List of cliffhanger endings

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This is a list of cliffhanger endings.
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Contents

[edit] Examples of films with cliffhanger endings

  • Some entries of the Godzilla film series end in cliffhangers:
    • After the ending credits of Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000), in which it is said near the end that Godzilla may not have been killed by the Dimension Tide black hole gun after all but instead simply transported underneath Tokyo, the child character featured in the film ("Kenny," unofficially) is putting away something in the science lab. As he is walking out, the ground starts to shake, he looks out in horror at something out the window the audience cannot see, and Godzilla's roar is heard.
    • The subsequent entry, GMK, likewise ends with a shot of Godzilla's still-beating heart resting at the bottom of the ocean.
  • Spider-Man 2, Harry Osborn discovers the Green Goblin's lair and picks up a vial of the Performance Enhancers formula.
  • The Italian Job (1969) Possibly the most famous film cliffhanger for being a literal example of the term, with the main character's escape vehicle hanging halfway off a cliff in the Swiss Alps.
  • Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) ends with the revelation that the Bride's unborn daughter is still alive, followed by a cut to black.
  • Travels With My Aunt (1972 adaptation of the Graham Greene novel)
  • Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Darth Vader claims he is Luke's father. Luke successfully escapes and receives the famous cybernetic hand. Meanwhile, Han Solo is frozen in carbonite and is shipped to Jabba the Hutt as the main protagonists get set to rescue him.
  • Flash Gordon - Ming's ring is picked up by an unknown individual. As this happens, the words "The End?" appear on the screen as Ming's evil laughter is heard.
  • Back to the Future series (the second most blatantly so) (1985)
    • In the first film, just when Marty reunites with Jennifer, Doc arrives from 2015 and tells Marty that there is a problem with his future son. They then get in the De Lorean, which Doc makes fly off.
    • In the second film, Marty receives a letter from doc, who is stuck 70 years in the past. He then goes and sees Doc from the first film send him back in time.
  • The Matrix Reloaded (2002) The Nebuchadnazzar crew escapes the ship while being under attack by sentinels. Neo confronts and uses his powers to stop them, but collapses to the ground after this. The Hammer rescues them, and Neo is put on a stretcher right next to an unconscious survivor from the Caduceus, Bane (who is in reality Agent Smith, set to kill Neo).
  • Planet of the Apes (2001) Leo Davidson crashes on what appears to be a futuristic Washington DC on Earth. He looks up to see the Lincoln Memorial is now a monument in honor of General Thade. As a swarm of ape police officers descend on Leo, he (and the audience) wonders what has happened to his world.
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Two main characters, Merry and Pippin, are captured and their companions set out to rescue them.
  • The X-Files The aliens are set to invade in 2012 as Mulder and Scully must hope they stay alive.
  • Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) After defeating and killing most of the crew of French ship, the Acheron, Captain Jack Aubrey leaves a friend in charge of the ship, and the two are to rendezvous in Valparaiso. Before following the Acheron, the ship's doctor tells Aubrey that the "doctor" which Aubrey met, was actually the captain in disguise, and that De Vigny, the real doctor, died months prior.
  • League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) - After the League has left Allan Quatermain's grave, a witch doctor beins to mutter cryptic words and a bolt of lightning hits the grave, as the screen quickly cuts to the credits.
  • Silent Hill (2006) The film's main character Rose rescues her daughter and both escape the town of Silent Hill. When she and her daughter arrive back home the environment and interior of the house mirror the conditions of Silent Hill in that they are surrounded by white ash. Rose's husband Christopher sees from the living room that the front door is open but sees no one else around or out the front door. The film ends with both Rose and her husband in the living room but cannot see one another and no evidence to whether Rose and her daughter can return to normal.
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) Jack is eaten by the Kraken. As the remaining survivors head to Tia's place and she claims they can get Jack back at World's End, but they need a captain to get there. Suddenly, Captain Barbosa comes downstairs (even though he was seen dying in the first film).
  • Casino Royale (2006) The package containing the stolen British Secret Service money which would be shipped to terrorists is lost in a Venice building collapse near the ending. At the very end, the protagonist Agent James Bond 007 shoots the mysterious terrorist Mr. White in the leg, without revealing the purpose of Mr. White's terrorist organization or whether he lives. Bond walks onscreen with a gun and says "The name's Bond. James Bond," as the screen fades out. It has been revealed that Quantum of Solace will begin moments after this scene.
  • Saw (2004) As it is revealed that Jigsaw was in the bathroom with them the whole time, Adam attempts to shoot him but is electrocuted through the shackle on his leg. Jigsaw informs him that it's "Game Over" and he slams the door shut as Adam realizes he is now trapped alone. He can be heard screaming even while the credits begin to roll. The following sequels tend to continue the pattern of using a twist ending and then leaving a cliffhanger where the survival of the main character is in question.

[edit] Examples of television series with regular (or notable) cliffhangers

Of course, cliffhangers are the main "hook" of soap operas (both daytime and nighttime). Other genres also use them as well, as can be seen here.

24 
Because of the format of the show (Each episode represents one hour of one day, with a season of 24 episodes representing a complete 24 hour period), each episode ends with a twist in one of the season's multiple plotlines that creates a cliffhanger ending leading into the next episode. However, several of the season finales have also involved a cliffhanger whose outcome would not be revealed until the next season, which always takes place months later.
Alias 
The structure of episodes in the first season had the last ten-fifteen minutes spent on setting up the next episode with a cliffhanger, usually with the main character(s) in life-threatening jeopardy.
Angel 
Each season (and the show itself) ended on a cliffhanger.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 2: Earth 
Suki & the other Kyoshi Warriors are confronted & defeated by Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee. Later, Azula, Ty Lee and Mai are seen impersonating Kyoshi warriors in "The Earth King". Suki's whereabouts or condition, along with that of the other Kyoshi warriors, is unknown. After Azula learns (from Katara who she captures) that her brother Prince Zuko & Uncle Iroh are in the city she sites a trap for them & captures Zuko & puts him in with Katara. After it is realized that the Kyoshi Warriors is Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee the gaang with Iroh work together in the hops of saving Zuko & Katara & stopping Azula from taking over Ba Sing Sa. However after Azula convinces Zuko that their father will love & accept him as he always wanted Zuko betrays the Iroh & fights with Azula. After a fierce battle Aang believing that they will lose go's in to the Avatar state but is shot in the back by Azula & is almost killed. As Katara saves him Iroh suddenly appears. He tells the two to escape, and that he will hold off Azula and the others as long as he can. Once they escape, Iroh surrenders himself and glances at Zuko, quickly turning his head in shame. The entire group manages to escape and while flying away on Appa, Katara uses her Spirit Oasis water to heal Aang how is saved by it. Meanwhile, in the palace Zuko frets over betraying Iroh. However, Azula reassures him by telling him that it was actually Iroh that betrayed them, not the other way around. Zuko then asks Azula about returning to the Fire Nation, raising his doubts about being accepted and having his honor restored since he does not have the Avatar. Azula again reassures him by saying that he has restored his own honor, though Zuko still seems unsure. As the gang & Earth King fly atop Appa's back over the Outer Wall and out of the city, the Earth King looks back and sadly proclaims, "The Earth Kingdom.....has fallen."
Batman (the 1960s series) 
Most of the episodes ran as two half-hour shows over two days, with an announcer famously saying "Tune in tomorrow -- same bat-time, same bat-channel" at the end of the first half.
Battlestar Galactica 
Every season, and even the miniseries which introduces the show, ends with a cliffhanger. The miniseries ends revealing Sharon "Boomer" Valerii, one of the most important pilots from Galactica, is in fact a Cylon. Season 1 ends with Commander Adama being shot by Sharon Valerii. Season 2 ends with the planet of New Caprica being occupied by the Cylons forces, and Kara "Starbuck" Thrace promising they'll "fight until they can't". Season 3 ends with four characters discovering they are Cylons (Samuel Anders, Galen Tyrol, Saul Tigh and Tory Foster), and Starbuck coming back after her apparent death in a previous episode. The show has also had many episodes with plotthreads left unresolved until later episodes. For example, Season two's midseason break was also a cliffhanger: Battlestars Galactica and Pegasus launched their Vipers to fight each other. Many two-part episodes with the first part ending on a cliffhanger, too. For example, "Resurrecion Ship (Part 1)" ends when both Adama and Admiral Caine ask other people to kill each other, and "The Eye of Jupiter" ends with Starbuck missing in action, D'anna Biers about to discover the identity of the last five Cylons, and Adama about to destroy the planet where a clue to find the Earth is hidden. The first part of the miniseries ends with the apparent death of Lee "Apollo" Adama.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer 
Several episodes end with a cliffhanger, and from the fourth season onwards, the season would end with a major storyline carrying over 4 or 5 episodes, and ending each episode with a cliffhanger.
Charmed 
The Season 3 finale of Charmed ended with the sisters separated and two of them dying, with no way of them being healed. This gives way to Season 4, with the introduction of the character Paige Matthews following the departure of Shannen Doherty as Prue.
Cheers 
Before most other sitcoms even considered the idea of the season-ending cliffhanger, many seasons of Cheers ended on such.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
The First Season end's with a Mexican Standoff between 3 Main characters and ends by cutting to black with the sound of a single gunshot. It was resolved at the start of season 2.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 
Season 7 ended with CSI Sara Sidle trapped under a car by the miniature killer.
Season 8 ended with CSI Warrick Brown being shot twice by the Undersheriff while sitting in his car.
Dallas and Dynasty 
All seasons of both shows (even the last one, see below) ended on a cliffhanger.
Doctor Who 
In its original run (1963-1989), most stories comprised four to six episodes. All but the last episode of a story would end on a cliffhanger. One episode ended with the Doctor literally hanging from a cliff by his umbrella. The new series (2005-current) has also used cliffhangers, but less frequently, with three two-parters per series, where the first part would end on a cliffhanger to be resolved in the following episode. There have also been cliffhangers at the end of all three current series - "The Parting of the Ways" ends with the regeneration of the Ninth Doctor into the Tenth, "Doomsday" ends with the appearance of Donna Noble, and "The Last of the Time Lords" ends with the HMS Titanic crashing into the TARDIS.
Torchwood 
Series 1 ended with Captain Jack Harkness seemingly gone with the Doctor. Oddly, this cliffhanger was partly resolved in another show - Doctor Who.
Dragon Ball Series 
Episodes sometimes ended during the powering-up of a special attack during a confrontation with an enemy, or just as the attack is about to be used.
Flash Gordon 
Friends 
Every season except the series finale ended on a cliffhanger (with varying degrees of suspense), with many other episodes having cliffhangers that would be picked up on the next week. Among the show's most famous cliffhangers is the wedding of Ross and Emily, at which Ross misspeaks and says Rachel's name at the altar, ending the season on a shocking cliffhanger. Another notable one is the one with Monica's wedding, in which the audience thinks Monica is pregnant with Chandler's child until the camera's zoom on Rachel in the very last seconds of the season shows that it is in fact Rachel who is pregnant. Another is the unexpected reunion between Chandler and Janice.
Frisky Dingo
The first season ended with Simon activating the Annihallatrix and the screen going completely white.
Fushigi Yūgi
Cliffhangers in this anime/manga are usually ployed at the beginning of battle scenes, a sudden and unprecedented event (e.g. Miaka being taken away by a pair of disembodied hands at the end of Episode 8), or the revelation of another plot element (among the most notable being at the end of Episode 22, where Nakago tells Yui of another trap he has set for Miaka and the Suzaku Seven).
Modern game shows like Deal or No Deal and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, among others 
The shows' respective hosts often segue to commercial breaks during suspenseful moments, usually when said moment directly influences what prize a contestant might win. Cliffhangers are always explicitly announced by the host, usually by means of a long pause before the phrase "Right after this (break)" or one of similar meaning. This is one of the few cases where a cliffhanger is present in front of a studio audience.
Germany's Next Topmodel
Cycle 2: For the first time in German casting show history an episode ended with a huge cliffhanger. This season's eleventh episode left open the elimination of controversial contestant Fiona Erdmann.
Cycle 3: The elimination process was completely cut from this season's third episode and shown next week. Best friends Gina-Lisa Lohfink and Sarah Knappik were about to be separated on the season's sixth episode. As host Heidi Klum is about to pronounce the judgement, hysterical Knappik leaves panel with Lohfink running after her and the episode comes to an end.
Green Wing 
Literal cliffhanger, with Guy Secretan, Dr. "Mac" Macartney and Martin Dear all stuck in an ambulance hanging over the edge of a cliff. The same thing has happened in the second series, except instead of Guy and Mac, it's Joanna Clore and Alan Statham in a camper van, though Martin Dear is still there.
Heroes 
Every episode ends with "To be continued..." A notable cliffhanger was that of the last episode before the seasonal break in 2006.
InuYasha 
Some episodes (including the series finale itself) have cliffhangers (mostly 2 to 3 part episodes). The final episode of the series, when the title character and his friends still chase after Naraku, vowing to defeat him once and for all, ends with many long-running plots unresolved.
JAG 
often featured cliffhanger episodes at the end of seasons. The final episode ended with not knowing which of the major characters would resign their commission to move with the other.
Jericho 
The first season ended when the townspeople of Jericho open fire on the invading residents of a neighboring town, New Bern, with gunfire sounding as the credits rolled.
King of the Hill 
The second and third seasons ended with cliffhanger episodes, with the explosion of a department store with Hank inside and Peggy having a parachute failure respectively.
Lost 
drama/adventure/mystery/sci-fi: almost every episode ends with an intense cliffhanger or a twist, season finales on the other hand end with multiple cliffhangers.
The O.C. 
Every episode could be interpreted as ending with a cliffhanger. The most dramatic reserved for the season-ending episode(s) in May.
The Office (US) 
Every season finale (1,2,3) has been a cliffhanger, all of which deal with the Jim/Pam relationship. With Season One being Jim getting in a car with his new girlfriend Katie (The Hot Girl), as Pam watches from inside Roy's truck. You can tell by her look that she is jealous of Jim's new girl therefore revealing feelings she could have for Jim. Season Two ends with Jim telling Pam that he loves her. The next scene shows Pam on the phone with what appears to be her mother telling her about what has just happened, then Jim walks in, Pam hangs up the phone which leads to Jim kissing Pam. Then the screen cuts to black. Season Three ends with a "Talking Head" of Pam where she is explaining how she is optimistic of the future and wishing Jim and Karen the best. She is then interrupted by Jim who asks Pam "Are you free for dinner tonight?" Pam replies yes and then Jim says "All right, then it's a date," leaving Pam speechless and smiling. It is also revealed that Ryan got the promotion, and not Jim or Michael.
One Piece 
Every single episode ends with a black screen upon which the words "TO BE CONTINUED" are displayed in large letters which fill up the screen. Almost all episodes are cliffhangers, and those that aren't still have the "TO BE CONTINUED" screen at the end, implying that even if this episode's story has been resolved, the larger quest for Gold Roger's treasure continues. This is removed in the UK version.
Pokémon 
Even all of the episodes' conflicts are solved within the show, there are some exceptions. Some episodes (such as "Hello Pummelo" and "Enter The Dragonite") are two parters, where as others (like the "Indigo Arc") are multiple part storylines that take more than a few to resolve, these usually take place during a major tournament that Ash has made his way towards. Also, all of the episodes end with the trite "To Be Continued..." with the show's picture shrinking to the upper-left corner of the screen. One episode of the series ("The Battle Of The Badge") also dovetails into Pokemon: The First Movie as Mewtwo escapes from Giovanni, having defeated Gary's Pokemon earlier.
Primeval 
The endings of each season appears to have a cliffhanger; for season one, Nick Cutter appeared to disappear behind an expanding anomaly and in season two, Helen Cutter was seen with multiple versions of one man around a grave of a deceased main character.
Prison Break 
Most episodes spend the last minute or two setting up the main plot of the next episode, and produce a cliffhanger to be resolved. The season finales end with multiple cliffhangers that will be resolved over the course of the entire next season.
Quantum Leap 
Each episode ended with a minute or so long intro to the next episode's storyline.
Red Dwarf 
Series 2, 6, 7 and 8 all ended on cliffhangers (Especially 6 and 8).
The cartoon version of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show 
Often ends each episode in some sort of a cliffhanger, left to be resolved in the next episode.
Scrubs 
Some of the seasons end on liffhangers. The first one ended with Jordan revealing everyone's secrets to the others. The fifth season ended with Kim revealng that she was pregnant. The sixth ended with J.D. and Elliot (Both of whom were in a relationship.) Lying in the On-call room, leaning in to kiss before it cuts to credits.
The Simpsons 
The sixth season finale "Who Shot Mr. Burns? - Part 1" ended with a cliffhanger leaving a 'who done it?' ending for the audience to question themselves, and which was answered in the following season. This was the only multi-part episode of the series (as of 2008).
Smallville 
A season of this show can be divided into thirds: September-December, January-March, April-May. Each third of the season (consisting of about 6-9 episodes) usually ends with a cliffhanger, with the most intense cliffhangers reserved for the season-ending episode(s) in May.
Sonic the Hedgehog 
The second season finale ("Doomsday") was not planned to be the season finale, but the show was cancelled before the third season could be fully written.
South Park 
When the show became immensely popular, season one ended with a search for Eric Cartman's father. The next episode was supposed to air four weeks later, which happened to be April Fools Day 1998. The creators decided to pull "The Ultimate South Park Joke" by premiering season 2 with a completely unrelated episode about Terrance and Phillip. Fans were angered by this and the creators made the conclusion episode. Also, season 4 had a cliffhanger arc and season 10 had two separate arcs. During Season 6, the episode Professor Chaos had a spoof cliffhanger ending, by asking three questions that theoretically would be answered in the following episode (One of which had nothing to do with the events of the preceding episode). Instead of all three questions being answered in the following episode, they were answered verbally immediately before the closing credits. The following episode, The Simpsons Already Did It, simply elaborated on the answers to the three aforementioned questions.
Spooks 
All seasons have ended with major cliffhangers except season 3 (one of the main characters was killed off in the final episode instead). Seasons 4 and 5 both began with two part episodes shown on consecutive evenings which featured cliffhangers, and in season 5, episode 6 also ends on a cliffhanger.
Stripperella 
Star Trek series 
The only cliffhanger pair in the original series was The Menagerie, which incorporated footage of the aborted pilot, The Cage. However, since Star Trek: The Next Generation, most of the seasons of the various series have ended with a cliffhanger, and later seasons have included cliffhangers in the middle of a season.
Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis 
The first four seasons and the ninth season of SG-1 ended with cliffhangers. The last episodes of the fifth through eighth seasons were all written as possible series finales. In contrast, all three seasons of Atlantis ended with cliffhangers, and the trend seems likely to continue. Both SG-1 and Atlantis also have mid-season cliffhangers, as the seasons air in blocks (one from July to September; one from January to March).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series) 
Seasons 1, 2, and 4 have all ended with different cliffhangers. Season 1 ended with the turtles being beamed to an unknown location, leaving the Utroms dumbstruck. Season 2 ended with the turtles at home, celebrating their victory, while the bloodthirsty Triceratons approaching Earth, planning a full-scale invasion. Season 4 ended with the turtles and their new allies being held captive on a ship that is headed for Japan.
Tru Calling 
Season 1 (and the unfinished season 2) both ended on a cliff hanger with many questions left unanswered.
The West Wing 
Season 1 ends with the President and his staff being shot. Season 2 ends with the President, after just revealing his failure to disclose he has MS, being asked the question, "Will you seek a second term in office?" Season 4 ends when the President's daughter has been kidnapped, and temporarily with no Vice-President, he evokes the 25th Amendment, naming the Speaker of the House, who is from the opposing party, Acting President. Season 5 ends with an attack on the Presidential envoys sent to promote peace in the Middle East. The blast kills the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and seriously wounds Donna Moss.
The X-Files 
Most episodes end in mysterious conclusions. And each season finale ends mysteriously as well.
Xena: Warrior Princess 
Several episodes end with a cliffhanger
Xiaolin Showdown 
While most Saturday morning shows shy away from season ending cliffhangers, this show (and the TMNT revival) has embraced them. Seasons 1 and 2 end with one of the Xiaolin monks having been temporarily turned to evil.
Zoey 101 
In the Zoey 101 movie, "Goodbye Zoey", Michael tries to turn off Quinn's webcam, but starts a connection with Zoey at the same time Michael & Chase tried to make Chase admit he misses Zoey. But along with him admitting it, he admits he loves Zoey and says why and when he first met her. Then the screen goes to Zoey and goes black.

[edit] Other unresolved cliffhangers

Some TV shows were cancelled in between seasons, and viewers were left wondering what happened. Some other media also have shown unresolved cliffhangers.

[edit] Television series

Angel 
The show's finale episode was written with the knowledge that it would be the last, but still creator Joss Whedon decided to end with a cliffhanger, involving the main characters about to square off with an army of demons and a dragon, ending the series with "Let's go to work."
Aquila 
The owners of Aquilla are able to activate the onboard computer to discover that it was in fact a liferaft of a much larger battlecruiser orbiting the sun, declaring that "We could have some serious fun with a battle cruiser!"
Babylon 5
Benson 
The famous "Who Won?" cliffhanger featuring a gubernatorial race between the title character and his former employer was never resolved.
Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot 
The animated series ended with the doctor saying that there was a seventh Legion X bot created. It was never seen or mentioned again.
The Big O 
In the last episode, Angel becomes the Fourth Big, Big Venus, and begins removing Paradigm City from reality. Roger and Big O attempt to negotiate with her on the survival of humanity. Afterwards, Big Venus and Big O walk towards each other and the screen fades to white. In the last few minutes, the opening of the first episode is shown, with Dorothy and Angel watching Roger drive off unlike in the original footage. This does not tie up any plot threads, and simply confuses people further, as not only was Roger driving off to rescue Dorothy in the first place, but Angel should not appear until Episode 3. The cryptic ending is the rushed result of the series being cancelled unexpectedly, instead of being extended to a third season.
Blade: The Series 
Ends in a cliffhanger that is supposed to set up a second season for the show, with Marcus Van Sciver grabbing Krista Starr by the throat asking her how long she worked for Blade. Despite a large success, actress Jill Wagner stated on her MySpace blog that Spike TV would not renew the series.
Blake's 7 
At the end of the fourth and final season the lead characters were surrounded and shot by a Federation security squad. The intention was for those actors who chose to continue on into the fifth season to have merely been stunned by the shots instead of being killed. In the event, there was no fifth season and the frustration inflicted on the audience led to much fan fiction and a novel regarding what happened next.
Capitol 
Sloane Denning is facing execution by firing squad, and as soon as the executioner says "fire," the episode ends with no resolution of what happened.
Caroline in the City 
This sitcom ended with the sudden appearance of Richard Karinsky (Malcolm Gets) at Caroline's wedding.
Cliffhangers 
Perhaps the definitive cliffhanger program. An hour-long show composed of three segments per week. Each weekly segment ended in a cliffhanger. The series was cancelled with two of the three storylines incomplete. The episode tying up those incomplete stories were actually shown overseas, and one of the unfinished stories was re-edited into a telefilm (as was the one that was completed).
Clone High 
The series ended with most of the cast being frozen in a meat locker by Principal Scudworth.
Crime Story.
Crusade 
As it was cancelled before the main thrust of the plot could even begin to unfold, much less come to fruition.
Dallas 
A close up of Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) saying "Oh my god!" in reaction to entering J.R. Ewing's (Larry Hagman) room from where a gunshot had just been heard ended this prime time soap's final episode in 1991. Unlike most shows that ended with a cliffhanger this cliffhanger was entirely intentional. It was not until a 1996 TV reunion movie that it was revealed what happened (J.R. Ewing shot a demon-possessed mirror instead of committing suicide).
DangerMouse 
The series finale "The Intergalactic 147" ended with DangerMouse and Penfold alive and well in their pillar box on a sidewalk fragment surrounded by a giant empty wasteland where London had been. They had helped the earth avoid being bumped into a black hole in an alien's intergalactic snooker game, but not before the whole city of London around them disappeared, it's exact whereabouts unknown. While DM and their boss, Colonel K, who's on the videophone, fret over what to do about the missing city, Penfold asks if they have a "spare", to which both DM and the Colonel reply, "Penfold, shush!". With London's fate still unresolved, the show faded out for the final time.
Darkwing Duck 
The episode "Steerminator" ends with a cliffhanger, which was intended to be resolved two seasons later, but the show was canceled before production of next season.
Dead Like Me 
ended with a number of "loose ends" especially as concerned the status of the relationship between Georgia Lass, the main character, and her mother and younger sister.
Duckman 
In the final episode, Duckman's supposedly deceased wife, Beatrice, unexpectedly appears during his second marriage. It is soon revealed that Cornfed knew Beatrice was still alive the entire time.
Dynasty 
This soap ended with a multitude of cliffhangers; for example, Alexis Colby (Joan Collins) falling off a balcony and Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) getting shot.
Earth 2 
This one-season series ended with Devon Adair (Debrah Farentino) falling ill with a mysterious illness and being placed in hibernation. Her voiceover implies that the planet they are trying to colonize is "rejecting" them, and that the same fate may befall the other characters. The series was not renewed for a second season, leaving the cliffhanger unresolved.
Emerald Point N.A.S. 
Ends on a cliffhanger, which was intended to be resolved, but was canceled before production of next season. One of the principal characters (played by Maud Adams) is kidnapped by a former lover (Michael Brandon) on the eve of her wedding to Dennis Weaver, who finds her wedding gown stuck to the wall with a knife in the final scene.
Eve 
At Diva Style, Janie, Rita, and several friends are arrested by the FBI for an illegal botox party. Shelly derided her pregnant mother for remarrying her father after she found out her father is the baby's father; Shelly felt her father would abandon the baby like he abandoned Shelly and her sister. Finally, the husband of Nick's girlfriend approaches the closet where he and J.T. were hiding. J.T. grabbed a shoe, ready to do battle. At that point "To Be Continued" appeared on-screen, ending the series with no hope of immediate resolution.
Exosquad 
Ends with a cliffhanger when an alien race of enormous power unexpectedly attacks the Solar System shortly after the end of the war between Neosapiens and humans.
Farscape 
The show was abruptly cancelled after it had completed production of its fourth season, with a fifth season contracted, effectively ending the series on a cliffhanger. A mini-series in 2004, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars wrapped up some of the show's hanging plot threads.
Family Guy 
At the end of the episode "The Thin White Line", Brian abruptly tells the Griffins that he is leaving for good and heads to the airport in a taxi. The next episode, "Brian does Hollywood", begins with a "previously on Family Guy" segment that shows 11 fake unrelated cliffhangers, most involving the main characters in life-threatening situations. The twelfth reveals that Brian has gone to LA to find himself.
Fastlane 
This highly stylized FOX television series, starring Tiffani Thiessen, Peter Facinelli, and Bill Bellamy ended it's 22-episode, 1 season run with undercover officers Van (Facinelli) and Deaq (Bellamy) successfully preventing a jewel heist spearheaded by the first employee Lt. Billie Chambers (Thiessen) recruited to work for The Candy Store, back when she hired criminals to pose as cops, instead of cops posing as criminals. Though the perp, Nick Cassavettes, was killed in the climax of the encounter, the satisfied undercover duo are none the wiser that Lt. Billie Chambers has been kidnapped by Cassavettes female associate, who injects the formerly-addicted Billie with heroin.
First Monday 
As law clerk Ellie Pearson and Justice Deborah Szwark's CIA attorney daughter walk to a restaurant, Szwark's daughter is struck by a car. Ellie cradles her and screams for help, as the season (and the series) ends with a cliffhanger ending.
Flamingo Road 
The primetime soap ended in May 1982 with the murder of villain Michael Tyrone. At the very end of the series finale, Michael rises from the dead in a burning barn.
Grown Ups 
J. inadvertently proposes to his on-again-off-again girlfriend Melissa.
Home Improvement 
The show ends with Jill wanting to accept a new job in Detroit as a psychologist, and Tim wanting to stay where they are as the Producer and head of his own Tool Time show.
Invasion 
The first and only season ended with two major cliffhangers: the fate of Larkin and her baby and the outcome of the hybrid pregnancies.
JAG 
The final episode involved Harm and Mac getting married. As they were being posted away from each other, one had to give up his/her career for the marriage to work. To decide, they flipped a commemorative coin. The result was not shown.
John Doe 
In the unplanned series finale, the Stocking Cap man seemingly in charge of the evil Phoenix Organization is revealed in the last seconds as "Digger", one of John Doe's closest friends.
JPod
In the sereis finale, "Colony Collapse Disorder", Kaitlin is put into a Coma by a hug machine installed in the pod. Cowboy calls 911 (Which he has on speed-dial)and the series ends with Ethan announcing "I think she's gone into a coma." (Possibly a reference to the Douglas Coupland novel "Girlfriend in a Coma)
Las Vegas 
The 2007-2008 Writer's Strike cancelled production of the remaining three episodes of the series, forcing the series to end on a cliffhanger involving Danny and Delinda's pregnancy/baby, and Cooper's ownership fight for the Montecito.
Last Man Standing 
Cam was about to confront Adam having just remembered a drunken conversation about his affair with Zoe.
Living with Fran 
Merryl and Danny announce their engagement and Merryl asks Fran to be her Matron of Honor and Danny asks Riley to be his Best Man. Fran realizes that she will run into Riley at the engagement party causes Fran to bring Ted as her date in order to tell Riley that she has moved on from him and is giving Ted another chance. Fran finds Ted hitting on Riley's date. When Riley learns that Fran was just trying to protect him he proposes to Fran.
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman 
This ended with then married Lois and Clark finding a baby left in their living room, with a note "Lois and Clark - This baby's for you."
The Lone Ranger 
The very first Lone Ranger episode ends with the lone ranger literally hanging off a cliff.
Love of Life 
On its final episode on February 1, 1980, heroine Betsy Crawford, after testifying in a trial, collapsed as she was leaving the stand. No one knew what happened to her as the show was cancelled, and not picked up by another network.
Malcolm & Eddie 
After the 50/50 Club is wrecked in an accident, Nicolette offers Malcolm and Eddie money to rebuild it on the condition that she becomes a full partner.
Models, Inc. 
In the finale that originally aired on FOX, the series ended with a hired assassin aiming his gun at a wedding. Because people were moving, the gun was shown pointing at several cast members and then the gun was shot. It ended in slow motion panning to the assassin's face with, "To Be Continued..." The show was cancelled soon after, but there was an alternate ending that later aired on international distribution and in repeats on E! cable network. The shot killed Emma Samms' character Grayson and showed Hillary Michaels (Linda Gray) announcing to the models that she was closing Models, Inc. The show ended with Gray turning off the lights to each model's photo on the wall in the lobby and the office going dark and zooming up to the Models, Inc. logo in the hallway. However, the one cliffhanger that wasn't resolved on either endings was the ending of the character of Carrie (Carrie-Anne Moss). Grayson had her kidnapped and in a scene saying "Somewhere in Central America" she woke up tied and was in "Hooker Hell."
Moesha 
The show was cancelled on a cliffhanger, with Moesha's younger brother Miles having been kidnapped and a positive pregnancy test suggesting that one of the girls in Moesha's dorm was pregnant. The cliffhanger was originally planned to be solved on the Moesha spinoff The Parkers, but the writers of the show ultimately declined, feeling that the spinoff had a cliffhanger of its own to solve with the season premiere.
Mortal Kombat: Conquest 
Due to the cost of making the show, it ended with only one season being made, despite its popularity. The series ended with all the major cast dead and Shao Kahn being victorious in pulling off his plan to get rid of his foes. The next season was suppose to start with the Elder Gods resetting everything because Shao Kahn broke the rules.
My So-Called Life 
After discovering that Brian wrote the eloquent apology letter that was supposedly penned by Jordan Catalono, Angela ends up looking back and forth between the two deciding what she should do. She ends up getting into Jordan's car, but staring at Brian the whole time as she departs. The creator of the show, Winnie Holzman, is proud of the end of series. She said, "...there was a rightness in how short the season was. This was a show about adolescence and sort of ended in its own adolescence. There was an aura about how short the series was like all things that die young. The show ended at a point that it was still all potential."
Odyssey 5 
Was cancelled after one season. The show ended on a cliffhanger which was never resolved. Unresolved plots included the main plot about saving the earth, but also the subplots about the Karder, the Sentients and the kidnapping of Angela Perry.
Over There 
Was canceled immediately after its one and only season concluded, leaving a number of "loose ends" including the future of Bo Ryder, one of the principal characters, who hoped to recover from the loss of his right leg and return to active duty with his unit in Iraq.
Peyton Place 
When this evening soap opera was cancelled in 1969, the final episode made no attempt to tie-up the various story threads in the expectation another network would pick-up the show.
Popular 
This show's second season finale ends with a cliffhanger that was never resolved due to an unexpected cancellation by the network after the episode was already shot. In the cliffhanger, Tammy Lynn Michaels' character runs over a former friend of hers (played by Leslie Bibb) with her car and it is unclear if the latter survives the hit or not. Also, it was revealed a drag queen (RuPaul) was the father of Leslie Grossman's character.
Port Charles 
The soap opera concluded its run with heroine Allison not knowing who the father of her baby was.
ReBoot 
There are two different cliffhanger endings. In the UK, the show ended with the heroes in the web gone to rescue Bob, and the episode ended with a zoom in on Matrix's eye. The reason for this cliffhanger is CITV did not air the rest of the season, as they deemed the content unsuitable. In the US and Canada (and/or anywhere other than the UK that aired ReBoot) got a different cliffhanger ending, at the end of Series 4 (The halfway point of Series 3 was where CITV stopped it), it is revealed that the clone of Bob is an upgraded version of the virus Megabyte, who is inside Mainframe's core office, and in a position to destroy it.
Red Dwarf 
In the end of series 8 Rimmer is trapped on Red Dwarf as it is disintegrating around him and everyone else has abandoned ship. Then the Grim Reaper comes to take him away and he kicks the Grim Reaper in the testicles and runs off.
Return to Eden 
Ended on a dramatic cliffhanger in Australia. For subsequent international sales, a specially shot new ending hurriedly tied-up the unresolved story threads.
Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles 
Ends in a cliff-hanger on Episode 37 showing the Arachnid race doing a full-scale assault on Earth. There were originally plans to create three more episodes to create the resolution (with the voice-overs already recorded), but it was not possible due to running out of resources. In an audio commentary by producer Jeff Kline on the Homefront Campaign DVD, he outlines what would happen in those three episodes.
Santa Barbara 
The storyline in its final episode in January 1993 ended when Andie Klein aimed her gun at the crowd of attendees at Warren and BJ's wedding.
The Sopranos 
Many episodes find their ending in a cliffhanger when some character or obscure scene ostensibly leaves the audience unsatisfied, often with subtle allegations. Occasionally obvious or subtle references to these episodes are made in future episodes, often resolving the cliffhangers in unexpected ways or further perpetuating the mystery of their outcome. The series finale ended deliberately with an abrupt cut-to-black in the middle of a scene, leaving the outcome of all surviving characters unknown.
Silver Surfer 
After 13 episodes the story was cut as Silver Surfer starts his battle with Thanos for the existence of the universe leaving the viewers with a white screen and a yellow "The End?" sign.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World 
The season 3 cliffhanger was never resolved, for the series was cancelled in 2002 after funding for a fourth season fell through..
Sliders 
In the last episode (The Seer), Rembrandt Brown went to Earth Prime to defeat the Kromaggs, while the other sliders remained on the previous parallel earth, not knowing if Rembrandt would live or die.
Soap 
The show ended on several cliffhangers, not least of which was the fate of Jessica Tate, who was facing execution by firing squad. Jessica's fate was more or less resolved in a subsequent 1983 episode of Benson, wherein Jessica's ghost visits her former butler to reassure him on his life's choices before she makes her way to the great beyond.
Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM) 
The final scene of the season finale "The Doomsday Project" set up the plot point of Snively teaming up with a new villain for the next season. It was revealed in 1997 that Ixis Naugus was the mystery villain being set up. A third season was planned and a plot put out eventually after the show ended.
Space: Above and Beyond 
The final episode ends in an open-ended fashion, where T.C. McQueen is badly injured and most of the major cast is apparently killed or missing, with only Cooper Hawkes and Nathan West remaining. Yet with the Earth force in a much better strategic position, there is the motif of hope through initiative, despite losses and sacrifices.
Spider-Man: The Animated Series 
In the final episode of this series, Spider-Man saves all of reality from Spider-Carnage, an unstable alternate universe version of the character. Madame Web congratulates Spider-Man and transports both he and a powerless alternate world self (who had helped tremendously despite his lack of powers) to that person's Earth, where the truth about his origins are revealed, he is an actor who portrays the character on television, and takes him to see Stan Lee in this reality. Web promises Spider-Man they will find Mary Jane Watson, as unbeknownst to Spider-Man, she had fallen into a portal in the third season finale. The cliffhanger was never resolved due to the dreaded "65 episode rule" of Syndication, which had not yet been challenged as sternly as it is now. Head writer John Semper had hoped to continue the series and resolve the cliffhanger, one proposed arc involved Spidey finding MJ in Colonial England and fighting Carnage once more, who had by now joined with Jack The Ripper.
Spider-Man Unlimited 
There were a few cliffhangers in Spider-Man Unlimited. The Counter-Earth version of the Green Goblin was hinted to be the missing husband of Dr. Yamanda-Naoko Jones, who allowed Peter to stay with her and her son, (the Spider-Man Unlimited comic book also hinted a Bestial version of Wolverine was her husband, but it's place in canon is uncertain). The series also looked at Carnage and Venom's attempts at contacting a symbiote hive on Counter-Earth known as "The Synoptic", which would menace Counter-Earth in the final moments of the final episode, just as Spider-Man and The Resistance had succeeded in overthrowing The High Evolutionary and his Bestial forces.
Spider-Man: The New Animated Series 
Much like Spider-man Unlimited, the CGI series also ended on a cliffhanger with the expectation that a second series would be produced to resolve it. The main string of Peter Parker giving up being the Spider-man is not really a cliffhanger as fans know he would recant, but the trigger for it with one of the few new supporting cast members/love triangle member Indy being put into coma still remains. However the fact that the series was implied to have continuity with the first movie and the fact he is Spider-Man again in the second movie, with a second series planned (but never produced) means this still counts as a cliffhanger.
Stargate: SG-1 
The final episode resolves none of the story dealing with the Ori Army's invasion of the Milky Way Galaxy.) This story arc will be wrapped up with the straight-to-DVD movie Stargate: The Ark Of Truth
Star Trek: Deep Space 9 
In the last episode, Benjamin Sisko is taken by the Bajoran Prophet into the Celestial Temple, leaving his son and pregnant wife behind on DS9. As this was an actual planned finale, and references were made to Sisko being back "in a year," there was early speculation of a theatrical movie in the works. (Although the movie never materialized, the Sisko family situation was resolved in Unity, a novel by S.D. Perry from the DS9 relaunch novel series. However, this novel, like all other Star Trek novels, is not considered to be official series canon.)
Strip Mall 
Tammi gets thrown out of an airplane by Barry, who then yells, "Goodbye Tammi Tyler!" (In June 2001, Comedy Central made a cost-cutting move due to a rough economy by cancelling Strip Mall and That's My Bush!)
Stroker & Hoop 
This animated comedy on Adult Swim ended with the titular characters falling to their presumed deaths.
Surface 
cancelled after 15 episodes within running story.
Tilt 
The series's archvillain, Don "The Matador" Everest, is arrested for murder, but in the final seconds, a key witness against him is found hanged to death in an apparent suicide.
Teen Titans 
The last episode ended with Beast Boy supposedly going to help the Titans leaving the audience not knowing if the girl was really Terra or what had happened to her statue.
Traveler 
The first season of Traveler ended with Jay, Will, and Tyler talking to the police station on a payphone, with the man and proof needed to save them from escaping jail. As they are telling the police chief that they have the proof outside, the car containing the proof explodes. They stand in awe, and then run away. It was then cancelled.
Tru Calling 
After the original 13 episode season (2) had been officially picked up, production started for the new season. After 6 episodes were produced, Fox Network axed the series leaving the six episode season on an unanswered cliffhanger dealing with many unanswered questions about the mythology of Tru, Jack, Tru's father and the entire set up of her mother's death.
Twin Peaks 
Dale Cooper is trapped in the black lodge, while BOB takes over his body. The show ends as Dale/BOB bangs his head against a mirror, repeating the words: "How's Annie?", as well as having several other characters involved in some type of cliffhanger.
V 
The sci-fi series ended on a cliffhanger as the season was unexpectedly cancelled in 1985.

[edit] Video games

Advent Rising 
The game ends with the main character being sent to a frozen planet after defeating the final boss. The character passes out from the cold and is apparently saved by a large creature as the words "To be continued..." appear on screen. Production of a sequel never came to pass because of financial issues.
Assassin's Creed 
With Altaïr's memory complete, Desmond, no longer being of use to Abstergo Industries, is to be silenced; however, he is saved by Lucy Stillman, who reveals herself to be an Assassin by bending down her ring finger, to imply her membership. In the conclusion of the game, Desmond, having become "synchronized" with Altaïr, is able to use the eagle vision (a sort of empathic sight to see hidden messages and tell friend from foe), and sees messages scrawled across the floors and walls that only he can see that refer to the end of the world described by several religions, among other writings. The game abruptly ends right after Desmond sees the writings on the wall in his bedroom.
Beyond Good and Evil 
This Ubisoft game ended with a main character, Peyj, being infected with a substance thought to be destroyed, setting up for a sequel. However, though it got very good reviews, Beyond Good and Evil had dismal sales but a sequel has been planned as of May 15th, 2008.
Dead Rising 
After defeating the final boss, Frank screams into the air surrounded by hundreds of zombies and infected with the zombie virus. However, while the player is told that Frank is able to escape, there are other unresolved problems, such as kids infected with the zombie virus planted around the country, Frank's own zombie virus and whether he is cured, and the fate of Isabella, a supporting character.
BattleTanx: Global Assault 
Ended with the main villain being resurrected by an unidentified magician. No sequel was released before the company behind the game, 3DO, went bankrupt.
Diablo 
Ended with the player jabbing Diablo's Soulstone into the player's head. The narrator says that you feel Diablo already trying to control you from inside the Soulstone and you feel that your salvation lies to the east. This cliffhanger was resolved in Diablo II as the player in the first game became Diablo himself and then the new player must defeat him and destroy the soulstone.
Diablo II 
After the player defeats Diablo, a cinematic happens where Marius tells the hooded figure who he believes to be Tyrael that Diablo's Soulstone was destroyed. Then then, upon Tyrael's request, Marius gives him Baal's Soulstone, and then Tyrael reveals that he is "not the archangel Tyrael" but actually Baal. Baal kills Marius, and sets the building they were in ablaze, and then the game ends with Baal walking out of the burning building with a horde of insect-like demons following him. This cliffhanger is resolved in Diablo II: Lord of Destruction when the player kills Baal. However, the datadisc ends with a cliffhanger, too: After killing Baal, Tyrael enters the Worldstone Chamber and tells the hero that Baal has already corrupted the Worldstone. Tyrael must therefore destroy the Worldstone, but admits even he cannot foresee the cosequences of doing so.
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey 
Ended (and began) with Zoe Castillo, the main protagonist, in a coma while April Ryan from the prequel, The Longest Journey is apparently killed and Kian Alvane under custody. The antagonists were unaffected as shown in the ending and leaves many questions unanswered. (see Dreamfall#Questions raised by the story). According to the game's designer, Ragnar Tørnquist, these cliffhangers will be resolved in the upcoming episodic sequel, Dreamfall Chapters.
DRIV3R 
Once it is evident that Tanner has found a way to stop the gang from selling the stolen vehicles, he is brought back onto the force and aids in stopping the sale. Following a car chase and violent shootout between Jericho's men and the Turkish police, Tanner faces crimelord Jericho in a final showdown. Both men are injured and the ending of the game shows one of them flatlining. However, in the mobile phone game, Driver: Vegas, it is revealed that both men survived, and Tanner seeks revenge on Jericho (However it's must be noted that this mobile game is not counted as a game of the series, but as a spin-off by most of the Driver fans.)
F.E.A.R. 
The game ends with the main character seeing the evil little girl "Alma" climb up on the side of your escape helicopter right before the game cuts to credits. After the credits, the player can also hear a conversation between a senator and the CEO of Armachan which explains that the whole game was created as a test for you, the Point Man.
Gabriel Knight III 
Ended on a cliffhanger, as Grace leaves Gabriel and goes to India. The story would have continued in the next Gabriel Knight game, but shortly after the release of Gabriel Knight III, Sierra officially stopped making adventure games.
Golden Sun 
The game ends with a big earthquake, leaving all the points of the plot unresolved. The second game of the series, reads the savegame of the previous for continue the story. Initially the series was planned to be a single game, but it was divided in half due to hardware limitations.
Half-Life 
This series of games is perhaps the best known for its clever and even weird cliffhanger endings, with the games always ending with the hero being transported to an indeterminate dimension in the middle of a high climax for a meeting with the G-Man, who then congratulates the hero and cryptically tells him he has "assignments" for him. Three exceptions to this rule are the endings to Half-Life: Blue Shift, Half-Life 2: Episode One and Half-Life 2: Episode Two, although the last two also ended with cliffhangers, with Episode One ending with the fates of the two main characters being unresolved and Episode Two ending with Eli Vance's death; only Blue Shift has a non-cliffhanger ending.
Halo  
While not as overt as the ending to its sequel, the ending to the original Halo game left the Master Chief and Cortana stranded in space on a single Longsword space fighter, with an ominous note that indicated that the story was not over, the Master Chief stating "No, I think we're just getting started." The novel, Halo: First Strike details the duo's return to Earth.
Halo 2 
The game ended with the Master Chief ordering the UNSC fleet to cease fire on the Forerunner ship that he had stowed away on, to "finish this fight." The limited comic series, Halo: Uprising bridges the gap between Halo 2 and 3.
Halo 3 
The game ends with the Master Chief and Cortana trapped in deep space, aboard a destroyed frigate and going into a cryo chamber. In the Legendary ending, Master Chief and Cortana are heading towards an unknown structure.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy 
In the secret ending after getting 100 power cells, it shows Jak and the gang opening a precursor door that just shines brightly and everyone is saying how cool it looks, but it is never revealed until the beginning of Jak II.
Kingdom Hearts 
After Ansem is destroyed, Sora, with the help of King Mickey and Riku, closes the door to Kingdom Hearts with Riku & King Mickey still inside. After Sora tells Kairi that he would come back to her, Sora, Donald & Goofy disapper as the worlds are restored & disconnected. After the credits, Sora, Donald & Goofy are seen chasing Pluto how has a letter from the King.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories 
In the end of Sora's story, he, Donald & Goofy go into a deep sleep while Naminé rearranges their memories back to the way they were, but at the cost of erasing their memories of their time in Castle Oblivion. In Riku's story, after destroying the last of Ansem's Essence, Riku still fears that Ansem is inside of him. He & King Mickey go on a quest to destroy it once & for all. As they exit Castle Oblivion they run into DiZ outside. After asking what he wants now, DiZ asks Riku which way will he take the "road to light or the road to darkness?" Riku tells him neither & that he's taking the middle road. After DiZ asks "The road to twilight night fall?" Riku says "No, the way to dawn."
Kingdom Hearts II 
After the credits it shows Sora, Kairi, and Riku receiving a letter from the king. They read the letter, but ends without the letter visible to the player.
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile 
During the ending sequence of the game, after most of the plot is already untied, a major plot twist is introduced that questions many aspects of the story that appeared clear before, including the identity of the main character himself. The ending sequence finishes with the main character sucked off through a vortex to an unknown location (if any). If this cliffhanger was ever supposed to be resolved, remains subject of discussion until today, since later games of the Klonoa series do not pick up the Door to Phantomile storyline again.
God of War 2 
The game ended with the titans and Kratos climbing Mount Olympus. At the end, the title said "The End Begins." This occurred because Playstation 3 and PSP sequels are in development.
Metal Gear Solid 
Games in this franchise have typically ended with some sort of conversation overheard by the player revealing a small details extending the games plot and setting the stage for a sequel. In the original Metal Gear Solid, for instance, it was the revelation that there was a third survivor of the Les Enfants Terribles project. The survivor in question, Solidus Snake, played a key role in Metal Gear Solid 2. Many of the other games are known for their cliffhanger endings, which take place after the credits.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath 
The game ended with Sekto revealing his true form and escaping down the Mongo River leaving the player unsure of what will become of him and also the fate of the native grubbs.
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy 
The game ends with the General's demise and a hostile helicopter entering the facility. Sara believes it to be help, but Nick informs her otherwise now that he finally regains his memory fully. Nick begins to use Telekinesis (presumably on the chopper) and the scene fades to black followed by "To be continued." No sequel has been announced.
Rainbow Six Vegas 
The game ended with a possible "To be continued" showing one of your former allies (turned traitor) escaping in a helicopter (or if you destroyed the helicopter, it says that only the body of the pilot was found). The sequel, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 resolves the cliffhanger.
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction 
The ending cutscene of the game has Clank taken away by the Zoni, though no sequel has been announced yet, but it may be possible. It could also be the set up for a PSP exclusive game in development where Clank is the star, titled Secret Agent Clank, similar to what was done with the Jak and Daxter franchise where Daxter starred in his own PSP exclusive game, aptly titled Daxter.
Resident Evil Gaiden 
One of the bio-organic weapons is able to mimic other life forms, but it bleeds green blood instead. After a boss fight where the bioweapon is supposedly slain, the game zooms in on Leon's cut. The blood was green. Since Gaiden translates to side story, and Resident Evil 4 includes Leon as the star, this game is probably simply out of continuity.
Shenmue II 
The saga is abruptly cut off shortly after the main protagonist Ryo Hazuki travels to Guilin China and meets the girl he was destined to encounter, Ling Shenhua. They discover giant replicas of the two mystical mirrors as the screen fades to black with text 'the story goes on...' A third game is yet to be announced.
Sly 3: Honor Among thieves 
In the end Sly obtains Amnesia (He actually fakes it to get closer to Carmelita) and disappears. Right before the credits, Bently wonders if he will ever find Sly, then says "Time will tell, literally, 'cause I'm building a time machine to find out!" Then the screen closes in.
Splinter Cell Double Agent 
The game ends with a possible "To be continued" after the main character, Sam Fisher, jumps off a coast guard boat that is about to be blown up after disarming a bomb, while being pursued by the FBI.
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy 
The game ends with Tutankhamen's mummy joyously rushing to collect his final canopic jar and restore himself to true life, only to clumsily trip and accidentally smash the jar, sending the final fragment of his soul flying off into the ether. Although kindly priest Imhotep vows that he and Sphinx will search for the final shard of Tutankhamen's soul, suggesting a sequel (a sequel may also be suggested by the lone "special feature," a making-of documentary, which shows footage of areas that are not visited in the game, such as a lush rainforest, although these could simply have been areas that were planned for inclusion but struck from the final game), no sequel is currently planned.
StarCraft: Brood War 
In the last mission of the game, Sarah Kerrigan and her Zerg forces destroy the Protoss fleet, as well as the UED and Terran Dominion forces. Now Kerrigan becomes the most powerful entity in the universe, and Jim Raynor vows to stop her. This cliffhanger will probably be resolved in the sequel, StarCraft II, which release date has not yet been confirmed.
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords 
The game ends with the Jedi Exile leaving to find Revan (the protagonist from the prequel), who is seeking the "True Sith" empire.
The House of the Dead III 
In one of the game endings, a businessman, which re-appears in The House of the Dead 4 picked up a vial containing the genes which contains the reanimation genes. The man's true identity, as well as his motives, are unknown, although it is likely that he might cause trouble at some point in the future. A fifth game is yet to be announced.
Toonstruck 
Ended with Drew, back in the real world, sitting at his desk, when Flux Wildly calls him on the transmitter, explains that Nefarious is back and that Drew must return. Drew has no idea how to return, but is then turned into a toon, due to being hit by Nefarious transmorpher earlier in the game, and this pulls him back into the other world. The game was actually split in half during production, for the second half to be used as the sequel, but sales did not meet expectation, and the sequel was scrapped.
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness 
The games ending is Lara walking into the place where Kurtis fought Boaz. She finds Kurtis's weapon on the floor, but his body is gone. The blades on his weapon come out and it seems to turn Lara to a dark opened doorway. The blades go back in and Lara smiles. She walks into the shadows and the game ends.
Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal 
Had two different cliffhangers, one for the Orc Campaign and one for the Human Campaign. The Orc Campaign ends with Ner'zhul stating to the player that the orcs left on Azeroth had "fulfilled their purpose", and so the player, Ner'zhul and the orcs on Draenor with them travel to perhaps another world through one of the newly opened portals on Draenor, now being destroyed and would be later called "Outland". In the Human Campaign, Alleria, Khadgar, and the rest of the heroes you control close the portal on their end (Draenor), to prevent Azeroth also being destroyed. The Heroes are trapped on Draeneor, so they wander off to try and survive its destruction. Khadgar can now be found in World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade on Outland in Shattrath.
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne 
At the end, Arthas defeats Illidan and succeeds Ner'Zhul. Arthas puts on Ner'zhul's helm and then Arthas and Ner'zhul's spirits fuse. Arthas becomes the new Lich King and the most powerful entity in the world. This cliffhanger might be resolved in the second World of Warcraft expansion, entitled "The Wrath of the Lich King"
XIII 
In the last ten seconds of the game, the ultimate conspirator is revealed and the hero is left in a potentially deadly situation.
Shadow and Silver's endings in Sonic the Hedgehog '06 
Both end on a cliffhanger, with Shadow's episode ending with him being ambushed by Mephiles clones, and Silver's episode ending with Blaze sealing herself within the Chaos Emeralds. Shadow's fate was revealed in the final episode but Silver never finds out what happened to Blaze. The game then ends with a time paradox, and everyone seems to have forgotten everything that happened in the game but Sonic seems to have full memory of everything…
Enter the Matrix 
Ends with Niobe and Ghost sitting in the pilot room after destroying hundreds of Sentinels and Niobe announces whatever will come next will be "one hell of a ride". Niobe and Ghost's fates were revealed in The Matrix Revolutions.
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy 
Has two endings, one being of the light side and the other of the dark side. In the first, Kyle tells Jaden that he still has some missions in the galaxy for him to make. In the second ending, Kyle says to Luke that they must capture Jaden. The light side ending is considered canonical, as Jaden is shown as a Jedi in Fury.

[edit] Books

  • Shaman King -Yoh ends up falling asleep before the last battle with Hao and the reader is in the dark about how the fight ends.
  • The Animorphs series of children's books - Ended with a cliffhanger which disappointed many fans. The final members of the renegade Yeerk are located after 3 years of searching, and one of the Animorphs is mutated to become a god-like entity called "The One" to rule the New Yeerk Empire. The final chapter features all surviving Animorphs but Cassie setting their ship to full speed to ram the Yeerk command ship.
  • Chapterhouse Dune - The novel ends on a cliffhanger with unanswered questions regarding the escaped ship, the merging of the Honored Matres and Bene Gesserit, the role of Scytale, the development of Idaho and Teg, what chased the Honored Matres, the role of the Jews, and the identity of the god-like characters in the books final chapter.
  • In The End, the final book in A Series Of Unfortunate Events, the Baudelaires and their adopted daughter, Beatrice, leave the island, leaving readers to only imagine what is next in store for them.
  • Each of the six books of The Lord of the Rings except the last has a cliffhanger; but only the cliffhanger at the end of Book Two (the second half of The Fellowship of the Ring) was retained for the movie version. The film of The Two Towers, which leaves off well before the end of that volume of the book, made a cliffhanger of a separate plot element.
  • In most of the Harry Potter series.
  • In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban after Harry & Hermione save Sirius Black Harry learns that the prediction thatProfessor Trelawney had was of Pettigrew escaping & that he will now look for Lord Voldemort & help him return to power again.
  • In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire after Cedric Diggory is killed by Peter Pettigrew Harry is forced to help Voldemort regainge his body. Then after a brief duel Harry escapes with Cedric's body & tells Dumbledore that Voldemort has come back. However Cornelius Fudge the Minister for Magic does not believe Harry & does not take Dumbledore's words & lives.
  • In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry's Godfather Sirius Black is killed & Harry learns of a Prophecy

that says that ether he must kill Voldemort or Voldemort must kill him.

  • In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Snape kills Dumbledore & Harry go's after Snape to kill but falls. After Snape & the other Death Eaters Harry & most of the school go to Dumbledore funeral at which point Harry ends his relationship with Ginny to protect her Voldemort which she agreis. Harry then tells Ron & Hermonie that he is going to go & destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes & kill him & Ron & Hermonie tell Harry that thare going with him.
  • In some of the Goosebumps books, there are cliffendings.

[edit] Other media

Cliffhanger Serials are among the many films presented at the Mid atlantic nostalgia convention held annually in Maryland in September. Previous titles of the past included "Masters of Venus," "Captain Celluloid Versus the Film Pirates," "Buck Rogers," "The Perils of Pauline," "Hawk of the Hills," and "Days of '49."

Star Trek: Pioneers 
In the end of the seventh episode, "The Forgotten War, Part 2", Acting Captain Jennifer Loretti and her crew are preparing to be beamed down for meeting with General C'Vas, in order to start a rebellion. The next episode has been planned, but the series is currently on hiatus until further notice.
Star Trek: The Section 31 Files 
The crew of the Nosferatu investigate a spacial disturbance and end up going face to face against an enemy from an alternate dimension, one Takila Mak believed was destroyed long ago. The Dalek army. Then the Borg and the Cybermen get involved (as they are wont to do) and the three cybernetic forces engage in combat with the outmatched Federation defenders caught in the middle. Contrary to rumors stated previously that the current story arc was not going to be finished, production HAS continued. While the company did deliberate on the future of Section 31 in December of 2006, plans were made to go on with the series and the Invasion arc will be resolved, and in particular, the series will be fully completed.
Homestar Runner 
Pokes fun at cliffhangers in a Strong Bad E-Mail, as it shows many cliffhangers, and immediately after resolves them. Some examples includes Homestar "being pregnant, Strong Bad heading straight into what tuns out to be a "grodulated produce belt". This eventually leads to the cliffhanger of Strong Bad's laptop being stolen, which is resolved in a two-part email.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Primary and Secondary Phases 
Arthur steals the Heart of Gold and leaves with Lintilla, Marvin, and all of the sentient systems of the ship. Ford, Zaphod, and Zarniwoop are left stranded with the ruler of the universe. This was never resolved because Douglas Adams never made a third series. Years later, the Tertiary Phase implies that it happened inside of a virtual universe, and Zaphod is the only one to have truly experienced it.