Dagon escapes from the Seal… but what is Vilgax planning? And can Ben succeed against his ultimate enemy?
- Badass Boast: Vilgax gives one after absorbing Dagon.Vilgax: The Esoterica worshipped me because I looked like Dagon. Now I am the Dagon.
- Bait-and-Switch: At first, it seems that Azmuth is taking away the Ultimatrix because he’s disappointed in Ben considering using Ascalon to become a Knight Templar. In reality, he’s instead gifting him a better Omnitrix because he’s proud of what he’s achieved.
- Book Ends: Chromastone was the first alien Ben dialed in Ben 10 Returns (though he wouldn't actually use him until 3 episodes later), and is the last one he turns into in the McDuffie/Murakami era.
- Continuity Cavalcade: A montage of Ben’s heroics throughout Alien Force and Ultimate Alien plays near the end.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Make no mistake, a Dagon-empowered Vilgax with the powers of the heroes of 10 worlds is a formidable foe, but Ben equipped with Ascalon makes short work of him.Vilgax: You stabbed me!
- Depower: Ben uses Ascalon to strip Vilgax of the powers he stole from Dagon (and per
Word of God, the heroes of the 10 worlds he conquered). - Evil Is Not a Toy: In a rather impressive twist, it's the Eldritch Abomination that makes Faustian Deals who ends up falling victim to this trope, with Vilgax outwitting Dagon and absorbing his powers.
- Hijacking Cthulhu: Vilgax tricks Dagon into attacking his energy absorption machine, allowing said machine to drain Dagon dry and Psyphon to then send that power into Vilgax.
- Hijacked by Ganon: Vilgax ultimately usurps Dagon as the Big Bad and Final Boss of the show.
- Magic Pants: Vilgax’s Alien Force outfit reappears after he returns to normal, despite having been discarded in the last episode of Alien Force.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Dagon was crushing the heroes with little effort... until Vilgax made his move and absorbed his powers. His own ego pretty much allowed Ben to claim victory over him once again.
- No Body Left Behind: Dagon reduces George to nothing with one shot.
- No Man Should Have This Power: After using Ascalon to De-power Vilgax, get briefly tempted to use it to wipe out evil, and instead turn every Esoterica back into a human, Ben returns the sword to Azmuth and agrees that it’s just too much power for anyone to have.
- No Ontological Inertia: Averted. The Esoterica have to be transformed back independently of Dagon’s demise.
- Rule of Symbolism: The last scene features Azmuth deactivating the Ultimatrix, the source of Ben’s Ultimate Aliens.
- Shout-Out: To go with Way Big being an Expy of Ultraman, his Ultimate form is based on Ultraman Tiga.
- What You Are in the Dark: Ben nearly considers Vilgax tempting him to use Ascalon to rebuild the universe in his image. Gwen, Kevin, and Julie are able to get through to him and Ben instead uses Ascalon to change every Esoterica back to normal.
- The Worf Effect: Ultimate Way Big, despite making Dagon put a little effort into defeating him, is still defeated by him easily to establish Dagon's threat.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Not expecting Ben to have figured out the workings of Ascalon, Vilgax assumes this final battle will be Strictly Formula.Vilgax: And here we are again, me, on the cusp of total victory. You, the last man standing, the only slim hope left in this world; this UNIVERSE. Who will it be? Diamondhead? Swampfire? One of your tiresome Ultimate Aliens? Perhaps you have yet another new transformation to spring on me?
