History Main / JourneyToFindOneself

* The backstory of ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]]'' is that Link left Hyrule after the events of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'' to go on a journey of self-discovery and training (some of which we later got to play through in the ''[[TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle]]'' games). The game itself begins with Link returning towards Hyrule at the end of his journey, but along the way he gets shipwrecked and washes ashore on Koholint Island.

* The backstory of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'' is that Link left Hyrule to go on a journey of self discovery and training. The game begins with Link returning towards Hyrule at the end of his journey, but along the way he gets shipwrecked and washes ashore on Koholint Island.

* [[spoiler: BattleCouple Allelujah Haptism and Marie Parfacy]] does this in the GrandFinale of {{Gundam 00}}.

* Croix from ''LaPucelleTactics''.

* Ganz in the human [[MultipleEndings ending]] of ''RadiataStories''.
* Lynn and Ryouga from the video game ''SummonNight: Swordcraft Story 2''. Also, Master Sakuro from the first game, and Shintetsu prior to the game's start.

* Ryudo of ''GrandiaII''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Knights of the Old Republic}} II'' establishes that [[spoiler:Revan]] did this following the end of the first game. WordOfGod says that he never came back. [[spoiler:The Exile]] shares his fate.

* Gilles de Rais, at the end of ''JeanneDArc'', after [[spoiler:taking Roger's place in sealing Gilvaroth within himself]]. If the post-game history sticks to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_de_rais reality]], [[spoiler:he will not succeed]].

* PlayedWith and LampShaded in VideoGame/DragonQuestVI: TheHero must do this ''literally''.

* VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvol: The game ends with [[ByronicHero Gunvolt]] having killed his father figure, [[SupportingLeader Asimov]], in revenge for killing his ImpliedLoveInterest Joule. Having effectively disbanded both the enemies he faced and his own team, he goes on the run. Of course, the game was surprisingly successful for an obscure downloadable title, so Gunvolt's story will continue, but considering the StoryBreakingPower he earned at the [[EleventHourSuperpower end of the game]], this is probably the end of his own story.

* Daisuke Aurora takes one of these at the [[GainaxEnding end]] of ''HeatGuyJ''.

* An episode of ''FamilyGuy'' ends with Brian going to LA to find himself. The next episode begins with a slew of action movie cliches, none of which even remotely resemble anything that happened in the previous episode. The sequence then ends with Lois exclaming "Brian's gone to LA to find himself!", but even that line didn't appear in the previous episode.

* ''TowerOfGod'''':'' After successfully making his sister a princess but still feeling dissatisfied, Koon Agero Agnis decided to climb the Tower to search for what he really desired.

* Ben of ''DarthsAndDroids'' does this in-between the events of [[RevengeOfTheSith Episode III]] and [[ANewHope Episode IV]]. However, he makes the mistake of not keeping in contact with everyone and they all think the worse.

* Ogremon from ''DigimonAdventure''.

[[folder: Comic Books]]
* The overarching plot of ComicBook/{{X-23}}'s solo series consists of this as Laura goes "walkabout" in the aftermath of her stint on ComicBook/{{X-Force}}, in large part triggered by questions over whether she has a soul after an encounter with [[spoiler: Hellverine]]. She leaves Utopia because she feels there are too many voices trying to tell her who she is, and wishes to find her own answers. It's relatively brief, and ends with Laura deciding to attend ComicBook/AvengersAcademy after an invitation from ComicBook/BlackWidow. During this time, Laura makes substantial progress in at least coming to terms with herself, even if much of her emotional damage remains.

* The latter arc of ''{{Honey and Clover}}''.

* Mamimi of {{FLCL}} does it at the end by leaving her town and pursuing a career as a photographer.

* Playfully subverted in Music/{{Lonestar}}'s "No News," when a woman leaves her man to "find herself" and he agonizes over improbable things she must be doing ("rocking out with the band/ On the road with Music/PearlJam") when the implication is that she's simply left him.

* Playfully subverted in Lonestar's "No News," when a woman leaves her man to "find herself" and he agonizes over improbable things she must be doing ("rocking out with the band/ On the road with Music/PearlJam") when the implication is that she's simply left him.

* The "neutral" [[MultipleEndings ending]] of ''{{Disgaea}}''.

* Happens in several of the FrontMission games, though best seen in ''1st'' with [[spoiler: Royd Clive]] and ''2'' with [[spoiler: Ash Faruk]].

-->-- '''''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey'''''

* Murray from ''SlyCooper 3: Honor Among Thieves'' (A rare case in which the character's return is included.)

* The backstory of ''TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'' is that Link left Hyrule to go on a journey of self discovery and training. The game begins with Link returning towards Hyrule at the end of his journey, but along the way he gets shipwrecked and washes ashore on Koholint Island.

* Touma in ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha Force'' goes on a trip by himself in order to come to terms with [[spoiler:the destruction of his hometown]], which leads to him encountering Lily and the events of the story taking place.

** Leon of ''FinalFantasyII'' leaves the party at the end for similar reasons, having been EasilyForgiven for his earlier villainy but considering himself unworthy of forgiveness.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* PlayedWith and LampShaded in DragonQuestVI: TheHero must do this ''literally''.

[[folder: Web Comics]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* An episode of ''FamilyGuy'' ends with Brian going to LA to find himself. The next episode begins with a slew of action movie cliches, none of which even remotely resemble anything that happened in the previous episode. The sequence then ends with Lois exclaming "Brian's gone to LA to find himself!", but even that line didn't appear in the previous episode.