History Main / RidingIntoTheSunset

** ''Anime/MazingerZ'': Many episodes ended up with the main characters -in their robots standing against the sunset still inside their robots or driving their {{Humongous Mecha}}s back to the [[HomeBase Institute]].
*** One specific episode ended up with Kouji using Mazinger's hand to -''carefully''- pick Sayaka and she calmly sitting on the behemot's hand and happily talking to Kouji as Sun set after them.
*** Another episode ended up with Kouji (inside Mazinger-Z) holding Sayaka (inside Aphrodite-A) [[PietaPlagiarism bridal style]] and walking together into the sunset.

* In Manga/{{Bleach}} at the end of the Fullbringer Arc [[spoiler: Moe Shishigawara carries Tsukishima on his back into the sunrise.]]

* ''Art/TheFightingTemeraire'': {{Inverted}}, in that the vessels are coming ''out of'' the sunset, but the significance --the sunset is beautiful and represents finality-- stands.

** Another has a cowboy is riding off into a cardboard-stand/cutout of a sunset, whilst various people wave. The caption reads 'The embarrassment of riding into a fake sunset'.

* ''Fanfic/GodHelpTheOutcasts'': [[spoiler: Discussed and invoked at the end. When the monsters start to fly back to the base, Monger steers Butterflyasaurus in the direction of the setting sun. Dr. Cockroach points out that they're going the wrong way, but Monger insists that heroes always go into the sunset, and that they'll change direction when they're out of sight.]]

* ''FanFic/TheEndingOfTheEndLoveAndToleranceEdition'' ends on the [[spoiler: now more less ReformedButNotTamed LegionOfDoom]] walking into the sunset alongside each other.

--> '''Priscilla''': It's the sunset scene.

* ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' includes this near the end -- [[spoiler: before a subversion. Logan/Wolverine and Kayla are walking off into the sunset -- and a gunshot rings out as Stryker arrives with his adamantium bullets...]]
* Played with the sunrise version in Creator/SamPeckinpah's ''Film/PatGarrettAndBillyTheKid'' where Garrett rides off - although it was a sunset when they were shooting it, but it's dawn in the movie. It doesn't symbolise a new beginning: Garrett's life is completely ruined, nothing left except remorse and loneliness. It symbolizes the death of the Old West and also the whole genre.

* And even the mostly tough and unsentimental gangland melodrama ''Film/TheWarriors'' ends happily, with the [[spoiler: surviving]] heroes frolicking in the surf on the beach off Coney Island before disappearing over the horizon just as the sun is coming up.

* In ''Film/{{Daybreakers}}'', they are driving off into the sunrise. Given that the movie is about vampires [[spoiler: and one of the characters found a way to turn back into a human]], this has additional symbolic value.

** ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''': By the end of the movie, Luke, Leia, C-3PO, and R2-D2 watch the ''Millennium Falcon'' fly, not into a sunset (they're in space), but in the direction of a bright protostar, on their way to [[spoiler: rescue Han Solo, who had been captured and handed over to Jabba The Hutt.]]

* The end of ''[[Literature/KittyNorville Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand]]''. Which [[FridgeLogic doesn't make a lot of sense]] since [[spoiler: the car's a rental, their luggage is back at the hotel, they're going the wrong way to get home, and it can't be much later than noon.]] But hey, it's the thought that counts...

* Variation in ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'': [[spoiler: the eponymous ship and the remaining ships of the civilian fleet fly into the sun, while the Original Series' theme music plays.]]

* ''Series/{{Hollyoaks}}'' had fun with this trope by giving the couple Jon Paul and Craig a riding off into the sunset ending - by having them kiss in front of a holiday poster bearing a sunset before getting on a train together.

* "Micha" by Music/DieArzte is a lonesome cowboy parody - sunset riding is mandatory.

* ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'' despite being a game based on Westerns has a bit of fun with both subverting and playing this trope straight. Since [[spoiler: John Marston dies at Ross's hands at the end of the game]] he doesn't have the tried and true riding off into the sunset happy ending where we know his adventuring days will continue, the game doesn't even get a proper credits scene after this takes place. In fact at [[spoiler: John's grave]] his son Jack is moping around in depressingly sad rain while an achievement/trophy pops up lampshading the traditional ending to a Western called "Into The Sunset." It is eventually played straight when Jack [[spoiler: gets revenge for his father's death and kills Ross]] and then walks off into the setting sun as the Red Dead Redemption logo blares across the screen allowing the credits to roll, conclusively ending the story.

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' mocks the trope with Agatha's fashion-clank and the Weasel Queen running off into the sunset [[spoiler: to go open a fashion house in Paris.]] [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090626 Here.]]

** Old Man [=McGucket=], now [[spoiler: having recovered from his instability and having become rich thanks to patenting his inventions, moves into the former Northwest Mansion.]] A photo during the credits shows that he's also rebuilding his relationship with his son.

* ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'': Wolverine's death in ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfWolverine'' is done as a variation. After being covered by adamantium and starting to suffocate inside the almost solid metal, Logan, who is on top of a building, starts walking towards the sunset while having flashbacks of his life before finally dying on the edge of the building in front of the dying sun.

* ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'': The end of issue #7has two Wolfrider elves, appropriately enough, riding wolves into the sunset. It's worth noting that since Wolfriders are generally nocturnal, sunset is an appropriate time for them to set out.
* At the end of ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}'', Jesse reveals he never wanted to be a preacher as a kid. His girlfriend asks him what he wanted to be. "Girl, can't you guess?" he says, as they ride on a horse towards the sunset.

* ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'s death is done as a variation. After being covered by adamantium and starting to suffocate inside the almost solid metal, Logan, who is on top of a building, starts walking towards the sunset while having flashbacks of his life before finally dying on the edge of the building in front of the dying sun.

* ''ComicBook/DisneyKingdoms'': At the end of the final issue of ''[[ComicBook/FigmentDisneyKingdoms Figment 2]]'', Figment and Dreamfinder fly their dream catching machine off into the sunrise to start their next adventure.

* Subverted in ''Manga/Golgo13''. Duke Togo is hired to kill a DistaffCounterpart, who it's revealed he met three years ago and had a relationship with. Knowing that Togo has the contract on her, she expects to be killed on meeting him again, but he just sleeps with her and leaves the next day. Realising she's been given a break, she decides to retire from the assassination business, but as she pilots a speedboat into the sunset [[ConsummateProfessional Duke puts a bullet through her head with a single long-distance shot]].

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

Sometimes, heroes are known to ride into the ''[[CuetheSun sunrise]]'' instead -- possibly as a symbol of a new beginning or fresh start on life after their adventure is over, or possibly to [[ShownTheirWork show that the scriptwriters realize]] that setting off into the wilderness at sunset is not the brightest idea. (What's he gonna do? Go two miles out of town and then make camp for the night?) Of course, the sunset ''is'' [[RuleOfCool somewhat cooler]], so a little ArtisticLicense is allowed. In fact, the sunset is so expected that using the more pragmatic sunrise in a Western [[CoconutEffect might be jarring]]. Besides, riding into the sunset means you're riding [[TheWildWest West.]] A common theme in Westerns was the "taming of the West", so there was often an implication that once one town had been "civilized" the hero would then ride farther West to where he was still needed. In stories where the hero has somewhere specific and not too distant to go and rest up, though, leaving at the end of the day makes perfect sense.

* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', after their FinalLoveDuet Aladdin and Jasmine fly off on carpet into the horizon against the ''moon'' rather than the sun but the effect is visually the same sort of shorthand. Genie then takes over the moon and turns it around laughing revealing his face, [[ThatsAllFolks lifts up the "The End" cel on the film reel and says "Made you look!"]] before we get the credits.

* ''FanFic/TheEndingOfTheEndLoveAndToleranceEdition'' ends on the [[spoiler: now more less ReformedButUntamed LegionOfDoom]] walking into the sunset alongside each other.

-->'''Spielberg:''' I'm done with the series![[note]]Unfortunately, [[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull nineteen years later...]][[/note]]

* At the end of the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/BountyHamster'', Cassie ends up with her feet bound and tied to her inept BountyHunter Marion, so the two of them have to hop off into the sunset instead.

* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodTheBadAndHuckleberryHound'', Huck rides into the moon singing the last verse of "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue only when the narrator reveals he later starts raising a family at the farm]] ''[[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue after]]'' [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue that]]. The scene is Creator/DawsButler's last in his final titular role.

* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodTheBadAndHuckleberryHound'', Huck rides into the moon singing the last verse of "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", only when the narrator [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue reveals he later starts raising a family at the farm]] ''after'' that. The scene is Creator/DawsButler's last in his final titular role.

** ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'''s BittersweetEnding plays with this trope: Luke, Leia, C-3PO, and R2-D2 watch the ''Millennium Falcon'' fly, not into a sunset (they're in space, mind you), but in the direction of a bright protostar, on their way to [[spoiler: rescue Han Solo, who had been captured and handed over to Jabba The Hutt.]]
** ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' ends with a shot of [[spoiler: Rey and BB-8 on Tatooine, walking into the distance with their silhouettes visible against the planet's two setting suns]].

* ''Fanfic/TheEndingOfTheEndLoveAndTolerenceEdition'' ends on the [[spoiler: now more less ReformedButUntamed LegionOfDoom]] walking into the sunset alongside each other.

* ''Fanfic/EndingOfTheEndLoveAndTolerenceEdition'' ends on the [[spoiler: now more less ReformedButUntamed LegionOfDoom]] walking into the sunset alongside each other.

* At the end of the Johto saga in ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', Misty rides off into the sunset on her freshly repaired bike, with her Togepi in the basket.

* ''WesternAnimation/HiawathasRabbitHunt'': Played with. The short appears to be ending with Hiawatha paddling away downriver into the setting sun, as Bugs quotes again from ''The Song of Hiawatha''. Then suddenly Hiawatha zooms back to the riverbank, gives Bugs a big wet TakeThatKiss, and then rapidly zips away.

* By the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodTheBadAndHuckleberryHound'', Huck rides into the moon singing the last verse of "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", only when the narrator [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue reveals he later starts raising a family at the farm]] ''after'' that. The scene is Creator/DawsButler's last in his final titular role.

* By the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodTheBadAndHuckleberryHound'', Huck rides into the moon singing the last verse of "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", only when the narrator [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue reveals he starts raising a family at the farm]] ''after'' that. The scene is Creator/DawsButler's last in his final titular role.

* The ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' special ''[[Anime/DragonBallEpisodeOfBardock Episode of Bardock]]'' ends with Bardock walking into the sunset, away from the village he protected.

* ''Animation/HappyHeroes'': Referenced in Season 2 episode 16. Big and Little M. are walking away from the school and into the sunset when Little M. mentions that he's only seen this happening in movies and that it's rather old-fashioned. Big M. says that it's actually a sun''rise'' and that it's not old-fashioned.

* By the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodTheBadAndHuckleberryHound'', Huck rides into the moon singing "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", only when the narrator [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue reveals he starts raising a family at the farm]] ''after'' that. The scene is Creator/DawsButler's last in his final titular role.

* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', after their FinalLoveDuet Aladdin and Jasmine fly off on carpet into the horizon against the ''moon'' rather than the sun but the effect is visually the same sort of shorthand. Genie then takes over the moon and turns it around laughing revealing his face, [[ThatsAllFolks lifts up the "The End" cell on the film real and says "Made you look!"]] before we get the credits.

* By the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodTheBadAndHuckleberryHound'', Huck rides into the moon singing the last verse of "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", only when the narrator [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue reveals he starts raising a family at the farm]] ''after'' that. The scene is Creator/DawsButler's last in his final titular role.