What is a Cliffhanger? Definition, Examples, & Writing Tips

• Jul 14, 2025
• 6 min read

• Tags: Book Writing, Fiction, Fiction Writing, Novel Writing, Writing Tips

Have you ever read an excellent chapter or book, only to turn the final page and see that the ending leaves the character (sometimes literally) on the edge? The story has not yet been resolved, thereby increasing the reader’s curiosity and making them eager for the next chapter or the next book in the series. It is both a frustrating and exhilarating experience, leaving the reader guessing and wanting more.

That, dear friends, is called a cliffhanger. It is commonly used in literature, movies, and television. Authors often employ this literary device to keep their readers hooked on their book or series and to drum up excitement for the next installment of the story.

Here’s a detailed guide on the different types of cliffhangers and why they are important.

What is a cliffhanger: definition and purpose

Defined by the Cambridge and Merriam–Webster dictionaries as a story or situation whose ending or result is uncertain and keeps the audience in suspense, a cliffhanger is a popular plot device in books, television, and film that keeps the audience on their toes, capitalizing on their feelings of curiosity and anxiety to know what happens next to keep the franchise going. 

Originating in the work A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy, the first printed use of the term ‘cliffhanger’ was in the 1937 edition of the Merriam–Webster dictionary. Even before the term was officially defined and included in the dictionary, it had been used as a plot device—its main purpose was to keep the audience guessing so they would tune in to the next chapter or episode and not get bored or give up on the franchise.

Characteristics of cliffhangers

Now that we have defined cliffhangers, let us take a look at some of their major characteristics:

1. They are usually placed at the end of a chapter or episode
2. They offer an uncertain outcome by cutting the story short before the resolution
3. They raise the emotional, physical, and narrative stakes to keep the audience coming back for more
4. They employ the technique of the “broken promise” (moving away from the outcome the audience has come to expect from the progression of the story thus far) to the “new promise (creating scope to take the story in a new, interesting direction after the cliffhanger.

Types of cliffhangers

Here are some types of cliffhangers that are popularly used in books and visual media:

1. Physical peril

A character who is in physical danger—maybe literally hanging from a cliff—leaves the audience invested in his/her fate and coming back for more. Eg. In Supernatural, every episode has a cliffhanger where demon hunters Dean and Sam Winchester find themselves in peril due to their confrontation with a paranormal being.

2. Unresolved questions

Unresolved questions, such as regarding a character’s true parentage or a mystery regarding how a crime was committed, are popularly used in books and on screen. Eg. In Riverdale, a cliffhanger reveals that Betty and Jughead—who were romantically involved with each other—shared an older half-brother because Betty’s mother and Jughead’s father were dating in high school.

3. Emotional cliffhangers

These cliffhangers usually end with the character faced with relationship tension or a choice that would impact their life. They are usually caused by interrupted moments or a character’s indecision. Eg. In Friends, Ross expresses his love for Rachel, and there is a cliffhanger before the audience learns of Rachel’s reaction.

4. Plot twists or reveals

Sometimes, an episode or season may end with a sudden plot twist or revelation that blows the audience’s mind and leaves them hungry to see how this would affect the story going forward. Eg. In Squid Game, each season ends with a cliffhanger revealing important details about certain seemingly innocuous characters, leaving the audience guessing as to how this will impact the events of the next season.

5. Open endings

Open endings are often employed in the last chapter of a book, the end of a movie, or a season finale—whether or not there will be a sequel, it allows the audience the space to come to their own conclusions about how things must have panned out. Eg. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood leaves the protagonist Offred’s fate open-ended, leaving the readers to assume whether she was punished for her resistance or taken to safety.

Examples of cliffhangers

Cliffhangers in books

1. In ancient classics

One of the earliest and best-known examples of cliffhanger writing is in One Thousand and One Nights, also known as Arabian Nights, where the character of Scheherazade, in order to prevent her husband, the king, from killing her, tells him a story each night, ending it with a cliffhanger so he keeps her alive, curious to learn how it ends the next night.

2. In Victorian serial novels

The cliffhanger was also popularly employed in Victorian novels that were serialized in newspapers and magazines, where each chapter ended with suspense and unresolved tension. This uncertainty of outcome raised the emotional, physical, and narrative stakes, and kept the reader coming back for more, thus increasing the popularity of these serial novels and their authors and giving the magazines and papers that carried them a steady subscriber base. Some examples are The Pickwick Papers and The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens, a supremely popular author of the Victorian age.

3. In Japanese manga

Japanese manga (graphic novels) also employ the cliffhanger style and release multiple volumes under a single franchise, leaving fans wanting more. Some long-running manga series have kept up their popularity this way, such as Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, and Fullmetal Alchemist.

Cliffhangers in movies

Movies that intend to create sequels commonly use cliffhangers to keep the audience interested in what comes next and drum up interest in the sequel. Some movies also opt for ‘open’ endings—cliffhanger-esque situations that are open to the audience’s interpretation, even if they are not part of a series. Some examples of popular movies that end on cliffhangers are The Matrix, Batman Begins, and American Psycho—all of which have gained a cult following among movie buffs.

Cliffhangers in TV series and anime

TV series and anime often end each episode or season on a cliffhanger—this increases curiosity among readers and increases the chances of the show being renewed for another season. However, in case a season ends on a cliffhanger and the show is not renewed, it can be a very frustrating experience for avid watchers and fans! Some long-running TV shows and anime that employ the use of cliffhangers are Grey’s Anatomy, Breaking Bad, and Dragon Ball Z.

Why and when to use cliffhangers

Now that you know what cliffhangers are, it is important to have an idea of why and when to use them. Cliffhangers are used in a wide variety of genres such as horror, thriller, romance, comedy, mystery, and adventure. They are used to build suspense and ensure the reader/viewer returns in order to keep the story going. They are best placed at the end of a chapter, season finale, or at act breaks or natural pause points in order to build anticipation. However, it is also important to avoid overusing them (as this can become predictable or tiresome for the reader) or using them at the wrong place (when closure is required instead) or in the wrong genre.

While cliffhangers are undoubtedly useful to writers and producers to keep a series or franchise going, it can also be argued that they are manipulative towards the audience, deliberately playing on their emotions for financial gain. Human beings are wired to crave closure and answers, and cliffhangers use the Zeigarnik effect, where unfinished things stick in the memory to keep the audience coming back for more. What are your views on the matter?

Check out PaperTrue’s professional editing and proofreading services to enhance your writing today! With our expert editors, detailed instructional blogs, and AI-powered services, we can help you write fabulous cliffhangers for books and the screen that will help you captivate your audience.

Here are some more resources that may help you:

Found this article helpful?

0

0

Tanvi

With a foundation in Life Sciences, Tanvi enjoys curating technical writing tips tailored for ESL students. When she's not translating complex concepts into bite-sized nuggets, she can be found playing with dogs or painting landscapes.