History Main / SeriesContinuityError

* The Dirk Pitt novels by Clive Cussler all take place in the same continuity, with past events often mentioned. At the end of ''Trojan Oddessy'', Dirk marries congresswoman Loren Smith, his love interest for most of the series. In the preperations for the wedding, it states the Loren's parents flew out to attend. The plot of Vixen 03 revolves around the MURDER of Loren's father twenty years previously, and it was stated that he was already a widower when he died.

* In the WizardsOfWaverlyPlace episode "Art Teacher", Mr. Laritate is surprised that his phone gets text messages when a teacher "texted in her resignation." In a later episode, he apparently still doesn't know what a text message is.

* Let's not forget StarTrekII, where Khan recognizes Chekov despite the latter being introduced in the second season of [[StarTrekTheOriginalSeries the series]]. The episode with Khan was part of the first season.

* DonQuixote: For a book that only has one continuation, there are various examples of those errors. Then again, Cervantes was mocking [[{{FanDumb}}those fans who put too much attention to continuity]]… There are two types:

* In the first {{Animorphs}} book, Visser Three says [[SmugSnake snidely]] that it's an honor to meet Elfangor right before [[spoiler: eating him.]] This directly contradicts the backstory concocted later on, wherein the two characters have extensive history (even not counting all of the timeline changes that take place).
** Animorphs has quite a few of these in the first book or two, with one of the more obvious being Jake using Thought-speak on Tobias when Tobias is a cat and Jake is still unmorphed. Later books have them discuss the inability to use Though-speak outside of morph.
* The Dirk Pitt novels by Clive Cussler all take place in the same continuity, with past events often mentioned. At the end of Trojan Oddessy, Dirk marries congresswoman Loren Smith, his love interest for most of the series. In the preperations for the wedding, it states the Loren's parents flew out to attend. The plot of Vixen 03 revolves around the MURDER of Loren's father twenty years previously, and it was stated that he was already a widower when he died.
* In TheChroniclesOfNarnia Aslan tells people on various occasions that "no one is ever told what 'would have happened'". The wording is unequivocal. Then in ''The Horse and His Boy'' he tells someone "what would have happened". He even uses those very words. Aslan is not supposed to be an inconsistent or untruthful fellow, so that can only mean it was C.S. Lewis who fucked up.
* In the {{Flashman}} series, Flashman has an uncle Bindley who works at an office responsible for assigning military commissions, and at a couple of points, Flashman is forced to seek his help getting a commission. Consistent in the books is that Bindley dislikes Flashman, but the reason for this depends on the book. In the original novel, Bindley is from the aristocratic side of the family and doesn't like Flashman because he's from the commoner side. Later books reverse this by having Bindley as the commoner and resenting Flashman, who looks down on him. It's possible that this is a deliberate use of UnreliableNarrator, since the novels are [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis supposedly]] extracts from memoirs Flashman wrote as a very old man.

** Malcolm himself jokes about this in "The Lost World", telling people that he was only "mostly dead", and that reports of his death came from inaccurate news stories. That's the given explanation for why he's apparently dead at the end of the first book, but still alive in the second.

* At the end of "Jurassic Park" by Michael Crichton it is clearly stated that Chaos Mathematician Ian Malcolm dies. Yet, in the second book, "The Lost World" he is alive. No explanation is ever given.

* Matt Olsen of the '''{{ComicBooks/WITCH}}'' comic series is one of the worst examples of this. When he first appears, he's a student with a thing for guitars, has a grandfather who owns a pet store and is utterly shocked when his girlfriend, Will Vandom, reveals her secret identity as a Guardian. However, come the second chapter of the New Power storyline and it's revealed that he's actually from Kandrakar, knows magic and already KNEW Will and her friends were Guardians. And there's been nothing to try to fix the previously established backgrounds.

* Matt Olsen of the {{ComicBooks/WITCH}} comic series is one of the worst examples of this. When he first appears, he's a student with a thing for guitars, has a grandfather who owns a pet store and is utterly shocked when his girlfriend, Will Vandom, reveals her secret identity as a Guardian. However, come the second chapter of the New Power storyline and it's revealed that he's actually from Kandrakar, knows magic and already KNEW Will and her friends were Guardians. And there's been nothing to try to fix the previously established backgrounds.
* In one part of {{Watchmen}} Dr. Manhattan is totally unfamiliar with the expression "What's up?" and takes it literally when asked. In another part he asks Janey Slater, "What's up, Janey?" This is a guy who experiences all times as one.

* In chapter 48 of ElfenLied, Nana's sleeve, which was torn off in the previous chapter, reappears.

* In the {{Flashman}} series, Flashman at times applies for various military commissions with his uncle Bindley who dislikes him. However, the reason for the dislike depends upon the book. In the first novel, Bindley is from the aristocratic side of the family and doesn't like Flashman because he's from the commoner side. Later books reverse this by having Bindley as the commoner and resenting Flashman, who looks down on him. It's possible that this is deliberate- the novels are [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis supposedly]] extracts from memoirs Flashman wrote as a very old man.

** Apparently WordOfGod has said she's a separate but similar species. Regardless, in the prison in Tools of Destruction they mention "prisoner's of lombax descent", so Angela could also be half-lombax.

* In one part of {{Watchmen}} Dr. Manhattan is totally unfamiliar with the expression "What's up?" and takes it literally when asked. In another part he asks the original Silk Spectre, "What's up, Janey?" This is a guy who experiences all times as one.

* In a newer episode of ''{{Arthur}}'' Muffy is seen in a Kindergarten class photo when in fact she transferred in third grade.

* In TheChroniclesOfNaria Aslan tells people on various occasions that "no one is ever told what 'would have happened'". The wording is unequivocal. Then in ''The Horse and His Boy'' he tells someone "what would have happened". He even uses those very words. Aslan is not supposed to be an inconsistent or untruthful fellow, so that can only mean it was C.S. Lewis who fucked up.

** [[OrSoIHeard Apparently]] WordOfGod has said she's a separate but similar species. Regardless, in the prison in Tools of Destruction they mention "prisoner's of lombax descent", so Angela could also be half-lombax.

** Also, Harry somehow fails to notice the Thestrals pulling the carriages at the end of ''Goblet of Fire'' only to do so the next book.
*** [[WordOfGod JK Rowling herself]] says that this is because she didn't want to add that crap in the end of a book, stuffing it. Her [[JustifiedTrope in-universe explanation]] is that takes some time to "process" a death and come to terms with it; only after then can you see Thestrals.
*** What was the reason for him not being able to see them from the beginning? After, you know, seeing at least his mother die right next to him?
*** Harry was, at most, ''one year old''. Most kids don't understand what death is until they're about six to nine years old. Considering how he believed the Dursleys when they said his parents died in a car accident, he doesn't even ''remember'' seeing her die. Before anyone mentions the dementors, they wouldn't count since 1. he only heard her last words and not her death, and 2. you need to ''see'' someone die. Quirrel doesn't count either since Harry fainted before he died.
**** But he ''didn't'' see his parents die at all, not even his mother. He was lying in the crib and only saw green light fill the room. Both J.K. Rowling herself and the seventh book confirm this.

** Methinks this is [[Centipede'sDilemma another Trope entirely]]

** In a season 13 episode, Cotton in an audio recording, tells Hank to flush his cremated ashes down a bar toilet which General Patton once used along with his past war buddies, but in a season 4 episode, he with the help of Peggy fought to be buried in a Texas government cemetery and succeeded.