Cartoons with actual finales

[FlooterFlatter]

I hesitate to start another list thread, but I thought this is worth discussing. While it is common for Japanese animation to wrap things up in their last episode, I notice that in US series, the final episode can be just another episode that can run in any point of the series. There were few exceptions, of course.

So what animated series actually have an actual "finale"? Some I can think up:

Beavis and Butt-Head
A full 30-minute episode without any music videos. After not showing up in school for weeks the duo gets a phone call from the school asking where they are. Beavis tells them "oh they're dead." This leads to reactions from the school staff and students, most of whom are glad they're gone. Flashbacks from previous episodes ensues.

Camp Lazlo
The finale started off as a normal episode of the series but ended with a twist where it was revealed that Lumpus was really a deranged lunatic who locked up the REAL scoutmaster (Heffer) and took his job. In the final scene, one of the characters commented that things can't get any weirder now.

Home Movies
Brendon's camera gets runover, effectively ending the series.

Ed, Edd n Eddy
Well, in the ORIGINAL finale it was revealed that the show was actually a dream of an elderly Eddy. Of course CN renewed the show, so it's not really a finale anymore.

 

[Tobias]

Gargoyles:

This show had TWO endings. The syndicated one where Goliath and Elisa kissed, and we knew the Clan had a rough road ahead of them to be accepted, even though Xanatos had reinstated their home...

and the lame 'Goliath Chronicles' not-in-continuity happy ending where everyone lives happily ever after.

 

[DonkeyKongSong]

Jackie Chan Adventures. Pretty much wraps up everything. Drago and Shendu are banished from the Earth with all the talisman and demon chi powers, and the Enforcers now work for Uncle (and I don't think they can afford to mess this up). Daolon Wong has been trapped in the past, Tarakudo and the masks are long gone, Valmont is in no shape to cause any harm, the demons are sealed away... everything's pretty much wrapped up.

 

[Gokou Ruri]

Beast Wars, WITCH TAS, and Avatar all ended with the main villain being defeated.

While it's true a lot of 90s shows may have not had endings, it's pretty common for cartoons these days to have them, unless it's canceled after one season like The X's or something.

 

[Starbraces]

Danny Phantom

Got the villain defeated (on his own account) and got his girl. What more could you ask for?

 

[Old Guy]

While it's true a lot of 90s shows may have not had endings, it's pretty common for cartoons these days to have them, unless it's canceled after one season like The X's or something.

It's not just the `90s. All the decades before that didn't have finales for the most part. It's just that for a LONG time cartoons were treated as kids stuff and no real effort was put into it. Nowadays it's taken a little bit more seriously.

Although, that being said...the live-action shows tended to have finales.

 

[creativerealms]

Kim Possible has two actual Finales.

 

[The Huntsman]

“101 Dalmatians: The Series”, despite being a comedy series with little continuity, had a three episode series finale (1, 2, 3) and there was also an extended version that was released on VHS and LaserDisc. It more-or-less concluded the plot of the series regarding Cruella De Vil’s attempts to steal the farm from Roger and Anita Dearly.

 

[Undrave]

The one season long CINAR show Patrol 03 actually concludes with the evil mad scientist captured, the evil plotting chief of police demoted to traffic and the mayor still the mayor and our heroes finally no longer forced to 'play dumb'.

I was so surprised back then when that show turned out to have an ACTUAL FINALE!

Other than that...huh...

 

[Racattack!Force]

Codename: Kids Next Door - The hour-long episode Operation I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S. tied up the series quite nicely. Re-accounts Sector V's final mission together, and has the kids themselves tell the story to an interviewer, who ends up being Father. And it turns out that Numbah One returns and at least Numbah Five never got her memory erased in the first place.

Ed, Edd n Eddy - This show has two finales: the season four finale and the upcoming TV movie. The original finale has Eddy coming to terms with his growing-up, and adding a nice twist that all their adventures are really just stories from the group's childhood that they're telling as elders. And the upcoming TV movie has the character of Eddy's older brother finally being shown, and many secrets (what's under Edd's hat, Nazz's crush, etc.) being revealed.

 

[TKnHappyNess]

The original Ninja Turtles with Splinter declaring them his equals, and them defeating Dregg with the last move they learned, the Flying Claw. Although I thought that the series should've ended with Season 8 since Shredder and Krang were trapped in Dimension X, and the Technodrome was destroyed.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

Isn't Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends getting a finale movie (sorry its been a while since I have watched Foster's or even CN for that matter).

 

[Racattack!Force]

Isn't Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends getting a finale movie (sorry its been a while since I have watched Foster's or even CN for that matter).

The movie airing on Thanksgiving isn't the finale. It's a finale episode called "Goodbye, Bloo" that airs next year.

 

[FlooterFlatter]

Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law
Birdman is killed off in the last episode. 'Nuff said.

Time Squad
Otto returns to the orphanage in the final episode.

 

[Ricia]

Time Squad
Otto returns to the orphanage in the final episode.

He does? Oh God, that's so sad! Why?

 

[Anwar]

The original Ninja Turtles with Splinter declaring them his equals, and them defeating Dregg with the last move they learned, the Flying Claw. Although I thought that the series should've ended with Season 8 since Shredder and Krang were trapped in Dimension X, and the Technodrome was destroyed.

Personally I think the 5-part episode where Dregg released Shredder and Krang from Dimension X and it ended with all of them being sent there, and Carter going to the future to cure his mutation while the Turtles finally stabilized their bodies would have been a perfect ending.

 

[buttah]

Couldn't you say any story driven shows? Unless they got canceled they have have finales.

 

[Neo Ultra Mike]

Originally posted by nakak
Time Squad
Otto returns to the orphanage in the final episode.

Uh wasn't he taken back by Larry and Tuddrussel and that spelling kid was put in the orphanage so things returned to normal in the end? That's how I remember the last episode airing so yeah he is with the others in the very end so that show is open ended.

Originally posted by buttah
Couldn't you say any story driven shows? Unless they got canceled they have have finales.

That's sort of true but not only are a lot of story driven shows never totally finished but also sometimes the executives want them to end on a more open ended note. You know so that they can always come back to it or that they can air the episodes out of order in syndication easier. Dosen't happen as much nowadays but it happens now.

Thinking about it, Justice League Unlimited and Teen Titans also had two endings each. The original Ender for TT Was "The End" trilogy (really when your title says the end dosen't that mean the end) where Raven and the others defeat Trigion and finally help save the world. But another season was ordered so now the ending is Beast Boy having to accept that things (Like Terra being a normal kid) have changed but he has to continue on fighting evil. Justice League Unlimited's "Epligoue" (once again Finale sounding) Managed to tie together Batman Beyond with the rest of the JL continuity quite well and have a nice focus on the legacy of Batman. However another season was ordered after that so the true JLU ending "Destroyer" just has the heroes going after the villians as Wonder Woman says "and the adventure continues" as every JLer runs at the screen (Batman being the last one since he was the start and I guess had to be the end of the DCAU).

 

[cyde]

Bout time American toons got around to that sort of thing.

 

[judyindisguise]

Danny Phantom

Got the villain defeated (on his own account) and got his girl. What more could you ask for?

Well, I for one could ask that the only interesting character in that show - the aforementioned villian - would get to kick the whiny titular hero's angsty little butt, and his dad's too - that's what I'd ask for!

But that's just me...