History Main / IChooseToStay

** Played fully straight at the end of ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonRescueTeam''. S/he is literally able to keep from returning to the human world just by ''wishing'' hard enough. The decision is also somewhat justified by them having no memory of their human existence.

* [[Website/SCPFoundation SCP-1230]] [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1230 ("A Hero Is Born")]] is a book that provides an extremely complex dream world where the reader is the hero, and can spend hundreds of years in the dream. However, the book itself is quite insistent that nobody pull an IChooseToStay. It got very upset when [[ThisLoserIsYou one researcher couldn't handle going back to reality after spending two hundred years in his personal fantasy and committed suicide]]. It also doesn't really appreciate people hurting or killing themselves in the dream.

** Not explicitly stated as a willing choice in ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'', where the Pevensies spend 15 years ruling Narnia and grow to adulthood, and their return to our world is unintentional. (Because of YearInsideHourOutside, not only do the Pevensies return barely after they left, they're de-aged back to children.)
** ''The Last Battle'' has everyone (except Susan) return to live forever in New Narnia, thanks to them all dying in a railroad accident in their own world. It's implied that Narnia and Earth connect to the same heaven, so they would have gone there anyway, but the choice was in line with this trope.
** Jill and Eustace also request to stay in ''The Silver Chair'', though Aslan denies it at that point in time.

* ''ComicBook/XMen'': ''ComicBook/TheXTinctionAgenda'' ends with the mutants overthrowing the despotic government of Genosha, who had won their prosperity on the backs of enslaved mutants. However, team member Havok and New Mutant Wolfsbane -- who had both been brainwashed into serving Genosha -- opted to stay behind to ensure that the nation transitions into one where all human rights are valued (though Wolfsbane's decision to stay is also slightly motivated by the fact her brainwashing compels her to stay with Havok, who she's linked to).

* The children in Creator/PamelaDean's ''Literature/TheSecretCountry'' books make various decisions at the end. This is a world that they fervently love, but not all of them want to stay there forever. Any who make the decision will have to stay forever. Three do stay, and two bring their parents with them.

* At one point in ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'', Kirito decides to give up and tries to convince his wife Asuna that they should just live the rest of their lives in the video game instead of trying to [[WinToExit beat it and escape]]. Asuna quickly points out that is not an option because they would be leaving everybody else trapped as well, and their real world bodies on life support will eventually die, plus she wants to be with him in the real world. Kirito regains his resolve and they continue on the quest to beat the game.

* In ''Film/MyFavoriteMartian'', Uncle Martin comes to like Tim as a friend and came to see the beauty of Earth after crash landing. Once his spaceship has been fixed, suddenly Martin returns to Tim's house with suitcases announcing that he and Zoot are going to move in with Tim, snice he had admited he'd miss the martian earlier.
-->'''Tim:''' Martin! I can't ''miss you'' if you don't ''GO!''\\
'''Martin:''' ''Exactly! Isn't it wonderful!''

* In the epilogue of ''Anime/AngelBeats'', Otonashi choose to stay back in the afterlife to aid others to pass on even though he has no more regrets left and can leave anytime. [[spoiler:It's hinted that he ''does'' pass on eventually, though.]]

* A very interesting version happens in ''Anime/GoPrincessPrettyCure'': [[spoiler:Towa, freed from being Princess Twilight and now taking up the mantle of Cure Scarlet, decides to join the team after that first transformation. This essentially went against the norm for HeelFaceTurn Cures as [[Anime/FreshPrettyCure Cure Passion]] and [[Anime/SuitePrettyCure Cure Beat]] both ran off after their first transformation and spend a few episodes angsting over their actions as Eas and Seiren respectively before ultimately joining their respective teams.]]

** Her first published work, ''Fire Tripper'', is a story about a time traveling girl named Suzuko who finds love in the feudal age, and decides to stay in the past with her new found boyfriend Shukumaru [[spoiler:who is really Shuu, a boy from her original time she used to babysit]].

* At the end of the second ''ComicBook/{{Catstronauts}}'' book "Race To Mars", [[spoiler:Pom Pom]] decides to stay on Mars alongside [[spoiler:the Cosmocats]], promising to come back on the second trip to Mars.
* Luke Cage, during ''ComicBook/CivilWar2006''. He told Jessica Jones, his wife, to leave the country with their daughter, but he stayed. There is a war, and he must fight it.
** Captain America had a similar offer from Cable, who proposed him political asylum in Providence. Captain America rejected it.

* While ''ComicBook/ThirstyMermaids'' ends with Pearl, Tooth and Eez turning back into mermaids, they now know how to break the spell — by filling their lungs with sea-water — and they can go back on land any time they want. They consider Vivi a part of their pod and can turn her into a mermaid whenever she wants. It's also implied that they reveal their mermaid selves to the other friends they've made along the way.

* In a roundabout way this happens in ''Fanfic/WhiteDevilOfTheMoon''. [[spoiler:Of the four Inner Senshi only Ami chooses to go to Mid-Childa and continue to study magic and the Moon Kingdom, while the others resume normal lives on Earth.]]

* ''Fanfic/BeingDeadAintEasy'' has a very dark version in the penultimate chapters. [[spoiler:Seto Kaiba refuses Joey's help and wants to stay in the Soul Room, trapped in his own mind forever]].
* ''Fanfic/MyLittleTitan'' (a ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' and ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' crossover): After rescuing the Mane Six (and Spike), whom they've been filling in for while they were imprisoned by the BigBad of the story, the Titans chose to remain in Equestria, in ponified bodies, rather than return to their original world. [[spoiler:They do send a message (courtesy of Discord) back to the other Titans and Batman so they won't worry about the group, letting them know that they've opted to retire from hero work, though they don't say where they've retired to. Also, Melvin manages to bring her little brothers back to stay with her. Starfire's pet Silkie also manages to somehow cross over and rejoin her.]]

* ''Fanfic/NewStars'': [[spoiler: Clone trooper CT-5599, or Maxx, decides to officially join the crew of the Orville, and explore this new galaxy]].
* ''Fanfic/TheDifferentverse'': After Nightmare Moon's defeat, Twilight and Moondancer decide to stay in Ponyville with their new friends, and Marble also decides to stay with Pinkie rather than return to the family rock farm.
* ''Fanfic/TheLionsDen'' has a negative example of this: at the end, Naegi decides to stay with Ultimate Despair not because he wants to help stop them, [[spoiler:but because he himself has fallen into despair.]]

* At the end of ''[[https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-wolf-in-december-the-witching-hour-rwby-the-witcher.454128 The Wolf In December,]]'' [[Franchise/TheWitcher Geralt]] makes the choice to remain on [[WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} Remnant]], a world where his skills as a HunterOfMonsters make him a hero, rather than a freak of nature like they do back [[CrapsackWorld home]]. It helps that Ciri's world-walking abilities mean she can bring their friends to him, so it's not like he has to abandon his old life forever. In the sequel [[spoiler:Yennefer and Regis join him]].
* At the end of ''Nescaflowne'' (a GagDub of ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne),'' Hitme returns home as in the original, but quickly realizes that leaving her one true love and a land of fantastic adventures to be an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent again was a really stupid thing to do. [[spoiler:[[FixFic Thankfully, Juan shows up on Nescaflowne and takes her back with him]].]]

* At the end of ''Fanfic/TakeAStand: The Broken Mirror'', [[spoiler:after Doctor Doom has been defeated and dealt with, Rocket decides to stay in the Zootopia dimension with Lylla, not caring that she's not his Lylla]].

* Defied in ''WesternAnimation/BarbieInTheNutcracker''. [[spoiler:The lead female decides she doesn't want to go home, but then the BigBad, having been thought to be defeated, returns and activates the device she'd been given to send her home. She then vanishes and [[AllJustADream wakes up]] in the real world]].

** In ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet'', [[spoiler:Vanellope ultimately decides to remain in ''Slaughter Race'' permanently, meaning she cannot go back to the arcade with Ralph. She still keeps in touch with him. Shank even reprograms her code so that she can regenerate if she dies.]]
** ''WesternAnimation/FrozenII'': [[spoiler:In the end, Elsa ultimately decides to remain in the Enchanted Forest to guard it and act as a liaison between Arendelle and the Northuldra. The sisters remain in contact with the aid of the elemental spirits.]]

* {{Creator/Pixar}}:

*** In the [[WesternAnimation/Cars1 first film]], [[spoiler:Lightning is offered the Dinoco sponsorship upon helping The King finish the tiebreaker race, but he politely turns it down and chooses to stay with his official sponsor Rust-eze. He also chooses to stay in Radiator Springs permanently and sets up his racing headquarters there, which puts the town back on the map and restores it to its former beauty]].
*** In the [[WesternAnimation/Cars2 second film]], [[spoiler:Finn and Holley are called away to leave for another mission and want Mater to come with them, but he chooses to stay with his friends in Radiator Springs]].
*** In the [[WesternAnimation/Cars3 third film]], [[spoiler:Lightning happily chooses to keep racing upon succeeding at his bet against Sterling thanks to sharing the victory with Cruz, who finished the Florida 500 under his number. Cruz also decides to stay with Lightning in Radiator Springs so she can be his pupil]].

** ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory4'': Twice with Woody. In the prologue when Bo is being donated she invites Woody to come with her, but he declines and chooses to stay with Andy. In the epilogue, [[spoiler:after helping Gabby Gabby find her one true owner and Forky reunite with the rest of the toys, Woody decides to stay behind with Bo, and help other toys find their future owners, as well. Sadly, this means that he must leave Buzz and the rest of the old gang. Therefore, he bids them an emotional goodbye and carries on with his new journey.]]

* Parodied at the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOutOfWater''. After the villain is defeated, Squidward wants to stay on land in his Sour Note form, because, in his words, "I am a ''god''!" [[spoiler:However, [=SpongeBob=] writes on the magical page for everything to be back to the way it was at the start of the film. With the modification of giving Squidward "rock-hard abs".]]

* In ''Film/{{Doomsday}}'', [[spoiler:Eden, a native Scot whose mother managed to get her out just ahead of the border being sealed, decides to stay after her mission is complete, and apparently becomes the ruler of the tribe of wild cannibal people by [[KlingonPromotion killing her predecessor]].]]

* ''Film/AFarOffPlace'': At the end, Harry and Nonnie share a goodbye kiss before he has to return to New York. Later, Nonnie and the Colonel are repairing what’s left of the Parker ranch when a vehicle approaches. Harry jumps out and the two embrace. [[note]](Arguably, as he is now an orphan, he has nowhere else to go)[[/note]]

* In ''Film/HotTubTimeMachine'', [[spoiler:Lou chooses to stay his younger self in 1986 [[TheSlowPath and relive his life]], instead of going back to 2010 with his friends. Adam also chooses to stay behind, but ends up falling into the hot tub during the return trip]].
* Subverted in ''Film/{{Idiocracy}}''. Joe and Rita decide to stay in the crapsack world future rather than take a time machine back to the year 2005. [[spoiler:Although it turns out the time machine is actually an amusement park ride called the "Time Masheen", [[FutureImperfect which offers a strange take on history]].]]

* Film/JohnCarter spends half the film trying to figure out a way to get back to Earth/Jasoom, but, at the end, he decides to stay on Mars/Barsoom. [[spoiler:As soon as he throws away the transportation medallion, he's ambushed and sent back by [[BigBad Matai Shang]]. He then spends a decade trying to find a way back to Mars]].

** Played straight in [[Film/JumanjiTheNextLevel the sequel]] where Milo Walker, [[spoiler:who realizes [[YourDaysAreNumbered he doesn't have much longer to live]] and happy to have made amends with former business partner Eddie]], decides to stay in the game [[spoiler:as the game's flying horse]].

* ''Film/MrHarrigansPhone'': [[spoiler:Craig intended to jump a cliff to suicide, but later he decided to throw his old phone into the river so that he won't be depressed by another tragedy and stay in his life.]]

* ''Film/{{Purgatory}}'': The coachman [[spoiler:gives Sonny the chance to join him, no questions asked. Sonny opts to stay in Refuge, with Rose]].
* Two times in ''Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes'' [[spoiler:when Caesar chose to stay with his fellow simians and lead them rather than return home with Will]].

* At the end of ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', Thor decides to [[spoiler:go back to earth]] to be with Jane. He even abdicates the throne of Asgard to do so.

** Also notable is [[spoiler:one of Bumblebee's only spoken lines: "I wish to stay with the boy."]]

* Amy does this in the last book of the ''Literature/AcrossTheUniverseBethRevis'' trilogy. She refuses to get on the spaceship back to Earth, infuriating her father. [[spoiler:Lucky for her, since everyone on the ship was gassed. Including her mother.]]
* ''Literature/AiNoKusabi'' ends with a very touching, albeit tragic, version of this. [[spoiler:Riki ''could'' have left Iason to FaceDeathWithDignity, after he got his legs cut off and the place they were in caught fire. He instead chooses to stay by Iason's side and share OneLastSmoke with him before they're TogetherInDeath.]]

** Zainal, a Catteni military officer mistakenly sent to the slave colony world, Botany (named by the humans placed there) rebuffs several attempts by the slavemasters to take him back home. The first out of spite: he knows the dockmaster responsible for his being there will be punished for it, if he stays long enough for the right people to notice his absence. Later on, it's because he's come to respect the humans who've managed to carve out a place for themselves (one female in particular) and wanted to stay and help them. We find out in a later book that [[spoiler:Zainal is also a high-ranking member of his homeworld's LaResistance AND due to be the next vessel for one of the body-snatching {{Evil Overlord}}s that have enslaved ''his'' people and if that happens, things will end badly for lots of people]].

** ''The Last Battle'' has everyone (except Susan) return to live forever in New Narnia, [[spoiler:thanks to them all dying in a railroad accident in their own world. It's implied that Narnia and Earth connect to the same heaven, so they would have gone there anyway, but the choice was in line with this trope.]]

* ''Literature/TheFort2022'': [[spoiler:At the end, Ricky passes a test to get into a better school similar to the one he started out in, at the end but decides to stay at his current school with his new friends.]]

* In ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'', Sousuke finds himself so attached to Kaname and civilian life that, rather than accept Mithril's termination of his bodyguarding mission, Sousuke insists on taking a 50% pay cut so he can continue going to school with her. [[spoiler:In the final volume, he not only quits mercenary work entirely, he even breaks out of the Okinawan military base where he was held for medical observation just so he show up to high school graduation on time and give Kaname the BigDamnKiss they promised each other.]]
* The ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' novel "The Haunted School" involves the characters being trapped in Greyworld, a black-and-white alternate universe where those trapped there slowly lose their colors until they're completely greyscale. As the main characters attempt to escape before that happens, it is revealed at the end that [[spoiler: Thalia had successfully escaped beforehand but still lost all her colors, forcing her to wear layers of makeup all the time to cover up her condition. She ultimately decides to stay in Greyworld instead of dealing with it in the real world.]]
* In ''Literature/TheGunsOfTheSouth'', Colonel Henry Pleasants of the Union Army misses the train he was supposed to take back to Pennsylvania after being released from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andersonville_National_Historic_Site Andersonville Prison]]. He decides to stay in the Confederate States, convinced that a talented engineer like himself would be in high demand. [[spoiler:Later in the book, he tells his friend Nate Caudell that the other reason he stayed is that he lost his wife just before the war and became something of a DeathSeeker; coming to the South gave him a new purpose in life.]]

* In ''A Hologram for the King'', the main character Alan Clay has to go to UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia in order to present his company's hologram program to King Abdullah and get them to do the IT for the King Abdullah Economic City. Alan ultimately chooses to stay [[spoiler:despite not getting the contract, but he's still confident that he'll convince the king to use his company in another way.]]

* In ''Laura and the Silver Wolf'', the ill girl Laura fulfills her quest in Iceland, after which she is pulled into the real world and even feels better than before. The she decides to go back to Iceland and stay there. [[spoiler:She doesn't actually have much choice in the matter. The fact that she is [[HollywoodHealing suddenly 100% healthy]] and not stopped by a nurse can only mean that she is not actually in the real world. This is likely a way for her to choose her Afterlife and she chooses [[DiedHappilyEverAfter the happier variant]] Assuming of course this isn't just a DyingDream.]]

* ''Literature/LizardMusic'': In the end, [[spoiler:the Chicken Man decides to stay with the lizards.]] Victor would like to stay - the lizards are a cool bunch, after all, and their way of television is actually really cool- but the Chicken Man points out he's got his parents, sister, and school to come back to [[spoiler:while the Chicken Man's just a hobo who annoys other people]].
* ''Literature/{{Nation}}'': Near the end of the book, the God of Death Locaha dubs Mau worthy to [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence join the Perfect World]], but Mau turns him down, believing it's more important to try to make ''this'' world perfect. [[spoiler:Which is exactly what makes him worthy in the first place, Locaha revealing with pride that everyone he's ever given the offer to has made the same choice.]]

* In ''Literature/PugsOfTheFrozenNorth'', [[spoiler:Mitzi Von Primm]] decides to stay with the yetis [[spoiler:after having consumed so many snow noodles that her transformation into one is all-but-complete]].
** [[spoiler:Helga Hammerfist decides to stay in the Snowfather's palace because it's winter there all year 'round.]]
** [[spoiler:Shen decides that he and the pugs will live with Sika and her mother.]]

* ''Literature/TheRifter'': downplayed-- because John finds out that he can’t go home from Basawar to Earth, or rather that if he did open the gate between the worlds, it would destroy Basawar, which he would never consider doing. Laurie, however, intends to open the gate; she doesn’t care about destroying the world which has brought her great suffering.

* In ''Literature/SkyJumpers'', it's revealed that, years ago, when White Rock's guard came to the town of Browning, [[spoiler:Brock's father met his mother, and decided to stay there to be with her]].
* In ''Literature/TheShipWho'' story ''Dramatic Mission'', actors take an assignment to [[KlingonsLoveShakespeare put on Shakespeare plays for aliens]]. These are highly advanced StarfishAliens living on a methane-ammonia world who set up "[[RemoteBody envelopes]]'', bodies like theirs, for the actors to [[MyselfMyAvatar inhabit for seven-hour stretches]]. TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody and the humans quickly find themselves thinking like the Corviki and [[SenseLossSadness regretting returning to their own bodies]]. [[spoiler: One actor has [[TenMinuteRetirement recently retired but was bored]], and another is slowly dying from the FantasticDrug that gives him enough recall to juggle all the lines of the hundreds of plays he knows. They both revel in the sense of youth and power they feel as alien jellyfish and elect to stay, as does another actor who's in love with one of them, allowing their human bodies to slowly wither.]]

* In ''Literature/{{Stardust}}'', Tristran chooses to stay on the other side of the wall with Yvaine. He ultimately settles there and dies there. It helps that, by virtue of [[spoiler:being the last surviving male heir]], he's now [[spoiler:the Lord of Stormhold]].
* In ''Literature/SummerCelebration'', the Doctor, after having given birth to Mr. Katan’s wife, chose to stay in the settlement where he and Tsiva live.

* In Michael Crichton's novel ''Literature/{{Timeline}}'', historian André Marek decides at the last minute to remain in Medieval France instead of returning to the 20th century. His co-workers/friends go find his grave after they get back to the 20th century and know where to look for it, just to get some idea how he fared.

* When deciding whether to stay ''Literature/TrappedOnDraconica'' or go home, Ben [[spoiler:tries to TakeAThirdOption and go home but use his power to travel between worlds to visit Draconica, but Dronor says he has to take that power away. After thinking about his worried sick mother and encouragement from Erowin he decides to go home.]]

* ''Literature/WolvesOfMercyFallsSeries'': At the end of ''Literature/{{Shiver}}'', [[spoiler:Olivia]] chooses to try and live with lycanthropy rather than gamble on an incredibly risky cure.

* In the finale of ''Series/TheAmericans'', the protagonists’ daughter Paige decides to stay in America rather than go back to the USSR with them after their cover gets blown.

* In ''Series/{{Elementary}}'', Joan at the end of "M" [[spoiler:calls Sherlock's father to ask for an extension after her six weeks with Sherlock was over. Her request is denied but she continues to stay without pay anyways. She lies to Sherlock that his father granted her extension, but he figures out the truth and offers her to stay on as his apprentice]].
* Sometimes on ''Series/FantasyIsland'', a guest will decide they fit their fantasy world much better and become a "permanent resident" of the island.
** A would-be cowboy finds, rather than the Old West, he's put into the "real West" of modern times but is drawn to the young widow and her son at a ranch and decides to give it a try for real.
** A lawyer comes hunting his friend, who elected to stay and live out being a swashbuckler type. After various attempts, the lawyer realizes his friend is much happier in this 16th-century world and bids him farewell.
* ''Series/FantasyIsland2021'':

* The first 3 1/2 seasons of ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' are all about John's efforts to get back to Earth. However, when he finally gets there, he realizes that A) he's changed too much to stick around and B) the bad guys aren't going to stop going after him so he has to leave to protect Earth. He takes it a step further in the series finale when he [[spoiler:closes the wormhole to Earth permanently so the bad guys can't get there... but that means he can never go back. Made even worse since he knows that it's his fault that the Scarrans are even after Earth, having accidentally told their Emperor that there's plenty of their mind-boosting plant on Earth]].

** Jon turns down Stannis' offer to legitimize him as Jon Stark, something he has wanted his whole life, out of his sense of duty to the Night’s Watch and realizing that the political squabbling among the kingdoms is nothing compared to the impending threat of the White Walkers and their army of the dead.

* In ''Series/TheInvisibleMan'', after Darien has the Quicksilver gland implanted in his brain, he's forced to work for the Agency because the gland has the inconvenient side effect of causing insanity and eventual death, and they have the only antidote, which needs to be administered regularly. He spends two seasons trying to find a way to either have the gland removed (which they can't do without killing him) or fix the (deliberate) design flaw. Then, in the series finale, [[spoiler:the gland is fixed and he doesn't need the antidote anymore, so he leaves to work for the FBI. Then he realizes the FBI are woefully inadequate at dealing with the unbelievable threats he's accustomed to, so he agrees to come back to the Agency and [[HoYay his partner]] at the end, albeit with some demands.]]
* In the final episode of ''Series/{{Life on Mars|2006}}'', [[spoiler:Sam finally gets back to 2006 -- but finds himself bored and unsatisfied there, so returns to rescue his friends in 1973. By jumping off a building and killing himself.]]
* Lots of characters on ''Series/{{Lost}}'' choose to stay on the island, and some of those who've left want to ''go back''. The first to declare that they're going to stay (before the Jack/Locke split) are Rose and Bernard, who join Jack's group but have no interest in leaving because [[spoiler:Rose's cancer is cured on the Island and she would die if she left. Eventually, they "retire" to a cabin in the jungle.]] In the GrandFinale, [[spoiler:Jack, Hurley, and Ben choose to stay behind to save the Island from the Man in Black's EvilPlan. Jack [[HeroicSacrifice dies heroically]] and Hurley and Ben choose to stay behind and take up his charge as the caretakers of the Island. And then in the "flash-sideways" afterlife, everyone decides to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence except for Ben, who decides he's going to stay behind and work things out with Alex and Danielle before he joins everyone else in wherever they all end up]].

** In the ''Series/StargateUniverse'' episode "Twin Destinies", when the crew of ''Destiny'' are about to go home, Rush asks for 10 people to join him and Young in staying behind. Most of the main cast elect to do so. [[spoiler:It was an AlternateUniverse, and they all ended up on a random planet 2000 years in the past.]]

-->'''Spock:''' An inexorable evolution toward a Vulcan philosophy has already begun. Like the first Vulcans, these people are struggling to a new enlightenment and it may take decades or even centuries for them to reach it but they will reach it… and I must help.

And I’m never going back, never going back\\

* In ''Theatre/{{Brigadoon}}'', it is explained that people from the outside world are ''not'' trapped in Brigadoon, unlike its inhabitants. But if they really desire to live there forever, ThePowerOfLove will let them stay. And so Tommy ultimately decides to go back to Scotland rather than settling down with his [[DisposableFiance Disposable Fiancée]].
* In the 2014 Bordeaux production of Jean-Philippe Rameau's ''Les Indes galantes'', Emilie ultimately chooses to stay in Turkey with Osman rather than return to France with her first love Valère.

* [[spoiler:Kyouko and Kouin]] in ''VisualNovel/AseliaTheEternalTheSpiritOfEternitySword'' choose to stay at the end, though Kaori decides to go home [[spoiler:without her brother, who is neither staying or returning, exactly.]]
* Implied for future plans in ''Franchise/BlazBlue''. At the end of one of her story branches in ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueCalamityTrigger Calamity Trigger]]'', Litchi Faye-Ling is asked that if she ever finds the cure for Arakune, she'll just go back being a scientist in Sector Seven. Her response? She already chose to settle at Orient Town permanently once it's over, people needed her there. [[spoiler:In the end of ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueCentralFiction Central Fiction]]'', she fulfilled this after coming to a conclusion about finding the cure (she didn't find it, but is convinced to return to her normal friends).]]

* Happens during the intro to ''VideoGame/CirqueDeZale'', with Alexander deciding that he would rather stay in the alternate world and start a circus rather than go back to his homeworld. Justified since Alexander's life sucked in his previous world, so having a chance to start anew seemed quite appealing to him. Later on in the game, [[spoiler:Alexander chooses to stay ''again'', this time on a deserted island]].

* At the end of ''VideoGame/Doom64'', [[PlayerCharacter Doomguy]] decides to stay in Hell to make sure the demons never menace the world of the living again. [[spoiler:Over time he is driven mad by the toll that constantly fighting demons takes on his mind, and he is found by the Night Sentinels, who take him into their ranks. After a serious powerup by one of the Maykrs who rule over the Sentinels, he soon becomes one of the order's only survivors after the order is betrayed by both their superiors and one of their own, and goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against the forces of Hell, becoming the Doom Slayer of ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' and ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'']].

* [[spoiler:Saber in the Unlimited Blade Works Good End and Rider in the Heaven's Feel True End]] in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', the first more so than than the latter because up until that point we constantly heard that it was not going to happen. [[spoiler:Archer was sort of tempted to in the UBW endings, but only because he didn't want to make Tohsaka sad. But there was no place for him, and even one Servant is hard enough to support without the Grail. It didn't stop her from trying to get him to stay, but stops and realizes that if even if he did stay that he couldn't be saved from the ideal that ultimately betrayed him.]]

** Inverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', in that [[spoiler:Tidus]] would choose to stay but (depending on how you take the sequel) must leave [[spoiler:along with the Aeons]].
*** Also totally defied with [[spoiler:Auron. As Yuna is preforming the ceremony to send Sin's corpse to the Farplane she stops when she sees Auron disappearing too. He makes her to keep going telling her "This...is your world now."]]
** Brutally defied in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV''. In Patch 3.55, "The Far Edge of Fate", [[spoiler:the death of Illberd while holding Nidhogg's eyes and combined with the brutal deaths of a resistance performed by Illberd has lead to the creation of a new Primal. Knowing what's going to happen, Papalymo decides to use [[MagicStaff Tupsimati]] to create a similar prison attempted to be used on Bahamut Prime five years earlier. When Yda realizes he means to sacrifice himself to use the needed aether to create the prison, she refuses to leave his side, forcing Papalymo to ask Thancred to get her out. You're given the choice of either staying or going, but if you choose to stay, Papalymo sighs sadly and blasts you away to safety.]]

** Ninian in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'', if you get her to A support with Eliwood. [[spoiler:Even knowing her lifespan will be greatly shortened by staying on Elibe.]]
** Also, in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' [[spoiler:in her solo ending [[ShrinkingViolet Noire]] decides to stay with her mother Tharja, her father, and later her baby self. It's speculated whether she did it to keep an eye on the [[{{Yandere}} mentally unstable]] [[ParentalNeglect Tharja]] [[MommyIssues so she won't neglect/abuse her child self]], to prove that her complicated relationship with her mom has been mended, or (most likely) a mix of all the above.]]
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', if [[spoiler:Female!Corrin marries Odin or Laslow in the Revelation route, they will stay and rule Valla with her, rather than return to their home, the world of ''Awakening'', permanently. Notably, the other Ylissean character, Selena, doesn't have a special epilogue and uses her usual epilogue ending, though it can be assumed she would stay as well, due to the fact that Male!Corrin is still King of Valla.]]
* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'': At the end of ''Revelator'', Axl Low, the charming and funny British time traveller who has spent the whole series trying to find a way back to his old time, [[spoiler:is finally given a chance to go home but can't bring himself to abandon his friends, so he chooses to use his power to help AntiHero protagonist Sol Badguy save his own timeline instead.]]

* [[spoiler:Rika]] in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV'' chooses to stay with [[spoiler:Chaz]] at the end of the game, and is warned that life will be painful and difficult but that [[spoiler:she]] is their hope. Ultimately, that is because [[spoiler:she was created to give humanity a chance to survive through her genetically-enhanced bloodline, in anticipation of the remaining climate control systems from the Mother Brain-era failing. In effect, Rika and Chaz are part of an AdamAndEvePlot, sort of.]]
* At the end of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'', [[spoiler:Apollo chooses to stay in Khura'in and help oversee the reconstruction of the nation's justice system rather than return with Phoenix and Athena]].

** Played fully straight at the end of ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonRescueTeam''. [[spoiler:S/he is literally able to keep from returning to the human world just by ''wishing'' hard enough. The decision is also somewhat justified by them having no memory of their human existence.]]
** Completely justified at the end of ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers'' by the fact that [[spoiler:you come from a future wasteland and have nothing to return to; on top of the fact that you're not so much returning to a human world as in other games, so much as suffering CessationOfExistence due to changing the past, making your wish to return more understandable.]]
** Zigzagged at the end of ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonGatesToInfinity''. [[spoiler:Once the Bittercold is in pieces, you depart the Pokemon world. The first part of the PlayableEpilogue is focused on your partner, who seeks Jirachi in order to wish you back; however, they realize that ripping you away from your friends and loved ones in the human world would be horrendously selfish of them and [[TakeAThirdOption instead wish to give you the power to freely cross dimensions]], giving you the best of both worlds.]]
** Zigzagged in ''VideoGame/PokemonSuperMysteryDungeon''. The player character wants to remain in the Pokemon world when all is said and done, but [[spoiler:it's the ''partner'' who has to disappear due to being a reincarnation of Mew. No way home for the player ever comes up in the story.]]

* In ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'', [[spoiler:Ein will choose to stay in Riviera if the love meter of any of the girls is high enough. Otherwise, he will return to Asgard with Rose]].

* In ''VideoGame/AStoryAboutMyUncle'': After thinking about it for some time [[spoiler:Maddie]] decides to stay with [[spoiler:the Strays]]. The same thing happens to [[spoiler:Fred]], after the main character convinced him to.

* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsX'': [[spoiler:In the endings of both the normal and IF routes, [[Anime/CodeGeass Lelouch]] (Due to him wanting to lay low after Zero Requiem) along with both protagonists choose to stay in Al-Warth rather than return to their respective worlds.]]

** In any of the Neutral Endings, [[spoiler:Asgore offers you the chance to stay with him if you choose to spare him after defeating him in your fight. However, it's not to be; if you don't kill Asgore, Flowey does it himself.]]
** In the True GoldenEnding, this is one of the two choices you can make [[spoiler:once you've reached the surface and Toriel asks you what you plan to do next. If you tell her that you want to stay with her, she'll gladly adopt Frisk (your Player Character). When you make this choice, the ending post-credits scene of the game is a brief scene of Frisk sleeping in their bed at night, with Toriel peeking in long enough to leave them a slice of pie for when they wake up, just like she did near the beginning of the game]]. The other option you can choose is an example of ButNowIMustGo.
* At the end of ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile2Silmeria'', [[spoiler:the pocket dimension created by [[BigBad Lezard Valeth]] within Yggdrasil begins to break down upon his death. The immortal vampire Brahms, realizing he has become mortal in this dimension, willingly stays behind to die.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ArloTheAlligatorBoy'': Two in succession. First, Arlo chooses not to move in with his birth father Ansel, and instead decides to live with the friends he made throughout his journey, making them his FamilyOfChoice. Secondly, Ansel changes his mind about destroying the Brooklyn boardwalk Seaside by the Seashore and instead lets the gang restore it and live there, so Arlo can remain in his birth place for good.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThreeBelow'': In the series finale, [[spoiler:Krel decides to remain on Earth because he sees the planet as his new home and he wants to stay with all the friends he made]].

** In ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'', [[spoiler:Grandpa Max]] chooses to stay in the Null Void and help the inhabitants recover from the depredations of D'Void [[spoiler:aka Dr. Animo]]. [[spoiler:He eventually returns to Earth in the season finale.]]
** In ''Ultimate Alien'', [[spoiler:Charmcaster]] stays behind in her home dimension, sealed off from the outside world forever, in hopes of finally freeing it from its evil ruler.

* ''WesternAnimation/JurassicWorldCampCretaceous'': When the kids ''finally'' have a plan to get off the island, [[spoiler:Ben Pincus]] opts to remain behind, reasoning that their CharacterDevelopment is only possible because of their experiences there and afraid of reverting back to their previous self. The other campers begrudgingly agree, but then take as much time as possible circling waiting for the stupidity of that decision to sink in.

* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/LeroyAndStitch'', Stitch, Pleakly and Jumba decide to forgo the chance to leave Earth and stay as members of Lilo's TrueCompanions.
* Kion decides to return to the Tree of Life after seeing that Zira is dead and the Pride Lands are at peace in ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard''and become king, as he’s fallen in love with Queen Rani. The rest of the guard joins him as Vitani formed and leads her own Lion Guard.

** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonYMakeYourMark'': At the end of "Roots of All Evil, Pt. 2", [[spoiler:Sparky decides to stay with his adoptive pony father Hitch, who had been worrying about the day he will have to let Sparky go with his own kind, the dragons. Spike, who was raised by Twilight when he was a hatchling himself, gladly accepts Sparky's decision.]]

** She makes a more dramatic version of this choice in the season one finale, as she [[spoiler:destroys the portal to Earth so [[BigBad Emperor Belos]] doesn't get his hands on it.]]
** At the end of the first episode of season three, [[spoiler:Vee decides to stay behind on Earth while Luz returns to the Demon Realm with her friends and mother, partly because [[EscapedFromTheLab as an escaped lab experiment]] she's come to prefer it and isn't ready to return just yet, and partly because someone needs to fill in for Camila's absence, and who better than a shapeshifter]].

** When finally in direct communication with Bow after [[spoiler:her presumed death in the Fright Zone (and a fair bit of Catra hinting at her being tortured into compliance),]] [[MadScientist Entrapta]] admits that she would [[spoiler:[[FaceHeelTurn rather remain with the Horde]]]] as they give her the resources and supplies to [[ForScience experiment to her hearts content]].
** She later tries to make a same choice when Bow and Adora try to rescue her from [[spoiler:Beast Island, additionally reasoning that there's nothing left for her off the island]], but Adora manages to lure her back.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheBadBatch'': In S1 E16, [[spoiler:Crosshair refuses to leave Kamino with the Bad Batch at the end of the episode, preferring to stay behind and return to the Empire.]]

** [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E15ThroughImperialEyes "Through Imperial Eyes"]]: The rebels mount an operation to rescue [[spoiler:[[TheMole Agent Kallus]]]] because his cover is in danger. [[spoiler:At the end, he chooses to stay because he believes he can do more from the inside, unaware that Grand Admiral Thrawn is now aware of his treachery and plans to FeedTheMole.]]

* ''VideoGame/FatalFrame1'': In the True ending, Mafuyu chooses to stay with the ghost of Kirie, to comfort her and provide her with companionship as she spends eternity keeping a HellGate shut. Later games imply that he died down there.

* Parodied at the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOutOfWater''. After the villain is defeated, Squidward wants to stay on land in his Sour Note form, because, in his words, "I am a ''god''!" However, [=SpongeBob=] writes on the magical page for everything to be back to the way it was at the start of the film. With the modification of giving Squidward "rock-hard abs".

-->-- '''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}''', ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''

* Implied for future plans in ''VideoGame/BlazBlue''. At the end of one of her story branches in ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueCalamityTrigger Calamity Trigger]]'', Litchi Faye-Ling is asked that if she ever finds the cure for Arakune, she'll just go back being a scientist in Sector Seven. Her response? She already chose to settle at Orient Town permanently once it's over, people needed her there. [[spoiler:In the end of ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueCentralFiction Central Fiction]]'', she fulfilled this after coming to a conclusion about finding the cure (she didn't find it, but is convinced to return to her normal friends).]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin2'' we meet Stefano Valentini, a WickedCultured MadArtist who kills people and takes pictures of their last moments or mutilated corpses for his art. Before he formally introduces himself to Sebastian, we see him setting up a [[NebulousEvilOrganization Mobius]] agent to be his next photograph. The man begs for his life, and tells Stefano that he can help him escape [[InsideAComputerSystem STEM, the simulation they're all inside,]] but Stefano only replies with confusion as to why he would want to leave, since now, with the simulated town of Union in ruins, he can kill and make art at will with no consequences.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited'', Supergirl, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow are abducted into the future by the ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes, who are desperate for help defeating a powerful supervillain. Supergirl elects to stay in the future afterward, thus pulling a ProphecyTwist, since the Legion's records said she disappeared from the present, which they had previously interpreted to mean she'd die.

* At the end of ''Literature/ShakuganNoShana'', [[HardDrinkingPartyGirl Margery Daw]] and her Crimson Lord Marchosias decide to stay behind in Misaki City instead of going to Xanadu with the other Flame Hazes and Crimson Denizens as the former desires to stay with Keisaku.

** ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'': Spock once again considers leaving the ''Enterprise'' to go aid New Vulcan and eventually breed with a Vulcan woman to help repopulate the species, especially after Spock Prime's passing away, while Kirk wants to leave the Captain's chair considering himself unworthy due to being there because of a bet. After going through a Starfleet colony-saving adventure, both decide to stay on the ''Enterprise'' with a newfound appreciation of their roles.

** ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'': Spock once again considers leaving the ''Enterprise'' to go help New Vulcan and eventually breed with a Vulcan, especially after Spock Prime's passing away, while Kirk wants to leave the Captain's chair considering himself unworthy due to being there because of a bet. After going through a Starfleet colony-saving adventure, both decide to stay on the ''Enterprise'' with a reconciled appreciation of their roles.

* Coach in ''DeathRace''. His prison sentence ended years prior to the events of the movie, but he refuses to leave because he has nothing to go back to.

* ''Film/StarTrek2009'': After the [[EarthShatteringKaboom demise of Vulcan]], Spock is ready to leave Starfleet and help with reestablishing a new Vulcan society. After some words with a very [[AlternateUniverse wise old man]], Spock reconsiders, remains in Starfleet, reclaiming his place as First Officer of the ''Enterprise''.

* The ''Literature/Goosebumps'' novel "The Haunted School" involves the characters being trapped in Greyworld, a black-and-white alternate universe where those trapped there slowly lose their colors until they're completely greyscale. As the main characters attempt to escape before that happens, it is revealed at the end that [[spoiler: Thalia had successfully escaped beforehand but still lost all her colors, forcing her to wear layers of makeup all the time to cover up her condition. She ultimately decides to stay in Greyworld instead of dealing with it in the real world.]]

* ''Fanfic/New Stars'': [[spoiler: Clone trooper CT-5599, or Maxx, decides to officially join the crew of the Orville, and explore this new galaxy]].

* American Chibi chooses to stay in the computer-game world in ''ComicBook/AstroCity''; she realizes that the Unbodied helped create her from the subconscious of computer game designer Marguerite Li as part of a plan to invade the Earth from their dimension, so she decides to stay to fight them on their own turf in order to foil their invasion plans. The Assemblyman is working on a transdimensional communicator so she can contact Honor Guard, and Li is writing additional code into the game to provide Chibi with friends and allies and give her every advantage she can.

* Parodied at the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOutOfWater''. [[spoiler:After the villain is defeated, Squidward wants to stay on land in his Sour Note form, because, in his words, "I am a ''god''!" However, [=SpongeBob=] writes on the magical page for everything to be back to the way it was at the start of the film. With the modification of giving Squidward "rock-hard abs"]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheIceAgeAdventuresOfBuckWild'': At the end, [[spoiler:Crash and Eddie decide they want to stay in the Lost World with Buck and Zee. Ellie, after some thought and realizing her brothers truly have become more independent (and with the promise they'll still visit), accepts their decision.]]
* During the climax of ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'', [[spoiler:the entire main cast get teleported back to Earth where the final showdown takes place. The ending at first seems to hint that Mario and Luigi went back after they defeated Bowser... until they leave their house and reveal they're staying in the Mushroom Kingdom. However it is hinted that they can go back and forth between Earth and the Mushroom Kingdom freely]].

* ''Film/ThePatriot'' has a rare villainous example. Colonel Tavington, who has little regard for UsefulNotes/TheLawsAndCustomsOfWar, agrees to take responsibility for his own war crimes while hunting down the Colonial Militia so Cornwallis can keep his record clean. He is unconcerned that this will dishonor him back home in England, since he has already decided to settle in America once the war is over.