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Once Upon a Time, the idea behind Sequels was created, and it was good. To differentiate sequels from original movies, the use of the simple subtitles "2", "3", and so on were used.
But then one day, some studio executives became annoyed at how utterly numerical these simple numbers sounded. They started developing new subtitles, which were often just as technically irrelevant to the actual movie as the numbers were, but hey, these words looked cool. And then everybody lived happily ever after. Well, except the creative people anyway.
...All kidding aside, Stock Subtitles do serve a useful purpose with Long Runners in that when there's several dozen iterations of an individual work, coming up with new titles can get to be a pain-in-the-neck. Additionally, on occasion the stock works do assist in explaining what the gimmick is in this iteration as compared to the other ones. With most works that need subtitles, differentiation is the main helpful aspect of this trope, and in that sense the trope usually works.
See also Oddly-Named Sequel 2: Electric Boogaloo when both a number and a subtitle are used, and Stock Episode Titles for frequently used TV show episode titles.
Subtropes:
Examples of Stock Subtitles:
"Awakening"
- AI Wars: The Awakening
- Defense Grid: The Awakening
- Dominions 3: Awakening
- Dracula: Undead Awakening
- Dragon Age Origins Awakening
- Fire Emblem Awakening
- The Legend of Zelda Links Awakening
- Omen IV the Awakening
- Underworld Awakening
- Unreal II the Awakening
- White Knight Chronicles II: Light and Darkness' Awakening
"The Beginning"
- Adventure Island: The Beginning
- Animorphs #54: The Beginning
- Exorcist the Beginning
- Missing in Action 2: The Beginning
- Psycho IV the Beginning
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
- Time Warriors: The Beginning (comic book)
"Chronicle(s)"
- Animorphs
- The Andalite Chronicles
- The Ellimist Chronicles
- The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
- Visser, made in the vein of the aforementioned Chronicles series.
- Bionicle Chronicles
- Castlevania Chronicles
- Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
- Dark Chronicle
- Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower
- Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
- Garo Makai Senki (translates to Garo Makai War Chronicles)
- The Lemmings Chronicles
- Tomb Raider Chronicles
- Mimana: Iyar Chronicle
- Naruto Shippuden (translates to Naruto: Hurricane Chronicles)
- Okamiden: Chiisaki Taiyou (translates to Okami Chronicles: Tiny Sun)
- Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles
- The first (pilot) episode of Seinfeld used the title The Seinfeld Chronicles; the finale-night clip show is sometimes known (and listed on-screen) as "Seinfeld: The Chronicle".
- Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
- Spiderwick Chronicles
- Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
- White Knight Chronicles
- Community College Chronicles, Abed's Show Within a Show on Community
- Xenoblade Chronicles. Interesting to note the "Chronicles" part was added for the Western releases.
"Evolution"
- Bubble Bobble Evolution
- Digital Monster X-Evolution
- Dragon Ball Evolution
- (Evolution doesn't count, because that was the whole title.)
- The King of Fighters '99: Evolution
- Rainbow Islands Evolution
- Space Invaders: Evolution
- Tetris Evolution
- Tron Evolution
- Turok: Evolution
- Underworld Evolution
- Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution
- X-Men: Evolution. Justified as evolution is a pretty important idea in a show about mutants.
"Extreme"
- Bloody Roar Extreme
- Dead or Alive: Xtreme
- G.I. Joe Extreme
- Grandia Xtreme
- Mega Man Xtreme
- NBA Jam Extreme
- Sonic Xtreme
- Space Invaders Extreme
"Forever"
- Batman Forever
- Duke Nukem Forever
- Kamen Rider Double Forever
- Katamari Forever
- Pokémon 4 Ever
- Turtles Forever
- X-Men Forever
"Heroes"
- Battlefield Heroes
- Bionicle Heroes
- Dungeons and Dragons Heroes
- Guitar Hero
- DJ Hero
- Band Hero
- Heroes of Might and Magic
- Justice League Heroes
- Medal of Honor: Heroes
- Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes
- Pokémon Heroes
- Sengoku Basara Heroes
- Sonic Heroes
- Spore: Hero
"Legacy"
- Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy
- Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
- The Bourne Legacy
- Castlevania (Nintendo 64)
- Contra: Legacy of War
- Dracula III: Legacy
- Dragon Age II: Legacy (DLC)
- Jak and Daxter The Precursor Legacy
- Mortal Kombat Legacy
- Poltergeist: The Legacy
- Puppet Master: The Legacy
- Sol Bianca: The Legacy
- Star Trek Legacy
- Tron: Legacy
- Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy
"Legend of"
- Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
- Avatar: The Legend of Aang
- Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers
- City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
- Donkey Kong Country: The Legend of the Crystal Coconut
- Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
- Legend of Drunken Master
- The Legend of Kyrandia
- The Legend of Spyro
- The Legend of Thunder
- The Legend of Zelda
- The Legend of Zorro
- Naruto The Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel
- St Trinian's: The Legend of Fritton's Gold
- Street Fighter the Legend of Chun Li
- Cardcaptors: The Movie (or Cardcaptor Sakura The Movie (depending which version you get)
- G.I. Joe: The Movie
- Hannah Montana: The Movie
- The Gong Show Movie
- My Little Pony: The Movie
- Naruto Shippuden: The Movie
- Pokémon the First Movie
- Pokémon 2000
- Pokémon 3: The Movie
- The Powerpuff Girls Movie
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie.
- The Simpsons Movie
- Slugs: The Movie
- The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
- The Suite Life Movie
- Superman: The Movie
- (A near miss with Star Trek the Motion Picture)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie
- Tom and Jerry: The Movie
- Transformers: The Movie
- Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
- Street Fighter: The Movie (or at least, that's what the game based on it is called)
"The Next Generation"
- Degrassi the Next Generation
- Roots: The Next Generations
- Star Trek the Next Generation, also the main reason for the common adaptation of this as a subtitle at all.
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation
"Origins"
- Baten Kaitos Origins
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Origin (Comic book that adapts Joss's original script for the BTVS movie)
- Condemned: Criminal Origins
- Dragon Age Origins
- Dragon Ball: Origins
- Final Fantasy: Origins
- Kings Hero: Origins
- Next Island: Origins
- Rayman Origins
- Shaun White Snowboarding: Origins
- Silent Hill: Origins
- Spider Woman: Origins
- Supernatural: Origins
- White Knight Chronicles: Origins
- Wolverine: Origins (comic)
- X Men Origins: Wolverine (film)
- Ys Origins
Reloaded
- Conker: Live & Reloaded (a remake of Conkers Bad Fur Day)
- Deep Black Reloaded
- Dice War Reloaded
- Doodle Jink Reloaded
- Fire Team Reloaded
- GoldenEye 007: Reloaded
- The Matrix Reloaded
- Minesweeper Reloaded
- Pong Reloaded
- Pure Pinball Reloaded
- Snake: Reloaded
- Tropico Reloaded
- Turkey Blast: Reloaded
- Worms Reloaded
- X Blood Reloaded
"Resurrection"
- Alien Resurrection
- Afro Samurai: Resurrection
- Cyberia 2: Resurrection
- Death Track: Resurrection
- Doom: Resurrection
- Dracula: The Resurrection
- The Fear: Resurrection
- Halloween Resurrection
- Hellraiser: Resurrection
- MediEvil (1998 video game)
- Meridian 59: Resurrection
- Nethergate: Resurrection
- Painkiller: Resurrection
- Rise 2: Resurrection
- Space Battleship Yamato: Resurrection
- Tekken 5: Dark Resurection
- Xyanide Resurrection
"Returns"
- Alice: Madness Returns
- Arkanoid Returns
- Batman Returns
- The Dark Knight Returns
- Donkey Kong Country Returns
- Elevator Action Returns
- Frogger Returns
- Frosty Returns
- Golmaal Returns
- Hanuman Returns (before the title changed)
- The Incredible Hulk Returns
- I Spy Returns
- Kamen Rider Double Returns
- Kirby's Return to Dream Land
- Lode Runner: The Legend Returns
- Metal Max Returns
- The Mummy Returns
- Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns
- Samurai Sentai Shinkenger Returns
- San Goku Shi Returns
- Sherlock Holmes Returns
- Superman Returns
- Toby Tortoise Returns (A sequel to a Silly Symphonies short)
- Ultraman Returns
"Revelation"
- Akumajō Dracula: Mokushiroku (Demon Castle Dracula: Revelations), Japanese title of Castlevania 64 for the Nintendo 64
- Assasin's Creed: Revelations
- The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations
- Children of the Corn: Revelation
- Karas: Revelation
- Myst IV: Revelation
- Pokémon 2000: Revelation Lugia (Japanese title)
- Pahelika: Revelations
- Prince of Persia: Revelations
- Resident Evil Revelations
- Tsubasa: Tokyo Revelations
- Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
"Revolution" [1]s because it was the Wii's working title.)
- 3D Brick Breaker Revolution
- Bubble Bobble Revolution
- de Blob Revolution
- Lemmings Revolution
- Matrix Revolutions
- Pokémon Battle Revolution
- Rainbow Islands Revolution
- Victorious Boxers Revolution
- Slayers Revolution
"Rise of"
- America's Army: Rise of a Soldier
- Azurik: Rise Of Perathia
- Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu
- Battlezone 1998: Rise of the Black Dogs
- Dark Reign Expansion: Rise of the Shadowhand
- Disciples II: Rise of the Elves
- Ever Quest II: Rise of Kunark
- Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
- G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
- Hard Truck: Apocalypse — Rise of Clans
- The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer.
- Left Behind 3: Rise of the Antichrist
- Lufia 2 Rise of the Sinistrals
- Patrician III: Rise of the Hanse
- Pokémon the Rise of Darkrai
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes
- Scarface: The Rise Of Tony Montana
- The Settlers: Rise of an Empire
- Shadowbane: The Rise of Chaos
- Space Rangers 2: Rise of the Dominators
- However, the original Russian version didn't have that title and was simply subtitled "Dominators".
- Stargate Online Trading Card Game: Rise of the Ori
- Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 5: Rise of the Pirate God
- Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines
- Underworld Rise of the Lycans
- X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse
"Rising"
- Advent Rising: Although it was the first game, "Rising" was a subtitle, as the series itself was titled "Advent". The second game in the series would have been Advent Shadow, had it not been canceled along with the series itself.
- Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising
- Babel: Rising
- Hannibal Rising
- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
- Kid Icarus: Thanatos Rising
- Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising
"Unleashed"
- Dracula Unleashed
- Geeks 2: Geeks Unleashed
- Godzilla Unleashed
- Gremlins: Unleashed
- Hamsterball Unleashed (European release title for Play Station 3 Hamsterball game.)
- Jaws Unleashed
- Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers Unleashed
- Loonatics Unleashed
- MX Unleashed
- Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed
- Qbism Unleashed
- Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
- Shift 2: Unleashed
- The Sims: Unleashed
- Sinistar: Unleashed
- Sonic Unleashed
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Although, it's not a sequel to any other game, and its own sequel follows the standard number pattern.
"Uprising"
- Halo: Uprising
- Kid Icarus: Uprising
- Tron: Uprising