Movies and TV characters can often struggle to send off their characters in the right ways, so it’s especially frustrating when a real happy ending is spoiled by the desire to bring the character back later. Sequels and spinoffs have brought back characters who should have stayed untouched.

In some cases, what seems like goodbye turns out to be a false alarm, as a TV show gets a surprising revival or a movie gets a legacy sequel many years later. The incentive to revive beloved characters and bring popular actors back often trumps what’s best for the story.

10

Darth Vader

Played By Several Actors In The Star Wars Franchise

Darth Vader’s moment of redemption delivers one of the biggest emotional payoffs in the entire Star Wars franchise, as he turns his back on the dark side of the force just before dying. He takes off his imposing mask to see his son eye-to-eye for the first time, revealing the old man behind the imposing facade.

Of course, a franchise like Star Wars was never going to leave the character for too long, since the movies and TV shows have spent a lot of time digging into the past. The divisive prequel trilogy provided more than enough detail on Darth Vader’s backstory, and he also made a brief appearance in Rogue One. It’s possible that the upcoming Star Wars movies will bring Darth Vader back once again.

9

J.D.

Played By Zach Braff In Scrubs

With news that Scrubs season 10 seems to be on the way, the show could have a chance to redeem itself after a final season that fell well below expectations. Season 9 was only ever meant to be a spinoff, but it was caught between introducing new characters and bringing in fan favorites whose stories were already wrapped up nicely at that point.

J.D.’s story reaches the perfect conclusion at the end of season 8, with an emotional montage as he looks ahead to his future with Elliot. From the first episode, it’s clear that J.D. is prone to elaborate daydreams, but this montage is more grounded. He isn’t using his imagination to escape his reality anymore, but to take charge of his destiny and appreciate life.

8

Wolverine

Played By Hugh Jackman In The X-Men Franchise

Hugh Jackman’s performance is a big reason why Wolverine stands out as one of the most interesting characters in the X-Men franchise, so it makes sense that the hero became the focus of his own trilogy. This ended with Logan, an emotionally intense film about the character’s life and legacy.

Wolverine’s final words in Logan, “So, this is what it feels like”, refer to the sensation of death as well as the intense love he has for Laura. It’s a heartbreaking finale, but a fitting end for a great hero. His reappearance in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine could hardly be any more different, as he adapts to ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool’s snarky comedic style.

7

Rose Tyler

Played By Billie Piper In Doctor Who

Rose Tyler was already a great character when she was introduced as the Doctor’s companion, but her dynamic with David Tennant brought the best out of them both when he arrived as the Tenth Doctor. Rose remains one of the best companions in Doctor Who, and one of very few who ever stood a chance of developing a romantic relationship with the Doctor.

Doctor Who always finds ways to create high emotional stakes, despite the fact that the main character can travel freely throughout time and space. Rose and the Doctor are confined to separate parallel universes, and they only share a brief, heartbreaking farewell on a beach together. Since this classic scene, Rose has reappeared a couple of times, which changes the meaning of their goodbye.

6

Meyer

Played By Al Pacino In Hunters

Al Pacino made a rare TV appearance in Hunters, playing the ring leader of a group of Nazi hunters in New York City. Meyer Offerman’s story ends with the brilliant season 1 finale, which reveals that he is actually a concentration camp guard named Wilhelm Zuchs who stole the idenтιтy of a Jewish man to flee without prosecution.

After the climactic confrontation between Meyer and Jonah, it seemed as though Jonah was set up to become the show’s true hero. However, Pacino returned in season 2, with Meyer’s story being told in a series of extended flashbacks. Not only do these scenes kill the show’s pace, but they also dampen the impact of the season 1 finale.

5

Fry

Played By Billy West In Futurama

Futurama has been canceled and revived a few times, so the show has had some practice with series finales. The latest “finale” wraps up Fry’s story perfectly, as he and Leela live their whole lives together with the world frozen in time around them, before they are given the opportunity to do it all over again.

Fry comes to the year 3000 as a lost and lonely dolt, but his uplifting finale with Leela shows that he somehow found a home in a completely alien land. Of course, this being Futurama, the show has been revived once again, and the recent episodes simply show business resuming as usual.

4

Agent K

Played By Tomme Lee Jones In Men In Black

The first Men in Black movie does set up a sequel, but it seems clear that Agent K isn’t supposed to be in it. Agent J takes over as the more senior agent in a new partnership with Laurel, now Agent L. This leaves Agent K to have his memories erased so that he can be reunited with his wife and live out a happy retirement.

Men in Black II completely spoils Agent K’s heartwarming finale, as he is dragged out of retirement and into another frantic adventure to save the world. The idea that Agent K can simply be brought back into action at any moment takes the shine off of his final scene in Men in Black. Josh Brolin later played a younger version of the character in Men in Black 3.

3

Julia

Played By Michelle Monaghan In Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible III starts with Ethan Hunt seemingly living a life of domestic bliss with Julia, but he’s dragged back into his life of dangerous fieldwork to fight Owen Davian over the mysterious “Rabbit’s Foot“. This ultimately puts Julia directly into the line of fire.

Julia is a civilian, so she offers something different when she finds herself in the midst of a life-threatening situation in the field. Although she and Ethan are forced to part ways, they share an uplifting moment at the end of Ghost Protocol, silently communicating their love for one another from afar. Julia later returns in Fallout, so she gets a more substantial farewell with Ethan. It seems as though she won’t be among the returning characters in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

2

Radar

Played By Gary Burghoff In M*A*S*H

Radar is one of the most beloved supporting characters in MASH, and he warranted a special two-part farewell episode when Gary Burghoff decided to leave the show. The 4077th attempt to throw him a goodbye party, but the surgeons are overwhelmed when a new group of wounded soldiers are rushed in. Radar’s farewell doesn’t go to plan.

Radar’s final scene sees him exchanging a rare salute with Hawkeye through the doors of the operating room, before he steps outside and drives away to no fanfare at all. It’s a bittersweet finale, but it proves to Radar that his friends will be alright without him. Burghoff later returned in MASH‘s ill-fated spinoffs, including his own show which only released a pilot episode.

1

Indiana Jones

Played By Harrison Ford In The Indiana Jones Franchise

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade opens with the story of a young Indy embarking on his first dangerous adventure. This sets up the movie’s concern with the character’s legacy, and he eventually gets the tender, heartwarming ending that he deserves as he reconciles with his father and defeats the Nazis one last time.

Although The Last Crusade is a brilliant finale for the character and the franchise, Indy later returns in two sequels which fail to recapture the magic of the original trilogy. The ending of The Dial of Destiny even seems to go against Indy’s character arc, as he yearns to live in the past rather than forming personal bonds in his own life.