History Main / WatchingTheSunset

** In ''ThePhantomMenace'' there's two separate instances of characters watching sunsets.

* The final scene of ''WesternAnimation/ArloTheAlligatorBoy'' is Arlo and Bertie on the beach at the restored Seaside by the Seashore looking out to the sunset.

* ''Film/JuanOfTheDead''. The two protagonists are lying on deckchairs in the midst of a ZombieApocalypse.

** Invoked in ''Film/RogueOne'': Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor sit down [[spoiler:at the shore of Scarif]], having just [[spoiler:transmitted the Death Star plans to the Rebel fleet]], and watch the setting sun as the glow on the horizon covers everything in front of them. Except [[spoiler:it's not the sun, but the explosion caused by the [[WaveMotionGun Death Star's superlaser]]]], meaning that [[spoiler: they know [[TogetherInDeath their deaths are unavoidable]]]].

* The cover for ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheSorcerersStone'' (American version) has Harry trying to catch a snitch while the sun sets in the background. The cover for ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' has Harry trying to catch the Elder Wand while the sun rises in the background. Both covers represent an ending becoming a beginning.
* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1'' spoofed this (big surprise).
-->''Arthur Dent'': Night's falling. Look robot, the stars are coming out.\\
''Marvin'': I know. Wretched isn't it?\\
''Arthur Dent'': But that sunset, I've never seen anything like it in my wildest dreams! The two suns... It was like mountains of fire boiling into space..!\\
''Marvin'': I've seen it, it's rubbish.
* In ''[[Literature/TheHungerGames Catching Fire]]'', Peeta wakes Katniss up from dozing off to see the sunset from the roof of the Training Center the day before their pre-Quarter Quell interviews. (Sunset orange is also Peeta's favorite color.)
-->'''Katniss''': ...I can count on my fingers the number of sunsets I have left...

[[Comic Strips]]

-->"It's a nice view, no?"
-->"Yes. It's a shame that building blocks out the sunset."
-->''[Building collapses, exposing the setting sun. [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight The two men put on sunglasses]]]''

-->'''Cptn. Janeway:''' I recognize your species. You're Brunali, and you're Norcadian. Do you remember your world?
-->'''Mezoti:''' [[SpockSpeak A theta class planetoid. Population two and sixty million.]] {{Binary suns}}.
-->'''Cptn. Janeway:''' And what did it look like when those suns set each night? Can you remember that?

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes were watching a beautiful sunset, but only because the dad took them camping, and Calvin complained about the shows he was missing.
* Happens in a few ComicStrip/{{Garfield}} strips. The usually cynical Garfield actually gets sentimental watching them. One time he thought he was watching the sunrise, not realizing that he had overslept. Creator Jim Davis has said he spent many evenings watching the sunset with his family as he grew up.
[[/folder]]

Whenever you have people in anime SittingOnTheRoof, this is bound to turn up from time to time. If they're on the shore, it overlaps with OceanAwe.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0666.html Roy and Haley watch the sunset and discuss the future.]]

* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' has one with [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-10-20 Elliot and Sarah.]]
* In ''Webcomic/QuestionDuck'', [[http://questionduck.smackjeeves.com/comics/998706/056/ it's time for the duck to ask a question.]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'',
** a TearJerker [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=4296 showing the end of his birthday when no one came to his party.]]
** and again when [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=3057 the succubi succeed in preventing a romantic meeting of destiny.]]

* At the end of the ''Animation/SimpleSamosa'' episode "Hakka", Hakka watches the setting sun with her new sweetheart.

* In ''The Year of the Jackpot'' by Robert Heinlein, the two protagonists start watching the sunset just before the sun goes nova.

* In a ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' filler episode, Toushirou likes to hang out in a place that has the best view of the sunset because it reminds him of his childhood days spent with Momo, where they eat watermelons while watching the sky.
* Used at least twice in ''Manga/CaseClosed''. Once with young Shinichi and Ran [[spoiler: as a reward for solving a code, with Shinichi accepting Ran's wish to be able to speak casually with him,]] giving the situation a romantic context.[[spoiler: However, it turns out that the code was not intended for them at all, but for Shinichi's father. The code was sent from the first Kaitou Kid, Toichi Kuroba, asking if Kudo had realised his identity yet.]] [[spoiler:He had.]] As this was a short while before [[spoiler:Toichi Kuroba's death, the other meaning]] also kind of fits.

* ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'' has a sunset-watching scene with Sheryl in Alto's arms in flight. They watch the sun set. And also fly. Yes, that basically sums it up. Done for romantic connotations as one of the many ShipTease moments in the series.
* ''Anime/FutureWar198X'': Wataru and Laura are on the balcony on New Year's Eve, watching the sunset and talking all about their future plans right before finding out that war has broken out in Europe due to ANuclearError.

* ''Anime/OhSuddenlyEgyptianGod'' sees Khnum and his students gazing upon the setting sun, feeling satisfied that they've finished refining and perfecting their pottery craftsmanships. Subverted when Khnum subjects them to even more pottery classes.

* A recurring motif in ''Film/TheProposition'', mostly associated with the film's deeply-human villain, Arthur Burns. [[spoiler: After being shot by his heroic brother Charlie at the end of the movie, he stumbles outside to die as he watches the sunset, and Charlie goes out to join him.]]
* ''Film/JuanOfTheDead''. The two protagonists are lying on deckchairs in the midst of a ZombieApocalypse.
-->"It's a nice view, no?"
-->"Yes. It's a shame that building blocks out the sunset."
-->''[Building collapses, exposing the setting sun. [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight The two men put on sunglasses]]]''
* ''Film/MaryPoppins'' has Bert showing Jane and Michael a gorgeous sunset while taking them up on the London rooftops.
-->"And who gets to see it but the birds, the stars, and the chimney sweeps."
* In ''Film/RaisingArizona'', Hi and Ed regularly watch the sun set on lawn chairs outside of their trailer home in the Arizona desert. This comes to represent the "salad days" of their relationship before the arrival of baby Nathan Jr. The film poster and DVD box of the film portray this scene, with the addition of the baby on his own chair.
* ''Film/{{Adrift 2018}}'': At the start of their voyage, Richard and Tami are watching a brilliant red sunset. At least, Tami says it's red; Richard launches into a PurpleProse listing of all the various shades of red it could be. Mirrored later while they're drifting, since they don't have much to do anyway.
* The climax of ''Film/BlackPanther2018'' sees Killmonger regarding the sunset over Wakanda [[spoiler: as he breathes his last with T'Challa at his side.]]
* The last scene in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' is [[spoiler: Thanos sitting at a farm, watching the sun, after he successfully killed half the universe.]]

* In ''Literature/TheOutsiders'', Cherry comes to believe Ponyboy is more than just a greaser because he enjoys watching sunsets.

* The cover for ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheSorcerersStone'' (American version) has Harry trying to catch a snitch while the sun sets in the background. The cover for ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' has Harry trying to catch the Elder Wand while the sun rises in the background. Both covers represent an ending becoming a beginning.
* In The Year of the Jackpot by Robert Heinlein, the two protagonists start watching the sunset just before the sun goes nova.

* ''Series/{{Baywatch}}''. Mitch takes the dying Tracy to the beach so that she can do this one last time.

* Luke Skywalker [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEUGF3NGbPg watches the twin setting suns]] of Tatooine in ''Film/ANewHope'' while [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic the Force]] {{Leitmotif}} plays in the score, establishing Luke's longing to leave and do great things but being tied down by a sense of duty to his uncle.
** And deliberately mirrored as the very last scene of ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' with the younger version of said uncle and his wife holding baby Luke and staring at those same setting suns as Darkness falls over the whole galaxy...
** At the end of ''Film/TheLastJedi'', [[spoiler:Luke spends his final moments watching the twin suns of Ahch-To setting before he becomes one with the Force. To top it up, the Force theme is played, symbolizing the end of Luke's journey just like how it began 40 years ago]].
** Also appears in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'', as Yoda, Palpatine and the rest watch the Clone Army's ships lift off against an ominous sunset -- basically a visual shorthand for "It's all [[DownerEnding downhill]] from here".
** Invoked in ''Film/RogueOne''. Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor sit down at the shore of [[spoiler:Scarif after transmitting the Death Star plan to the Rebel fleet]], watching the setting sun as the glow on the horizon covers everything in front of them. [[spoiler:It's actually the explosion caused by the [[WaveMotionGun Death Star Superlaser]], and they [[TogetherInDeath know their deaths are unavoidable]].]]
** ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' presents us another variation: Luke, Leia, [=C-3PO=] and [=R2-D2=] all gather by a viewport on the Medical Frigate to watch the ''Millennium Falcon'' fly off in the direction of a [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Protostar/Canon protostar,]] on the way to [[spoiler: rescue Han Solo]], again with the Force Theme (this time in an arrangement called "The Rebel Fleet") swelling.
** One final time in ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' as Rey watches the setting suns of Tatooine just like her master before her did decades ago, the Skywalker saga ending how it once began.
* Kind of the entire point of Rohmer's ''Le rayon vert'' (the "green flash", which is semi-seriously considered to confer a heightened spiritual state to the one who manages to spot it in the sunset).

* Used at least twice in ''Manga/CaseClosed''. Once with young Shinichi and Ran [[spoiler: as a reward for solving a code, with Shinichi accepting Rans wish to be able to speak casually with him,]] giving the situation a romantic context.[[spoiler: However, it turns out that the code was not intended for them at all, but for Shinichis father. The code was sent from the first Kaitou Kid, Toichi Kuroba, asking if Kudo had realised his identity yet.]] [[spoiler:He had.]] As this was a short while before [[spoiler:Toichi Kurobas death, the other meaning]] also kind of fits.

[[folder:Fanworks]]

* Used at least twice in ''Manga/DetectiveConan''. Once with young Shinichi and Ran [[spoiler: as a reward for solving a code, with Shinichi accepting Rans wish to be able to speak casually with him,]] giving the situation a romantic context.[[spoiler: However, it turns out that the code was not intended for them at all, but for Shinichis father. The code was sent from the first Kaitou Kid, Toichi Kuroba, asking if Kudo had realised his identity yet.]] [[spoiler:He had.]] As this was a short while before [[spoiler:Toichi Kurobas death, the other meaning]] also kind of fits.

[[folder: Fanworks]]

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'':
** In "Dying For Pie", Squidward thought [=SpongeBob=] was going to explode at sunset, so he spent the day doing everything [=SpongeBob=] wanted to do and then watched the sunset while he waited for the explosion. [[spoiler:The first explosion turned out to be just [=SpongeBob=] blowing bomb bubbles.]]
** In "A Day Without Tears", Squidward uses a beautiful sunset to try and coax [=SpongeBob=] into shedding TearsOfJoy, which will make him lose the bet he made to not cry until midnight. Naturally, the sunset ends before any tears get out, and he snaps right out.
* ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'': In the season 2 episode "The Lost Spy", a flashback shows that John Goodspeed once took Sheryl on a date to a place where they could watch 3 different suns simultaneously rise and set.
* Baljeet and his friend Mishti, at the end of the ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' episode "That Sinking Feeling."
** Defied by Isabella in the "Summer Belongs to You" special: Phineas has wagered his entire worldview on getting the group around the world by the end of the day, but as the sun is almost set they've crashed on a deserted island with no apparent way off. Just as Isabella (who has a crush on him) is forlornly wishing that he would give up and just watch the sunset with her, Phineas [[DespairEventHorizon loses all hope]] and falls to the ground next to her, weakly saying that they can "[[IronicEcho at least watch this beautiful sunset together]]." Hearing the despair in his voice makes Isabella jump up and give a [[RousingSpeech rousing]] DoNotGoGentle speech that winds up saving the whole enterprise.
* Whenever anyone is expecting the ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}''.
* At the start of the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "The Return of Chef", [[HeterosexualLifePartners Stan and Kyle]] are seen sitting on a log at Stark's Pond, watching the sun set.

* Grimlock of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise'' claims that the Acid Wastes on Cybertron have the best sunsets. This doesn't seem to be common knowledge and is later used to BluffTheImpostor when the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Decepticon of the week]] disguises himself as Grimlock.
* The Crystal Gems from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' take a moment out of building the [[spoiler: drill]] to sit down and admire the sunset, much to their ally's consternation, who thinks they should keep going, not take breaks.
* The ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'' episode "All at Sea" ends on Percy, Duck, and Thomas watching the sunset.

* The ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'' episode "All at Sea" ends on Percy, Duck, and Thomas watching the sunset.

* Hiro and Baymax from ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'' sit on top of a zeppelin and watch the sunset after just having experienced TheJoyOfFirstFlight.

[[folder:Music]]
* "Waterloo Sunset" by Music/TheKinks.
[[/folder]]

* Miyako in ''VisualNovel/MajiDeWatashiNiKoiShinasai'', from her [[SittingOnTheRoof favorite spot on the roof]] of the secret base.

** In "A Day Without Tears", Squidward uses a beautiful sunset to try and coax [=SpongeBob=] into shedding TearsOfJoy, which will make him lose the bet he made to not cry until midnight. Naturally, the sunset ends before any tears get out, and he snaps right out of it.

* Kind of the entire point of Rohmer's ''La rayon vert'' (the "green flash", which is semi-seriously considered to confer a heightened spiritual state to the one who manages to spot it in the sunset).

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'':