History Main / ForgottenFallenFriend

* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' played with this trope during the Conviction Arc. Guts remembered quite vividly what had happened to his comrades [[spoiler: who were all killed by demons]] during the Eclipse and especially to his lover Casca [[spoiler: who survived, but was [[RapeAsDrama brutalized]] to [[GoMadFromTheRevelation insanity]]]]. He used their fates as his motivation for his RoaringRampageOfRevenge against Griffith, the man who betrayed them, and the Godhand. However, Guts was so embroiled in his hatred and the sadness and grief he suffered that he decided to suffer alone, often forgetting that [[spoiler: he was not the only survivor of the Eclipse and that the only other survivor, Casca, was the one he loved the most, but he left her for two years, not sticking around to help or comfort her through the pain she had suffered (which was considerably worse than what he had been through)]]. [[WhatTheHellHero Godo called Guts out on this]], and Guts realized that [[spoiler: leaving Casca and forgetting about her pain]] was [[MyGreatestFailure his failure]].

* Zig-zagged in ''Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool''. While certain deaths are remembered throughout the series ([[spoiler: the real Chiaki, Chisa, all non-survivors from Class 78]]), nobody mentions or searches for [[spoiler:Ruruka]] after she goes missing during a time-out session.

* Weed of ''Anime/GingaDensetsuWeed'' gets over the death of [[spoiler: his mother ''extremely'' fast]]. Weirdly, he mourns more when [[spoiler:John dies,]] even getting emotional to the point of trying to go kill the BigBad all by himself, and he ''didn't even know the guy.'' He just met him literally ''minutes'' before he dies.

* ''Film/TheSuicideSquad'': Mocked to hell and back. [[spoiler: Milton the bus driver accompanies the Squad into Jotunheim, and is gunned down when they're ambushed. Polka-Dot Man mourns his death, but Bloodsport casually shrugs it off, having not even realized Milton was still with them. Harley doesn't even know who Milton is, having joined the group after they met him, and later mistakenly assumes that Milton is Bloodsport's real name.]]

** ''Film/Transformers2007'': "So sad, [[spoiler: Jazz]] is dead. Oh well, we have new friends!".
** ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'': [[spoiler: Jetfire]] didn't get so much as a mention after he [[spoiler: rips [[HeroicSacrifice his own spark out]] to give Optimus his parts to fight The Fallen]] and is more or less forgotten after [[spoiler: Optimus kills The Fallen]].
** In ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'', [[spoiler: Ironhide is barely even acknowledged as having been killed]]. Even [[spoiler: Que/Wheeljack]] was given a better, albeit brief eulogy by Bumblebee before Bee went back to kicking ass.
** In ''Film/TransformersTheLastKnight'' is implied that [[spoiler:Sam Witwicky]] has died sometime after ''Dark of the Moon''. Despite this, Bumblebee nor any other of the Autobots seem to be deeply effected by his demise.

** In ''Film/TheWolverine'', in Logan's mind, [[Characters/MarvelComicsJeanGrey Jean]] is "all alone" where she is, and wants him to join her... except Logan ''knows'' that she loves [[Characters/MarvelComicsCyclops Cyclops]], who is ''also'' dead... and Xavier, who, while not her lover, was still a mentor and good friend, [[spoiler: who, as far as Logan knew, was '''also''' dead]]. It's a JustifiedTrope in that [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane if she was an actual ghost]], Logan's guilt could have been keeping her from moving on. And if she wasn't, and merely a manifestation of his guilt, then it's perfectly understandable that she would focus on Logan and play on his secret fear that she couldn't move on for whatever reason. Still, the fact that he views his relationship with Jean as being very clearly romantic makes this trope sting a little.

** [[spoiler:Felix Gaeta]] is never mentioned again after [[spoiler: he and Zarek are executed for the mutiny]]. No one is shown placing a photo on the memorial wall, either, not even [[spoiler: Baltar, who was with him shortly before he was executed]].

--> [[spoiler: "Amy! Oh, Amy! ...What's for breakfast?"]]

** Matt Parkman reunites with his ex-wife after discovering he has a son, despite her history of infidelity, and apparently forgets all about [[spoiler: his deceased girlfriend Daphne Millbrook]], whose murder nearly led him attempt to exact RevengeByProxy on [[spoiler: the girlfriend of Daphne's killer Emil Danko]] and basically sapped him of the will to live.

** [[spoiler: Archie Kennedy]] dies a heroic death in the episode "Retribution" ... then is never mentioned again for the rest of the series. Similarly, in the first episode, [[spoiler: Clayton]] sacrifices himself to save Horatio's life; Horatio seems to remember him and mourn his death but Archie, his former shipmate, seems to forget him entirely almost immediately.

* In the fourth episode of ''Series/RobinHood'', [[spoiler: Roy]] is killed off in a RedemptionEqualsDeath moment. Despite John mentioning earlier that he was like a son to him and all of the outlaws mourning him at the end of the episode, he hasn't been mentioned since.

** [[spoiler: Anna]] dies at the end of the first season. She is then not mentioned again. In fact some people who started watching in the second season asked why Jeremy was so unfriendly to his uncle, because the fact that he [[spoiler: murdered his girlfriend never comes up]]. What makes this more bizarre is that a season later [[spoiler: Anna returns as a ghost. After she passes on, Elena attributes Jeremy's downward spiral to Bonnie breaking up with him, apparently forgetting they broke up because he was still in love Anna who, as far as Jeremy knows, is still trapped totally alone in the ghost world, unwilling or unable to appear to him again]]. Not that this is the only death where the dead person is quickly not mentioned again, but it's made particularly obvious because it happens ''twice'' to the same character.

* A very odd example occurs in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', though it's ultimately subverted: [[spoiler: Due to trauma and a compromised mental state, Cloud literally no longer remembers Zack, his friend who [[HeroicSacrifice died for him]] at the end of ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'' to keep him out of the hands of Shinra. However, Zack's dying words were to pass on his legacy to Cloud, and it turns out that Cloud internalized that to such an extreme degree that he began to suffer the delusion that he himself was Zack. So while he doesn't remember Zack as a separate entity, Zack's memory is still [[PresentMemory very much present]]]].

* Happens to a named unique NPC in the course of ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'' when [[spoiler: the Brotherhood of Stilwater takes revenge on the Saints disfiguring the Brotherhood's leader with tainted tattoo ink by [[WhatADrag dragging young Saints lieutenant Carlos nearly to death]]. The Boss tries to rescue him, but has to ShootTheDog and give Carlos a MercyKill to free him of his suffering. Especially poignant because previously the Boss treated Carlos like a younger brother]]. Due to the non-linear nature of the game this can happen early or late in the narrative, but it's more jarring early on as the rest of the game takes place without them and no one seems to mention their absence. [[spoiler: Then you can get [[EverythingsDeaderWithZombies Zombie Carlos]] as [[SecretCharacter a homie]]. [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight Everybody else]] [[WeirdnessCensor still fails to notice]].]]

* In the final episodes of ''Literature/OmegaGuardians'' second season, three characters end up dying. [[spoiler: Walker, Andy, and Brandon]]. While the former two are mourned and cause at least one character to have a HeroicBSOD, the latter is quickly forgotten by all except his father.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' a contrived scenario leads to the Smiths to believe Steve and Roger died in a thunderstorm. They spend the whole duration mourning Steve and not saying a single thing about Roger (though they eventually lose track of even the former when they decide to use his college savings and sell his possessions to go on vacations). Lampshaded afterwards.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' has [[spoiler:Terra]], who died in a HeroicSacrifice at the end of Season 2 only to never be mentioned again by [[spoiler:her former teammates]] save early in Season 4 [[spoiler:when Slade shows up alive and well despite having apparently died from [[AMoltenDateWithDeath falling into lava]] as a partial result of said sacrifice]]. At least not until [[spoiler:her sudden return]] in the show's final episode.

* The team's reaction in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' episode "Failsafe" when all of the Justice League are killed within the first 10 minutes. [[spoiler:Of course, they knew it was only a simulation and not real (at least until the simulation goes OffTheRails).]]

* A meta example occurs in the ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' tie-ins to ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''. The Black Lantern Doctor Light tells the heroic Doctor Light that once he kills her, the superhero community will briefly mourn but quickly forget about her. He then cites several superheroes (such as Triumph) who were all quickly forgotten about by both writers and fans after their deaths.

* Invoked in ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003''. Apollo complains that he is barely able to remember the pilots that have lost their lives over the course of the series. He makes an effort to remember a few but not all. Starbuck cynically retorts that she doesn't remember ''any'' of them and doesn't bother trying. Later, she averts the trope and shows she was lying before, raising a toast to fallen comrades and listing ''every single one'' until she breaks down in tears and can't continue...

* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'': Caitlin who? Never heard of any Simone. Yaeko? Charlie? [[spoiler:Possible Lampshade/Subversion of Charlie's death in Season 4]] Who are these people? Conveniently, with Simone dead, there's nobody to cry for Isaac.

* ''Series/{{Highlander}}'' had its share of such problems. While Duncan held rivalries with other Immortals ongoing for centuries, he rarely went after mortals. Regardless of what they did to him or his loved ones. From 1980 to 1993, Duncan's love interest was mortal Tessa Noel. A main character until early in the second season, Tessa was killed by a junkie over some petty change. Duncan never bothers to search for the killer. When Richard Ryan, a student of Duncan, managed to locate the junkie, Duncan refuses to lift a finger against him. Ryan eventually lets the guy go, once convinced the junkie has quit the habit and is now a struggling father. After that Tessa rarely gets mentioned. Similarly, a number of killed lovers or best friends such as Mei-Ling Shen, Brian Cullen or Nefertiri are greatly mourned in the single episode featuring them. Then never mentioned again, even in episodes summarizing the key moments of the character.
** Actually, the SeriesFinale features a case of ItsAWonderfulPlot in which Duncan finds himself in a world in which he had never existed. WhatIf all characters live miserable lives or are evil, and Duncan wants to undo what has happened. Until he discovers that in this reality Tessa is very much alive.
** On the same note, several episodes have Duncan trying to get other Immortals to quit their quest of vengeance against mortals. With several of them having some pretty good reasons to seek revenge. Ceirdwyn going after the people who killed her mortal husband, Kamir killing the people who smuggled India's cultural treasures to American museums, Muhammad ibn Kassim targeting the dictator of his country, Katya of Greenhil struggling to avenge the murder of her adoptive daughter, Jacob Galati hunting the people who butchered his wife, William Kingsley wanting to punish whoever killed his wife and those covering for them, Ingrid Henning going after any would-be dictator and hatemonger in hope of preventing a new Holocaust, and Everett Bellian waging war against the rapist of his adoptive daughter. Apparently they should have all forgotten their foes and let go. Somehow, this would seem rather difficult.
* [[spoiler: Archie Kennedy]] dies a heroic death in the ''Series/HoratioHornblower'' episode "Retribution" ... then is never mentioned again for the rest of the series. Similarly, in the first episode, [[spoiler: Clayton]] sacrifices himself to save Horatio's life; Horatio seems to remember him and mourn his death but Archie, his former shipmate, seems to forget him entirely almost immediately.

*** Some [[https://twitter.com/badpostMaximoff/status/1365673583498956800/photo/2 cut dialogue]] from this scene had Wanda [[LampshadeHanging go on to complain]] about the fact that of all the Avengers who died during the battle with Thanos (Vision, Natasha Romanoff, and Tony Stark), only Tony's death got any sort of public recognition, while Vision's and Natasha's deaths have been seemingly forgotten about completely.

*** This was ''finally'' acknowledged in the 200th episode, in which Sam and Dean assist in a musical adaptation of the in-universe book series based on their lives. In the finale, when the Winchester family sings "Carry On My Wayward Son", Sam fails to recognize a character and asks one girl who he is. She replies "Oh, that's Adam. John Winchester's other kid. He's still trapped in the cage, in Hell. With Lucifer." Sam and Dean immediately look at each other with discomfort. However, when the Cage is brought back in Season 11, Adam is still not alluded in any fashion.
*** He's finally brought back in the final season though, now having agreed to share his body equally with Michael.

* Especially bad in ''VideoGame/SandsOfDestruction'', since the whole reason Kyrie's village doesn't exist any more is because [[WhereIWasBornAndRazed he destroyed it himself]], along with the only family he had ever had. Apart from one passing mention several hours after the fact, he never even reflects on the matter, though it's somewhat implied that he was deep in denial (and when it finally hits him [[spoiler:that he's really the one responsible ''and'' that he can't be rid of these powers, he decides suicide is the best option]]).

* At the end of his arc in ''[[Videogame/StarCraftI StarCraft: Brood War]]'', Raynor makes an impressive speech vowing to hunt down and kill [[MagnificentBastard Kerrigan]] after her final betrayal and murdering of Protoss warrior and [[BashBrothers fellow ass-kicker]], Fenix. Come ''VideoGame/StarCraftIIWingsOfLiberty'', [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse Fenix is not mentioned]] (not even in passing), and Raynor's anger at Kerrigan seems to have subsided into a mixture of terror and [[TheDulcineaEffect confused longing]]. Of course, 4 years have passed (in-game) and ''[=StarCraft=] II'''s story was only a third complete at the time, so this could very well change come the Kerrigan/Zerg-centric ''Heart of the Swarm''. Also, [[spoiler:Zeratul, the one who wants Kerrigan dead more than Raynor, tells him that Kerrigan is vital for the survival of the sector, thus rendering the whole vengeance thing as something... suicidal, to say the least.]]

* A minor example exists in ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons2014.'' [[spoiler:Edna, your sweet GrannyClassic neighbor,]] dies during your first winter. The entire town turns up for the funeral and seems deeply saddened by it. No one ever mentions her again afterward.
* Many a videogame hero ends up this way. ''VideoGame/{{Tyrian}}'', for example, [[LampshadeHanging hung a lantern on it]] when the hero stopped to reminisce on how the assassination of his best friend was what threw him in the middle of his galactic warzone hell.

* Played straight in ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'' when Grandpa Max ''blows himself to nonexistence'' in front of Ben. Ben protests the move beforehand but after the fact he basically says "Let's get on with the mission" and leaves it at that. They visit the effect of Max's death later, but only with Gwen; Ben doesn't seem to care at that point. Then again, [[UnexplainedRecovery Max got better]], so it's ultimately moot.

* [[spoiler:Lars]] of ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' dies protecting Agatha and is given a Jäger funeral, with Maxim donating his hat. He's never mentioned again afterwards despite being one of the protagonists early on in the story.

* This is [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]] in ''FanFic/CindersAndAshesTheChroniclesOfKamenRiderDante'', as [[Anime/ReCreators Charon]]'s motivation to defeating the Avalon Brigade, to avenge the death of a priestess named Lunala, became forgotten later in his campaign against them. What makes this a deconstruction is how he finds out about this from [[BigBad Altair]] once he [[RefugeeFromTVLand enters the real world]], realizing that his author made him forget about Lunala. It's later brought up that even Celesia, the main female character of his story, forgot who Lunala was.

* This has [[FandomSpecificPlot/HarryPotter happened so much to Ron]] in fanfic, probably from authors that weren't interested in having him in the story, that it was noted in Rugi and Gwena's ''[[http://www.sugarquill.net/read.php?storyid=656&chapno=1 Tough Guide to Harry Potter]]'' that killing Ron off "provides an opportunity for tragedy, weeping, and little need to mention him afterwards."

** [[Comicbook/{{Quicksilver}} Pietro Maximoff]] dies near the end of ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', and even though his sister [[Characters/ScarletWitch Wanda]] goes on to feature prominently in the subsequent films, neither she nor any of the other Avengers ever mention him. Although Clint Barton's son Nathaniel does have "[[DeadGuyJunior Pietro]]" as his middle name, so he's not entirely forgotten. Eventually averted as of ''Series/WandaVision'', where Wanda expels Monica Rambeau from the Hex for mentioning Pietro's death, [[spoiler:and Agatha Harkness brainwashes a local Westview resident into acting like Pietro to get under Wanda's skin]]. A flashback in episode 8 set in between ''Age of Ultron'' and ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' establishes that the memories are just too painful for Wanda to deal with most of the time.

* UsefulNotes/HenryVIII takes about five seconds to mourn UsefulNotes/JaneSeymourRoyalty's DeathByChildbirth in ''Film/ThePrivateLifeOfHenryVIII''. Then he is back to his cheerful BoisterousBruiser self.

* In the ''Film/WingCommander'' film,

** A Season 5 episode, has Clark and Lana bond with a metahuman whose condition causes him to rapidly age and relase blasts of energy against his will. He dies and is mourned by Clark and Lana who never mention him again.

* A very odd example occurs in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', though it's ultimately subverted: [[spoiler: Due to trauma and a compromised mental state, Cloud literally no longer remembers Zack, his friend who [[HeroicSacrifice died for him]] at the end of ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'' to keep him out of the hands of Shinra. However, Zack's dying words were to pass on his legacy to Cloud, and it turns out that Cloud internalized that to such an extreme degree that he began to suffer the delusion that he himself was Zack. So while he doesn't remember Zack as a separate entity, Zack's memory is still [[PresentMemory very much present]].]]

* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' has [[spoiler:Ryder, who, [[VitriolicBestBuds in spite of his faults, was still one of CJ's childhood friends.]] Unlike Big Smoke, Ryder is almost entirely ignored after his betrayal, and he gets killed in the middle of the game without so much of a conversation with CJ. When CJ shows genuine remorse for killing Ryder, Cesar tells CJ that Ryder tried to bang Kendl (something that was randomly brought up with no evidence whatsoever), and Ryder is never mentioned after that.]]

* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'': [[spoiler:Xion, a being made from Sora's memories, must merge with Sora to complete the restoration of his memories, though it also means that everyone's memories of her will vanish entirely. While she's aware of this, she pulls a HeroicSacrifice to ensure that her friends continue to live safe and sound. However, it's all but outright said at the end of the game and subsequent games in the series such as ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'' that everyone's memories of Xion are still there, even if most of them don't realize it.]]

* Near the end of ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'' Season 2, Arsenal performs a HeroicSacrifice to [[TakingYouWithMe destroy Ultron once and for all]]. Comicbook/IronMan is devastated at the time, as it was made clear throughout the season he cared a great deal for Arsenal. However, when Ultron returns in Season 3, nobody mentions Arsenal, or the fact that [[SenselessSacrifice his sacrifice turned out to be in vain]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'': After the original Blue Morpho's death, Jonas brings him back only to put him to work as a robot butler. When this doesn't work out, he puts him out with the trash. Team Venture seem truly surprised when he reappears in the present, and it seems only Kano kept respecting his memory.

** Actually, the SeriesFinale features a case of ItsAWonderfulPlot in which Duncan finds himself in a world in which he had never existed. ForWantOfANail all characters live miserable lives or are evil, and Duncan wants to undo what has happened. Until he discovers that in this reality Tessa is very much alive.

** At the end of Season 1, Cordelia's boyfriend Kevin is killed with other students by a group of vampires. Although there's the implications that Cordelia [[ReallyGetsAround dates lots of guys]], she had a conversation with Willow about how she was genuinely in love with this one, and is affected when she finds his body. She then never mentions him again in this show or its spinoff, ''Angel''.

* [[MultipleChoicePast One of]] the elements of ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' villain Characters/DoctorDoom's {{Backstory}} is that he wants to accumulate enough power to free his mother from [[Characters/MarvelComicsDemons Mephisto]]'s {{Hell}} stand-in. [[DependingOnTheWriter Many writers]] seem to completely ignore this, though it was referenced in the original ''ComicBook/{{Secret Wars|1984}}.'' That is partially because he already did that. Then again, whether or not it happened again depends on the ''writers!''

** Despite being the impetus for [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man's]] superhero career, Ben Parker was for all intents and purposes AdaptedOut of the series, with the only evidence of his existence being his old suitcase in ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' which gets destroyed with no reaction from Peter.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Khumba}}'': Khumba’s mother dies early on, but she is never mentioned again after passing away.

* ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'': Averted. Kiryu never forgets Nishiki, and in spite of everything that happens between them after the events of [[VideoGame/Yakuza1 the first game]], he will still speak warmly of him as a beloved and missed friend throughout the series. Over a decade, and five games, after Nishiki's death, Kiryu expresses a hope that he can re-unite with Nishiki in the afterlife, such as singing a karaoke song in ''VideoGame/Yakuza6'' and ''VideoGame/YakuzaKiwami2'' that has him reminiscing about the good times they had in ''VideoGame/Yakuza0''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'': Averted. Kiryu never forgets Nishiki, and in spite of everything that happens between them, will still speak warmly of him as a beloved and missed friend throughout the series. Over a decade, and five games, after Nishiki's death, Kiryu expresses a hope that he can re-unite with Nishiki in the afterlife.