pleasure in anything because I'm afraid it could be taken away. That's when I make a list in my head of every act of goodness I've seen someone do. It's like a game. Repetitive. Even a little tedious after more than twenty years. But there are much worse games to play."
— Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games, Mockingjay
You are in charge of the last of the Truffula seeds
And Truffula trees are what everyone needs
Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care
Give it clean water and feed it fresh air
Grow a forest, protect it from axes that hack
Then the Lorax and all of his friends might come back
And Truffula trees are what everyone needs
Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care
Give it clean water and feed it fresh air
Grow a forest, protect it from axes that hack
Then the Lorax and all of his friends might come back
"The dark is generous, and it is patient, and it always wins — but in the heart of its strength lies weakness: one lone candle is enough to hold it back.
Love is more than a candle.
Love can ignite the stars."
Love is more than a candle.
Love can ignite the stars."
It was strange, thought Siebling, that he felt so unhappy about so happy an ending.
— Final line of The Sack
Only you know about the night in the bathroom.
Eventually, years later, you will tell someone. In return for their deepest, darkest secret, you will explain. She won't quite believe you, but she will love you. Even if she's Rowena.
There are still shadows in your life. There's no escaping from them. But there is so much else.
Live-Action TV
"'Two steps forward, one step back' is still one step forward."
—Rosa Diaz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, "He Said, She Said"
The battle's done
And we kinda won
So we sound our victory cheer:
Where do we go from here?
And we kinda won
So we sound our victory cheer:
Where do we go from here?
— "Once More with Feeling", Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"The Tamarian was willing to risk all of us just for the hope of communication, connection. Now the door is open between our peoples. That commitment meant more to him than his own life."
— Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Darmok"
Tabris: It was a pivotal moment in our history. As a result of the Doctor's testimony, a dialogue was opened between our peoples. Eventually, we found a new respect for our divergent cultures and traditions. The efforts of people like Quarren and the Doctor paved the way for unity. Quarren died six years later, but he lived long enough to witness the dawn of harmony.
Visitor: And the Doctor?
Tabris: Well, he served as our surgical chancellor for many years until he decided to leave. He took a small craft and set a course for the Alpha Quadrant, attempting to trace the path of Voyager. He said he had a longing for home. This way.
Visitor: And the Doctor?
Tabris: Well, he served as our surgical chancellor for many years until he decided to leave. He took a small craft and set a course for the Alpha Quadrant, attempting to trace the path of Voyager. He said he had a longing for home. This way.
—Star Trek: Voyager, "Living Witness"
Harold: My son? You saw my son?
Mulder: He's dead. They're all dead, Harold. Your son, Amber Lynn, and my sister.
Harold: No.
Mulder: Harold, you see so much but you refuse to see him. You refuse to let him go. But you have to let him go now, Harold. He's protected. He's in a better place. They're all in a better place. We both have to let go, Harold.
Harold: (Desperate) You're wrong. I'm going to find him! I don't believe you!
[Harold storms off to continue his futile search for his son, while Scully walks towards Mulder.]
Scully: Mulder, what happened? Are you sure you're all right?
Mulder: I'm fine. (Chokes up and looks towards the night sky) I'm free.
Mulder: He's dead. They're all dead, Harold. Your son, Amber Lynn, and my sister.
Harold: No.
Mulder: Harold, you see so much but you refuse to see him. You refuse to let him go. But you have to let him go now, Harold. He's protected. He's in a better place. They're all in a better place. We both have to let go, Harold.
Harold: (Desperate) You're wrong. I'm going to find him! I don't believe you!
[Harold storms off to continue his futile search for his son, while Scully walks towards Mulder.]
Scully: Mulder, what happened? Are you sure you're all right?
Mulder: I'm fine. (Chokes up and looks towards the night sky) I'm free.
— The X-Files, "Closure"
Music
No one in the world ever gets what they want,
And that is beautiful
Everybody dies frustrated and sad
And that is beautiful.
And that is beautiful
Everybody dies frustrated and sad
And that is beautiful.
— They Might Be Giants, "Don't Let's Start"
“Statistically, this was one of the best years of my life, but personally, it was one of the worst. I would rather not have this. I would do anything — I would turn the hits into negative hits if I could just be with Biggie again.”
— Puff Daddy, in a Rolling Stone interview in December 1997.
In the lens through which some eyes will see
This tale is one of failure
And though I don't think I'm your enemy
I'll never be your savior
And in the lens through which some eyes will see
This tale is one of victory
And though I don't think I'm a failure
I don't deserve your sympathy
This tale is one of failure
And though I don't think I'm your enemy
I'll never be your savior
And in the lens through which some eyes will see
This tale is one of victory
And though I don't think I'm a failure
I don't deserve your sympathy
— Jhariah, "The Great Tale of How I Ruined It All"
Sometimes
There's no such thing as a happy ending
There's just an ending
And you'll decide if you start again
I've been
Learning that happiness doesn't just magically happen
You work for it, and I'm not there yet
But I'm cautiously optimistic
There's no such thing as a happy ending
There's just an ending
And you'll decide if you start again
I've been
Learning that happiness doesn't just magically happen
You work for it, and I'm not there yet
But I'm cautiously optimistic
— Beth Crowley, "Cautiously Optimistic"
Tabletop Games
Ragnarök wasn’t the end for humanity, after all, as much as it seemed that way. The casualties were great, but humanity survived. Really, it was the end for the gods. I hear a few are still around, but most of them died fighting — for us, I suppose. Everything we thought we knew about science and the cosmos turned out to be wrong — not to mention most religions. It was a rude awakening, but the gods of Asgard were there when we needed them most.
—"Ragnarok — Post-Apocalypse," The End of the World: Wrath of the Gods
Theatre
Dupont: Ah, my children, everything comes right when once you make up your mind to be like the rest of the world.
Julie: [slowly] Yes: like the rest of the world. I dreamed of something better. But it seems it was impossible.
Julie: [slowly] Yes: like the rest of the world. I dreamed of something better. But it seems it was impossible.
— The Three Daughters of Monsieur Dupont by Eugène Brieux
Video Games
V: Is there really no other way? [...] Guess I meant, I dunno... a happier ending... for everyone involved.
Johnny Silverhand: Here, for folks like us? Wrong city... Wrong people.
Johnny Silverhand: Here, for folks like us? Wrong city... Wrong people.
"Yes, our journey is just beginning... I pray that these children, who share their names with you, can find happiness."
— Fred, Digital Devil Saga 2
Chrom: We've won... Somehow I don't feel like celebrating.
Basilio: Victory can be bitter as well as sweet, boy. It's good you learn that now.
Basilio: Victory can be bitter as well as sweet, boy. It's good you learn that now.
"And so... We returned safely to Crossbell City. President—or rather Mayor Crois— was officially placed under arrest. In the meantime, Speaker MacDowell would serve in his place as Crossbell's interim mayor. Then, there were he goodbyes. Wazy and his crew returned to the Holy City of Arteria with Wald, who was still suffering from the aftereffects of Gnosis. Our remaining visitors bade their long farewells to Crossbell before setting forth on their own paths.
On the other hand... were those who continued to slither in the darkness. In order to carry out their plans, Ouroboros amassed even more power and began to take action across the continent. In the Erebonian Empire, where a civil war raged, the Blood and Iron Chancellor drove out the noble forces, claiming victory. And now, Crossbell faces two years of hardship under Imperial occupation..."
On the other hand... were those who continued to slither in the darkness. In order to carry out their plans, Ouroboros amassed even more power and began to take action across the continent. In the Erebonian Empire, where a civil war raged, the Blood and Iron Chancellor drove out the noble forces, claiming victory. And now, Crossbell faces two years of hardship under Imperial occupation..."
"When peace returns to Hyrule, it will be time for us to say goodbye."
— Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
"The spectre has retreated to the deep corners of the subconscious; so too has her love, retreated to a world beyond her reach. The city is showing signs of recovery... but many will never know the truth of what happened. Nonetheless, what Tatsuya has left behind will live on in the hearts of the people. At least, that's what I want to believe... I want to see his fire in their hearts..."
— Narration before ending scenes, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
But you have won, so be gracious in victory. Treasure the home you can still return to. Protect it from the human stains of petty rivalry... or this shall be your future: rust and vultures. Never come back to this place. Tell them that you saw the Hell Dimensions were lost in entropy. Tell them that Wicker is gone, a foolish man.
My kin... do not come before me abject. Raise your proud and terrible heads. I will find you another world. A better world, where angels fear to tread and man is a cautionary tale...
—Theodore Wicker, at the end of the Hell Dimensions arc, The Secret World
"I guess even good things can be born from tragedies, huh?"
—Rie Miyamoto, Shinrai: Broken Beyond Despair
"And we would continue to keep loving each other for as long as we could. We can look back on our memories of that mansion fondly now. If it weren't for that place, we never would have met. Still, we have no plans to go back there ever again. Even to this day, I'm sure there are people unfortunate enough to be suckered into working in that awful place. There will be no end to it, as long as that mansion continues to exist..."
—Sawatari Yukito in the only good ending of Starless ("A New World")
You are relieved to have been rescued by your dad. But you have to come to terms with the world ending. You are grateful to the mysterious person and wonder who they were and what was under that tarp.
— Sustenance
, Ending 7
, Ending 7Web Original
"Of course, if you’ve played the original Life is Strange, you know that the story doesn’t necessarily have a happy ending. But if the series teaches us anything, it’s that you should remember to treasure what you have now, not the things you’ve lost."
—Square Enix, "7 unforgettable Square Enix love stories"
"One thing I like about Pixar films is how the happy ending isn’t always what you think it’ll be. The toys don’t go with Andy to college, Gusteau’s restaurant gets closed down, Mike and Sully get kicked out of university, Carl never gets Ellie to Paradise Falls. But they find out that what they wanted isn’t necessarily what they needed, and I really like the fact that kids get to learn that life doesn’t always turn out the way they dreamed and that’s okay."
In another scenario, you are killed but you have successfully outed a spy.
Pooh never actually manages to get any honey, but he only falls into a gorse bush, gets stung, and gets shot [by a BB gun], so things could really have been quite a lot worse.
— This recap of the first Winnie-the-Pooh story
recap of the first Winnie-the-Pooh storyWeb Video
"[...]as the patient was able to make a recovery."
— Chubbyemu, at the end of cases where patients survive, but do not make a full recovery and continue to suffer from long-term effects of whatever ailment they were suffering from
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you almost lose! I mean, if Jynx would have died earlier in the game, I would've been screwed. (sighs) See that right there? Player defeated Champion Dicks. That's for all the haters right there! They were like, 'Haydunn, you're never gonna be able to beat this game!'" [...] "Well, pretty much all my team died from that, except for Kingdra and Frostitite."
— Haydunn, in the final episode of his Pokémon Fire Red Omega Nuzlocke
of his Pokémon Fire Red Omega NuzlockeWestern Animation
"We made it! I can't believe it! This is so... (notices the Plantars are alarmingly quiet) guys? Hey, what's going on? (gasps as she sees that Amphibia has become a Polluted Wasteland) What... happened here?"
— Anne Boonchuy, Amphibia, "Escape to Amphibia"
Male Prisoner: (arresting Hama) You're going to be locked away forever.
Hama: My work is done. (Turns to Katara) Congratulations, Katara. You're a bloodbender. (laughs evily)
— Avatar: The Last Airbender, "The Puppetmaster"
"How can everything be so amazing and so horrible all at the same time?"
— Dipper, Gravity Falls, "Into the Bunker"
Dipper: Ready to head into the unknown?
Mabel: Nope. Let's do it.
Mabel: Nope. Let's do it.
— Gravity Falls, "Weirdmageddon Part 3: Take Back The Falls"
"Well, the escape mission was a bust. But just because the Louds are infected doesn't mean that they're not human. Plus, I hate to see all this good food go to waste."
—Clyde McBride, The Loud House, "One Flu Over the Loud House"
Doug: Do you know what you've just given up?!
Luna: Yeah, but I know what I'm keeping: The real Luna Loud!
Luna: Yeah, but I know what I'm keeping: The real Luna Loud!
— The Loud House, "Really Loud Music"
Irving: Sometimes people come into your life, and sometimes they have to leave.
Harvey: It's so sad.
Miriam: It is sad. But you're also really lucky you got to be their friend. Nothing's ever going to change that.
Irving: Yeah, you found each other. When a friend comes into your life, it changes you a little. They challenge you. They make you laugh. They make you stronger. Each person gives you a gift. A special part of them that you keep forever. It's like they're always with you.
— Harvey Beaks, "The End and the Beginning"
Rigby: Man, I can't believe it's been 25 years.
Mordecai: Yeah. I wish Pops could've been here to see this.
Rigby: Well, if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have this.
Mordecai: Yeah. I wish Pops could've been here to see this.
Rigby: Well, if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have this.
— Regular Show, "A Regular Epic Final Battle"
Rapunzel: Today, I turned my back on a desperate friend in need, I sent the man I love to face possible death, and then did the same to my oldest friend. I entrusted the entire welfare of Corona to a fairytale. In a lot of ways, today was the most difficult day of my life. [...] I'm not sure I want to be queen.
Eugene: Hey, Rapunzel, I know today was overwhelming, and I can't say I wouldn't be feeling the same way. But you becoming queen is a long time away. Just know that when that time comes, no matter what you decide, I will be right here with you.
Rapunzel: [smiling, hugs him] Thank you for bringing my parents home.
Eugene: Hey... you've got it.
Eugene: Hey, Rapunzel, I know today was overwhelming, and I can't say I wouldn't be feeling the same way. But you becoming queen is a long time away. Just know that when that time comes, no matter what you decide, I will be right here with you.
Rapunzel: [smiling, hugs him] Thank you for bringing my parents home.
Eugene: Hey... you've got it.
— Tangled: The Series, "Queen For a Day"
