But Now I Must Go: Difference between revisions

{{quote|'''Bart''': Work here is done. I'm needed elsewhere now. I'm needed wherever outlaws rule the West, wherever innocent [[Damsel in Distress|women]] and [[Children Are Innocent|children]] are afraid to walk the streets, wherever a man cannot live in simple dignity, wherever a people cry out for justice!

'''Crowd''': ''(in unison)'' Bullshit!

A.K.A. "Mary Poppins Syndrome". An easy way to add anywhere from a twinge of sentimentality to a whole extra [[Tear Jerker]] scene to the end of your movie: after helping out and saving the day, [[The Drifter]] character must leave forever. Used a lot in solo series of many an [[Ensemble Darkhorse]], as their adventures alone can't keep them in the small town forever; they have to plausibly be able to get back to the team.

Compare [[Riding Into the Sunset]], [[Save the Day Turn Away]], [[Walking the Earth]]. Also see [[I Choose to Stay]], which is the polar opposite.

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{{examples}}

== Advertising ==

== Anime and Manga ==

* {{spoiler|Simon}} in the ending of ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]''.

* Spike Spiegel from ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]''. He leaves the ''Bebop'' one final time (much to Faye's dismay) to confront his past and Vicious.

* Ogremon, from ''[[Digimon Adventure]]''.

** And more importantly, {{spoiler|1=The DigiDestined}} in the last episode. {{spoiler|1=Of course, Kari and T.K. are back for ''[[Digimon Adventure 02]]'', and most of the others stay somewhat in contact with the Digital World by helping the new crop of DigiDestined - though they no longer have control of their original Digimon partners.}}

* In [[Bronze Age|Pre-Crisis]] ''[[Superman]]'' comics, when Superman ''finally'' succeeds in enlarging the Bottle City of Kandor, the Kandorians choose to live on a [[Brigadoon]]-style planet, which phases in and out of the universe at lengthy intervals.

* A conceit of ''[[Starlord]]'' was that it was a disguised training manual to allow humans to survive the imminent [[Alien Invasion|invasion]] by the [[The Empire|Interstellar Federation]], and was published and edited by a benevolent being named the Starlord. In the last issue before ''Starlord'' merged with ''[[2000 AD|Two Thousand AD]]'', the Starlord said he had trained humanity so well that the Federation was too scared to invade Earth, and so he was leaving to help other planets.

== Film ==

** Sam doesn't go right away, and he was a Ringbearer for a short while. He does go 30 years later.

* ''[[Michael]]'', a movie starring [[John Travolta]] about an archangel who visits Earth. He [[Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence|ascends to a higher plane of existence]] at the end of the movie. Since he has used up all his visits to Earth, he can never return again.

* The movie ''[[Finian's Rainbow]]'' ends with the dad (Fred Astaire) picking up his carpet bag and cane and heading out. On his beloved daughter's wedding day. And the only reason she gets to say goodbye and get half an explanation is that she spotted him leaving. Way to make your daughter's anniversary memorable, Daddy Dear.

** (This editor's dad had a regular tirade over the ending and how he'd never do that to a daughter of his...and thanks to this trope, this editor better understands the negative reaction to this turn of events.)

* ''[[Pocahontas]]''

* [[Played With]] in ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', when Jules has a near-death and then near-life in prison moment in the same day, he decides he must leave and travel the world. Not only is he not a heroic character, but the the story is told out of order.

== Literature ==

* Jesus, in [[The Bible]].

** [[Word of God|He'll be back, though. Eventually.]]

* This is a recurring theme in the light novel series, and the anime adaptation, of ''[[Kino's Journey]]'' in which the main character, as a drifter, has a self-imposed limit of staying three days upon reaching a town or rest stop and can give no exceptions regardless of the situation. This is in order not to form attachments to prevent the ideal of traveling. A little different in that the plot follows Kino to each next place. {{spoiler|This is explored deeper when the the main character, eventually revealed to be female, discovers a place she can finally grow used to loving while becoming acquainted with someone sharing many common and reminiscent traits with her. Coping on her decision on whether or not wishing to finally settle down, the conclusion is the final episode of the anime adaption, whilst the light novels simply continue, and still are, after that point.}}

* In ''How to Say Goodbye in Robot'' by Natalie Standiford, {{spoiler|Jonah does this. After the death of his handicapped twin brother, he leaves for good. He even makes sure nobody can find him by taking all pictures of him post-puberty and putting his baby picture in the yearbook.}}

* Used straight in ''[[The Adventures of Pete and Pete]]''. In the two-parter "Goodbye, My Little Viking", Little Pete parts ways with his best friend and personal superhero Artie (the Strongest Man - in the world!), who realizes that he is no longer needed more, and sets off to find a new kid who does.

* The Doctor from ''[[Doctor Who]]'' shows something of this; he saves the day, and then leaves again, never staying. It's been suggested in the show this is because he's afraid to look back at the trail of destruction he leaves behind.

** A strange subversion of this trope is used in the Doctor's regeneration in 'The Parting of the Ways'. He tells Rose he'll still be there, "but not like this. Not with this daft old face."

** He is forced to face the consequences of his own actions a few times, such as in "Bad Wolf", which takes place a century after "The Long Game". Instead of freeing Earth from the tyranny of the Jagrafess, his actions result in a complete shutdown of the government, followed by decades of chaos before an even worse example of tyranny takes hold, forcing people to participate in deadly games and others to watch them.

* [[Power Rangers]] did this a few times:

** ''[[Power Rangers Turbo]]'': The Phantom Ranger makes this sort of exit. He does it again in ''[[Power Rangers in Space]].''

* This is the default ending for most of the ''Ultraman'' series, as the Ultras are assigned to Earth from their home world and when their tour of duty is complete, they must return. In Ultraman and Ultraseven, this was given further meaning, as they were badly hurt and they couldn't be healed on Earth.

* Also the default for ''[[The A-Team]]'', as they couldn't stay in one place too long without being caught by the military.

== Music ==

** ''My freedom calls and [[Punctuated! For! Emphasis!|I MUST GOOOOOO!]]''

* [[Led Zeppelin]]'s "Ramble On"

== Tabletop Games ==

* [[Exalted]] has a charm, ''Hero Rides Away'', that rewards heroic-themed Solar Exalts for doing this.

** For the [[Anti-Hero|heroic Abyssals]], however, they must do this even if they want to stay. Otherwise the folks they just saved will be hit by an ultra-lethal death-wave, or worse.

== Theatre ==

* The opera ''Paul Bunyan'' ends with the unseen title character saying that he has to move on.

== Toys ==

* {{spoiler|Mata Nui}} in the conclusion of ''[[Bionicle]]'' after having completed his destiny.

== Video Games ==

* In ''[[Super Mario RPG]]'', Geno leaves the party and his spirit returns to the Star Road after the heroes have completed their quest in fixing it and defeating the [[Big Bad]].

* This is two of seven possible endings for Ein in ''[[Riviera: The Promised Land]]'', including the one that's [[Word of God]] canonical. They're mostly the same, though; the only thing that changes is whether or not his familiar turns into a catgirl.

== Web Original ==

* Hamburger Pattie in the ''[[League of Intergalactic Cosmic Champions]]'' to return to her own universe (another cybersoap) to settle things there & when things were settled that universe was sealed off & she could never return.

* The Meme [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-must-go I Must Go, My Planet Need Me].

== Western Animation ==