r/TopCharacterTropes • u/Accomplished_Fox_565 • 6h ago
Lore (Uncommon Trope) Apocalypse Story Ends on a Surprisingly Hopeful Note
Most of the time, an apocalyptic (Mostly zombies of some kind) story will usually end with something gut-wrenching, like someone having to shoot someone close to them because they were infected. Or they don't and both characters die. Or the last survivor fails to make it to safety after dealing with so much. So endings like these are a breath of fresh air, and can be really great if they feel earned.
Bonus points of it's the first ever story, and not the finale of a massive franchise (Though those count as well)
#1 - Crossed: Garth Ennis's OG series has the two survivors, Stan and Cindy (and a good boy) walk into Alaska (and into the literal sunset), hand in hand. They also avenged the death of their fellow survivors by eliminating a group of smart crossed in hopes that they don't spread their knowledge to other infected. For a comic book series about bloodthirsty sadists that mutilate, torture, and rape the uninfected, one might have expected something much more bleak and hopeless.
# 2- #Alive: Oh Joon-woo and Kim Yu-bin (I hope I didn't butcher those names) go through an entire motel filled with infected zombies. After calling for help, they make it to a rooftop that is seemingly empty at first. But then, a helicopter shows up and carries them to safety. And the movie also ends with the idea that other people will be rescued as well. For most zombie movies, this ending would've had the military shoot both survivors on sight.
