Cartoons with actual finales

K

K-Jean

New member
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
?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.
 
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...
 
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.
 
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.
 
Mutant league wrapped up with "The Hall of Pain Awards" which was esentially a clip show. I consider "Sudden Death" the actual finale because it wraps things up as opposed to clips.
 
it's not the only one who have a ending with a clip show/flashback episode, the 1967-70 Spider-man cartoon ended the same way with "Trip to tomorrow" when Spidey try to convince a young boy about how dangerous the super-hero duty is by telling some of his past adventures
 
I know it got a spinoff show, which I consider seperate.

Ben 10 - because Cartoon Network aired it out of order, there is some confusion and debate what is actully the series finale, and it is not just 2 episodes in the debate, it is 3 episodes. But let me clearify the finale is the tv movie Secret Of The Omnitrix. I thought it was a great finale, Ben finally defeats Vilgax, and learns what the true meaning of being a hero really is, it is about being selfless and helping others, not to bolster your own ego. Really completes growth of Ben and to a lesser extint Gwen, and sets up their characters in Ben 10: Alien Force.

Only problem I have is, Vilgax so called death. Ben just kicked him into space, we are suppose to believe that would kill off Vilgax for good? What happened in Goodbye Good Ridiance has more finality to Vilgax's destruction.
 
Back
Top