History Main / SixthRanger

** The online RPG game places this situation on Homura in regards to the pre-existing Magical Girl team of Madoka, Mami, Sayaka, and Kyoko. The combination of Homura's newness to the rest of the group (beyond just her NewTransferStudent status), her unsocialbility and aloofness, and her choice of [[MoreDakka firearms and explosives]] presenting an ever-present risk of UnfriendlyFire on melee-fighters Sayaka and Kyoko make her integration into the group difficult - the later chapters of the main storyline place more focus on this.

** ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'' seems to be turning it UpToEleven, with series lead Gaim, rival Baron, ally Ryugen, and enemy Zangetsu all seen on screen before the end of episode 4, with the end of episode 5 [[spoiler:revealing the other rival dance team leaders have their own Sengoku Drivers to turn them into acorn-themed Guridon (known from pre-series promos) and pinecone-themed Kurokage (only vaguely mentioned in TheMovie's press releases), and the preview for episode 6 teasing at an evil durian Kamen Rider]]. Then again, the emphasis for now at least is on the Riders fighting each other, rather than a group of villains.

** DigimonDataSquad: Keenan/Falcomon

* In a particularly strange example, the MTM from Fanfic/{{the Calvinverse}} was with Calvin from the start, but (as of the season 3 episode "An MTM Episode") gained speech and started becoming more of his own character, making him this.

* ''StarWars''' Lando Calrissian. He double-crosses the heroes in ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'', and Chewbacca nearly strangles him to death. However, he was just trying to protect Cloud City, and he eventually pulls a HeelFaceTurn to join the Rebellion.
* Captain Barbossa of ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean'', who becomes a good guy in ''At World's End'' (until the end, when he steals the ''Black Pearl'' from Jack...again). A more minor example might be Jack Sparrow, who joins up with Will Turner after them being quite at odds.

* Linkin Park's bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell. He was a part of the original lineup, Xero from 1996-1998, but had commitments with another band called Tasty Snax, so left Xero until 2001, when he returned. During the period he was away, the band recorded their first album Hybrid Theory and got their first mainstream exposure, which brought them great popularity. On the back cover of this album, only the five main members are shown, which led many to assume those were all the people in the band. On the Hybrid Theory album itself, bass duties were split between usual guitarist Brad Delson, touring bassist Scott Koziol and session bassist Ian Hornbeck. played the rest. When Phoenix returned in 2001 shortly after the release of One Step Closer as a single, many fans who didn't know about him felt that he was the SixthRanger joining an established band, and to many it still feels like that.

* Linkin Park's bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell. He was a part of the original lineup, Xero, but had commitments with another band called Tasty Snax, so left Xero until 2001, when he returned. During this period, the band recorded their first album Hybrid Theory and got their first mainstream exposure, which brought them great popularity. On the back cover of this album, only the five main members are shown, which led many to assume those were all the people in the band. On the Hybrid Theory album itself, bass duties were split between usual guitarist Brad Delson, touring bassist Scott Koziol and session bassist Ian Hornbeck. played the rest. When Phoenix returned in 2001 shortly after the release of One Step Closer as a single, many fans who didn't know about him felt that he was the SixthRanger joining an established band, and to many it still feels like that.

* Rare RealLife example: Music/IronMaiden had five men line-ups since 1980. Then when Music/BruceDickinson and Adrian Smith decided to return to the band, Janick Gers served as a Sixth Ranger to a reunion of the golden years Maiden.

** Other candidates for the role of "Fifth Beatle" include ex-drummer [[ThePeteBest Pete Best]], ex-bassist Stuart Sutcliffe (who quit the band to get married before they made it big, then died of an undiagnosed aneurysm a year later), and EricClapton (he played on several of their tracks and was seriously considered for membership in the band at one point).

* Renji Abarai is the most obvious example in ''{{Bleach}}'', becoming committed to fighting alongside sworn enemy Ichigo and his close pals after getting defeated by him in the Soul Society, and succeeding in rescuing Rukia together. Renji's still an abrasive guy but likes chilling around with Ichigo whenever nearby, especially in the anime's numerous filler arcs.

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion The Movie: Rebellion]]'' will introduce a new MagicalGirl named Nagisa Momoe, who is clearly meant to evoke this trope. But [[{{Deconstruction}} since it's]] [[DarkerAndEdgier that kind]] [[RunningGag of show]], they don't exactly play it straight. [[spoiler: For one thing, she spends most of the film as TeamPet "Bebe", which is a slightly altered version of Nagisa's witch form Charlotte.]]

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion The Movie: Rebellion]]'' will introduce a new MagicalGirl named Nagisa Momoe, who is clearly meant to evoke this trope. But [[{{Deconstruction}} since it's]] [[DarkerAndEdgier that kind]] [[RunningGag of show]], it's unlikely she'll play the trope straight.

* There's a whole slew of Sixth Rangers in ''TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes''. BlackPanther and {{Hawkeye}} don't join until several episodes into the first season, and then MsMarvel and TheVision join the group in the second season.

* The ComicBook/FantasticFour have had a few extras over the years—Johnny's ex-wife Lyja, Ben's girlfriend Sharon Ventura, the time displaced teenage version of Valeria Richards, and others; not counting substitute members who have filled in temporary vacancies in the team like Crystal, LukeCage, SheHulk, and the BlackPanther.

** ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'' seems to be turning it UpToEleven, with series lead Gaim, rival Baron, ally Ryugen, and enemy Zangetsu all seen on screen before the end of episode 4, with the end of episode 5 [[spoiler:revealing the other rival dance team leaders have their own Sengoku Drivers to turn them into acorn-themed Guridon (known from pre-series promos) and pinecone-themed Kurokage (only vaguely mentioned in TheMovie's press releases), and the preview for episode 6 teasing at an evil durian Kamen Rider]].

** 'Anime/'SuitePrettyCure'' introduced [[MysteriousProtector Cure Muse]] early on, although she doesn't join the team, let alone reveal her identity [[spoiler:until much later in the series, where she does both]]. Later, it followed Fresh's example and added a reformed DarkMagicalGirl of its own: Cure Beat, [[spoiler:who joins the team before Cure Muse]].
** ''DokiDokiPrettyCure'' added a Fifth Ranger to the original quartet: Cure Ace, [[spoiler:a completely new character]] who acts as TheMentor.

** Hikari in ''Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart'' attaches herself to the existing OddCouple.
** ''[[YesPrecure5 Yes! Precure 5 GOGO!]]'' brings out Milky Rose as the [[TheUntwist "mysterious"]] sixth member. Unusually for the trope, she keeps her power level throughout the series, still defeating the MonsterOfTheWeek on her own after the FiveManBand has resorted to using the CombinedEnergyAttack every week.
** ''FreshPrettyCure'' added a Fourth Ranger to the original PowerTrio: Cure Passion, a [[HeelFaceTurn reformed villainess]].
** ''HeartcatchPrettyCure'' added a Third Ranger of its own, Cure Sunshine, as well as a later ''fourth'' ranger, Cure Moonlight (although Moonlight was a Cure from the first episode [[BroughtDownToNormal who temporarily lost her powers]] then got better).
** ''SuitePrettyCure'' introduced [[MysteriousProtector Cure Muse]] early on, although she doesn't join the team, let alone reveal her identity [[spoiler:until much later in the series, where she does both]]. Later, it followed Fresh's example and added a reformed DarkMagicalGirl of its own: Cure Beat, [[spoiler:who joins the team before Cure Muse]].

** ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'' seems to be TurningItUpToEleven, with series lead Gaim, rival Baron, ally Ryugen, and enemy Zangetsu all seen on screen before the end of episode 4, with the end of episode 5 [[spoiler:revealing the other rival dance team leaders have their own Sengoku Drivers to turn them into acorn-themed Guridon (known from pre-series promos) and pinecone-themed Kurokage (only vaguely mentioned in TheMovie's press releases), and the preview for episode 6 teasing at an evil durian Kamen Rider]].

** Other series that drove their total number of heroes up past six with One-Shots, {{Eleventh Hour Ranger}}s and the like include ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger''/''Series/PowerRangersMysticForce'' (six regulars plus two at the Eleventh Hour), ''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury'' (five regulars plus three recurring, see below), ''Series/SamuraiSentaiShinkenger''/''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'' (six plus one at the Eleventh Hour), and ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger'' (six plus four recurring).

* Mike Hannigan, Phoebe's boyfriend (and later husband), from ''{{Friends}}''.

* Aphrodite and Jack Twist from ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight''.

** Other series that drove their total number of heroes up past six with One-Shots, {{Eleventh Hour Ranger}}s and the like include ''Magiranger''/''Mystic Force'' (six regulars plus two at the Eleventh Hour), ''Jungle Fury'' (five regulars plus three recurring, see below), ''Shinkenger''/''Samurai'' (six plus one at the Eleventh Hour), and ''Kyoryuger'' (six plus four recurring).

* Happened in universe on the ''{{Animaniacs}}'' PinkyAndtheBrain segment "Puppet Rulers", when on the Treckle and Meaney show, two new characters called "Big Ears" (Pinky) and "Noodle Noggin" (Brain) joined the show.