History Main / BreakingOldTrends

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'':
** The second season, ''Total Drama Action'', is the first one to have two main antagonists, one of the first half of the season and the other of the latter. It's also the first season where finalists are from different teams.
** The third season, ''Total Drama World Tour'', was the first one to introduce new contestants: Sierra, Alejandro, and Blaineley. It also featured songs and had three smaller teams instead of only two. It's also the only season of the main series to feature an adult as one of the contestants upon their debut.
** The fourth season, ''Total Drama: Revenge of the Island'', is the first one to introduce a whole new cast of contestants. It's also the first and only season where the finalists are of the same gender. This is also the first time when the red-colored team is the superior team of the season.
*** It's also the very first season where its finale did not feature any couples kissing onscreen. The Ridonculous Race's finale followed a similar pattern.
** The fifth season, ''Total Drama All-Stars'', is the first one where: two different generations of contestants compete together, no one ends up being bald (counting the reveal of Chris being bald in the second season), no one's shown naked at any point or heard swearing, no one sings at any point, Chris doesn't get a punishment of some sort in the finale, no one returns after being previously eliminated, and not everyone returns for the finale (although those who don't were inside balloons).
** The second half of the fifth season, ''Total Drama: Pahkitew Island'', is the first season to introduce a whole new cast, but not reference the previous ones at any point. This is also the first time where a highest-ranking member of one team is someone who switched teams earlier.
** The ''Total Drama'' reboot contestant [[Characters/TotalDramaJulia Julia]]:
*** She's the first contestant ever to be [[spoiler:the BigBad of two seasons, sharing the role with [[ALighterShadeOfBlack Bowie]] in her first season, and sharing it with [[DiscOneFinalBoss MK]] for majority of her second season until being the last main antagonist left.]]
*** Much like several characters before her (usually antagonists), Julia [[spoiler:loses her hair as a part of her LaserGuidedKarma]]. However, she only [[spoiler:loses a part of it, retaining a shorter hairstyle.]]
** The spin-off, ''The Ridonculous Race'', not only has a format based off of ''The Amazing Race'' rather than ''Survivor'', but is also the first time in the franchise where some of the finalists are the ones who returned from previously being eliminated.

** Unlike previous ''99'' games on the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch (like ''VideoGame/Tetris99'' and ''VideoGame/PacMan99''), which are largely single-player games with added-in online multiplayer interference mechanics to make them work as competitive online multiplayer battle royales, ''F-Zero 99'' takes [[VideoGame/FZero a game]] that is already built around battling opponents on the same field and simply cranks up the insanity by making it multiplayer and adding ''way'' more players to race simultaneously.

** While the first four UsefulNotes/GameBoy games largely recycled Robot Masters from the NES games, ''VideoGame/MegaManV'' features a completely original set of bosses, all named after planets of the Solar System instead of "[[SomethingPerson ___ Man]]". It also replaces the traditional Charge Shot with the Mega Arm, a boomeranging RocketPunch. On a series-wide scale, it's also one of the very few games where Dr. Wily isn't the FinalBoss.

** [[Franchise/KingdomHearts Sora]], the very last DLC fighter of ''Ultimate'', is the first fighter who is owned by a company that isn't predominantly a gaming company (Creator/{{Disney}}) and the first fighter who originated from the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 who isn't just a costume like the ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'' Hero. He's also the first fighter from a Creator/SquareEnix-produced game to keep [[Creator/HaleyJoelOsment his English voice actor]], and is thus the first fighter to have a CelebrityVoiceActor.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' would famously [[TheyKilledKennyAgain kill off Kenny]] OnceAnEpisode for the first five seasons. Then Kenny got KilledOffForReal for one season before reviving him. Since then, Kenny has only been killed occasionally, usually with a huge lampshade hung on it.

* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'':
** "Reflekdoll" breaks a few.
*** It's the first time Marinette and Adrien use a different Miraculous.
*** As such, it's also the first time someone else uses the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous.
*** The first time the main villain is someone that has already been Akumatized once with the same identity.
*** It's the first episode to be named after a Sentimonster.
** "Miraculer" has the first time someone ''rejects'' Hawk Moth's offer.
** "Party Crasher" is the first episode where more than three heroes fight the titular villain.
*** It's also the first episode where the titular villain manages to obtain ''both'' the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous.
** "Felix" is the first episode to be named after a civilian.
*** It's also the first episode to have a named group of villains.
** The third season's two-part finale, "The Battle of the Miraculous" is the first season finale where Lila doesn't make any appearance at all.
** Kagami's third Akumatization, Lies, isn't based on Japanese culture.
** "Gang of Secrets" has the first time someone breaks free of Hawk Moth/Shadow Moth's influence.
** In "Psycomedian", Ladybug gets her mind influenced by the villain instead of Cat Noir. And for once, he has to be the tactical one.
** "Sole Crusher" has André NOT indulging Chloé's rantings for once.
** "Gabriel Agreste" has the first time someone who ''hasn't'' been Akumatized before resists Hawk Moth/Shadow Moth's attempt to do so.
** "Crocoduel" features the first time where multiple Akumatized villains don't work together and instead fight each other.
** No one is Akumatized in "Sentibubbler", with the antagonists instead being Shadow Moth himself and a Sentimonster copy of the Bubbler.
** "Glaciator 2" isn't the first episode to be named after a previously Akumatized villain. It's the first time it's not a villain from Season 1, however, instead being from Season 2.
** "Dearest Family" is the first time where, not counting "Heroes Day", an Akumatized villain who debuted in the same season returns. In the very next episode, even!
** "Kuro Neko" is the first episode where the main antagonist is a Sentimonster that has neither been Akumatized nor assisted another villain.
** After Antibug, all of Chloé's Akumatized forms have followed a black and yellow colour scheme and had "Queen" in their names. Penalteam, her fifth unique Akumatization, is still black and yellow [[OddNameOut but does not have "Queen" in her name]].
*** Additionally, her episode is the first where instead of three or less heroes debuting, it's ''four'' of them.

** The Total Drama reboot [[Characters/TotalDramaJulia Julia]]

** [=SpongeBob=] appears in every episode of the series in some form; even the {{Fairy Tale Episode}}s have characters who are clearly meant to resemble him. While some episodes like "Lockdown for Love" and "Shell Games" give him minimal roles, he still appears in them. The episode [[spoiler:"BassWard" from season 14]] would end up being the first one where [=SpongeBob=] does not appear in any way, nor is he even mentioned.[[note]]While the mainstream [=SpongeBob=] does not appear in "The Algae's Always Greener", his alternate counterpart does.[[/note]]

** The Season 5 premiere is the first two-parter to not feature Princess Celestia in either part.

*** Talonflame did not learn Flamethrower like all the rest of his Fire-types.

*** The Mastermind [[spoiler:dies fairly early into the game, with the game essentially being crafted to run without him. The FinalBoss winds up being his protoge.]] For that matter, [[spoiler:not only is he the first male Mastermind, he's also the only one to not have Despair as his primary motive.]]

*** In Japan, the current story always ends prior to the release of a new generation of games. ''Journeys'' is the first series to not end its current StoryArc, with a several more episodes airing past the launch of ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'', with the new anime series featuring elements from those games only debuting in April 2023, five months after the game's launch.

** ''Series/PowerRangersCosmicFury'' is the first season to use American-original suits (disregarding the Ninja outfits from ''Mighty Morphin[='=]'' Season 3). It is also the first season with a full-time female Red Ranger ([[spoiler:Lauren]] from ''Samurai'' was an EleventhHourRanger) and as well as the first Orange Ranger.

** ''[=WarioWare=]: Move It!'' is the first game set outside Diamond City.

** TheBigGuy dies in Chapter 4, [[spoiler:but as the culprit, not as the victim (though Sakura was both a victim and a culprit due to her comitting suicide)]]. Additionally, Gonta doesn’t engage in athletics as much as Sakura and Nekomaru.

* ''VideoGame/TombRaider2013'' broke several long running trends that the franchise was known for. Instead of being an experienced adventurer archeologist who has no issues in killing people, this version of Lara is a student with little to no experience with combat or adventuring and freaks out when she makes her first human kill. While the old Lara was full of wit and charm, Lara in the new timeline is somewhat meek and completely out of her element until she gets used to the dangers thrown her way. While Lara is always seen with her signature dual pistols, the Lara in the 2013 version doesn't dual wield guns until the very end of the game.

* The typical ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'' final boss is a ZeroEffortBoss. But Doom from ''Salamander 2'' is ''[[BulletHell not]]'' one of them.

** Tne Season 5 premiere is the first two-parter to not feature Princess Celestia in either part.

*** The series has downplayed catching when it was a major part of all prior series. Ash usually captured a Pokémon or two by the tenth episode, but as of the twelth episode, Liko's only Pokémon was gifted to her, and Roy's willingly joined him without battle. It wouldn't be until the fourteenth episode that Roy would catch a Wattrel, and even then Liko still only has her starter.

** [=SpongeBob=] appears in every episode of the series in some form; even the {{Fairy Tale Episode}}s have characters who are clearly meant to resemble him. While some episodes like "Lockdown for Love" and "Shell Games" give him minimal roles, he still appears in them. The episode [[spoiler:"BassWard" from season 14]] would end up being the first one where [=SpongeBob=] does not appear in any way, nor is he even mentioned.

* ''Anime/YuGiOhARCV'' is the first ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' series to not have the character that the main character defeats in the first episode[[note]]Kaiba, Cronos/Crowler, Ushio/Trudge, and Shark respectively[[/note]] become a rival, anti-hero or frenemy to the main character. Instead, Strong/Sledgehammer more or less [[PutOnABus vanishes from the series]], minus a few cameos.
* ''Anime/YuGiOhVRAINS'' breaks a lot of trends followed by the previous Yu-Gi-Oh series.
** For one, the series runs on pure science and doesn't have any mysticism the series is known for. Yusaku started out as a revenge-driven loner instead of a protagonist that believes in ThePowerOfFriendship, doesn't use a single ace monster to win, and his aces Firewall Dragon and Decode Talker break the pattern of Dragon or Warrior type aces.
** There are two Duel types used in the show: Master Duels, which operate by the normal Duel rules, and Speed Duels, which are a modified version of the Speed Duel rules from VideoGame/YuGiOhDuelLinks, except deck sizes stay the same. They also retain the Skill system from that game. Speed Duels are done on D-Boards similar to Riding Duels on D-Wheels.
** In the dub, this was the first series to NOT have any vocals in the opening song whatsoever. In the original Duel Monsters, it was mostly instrumental with some lyrics of "Your Move" or Yugi saying "It's Time to D-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-duel". GX through Arc-V had dub original opening songs that differed from the original Japanese version. VRAINS' dub OP is a full instrumental song.
** It's also the first ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' series to not have the main character defeat a strong opponent in the first duel and then lose in their next duel [[WorfHadTheFlu due to a technicality]].[[note]]Yugi losing to Pegasus because the timer ran out before Summoned Skull could attack Illusionist Face Mage, Judai/Jaden being unable to finish off Manjoume/Chazz because they were caught as soon as the former drew Monster Reborn, Yusei losing to Jack in a flashback because he didn't have any Spell or Trap Cards in his deck, Yuma losing to Takashi/Caswell because he couldn't find his Number Cards, and Yuya losing to Yuzu/Zuzu because he couldn't figure out Pendulum Summoning.[[/note]]
* ''Anime/YuGiOhSEVENS'' is the first series to not have the characters duel using the Master Duel, with the duels instead being exclusively done with the newly introduced Rush Duel format.
** It’s also the first series to introduce a new summoning method that can be summoned from the Main Deck instead of the Extra Deck.

* ''Anime/YuGiOhVRAINS'' breaks a lot of trends followed by the previous Yu-Gi-Oh series. For one, the series runs on pure science and doesn't have any mysticism the series is known for. Yusaku started out as a revenge-driven loner instead of a protagonist that believes in ThePowerOfFriendship, doesn't use a single ace monster to win, and his aces Firewall Dragon and Decode Talker break the pattern of Dragon or Warrior type aces.

* ''WebVideo/TheUnluckyTug''':

* ''WebVideo/TheUnluckyTug'''s Sodor's Finest video on Cranky is the first one about a character who isn't a steam engine, [[spoiler:and the first one where CGI wins.]]