History Main / Prequel

** Many comic book prequels explain how things are different after a retcon. For example, ''ComicBook/ActionComics'' #158 shows young Clark Kent's life in a different way than ''ComicBook/SupermanNumberOne'' had. This version was reconned out by ''ComicBook/ManOfSteel'', which in turn was displaced by ''ComicBook/SupermanBirthright'', ''ComicBook/SupermanSecretOrigin'' and ''ComicBook/ActionComicsNew52''.

Either way, it may be time for a Prequel (a {{portmanteau}} of "pre-" and "{{sequel}}"): a sequel that is set chronologically ''before'' the previous work. On one hand, this allows for excellent {{foreshadowing}} as well as an opportunity to [[ExpandedUniverse further expand the universe]] of a work. On the other, the prequel often heavily {{retcon}}s the backstory, it can have consequences that should have been mentioned in the original story, and it's difficult to keep up the tension when [[ForegoneConclusion the audience knows how it ends]]. For example, in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequel trilogy, various characters interact with others they would meet again in the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, but in that film they show no evidence of recognizing them. Because the second ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' film was a prequel, audiences knew he would survive, and that he wouldn't get to keep the girl. That, however, doesn't mean a prequel can't have big twists or major [[TheReveal reveals]] of their own and may even cast some aspects, if not the entirety, of a previous work in a whole new light.

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' is a prequel to the first ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry1'' game. ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 4]]'' is technically a prequel too, as it still takes place before the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry2 second]]. In in-universe chronological order, the games go 3, 1, 4, 2 - and they've been going out of their way to deny ''2'' ever happened.

* Webcomic parody: In [[http://www.qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=934 this strip]] of ''Webcomic/DinosaurComics'', God publishes a sequel to the Bible, then a prequel that takes place in the universe before this one.

* Season 9 of ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' began showing a prequel story delving into the backstory of Project Freelancer, split between showing Church's attempts to revive Tex in the Epsilon Capture Unit. Season 10 continued this setup, though the modern parts are about the Reds and Blues (plus Agents Washington and Carolina) trying to hunt down the Director of Project Freelancer.

* ''Franchise/Gundam'':

* Wolfram von Eschenbach's unfinished epic poem ''Titurel'' was a prequel to his ''Parzival''.

* ''VideoGame/ChildOfEden'' is said to be a prequel to ''VideoGame/{{Rez}}', although some call it a [[SpiritualSuccessor spiritual sequel]].

* ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'' is a prequel to the first film. As well, there was a TV series, ''Series/TheYoungIndianaJonesChronicles''.

** This despite the fact that Anakin/Vader was in the same scene in both trilogies with only a handful of characters. To wit, Palpatine, Obi Wan, Boba Fett (using a very generous definition of "with"), Tarkin and [=C3P0=]. In each case except the last, he does recognize them, with [=C3P0=], well when they meet in Empire Strikes Back, Vader was kind of preoccupied.
** The Prequel Trilogy’s films also show [[CosmeticallyAdvancedPrequel a far more advanced galaxy]] than the Original Trilogy, despite it being over two decades earlier. Justified to an extent as most of the Original trilogy takes place in the galactic boondocks or on Naval Ships while the Prequels are set in the main part of the galaxy. OTH, George Lucas says that was deliberate, as the prequels were a more "civilized age".
** ''Film/RogueOne'' is another prequel of ''A New Hope'', ending very shortly (possibly ''minutes'') before the first movie kicks off.

** ''ComicBook/TransformersGenerationOne'': ''The War Within'' series happens before the events of the main book, establishing the details of the war between the Autobots and Decepticons before they ended up on Earth.

** [[ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel The Marvel Comics continuity]] received a prequel in a 2019 one-shot titled ''Transformers '84'', which had a FramingDevice of Punch narrating the events that led to Optimus Prime and several other Autobots leaving Cybertron in the Ark. The unexpected success of the one-shot led to it being followed the next year by a miniseries titled ''Secrets & Lies'', where Punch continued to explain the events that unfolded on Earth and Cybertron after the Ark took flight and before the Autobots and Decepticons aboard the spacecraft were reactivated in the 1980's.

* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' had its [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaI first game]] set in 1691, but there have been games set before this time. And a shitload of sequels/interquels. So much so that the main climax isn't even a game yet!

* ''Manga/BadCompany'' is an OriginsEpisode prequel to ''Manga/ShonanJunaiGumi'' showing how Eikichi and Ryuji first met and became friends.

* ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' has two Gaiden series totalling 52 episodes which basically revealed the early military careers of Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-li before the start of the series proper.

* ''Series/FearTheWalkingDead'' depicts the very beginning of the ZombieApocalypse that ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' takes place in the aftermath of (albeit thousands of miles away).

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' is a prequel to the entire series and details the backstory and StartOfDarkness of Big Boss, and was followed with ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPortableOps'', ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker'' and finally ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidV'' (with ''V'' having a closing scene teasing ''Videogame/MetalGear'').

* ''StreetFighter'' is pretty bad about this. After the [[CapcomSequelStagnation constant updates]] of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'', the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'' series arrived onto the scene in 1995, with the purpose of fleshing out the backstory by... showing what happened in between the original ''Street Fighter''/''VideoGame/FinalFight'' and ''Street Fighter II''. After ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'' (as well as ''2nd Impact'' and ''3rd Strike'') came and went, ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'' comes out and... it takes place after ''II'' and before ''III''. ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'' would later continue the trend by being set after ''IV''... but ''still'' before ''III''.

* ''Videogame/IMissTheSunrise'' expands on and explains the shocking {{Sequel Hook}}s dropped at the end of ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction''.

* Creator/{{Disney}}'s animated series ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'' is a prequel to the Disney movie of the same name, showing Hercules during his teen-age years.

** Similarly, ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'s origin told in ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton'' was replaced by ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton2004'', which later was written out by ''ComicBook/LastDaughterOfKrypton''.

* ''Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes'' to the ''Franchise/PlanetOfTheApes'' film series.
** More like a ContinuityReboot. The third, fourth and fifth films of the original series were Prequels to the first two, however; the third qualifies as both a Prequel (from the Verse's point of view) ''and'' a Sequel (from that of the ape characters).

* ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', which is set 100 years before Kirk's time period. ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' is more of an {{Interquel}}, being set between ''Enterprise'' and [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries TOS]].