History Main / FinalBossPreview

** Also, Shizel in ''TalesOfEternia''. It isn't actually as much of a curb stomp since you CAN fight back (and this troper managed to do so), but after a while the fight abruptly ends anyways.

* In the first ''[[BaldursGate Baldur's Gate]]'', BigBad Sarevok shows up five minutes into the game and kills your mentor in a cutscene. In ''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows Of Amn'', BigBad Jon Irenicus shows up several times and captures the party at least twice (once offscreen) before you even get the chance to fight him. His [[TheDragon lieutenant]] Bodhi does this as well. Averted in ''Throne of Bhaal'' where the BigBad never shows up before the fight, [[spoiler:or at least not in a way that you can fight her.]]

The villain will, of course, be completely unfazed. They might casually block the hero with smug superiority, let their [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat ultimate attack]] connect and [[NighInvulnerable casually dust themselves off]], and probably give them a good thrashing for ripping their favorite BlackCloak. Oh, and expect said thrashing to be them using maybe [[IAmNotLeftHanded 1/67th of their True Power]]? ([[OneWingedAngel final forms]] [[OfferVoidInNebraska not included]]). The villain may well take them to within an inch of dying, or less brutally hold the equivalent of a sword at their throat... and [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim stop]] to [[EvilGloating gloat]] before leaving them broken and humiliated.

* In ''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows Of Amn'', Jon Irenicus manages to effortlessly capture the party, twice, killing some of them in the process, before you even get the chance to fight him.

* A variant is used in ''[[PokemonColosseum Pokemon Gale of Darkness]]''. The BigBad and his Dragons show up and effortlessly beats down... [[spoiler:A mook who broke the rules. Oh and you don't know its TheBigBad and his 2 Dragons]]. Another example is Shadow Lugia owning a ship in the introduction

* ''FinalFantasyVII'' plays this trope straightforward, with an unusual twist: the BigBad is in ''your'' party and laying down the superhuman asskicking against ''your'' enemies. At least for a little while.

* JediOutcast has this when Desann schools your Force-less ass and then mocks you how you might have been a challenge if you still had your Force powers (Kyle gave them up after the last game). Of course, [[spoiler: this was just part of a XanatosGambit to get you to go to the Valley of the Jedi and use it to infuse all of his troops with the force.]]

Variants are when the villain fully intends to kill the hero, but she is [[BigDamnHeroes rescued]] by their [[TheMentor mentor]] or [[Nakama allies]], maybe at the [[HeroicSacrifice cost of one of their lives]]. Or the villain is frightened off somehow or forced to leave, [[ButForMeItWasTuesday maybe they've got far more pressing matters to worry about]] (say their EvilPlan is put in jeopardy by TheStarscream and he has to leave post haste).

Variants are when the villain fully intends to kill the hero, but she is rescued by their mentor or allies, maybe at the cost of one of their lives. Or the villain is frightened off somehow or forced to leave, maybe they've got far more pressing matters to worry about (say their EvilPlan is put in jeopardy by TheStarscream and he has to leave post haste).

* The first ''MegamanX'' game had Vile attack you in powered armor at the end of the first level. You ''could'' take him down to one health bar if you were skilled enough, but would still KO you and force Zero to come help you.

-->--'''Evangeline''' after [[CrowningMoment/MahouSenseiNegima much asskicking]], ''MahouSenseiNegima''

* The second battle of ''BreathOfFire II'' is against TheDragon, Barubary. Barubary is the second most powerful demon alive and arguably tougher than the final boss. Ryu is a 10 year old boy. [[OneSidedBattle Armed with a stick.]]

A specific form of NotSoFastBucko, an aversion of SortingAlgorithmOfEvil and a subversion of NoSneakAttacks. Contrast OrcusOnHisThrone. See also NewWorldTease.

* Happens at the start of pretty much every ''SuperMarioRPG'' game: the giant sword in ''Mario RPG'', Bowser in ''Paper Mario'', Count Bleck in ''Super Paper Mario''.

** The very first ''FireEmblem'' has the final boss appear halfway through the game, armed with a tome that makes him immortal. He chases you around for a bit, likely killing anyone he catches, until he gets bored and leaves.

** It's played straight a little while after this prologue, when the real protagonist [[spoiler:(the son of legendary hero Maxim)]] encounters one of the Sinistrals early on in the game. He's allowed to [[PunchPunchPunchUhOh get in a few shots of token offense before the Sinistral wipes him out with one blow.]]

* Orochimaru does this in ''{{Naruto}}''.
** So does Itachi a little bit later.
** In a mild subversion, by the time they fight "for real", they've been eclipsed in threat by [[SortingAlgorithmOfEvil other villains.]]

* Every Big Bad in ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer.'' EVER.

* ''FinalFantasyIV'' had a subversion when Golbez attacks the party midway through the game. It starts off like this, with Golbez easily smacking down your whole party with a summon, until Rydia shows up and [[BigDamnHeroes saves Cecil]], and the boss fight proper begins. It's also subverted in that [[spoiler:Golbez is not the final boss]].
** The sequel, ''The After Years'' does this numerous times with the game's primary antagonist. At one point you have the option to send a single weak playable character into a matchup with the villain that buffed out parties before him couldn't touch, and upon the first weak shot landed she effortlessly casts one of the most powerful spells in the entire story to rid of you.

** Don't forget Phantom Ganon.

** [[spoiler:You get a free preview in Ocean Palace, via an attack that will simply kill the part in one hit. Ironically this version is a lot tougher than his normal self.]]
** However, if your part is strong enough (like in NewGamePlus), you can defeat the BigBad at any time and access the MultipleEndings.

** Though whether or not it counts is up for debate, since Shirou does a pretty good job of fighting back pretty soon after the first appearance.

** When I played this, Ryu ''dodged'' his first attack. Amusingly, then, the battle isn't fixed, it's just that with your stats you could never win and almost never last more than a turn.

* The first battle against Ramirez in ''SkiesOfArcadia'' is a type of this.
** That's assuming you choose to fight him in the first place. Your options are "Surrender" and "Fight, even though you know it is futile."

** That's more of a Penultimate Boss Preview.
* Subverted with Specter in ''ApeEscape'' You reach him and think it's the final boss, but when you win, HE RUNS AWAY. So you must beat him again at the end of the game.

* Nobunaga makes a brief appearance in the second stage of ''{{Onimusha}} Tactics''. You can see his maxed health and pumped out stats. Magochi gives him a direct shot to the face, that does absoultly nothing.

* Arch-villain Sylar shows up in the first two episodes of ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', ''before they had even cast an actor for the role'' (he's played by a stuntman and obscured in shadows). He doesn't show up against until almost halfway through the first season.

*** For ''Radiant Dawn'', when he first appears, he's on YOUR side. If the Main Character is also Level Capped, the mission is [[strike: probably]] the easiest FireEmblem mission ever. Of course, he's also the most EXP eating happy [[CrutchCharacter Jegan]] in the entire series.

** First, the bad. In the first game, you meet Malak about halfway through. You're powerful enough at this point to beat him into the ground, [[NotSoFastBucko BUT WAIT!]] He recovers and [[CutscenePowerToTheMax effortlessly]] [[TheBattleDidntCount stuns you]]. Bastila then sacrifices herself [[strike: to allow you to escape]] for no good reason whatsoever.

*''WorldOfWarcraft'' appears to be doing this with the upcoming ''Halls of Reflection'' dungeon previewing Arthas before his raid.