Rising Empire

The Empire is a common trope. When it decays, it is a Vestigial Empire. An empire during its formation, in its expansionist stage, is a Rising Empire. Typically it will be a Proud Warrior Race, a Proud Merchant Race or both that is feeling its oats and beginning several generations of conquest, exploration and colonization. Likely it will have The Conqueror at its head, perhaps a Young Conqueror or a Galactic Conqueror.

Portrayals from a rising empire's viewpoint will typically emphasize pioneering, exploration and epic deeds. Portrayals from the viewpoint of its victims will, of course, emphasize ruthless tyranny over indigenous peoples. It is possible to proceed with both viewpoints in mind. A rising empire doesn't have to imply primarily military conquest, but will include a period of expansion by whatever means. Many a Hegemonic Empire is this and will become an empire classic later in its history.

Film

 * Star Wars prequels

Literature

 * Barrayar in Vorkosigan Saga has just passed through this stage.
 * Belisarius Series: the Malwa, although they have an army that would probably be more typical of a Vestigial Empire with it's resentful cadres of vassal troops and its hordes of reserves.
 * a closer example in the last two books in the series was Kungas and Irene's New Kushan Empire founded at the Khyber Pass
 * Sixteen Thirty Two: Grantsville/USE
 * Thais of Athens describes the coming into being of Alexander the Great's empire (short-lived as it was).
 * The reuninted Realms in Exile after Lord of the Rings.
 * The Star Kingdom of Manticore reforms into the Star Empire of Manticore in the Honor Harrington stories.
 * The Foundation is intended to become the framework for a Second Galactic Empire, and indeed most of the stories showcase their progress towards that state. It is especially prominent in the three later stories in the first book of the series, with The Mayors being about the Foundation's establishment of complete control over its neighbours, The Traders showing an example of the continued expansion of the Foundation's influence through the trade-religion-science policy and The Merchant Princes being about the shift to a more pure trade-based Hegemonic Empire after the trade-religion-science policy stops being effective.

Live Action TV

 * Humans in Star Trek Enterprise are in this stage.
 * Part of Londo's Fatal Flaw in Babylon Five is his nostalgic attraction to this part of Centauri history.
 * The Alliance in Firefly is just finishing this stage.
 * The new Systems Commonwealth in Andromeda

Tabletop Games

 * Traveller. The Terran Confederation in the volume "Interstellar Wars". Also, the Third Imperium in its early stages.

Video Games

 * Master of Orion: Any power the player takes. The same with other 4X games.
 * The Aldmeri Dominion in Skyrim.
 * The Legion in Fallout New Vegas clearly see themselves as this. It's up to the player to determine whether or not this ambition becomes a reality.