History Main / GraduateFromTheStory

* ''Manga/KOn'' ends with Yui, Ritsu, Mio and Tsumugi graduating from high school, though there are two bonus episodes that follow to allow the audience a little more time with the cast.

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* Chapter 202 of ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' centers around the third year students graduating. Interestingly, [[spoiler:Gigako]] only becomes significant to the plot ''after'' she's already graduated, when before then she was little more than a RecurringExtra. Tsubame, who had been a major secondary character up to that point, also continues to be brought up by the cast despite having gone off to college.

* ''Series/TheYoungOnes'' ends with the boys receiving their university results - "You have come last out of everyone in the world" - then deciding to [[spoiler:abandon the everyday world and hit the road (before [[KillEmAll crashing over a cliff and dying]])]]

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* Subverted by the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books: It's a school-based series, with one book for each year at Hogwarts, so most readers were probably expecting a graduation ending. Instead, in the last book Harry, Ron, and Hermione drop out of school to fight Voldemort. The book ends with the FinalBattle, followed by a brief DistantFinale. (According to WordOfGod, Hermione resumed her education after the Final Battle, but Harry and Ron didn't.)

* Averted in ''Literature/SuperPowereds'', where the graduation isn't even shown ([[spoiler:and Nick and Mary don't even graduate the HCP; they do, however, get other degrees at Lander]]). Instead, after the major story arc is resolved, we're propelled straight into the DistantFinale a decade later. We learn that most of the former students still meet up for big social events like birthdays, even though the life of a Hero doesn't leave one much room for leisure, plus [[spoiler:Alice also runs her father's company and Nick is a US Senator]]. Many have married and had kids: [[spoiler:Alice and Nick are expecting their second child, Vince and Camille have a kid, as do Globe and Clarissa (giving Vince a baby sister), Alex has a daughter named Leia (his wife isn't shown though), and Hershel and Mary are trying for a baby. Thomas and Violet are still unmarried and deny that they're an item, even though they live together and are frequently seen fighting together as Heroes]].

* Subverted in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' despite graduating and blowing up their school on the [[HellGate Hellmouth]], the driving force of the story, at the end of the third season no major character has this happen to them. Three end up in the spinoff series ''Series/{{Angel}}'' and one [[PutOnABus leaves shortly after]], but none leave specifically because they graduated.

* Played with in ''Series/{{Community}}''. Season 4 ends with Jeff and Pierce graduating from Greendale. Season 5 begins with Jeff returning to Greendale as a teacher, [[RealLifeWritesThePlot but Pierce never]] [[McLeaned physically returns.]]

** Averted with ''The College Years'', as the show was cancelled after a season. Conversely, ''The New Class'' took the trope to its logical extreme by having Mr. Belding retire as the students graduated.

* The various ''[[FollowTheLeader Saved By The Bell]] [[RecycledInSpace Meets [X] ]]'' shows played with this trope - ''Series/HangTime'' and ''Series/SavedByTheBellTheNewClass'' subverted this due to RevolvingDoorCasting meaning several characters were written out with this an excuse, ''City Guys'' on the other hand played it straight.

* The various ''[[FollowTheLeader Saved By The Bell]] [[RecycledInSpace Meets [X] ]]'' shows played with this trope - ''Hang Time'' & ''Saved By The Bell: The New Class'' subverted this due to RevolvingDoorCasting meaning several characters were written out with this an excuse, ''City Guys'' on the other hand played it straight.

* ''Manga/MaguchanGodOfDestruction'' starts when Ruru and her friends are in their second year of middle school. Time passes approximately in real time, and they graduate in the chapter before the DistantFinale.

Many stories feature a principal cast that is primarily made of children or teenagers, and many such series therefore spend a good amount of time with these characters in school. When these stories end, it's common to send the cast off in a grand fashion by having them graduate from their present school level. As the big day approaches, characters meet to talk about where they're going next, reminisce about the good times together (such finales are often part ClipShow, allowing the audience to relive those moments), or just have one last great bash before they graduate and all (or some) go their separate ways. These are especially poignant when the characters are in High School, as it adds an extra layer of the cast passing into adulthood and really starting their lives on their own. This ending may also be combined with AndTheAdventureContinues as the group finishes the ceremony and sets off on their last summer together.

This is sometimes even reversed: In stories set in a summer camp, the separation is brought about by the ''beginning'' of the school year, rather than the end.

This combination of shared accomplishment and impending separation usually makes these {{Bittersweet Ending}}s. Can often overlap with LastDayOfSchoolPlot, which usually builds up to the graduation. See also SeniorYearStruggles. Also compare MovingAwayEnding, which ends with a character moving away - this trope may overlap if the reason for moving involves heading to the next stage of school after graduation.

This combination of shared accomplishment and impending separation usually makes these {{Bittersweet Ending}}s. Can often overlap with LastDayOfSchoolPlot, which usually builds up to the graduation. See also SeniorYearStruggles.

* ''Manga/MaguchanGodOfDestruction'' starts when Ruru and her friends are in their second year of middle school. Time passes approximately in real time, and they graduate shortly before the end.

* ''Manga/KOn'', though there are two bonus episodes that follow to allow the audience a little more time with the cast.

* ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' concludes with the girls having graduated and passed their college entrance exams. During Chiyo's internal monologue, she says even though they'll be soon be going their separate ways, they'll remain in each other's hearts. It ends with a still frame of them heading to the Magical Land amusement park, [[OneLastFieldTrip for old time's sake.]]

* ''Franchise/{{Jewelpet}}'' ends like this in its [[Anime/JewelpetTwinkle second]], [[Anime/JewelpetSunshine third]] and [[Anime/JewelpetHappiness fifth]] seasons.

* In ''Anime/MaiHime'', several members of the cast, including Shizuru, Haruka, Reito and Takeda, graduate from Fuuka Academy in the last episode. Shizuru even jokes about deciding not to graduate so that she can stay behind with Natsuki, who must do make-up work lest she be forced to repeat a year.

* This is the reason why ''Anime/PrettyCure'' invokes ComicBookTime: ''Anime/YesPrettyCure5'' had Komachi and Karen on the verge of graduating and since ''Yes'' got [[Anime/YesPrettyCure5GoGo a sequel]] and they wanted to keep the same cast...

This combination of shared accomplishment and impending separation usually makes these {{Bittersweet Ending}}s. Can often overlap with LastDayOfSchoolPlot, which usually builds up to the graduation.

This combination of shared accomplishment and impending separation usually makes these {{Bittersweet Ending}}s.

* ''VideoGame/{{Persona1}}'' did it first with its ending. It even gives a nice little WhereAreTheyNow on the party members noting that the Protagonist's future is for us to decide. (Though ''VideoGame/{{Persona 2}} Eternal Punishment'' tells part of it was ButNowIMustGo.)

* ''VideoGame/{{Persona}}'' did it first with its ending. It even gives a nice little WhereAreTheyNow on the party members noting that the Protagonist's future is for us to decide. (Though ''VideoGame/{{Persona 2}} Eternal Punishment'' tells part of it was ButNowIMustGo.)