History Main / EleventhHourRanger

* ''VideoGame/MSSagaANewDawn'' has [[CharClone Hal]]. He joins and leaves quite frequently in the beginning of the game, but his notable point in joining ''permanently'' is right before the final boss, while piloting a Sazabi.

** In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'', Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog joins the cast in the cutscene right before the fight against the FinalBoss in story mode.

* In ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'', the player character can force [[spoiler:[[TheDragon Death's Hand]]]] to join the party right before the final battle. [[WhatTheHellHero Though most of your followers won't be happy with your decision.]]

* In ''VideoGame/NeoTheWorldEndsWithYou'', [[spoiler:Neku, the progaonist of [[VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou the first game]]]], returns on the fourth day of the third week, joining the party the following day; meaning he's only playable for a total of three days.

** ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'' has the Nova Ranger, an ally of the FutureBadass Omega Ranger, who arrives in the middle ''of the final battle'' while searching the timestream for them.
** ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger'' and ''Series/PowerRangersMysticForce'' had two characters join the Rangers' side just in time to face N Ma-sama/the Master: Magi Mother/White Ranger, either presumed dead (in ''Magiranger'') or TheMentor whose powers were out of commission (in ''Mystic Force'') for most of the season; and [[spoiler:Wolzard Fire/Wolf Warrior]], who had been [[spoiler:BrainwashedAndCrazy as TheDragon Wolzard/Koragg]].
** Some consider ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger'''s Rio and Mele an example thanks to [[spoiler:a joint HeelFaceTurn in the last two episodes]], despite them never officially being acknowledged as Gekirangers. The reason why it's only "some" is because [[spoiler:they die redeeming themselves]] (''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger'' made their status as Extra Heroes official, giving them Ranger Keys and having them return from the dead to fight as part of the 199 Rangers). ''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury'' not only plays it straight, [[ExaggeratedTrope but straighter than straight]], having all seven mentors, the Spirit Rangers, and Jarrod and Camille join in the final battle. And nobody [[spoiler:dies]] in this version.

** ''Series/AvataroSentaiDonbrothers'': The first three Nouto become honorary members of the Donbrothers near the end of the show. The evil ranger Don Murasame also joins the Donbrothers in the final episode.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': In "[[Recap/TheOwlHouseS3E1ThanksToThem Thanks to Them]]", [[Characters/TheOwlHouseCamilaNoceda Camila Noceda]] opts to travel with her daughter to the Boiling Isles in order to save them from Belos and the Collector as well as Camila doing so in order to try and help support her daughter's emotional wellbeing. "[[Recap/TheOwlHouseS3E2ForTheFuture For the Future]]" even shows her [[ActionMom getting active in combat situations alongside her daughter]].

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'' has [[Characters/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsSunsetShimmer Sunset Shimmer]] and, to a lesser extent, [=DJ-Pon3=]. For the latter, it's revealed just before the climax that she is unaffected by the Dazzlings' music due to [[HeadphonesEqualIsolation always wearing her headphones]]. This allows her to free the Rainbooms and provide a sound stage for the final battle. For the former, Sunset is the only person with any magic affinity left to fight the Dazzlings when the others fall during the final battle, saving the others and finally becoming an accepted part of the group.

* ''VideoGame/DragaliaLost'': [[spoiler: [[EvilTwin Nedrick]] spends most of the latter half of the main campaign as the main villain, but once he fails to form a complete pact with Bahamut as he planned, he’s not sure what to do next, since that was the only way to defeat [[BigBad Xenos]]. In one of the very last chapters, [[TheHero Euden]] tries to tell him that there may be another way, and since they’re after the same thing, they should work together. Nedrick relents, but eventually, he (begrudgingly) joins Euden and friends on their quest to stop Xenos. This makes Nedrick one of the very last adventures to be added to the game]].

** Exaggerated in the remake: [[spoiler:[[RedemptionEqualsDeath Oersted]] joins the Final Chapter party during the final phase of the FinalBoss]].
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''
** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' has Riku being purified of his darkness, and becomes a playable member for the second half of the final level (and even in the subsequent Final Boss Fights as your only partner).

* In ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', the ClimaxBoss section of the game where you obtain the [[OlympusMons legendary Pokémon]] on the cover of the game is moved to the very end, with the game forcing you to catch [[SealedGoodInACan Reshiram or Zekrom]], which are set up by the plot to be the Pokémon you need to defeat N's opposite dragon. You are forced to switch the legendary onto your team and use it for what is left of the main game; the final fights with N and Ghetsis.

* In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'', Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog joins the cast in the cutscene right before the fight against the Final Boss in story mode.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', [[Franchise/FireEmblem Roy]], [[VideoGame/MetroidPrime Dark Samus]], [[VideoGame/KidIcarus Palutena]], and VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} don't join you until TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon in story mode.

* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' has [[spoiler:Lordgenome]] join the heroes for the FinalBattle against the [[BigBad Anti-Spiral]]. While technically he'd been with the heroes a while earlier [[spoiler:as a disembodied head acting as their WetwareCPU, it's only after his bodies regenerates that he officially helps the heroes in the battle with an appropriately [[Awesome/TengenToppaGurrenLagann awesome]] HeroicSacrifice]].

*** During the climactic battle, [[spoiler:nearly ''the entire MCU'' arrives to support the Avengers, including nearly everyone who was dusted by the 2018 Thanos. Special notice goes to Captain Marvel, who hadn't had contact with ''any'' of the Avengers prior to ''Endgame'' and had only minimal involvement earlier in the movie, and Pepper Potts/Rescue, who was a longtime supporting character but had almost never taken part in combat, and the fact that she had received her own PoweredArmor was given only minor setup earlier.]]

* Throughout the first ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' film, ''Mask of Light'', the 6-man team of Toa Nuva are desperately trying to defend their villages from the vicious Rahkshi, [[BigBad Makuta]]'s most powerful troops and a [[FiveManBand six man band]] of their own. They overwhelm the Toa, and the Toa's ElementalPowers don't help them much. Luckily, two villagers find the legendary [[MaskPower Mask of Light]], which prophecies the arrival of a [[SixthRanger seventh Toa]] with the power to destroy the darkness. After one of them [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice gets killed fighting a Rahkshi]]]], the other realizes [[spoiler:he is meant to be the Toa. He puts on the mask, becomes a Toa, and proceeds to mop the floor with the Rahkshi in about 30 seconds. Then he goes to fight Makuta one-on-one.]]

* In ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'', you encounter the drug-dealing, foul-mouthed pre-teen Cuno during the murder the PlayerCharacter is investigating. It is possible to befriend Cuno, who proves to be much more intelligent, perceptive and emotionally sensitive that he appears at first, and if you have done so, he will offer to join you as your temporary sidekick near the end of the game, in the event that [[spoiler:Kim, your partner for most of the investigation, is put out of comission due to getting wounded in a firefight]].

* ''Literature/NESGodzillaCreepypasta'': in the last level of the game, Zachary suddenly has a fifth playable character. However, when he tries to select him, [[BigBad Red]] outright says "No" and locks him in an unaccesible part of the map. [[spoiler:It's not until the final battle, after all the other characters have been killed and the game is at a stalemate, that Red breaks the rules by outright trying to stop Zachary's heart. This allows [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Melissa]] to intervene and finally unlock Acacius, whose skills are the only thing that can finally defeat Red]].

** ''Series/KikaiSentaiZenkaiger'' After fighting for the bad guys during the entire series, [[spoiler:Stacy]] completes his HeelFaceTurn in time to join the heroes for the final battle against the Tozitend Dynasty.

* ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'' has a literal example in the form of the [[BoisterousBruiser Ranger Minsc]], who joins in Act III if the right conditions are met.

* In ''VideoGame/UnleashTheLight'', [[spoiler:Hessonite joins the party for the final battle against Pyrope, Demantoid and the Prism Fusion, but instead of fighting as the fifth member of your team, [[RequiredPartyMember you must replace one of your allies with her.]] She only becomes a permanent party member after you beat Story Mode and reach Team Rank 35 in Rose's Room.]]

* In ''VideoGame/UnleashTheLight'', post-patch, [[spoiler:Hessonite]] is PromotedToPlayable right at the end of the game. (Pre-patch, she wasn't playable at all.)

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'' has [[TheAtoner Sunset Shimmer]] and, to a lesser extent, [=DJ-Pon3=]. For the latter, it's revealed just before the climax that she is unaffected by the Dazzlings' music due to [[HeadphonesEqualIsolation always wearing her headphones]]. This allows her to free the Rainbooms and provide a sound stage for the final battle. For the former, Sunset is the only person with any magic affinity left to fight the Dazzlings when the others fall during the final battle, saving the others and finally becoming an accepted part of the group.

[[folder:Roleplay]]
* Jay in ''Roleplay/RubyQuest'' shows up and joins the party in the second-to-last-thread. [[spoiler:He wasn't even supposed to be one of these. He was found in the water filtration unit impaled by hooks, and Weaver had expected the players to MercyKill him. They decided to go OffTheRails and save him instead, so he joined them and escaped the Metal Glen with them.]]
[[/folder]]

* ''Anime/Pokemon3'': Ash already has a complete team of six at the time of the film. Just when things are going bad for him at the climax of the movie, his Charizard [[BigDamnHeroes makes a comeback]] to help in the battle.
** In the Diamond and Pearl series, Ash's Gible and Dawn's Togekiss were this, having been caught at the end of Galactic Battles and just a few episodes before the Grand Festival in Sinnoh League Victors, respectively.
** The Sun and Moon series was sparse on captures and boosts after the first year, though during the last season, ''Ultra Legends'', setting up for the Alola League in which all the main characters take part, the protagonists get an overhaul of tuneups. Lana's Eevee "Sandy" and Mallow's Shaymin appear so the girls both have secondary Pokemon to rotate with, while Ash captures his first mythical Pokemon, Meltan (who also evolves into Melmetal just before the finals). Ash's Poipole also reappears evolved into a Naganadel before the exhibition match, allowing Ash to fight with a full team of six.

* In the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' fic “[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3228846/1/The-Beginning-of-a-New-End The Beginning of a New End]]”, when Ash makes it to the finals of the Hoenn League, he uses his standard Hoenn Pokemon for most of the battle. However, when he’s down to his final Pokemon after Corpish, Swellow, Glalie, Grovyle and Pikachu have fainted, his opponent confidently assumes that she can defeat Torkoal with her Poliwrath on a water field, but Ash then reveals that he switched Torkoal for Charizard, giving him vital extra firepower that allows him to win.

# They come out of flippin' nowhere for author reasons.