History Main / EleventhHourRanger

* In ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'', Falco is absent for most of the game, until the very final fight against [[spoiler:Andross]]; in which he swoops in to save Fox in the nick of time.

* ''LetsPlay/TwitchPlaysPokemon'' examples:

** The series has an entire Archetype of this, called Gotoh after [[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight the first such character]]. Traditionally, these characters are extremely powerful, and are meant as a kind of insurance if the player made it to the final boss with a party too weak to win (some can even beat the final bosses singlehandedly). Other members of this archetype include Mycen in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden Gaiden]]'', Sety and Galzus in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776 Thracia 776]]'', Karel in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade The Binding Blade]]'' (who only shows up in a TrueFinalBoss playthrough), Athos in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade The Blazing Blade]]'', Tibarn, Naesala, and Giffca in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance Path of Radiance]]'', Caineghis, Giffca (again), and [[spoiler:Renning]] (and arguably also Tibarn, Naesala, and Nailah) in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Radiant Dawn]]'' (also [[spoiler:Lehran]] on a second playthrough if certain conditions are met), and Nagi in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Shadow Dragon]]'' (again only if certain conditions are met, and getting her means Gotoh won't join your party) and in ''New Mystery.'' ([[spoiler:Also Michalis if certain conditions are met.]])

* Exaggerated in the remake of ''VideoGame/LiveALive'': [[spoiler:[[RedemptionEqualsDeath Oersted]] joins the Final Chapter party during the final phase of the FinalBoss]].

* 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 allowed 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.

** ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'' utilizes this in the first season finale -- [[spoiler:[[MissionControl Kendall Morgan]]]] becomes the Purple Ranger halfway through the episode, and [[spoiler:her]] Zord ends up being the deciding factor in the fighting against the BigBad. The series as a whole matches ''Kyoryuger'' by having Torin's counterpart[[note]]in costume and being the Silver Ranger, but not being the team's mentor[[/note]] Zenowing join the team just a few episodes before the end.

* ''VideoGame/RadiataStories'' has [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters over one-hundred-and-fifty recruitable characters]], but the most powerful and competent fighters cannot be recruited until late in the game: [[spoiler:[[DaChief Elwen]], [[CrystalDragonJesus Kain]], [[TheDon Curtis]], [[TheSyndicate Nyx]] and [[LadyOfWar Natalie]] for the humans and [[BloodKnight Galvados]], [[OurOrcsAreDifferent JJ]] and [[TheLeader Gruel]] for nonhumans.]]

** In ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' Hawkeye spends most of the film BrainwashedAndCrazy and isn't freed until before the end battle with Loki and the Chitauri.
** In ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' not only do [[spoiler:Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and the Vision]] not even join forces with the team until right before the final battle, but [[spoiler:War Machine]] doesn't even join until ''the middle'' of it.
** In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', most of the Avengers are fighting off Thanos' forces in Wakanda when [[spoiler:Thor, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot]] suddenly arrive to back them up. Similarly, [[spoiler:Nebula]] crashes the battle on Titan to help the Guardians and the Avengers (specifically, Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange) try to fight Thanos.
** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' includes Hawkeye and Ant-Man, both of whom missed out on the first part of the fight against Thanos in ''Infinity War'' due bto being under house arrest for the events of ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar''. During the climactic battle, [[spoiler:nearly ''the entire MCU'' arrives to support the Avengers. 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.]]

** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' includes Hawkeye and Ant-Man, both of whom missed out on the first part of the fight against Thanos in ''Infinity War''. During the climactic battle, [[spoiler:nearly ''the entire MCU'' arrives to support the Avengers. 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.]]

* In ''Literature/TheDarkTower'', Roland [[DeusExMachina just happens]] to encounter a character with ''Literature/HaroldAndThePurpleCrayon'' powers in [[Literature/TheDarkTower2004 the final book]], just before encountering the BigBad face-to-face.
** {{YMMV}} on this. It was set up in ''Literature/{{Insomnia}}'' quite literally ten years before the publication of ''the Dark Tower.''

* Franchise/SuperSentai's sibling series, ''Franchise/KamenRider'', engages in this more rarely. Probably the purest example comes in ''Series/KamenRiderZiO'', where the show's female lead Tsukuyomi gains Rider powers in the penultimate episode as part of the heroes' efforts to thwart [[CainAndAbel her evil brother Swartz]]'s plans ([[BerserkButton and to drive him up the wall]]).

** The series has an entire Archetype of this, called Gotoh after [[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight the first such character]]. Traditionally, these characters are extremely powerful, and are meant as a kind of insurance if the player made it to the final boss with a party too weak to win (some can even beat the final bosses singlehandedly). Other members of this archetype include Mycen in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden Gaiden]]'', Sety and Galzus in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776 Thracia 776]]'', [[spoiler:Karel]] in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade The Binding Blade]]'' (who only shows up in a TrueFinalBoss playthrough), Athos in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade The Blazing Blade]]'', Tibarn, Naesala, and Giffca in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance Path of Radiance]]'', Caineghis and Giffca (and arguably also Tibarn, Naesala, and Nailah) in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Radiant Dawn]]'' (also [[spoiler:Lehran]] on a second playthrough if certain conditions are met), and Nagi in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Shadow Dragon]]'' (again only if certain conditions are met, and getting her means Gotoh won't join your party) and in ''New Mystery.'' ([[spoiler:Also Michalis if certain conditions are met.]])

* In the finale of ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', the changelings punish the Cardassian people for Kira's rebellion by committing genocide against the whole of Cardassia. The Cardassian fleet immediately flips sides and fights alongside the Alpha Quadrant Alliance.

* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' and ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', {{Trope Namer}}s [[SixthRanger by proxy]] have a few examples:
** In General if a Ranger or other ally is labeled "Extra Ranger" or "Extra Hero" (For non ranger allies that fight with them) instead of a clear 6th ranger, they're often (But not always) this.

** ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'' has the Nova Ranger, an ally of the FutureBadass SixthRanger, who arrives in the middle ''of the final battle'' while searching the timestream for the time-lost Omega Ranger.

*** ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'' utilizes this in the first season finale -- [[spoiler:[[MissionControl Kendall]] [[BadassNormal Morgan]]]] becomes the Purple Ranger halfway through the episode, and [[spoiler:her]] Zord ends up being the deciding factor in the fighting against the BigBad. The series as a whole matches ''Kyoryuger'' by having Torin's counterpart[[note]]in costume and being the Silver Ranger, but not being the team's mentor[[/note]] Zenowing join the team just a few episodes before the end.

* The ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series has an entire Archetype of this, called Gotoh after [[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight the first such character]]. Traditionally, these characters are extremely powerful, and are meant as a kind of insurance if the player made it to the final boss with a party too weak to win (some can even beat the final bosses singlehandedly). Other members of this archetype include Mycen in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden Gaiden]]'', Sety and Galzus in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776 Thracia 776]]'', [[spoiler:Karel]] in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade The Binding Blade]]'' (who only shows up in a TrueFinalBoss playthrough), Athos in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade The Blazing Blade]]'', Tibarn, Naesala, and Giffca in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance Path of Radiance]]'', Caineghis and Giffca (and arguably also Tibarn, Naesala, and Nailah) in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Radiant Dawn]]'' (also [[spoiler:Lehran]] on a second playthrough if certain conditions are met), and Nagi in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Shadow Dragon]]'' (again only if certain conditions are met, and getting her means Gotoh won't join your party) and in ''New Mystery.'' ([[spoiler:Also Michalis if certain conditions are met.]])
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' spices this up with a handful of powerful endgame units through Spotpass with several stat focuses: [[spoiler: Gangrel, whose main advantage is speed and luck, Walhart, with a high balance yet a focus on strength, Emmeryn, with a focus on magic, Yen'fay, with a focus on skill and speed, Aversa, who's entirely balanced but has access to dark magic, and Priam, who has a focus on possessing high strength and skill coupled with five very useful abilities.]] Morgan also counts, since [[spoiler: s/he can possess infinite potential and have his/her parents be anyone in the entire game.]]

* Although you can recruit [[spoiler:Legion]] in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' at pretty much any time during the last third of the game, you can only get the game's [[GoldenEnding best]] [[MultipleEndings ending]] if you 1.) Hold off completing the relevant mission until you've finished nearly all the other missions and assignments or 2.) Leave all other uncompleted missions and assignments until the post-game. Since the character in question ended up becoming popular among the fanbase despite lacking the screentime of the rest of the party members, Creator/BioWare made up for it by giving [[spoiler:Legion]] a large role in the main plot of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.

* [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Dr.]] [[HotScientist Naomi]] [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor Hunter]] in ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid 4|GunsOfThePatriots}}: [[GrandFinale Guns of the Patriots]]''. She'd been in the first game as part of the MissionControl-with-an-agenda, but doesn't really join Team Snake until part-way through the heroes' final mission. [[spoiler:Turns out, more of an [[SixthRangerTraitor Eleventh Hour Ranger Traitor]].]] [[spoiler:[[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor Except not]]. We think...]]

*** In ''Dark Prison'', Shu, ''the protagonist'' still gets to be the Eleventh Hour Ranger and combines with EleventhHourSuperpower as he unlocks the Neo Granzon. He's joined alongside [[Characters/MasouKishin Monica and Saphine]], though this is justified because they just [[spoiler: defeated the TrueFinalBoss of ''2nd OG''.]] And five turns before they appear, it would be [[spoiler: [[Characters/SuperRobotWarsClassic Justine, Zebris and Grofis]], aka the Guest generals. Since they never formally join your party, they could also be some sort of [[{{Pun}} Guest]] [[GuestStarPartyMember Star Party Members]]]].

* [[spoiler:[[HeelFaceTurn Ex-villain]] [[DarkActionGirl Jinx]]]] joins the party right in the middle of Season 5 finale in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''.

** [[spoiler:Kaoru]] in ''Series/SamuraiSentaiShinkenger'' and her counterpart [[spoiler:Lauren]] in ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'' are a subversion. They're introduced late in their respective series and join the heroes, but then get injured and are forced to sit out the final battle. [[spoiler:She's]] officially an Extra Ranger.

* ''Film/{{Python}}'': John's brother Brian, who helps defeat the snake when they lure it to the plant at the very end of the movie to trap in the acid vaults.

** In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', most of the Avengers are fighting off Thanos' forces in Wakanda when [[spoiler:Thor, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot]] suddenly arrive to back them up. Similarly, [[spoiler:Nebula]] crashes the battle on Titan to help the Guardians and the Avengers (specifically, Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, Iron Man, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange) try to fight Thanos.

** Joy, in spite of being very important in the season 1 mystery, didn't get the chance to join Sibuna again until the end of the second season. Justified again, as she only got involved when they needed her to help them save Nina.

** However, ''[=OG2=]'' also features [[spoiler:Einst Alfimi]] as an available party member, who literally joins your party for half of the last mission unless you get the BonusBoss fight, in which case she's available for that as well. In fact, several ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' games feature such characters - ''Alpha Gaiden'', for instance, allows you to acquire Sanger just before the game's end, piloting the absurdly powerful Thrudgelmir, if the proper conditions are fulfilled. [[GameBreaker If the player has enough money on hand to upgrade it fully...]]

* [[spoiler:[[HeelFaceTurn Ex-villain]] [[DarkActionGirl Jinx]]]] joins the party right in the middle of season 5 finale in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''.

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* ''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]].
* In ''Anime/RoninWarriors'' the [[spoiler: Dark Warlords]] perform a HeelFaceTurn at the very end, serving this function.

* Akasaka in ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' is introduced about halfway through the series but doesn't become a reliable ally until the final act. Even in the penultimate arc, his appearance only serves as a HopeSpot for [[spoiler:Rika]] but isn't of any use in the end.
* [[spoiler:Cobra]] in Chapter 329 of ''Anime/FairyTail'', after a request from Jellal for [[spoiler:him]] to be freed from prison to [[spoiler:help the other six Dragon Slayers fight against Future Rogue and his seven dragons]].
** An even better example would be [[spoiler: Anna Heartfilia, Lucy's ancestor from ''400 years ago'' who was revealed to have traveled to the present day seven years before the start of the story]] showing up late in the final StoryArc to help defeat Acnologia.
* ''Anime/DigimonFusion'' features a CrisisCrossover with the past five ''Digimon'' series at its finale, but unfortunately they only show up in the last two episodes.

** In ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure'' [[HeelFaceTurn former enemies]] Westar and Soular fight alonsgside the Cures in the last three episodes.

* In ''Anime/GirlsUndPanzer'', Oarai gets two new tank crews just before the tournament finals. While the Auto Club had been helping maintain their tanks all along, they don't form Leopon Team or crew the Porsche Tiger until the finals. The three gamer girls are a new addition to the team, becoming Anteater Team and leading the others to a Chi-Nu that they crew.
* In ''Anime/ReCreators'', [[spoiler:Syo and Blitz]] [[HeelFaceTurn jump ship]] and join the heroes during the FinalBattle against the Military Uniform Princess.
* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'', [[spoiler: Yzak Joule]] pulls this in both the original series and the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny sequel]]. The first time after being confronted by [[spoiler: Dearka]] earlier and witnessing the heroes' willingness to defend his homeland from annihilation. The second time after watching his own side fire [[spoiler: Requiem]] and exploiting what he saw as a loophole in protecting said homeland.

* In ''ComicBook/TheGreatDarknessSaga'', ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} rejoins the ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes during the very final battle against ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': Frozone shows up to help take down The Omnidroid during the final battle. [[InvertedTrope He'd also spent some time working with Bob at the film's beginning]], when they were doing unsanctioned superheroics, before spending the bulk of the movie at home and unaware of events on Syndrome's island.

* ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries'':
** ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'' introduces the Wreckers, Autobot heavy hitters near the end of the film. They join the main Autobots for the final battle.
** ''Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction'' has [[spoiler: the Dinobots]] join Optimus just in time for the final fight.

* The [[EnemyMine Romulan security forces]] in ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' show up just in time to save the ''Enterprise's'' bacon from Shinzon.

* In ''Film/UltramanSaga'', Ultraman Zero, Dyna and Cosmos were beaten so badly by Hyper Zetton that they were on the verge of death, but they refused to give up. The lights of their souls merge into one, and from the three's fusion, the titular Ultraman Saga appears to deliver one hell of a beatdown to Zetton.

* ''Film/{{Python}}'': John's brother Brian, who helps defeat the snake when they lure it to the plant at the very end of the movie to trap in the acid vaults.

* ''Literature/TrappedOnDraconica'': Alister's daughters rescue him at the very end so he can join the final showdown against EvilOverlord Gothon.
* Villainous example: in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', [[spoiler: Mazrim Taim]], who'd been a recurring villain for much of the series, gets promoted to [[QuirkyMinibossSquad the Forsaken]] near the beginning of the last book; he's the ''only'' new member they get over the course of the series.

* In ''Literature/{{Oathbringer}}'', third book of ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', Szeth, aka the infamous "Assassin in White" shows up to help the heroes out during the battle [[spoiler:of Thaylen field]]. Considering it's basically an ongoing disaster at that point, he doesn't really get a chance to explain that [[spoiler: he's sworn his third Oath as a Skybreaker to serve Dalinar]], but everyone is pretty happy for the help, although they do repeatedly note how odd it is that they somehow ended up fighting alongside "The Storming Assassin in White".

* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' and ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', {{Trope Namer}}s [[SixthRanger by proxy]] have a few examples:
** In General if a Ranger or other ally is labeled "Extra Ranger" or "Extra Hero" (For non ranger allies that fight with them) instead of a clear 6th ranger, they're often (But not always) this.
** ''Series/BakuryuuSentaiAbaranger'' has [[spoiler:Mikoto/[=AbareKiller=]]], who joins the fight right at the end thanks to a [[spoiler:last-second HeelFaceTurn]]. (For the record, ''Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder'' has his counterpart join the heroes earlier, then an evil clone was created so they could use the footage portraying the character as a villain.)
** ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'' has the Nova Ranger, an ally of the FutureBadass SixthRanger, who arrives in the middle ''of the final battle'' while searching the timestream for the time-lost Omega Ranger.
** ''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.
** [[spoiler:Kaoru]] in ''Series/SamuraiSentaiShinkenger'' and her counterpart [[spoiler:Lauren]] in ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'' are a subversion. They're introduced late in their respective series and join the heroes, but then get injured and are forced to sit out the final battle. [[spoiler:She's]] officially an Extra Ranger.
** ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger'' has the team's mentor, Wise God Torin join the team as Kyoryu Silver, the Shining Brave, shortly before the final arc. Averted with his successor Dantetsu who simply fills Torin's place. While Yuko and Shinya had predecessors, Ramirez and Shinya's ancestor Tessai, who showed up to assist the team early on from time to time, the two successors join the team in the final two episodes as the new Kyoryu Cyan and Kyoryu Gray, respectively.
*** ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'' utilizes this in the first season finale- [[spoiler:[[MissionControl Kendall]] [[BadassNormal Morgan]]]] becomes the Purple Ranger halfway through the episode, and [[spoiler:her]] Zord ends up being the deciding factor in the fighting against the BigBad. The series as a whole matches ''Kyoryuger'' by having Torin's counterpart[[note]]in costume and being the Silver Ranger, but not being the team's mentor[[/note]] Zenowing join the team just a few episodes before the end.
* Franchise/SuperSentai's sibling series, ''Franchise/KamenRider'', engages in this more rarely. Probably the purest example comes in ''Series/KamenRiderZiO'', where the show's female lead Tsukuyomi gains Rider powers in the penultimate episode as part of the heroes' efforts to thwart [[CainAndAbel her evil brother Swartz]]'s plans ([[BerserkButton and to drive him up the wall]]).

* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' waits until the ninth and final season to add the titular mother to the main cast.

** Eddie doesn't join the team until the very end of season 2, after he is revealed as the Osirian. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], because until the characters found out about his special destiny, he had no reason to get involved, and didn't even know what was going on until ''after'' he helped out.

* In the ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' Season 3 finale, Team Arrow is captured and is sitting in the dungeons of Nanda Parbat, surrounded by Assassins. Then [[Series/TheFlash2014 Barry Allen]] swoops in and shows that the entire League is hopelessly outclassed by the Fastest Man Alive, before freeing the prisoners. It turns out that Oliver asked Barry to rescue his friends (although Barry doesn't participate in the final battle in Star City as he has his own villains to deal with back home).

* ''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).
** Aqua and Ventus are revived by Sora very late into ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' as Guardians of Light, with Terra, Roxas, and Xion joining them during the final Keyblade War.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManX2'', Zero is [[BackFromTheDead revived]] right before the final boss and assists you in defeating Sigma (assuming you got the good ending).
* 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.

* 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 the PSP release of ''Growlanser: Wayfarer Of Time'', you can recruit Tricia, your senior from the academy for the last three battles of the game.
* In ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'', Shrimp and Cornelia spend most of the game as [[RecurringTraveller Recurring Travellers]], trying to enjoy their vacation and stay out of the conflict. But when the endgame hits, they realize it’s their duty to help out, and join the party in time for the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.
* Although you can recruit [[spoiler:Legion]] in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' at pretty much any time during the last third of the game, you can only get the game's [[GoldenEnding best]] [[MultipleEndings ending]] if you 1.) Hold off completing the relevant mission until you've finished nearly all the other missions and assignments or 2.) Leave all other uncompleted missions and assignments until the post-game. Since the character in question ended up becoming popular among the fanbase despite lacking the screentime of the rest of the party members, Creator/BioWare made up for it by giving [[spoiler:Legion]] a large role in the main plot of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.

* Bioware explicitly averted this trope in later installments of ''Mass Effect'' and ''Dragon Age''; all party members are recruited in the first act or the beginning of the second. ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' goes one step further by having most of them seek ''you'' out, meaning the player has no reason not to recruit them early on.

* 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.

* The original ''VideoGame/ShiningForce'' has Hanzou the Ninja, who joins as a hidden character right before the last battle. The GBA version changed this.
* ''VideoGame/RiverCityRansom'' EX has [[HuskyRusskie Ivan Popov]], who, if certain conditions are met, can be recruited literally at the gates of River City High, where [[BigBad Slick]] and the [[TheDragon Dragon Twins]] are holed up.
* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration 1'' has Elzam and Sanger join right at the end. The sequel has them join about 2/3's in instead
** However, ''[=OG2=]'' also features [[spoiler:Einst Alfimi]] as an available party member, who literally joins your party for half of the last mission unless you get the BonusBoss fight, in which case she's available for that as well. In fact, several ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' games feature such characters - ''Alpha Gaiden'', for instance, allows you to acquire Sanger just before the game's end, piloting the absurdly powerful Thrudgelmir, if the proper conditions are fulfilled. [[GameBreaker If the player has enough money on hand to upgrade it fully...]]
** ''OG Gaiden'' has a slew of them: [[spoiler:Axel Almer, Einst Alfimi (again), Despoiniz and Shu Shirakawa (though the latter ends up betraying the team for the final battle)]]
** ''2nd OG'' isn't too bad with this as even usual late joiners like Axel and Shu (who doesn't betray you this time) are permanently part of the team by at least prior to the homestretch of the game. Of course there are a few like [[spoiler: Alfimi]]. Touma is an interesting case. He gets Raioh on stage 49 giving you about 13 to 14 stages to use him, which is a decent amount. But he still joins unusually late for a character on the cover and intro of the game, and who was advertised significantly.
*** In ''Dark Prison'', Shu, ''the protagonist'' still gets to be the Eleventh Hour Ranger and combines with EleventhHourSuperpower as he unlocks the Neo Granzon. He's joined alongside [[Characters/MasouKishin Monica and Saphine]], though this is justified because they just [[spoiler: defeated the TrueFinalBoss of ''2nd OG''.]] And five turns before they appear, it would be [[spoiler: [[Characters/SuperRobotWarsClassic Justine, Zebris and Grofis]], aka the Guest generals. Since they never formally join your party, they could also be some sort of [[{{Pun}} Guest]] [[GuestStarPartyMember Star Party Members]]]].
** It's actually common in a number of games to get last-minute reinforcements, starting with [[spoiler: Ingram]] in Super Robot Wars Alpha. Other notable ones include Schwartz, Julia, Zechs (if you unlocked Heero), and Heinel (if you unlocked him) in VideoGame/{{Shin|SuperRobotWars}}, [[spoiler: Irui Ganeden]] in Alpha 3, [[spoiler: Al-Van Ranks]] in J, [[spoiler: Applicant]] in W, [[spoiler: Xine and Asakim, although Asakim's exclusive to the Rand-route]] in Z, and [[spoiler: Margaret Reeds]] in Z2-1.
** [[spoiler: [[VisualNovel/{{Demonbane}} Master Therion]]]] is the most powerful secret character in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsUX''. He has the best default stat in the game (higher than Kuro) as well as the same skill set as when he was an enemy. The [[spoiler: Liber Legis]] also has a default S rank in every terrain too. It's bonus is +300 attack power for both Melee and range weapon, immune to status change and a 35% special evasion. And the most important thing is that he has the "Soul" Spirit Command.
** In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsV'', [[spoiler:[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn Full Frontal in his Neo Zeong]]]] joins a few stages just before the final battle if unlocked. He boasts an impressive spirit command list, a 2L sized mech, a pretty big sized MAP attack, and can counterattack first before he's attacked on enemy phases.
** In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsX'', [[spoiler:the titular Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann happens 1 stage before the end but Kouji inside Mazinger ZERO only happens at the final stage.]]
* [[spoiler:Kurtis]] in ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'' joins a few battles before the end, on the very last world.
** In ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 3|AbsenceOfJustice}}'', Master Big Star and Salvatore The Magnificent join you right before the last two storyline fights against [[spoiler:Super Hero Aurum.]] They leave when the story's over though, and have to be defeated in the postgame to get them to permanently join your party.
** Likewise, in ''VideoGame/DisgaeaD2'' Barbara joins the party on the very last episode of the game, and once that's done you have to go and recruit her in the post-game.
** [[spoiler:Bieko]] joins the party in ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 6|DefianceOfDestiny}}'' when you're about three episodes away from the ending.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyLegendII'' has [[CrystalDragonJesus Isis]] join your party for the final dungeon. She's insanely powerful, but you have to fight the final boss without her because there are two of them and Isis has to fight the other one.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyLegendIII'' has a Gotoh-like mutant join your party at the end. The game has several {{guest star party member}}s.
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'':
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'': You cannot recruit a Sage when you create your party, since you need find the Book of Satori and take it to Alltrades Abbey to get a Sage. You cannot start with one, but since it's such a powerful class, most players certainly will finish with one.
** In the remake of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'', a playable epilogue has [[spoiler: a revived and reformed Psaro, the BigBad of the main game's story]] join with the heroes and take on TheChessmaster who was the real mastermind behind the events of the main game's story.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX'' lets you create your very own customizable party members to take with you on your adventures. However, there are actually 5 characters you meet in the game who will join your party after completing their respective quests. These quests, however, are not only on a DLC schedule, but aren't available until after you've beaten the game.
* In ''[[VideoGame/DawnOfWar Dawn of War 2]]'', [[spoiler:Captain Gabriel Angelos]] joins your marines for the final battle, at the end of the last level of the campaign.
* In ''VideoGame/RecordOfAgarestWar'' [[spoiler: every single protagonist and their respective women from the previous four generations come back to you and will help you kick the asses of six gods.]]
* ''VideoGame/RadiataStories'' has [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters over one-hundred-and-fifty recruitable characters]], but the most powerful and competent fighters cannot be recruited until late in the game: [[spoiler:[[DaChief Elwen]], [[CrystalDragonJesus Kain]], [[TheDon Curtis]], [[TheSyndicate Nyx]] and [[LadyOfWar Natalie]] for the humans and [[BloodKnight Galvados]], [[OurOrcsAreDifferent JJ]] and [[TheLeader Gruel]] for nonhumans.]]

* Himi in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'', and to a lesser degree [[AscendedExtra Eoleo]]. Subtly lampshaded in the final dungeon when Arcanus shows up-- everyone is shocked and outraged except these two, who don't know who he is.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', you can't recruit Super Mutant Fawkes until after you've dealt with [[PresidentEvil President Eden]] and escaped from Raven Rock. While you can still explore the world and complete side-quests with him, you're pretty much at the end of the game's main story line at that point.
** Likewise for [[HumongousMecha Liberty Prime]], who only gets activated once the final main quest starts, and you're past the PointOfNoReturn (unless you have ''Broken Steel'' installed, and he gets killed in the first quest of that).
* In ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland}}'', you can recruit an android robot named [=VAX=] in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon. He has the best stats of any recruitable [=NPC=] in the game.
** In ''VideoGame/Wasteland2'', in the final mission you can choose to add [[spoiler:General Snake Vargas, [[PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo one of the four default characters from the first game]] and TheLeader of the Rangers, to your party.]]
* In ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'', upon entering the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, you're given the opportunity to recruit several new party members (if by some stroke of fate you entered with none). [[spoiler:These include Arronax, the person you've been led to believe is the game's BigBad. Turns out he's repented of his misdeeds, and it's another of The Void's prisoners that's the one behind the world's chaos. Others are a giant hungry demon, an evil warlord, and a human magically transformed into a dragon.]]

* In the [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] [=PS3=] version of ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', Flynn kind of takes this role. He joins your team at the end of each arc in the story (with maybe one or two bit exceptions) and doesn't permanently join until right before the final dungeon of the game.

* Gandar in ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile'' is unavailable until the final period, and can't be sent up to Valhalla. Suo and Lyseria may also count, being only available as the last einherjar you're gonna to meet.
* ''[[VideoGame/DragonBallZTheLegacyOfGoku Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II]]'' has the title character, who only joins the playable roster in the very last portion of the game where the Z warriors collect the dragonballs and then fight Cell.
* Golyat in ''[[VideoGame/TearsToTiara2 Tears to Tiara 2]]'' first show up commanding his legions to crush Hispania's rebellion. As he retreats, Hamil offers him land grants for his veterans if he switch sides, something TheEmpire did in its heyday. He admits the offer is very enticing but it's too late and they'll loose. Fast forward to the final approach on Alba Longa, as the Party wonder if any of TheEmpire's legions will switch sides, they find him having already put the city under siege and is waiting for them.
* In ''VideoGame/YuGiOhReshefOfDestruction'', Obelisk the Tormentor is the last Egyptian God Card and the last overall that you get in the main story.
** Yami Yugi reappears before you duel Reshef and helps weaken him to the point where he can be defeated.
* At the end of the last dungeon before [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Doom Island]], ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals'' has [[spoiler:Dekar rejoin the party, having returned from the HeroicSacrifice that previously removed him from the team]].

* In the first ''VideoGame/XMenLegends'' Psylocke doesn't join the team until the game's final three missions.
* The single-player campaign of ''VideoGame/TelepathTactics'' has Gunther Lathe, an old foe who performs a HeelFaceTurn right before the FinalBattle.

* Towards the end of ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander'', Damas will pull a BigDamnHeroes moment for Jak and Daxter (by driving a large vehicle into several [[TheHeartless Dark Makers]]) and become a GuestStarPartyMember after that. Like [=FuSoYa=] of ''Final Fantasy IV'', Damas does not stick around for the final boss, [[spoiler:as he dies not long afterwards]].
* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'':
** ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'':
*** In ''VideoGame/Persona1'', [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness rather than having a full team and swapping out members like in later entries, you could only choose one additional person to join your initial party]]. Reiji Kido is the last option the game provides, but his recruitment is a massive GuideDangIt [[AwesomeButImpractical that requires you to go through large portions of the game without a full party]].
*** The last party member in ''VideoGame/Persona2: Innocent Sin'', Jun Kurosu, doesn't join until the end of the Caracol dungeon, at which point there isn't a whole lot of story left. [[spoiler:Justified in that up until this point, he was the ''main villain'', with his father taking over the role when he joins the heroes.]]
*** In the original release of ''VideoGame/Persona5'', [[ObviousJudas Goro Akechi]] doesn't join the Phantom Thieves until Niijima's Palace, after which the protagonist gets arrested due to a trap Akechi deliberately set up. However in ''[[UpdatedRerelease Persona 5 Royal]]'', Akechi joins the Phantom Thieves proper alongside newcomer and AloofAlly Kasumi Yoshizawa during the third-term events provided the player maxes out the [[spoiler:[[BonusDungeon Councillor]]]] confidant.
** In the original release of ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'', out of 12 playable characters, 7 of them don't join you until the 7th and final day. In the UpdatedRerelease ''Overclocked'', depending on whether you complete an optional battle during Yuzu's 8th day, Kaido joins you either midway through or with only a couple of hours left before the final battle; similarly, in Naoya's good 8th day, Yuzu, Midori, and Izuna re/join you with an hour or so before the final showdown.
** ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2'':
*** You get to control most of the heroes by the end of day 4. However, Yamato, Ronaldo, and the Anguished One don't join you until either the beginning of their respective 7th days (for all three) or midway through Daichi's 7th day (for Yamato and Ronaldo). In the Anguished One's route, Joe cannot be convinced to rejoin the party until midway through the 8th and final day with only an hour or two before the FinalBoss.
*** In the Triangulum arc introduced in the UpdatedRerelease ''Record Breaker'', the Anguished One and Miyako don't join you until midway through the 4th and effectively final day (well, unless you count the 3 hours that bleed into the early morning).
* ''VideoGame/RuinaFairyTaleOfTheForgottenRuins'': In the final dungeon, [[spoiler:Titus I possesses Chuna's body and fights the party until her body is mortally wounded. If the main character is a rogue, the party only contains three people, and the player has the Iterio Fragment, Chuna will be revived and will join in the fourth slot.]]
* In ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'', Falco is absent for most of the game, until the very final fight against [[spoiler:Andross]]; in which he swoops in to save Fox in the nick of time.
** And to an extent, James [=McCloud=] at the end of ''VideoGame/StarFox64''. He is presumed dead in the beginning of the story. But after defeating [[spoiler:Andross' Brain]] and surviving his DesperationAttack, James appears and helps Fox out of an EscapeSequence.
* Joy from ''VideoGame/Payday2'' is this, at least as far as the original PC version goes (she was available from the start for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch port and not added to the PC version until six months later). She was added to the game with the Icebreaker event in August 2018, which, not counting the [[NostalgiaLevel "No Mercy" flashback]], left her with only two heists to canonically take part in before the end of the game's storyline.
* 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]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{OFF}}'', if you choose the special ending, [[spoiler:you assume control of the Judge for the final battle against the Batter, who has served as the PlayerCharacter up to this point]].
* ''VideoGame/AlnamNoKiba'' has 12 playable characters. 11 of them are a part of the plot for most of the game, even if they're not playable the whole time, but the final party member Ryousui is only introduced and joins the party within the last few hours of the game.
* In ''VideoGame/UnleashTheLight'', post-patch, [[spoiler:Hessonite]] is PromotedToPlayable right at the end of the game. (Pre-patch, she wasn't playable at all.)
* The second game of ''VideoGame/TrailsInTheSky'' trilogy has three: The stranded SkyPirate Josette Capua, the earlier GuestStarPartyMember Royal Guard Captain Julia Schwartz, and Oliver's associate from TheEmpire of Erebonia, Major Vander.

* ''VisualNovel/MajikoiLoveMeSeriously'' has [[spoiler: Gen-san]] in the Ryuuzetsuran route.

* ''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]].

* And then in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' Book 1 we have [[spoiler: Zuko's grandson General Iroh, who assists Team Avatar in the season finale]].

* Sinedd in season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/GalactikFootball''.

* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'', Rocket joins the team the episode before the first season finale. She's no longer part of the team when the second season starts... because she joined the Justice League during the five-year TimeSkip (the comics reveal that she and Zatanna's first League briefing were just over a month before the events of season 2's first episode).

* In the final episode of ''Anime/SenkiZesshouSymphogear'', [[spoiler:Miku]] gains complete control of her relic in time to help clean up the mess [[spoiler:Shem-ha]] left behind.

* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' Rocket joins the team the episode before the first season finale. She's no longer part of the team when the second season starts... because she joined the Justice League during the five-year TimeSkip (the comics reveal that she and Zatanna's first League briefing were just over a month before the events of season 2's first episode).