Endings

[J_Chemist]

A story unfolds, a tale is told, a climax reveals itself and unfurls before our eyes with the Main Character reaching the summit of their journey.

However, thouygu this is the end--we know it is not truly. There is more to be done. One final task to be completed. One final request to be fulfilled. A fight to be finished, a foe to be felled, friends and allies to be remembered and honored. A last dash before, truly, the adventure comes to a conclusion.

Yet, we seek these endings for a myriad of reasons. To see our hero triumph, to see our lovers entwine their lives, to see smiles and moments of glory (though short in the grand scheme of life).

But what of those that are not all glamor and gold? Those tales come with a dark tide, where the hero fails or turns tail and runs. Stories where it is the villain who wins, or the Hero who loses, as they are certainly different.

I've found myself inspired by games like Elden Ring, where an ending (though considered satisfactory) is simply that. A victory but with such a price and cost that one may wonder if it was truly a win, or just a postponement. Endings where there is no certainty of the future, where we.may have won and achieved glory but have laid such a thorny path behind us that the world will inevitably forsake us. Or, the ending where the Hero makes a choice of sacrifice, but loses that which they truly hold dear--or where that love turns on them, promising regret-filled vengeance.

Endings where the Hero wins and the world is rebirthed, but where the Hero might have been better off not being involved at all.

Which is the ending you prefer? Which is the ending you wish to see more of, and why? Do you believe that there are too many gilded endings to stories, where Heroes should have been felled but somehow pulled the W out of their cheeks?

 

[Cynthell]

I like reading happy endings. The hero or protagonist of the story achieves their goal, finishes their journey, whatever. Ive never been a fan of needlessly somber or melancholy endings unless it fits the story as a whole.

As for writing stories? Alot of my stories start with the draft of my characters dying in the end. Im not sure why my mind always goes there but its usually how I plan stories. Eventually I do veer from that path and take the stories in a happier direction.

Finding a good place to end stories is tough though, youre bound to become attached to the worlds and characters you create. Sometimes to the point you don't want to let it go but you always have to. Well almost always. Regardless, taking Elden Ring for example I personally think the chaos ending is the most satisfying in context of it all. A horrible world torn asunder to let whatever comes after start anew.

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

An ending should be satisfying. In fact, I think it's the hardest part of a story to write. The part where all loose ends are tied up, and the tangled mess is unraveled.

I'm really bad at Happy Endings.
I actually prefer endings with a bitter taste, no matter who wins in the end. I have a masochistic passion for bad endings. They fascinate me in a twisted way. Seeing heroes fail and fall, endless despair. For example, I love the alternate reality of Future Trunks in Dragon Ball Z (I don't consider Super at all), I love heroes who have experienced defeat, I love Future Gohan.

But I'm an exception. People want happy endings.

 

[AmeronWerschrux]

An ending should be satisfying. In fact, I think it's the hardest part of a story to write. The part where all loose ends are tied up, and the tangled mess is unraveled.

I'm really bad at Happy Endings.
I actually prefer endings with a bitter taste, no matter who wins in the end. I have a masochistic passion for bad endings. They fascinate me in a twisted way. Seeing heroes fail and fall, endless despair. For example, I love the alternate reality of Future Trunks in Dragon Ball Z (I don't consider Super at all), I love heroes who have experienced defeat, I love Future Gohan.

But I'm an exception. People want happy endings.

I'm a sucker for bad endings too, but I also love happy endings, so to solve that issue, I'll make numerous endings or just simply integrate them into the narrative so that MC sees what happens if they fail

 

[SailusGebel]

I believe there are too many shitty endings. And it doesn't matter whether they are gilded or dark. AoT doesn't have the brightest of endings, and I find it bad. On the other hand I like Shamo's ending. Isn't terribly dark, but it fits the story in my opinion. Some might think it is rushed, I don't share their opinion.

I really liked Slam Dunk's ending. Again, is it super bright and gilded? I don't think it is. But it is the perfect end for that story, in my opinion of course. I liked Magika no Kenshi to Shoukan Maou ending. It is a lighthearted harem that has a harem ending. I got what I was expecting and looking for.

I like an ending that fits the tone and theme of a story. It can be bright, it can be dark, it can be neutral, I don't care.

 

[2wordsperminute]

I love reading happy endings. I'm not sure I would ever write one, though.

 

[Reinaislost]

I don't prefer terrible endings (for the protagonist) in general, but as Sailus said, there are too many terrible endings (for the reader).

The main requirement is to be satisfying and believable while ultimately sticking to its theme. A build-up romance about two cute girls shouldn't be thrown under the bus just to prove how cruel reality is; at the same time, a leading-up tragedy shouldn't be happy-go-merry toward the ending for no reason. There are stories like Kakushigoto that manage to reverse expectations in a pleasant manner, but doing so requires skill and a thorough understanding of the reader's psyche.

I'm already going off topic, but yes, I lean toward endings that are brighter than gray but far from white.

 

[SailusGebel]

I don't prefer terrible endings (for the protagonist) in general, but as Sailus said, there are too many terrible endings (for the reader).

The main requirement is to be satisfying and believable while ultimately sticking to its theme. A build-up romance about two cute girls shouldn't be thrown under the bus just to prove how cruel reality is; at the same time, a leading-up tragedy shouldn't be happy-go-merry toward the ending for no reason. There are stories like Kakushigoto that manage to reverse expectations in a pleasant manner, but doing so requires skill and a thorough understanding of the reader's psyche.

I'm already going off topic, but yes, I lean toward endings that are brighter than gray but far from white.

Speaking of subverting the expectations. Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi, a r-18, harem web novel. It is ludicrous, and transforms into something completely absurd. Every hook that can be used to add drama gets viciously ripped out. For almost 600 chapters authors runs away from drama or tragedy as if it is a plague. It ends with mc being "punished." I don't know and don't care if the author wanted to teach us a lesson with this, because he simply forced it to happen. Author abandoned nearly 600 chapters worth of character bulding. Technically, he could've made it work, and at least make it somewhat natural. It would've still be a complete bullshit that destroys the tone of the story, but it would've been better. As is, it is far from a happy ending. Not fully dark, but less than neutral. And it is complete and utter bullshit.

 

[Corty]

An ending should be satisfying.

PREACH!

I actually prefer endings with a bitter taste,

I was like you once, but then I became soft. I can't write drama anymore

I believe there are too many shitty endings.

There are too many rushed endings... It is what made me pick up a keyboard at last and end up here. Those pesky rushed endings are my bane!

The ending is the most important part of any novel, and I will preach about it until the day I die.

It is the reward that any reader deserves after going through all of that. They need closure to know what happens with their favorite characters. A rushed ending is just like being served a shit cake after a dinner. No matter how fine the dinner was, you will only remember the taste of the shit cake.

Give the readers their closure so they would come back and read more, knowing they will see the end that isn't just tacked on because the idea juice stopped flowing or Mr. Author got bored writing. I like to give my characters little epilogues in the last chapter, showing where they are now before leaving them behind to write a new adventure.

People like it, and when they thank you for your work because of it, it is the best feeling ever.

 

[greyblob]

The ending is the most important part of any novel

disagree

 

[Corty]

disagree

It's fine to be wrong sometimes.

 

[SailusGebel]

There are too many rushed endings... It is what made me pick up a keyboard at last and end up here. Those pesky rushed endings are my bane!

The ending is the most important part of any novel, and I will preach about it until the day I die.

It is the reward that any reader deserves after going through all of that. They need closure to know what happens with their favorite characters. A rushed ending is just like being served a shit cake after a dinner. No matter how fine the dinner was, you will only remember the taste of the shit cake.

Give the readers their closure so they would come back and read more, knowing they will see the end that isn't just tacked on because the idea juice stopped flowing or Mr. Author got bored writing. I like to give my characters little epilogues in the last chapter, showing where they are now before leaving them behind to write a new adventure.

People like it, and when they thank you for your work because of it, it is the best feeling ever.

I don't think AoT was rushed. Maybe it was, ok. What about multitude of harem mangas with shit endings? I seriously doubt all of them were rushed. So it is not always a rushed ending. Heck, some works that were axed and had to do a rushed ending have better endings than works that had all the time in the world to finish the story properly.

 

[xuduxixi]

I liked Kokou no Hito's ending.

But, in truly good harems I want it to end in polygamy.

 

[Corty]

I don't think AoT was rushed. Maybe it was, ok. What about multitude of harem mangas with shit endings? I seriously doubt all of them were rushed. So it is not always a rushed ending. Heck, some works that were axed and had to do a rushed ending have better endings than works that had all the time in the world to finish the story properly.

Nah, I was talking about my experience with books.

Harem endings usually suck because authors think the fun is with snu-snu and the chase of gathering womenamons in their MCs pokingballs. Before abruptly the MC spins a wheel of fortune to decide who will have his dick for the rest of eternity which is a nonsense.

The only harem thingy I liked was in Jewel Change, where the MC bones triplets and marries them sisters. Chad.

 

[SailusGebel]

Nah, I was talking about my experience with books.

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

PREACH!

I was like you once, but then I became soft. I can't write drama anymore

There are too many rushed endings... It is what made me pick up a keyboard at last and end up here. Those pesky rushed endings are my bane!

The ending is the most important part of any novel, and I will preach about it until the day I die.

It is the reward that any reader deserves after going through all of that. They need closure to know what happens with their favorite characters. A rushed ending is just like being served a shit cake after a dinner. No matter how fine the dinner was, you will only remember the taste of the shit cake.

Give the readers their closure so they would come back and read more, knowing they will see the end that isn't just tacked on because the idea juice stopped flowing or Mr. Author got bored writing. I like to give my characters little epilogues in the last chapter, showing where they are now before leaving them behind to write a new adventure.

People like it, and when they thank you for your work because of it, it is the best feeling ever.

Please stop be so Based, I can't keep up

 

[2wordsperminute]

I don't think AoT was rushed.

But Isayama clearly wanted to finish the story before reaching chapter 140 because Eren never truly gained freedom!

 

[SailusGebel]

But Isayama clearly wanted to finish the story before reaching chapter 140 because Eren never truly gained freedom!

 

[esThr]

An ending is like the final seasoning of a food
Put too much into it and you get too much flavour, bleaching the original intent of the dish. Put too little and it feels too bland.