An Acceptable Break from Reality even if it breaks the Fourth Wall.
Sometimes this can be done as a way of trying to hide the Disc-One Final Dungeon. Done well, it can add to the surprise when you find out it wasn't the final battle after all. Done badly, it ends up being a clumsy way of lampshading the fact.
Examples:
open/close all folders
Anime & Manga
- Transformers: Cybertron: Optimus Prime in Sonic Wing Mode vs Megatron.
Bud: This is the final battle, guys.
- It isn't. Megatron respawns next episode. It's only halfway through the series; what do you expect?
Comic Books
- The opening line of the Crisis Crossover RoboCop Versus The Terminator:
Peace will come. This is the last battle.
Films — Live-Action
- Masters of the Universe:
He-Man: Enough talk!
Skeletor: Yes! Let this be our final battle!
Video Games
- No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle has a line like this spoken by Jasper Batt Jr. just before the fight starts. But since this is No More Heroes, which just loves to break the fourth wall, it makes a bit more sense than most other instances.
- Final Fantasy III named its final boss theme "This Is The Last Battle
", showing in music form that the Cloud of Darkness means business.
- In Final Fantasy VII, the infamous line "Let's mosey!" is spoken just before heading down to the bottom of the Northern Crater.
- "Move out!"
- And just before the final battle against Sephiroth begins, Cloud shouts "To the settling of everything!"
- Subverted in Bahamut Lagoon - Hornet tells you the final battle is about to begin in chapter 18, but it doesn't actually happen until chapter 23.
- In the Kingdom Hearts games, a mysterious message will appear just before you enter the final door and give you a choice to turn back.
- Most Wild ARMs games have a message before reaching a major boss that asks "Are you sure you want to open this door?" Used particularly in the first game in the Disc-One Final Dungeon.
- The Mega Man Battle Network games do this a lot. "Final Routine, set!"
- Sequel Series Mega Man Star Force continues the tradition. "Last Battle! Ride On!"
- Used in Blue's story in SaGa Frontier - before you go to Hell, you are told that you can never leave, and that if you try to teleport out, you'll be "cast into the void."
- Used before the final battle in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, if the dark blue auto lighting flames and bright purple hurricane doesn't already make you realize:
Starlow: This must be the final battle! I can feel the dark power emanating like crazy!
[Stuff about being able to count on Mario and Luigi]- Bowser says it too a few minutes later:
Bowser: Seriously, perfect backdrop for an awesome final battle! - Hotel Mario has "This is it, Luigi!" as Mario and Luigi approach the final hotel.
- In Final Fantasy VIII, before entering Ultimecia's chamber Squall pauses to make sure he and his team are ready. If all of the abilities that were locked upon entering the Very Definitely Final Dungeon haven't been unsealed, he observes as much and wonders whether or not they'll be able to win like that.
- The main villain from House of the Dead 2 says this right before the battle with the final boss. Like a six year old playing with action figures. In other words, badly.
"THIS, is da FAIHNAL BADDEL!"
- Miitopia does it twice in a row. First is the caption "And now, the final battle..." followed by this exchange:
Mii 1: It's finally here...
Mii 2: Our last battle.
Mii 3: No matter what...
Mii 4: We have to win! - In Star Fox: Assault, just before going after the Aparoid Queen's final form, Fox calls out "This is it! The final battle!"
- Used verbatim in the Flash game Ultimate Crab Battle.
- The entire speech is actually taken directly from Masters of the Universe.
- Not quite the phrase, but in one life of Eternal Darkness you're asked if you want to go down and end the corruption in the church. Cue putting on your best protective enchantments, and facing the guardian of the temple. Who does a One-Hit Kill, barely pausing in arguing with The Dragon to do it.
- Spoken before an important battle in Advance Wars: Dual Strike. It isn't actually the final battle yet, the Allied Nations just think it is. Used a second time in the defeat dialogue/"strategy tips" of the *actual* final battle.
- Mass Effect 2, of course, being the dialogue-heavy game that it is, plays this out.
Shepard: "It's been a long journey, and no one's coming out without scars. But it all comes down to this moment. We win or lose it all in the next few minutes... Make me proud. Make yourselves proud."
- BioWare loves the trope. Both Baldur's Gate games had this at the final battle. The expansion Throne of Bhaal did as well. The battles with Irenicus in BG2 actually subvert this the 1st time (including a chat with all your characters about why they wish to go on) and plays it straight the 2nd.
- Dragon Age: Origins does one before your party is split apart for the last time, and then a 2nd to decide the Heroic Sacrifice.
- With Marvel vs. Capcom 3, the announcer makes it obvious by shouting "The Battle for Earth!"
- Spoken by Malah in the Diablo II expansion: "Everything you have done has been to prepare for this. Kill Baal! Finish the game!"
- Used by Jr. Troopa in the final battle with Mario in Paper Mario.
- RosenkreuzStilette: "I would kill you here and now, but I have a better idea. I'll let you prepare yourselves for a final showdown. You had better get ready!"
- Need for Speed: The Run involves the titular cross-country competition, and in each race usually displays "Pass X opponents" or "Battle your opponents" as the objective. However, in the final one-on-one showdown with your rival, the game simply tells you to "Win The Run".
- Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit makes it pretty clear when you're fighting the final boss, as the words "FINAL BOSS" appear just before the fight.
- Hard Corps: Uprising, before confronting Tiberius's One-Winged Angel form: "Now, then, can I beat you up? LET'S BEGIN THE FINAL BATTLE."
- Code of Princess pulls this at the final fight against Distille.
Main Cast: FINAL BATTLE!
- Inverted in Fire Emblem: Awakening; this is what you hear before the very first battle.
- Later, it turns out that this first battle was actually the final battle against one of the main antagonists, in the future you are trying to prevent from happening. The dialogue and circumstances are the same when you fight it in your own timeline, but the context and surroundings are revealed. It is still subverted, since this fight isn't the final boss fight either, although it is much closer.
- Subverted in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. If you bring Sain along to Chapter 19 in Eliwood's path, he believes that this trope is in effect, as you're facing off against Lord Darin, the Big Bad. Unfortunately for him, Darin is just a Disc-One Final Boss who's a pawn of the Big Bad, and the game is only half over. Eliwood plays it straight at the start of the final chapter, though.
- Before facing off against Byaku Shin in Project X Zone 2:
Xiaomu: ...Reiji, this is it. For you, for me, for everyone... Our very last battle.
- Just before you face off against Gigantic Bite in the CS Mode of Dariusburst: Chronicle Saviours.
"This is it, the final enemy of the human race!"
- In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers, just before setting off to Temporal Tower, the player thinks to themself about how it's going to be their last adventure. To drive the point home, this is immediately followed by a title card saying, "Final Chapter: The Last Adventure"
- You can tell which boss fight you're fighting in Trials of Mana is the final one when your main character that you picked says this (only in the remake, that is). For example:
Riesz: (against the Dark Majesty) This is it - our final battle! Come along, everyone!
Web Video
- Parodied in Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series:
Seto Kaiba: This is the final battle! American cartoons vs Japanese cartoons in final showdown!
Bandit Keith: Hey! You can't say that! This belongs to America! Only Americans can...
Seto Kaiba: Shut the f**k up! - Parodied in TGWTG Year One Brawl:
The Nostalgia Critic: All right Nerd, this is it! No more to be continues, no more do-overs, it is time that we have the final battle! For the last time!"
