History Main / PostFinalLevel

* Both ''VisualNovel/SpiritHunter'' games have this.

* The ROM hack ''VideoGame/SuperMario64OcarinaOfTime'' has Bowser's Castle as the final area, but after defeating Bowser in the future, Mario must then travel to the past, where a Warp Pipe opens near Peach's Castle that leads to a massive lava pit for the actual final battle against Bowser.

* ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'': After the final level of Wily's castle, Mega Man finds himself transported to an underground cave. The only dangers are drops of acid that fall from the ceiling and can do lots of damage, but otherwise it's just a short jaunt. At the end, you face Wily, who reveals himself to be an alien. [[spoiler: It's actually another robot combined with a holographic projector.]]

* ''VideoGame/SlayTheSpire'' has a surprise Act 4, "The Ending", which is only revealed after beating Act 3 at least once with each of the three main characters, and is only unlocked in individual runs in which the player managed to collect all the keys. The Ending always consists of a single path in the same order - a rest site, a merchant encounter, an Elite fight against the [[DualBoss Spire Shield and Spire Spear]], and finally the [[BigBad Corrupt Heart of the Spire]] itself.

** After beating the final boss, you are then transported to [[spoiler:a first-person rendition of Home]] for each of the endings. For the most part, it is impossible to lose here- you just do whatever the game says to progress.

* In ''VideoGame/EldenRing'', after traversing the Crumbling Farum Azula and defeat the boss there, you're relocated to Leyndell one last time where due to the burning of the Erdtree, is now covered in ashes which bury most of the city with it. There isn't any enemy to fight unless one goes out of their way of the intended destination and the only obstacles standing between you and the throne is a couple of BossBonanza before facing the FinalBoss.

** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'': Upon gathering all of Xehanort's Reports and completing [[AnotherSideAnotherStory every character's story]], which except wrap up in the Keyblade Graveyard (except Ventus, whose FinalBoss is at the [[BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind Station of Awakening]]), you're treated to a final story which takes Aqua back to the town plaza of Radiant Garden to battle [[spoiler: Terra, who is now possessed by Xehanort]].

* Most of the main ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games end with each region's Pokemon League, an area which always comes after Victory Road, a long area filled with the toughest trainers in the main game. The League, by contrast, is a building that only houses the Elite Four and Champion.

* ''VideoGame/TheBeginnersGuide'' has an Epilogue chapter right after Chapter 16, which is a long, grueling climb up an ominous tower ending with the big reveals of the story. In contrast, the epilogue level is relatively simple- just walk to the end- has no obstacles, and is more of a place to ruminate on the reveal and wrap up the story.

* In ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice'', [[spoiler:assuming you did not side with Owl during the second visit to Ashina Castle]], the final level of the game is the Fountainhead Palace but after it's completed, you are relocated to Ashina one last time, where you're forced to traverse through the castle against the Interior Ministry's army in order to search for the gate that you visited at the start of the game before facing the FinalBoss.
* ''VideoGame/TombRaiderII'': After you slay Marco Bartoli in his dragon form, after which you proceed to run to the exit his lair crumbles but there's one final level after that, Lara Crofts own manor gets invaded by Bartoli's last men, the game end's properly once you killed the last of them.

** Should you get all the other endings, the True Ending unlocks which takes place in [[spoiler:an unnamed darkened room where the Narrator snaps and fights you as the PostFinalBoss]].

* ''VideoGame/HaloReach'': Following the final level, The Pillar of Autumn and the credits, a mission titled "Lone Wolf" begins, which is simply [[spoiler: your death and eulogy.]]

* ''VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon'': The final mansion is the Treacherous Mansion, but after clearing it, Luigi is transported to King Boo's Illusion for the last showdown.

** ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' downplays it with Another Dimension, as the first part is an UnexpectedShmupLevel, but it is rather short compared to Dangerous Dinner.

* In ''VideoGame/EldenRing'', after traversing the Crumbling Farum Azula and defeat the boss there, you're relocated to Leyndell one last time where due to the burning of the Erdtree, is now covered in ashes which bury most of the city with it. There isn't any enemy to fight unless one goes out of their way of the intended destination and the only obstacles standing between you and the throne is a couple of BossBonanza before facing the FinalBoss.

* In ''VideoGame/EldenRing'', after traversing the Crumbling Farum Azula and defeat the boss there, you're relocated to Leyndell one last time where due to the burning of the Erdtree, is now covered in ashes which bury most of the city with it. There isn't any enemy to fight unless one goes out of their way of the intended destination and the only obstacles standing between you and the throne is a couple of BossBonanzas before facing the FinalBoss.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda'':

* ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' is quite close to the trope. The final levels in episodes 1-3 and of Doom II are boss arenas (although [=E1M8=] does have one lead-in room with demons), and higher difficulty levels also put more monsters in them. In case of Doom I, these boss levels exit to the ending text rather than the stats screen.

In most video games, the FinalBoss resides in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon. However, this is not always the case--sometimes you've beaten the big final area, only to discover that there is another area, but this one is a short level that only houses the final boss and maybe some healing supplies. This is the Post-Final Level, a BossOnlyLevel that comes after the actual final level, its sole purpose being to give you a place where you fight the final boss.

Compare to PostFinalBoss, an easy battle that comes after the actual final boss -- this is that concept applied to levels. Also not to be confused with BonusDungeon and BrutalBonusLevel, which can often be unlocked by beating the final level but is a level in its own right.

** ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamland'' downplays it with Another Dimension, as the first part is an UnexpectedShmupLevel, but it is rather short compared to Dangerous Dinner.

** The true final level of ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamland3'' is Hyper Zone, accessible if you found all the Heart Stars, but in contrast to Iceberg, the normal final level with seven stages ending in a battle against King Dedede, Hyper Zone consists solely of the [[TrueFinalBoss Dark Matter fight]].

* Every main ''VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'' game from ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamland'' onwards has a big final world, usually ending in a fight against the DiscOneFinalBoss, followed by a world consisting of a single BossOnlyLevel, which is the actual final boss fight. Variations of this were done in earlier games as well.

** ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'': [[spoiler:Lab Discovera, an abandoned laboratory at the bottom of Redgar Forbidden Lands where [[BigBad Fecto Forgo]] is being held and where Kirby meets the leader of the Beast Pack, [[TheHeavy Leongar]].]]

** [[OneHundredPercentCompletion Collecting every Crystal Shard]] in ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'' and defeating the standard final boss, Miracle Matter, opens up a seventh world, Dark Star. It only consists of a single brief level, where Kirby's friends help him one more time before he takes to the skies with Ribbon to face the TrueFinalBoss.

** The fifth stage of the same name as the game. It comes after the lengthy fourth stage "Far Flung - Starlight Heroes" and its final level, The Divine Terminus. The final stage instead consists of the multi-phase final battle.
** In the "Heroes in Another Dimension" mode, the Final Dimension, unlocked after beating the second, third, and fourth dimensions in any order, consists of one room with copy abilities and friend recruitment, then the final boss room.

** ''VisualNovel/DeathMark'': Most of Chapter 5, the last chapter, takes place in the Underground Shelter where the Kannon Soldier lies, but after defeating the spirit, Kazuo travels to [[spoiler:Kujou Mansion]] to fight the mastermind.

* In ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice'', [[spoiler:assuming you did not side with Owl during the second visit to Ashina Castle]], the final level of the game is the Fountainhead Palace but after it's completed, you are relocated to Ashina one last time, where you're forced to traverse through the castle through the Interior Ministry's army in order to search for the gate that you visited at the start of the game before facing the FinalBoss.

* In ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice'', [[spoiler:assuming you did not side with owl during the second visit to Ashina Castle]], the final level of the game is the Fountainhead Palace but after it's completed, you are relocated to Ashina one last time, where you're forced to traverse through the castle through the Interior Ministry's army in order to search for the gate that you visited at the start of the game before facing the FinalBoss.

* All of the ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' games have a dedicated area for their final boss:
** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'': After collecting all of the Lord Souls during the non-linear second half of the game, the Chosen Undead uses them to open the door to the Kiln of the First Flame, a large but empty area containing nothing but a few spread-out Black Knights and the final boss's arena.
** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'': The finale of the game is at the Throne of Want, a section of Drangleic Castle with three boss fights and nothing more. The area can be accessed early to fight one of the bosses, but the final boss and TrueFinalBoss can only be fought after obtaining a key item behind the last few required areas.
** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'': The Kiln of the First Flame again serves as the last area of the game, and only contains the final boss fight. The last full-fledged area is Lothric Castle, home of the final Lords of Cinder.

** ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'': The fifth stage of the same name as the game. It comes after the lengthy fourth stage "Far Flung - Starlight Heroes" and its final level, The Divine Terminus. The final stage instead consists of the multi-phase final battle.