History Main / EarlybirdCameo

* In the ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'' case "Rise from the Ashes" (inserted at the end of the first game when it was updated from the Gameboy to the DS), Gumshoe gives Edgeworth a menu from a French restaurant that's just opened. You have to squint a little, since the picture is tiny, but the man on the menu is Jean Armstrong. Armstrong and his French restaurant don't show up until the third game. Then again, in Japan, they've got the first four cases of the first game, and the two other games as the ''Gyakuten Saiban'' trilogy for the GBA. The fifth case was added in the DS remake, which came later, hence his apparition. It introduced a DubInducedPlotHole in the French version, which tried to make Jean Armstrong sound less French, for [[KeepItForeign obvious reasons]]. He was made Libanese in this cameo, but Italian in the third game, when translated there.

*** John Henry Irons appears in the climax, aiding a fellow construction worker from Atlantian robots. Similarly to his comic counterpart, Superman saves him from death and he becomes inspired. ''TheWesternAnimation/DeathOfSuperman''/''WesternAnimation/ReignOfTheSupermen'' duology finally sees him become Steel.

*** John Henry Irons appears in the climax, aiding a fellow construction worker from Atlantian robots. Similarly to his comic counterpart, Superman saves him from death and he becomes inspired. The ''WesternAnimation/DeathOfSuperman''/''WesternAnimation/ReignOfTheSupermen'' duology finally sees him become Steel.

** John Henry Irons appears in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueThroneOfAtlantis'', aiding a fellow construction worker from Atlantian robots. Similarly to his comic counterpart, Superman saves him from death and he becomes inspired.
** A picture of Starfire appears in Dick's cellphone in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanVsRobin'', with her face obscured by a text message. She wouldn't make her official debut until ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueVsTeenTitans'', released one year later.
** A character named Ms. Clay who is said to be a part of Clayface that became sentient appears as a member of the Suicide Squad in the tie in comic to the movie ''WesternAnimation/SuicideSquadHellToPay''.
** Giganta appeared in the tie-in comic to ''WesternAnimation/SuicideSquadHellToPay'', recruited by enemies of Scandal Savage and then takes on the Squad, who take her down alive because Amanda Waller decides to also "recruit" Giganta.

->'''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]]'s Origins:''' Sonic's first appearance was a cameo in the 1991 arcade racing game ''Rad Mobile.'' You can see him dangling near the top of the windshield.
-->-- ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForWiiU's'' in-game tips.

* Early in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', John reads a dubiously educational programming textbook called "Data Structures [[ParodiesForDummies For Assholes]]", written in an extremely abusive style by someone called [[UnfortunateNames Buckminster Funnyuncle]]. Later in the comic, Karkat Vantas, a popular character with an interest in programming and a "virtually identical" writing style was introduced - Funnyuncle even talks about 'wriggling about in viscous secretions', which fits Karkat's BizarreAlienBiology theme perfectly. When Karkat first appeared, a few fans theorised he was Funnyuncle. In the ''Homestuck'' [[WebcomicPrintCollection Books]], while the story was not edited directly in keeping with Creator/AndrewHussie's WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants policy, the commentary asks the reader to "[[AscendedFanon Just imagine all the text in the book]] [[RetCon is capitalized]], [[WhyDidntIThinkOfThat and that it was written by Karkat]]".

** John Henry Irons appears in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueThroneOfAtlantis', aiding a fellow construction worker from Atlantian robots. Similarly to his comic counterpart, Superman saves him from death and he becomes inspired.

* In ''Webcomic/SailorMoonCS'', Minako can be seen briefly in issue 4.

* In one strip of ''Webcomic/{{Shortpacked}}'' a nameless woman working at a supermarket shows up. A while later she begins dating one of the main characters and became one herself. When the author went back and titled some of his earlier strips he called the one she appeared in "She'll Show Up More Later".

->'''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic's]] Origins:''' Sonic's first appearance was a cameo in the 1991 arcade racing game Rad Mobile. You can see him dangling near the top of the windshield.
-->-- VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForWiiU's in-game tips.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Anime/GodzillaPlanetOfTheMonsters'': Small glimpses of [[spoiler:Mechagodzilla]] are seen. It is featured more extensively in ''[[Anime/GodzillaCityOnTheEdgeOfBattle City on the Edge of Battle]]''.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** Sasuke, before he was introduced in chapter 3, appeared with his arms folded sitting behind Naruto during the graduation exam on page 13 of the very first chapter. Kishimoto wasn't even going to include him as a proper character at all until his editor made him introduce a significant rival for Naruto.
** Obito and Rin both appear in a photo behind Kakashi's bed on the cover of chapter 16. They wouldn't make an actual appearance until a flashback after the end of Part I, 223 chapters later.
** Madara Uchiha first appeared as the second statue in the Valley of the End where Naruto and Sasuke fought at the end of ''Naruto'' Part I, he would be referred by name and his importance would be referenced over a hundred chapters later.
** [[spoiler:Urashiki Otsutsuki]] was introduced in ''Manga/{{Boruto}}'', but he first made an appearance in ''Naruto Shippudden'' (Episode 462), as a shadow figure [[AdaptationalEarlyAppearance alongside Momoshiki and Kinshiki]] during the flashback of Kaguya's past.
* ''Franchise/OnePiece'' anime:
** Akainu appeared in the background of a group shot long before his character arc.
** Jimbei was shown among the Warlords quite a ways before his proper, physical introduction.
** Shiliew's shadow showed up in Impel Down long before his existence was even hinted at.
** Nami appeared in the first few episodes working independently before her proper introduction during the Buggy arc.
** The ''Recap/OnePiece3D2Y'' special spoiled [[spoiler:Sabo's survival]].
** In the [[Manga/OnePiece manga]], the short-term serial cover stories will often introduce characters years before they become relevant. A notable example is Vice-Admiral Garp in the "Coby-meppo" story, or Hina in Jango's story, or Camie and Pappug in Hatchan's story
* Every major character appears in the first episode of the 2006 version of ''VisualNovel/{{Kanon}}'', save for [[spoiler:Amano Mishio. Yes, Makoto is there]]. For those who kept trying to spot the Makoto Sawatari we know, it's not her that we see in the pilot episode, but rather, her [[spoiler:fox form, as the fox that Nayuki approaches on the hill.]]
* Early on the ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'' manga the Twelve Kizuki system is explained by vague nondescript silhouettes of demons belonging to that group, the anime teases defined silhouettes of what the Twelve Kizuki actually look like as early as the first opening theme and by expanding Kyogai’s flashback of him being expelled from the Lower Ranks.
* In the first episode of ''Manga/Eyeshield21'', as Sena wonders what club to join, you can see Monta in the background, presumably stumping for the baseball team. Another early episode features Suzuna Taki, who's trying to track down her brother Natsuhiko; she shows up again during the Death March arc, which is where she first appeared in the manga.
* Many of the angels that Misaki faces later in ''Manga/AngelicLayer'' appear on a videotape that Icchan is watching early in the anime.
* In the anime ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'', Caren appears several episodes before she becomes significant to a plot, winning a beauty contest that the main characters and villains entered.
** Caren notably made a cameo during the beauty contest story in the manga as well, though she did not take part in it like in the anime.
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** Uryuu can be seen in the background of panels from Chapter 28, but is introduced in chapter 34. The anime introduce him in the background of the classroom, sewing, a couple of episodes before he's due to appear.
** Chapter 7 has a throw-away about Isshin having a personal connection to the Hospital Director. It takes around 200 chapters for Ryuuken to appear in the storyline and several more to confirm he's the character from Chapter 7.
** When the Grand Fisher loses to Ichigo, he has his mask ripped off by two other Hollows. Those two Hollows are Asslinger and Di Roy, who don't appear again for around 200 chapters when Grimmjow invades Karakura Town.
* Rex Raptor/Dinosaur Ryuzaki appears in Toei's ''[[Anime/YuGiOhFirstAnimeSeries Yu-Gi-Oh]]'' movie briefly as someone who is defeated by Seto Kaiba. [[AdaptationDyeJob He had pink hair]] and never appeared in Toei's anime otherwise. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in the [[WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries Other Abridged Movie]] based on this one:
-->'''Rex:''' This sucks! I'm gonna go dye my hair.
** Bakura briefly cameos in one episode of the Toei series that centers on the classmates holding a popularity contest and also makes several brief appearances in the Death-T arc watching and rooting for Yugi and his friends to defeat Kaiba, long before the Monster World story arc that introduced him is adapted.
** The novelization of the originally English Pyramid of Light gives the titular pyramid an origin: Akhenaden believed that a knockoff of the Millennium Pendant, combined with the real Millennium Rod, would give Priest Set an edge over the Pharaoh. This was released a couple of years before the dub got to season 5, and so viewers would have never seen Akhenaden before.
* Deuteragonist Astral from the ''Anime/YuGiOhZEXAL'' series seems to have been inspired by [[http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Astral_Barrier an unremarkable card]] introduced waaay back as early in GX.
* An episode of ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' featured a story in Feudal Japan with [[AndYouWereThere the cast playing different characters]]. Before the story itself begins, the cast breaks the fourth wall to explain what is happening... when all of a sudden Mendou shows up for the first time. When the others ask who he is, he calmly replies "My name is Shutaro Mendou and I will soon become a regular character on this show". He of course, joins the rest of the cast in the story. Sure enough, Mendou's "actual" introduction occurs a few episodes later without any mention of this. If you're going to do a Genji story, someone has to be To No Chujo (Genji's friend/rival), that's Mendo to a "T", continuity be damned.
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'':
** In ''Brotherhood'', Izumi and her husband make a brief background appearance behind a scene where Winry is at a train station. Even earlier, when Ed is giving a shortened version of their adventures in a flashback, she appears in silhouette when he talks about them getting a teacher. The same scene contains Mei Chang.
** Also in ''Brotherhood'', this is inverted with Yoki. His first appearance is reduced to a brief mention, and it gets properly told (uh... somewhat) in episode 39. The first anime had covered Yoki's story well, so it only receives a brief nod in the second to make sure that the climax gets its full time to shine. Yoki's story isn't the only arc covered in the first anime to receive this treatment.
** Kimblee also appears in the first episode of ''Brotherhood''; Isaac [=MacDougal=] offers to break him out of prison, but he refuses. He doesn't become important until much later.
** Also in ''Brotherhood'': Maria Ross can be seen briefly in episode 5 before making a proper appearance. Then, in episode 6, while Edward explains that alchemists usually encrypt their research notes, Berthold Hawkeye is shown.
** Yet another character receives a blink-and-you'll miss it cameo in the first episode of ''Brotherhood'' long before he makes a major appearance: [[spoiler:Father]].
* [[spoiler:Hanyuu and]] Shion from ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' appear early in the manga. [[spoiler:Hanyuu]] makes a few appearances in omakes ''arcs'' before her first appearance. Shion makes an appearance in an omake from the first arc, when she makes her first appearance in the next arc. Likewise for the anime. Hanyuu is TheVoice throughout the events of ''Yakusamashi-hen'', and she actually [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Hanyuu_outline.jpg appears as a silhouette behind Rena and Keiichi in the third episode of ''Kai'']].
** In the first live-action movie, [[spoiler:Hanyuu]] appears behind Keiichi as a silhouette just before [[spoiler:he tears his throat out]].
* The end of the first volume of ''Manga/{{Hellsing}} Ultimate'' has a brief appearance by [[BigBad the Major]], as well as a brief flash of him while [[ThoseTwoGuys Luke and Jan Valentine]] are discussing their role in the coming events. The actual manga has him make brief appearances just after the attack on Hellsing headquarters and during the meeting between Integra and Enrico Maxwell, before he is properly introduced to the story (both of these appearances are also in the OVA).
* The ''Manga/FairyTail'' anime has Wendy show up several times in passing before she's actually introduced.
* In ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', Kyoko appears in the intro theme, and starts appearing in the ending theme from episode 3 on, before being revealed some episodes later.
* King appears in the background in a crowd in the ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'' manga before he is officially introduced.
* In the fourth chapter of ''Manga/FoodWars'' the view pans over the new students and we can see several characters who appear to be later recurring characters such as Yuuki or Ryou. However, these appear to be more prototypes or early draft versions of the characters: "Yuuki" has different hair while "Ryou's" face is drawn differently, including a bandage covering the bridge of his nose. Several of the characters shown were also recycled into other characters instead, notably Elite Ten members Momo and Nene. The anime version of this scene corrects this by showing only first year students who will have a later presence, even those without a real role in the first season.
* In the Franchise/LupinIII movie ''Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro'', sharp-eyed viewers can spot the top of Goemon's head and sword in the back of Lupin's car among the piles of money at the very beginning of the film, and well before he makes his entrance about halfway through the movie.
* The anime version of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable'' loves doing this. The BigBad, Yoshikage Kira, can be seen from the back for about half a second during the fight against Chili Pepper, which is five episodes before his first full appearance. The anime also adds a brief scene where [[StalkerWithACrush Yukako Yamagishi]] can be seen staring out a window at Koichi one episode before her proper first appearance. After the heroes lose Kira in a crowd of people, the subsequent crowd shot shows several characters yet to be introduced- Mikitaka Hazekura (on the left, with long, straight blonde hair), Yuya Fugami (under the lamppost, facing away from the camera), Terunosuke Miyamoto (under the 'Sports Shop' sign, wearing a long white coat), and [[spoiler: Kira with Kosaku Kawajiji's appearance (facing away from the camera, has short black hair and is wearing a white coat and purple pants)]].
* In ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'', several characters introduced in ''[[{{Sequel}} :Re]]'' turn out to have had unnamed cameos in the original.
** When Touka makes a visit to Kamii University, she accidentally greets a young man because she was reminded of Kaneki. In the sequel, we meet him again as [[HunterOfMonsters Ghoul Investigator]] Nimura Furuta. [[spoiler: He turns out to be Souta, the [[MonsterClown Clown]] responsible for Kaneki's accident......and the current BigBad of the series]].
** During the finale of the series, several hooded figures appear as members of Arima's personal squad. In the sequel, we learn that one of these figures is Hairu Ihei.....and she was [[TykeBomb 16 at the time]].
* In ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', several of Izuku's future classmates can be seen during the entrance exam. Of particular note is [[TheHeart Kirishima]], whom WordOfGod said "kind of" appeared in Chapter 3 despite fans having a hard time finding him. (The secret: he's missing his trademark [[RedHeadedHero red]] ShonenHair, with it explained later that he dyed it just before starting high school.)
* It's common for the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series to debut a new Pokémon species or form in [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} the animé]] or a movie before it's available in the games:
** In the very first episode, Ash catches a glimpse of a large golden bird flying through a rainbow. That bird was only revealed with the arrival of ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' as Ho-Oh, a legendary bird Pokémon; its colors changed a lot since then.
** Togepi, Marill (and its pre-evolution Azurill), Wailmer, Snubbull, [[Anime/Pokemon4Ever Kecleon]], [[Anime/PokemonLucarioAndTheMysteryOfMew Lucario]], and [[Anime/PokemonDestinyDeoxys Munchlax]] are only a few examples of non-legendary Pokémon making first appearances in movies and/or episodes.
** For non-character examples: the [[Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie first movie]]'s BigBad, Mewtwo, uses Shadow Ball, a generation before it's introduced in the games. Likewise, Green from ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'' also had Pokémon who know second generation moves and used them in the [=RGB=] saga, again before the second generation introduced them.
** Also from the first movie -- Ash fights the then-not introduced Donphan during the opening credits and it uses another move from the next generation, Rollout. Neither Donphan nor Rollout were even named in the movie.
** [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Elekid, Ledyba, Lugia, and Slowking]] appeared in the [[Anime/Pokemon2000 second movie]] (set during the Orange Island saga and before ''Gold & Silver'' and the Johto saga came out).
** Zorua and its evolution, Zoroark, appeared in [[Anime/PokemonZoroarkMasterOfIllusions the thirteenth movie]] before the Gen V games were released.
** Latios and Latias appeared in ''Anime/PokemonHeroes'' before the release of ''Ruby and Sapphire'', and Wynaut, Duskull, and Volbeat were all in the short film that was shown before the movie.
** Chatot, Manaphy, Mantyke, and Buizel all made their anime debut in the [[Anime/PokemonRangerAndTheTempleOfTheSea ninth movie]], just months before they first appeared in the games. Another Chatot appeared in a regular episode before ''Diamond and Pearl'' came out.
** The last few episodes of the original series primarily featured Blaziken, the final evolved form of the Generation III Fire-type starter, Torchic, owned by a Trainer who hails from the Hoenn region.
** ''Anime/PokemonGiratinaAndTheSkyWarrior'' debuted the alternate forms for Giratina and Shaymin before the release of ''[[UpdatedRerelease Platinum]]''
** When Ash and co visited Virbank City, he checked out Pokéstar Studios and fought Gym Leader Roxie for his eighth badge afterwards. This was all done before ''Videogame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'' came out, which was when Virbank City and everything in it was introduced, at least when it was first broadcast in Japan.
** [[SuperMode Mega Mewtwo Y]] and Sylveon, one of the new Fairy-Type Pokémon, were featured in ''[[Anime/PokemonGenesectAndTheLegendAwakened Genesect and the Legend Awakened]]'' and its accompanying short ahead of ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' (though Mega Mewtwo Y wasn't named in the film itself, and promotional materials called it its "Awakened Forme").
** The Best Wishes series featured Pokémon from ''X and Y''. Helioptile, Gogoat, and Noivern debuted shortly after the sixteenth movie in Japan. Also coming along with them was ''X/Y'' character Alexa, who happens to be sister of the first Gym Leader in Kalos, and is there to introduce the Kalos region to Ash. Not so much outside Japan, where the first episode with them debuted on ''X/Y'''s launch.
** The ''Anime/PokemonOrigins'' special was the official debut for Mega Charizard X, before any press material was released for the new Mega Evolution.
** Some of the new Mega Evolutions introduced in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyandSapphire Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire]]'' also debuted before the game's release. Mega Diancie was featured in the [[Anime/PokemonDiancieAndTheCocoonOfDestruction 17th movie]], while Mega Rayquaza and Mega Metagross were featured in another ''XY'' special two weeks before the remakes were released.
** The animé featured an entire saga focused on Zygarde and its various new formes. Notably, they didn't debut in an updated version of ''XY'' as the cover legendary, but in the 7th generation games ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Sun and Moon]]''.
** ''[[Anime/PokemonVolcanionAndTheMechanicalMarvel Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel]]'' showcases Magearna ahead of its debut in ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon''.
** A third forme for Lycanroc, Lycanroc Dusk Forme, debuted in the 37th episode of the Sun and Moon saga of the anime on August 10, three months before its official playable debut in ''VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon''.
* In the ''VisualNovel/LimeIroSenkitan'' OVA, characters from the series' direct sequel, ''VisualNovel/LimeIroRyukitanX'', appear. Major Gamou, lead heroine Tsumugi Shima (and her Raimu), as well as one of the villainesses, Linen (though she's unvoiced), all appear for the first time, not only before their anime series, but before their game was released as well.
* At the end of the final episode of ''Anime/MyHime'', Arika, the lead of ''Anime/MyOtome'', runs across the screen in the background.
** Also in the second episode, you can see a girl who looks almost exactly like Nina sitting in the seat next to Mai and in front of Yuuichi. (She also is in the lineup of girls in the opening credits)
** Arika is shown in slightly more detail in the last chapter of the Mai-Hime manga, apparently meeting with some school officials to discuss enrolling.
* The final battle of ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'' includes cameos of Gundams from other series (as well as ''Anime/Daitarn3'' and ''Anime/Zambot3)''...including [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Wing Gundam and Talgeese]] whose show had yet to air!
* The first or second English ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' opening had adult/future Trunks in the title slide at the very end, despite him not being introduced until several arcs, and a Big Bad or two, later. Showing up at other points in the intro are Super Saiyan Vegeta and Mecha Frieza (who is getting sliced apart by Super Saiyan adult/future Trunks.) long before their English debuts.
* ''VideoGame/ZoneOfTheEnders'''': IDOLO'' was created as a prequel [=OVA=] to the UsefulNotes/Playstation2 game ''Zone of the Enders''. In it, scientist Rachel Links looks at a FatalFamilyPhoto of her estranged husband and children, reflecting that she wished she could seem them again. It is a small scene in the [=OVA=], but the full-length series that came after centered on her husband James trying to reconcile with their children and seek her out.
* The ''Anime/PrettyCureAllStars'' movies have done this a few times: [[Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure Itsuki and Yuri]] shows up briefly in ''DX 2'', the [[Anime/SuitePrettyCure Belliter]] weapons show up in ''DX 3'', and [[Anime/HappinessChargePrettyCure Cure Honey]] drops in to help twice in ''New Stage 3''.
* Both Shiina and Yuki have appeared and given BossSubtitles in the first episode of ''Manga/GourmetGirlGraffiti''. They were properly introduced in episodes two and ''ten''.
* The ''Anime/CardfightVanguard'' anime follows the real life card releases most of the time: when a new booster set is out in real life, is out in the anime too, just in time to [[ProductPlacement make as clear as possible to the audience that new cards are available]]. But sometimes some cards appear earlier than their actual release date:
** The second booster set was released around episode 14-15's airing, but at the time at least 5 cards from that expansion (Silent Tom, Lady Bomb, Phantom Black, Master Fraud and Winged Dragon, Skyptero) were already shown in the anime.
** Promo cards aren't usually covered in the show, with a few exceptions: Sphere Magus is played in episodes 23 and 40, Turboraizer in episode 29, Circle Magus in episode 37 and No Life King, Death Anchor in episode 98.
** The Dimension Police clan was introduced briefly in the third booster set, with the fourth one featuring the proper debut. Because of this, the anime shows less footage as possible of duels featuring Team Caesar (who all use Dimension Police decks) before episode 53, and what is shown usually features mostly the four units from the third booster set (Workerpod, Saturday; Karenroid, Daisy; Masked Police, Grander and Super Dimensional Robo, Daiyusha), in order to not spoil the cards from the not yet released new set... except that in episodes 34-35 not only two cards from the fourth booster set (Army Penguin and Cobalt Justice) are clearly shown, but keen-eyed viewers can see some more cards (such as Enigman Flow, Diamond Ace, Twin Order and Glory Maker).
** A similar thing is done with the Shadow Paladin clan, but better: before episode 43, the only card we see from that clan is Blaster Dark.
** Episode 43 is also supposedly the first aired after the release of the fourth booster set, but, along with the aforementioned Dimension Police sneak peeks, episodes 36 and 38 basically shown all the new cards the Kagero clan gets.
** Episode 51 features the debut of the Neo Nectar and Bermuda Triangle clans: the first was released in the fifth booster set, which was released only two weeks after the episode's first airing, while the second was subject of the second Extra Booster set, which was released only ''three months later''.
** Episodes 74-76 mark the debut of the Great Nature clan: most of its cards come from the seventh booster set, which came out a month after episode 74 first aired in Japan, but three of the Great Nature cards shown in these episodes (Armored Instructor, Bison, Compass Lion and Coiling Duckbill) were released only in the eighth booster set, released ''three months'' after the episodes aired.
** Episode 93 haves Rekka using Angel Feather cards from the ninth booster set, which came out only after two months. The subsequent episodes all have Aichi, Kamui, Misaki and Yuri play cards from that set before it actually came out.
* Starting from ''Anime/MahoGirlsPrecure'', the series has a canonical crossover appearance of the next lead Cure on the final episode of the season.
** Ichika Usami/Cure Whip of ''Anime/KiraKiraPrecureALaMode'' makes her first appearance the week before her series started...
** ...while the last episode of that series contained a cameo by Hana/Cure Yell of ''Anime/HugttoPrettyCure''...
** ...and the last episode of THAT series contained a cameo by Hikaru/Cure Star of ''Anime/StarTwinklePrettyCure''.
** Then on the last episode of Star Twinkle, Nodoka/Cure Grace of ''Anime/HealinGoodPrettyCure'' makes her appearance.
** And on the last episode of THAT series, Manatsu/Cure Summer of ''Anime/TropicalRougePrettyCure'' makes her debut.
* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' likes this trope:
** Remember that girl in Trost who thanked Mikasa for killing a titan? [[spoiler:Her name is Louise and she joined the Survey Corps because Mikasa inspired her.]]
** How about the girl Sasha rescued in her village? [[spoiler:She's Kaya, who now lives at an orphanage run by Sasha's parents. Kaya gets bonus points in that she encounters Gabi and Falco, who are connected to Eren.]]
** Even the main character, Eren, gets this after the TimeSkip: He first appeared on a single panel with his back turned to the readers, and later as a faceless soldier Falco stops to help, his true identity not revealed until a few chapters later.
* ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'': In the massive crowd scene in the first episode, quite a few important characters can be spotted when Kayaba gives his announcement. Silica is the one who drops the mirror, and Lizbeth is easy to miss because [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair she still has a normal hair color]].
* ''Manga/GrannyGirlHinataChan'': Sakuya appears in the foreground of chapter one, during a conversation where Moka suggests, correctly, that Hinata is the reincarnation of a grandmother. She's formally introduced in chapter four, where she reveals she, like Hinata, has also reincarnated.
* ''Manga/ToiletBoundHanakoKun'': In the anime, Tsukasa appears briefly at the end of episode 5, before the 4 PM Bookstacks arc even.
* In the ''Manga/AsteroidInLove'' manga, Yuu and Chikage only appears in flesh during the thirty-second chapter.
* ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'':
** Ishigami is first seen on the cover of chapter 11, a good 13 chapters before he's properly introduced.
** Miko and Osaragi can both be briefly seen during the credits sequence of the season 1 finale. Neither of them are properly introduced in the anime until part way though season 2.
** The previous StudentCouncilPresident, Onodera, Tsubame, Kazeno, and several minor characters from the Culture Festival arc can all be seen during a CrowdedCastShot in episode 17, long before any of them would be properly introduced.
* Many of the characters given ADayInTheLimelight in ''Manga/GohanNoOtomo'' is often introduced as a background character in an earlier chapter.
** Mai, the main character of Chapter 2, is seen in the first one as the girl Tabuchi bumps into in the convenience store.
** Nametake, featured in Chapter 3, is shown in a single panel in chapter 2 as a regular customer at the store she works part-time in.
** Mai's university professor, seemingly an inconsequential character at first (as the story doesn't really deal with her school life), is properly re-introduced in Chapter 7 as Kuma's wife.
* ''LightNovel/IveBeenKillingSlimesForThreeHundredYearsAndMaxedOutMyLevel'': While people are gathered around Eno and Azusa is exposing her as the fake Highland Witch, someone in the crowd keeps saying if Eno could be an undead to the irritation of the others and even gets Azusa's attention for a second. After Eno's story ends in the next chapter, we see a CatGirl in her room being upset that Eno wasn't an undead and that she is still alone. Her cat ears were also visible on one of the silhouettes of the crowd.
* In ''[[Manga/HunterXHunter Hunter x Hunter (1999)]]'', where the main characters are introduced by DebutQueue, Kurapika is introduced in the third episode, but makes a cameo in the second episode [[TraumaButton forking a spider]] while eating lunch and appearing in a shot behind Leorio.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]
* ''Film/KongSkullIsland'': Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah have early-bird cameos via cave painting in TheStinger, setting up their appearances in ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019''.
* This can be seen in several super-hero movies wherein pre-transformed allies, sidekicks, or villains may make an appearance, whereas in the comics, their first appearance included said transformation.
** Creator/BillyDeeWilliams as pre-Two-Face Harvey Dent in Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/Batman1989'' (though the former was [[TheOtherDarrin replaced]] by Creator/TommyLeeJones by the time he actually became Two-Face).
** The producers of ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' originally wanted the DA in the first movie to be Dent, but decided they couldn't give him time to properly develop so they came up with another character instead. This, unfortunately, led the filmmakers to stridently avoid this trope.
* Creator/DylanBaker as the pre-Lizard Curt Connors in the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'' series. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled and [[Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries rebooted]] before he ever got a chance to become the Lizard.
* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:
** ''Film/IronMan'': Rhodey looks at the MK II armor, and says "Next time, baby!" He gets the opportunity to become Comicbook/WarMachine in ''Film/IronMan2'' and wears an upgraded version of that armor, and is a full-time Avenger by ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron''.
** In ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', Ulysses Klaue, a minor Comicbook/FantasticFour and Black Panther villain has a small-but-important cameo to set him up for the ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}'' movie, as a vibranium dealer. He is the [[spoiler:DiscOneFinalBoss]] in ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}'' until he is [[spoiler:unceremoniously killed off by Killmonger to gain entry into Wakanda]].
** Similarly, Samuel Sterns appears as a supporting character in ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk''. His final scene appears to be the start of his mutation into The Leader, though this became a [[LeftHanging dropped plot thread]] thanks to the lack of a sequel.
** In the two ''Film/IronMan'' movies, ComicBook/CaptainAmerica's shield can be seen on Tony Stark's worktable along with Thor's hammer. The Captain shows up in a block of ice for the alternate opening of ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'' (2008) and got his own movie in 2011.
** In ''Film/IronMan2'', there's a very subtle reference to the ComicBook/BlackPanther (or more likely, his father, the previous Black Panther). When ComicBook/NickFury shows Tony the map of superhuman activity across the globe, [[FreezeFrameBonus one of the markers can be seen over Africa]]. Creator/TomHolland and Creator/KevinFeige have also [[http://www.cbr.com/spider-man-iron-man-2-cameo/ said the little boy that Tony saves in the climax]] is in fact a young [[Film/SpiderManHomecoming Peter Parker]].
** ''Film/{{Thor}}'' itself features a cameo by ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}, who was featured in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', as well as [[spoiler:The Cosmic Cube from ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'']] appearing in TheStinger.
** ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' has a brief cameo from ComicBook/{{Thanos}} at the very end of the movie. He later makes a full appearance in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' and is featured as the BigBad in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''.
** ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'' features [[spoiler: The Collector from Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy]] in the stinger. We also get a menton of at least two [[spoiler: Infinity Stones]].
** ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' has [[spoiler:ComicBook/{{Quicksilver}} and ComicBook/ScarletWitch]] appear in the first stinger before their featured debut in [[spoiler: ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'']]. There's also a mention of [[spoiler: [[Film/DoctorStrange2016 Stephen Strange]]]], who in this film is one of the targets of Project Insight.
** In ''Film/AntMan1'', they make mention of [[spoiler:"[[Franchise/SpiderMan a guy who jumps around, who swings and climbs up walls]]." He would later be seen in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' and ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'']]. TheStinger also mentions "the accords" - specifically, [[spoiler:The Sokovia Accords that are the catalyst for ''Civil War''. Justified in that the whole stinger is a scene from the latter film plopped at the end of ''Ant-Man'']].
** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'' has [[Film/ThorRagnarok the Grandmaster]] show up in the DancePartyEnding CreativeClosingCredits.
** In ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', Aaron Davis (aka the Prowler) mentions a young nephew whose neighborhood he wants to protect from the Vulture's high-tech weaponry. This nephew is ComicBook/MilesMorales, another Spider-Man. Whether this cameo comes to fruition is yet to be seen.
** Surtur's Fire Dragon (or, at least, one of the same species) from ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' makes an appearance in the Monsters After Dark Halloween overlay for ''Ride/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyMissionBreakout'' in Disney California Adventure, of all places. The ride overlay opened almost two months before the film did.
** An unintentional case happened with Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who was supposed to debut in ''Film/{{Black Widow|2021}}'', only for COVID-related delays to make the character first appear in the show ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier''.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** The updated version of ''Film/ANewHope'' has Boba Fett showing up in an added scene, though he's not significant until [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack the next movie]]. Interestingly, he also made a similar appearance in the manga adaptation of ''A New Hope'', which came out before the Special Editions.
** The Special Edition's Mos Eisley intro has a cameo appearance of Dash Rendar's Outrider ship from ''Literature/ShadowsOfTheEmpire''.
** The planet Coruscant from the prequel trilogy is shown during the celebration sequence in the SpecialEdition of ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''. The DVD version also adds buildings seen during the prequels.
* In the film version of ''Film/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader,'' at the end we hear Aunt Alberta calling up to Eustace that "Jill Pole's stopped by for a visit." Jill becomes an important character in the next story, ''The Silver Chair''. {{Subverted|Trope}} after the fact, however; since that film ended up being the last in the series, Jill never made an appearance.
* ''[[Film/XMenFilmSeries X-Men]]'':
** Colossus can briefly be seen in ''Film/XMen1'' sitting near the basketball court. He gets much more screen time and a few lines in the next two movies, and plays a supporting role in ''Film/{{Deadpool|2016}}''.
** Kitty Pryde also has brief cameos in the [[Film/XMen1 first]] and [[Film/X2XMenUnited second]] films (each time portrayed by a [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443184/ different]] [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0835758/?ref_=tt_cl_t15 actress]]). The [[Film/XMenTheLastStand third film]] finally gives her much more screen time (and a "big name" [[Creator/ElliotPage actor]] to boot), and she reappears in a supporting role in ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast''.
** In ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', Dr. Henry [=McCoy=] a.k.a. Beast appears briefly on TV in the bar.
** A young version of Apocalypse is featured in TheStinger of ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' to set him up as the BigBad of ''Film/XMenApocalypse''.
** Caliban appears in ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' in a minor role before going on to have a supporting role in ''Film/{{Logan}}''. According to the creators of both films, this was ''entirely'' unintentional; both scripts called for Caliban, and rather than resolve the issue, Fox allowed both appearances, conflicting characterization be damned.
* The songs Pink is singing while hiding in the bathroom stall in the movie version of Music/PinkFloyd's 1982 film adaptation of ''Film/TheWall'', besides the album track, "Stop", are lyrics to "Your Possible Pasts", a track left off the album but finally released on the 1983 follow-up ''The Final Cut'', and "5:11 AM (The Moment of Clarity)", a track from former bandleader Creator/RogerWaters' 1984 solo album, ''The Pros And Cons Of Hitchhiking''. Both songs were written at around the same time as the finished ''Wall'' album.
* In the ''Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse'':
** In ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce]] sends [[Franchise/WonderWoman Diana]] footage that Comicbook/LexLuthor has been collecting of metahumans, giving Early Bird Cameos of Comicbook/{{Aquaman}}, Franchise/TheFlash and Comicbook/{{Cyborg}}, while the Kryptonian ship gives Lex a glimpse of [[Comicbook/NewGods Steppenwolf]], before these characters are fully introduced in ''Film/{{Justice|League 2017}} [[Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague League]]''.
** Flash and Aquaman also make Early Bird Cameos in ''Film/{{Suicide Squad|2016}}''. Flash appears in flashback, apprehending Captain Boomerang, and both of them appear on files belonging to Amanda Waller.
* ''Series/KamenRiderDouble'' aided in a fairly important battle in ''Series/KamenRiderDecade'''s first movie before his series premiered.
** Double's movie, ''Double Forever: A to Z: The Gaia Memories of Fate'', featured the debut of his successor, ''Series/KamenRiderOOO''.
** ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'' does the same in OOO's summer movie, crash-landing in the middle of a fight.
*** Kengo and Yuki also make a cameo in OOO's final episode.
** ''Series/KamenRiderWizard'' appears in ''Fourze'''s summer movie, and his human identity Haruto Soma appears at the end of Fourze's finale.
** Instead of appearing in the summer movie, ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'' appears in the [[PostScriptSeason Post-Script Episodes]] of ''Kamen Rider Wizard''...along with [[{{Crossover}} all the other Heisei-era riders.]]
** The Movie Wars series features the [[SixthRanger Second Riders]] in various degrees of importance before debuting in their respective series. Both [[Series/KamenRiderDouble Accel]] and [[Series/KamenRiderFourze Meteor]] appear in TheStinger (Accel does nothing - in fact, we don't even see his Rider Form; we only learn that he's a Rider because he said that "Double isn't the only Rider in Futo anymore" while holding a [[TransformationTrinket Gaia Memory]]- but at least Meteor was dealing with a bunch of escaping Foundation X goons). On the other hand, [[Series/KamenRiderOOO Birth]] takes part in the final battle.
*** [[Series/KamenRiderWizard Beast]] appears in TheStinger of ''Wizard'''s Movie Wars installment...and just jumps off a building while giving his CatchPhrase.
** ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'': Emu's level 10 Mighty Brothers Double X gashat makes an appearance in ''Film/KamenRiderGenerationsDrPacmanVsExAidAndGhostWithLegendaryRiders'' prior to its official debut in #13/14.
* ''Franchise/TheMatrix'':
** In ''Film/TheMatrix'', dozens of monitors are seen. The man who owns the monitors later appears in ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded''.
** In ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'', some of the Machines are those that appeared in ''Anime/TheAnimatrix''.
* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' has been doing the same thing as ''Kamen Rider'' in recent years as well. Both ''Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger'' and ''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger'' showed up for a quick battle cameo in the [[ReunionShow teamup movies]] of the two teams before them (both of which involve ''Series/SamuraiSentaiShinkenger'' as one of the teams), a month or so before each of their shows started.
** The next team, ''Series/TokumeiSentaiGobusters'', make their early-bird cameo in the [[Film/KaizokuSentaiGokaigerVsSpaceSheriffGavanTheMovie crossover]] between Gokaiger and ''Series/SpaceSheriffGavan''.
** And now, Gavan Type-G, the new Gavan from the [[Film/SpaceSheriffGavanTheMovie revival movie]], will make his first appearance in ''Go-Busters''.
** The trend was broken with ''Series/KaitouSentaiLupinrangerVsKeisatsuSentaiPatranger'', albeit unlike the other examples, this was largely due to the fact that it's [[Series/DobutsuSentaiZyuohger two]] [[Series/UchuuSentaiKyuranger predecessors]] didn't have a crossover.
* A variant ends up as a FreezeFrameBonus in ''Film/{{Tron}}''. During the scene where Gibbs and Lora are digitizing the orange, the lower right hand of the computer readout reads "ROM Yori, LOAD Yori," which refers to a character that comes into the film at the 2/3 point.
* As Doc and Marty check a map on the wall of the train station in ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII'', Clara Clayton can be seen standing behind them. You won't know who she is later till Doc rescues her from that buckboard ride gone berserk.
* The director's cut of ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'' gives both Tim the Enchanter and The Old Man from Scene 24 cameos during the Castle Anthrax scene, long before their "official" first appearances.
* In ''Film/Titanic1997'', when Jack and Fabrizio are walking to their cabin, they walk past the Irish couple, the Dahl family, Fang Lang, [[CreatorCameo James Cameron]] and the Irish mother with her children. Earlier, Cora and her father are seen boarding the Titanic in Southhampton. Benjamin Guggenheim, his mistress and valet are seen walking in Molly's introduction scene.
** The steerage characters mentioned above can also be seen waving at the crowd when the ship leaves Southhampton next to Jack and Fabrizio.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'':
** Barry Allen first appears in an episode called "The Scientist", and that's his thing; he's a scientist. The Flash isn't properly introduced until [[Series/TheFlash2014 his own series]].
** Two other characters who end up becoming regulars in ''The Flash'', Caitlin and Cisco (Killer Frost and Vibe in the comics), make cameos in the episode "The Man Under the Hood".
** Another blink-and-you'll-miss-it in "Suicide Squad" where Harley Quinn (who probably won't get much introduction until/unless the show is allowed to cross over with the Batman sub-universe) shouts something from her cell.
** In both ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' and ''Series/TheFlash2014'', a woman that Oliver impregnated keeps showing up. Assuming this goes with the comics, the woman is Sandra "Moonday" Hawke, the mother of Oliver's illegitimate child Connor Hawke and the second ComicBook/GreenArrow.
* ''Series/BabylonFive'' did this with its TV movie ''[[Recap/BabylonFiveFilm01InTheBeginning In The Beginning]]''. This prequel covers the apocalyptic events of the Earth-Minbari War ten years before the series. John Sheridan, the star of the series by this point, meets and interacts with many pivotal members of the cast. He goes on a peace mission with Dr. Franklin and G'Kar, and is interrogated by Delenn when the Minbari take them all prisoner. However, when Sheridan was introduced in Season 2, only Ivanova mentions having met him before-- ironically, ''after'' the war was over and therefore not on camera for this movie. Bruce Boxleiter was the show's star, and it was unthinkable that a TV movie would place him in a supporting role. Showrunner JMS argued to fans that any reminiscences about the events in the movie must have happened off camera on the series.
* ''Series/TheBarrier'': Pedro, one of the children detained to be used in a scientific experiment, is properly introduced when Marta, a former fellow detainee, recognizes him on some video footage. Two episodes before Marta watches the footage, she has a flash-back to sneaking into a room while a presentation about the experiment was being shown and noticing her photo and that of some of her fellow detainees in it. The first child photo shown in the presentation is Pedro's.
* ''Series/BreakingBad'' and ''Series/BetterCallSaul'':
** Mike Ehrmantraut was first introduced in the season 2 finale of ''Series/BreakingBad'' where he was the fixer Saul sent to clean up the scene of Jane's death. He then gets a larger and larger role in the events of seasons 3, 4 and 5A, and finally becomes the secondary lead in ''Series/BetterCallSaul''.
** In Saul Goodman's introductory episode in ''Series/BreakingBad'', he shows up twice before he actually appears in person: an advertisement on the bus stop bench where Badger gets arrested selling drugs to an undercover cop, and an advertisement on Jesse's TV.
** Gus Fring was introduced in the antepenultimate episode of season 2 of ''Breaking Bad''. After appearing in that and the season 2 finale, he becomes a main cast member in seasons 3 and 4. Then a main cast member in season 3 of ''Better Call Saul''.
* ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration''
** Anya is a sort-of example. Samantha Munro appeared as an extra on the Lakehurst cheer squad in season 6, before Anya was even written as a character in season 7. Though this isn't her official first appearance, it doesn't have any conflicts with the timeline of the show and most fans consider it canon.
** Wesley appears in one episode of season 9 as a guest at Clare's party, where she ends up biting his neck during Seven Minutes in heaven. He doesn't become a main character until the next season.
** Tristan shows up during the midseason summer arc of season 11, four episodes before being officially introduced with the other new grade nine kids.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E4AliensOfLondon "Aliens of London"]] has a retroactive example: The coroner who performs the autopsy on the pig-alien later appeared on spinoff ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' as one of the main characters, Toshiko Sato.
** Bernard Cribbins appears as Wilfred Mott in [[Recap/DoctorWho2007CSVoyageOfTheDamned "Voyage of the Damned"]], the 2007 Christmas special, before being introduced as Donna Noble's grandfather in Series 4. Reportedly, his appearance was originally intended as a one-off cameo (Cribbins having previously co-starred in one of the 1960s movies based on the series), but his character was retconned as her grandfather to replace what would have been Donna's father's role, whose actor had since passed away.
** Creator/JennaColeman guest-starred as Oswin Oswald in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E1AsylumOfTheDaleks "Asylum of the Daleks"]], the Series 7 premiere. This was ''months'' ahead of Coleman's announced first appearance as Clara Oswald in [[Recap/DoctorWho2012CSTheSnowmen "The Snowmen"]], and was kept a secret until broadcast. Fans had to wait till the Series 7 finale, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E13TheNameOfTheDoctor "The Name of the Doctor"]], in the spring of 2013 before they learned the connection between Oswin and Clara.
** In the fiftieth anniversary special, [[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor "The Day of the Doctor"]], as all known incarnations of the Doctor gather to save his home planet of Gallifrey, Peter Capaldi makes an early debut as the then-upcoming Twelfth Doctor, albeit only as shots of his hands manipulating the TARDIS controls and his eyes in extreme close-up; he would not debut in full until the following Christmas special, [[Recap/DoctorWho2013CSTheTimeOfTheDoctor "The Time of the Doctor"]].
* Several years before he became famous as the host of ''Series/{{Double Dare|1986}}'', Marc Summers was a page at CBS. At age 22 in 1973, he got to fill in as announcer on ''Series/TheJokersWild'' for one week.
* In the season one episode of ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow'' "Drewstock" we see Grant Shaud (most famous at the time as Miles from ''Murphy Brown'') as an extra. A season later Shaud shows up as Kate's latest boyfriend Jack, who claims he's the devil.
* Troy Evans played an injured police officer in the pilot of ''Series/{{ER}}'', before becoming a regular as an ER desk clerk in season 7. Even though the characters shared a name and backstory, and fans generally assumed them to be one and the same, it wasn't until after the show ended that WordOfGod finally confirmed it.
* ''Series/TheFlash2014'':
** Linda Park, the {{Love Interest|s}} of Wally West and Barry Allen's successor as The Flash, gets introduced as Barry Allen's Love Interest.
** Tony Woodward/Girder is part of Wally West's RoguesGallery. Here, he's reinvented as Barry's bully-turned-VillainOfTheWeek.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** Rast is among the rapists taken by First Ranger Benjen Stark to the Wall when Jon joins.
** In "Breaker of Chains", Hizdahr zo Loraq is among the Great Masters gathered over the walls of Meereen. If you've read the books and seen fanart, it's easy to tell who he is, since the camera pans over him quite a few times.
** Though only officially introduced in the Season 4 finale, the Three-Eyed Raven has appeared in his raven form since Season 1.
* The ''Franchise/KamenRider'' franchise has a tradition of debuting the newest Rider in the movie starring the previous one after the end of the season, beginning with ''Series/KamenRiderDouble'' debuting in ''Film/KamenRiderDecadeAllRidersVsDaiShocker''.
** ''Series/KamenRiderDrive'' was the exception to this, as he didn't have any sort of cameo in the previous series, ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'', though Drive's successor.
** ''Series/KamenRiderGhost'', returned to the tradition with a cameo in ''Film/KamenRiderDriveSurpriseFuture'' as well as featuring in the last two episodes of the series (and being the focus of the last episode). It should be noted that although it's ambigious as to exactly when in the story these cameos take place, they are all considered canon.
** Secondary Riders also have a habit of making a cameo appearance in movies before being properly introduced in the series, often in TheStinger. ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'' was kind of the exception to this, as all Armored Riders debuted in the series, though Kamen Rider Ryugen's Kiwi Arms first appeared in ''Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Gaim & Wizard: The Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle'', which aired before he got the Lockseed in the actual series...and instead, it introduced the New Generations riders. ''Heisei Generations Forever'', a crossover between ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'' and ''Series/KamenRiderBuild'' features a similar exception to ''Gaim'', having the Tertiary Rider (Grease) make his debut in the film.
* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse: The Netflix shows have often had it where one show is the launching ground for the protagonist of a different show.
** Manhattan district attorney Samantha Reyes was introduced in the season 1 finale of ''Series/JessicaJones2015'', before going on to play a recurring role in season 2 of ''Series/Daredevil2015''.
** ''Series/JessicaJones2015'' introduces Luke Cage ahead of the debut of [[Series/LukeCage2016 his own show]].
** Season 2 of ''Series/Daredevil2015'' introduced the Punisher into the Marvel Netflix universe well before [[Series/ThePunisher2017 his solo series]] was greenlit.
** The ''Series/IronFist2017'' Netflix series has two supporting characters who appeared in previous Marvel Netflix programs: Simone Missick as Misty Knight (appearing in ''Series/LukeCage2016''), and Creator/CarrieAnneMoss as Jeri Hogarth (appeared in ''Series/JessicaJones2015'').
* In Series 3 of ''Series/RobotWars'', both of the eventual finalists - Chaos 2 and Hypno-Disc - received one. In Heat A, while Craig Charles is going over the judges' criteria, a brief clip from Heat E is shown with Chaos 2 flipping over The Big Cheese. Then, in Hypno-Disc's introductory heat, after one battle had finished, Philippa interviewed the winning team backstage-- in the background, [[MeaningfulBackGroundEvent Hypno-Disc could be glimpsed on some monitors trashing its first opponent]] while a group of robotoeers [[ThisIsGonnaSuck look on in absolute]] ''[[ThisIsGonnaSuck horror]]''.
** Arguably inverted in the case of Crasha Gnasha, which was visible backstage in Heat A as Philippa showed the viewers around the pits. When it finally entered the war zone in Heat O, it was defeated in five seconds flat.
* Almost every DC Comics character on ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', most notably a proto-''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica''.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': [[spoiler:Bobby's AlternateSelf from Apocalypse World]] first appears at the end of Season 12, when the rift to the alternate reality first opens, and where he saves Castiel from a demon. He also serves as MrExposition in order to let Sam, Dean, Cass, and the audience know how exactly this AlternateUniverse became absolute hell.
* Similar to Kamen Rider, ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' has had a tradition of future Sentai teams debuting in previous series' movies, beginning with ''Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger'' debuting in ''[[Film/SamuraiSentaiShinkengerVsGoOngerGinmakuBang Samurai Sentai Shinkenger VS Go-onger GinmakuBang!!]]''. ''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger'''s cameo in ''[[Film/TensouSentaiGoseigerVsShinkengerEpicOnGinmaku Tensou Sentai Goseiger tai Shinkenger Epic on Ginmaku]]'' is given a CallBack in-series when [[spoiler:they go back to the past and essentially recreate their cameo scene]].
* Alien Empera, BigBad of ''Series/UltramanMebius'', originally appeared in an animated flashback in ''Series/UltramanTaro'''s 25th episode when viewers are given a brief history of the Ultras and M78. That's a 33 year gap between Early-Bird Cameo and actual debut!
* ''Series/TrueBlood'' has done this with a number of characters and concepts, most notably Sophie-Anne, the vampire queen of Louisiana, who has a cameo in season two of the series but isn't introduced until the sixth book. The last episode of season two also raises the question of "what" Sookie is, something that isn't asked, much less answered, until the later books.
* ''Series/VanHelsing2016'': The Oracle first appears in the Season 2 finale as a random vampire mystic, but returns in Season 3 as a member of the BigBadEnsemble, ultimately revealed to be TheDragon to [[GreaterScopeVillain the Dark One]], a role she keeps for the remainder of the series.
* ''Series/TheWire'':
** In "Old Cases", one of the cops in the courtroom is played by Gbenga Akinnagbe, two seasons before he was cast as Chris Partlow.
** Major Howard "Bunny" Colvin and Lt. Dennis Mello made one-off appearances in season 2's "Stray Rounds", then become full-time cast members for seasons 3 and 4.
* Played with in ''Series/{{Witchblade}}'': Gabriel Bowman is first introduced in the third episode of season one (not counting the pilot movie); then, in the second season premiere, which is a same-but-different retread of the events of the pilot, he's shown to have been present at the shootout in the museum, and ends up meeting Sara a lot earlier than he did the first time. This would make him a kind of DestinedBystander as well.

[[folder:Music]]
* The liner notes for Music/GunsNRoses' ''Appetite for Destruction'' include the lyric "With your bitch slap rapping and your cocaine tongue you get nothing done", a lyric for "You Could Be Mine" (which was recorded in their next album). Also, the notes for ''Use Your Illusion I'' have "Ain't It Fun?", the title of a song they covered in ''"The Spaghetti Incident?"''.
* Music/MyChemicalRomance's debut album, ''I Brought You My Bullets, Your Brought Me Your Love'', has the French phrase [[GratuitousFrench "Merci pour le venin"]] written on the liner notes. It is the french title of "Thank You For The Venom", a song appearing on their second album, ''Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge''.
* Music/TheyMightBeGiants' "On Earth My Nina", released on 1999's ''Long Tall Weekend'', was a reversed acapella version of "Thunderbird", which wasn't released until ''The Spine'' five years later.
* Music/RedHotChiliPeppers played "Fortune Faded" live in August 2001, as part of a batch of new songs. A studio version of it didn't appear until November 2003, when it became the new single for their ''Greatest Hits'' compilation.
** The ''By The Way'' sessions demo has since leaked out. The band did not release the song at the time because they felt the chorus melody resembled one by another band. They rewrote the chorus for the ''Greatest Hits'' version.
* Several years before Jeremy Dawson and Chad Petree founded Shiny Toy Guns, the chorus lyrics of "You are The One" appeared in a trance song called "Neo (The One)" that they produced under the name Slyder, and which appeared in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' on the Rise FM station.
* A year before Music/PearlJam's debut album, Eddie Vedder could be heard singing backup on Temple Of The Dog's self-titled album, as well as getting a full on duet with Chris Cornell on the song "Hunger Strike". Temple Of The Dog and Pearl Jam shared most of the same lineup (and the drummer, who played with Cornell in Music/{{Soundgarden}}, would later join the band), and Vedder ended up on the Temple Of The Dog album after auditioning for Pearl Jam.
* Before he made it big as an actor on ''Series/FullHouse'', John Stamos was a drummer for Music/TheBeachBoys. He appears in their video for their 1988 hit "Kokomo", subbing in for the late Dennis Wilson.
* Music/DaYoopers had "Cowboy" Dan Collins sing backing vocals on two albums several years before he became an official member.
* Music/ShaniaTwain's first credits were singing backing vocals on albums by labelmates Sammy Kershaw and Jeff Chance in the early 90s.
* The first credit for Rachel Proctor (co-writer of songs by Music/MartinaMcBride, Music/JessicaSimpson, and Music/JennetteMcCurdy; also had a hit of her own with "Me and Emily" in 2004) was singing backing vocals on Music/BlakeShelton's "Ol' Red" in 2002.
* The live film produced from Michael Jackson's 1988 Japanese performance features Michael performing "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" with one of his back-up singers from the tour - Sheryl Crow, whose fame was still several years away.
** The ending theme to ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'' (1994), whose soundtrack was at least partly composed by Jackson, sounds very similar to his single "Stranger in Moscow", which was composed in 1993 but not released until 1995.
* The 1971 album ''Ram'' by [[Music/PaulMcCartney Paul and Linda McCartney]] had a ukelele-driven segue song called "Ram On (Reprise)" on side two. On the fade out, you can hear Paul launch into a few lines of "Big Barn Bed", which would be the first song on Wings' second album, ''Red Rose Speedway'' (1973).
* Early copies of Music/{{Radiohead}}'s ''Kid A'' included an extra booklet behind the CD tray as an EasterEgg. Some of the cryptic text included in said booklet turned out to be lyrics to songs that would appear on ''Amnesiac'', which was recorded during the same sessions.
** Radiohead has a number of songs which they played live but did not wind up on an album until years (or even decades) later. For instance, "Nude" was performed on the band's 1997-98 ''O.K. Computer'' tour (it appears in their ''Meeting People is Easy'' film, introduced under the title "Big Ideas (Don't Get Any)"), but didn't wind up on album until 2007's ''In Rainbows''. The song "True Love Waits" was one of the band's most acclaimed songs and they frequently performed it in concert from 1995 onwards. They tried recording versions of it for several albums, but were never happy with any of them. A live recording of the song appears on their 2001 EP ''I Might Be Wrong'', but they took until 2016's ''A Moon Shaped Pool'' to finally release a studio version.
* One of Music/JennetteMcCurdy's first credits was appearing in the music video for Music/FaithHill's "The Way You Love Me". Before that, she was a recurring actress on ''Series/{{MADtv}}''.
* Music/FaithHill sang backing vocals on Gary Morris' 1989 album ''Stones'' four years before releasing her debut single.
* Singer-songwriter Jeffrey Steele's first credit was on the late 80s tribute album ''A Town South of Bakersfield''. He also wrote an album cut for Steve Wariner in 1990 before doing two albums and an EP as LeadBassist of the band Boy Howdy (who had two Top 10 hits with "She'd Give Anything" and "They Don't Make 'em Like That Anymore"). After they split up, Steele enjoyed a BreakupBreakout as a highly successful songwriter for other artists, most notably Music/RascalFlatts.
* Before Music/KeithUrban charted his first single in 1999, he had a ton of bit parts. Among them were a backing vocal credit on INXS' ''Live Baby Live'' (1991); a cameo in the video for Music/AlanJackson's cover of "Summertime Blues"; co-writing credits for Music/TobyKeith, 4 Runner, and the Raybon Brothers; and a few scattered electric guitar credits (most notably Music/GarthBrooks' ''Double Live''). He also formed a short-lived band called The Ranch which had two low-charting singles and one album for Capitol in 1997.
* Music/{{REM}} often played songs live, got tired of them, then returned to them a few years later when they were short of material for albums. There are numerous examples across their IRS catalogue. It happened occasionally at Warner Bros as well.
** A significant example of this is "Bad Day" which was recorded for ''Life's Rich Pageant'' in 1986, left off, and eventually rerecorded in 2003 as a 'new' track for their In Time compilation. It proved a big commercial success, and amusingly, a lot of commentators said this was R.E.M.'s return to form (without realising it was an old song).
* Stevie B. sang the backup vocals on Jaya's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCIz-dRNYGo "If You Leave Me Now"]] a decade before [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNJvh9ko-mI covering the song himself]].
* Music/{{Kesha}}'s mother, Pebe Sebert, has written many of her songs. But many, many years before that (1978 to be exact), Sebert wrote "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You", originally recorded by Joe Sun and later made famous by Music/DollyParton.
* About a year-and-a-half before his debut, Music/EricChurch wrote Terri Clark's late 2004-early 2005 single "The World Needs a Drink".
* Before his 1999 debut single, Music/BradPaisley wrote "Another You", a top 5 single for David Kersh in 1996.
* In 2004, Music/TobyKeith released a duet with his daughter Krystal on a cover of Inez and Charlie Foxx's "Mockingbird". Nine years later, she began her official singing career on Show Dog-Universal, the label of which her father is president.
* Before their debut single came out, Music/LadyAntebellum sang on Jim Brickman's "Never Alone".
* Jerrod Niemann, singer of the hits "Lover, Lover" and "Drink to That All Night", made his first appearance as part of the gang of backing vocalists on Music/GarthBrooks' 2005 single "Good Ride Cowboy" (which he also co-wrote).
* RecordProducer Michael Knox produced two obscure country albums in the late 1990s (''29 Nights'' by Danni Leigh and ''Like a Train'' by J.D. Myers). He had no other credits until 2005, when he became Music/JasonAldean's producer, a role he has held to this day.
* Before Music/BigAndRich released their debut single "Wild West Show" in December 2003, Big Kenny wrote "Beatin' My Head Against the Wall" on the aforementioned ''29 Nights'' and "I Hope You Want Me Too" on The Mavericks' ''Trampoline'', both released in 1998. John Rich, who had just left Music/{{Lonestar}}, had another cut in 1998 in the form of Keith Harling's single "Coming Back for You". After the two paired up, they wrote "Amarillo Sky" for [=McBride=] & the Ride in 2002 (later CoveredUp by Music/JasonAldean) and "She's a Butterfly" on Music/MartinaMcBride's (no relation) 2003 album ''Martina'', also providing backing vocals on the latter.
* Josh Abbott Band has done this twice: their 2011 single "Oh, Tonight" featured a credited vocal from a pre-fame Music/KaceyMusgraves, while "Wasn't That Drunk" five years later did likewise with Carly Pearce.
* Before having any hits of his own, Music/LukeBryan co-wrote the title track of Music/TravisTritt's 2004 album ''My Honky Tonk History'' and Music/BillyCurrington's 2006 single "Good Directions".
* Before releasing their first single, CountryMusic duo Thompson Square sang backing vocals on Ty Herndon's 2007 album ''Right About Now''.
* The Frozen Autumn's female member, Arianna, first appeared as a guest vocalist on the title track of ''Fragments of Memories'', followed by collaborating with Diego Merletto on the short-lived side project Static Movement, before becoming a permanent fixture of the band.
* A pre-fame Music/JeanMichelJarre covered Gershon Kingsley/Hot Butter's "Popcorn" under the alias [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP7aNuqp_YU Popcorn Orchestra]] in 1972. (The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kpNtBfPdvg 80's cover version]] often [[MisattributedSong misattributed to him or Kraftwerk]] is by the M & H Band).
* Before she had any singles of her own, Janie Fricke sang guest vocals on Johnny Duncan's "Thinkin' of a Rendezvous".
* Before becoming an acclaimed arranger and film score writer, Music/JamesNewtonHoward worked as keyboardist/orchestral arranger for Music/EltonJohn, beginning with Elton's 1975 ''Rock Of The Westies'' album and continuing until the early 1980's. He also arranged strings on the 1982 Music/{{Toto}} ballad, "I Won't Hold You Back". Elton and James would reunite several times since, most notably for Elton's ''Live In Australia'' album and their collaboration in ''WesternAnimation/GnomeoAndJuliet''.
* CountryMusic songwriter/producer Shane [=McAnally=] was originally a singer, and had a minor hit in 1999 with "Are Your Eyes Still Blue". He went away for several years, then after having a few songs in the LGBT film ''Shelter'', co-wrote Music/LeeAnnWomack's 2008 hit "Last Call". From that point onward, songwriting and production became his bread and butter.
* Music/SamHunt: Before having any hits of his own, he wrote "Come Over" for Kenny Chesney, "Cop Car" for Music/KeithUrban, and "We Are Tonight" for Music/BillyCurrington.
* Before releasing any material of her own, Music/MirandaLambert appeared as a guest vocalist on Buddy Jewell's debut album. This is because the two were contestants on the first season of ''Series/NashvilleStar'' together (he placed first and she placed third).
* Singer-songwriter Sarah Buxton's first credit was as a featured vocalist on Cowboy Troy's 2005 single "If You Don't Wanna Love Me", which predated her own singles or songwriting credits.
* Before she placed fifth on the fifth season of ''Series/NashvilleStar'', Whitney Duncan appeared on Music/KennyRogers' 2004 single "My World Is Over".
* Stephanie Bentley was the duet vocalist on Ty Herndon's late 1995 single "Heart Half Empty" before releasing any singles of her own. Before even this, however, she could be heard singing on Pam Tillis' 1992 hit "Shake the Sugar Tree" (she sang the song's demo, which Tillis's producer liked so much that he [[ThrowItIn mixed it into the final version]]).
* Curtis Wright co-wrote two of Music/{{Shenandoah}}'s singles: "Next to You, Next to Me" in 1990, and "Rock My Baby" two years later. Shenandoah disbanded in 1997, and when they reunited in 2000, Wright briefly became their lead singer.
* David Lee Murphy sang "Just Once" on the soundtrack of the 1994 rodeo movie ''8 Seconds'' before releasing his debut album.
* Two years before "I Kissed a Girl", Music/KatyPerry appeared in the video for Gym Class Heroes' "Cupid's Chokehold"; At the time, she was dating their lead singer Travie [=McCoy=]. A few years before that, Perry was a backing vocalist for the rock band Music/{{POD}}, and appears on their 2005 rock radio hit "Goodbye for Now" and its video.
** Likewise, Perry's friend Music/{{Kesha}} appears in the "I Kissed a Girl" video, about a year before the release of her debut hit "Tik Tok".
* Before she was famous, Music/LindseyStirling played violin on Music/TayZonday's "Mama Economy".
* Before the band Music/OldDominion was formed, three of its members (Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, and Brad Tursi) wrote songs for other country music singers. Even prior to that, the members appeared in the video of Rodney Atkins' 2009 hit "It's America".
* Nearly a decade before he broke through, Music/ChrisStapleton had a large list of songs that he had written for other artists. He also recorded in the bluegrass band The Steeldrivers and the Southern rock band The Jompson Brothers.
* Four years before she released her debut album ''The [=ArchAndroid=]'', Music/JanelleMonae made her recording debut on two tracks on Music/{{Outkast}}'s final album ''Idlewild'' in 2006, and also appeared in the video for their song "Morris Brown".
* Reeves Gabrels became the full-time lead guitarist of Music/TheCure in 2012, fifteen years after appearing as a guest on the single "Wrong Number".
* A year before joining Music/{{Incubus}} in 2004, Ben Kenney was the bassist for The Time-Lapse Consortium, which also featured Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger and drummer Jose Pasillas. Furthermore, Incubus singer Brandon Boyd appears on their version of "A Certain Shade of Green", leaving DJ Chris Kilmore as the only 2004-present Incubus member not present during that 2003 performance.
* Before his own solo career began, Music/SteveWariner was a bass player for Dottie West. His playing can be heard on her 1973 hit "Country Sunshine".
* According to songwriter Dennis Linde, the eponymous Earl of Music/TheChicks' "Goodbye Earl" is the same character who previously appeared in "Queen of My Double Wide Trailer" by Sammy Kershaw.
* Before releasing any singles of her own, Shelby Lynne was a featured vocalist on Music/GeorgeJones' 1988 single "If I Could Bottle This Up".
* Phil Vassar had a number of songwriting credits (including "Little Red Rodeo" by Music/CollinRaye and both "I'm Alright" and "Bye, Bye" by Music/JoDeeMessina) prior to the start of his own singing career in late 1999.

[[folder:Magazines]]
* Longetime ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'' art director Sam Viviano got his first credit for the magazine in 1980 when he was commissioned to draw a front cover -- five years before he would submit anything else.

[[folder:Pinballs]]
* Creator/BallyMidway's ''[[Pinball/MrAndMrsPacManPinball Mr. & Mrs. Pac-Man Pinball]]'' includes a depiction of a baby Pac-Man, prior to the release of the ''Pinball/BabyPacMan'' or ''[[VideoGame/PacMan Jr. Pac-Man]]'' games.

[[folder:Podcast]]
* In episode five of ''Podcast/MysteryShow'', Starlee is hired by David, a former political cartoonist and professional pencil sharpener, to find out how tall Jake Gyllenhaal is. Starlee and David would later co-create an entirely different podcast, ''Podcast/ElectionProfitMakers''.
* Twice in the Gemini arc of ''Podcast/{{Sequinox}}''. In the [[spoiler: Star Invasion]] world, the girls spot foot soldiers from stars that they'd yet to fight. In the Sitcom world they also see the stars themselves, but since it's only in a title sequence they go too fast to get any details on them.

[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
* Wrestling/HiromitsuKanehara was in a blink and miss it role as a "young boy" for Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling, and even got to train with Wrestling/HiroyoshiTenzan and Osamu Nishimura, but he left for the Wrestling/UniversalWrestlingFederation and wouldn't be seen in New Japan again until UWF-i invaded during 1995.
* Chris Dolman accompanied Willem Ruska during his match against Wrestling/AntonioInoki in New Japan Pro Wrestling but when he became a pro wrestler he opted to go to the Universal Wrestling Federation, then become a shoot fighter/mixed martial artists before appearing for New Japan again in 1995 for a RINGS offer match where he lost to Wrestling/AkiraMaeda.
* Long before officially joining WWF as Mankind, Wrestling/MickFoley appeared in a few jobber matches as Jack Foley (his father's name) as WWF wouldn't let him use Cactus Jack.
** In one jobber appearance, Foley ''almost'' used his real name, being credited as "Nick Faley."
** Mick's first appearance on WWF TV was as a member of the audience watching the Wrestling/DonMuraco vs. Wrestling/JimmySnuka cage match from Madison Square Garden in 1983.
* Foley's fellow Dominic [=DeNucci=] protege Wrestling/ShaneDouglas also did jobs around the same time, using his real name, Troy Martin.
* Several luchadors appeared on WWF TV in 1997 as part of a cross promotion with Wrestling/{{AAA}}. One of whom which was Mascarita Sagrada, who later appeared as part of WWE's short lived midget wrestling division in 2005.
* Wrestling/CMPunk appears as one of the gangsters in Wrestling/JohnCena's entrance at ''Wrestling/WrestleMania 22''. He would later go on to allude to that during a feud with Cena a few years later.
* Speaking of Cena, he made a brief appearance in 2000...in a ''Wrestling/{{WCW}}'' production. A blond-haired, 22-year-old Cena was one of several wrestlers working out in a gym scene in ''Film/ReadyToRumble''. Yes, ''that'' Creator/DavidArquette film WCW was promoting when they made him their World Champion.
* Caprice Coleman first showed up working against Wrestling/RingOfHonor in 2004, representing Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA Wildside with [[Wrestling/HunterJohnston Delirious]] and Rainman while Wrestling/MattSydal was representing IWA Mid-South (Wrestling/JimmyJacobs won for ROH). Matt Sydal and Delirious were somewhat regular to ROH at that point but Coleman would not get into a long term ROH deal for years.
* Wrestling/NigelMcGuinness's first appearance in [[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]] was one off as part of a battle royal in 2004 on the 106th pay per view. The next year he would be defeated by Wrestling/SharkBoy on the ''Genesis'' pre show, still four years before he found a regular role as Desmond Wolfe.
* Before he got his "Irish" gimmick in 2006, Dave Finlay was the Divas' trainer and made occasional appearances at WWE events as a nameless official. Watch the part of the 2005 ''Wrestling/RoyalRumble'' in which Wrestling/ShawnMichaels eliminates Wrestling/KurtAngle in less than a minute. Angle retaliates by [[DisproportionateRetribution reentering the ring, eliminating Michaels in turn, and then violently whaling on him]]. Several referees and other enforcer characters run out to subdue Angle, and one of them is Finlay. Of course back in Wrestling/{{WCW}}, he was always known as fighting-Irishman Fit Finlay and was given the backstage role when WCW was acquired by WWF/WWE.
* Wrestling/TommasoCiampa
** He first appeared at ''ROH Reclaims Boston'' in a multiman dark match going by "Thomas" in 2006 and wouldn't be seen again until five years later with a very different (if familiar) attitude (basically as a CaptainErsatz of Erik Stevens).
** Prior to his official WWE debut in 2016, he appeared eleven years earlier as Wrestling/MuhammadHassan's lawyer under his real name.
* In an interview with Wrestling/BethPhoenix for IGN, a few FCW divas can be seen wrestling in the background. One of them was Wrestling/AliciaFox.
* Both [[Wrestling/LisaMarieVaron Victoria]] and Wrestling/{{Lita}} were already established wrestlers but first appeared as Godfather's Hos in the WWF before actively wrestling for it.
* Scotty Too Hotty started in the WWF in 1991, though did not get used in any storylines until the late 90s.
* Both of the [[Wrestling/MattHardy Hardy]] [[Wrestling/JeffHardy Boyz]] wrestled regularly on WWE TV during the 90s as short-haired teenage {{jobber}}s, most infamously during the one off "Jinx Brothers" match, before getting properly called up in 1999.
* Another high-school aged teen, Louis Mucciolo, did jobs for WWF in the late '80s under his more familiar ring name Louie Spicolli. He would make his formal main roster debut in the mid-'90s as Bodydonnas protege Rad Radford, a lower-carder with a "grunge rocker" gimmick.
* Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon made her first appearance on WWF TV when she was only a child. She was one of the kids in the "Wrestling/RoddyPiper's Trick Or Treat" sketch on Saturday Night's Main Event in 1985. She also made appearances in the late 80s and early 90s modelling t-shirts and baseball caps in the [=WWF=] merchandise catalogues.
* Wrestling/TedDiBiase wrestled in the WWF for two years in the 1970's, before returning as "The Million Dollar Man".
** Some of his promos featured future stars as well. In one, he offered Linda [=McMahon=] $100 to get down on all fours and bark like a dog, then decided she didn't deserve the money.
** He also paid a teenager to kiss his foot after a match. That teenager grew up to become ECW and WWE star Wrestling/RobVanDam.
* Daichi Hashimoto's "debut" for Wrestling/ProWrestlingZero1 wasn't actually a wrestling match but a kickboxing exhibition in 2011 with Satoshi Kobayashi.
* Uhaa Nation's first run in Wrestling/DragonGate with the Blood Warriors PowerStable was CutShort due to an injury and is pretty much forgotten in comparison to his later roles in The Monster Express, Mad Blankey and one of the top attractions for DG USA.
* Wrestling/DamienSandow was a paper bag distributor for future tag partner Wrestling/CodyRhodes. Also the masked Easter Bunny in the APA's Barroom Brawl at the 2003 PPV ''Wrestling/{{Vengeance}}''. He also had a short run in the WWE tag team division as Idol Stevens.
* Wrestling/{{Jacqueline}} wrestled a couple of matches on Heat against indie wrestler Starla Saxton in 1998. Two years later, Saxton would join the WWE roster officially as Wrestling/MollyHolly. She also wrestled Malia Hosaka in WCW as Starla Saxton, before joining the company as Miss Madness.
** Then known as Miss Texas in the USWA, Jackie herself appeared in one of the vignettes WWE aired back in late 1993 to promote Wrestling/JeffJarrett's debut.
* In 1985-86, a 25-year-old Wrestling/DeanMalenko worked for the WWF [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlyn2Iw7DJ8 as a referee]]. This was 15 years before he would officially debut as part of the Radicalz, possibly the longest time between cameo and appearance on this list. He also showed up in WCW before he officially debuted, as he and his brother Joe took part in the Wrestling/{{N|ational Wrestling Alliance}}WA tag team Tournament against Wrestling/RickySteamboat and Nikita Koloff at Clash of the Champions XIX in 1992.
* In a similar example to the Dean Malenko one above, Wrestling/TeddyLong was a referee for years in WWE before becoming a proper onscreen personality, going from manager to Smackdown General Manager. He did the same thing in WCW, starting off as a referee and then becoming a manager.
* Ares was in Wrestling/{{Chikara}}'s 2003 Tag World Grand Prix, had a match in 2005 against Quackenbush, and then wasn't seen again, going back to Europe until Wrestling/DieBruderschaftDesKreuzes made its presence known by basically beating down every Chikara wrestler they could find, excepting those who turned out to be members, as the {{brainwashed}} [[Wrestling/HunterJohnston Delirious]] and willing servants Wrestling/SaraDelRey and Wrestling/DaizeeHaze. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by Wrestling/UltraMantisBlack who admitted he didn't even know who Ares was.
* Wrestling/{{Melina}} Perez in her pre-MNM days made two appearances on Raw in late 2004, first in a lingerie strip tease segment and then a limbo segment, about four months before she properly debuted on television. She was also one of the few who didn't make the cut in season 3 of ''[[Wrestling/WWEToughEnough Tough Enough]]''.
* Hayato Fujita had a short run in Wrestling/MichinokuProWrestling during 2005 as a {{face}} and feuded with Los Salseros Japoneses for one night before being sent to Wrestling/{{Toryumon}} Mexico to gain experience. Fujita became better known as a HeroKiller who destroyed [[Wrestling/TakuyaSugi Yoshitsune]] and Wrestling/TheGreatSasuke, as well as an important member of Bad Boy.
* Yujiro Takahashi and Wrestling/TetsuyaNaito, the TagTeam better known as No Limit, defeated Genba Hirayanagi and Kotaro Suzuki of [[Wrestling/ProWrestlingNOAH NOAH]]'s DISOBEY stable in a dark match at ''Wrestling/RingOfHonor The Tokyo Summit''. Naito wouldn't become ''relevant'' to ROH until the second ''War Of The Worlds'' seven years later, while Takahashi would have to wait ''eight'' years at ''Honor Rising Japan" for a non dark match.
* Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blzTKEKvoVY driving Rhythm and Blues' pink Cadillac at WrestleMania VI]] in 1990, 11 years before he signed with the company. Wrestling/{{Edge}} was also in attendance at the same event, which took place in his home town of Toronto.
* Before debuting his ForeignWrestlingHeel gimmick in 2003, French-Canadian wrestler Sylvan Grenier was supposedly a WWE referee tasked with mediating the rematch between Wrestling/HulkHogan and [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]] at that year's ''Wrestling/{{No Way Out|Wrestling}}'' (which, appropriately enough, was being held in Grenier's hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada). This is an unusual example in that Grenier was referred to by name by the commentary team, and his behavior in the course of the match was actually his StartOfDarkness and even carried over to ''[=WrestleMania=] XIX'' the following month!
* Drew Gulak made infrequent appearances for Wrestling/{{Chikara}} in the mid-'00s before a semi notable appearance in 2008 for King Of Trios. But would not amount to much until returning for King of Trios 2014 with "The Gentlemen's Club", but still wouldn't regularly appear until 2015 and would join WWE a few years later.
* The druids who accompanied Wrestling/UltraMantisBlack for his match against Hallowicked at ''Through Savage Progress Cuts the Jungle Line'' later gained individual, and largely unrelated to Black identities as Obariyon and Kodama.
* Wrestling/CelticChampionshipWrestling:
** Wrestling/{{Kazza}} G first appeared as a backstage interviewer before getting integrated onto the roster.
** Ricky Combat can be glimpsed as a runner at several early shows, and features as a bodyguard in front of Lee Cahalane's office at one point.
** Bedlam Billy was first a commentator and then a ring announcer.
* In Wrestling/ProgressWrestling, a lot of ENDVR talent appear as company security on the chapter shows before having matches. Some examples are Ali Armstrong, Damon Moser and Shen Woo.
* Flex Rumblecrunch was first spotted at the December 2012 Chikara event ''Under The Hood'' accompanying The Devastation Corporation during their entrance, then leaving. He wouldn't be seen or heard from again until May 18th, 2013, during the Tag World Grand Prix, when he turned up and to attack The Colony with Max Smashmaster and Blaster [=McMassive=].
* Before being formally introduced as the Wrestling/WyattFamily's "black sheep," Wrestling/BraunStrowman was one of Wrestling/AdamRose's unnamed Rosebuds. Wrestling/BeckyLynch, Wrestling/{{Elias}}, and Simon Gotch were also Rosebuds.
* Wrestling/DLoBrown wrestled as jobber AC Conner, a slightly modified version of his real name, shortly before debuting as part of Wrestling/TheNationOfDomination.
* Before breaking out as one-third of Wrestling/TheShield, Wrestling/DeanAmbrose was an indie darling who wrestled under the name Jon Moxley. He made a few jobber appearances on WWE's C-show ''Velocity'' in 2006 using that ring name, including [[https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f3/67/f6/f367f6e6141ff2bf6176bc91374ee754.jpg one where his long hair is dyed hot pink]]. He had also played a druid for Wrestling/TheUndertaker one time.
* Wrestling/DaltonCastle made several one off appearances in the various "Wrestling Is" promotions related to Chikara before finding an extended role in Chikara itself as the ship captain Ashley Remington.
* 2004's $1,000,000 Wrestling/WWEToughEnough produced Mike "Wrestling/TheMiz" Mizanin, future Spirit Squad member Nick "Mitch" Mitchell, and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Puder some guy who nearly injured Kurt Angle for real]] and got cut shortly after winning the competition. One of the eight finalists was a guy named Ryan Reeves, who did well, but was quickly forgotten as he drifted around in OVW and FCW after Tough Enough was done. Little more than five years later, he was back as a [[Wrestling/{{WWENXT}} NXT]] Season 1 finalist named Skip Sheffield and joined Wrestling/TheNexus once the season was over. After an injury took him off TV, he dropped the cowboy gimmick and fake Texan accent and was repackaged as [[Wrestling/{{Ryback}} the guy who wants people to feed him more.]]
* Wrestling/AngelinaLove was a TNA mainstay for most of the mid-2000s, but she had a couple appearances under her earlier gimmick Angel Williams in the early 2000s.
* Despite being the first eliminated from Tough Enough's fifth season in 2010, as well as the girl who said Wrestling/{{Melina}} vs Wrestling/AliciaFox was her favorite wrestling match of all time[[note]]which was part of the reason why she was eliminated in the first place[[/note]], Ariane Andrew was the only member of that season's class to make it to the main roster, debuting in 2012 as Funkadactyls member Wrestling/{{Cameron}}.
* Wrestling/CharlotteFlair made her first appearance in the wrestling world accompanying [[Wrestling/RicFlair her father]] in a 1999 ''Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro'' (the same night where Wrestling/MickFoley won his very first WWE Title reign). She also made two one-off appearances on ''Wrestling/WWERaw''[[labelnote:Specifically]]In January 2006 as an audience member watching her father challenge Wrestling/{{Edge}} for the WWE Championship in a TLC match, then accompanying him along with the rest of their family in Ric's retirement ceremony the night after ''Wrestling/WrestleMania 24''[[/labelnote]] before officially joining WWE years later. While she was still wrestling in NXT, she made an appearance in Wrestling/TripleH’s ''Wrestling/WrestleMania XXX'' entrance alongside fellow developmental stars Wrestling/SashaBanks and Wrestling/AlexaBliss.
* Wrestling/ZackRyder was in the audience at ''Wrestling/WrestleMania X'' and was one of the kids [[Wrestling/ScottHall Razor Ramon]] posed with after winning the Intercontinental Title. He also once jobbed to Wrestling/MattMorgan a few years before he made his proper debut.
* Rory Gulak first wrestled for Wrestling/{{Chikara}} at National Pro Wrestling Day '13, then did not show up again until the Johnny Kidd Invitational in 2017. More than that, he had been appearing as a fan at Wrestling/{{CZW}} events since he was a child, dressing as "Sick" Nick Mondo, which caused him to wrestle as "Rory Mondo" in CZW, hoping to emulate Mondo's career(apparently forgetting [[RooftopConfrontation how]] that [[CareerEndingInjury ended]]).
* Young Lion sent into exile, Wrestling/HiromuTakahashi, would make a brief return to New Japan during the 2016 ''Fantasticamania'', still using La Ola Amarilla Kamaitachi gimmick even though he lost his mask, defeating the man who unmasked him, Dragon Lee, for the Wrestling/{{CMLL}} World Lightweight Title belt. His official return to New Japan wouldn't be until next year, with his more familiar name, as "The Ticking Time Bomb" of Wrestling/LosIngobernablesDeJapon.
* The man who would become Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}} wrestler Gran Akuma was in the audience for ''The Second Show'' on May 31, 2002, meaning his face appeared on camera ''three years'' before he lost his mask to Shane Storm at ''Running in the Red'' on November 13, 2005.
* Before Wrestling/JohnnyGargano made his official WWE debut in 2016, he first appeared as a {{Jobber}} nine years earlier billed as the champion of a [[FakeNationality Lichtenstein]].
* Wrestling/{{Bayley}} was visible as a ringside audience (specifically during a [[Wrestling/NickDinsmore Eugene]] segment) during a 2004 episode of ''Wrestling/WWERaw''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
* ''Series/SesameStreet'':
** The titular character of ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' actually first appeared in a stop-motion skit featured in ''Sesame Street''.
** Cookie Monster actually made his first appearance in a skit featured in ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' (which itself was based on an old instructional film by IBM), where he is shown taking a machine apart piece-by-piece and eating it, only to realize that doing so will cause the machine to self-destruct within his body, causing him to explode. And for some reason, this version of Cookie Monster has fangs, while the one in ''Sesame Street'' does not. This version is also green instead of blue.
*** Grover firstappeared in another ''Ed Sullivan Show'' sketch as one of the evil monsters who wants to steal Santa Claus' toys.
* ''Series/TheMuppetShow'': the episode guest-starring Creator/MarkHamill as [[Franchise/StarWars Luke Skywalker]] aired three months before the premiere of ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', and was the first time Luke [[https://screenrant.com/star-wars-muppet-show-episode-mark-hamill-response/ wore the Bespin uniform]] that he would wear in the film.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Roleplay]]
* In ''Roleplay/DawnOfANewAgeOldportBlues'', Finn briefly mentions the Vice President of the Chess Club before the MassSuperEmpoweringEvent hits the school. The next day, the Vice President is revealed to be Ivan, another main character who also gained powers from said event.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/TheHouseOfTheDeadOverkill''[='=]s [=PS3/PC=] rerelease, ''Extended Cut'', adds two extra chapters played as ActionGirl Varla Gunns and her brother's DumbBlonde girlfriend. In the second extra chapter, the player can catch a quick glimpse of the Crawler, the boss of the fourth regular chapter (not that this makes his appearance [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere any less out-of-nowhere]]).
* Other than their captains, the crews of two of the three faction flagships in ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'' made partial or full appearances in missions before they were fully introduced and fleshed out in the annual event mission "First Contact Day"/"Day of Honor"/"Republic Day". Some of the USS ''Enterprise''-F command staff appeared during cutscenes in the feature episode "The 2800", while the RRW ''Lleiset'' command staff turned up as background {{N|onPlayerCharacter}}PCs during "A Step Between Stars".
* ''VideoGame/TheBizarreAdventuresOfWoodruffAndTheSchnibble'': The Beast (the BigBad of the game) is on a poster at the very start of the game.
* In ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'', Tyalie first appears at the Summit in Chapter 3, as an unnamed aide shadowing the [=GameFAQs=] admin. She even has a few lines, but isn’t properly introduced to the main cast until Chapter 6.
* The final memory of ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRogue'' shows [[spoiler:Shay in the Palace of Versailles assassinating a man who mentions his son Arno. Said character later became the protagonist of ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedUnity'']].
* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
** [[GirlNextDoor Merrill]] and [[PirateGirl Isabela]] both appear in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' - Merrill is part of the Dalish Elf origin, while Isabela can be encountered at the Pearl in Denerim. They are retroactively turned into this trope by their appearance as party members in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''.
** When the trailer for ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' was released, it confirmed the return of the beloved character of Hawke from ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII,'' who is shown arriving in the company of a Grey Warden. Absolutely ''no one'' in the fandom realized that this Warden was actually meant to be [[spoiler:Alistair, another fan favorite from ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'']], until the character's new design was revealed later.
* If the PlayerCharacter chooses to be asocial on her wedding night in ''VideoGame/{{Guenevere}}'', she'll have [[DreamingOfThingsToCome a dream vision]] of [[spoiler: Mordred]], several years before he is even born.
* The [=PS3=] version of the first ''VideoGame/GalGun'' has Ekoro appear as an important character during Doki Doki Carnival mode. She later becomes MissionControl and a potential {{Love Interest|s}} for the main character in ''Double Peace''.
* During the character-creation section at the start of ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', the newspaper clipping on your character's desk has a photo of Aether Foundation president Lusamine.
* [[Creator/NipponIchi Asagi]] might be the ultimate example of this. Of course, we don't know if she's ever actually going to GET her own game or if Nippon Ichi [[RunningGag is just screwing around.]]
* While we're on the topic of Nippon Ichi, it's probably no coincidence that ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'' will be getting a [=PSP=] [[UpdatedRerelease remake]] after Overlord Zetta's cameo in ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 4|A Promise Unforgotten}}'', which is the first time since ''Makai Kingdom'' that he has actually appeared in humanoid form. The new character from the remake, Petta, will appear in ''Disgaea 4'' as DownloadableContent.
* [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee Roy's our boy!]] [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade Before his own game comes out, even!]]
** On the topic of ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForWiiU the Wii U version of the fourth game]] features a stage based on the unreleased-at-the-time ''VideoGame/YoshisWoollyWorld''.
** The Wii U version actually referenced this trope [[ShownTheirWork in regards to Sonic]].
** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' also has a few early bird reveals. Yoshi has a costume based on his appearance in ''VideoGame/YoshisCraftedWorld'', and Luigi's vacuum is based on one he uses in ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion3'', both games releasing after ''Ultimate''.
* Gooigi was created for the aforementioned ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion3'', but appeared a year earlier in the Nintendo 3DS remake of [[VideoGame/LuigisMansion the first game]]. This is actually explained in-story as the Professor E. Gadd from the second game, ''[[VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon Dark Moon]]'', sending him to the past as a field test for his abilities.
* The Gekko from ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' and a remix of the game's "Theme of Love" both appeared in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'', which in some regions was out months before the former game was even released. For that matter, the entire Shadow Moses Island stage is a reference to an entire chapter in the game. Interestingly enough, ''MGS 4'' is a [=PS3=]-exclusive game, meaning a first-party Nintendo game is promoting a game not available on a Nintendo system.
** Old Snake also made a cameo before his official debut, as the most statistically-powerful bonus character in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPortableOps [[UpdatedRerelease +]]''.
** ''VideoGame/MetalGearAcid2'' beat both games by featuring ''Metal Gear Solid 4'' trading cards two years before the game was even released (granted, they were based on the very first trailer that was released).
** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' got two of these. ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid: [[MissionPackSequel VR Missions]]'', if the player completed every single one of the VR missions, gave a sneak preview of Metal Gear RAY. ''VideoGame/MetalGearGhostBabel'', which was released a year before ''[=MGS2=]'', featured an extra game mode where the player controls a newly recruited soldier who undergoes VR training by having to complete harder versions of Solid Snake's missions in the main game. The name of this agent is revealed at the end to be "Jack", the same name of the protagonist in ''[=MGS2=]''.
** Cyborg Ninja Raiden played a cameo role in ''Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance''. However, it's not the same Cyborg Ninja suit Raiden wears in ''Guns of the Patriots'', but more of a cosplay of him in Gray Fox's exoskeleton suit from the first ''MGS''.
* Galen Marek, aka Starkiller, Darth Vader's secret apprentice and protagonist of ''Franchise/StarWars: VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed'', made a playable appearance in ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul Calibur IV]]'' three months prior to the release of his game. He goes simply as "The Apprentice" in SCIV.
* In ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders Extreme'' (available on both UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable and UsefulNotes/NintendoDS), Mr. ESC from ''VideoGame/{{Exit}}'' makes a cameo appearance when you select the Exit option. While ''Exit'' was already released on the PSP at the time, and the DS version of the game was already available in Japan at the time, the DS ''Space Invaders Extreme'' appearance is a legitimate Early-Bird Cameo in North America.
* The Kyo clone Kusanagi initially showed up in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters 2002'' as an alternate moveset for Kyo, but did not receive a role in the story proper until the next game, ''2003''.
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
** Nearly half a year before he became the protagonist of [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2 his own game]], Luso Clemens showed up as a minor playable character in the remake of the original ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', ''War of the Lions'', even though the games are on competing systems. In what is either this or an AscendedExtra, Hurdy, a main character from ''A2'', first appeared as an operator of the teleporting services in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII''.
** The ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'' version of Cloud showed up in the Japanese ''VideoGame/MobiusFinalFantasy'' in 2015, along with the Guard Scorpion and Shinra soldiers to fight, and cards representing him, Barret, Jessie, Biggs and Wedge.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'', there is a minor character called Kyrie who has sidequests pretty late in the game. She first appears as an NPC on the train in one of the very early chapters and has cameos scattered throughout.
* The rock power-up from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' actually first appeared as one of [[BigBad Bowser's]] attacks during the final boss battle in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy''.
* ''Dengeki Gakuen RPG: Cross of Venus'' has an actor variant of this trope: being a MassiveMultiplayerCrossover video game based on several LightNovels, it manages to get the voice actors of the featured series' anime adaptations to reprise their roles. This includes the voice cast of ''LightNovel/AsuraCryin''', which adaptation premiered a few days after the game's release.
* On the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' side of things, ''VideoGame/XMenVsStreetFighter'' snuck in Shadaloo-era Cammy as a playable character before the ''Alpha'' series got to introduce her proper in ''Alpha 2 Gold'' (which is itself an early cameo that predates her canonical introduction in the following game, ''Alpha 3'').
** Along those same lines, Karin's RichBitch [[TheRival Rival]] Karin Kanzuki was originally going to make her debut in ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroesVsStreetFighter'' in order to set up her "official" appearance in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha3''. For whatever reason, this plan fell through, but her prototype sprite can be viewed in the game's ROM data.
** [[JokeCharacter Dan Hibiki]] also appears as a random design that was expected to go unused in some old artwork poking fun at SNK's ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' series. He later became an official, secret character in ''Street Fighter Alpha''.
** Balrog and Vega made cameos in Sagat's endings in the first two ''Alpha'' games, while E. Honda appeared in Sodom's ending in ''Alpha 2''. All three of them would appear as playable characters in ''Alpha 3''. Fei-Long also made a cameo as a spectator at Dan's stage in ''Alpha 2'', but he wasn't included in ''Alpha 3'' until the console version.
** Rolento and Cody made cameos in the first and second ''Alpha'' games respectively before they became playable in ''Alpha 2'' and ''Alpha 3'' respectively.
** Chronologically, ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'' is set before ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII''. Yun and Yang appear in Chun Li's opening story sequence in the console version. They later appeared as playable characters in the arcade version of ''Super Street Fighter IV''.
** In ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', both Menat and Falke made cameo appearances in Ed's Story Mode before being confirmed as playable DLC character at later date.
** Dan's sister Yuriko Hibiki was introduced in ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroesVsStreetFighter'' before appearing in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''.
* In ''VideoGame/StrongBadsCoolGameForAttractivePeople'', [[http://files.telltalegames.com/wallaceandgromit/screenshots/wg_screen_squirrel.jpg a squirrel]] from ''VideoGame/WallaceAndGromitsGrandAdventures'' appears on [[http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=52&pictureid=800 one of Strong Bad's unlockable shirts]].
* ''WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle'' hadn't come out yet in Japan when ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' was released, but was a summon in the game.
* The appearance of Alfred the Pilot in ''[[VideoGame/FatalFury Real Bout Fatal Fury 2]]'' was meant to be a tie-in for his own game, a [=PlayStation=]-exclusive port ''Real Bout Fatal Fury Special'' subtitled ''Dominated Minds'', but since that game was [[NoExportForYou only released in Japan]], many people think he was simply a character made up for ''Real Bout 2''. In Hon-Fu's and Yamazaki's endings, the antagonist from ''Dominated Minds'', White, can be seen.
** Rock Howard, the protagonist of ''Garou: Mark of the Wolves'', appears in Terry's ending in ''Fatal Fury 3''.
* The Oukaou and Nanajin from ''Wings Of Rean'' both appear in ''Another Century's Episode 2'', which came out a few months before ''Wings Of Rean'' premiered.
* There are references to [[VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile Lezard Valeth and Lenneth Valkyrie]] in ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory''. ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile'' would not be completed for another two years after Star Ocean 2 was released.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** ''VideoGame/PokemonXDGaleOfDarkness'' is a third-generation game. It features a non-playable Munchlax and a sorta-playable Bonsly, both fourth-generation Pokémon.
** Munchlax appears in the town square as a random event in the original ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonRescueTeam'', and can be (kind of) made playable via cheat codes. The player can also get statues of Lucario, Weavile, Bonsly and Mime Jr. placed outside their house.
** A year before ''Gale of Darkness'' was released, Munchlax appeared in the game ''VideoGame/PokemonDash'' as an AI-controlled opponent.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonPinball'''s Blue Field theme music is a remix for that of Ecruteak City in ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' before the latter was released.
** A few months before the release of the original ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' in North America, the sprites of the three starters, as well as Pikachu, Meowth, and Mew, appeared as stickers in the ''VideoGame/GameBoyCamera''. However, the camera came out in Japan three years after the original Red & Green Versions, so this is only an early-bird cameo for North America.
* ''VideoGame/RockBand 2'' had the album release of ''Shackler's Revenge'' a few weeks before the album it was on (''Chinese Democracy'') was released.
* ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'' had two of Music/{{Foreigner}}'s re-recordings of "Jukebox Hero" and "Feels Like the First Time" release before the release of the album "Feels Like the First Time".
* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' appeared as an air freshener in the arcade racing game ''Rad Mobile'' two months before the first Sonic game.
** As an unofficial, copyright-breaking version of the trope, Sonic showed up as a generic level enemy in ''The Adventures of Quik & Silva'', released on the Amiga two weeks before the first Sonic game.
** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' was first previewed in pre-alpha form on Nickelodeon's ''Series/NickArcade'', several months before its release.
** Miles "Tails" Prower is arguably this, if one considers ''Sonic CD'' to take place before ''Sonic 2''.
** Knuckles is playable in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' as part of the ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Knuckles in]] Sonic 2'' setup. The Mobile version's good ending also adds a SequelHook where the Death Egg crashes on Angel Island and Knuckles is seen peeking through the bushes when Eggman stomps his feet in anger.
** The [[spoiler: Shadow Androids, artificial clones of Shadow]] are first shown in Team Dark's story in ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes''. Even though they were a minimal but pivotal plot point, they didn't appear as actual enemies until ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog''.
** Cream the Rabbit can be seen as concept art in ''Sonic Mega Collection'', and has brief actual cameos in ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdventure Sonic Adventure DX]]''.
* [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo, Tiptup]], and VideoGame/{{Conker|s Bad Fur Day}} in ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing''. Timber was also supposed to have his own game with Bumper and Pipsy as his sidekicks, but it was canceled.
** Also, from the same game, there's Krunch, a [[GoKartingWithBowser neutral member]] of the Kremling Krew from VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry. Although he never appeared in another game, nor did he ever seem destined to, his design and attire were based on the Kremlings in the then-unreleased ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' as opposed to the original SNES trilogy.
** Although she did not appear in person in that game, Kazooie was actually first mentioned in the game instructions manual for ''DKR''.
** Also Tricky was ''supposed'' to be this, but the game he was going to have a major appearance in became rebranded to become a part of the ''VideoGame/StarFox'' universe. ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' ends up having a different-looking triceratops also named Tricky that has no relation to the one here.
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: Dino Domain.
* In the ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' series, [[DaddysLittleVillain Nina Cortex's]] official debut was in ''VideoGame/CrashTwinsanity''. However, the ''Fusion'' crossovers with the ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'' series were released before it and introduced her as a radically different character.
** Also, Fake Crash, a joke expy of the main character, first appears after 100% completion in various locations of ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot3Warped'' before his first playable appearance in ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacing''. It goes back further than that: Fake Crash's appearance in Crash 3 stemmed from a Japanese counterfeit toy.
* ''Star Wars: VideoGame/RogueSquadron''
** The Naboo Starfighter appeared as a secret ship six months before the release of ''Film/ThePhantomMenace''. Amazingly, this code managed to remain hidden until after the movie came out. Whether or not this subverts the trope is debatable.
** The first mission of ''Rebel Strike'' is basically the ''Rogue Leader'' [[SecretLevel bonus mission]] "Revenge on Yavin" from the Rebels' point of view.
* Geese Howard of ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' fame makes a cameo in the extended ending of the SNES version of ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'', which was released months before Geese's actual appearance as the TrueFinalBoss in the arcade version of ''Art of Fighting 2''.
* ''VideoGame/Persona3 Portable'' features a man drinking at the nightclub in Paulownia Mall. He appears to be Vincent from ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}''. He tells you a bit of a story about how much of a Jerkass he is, then points out that it has "nothing to do with your problems" at the end.
* Trixie from ''VideoGame/BackToTheFutureTheGame'' appears in ''VideoGame/PokerNightAtTheInventory'', facing away from the camera.
* Eoleo, one of the playable characters in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'', briefly appears as a toddler in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheLostAge''.
* ''VideoGame/DigimonWorld3'' featured Agunimon, [=KendoGarurumon=], and [=AncientGreymon=] in cameo appearances as [[FusionDance DNA Digivolutions]]; all three Digimon would go on to play large roles in ''Anime/DigimonFrontier''. However, it's slightly complicated; ''Frontier'' wasn't released in some regions, while in Japan, ''World 3'' was released three months into ''Frontier'''s run.
* Kite (Sora), an unlockable extra character in ''[[Franchise/DotHack .hack//Link]]'', is the main character in ''[[TheMovie .hack//TheMovie]]''.
* The PC version of the ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' game ''[[VideoGame/TheFairlyOddparentsBreakinDaRules Breakin' Da Rules!]]'' features a level where Timmy has to avoid a younger-aged version of Vicky and Tootie's mom, named Nicky here. The character eventually appeared on the show in her adult form, alongside her unnamed husband, in the "Channel Chasers" movie.
* The PC port of ''VideoGame/Halo2'' includes a silenced version of its SMG in a test map. This silenced SMG later went on to be the primary weapon of the player character in ''VideoGame/Halo3ODST''.
* Lumi, the {{virtual|Ghost}} DamselInDistress of ''VideoGame/ChildOfEden'', previously appeared in ''VideoGame/{{Lumines}} II'' in late 2006, which also featured "Heavenly Star", the debut song of Genki Rockets, the semi-fictional band that Lumi is the "singer" of.
* ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'':
** The prologue "Crew Expendable" and endgame "All In" featured two RedShirt SAS members, Wallcroft and Griffen, who were promoted to squad leaders in the ''[=MW3=]'' mission "Mind the Gap".
** In the remastered versions of ''Modern Warfare'' and ''Modern Warfare 2'', [[spoiler:Yuri]] makes cameos at events he was retroactively established to have been present for by ''Modern Warfare 3''. In ''Modern Warfare Remastered'' [[spoiler:he and Vladimir Makarov are present for Imran Zakhaev's failed assassination at the hands of Cpt. Price]], and in ''Modern Warfare 2 Remastered'' [[spoiler:he can be found wounded at the beginning of the playable area in "No Russian"]].
* [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Jin Kazama]]'s Devil form, which became a playable boss character in ''Tekken 5'', first appeared in his ending cinematic from the PSX port of ''Tekken 3''.
* ''VideoGame/PlaystationAllStarsBattleRoyale'': The game was released November 2012, and has elements from ''VideoGame/DmCDevilMayCry'' (released January 2013), ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'', ''VideoGame/SlyCooperThievesInTime'' (Both February 2013), and ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'' (March 2013). It also had [[VideoGame/BioShock Big Daddy]], possibly ProductionForeshadowing to the Burial At Sea DLC (March 2014), considering almost everything else was in reference to ''Infinite''.
* Three years before ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' came out, the Aesir Corporation's headquarters appeared during the cityscape flythrough in Remedy Entertainment's ''Final Reality'' benchmark/tech demo.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' has a habit of making faceless {{Bonus Boss}}es that hint to later games:
** ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix]]'' has a hooded figure called Unknown, who is actually [[BigBad Xemnas]] from the sequel.
** ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII KHII: Final Mix]]'', in turn, has the Lingering Will, [[AnimatedArmor a living suit of armor]] that's actually [[spoiler:the spirit of [[FallenHero Terra]]]] from ''Birth By Sleep''.
** [[RuleOfThree And finally]], ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth By Sleep]]'' has the Mysterious Figure, a man who looks exactly like Unknown and even fights with similar weapons. [[spoiler:The reason being he's [[TimeTravel Young Xehanort]] from ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance Dream Drop Distance]]''.]]
* Two years before the Broken Lords debuted in ''Videogame/EndlessLegend'', a Broken Lord {{Hero|Unit}} in was added to ''Videogame/EndlessSpace'', albeit as an "Unknown race".
* ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'': ''VideoGame/UltimaVIII'' appears as a "pirated" game in ''VideoGame/UltimaVIIPartII''. ''VideoGame/UltimaIX'' has ''Ultima Online 2'' appear before the game was ultimately cancelled.
* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto2'' introduced the ability to change the radio station in your car, as well as having different ones for each district. This could be considered in a way foreshadowing to Radio/GTARadio. As another added touch, a gang radio station's reception degrades the further you are from its source in a district, which eventually came back for ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' (crossing between Los Santos and Blaine County causes you to lose the signal for some stations).
* ''VideoGame/FalloutShelter'' featured ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' companions Preston Garvey and Piper Wright as [[HeroUnit Legendary Vault Dwellers]] prior to the release of the latter.
* In ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', one of your potential companions, the Railroad agent Deacon, will be present in major settlements before you first meet him face-to-face when joining the Railroad. For instance, he’ll be a security guard when you first arrive at Diamond City. Being a MasterOfDisguise, he'll be labeled as a generic NPC before you become acquainted with him.
* In the first ''VideoGame/{{Zork}}'', one of the characters you encounter (though without graphics) is a thief, whom [[StolenGoodReturnedBetter you have to give the jeweled egg to]] before you kill him. Ironically, [[https://www.thezorklibrary.com/history/kaine_lucien.html the thief you killed is actually]] [[spoiler:Lucien Kaine]], who[[spoiler:se spirit]] later reappears in ''VideoGame/ZorkNemesis'' [[spoiler:as the eponymous Nemesis who is plunging a portion of the Eastlands into darkness while he is finding a way to resurrect his long-lost love, Alexandria Wolfe, and himself, and to destroy the Alchemists and stop their {{evil plan}}s for good. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Nice Job Breaking It,]] FeaturelessProtagonist]].
** In ''[[VideoGame/{{Zork}} Zork III: The Dungeon Master]]'', if you touch the table marked with "IV" in the Scenic Area, you'll get transported to a temple of some courtyard, where some {{Black Cloak}}ed figure, who is later revealed to be [[spoiler:the BigBad Krill]] from ''VideoGame/{{Enchanter}}'', performs a HumanSacrifice ritual on you. Strangely enough, ''Zork III'' was released in 1982, and ''Enchanter'' would be released a year later.
* ''VideoGame/MegaMan2ThePowerFighters'' was also technically the debut of Duo, the game coming out four months before ''VideoGame/MegaMan8''.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
** An in-game book in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'', ''On Oblivion'', mentions a [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] named Jyggalag. It wouldn't be until ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'''s ''Shivering Isles'' expansion that Jyggalag would actually appear.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'':
*** The book ''Children of the Sky'' is the first in-game mention of the idea of "[[MakeMeWannaShout the Voice]]" in the series and its use by the Nords[[note]]the first mention in the series as a whole is in the "First Edition Pocket Guide to the Empire", a paper booklet included with the ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsAdventuresRedguard Redguard]]'' GaidenGame[[/note]]. Two games later in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', the Voice shows up in-game and the PlayerCharacter can use it.
*** There are no Trolls in ''Morrowind'', but there is Trollbone Armor. The helmets (which are hollowed out Troll skulls,) have three eye-sockets, just as trolls have from ''Oblivion'' onward.
*** Each of the expansions gives a taste of what is coming up in the next two games in the series:
*** The ''Tribunal'' expansion can be seen as a sneak peek of what ''Oblivion'' would be like, since the city of Mournhold bears many similarities to the Imperial City: Multiple districts in closed-off cells as opposed to being in the same cell as the surrounding wilderness, an AbsurdlySpaciousSewer down below (that is actually part of the ruins of former city upon which the current city is built), the presence of Goblins, Liches, and the Dark Brotherhood in full-force, no Levitation, and even Royal Guards in plate armor, which was how the Imperial Legion would be portrayed throughout the next game. There's even {{Foreshadowing}} of the Oblivion Crisis at one point in the questline.
*** Solstheim in the ''Bloodmoon'' expansion is essentially a cameo for ''Skyrim'' two games in the future. It's snowy, full of Nords, werewolves, spriggans, draugrs, and mead, all things that show up in ''Skyrim'' prominently. (Solstheim itself then shows up again as the setting for the ''Dragonborn'' expansion to ''Skyrim''.)
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'': The in-game book ''Immortal Blood'' mentions Movarth Piquine, a vampire hunter who was turned into a vampire and also the Clan Volkihar, a Nordic clan of vampires. Later in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', Movarth Piquine is a vampire lord and the BigBad of the quest ''Laid to Rest'', while the Clan Volkihar is a faction that can be either joined or fought against in the ''Dawnguard'' expansion to ''Skyrim''.
* Faye, a new character added to the remake ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEchoesShadowsOfValentia'', actually debuted in the crossover mobile game ''VideoGame/FireEmblemHeroes'' about a week before her home game's release. ''Heroes'' was also the first game to feature the ''Echoes'' designs for Alm, Clair, and Lukas.
* During the production of the ''VideoGame/LaMulana'' remake, the game's development team [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnJWbBY5mWc released a video]] on [[AprilFoolsDay April 1st, 2010]]. The video showcases a mix of genuine changes to the game and gags created specifically for the video. One of said gags was a cameo appearance by Lumisa Kosugi from the game's sequel, which wasn't announced until 2014.
* The ''Videogame/{{X}}-Universe'' series has a ''retroactive'' early bird cameo. The Albion Skunk CoolSpaceship was first debuted in the promotional art for their upcoming ''Videogame/XRebirth''. 8 months later, they release ''X3: Albion Prelude'' out of nowhere, where the Albion Skunk is piloted by a NPC in the plot ([[{{Interquel}} set in between]] ''X3: Terran Conflict'' and ''X Rebirth''). The Skunk wouldn't be seen again until the release of Rebirth [[ScheduleSlip two years later]], where is the player's ship.
* ''VideoGame/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' features references to the [[WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy television series]]' movie ''Billy and Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure'' even though the movie wasn't released until less than a year after the game came out. Billy and Mandy's android duplicates Billybot and Mandroid appear as alternate costumes, the Boogey Man's alternate costumes include his pirate getup and himself as a lawyer, the Boogey Bay level takes place at Boogey's pirate ship, and Horror's Hand is mentioned and shown in Boogey's Mojo Meltdown.
* In ''VideoGame/TheXCOMFiles'' (a fan mod for ''VideoGame/XCOMUFODefense'' on a new engine) Reapers are the terror weapon of Floaters, who normally appear by spring of 1999, same as in the original. But in new "Monster Hunt" missions reapers have a chance to appear from the start -- as early as December 1996.
* If you know about the All-Seeing Vortigaunt EasterEgg in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' and go into the pipe where he's hiding, you'll discover he has a stockpile of dead headcrabs. ''Fast'' headcrabs, in fact, the kind you won't run into alive until about a third of the way through Ravenholm.
* In ''[[VideoGame/KingsQuestVAbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder King's Quest V]]'', King Graham meets and rescues Princess Cassima in Mordack's castle. At the end of the game, his son Alexander falls in LoveAtFirstSight with Cassima, fueling the events of the [[VideoGame/KingsQuestVI next game.]]
* In ''VideoGame/BestFiends'', Seriously's [[https://www.facebook.com/SeriouslyHQ/videos/2288517824705092/?__tn__=-R five year celebration video]] gave early previews of three new Fiends: Ru the panda ant, Dougie the vinula moth, and Dina the Hickory Horned Devil. The latter was released just a week after this surprise appearance, albeit with a slightly modified design.
* ''VideoGame/GranTurismo 2'':
** One of the demo builds included an unfinished rendering of Monte Carlo AKA Côte d'Azur, which made its proper debut in ''GT 3''.
** The IA-2 and IA-10 license tests are based on the Eau Rouge-Radillon section of Spa-Francorchamps, which wouldn't appear in full until ''GT 5''.
* In the 2002 remake of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'', if the player goes around behind the staircase to the second floor in the main hall and tries to interact with the locked doors to the lower levels hidden there, a cutscene will play in which they hear a distorted feminine voice wailing and moaning from beyond the doors. This turns out to be a teaser for the remake's new penultimate boss fight, Lisa Trevor, whom the player won't meet face to face until they make it to the cabin in the back-woods area later on in the game.
** Both the remake and 1996 original feature a note left by one researcher for his girlfriend Ada, who would appear as a full-fledged character from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' onward. One smaller, easier-to-miss detail is RPD Chief Brian Irons' signature can be seen on both Chris and Jill's police ID cards on the character select screen; he also wouldn't make an appearance until the sequel.
* In ''VideoGame/CopyKitty'', the first mission in World 10 features graffiti on several parts of the city. One of these is the silhouette of Cleru, the protagonist of the creators' next game in the setting.
* During Route B of ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'', two holographic twin girls make brief "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" appearances throughout the campaign, such as [[spoiler: after the first battle against Adam and Eve, and when 2B strangles 9S to death]]. The player won't know who either of them are until the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, when [[spoiler: they're revealed as the Terminals, the commanders of the Machine Lifeforms and the ultimate masterminds behind the entire [[ForeverWar Machine War]].]]
* In the first level of ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' game ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', it's possible to run up to meet with Wizzro before his official story introduction in the second level. He's only identified as the Dark Wizard, and he runs away after he reaches half health. This doesn't stop him from summoning King Dodongo, however.
* In ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'', Crey agents are enemies intended for level 30+, but the climax of Golden Roller's missions allows you to fight them early around level 19 (whereas other lower-level missions tend to have the corporation only as TheGhost, letting you fight allies of theirs at most).
* The ''VideoGame/DarkTales'' series has a fairly obscure one. In the collector's edition of ''Fall of the House of Usher'', the player has a personal office which contains a number of interesting items, including a painting of two people. One is clearly Literature/CAugusteDupin, while the other is a woman whose facial features are left indistinct; but her attire and hairstyle strongly indicate that this is Anna Fleurs, who debuted properly later in the short-lived {{Freemium}} side game ''Nightfall''. However, another game in the series reveals that Anna debuted much earlier than that - the bonus chapter of ''Morella'' shows that Anna is actually ''the player character'' in some of the games. (The character's gender is inconsistent.)
* ''VideoGame/SlyCooper'':
** ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves'' starts its second chapter with a recon mission. During the mission, in addition to taking a photo of Rajan, the chapter’s antagonist, Sly also takes photos of the remaining members of the Klaww Gang: The Contessa, a double agent working for Interpol, Jean Bison, the shipping manager and logging expert, and Arpeggio, the leader of the group. All three of them serve as antagonists in later chapters.
** In ''VideoGame/SlyCooperThievesInTime'', rotating the camera during one portion of the prologue will show three silhouetted figures. One of them is the BigBad, Cyril [=LeParadox=], and two of them are his underlings, Sheriff Toothpick and Miss Decibel. Evidently, they’re already planning their scheme to steal all the Cooper Family Canes.
* Each of the ''VideoGame/Borderlands3'' Vault Hunters have their own dedicated [[StoryBreadcrumbs ECHO log]] hidden in ''{{VideoGame/Borderlands 2}}'s'' ''Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary'' DLC. Each ECHO log is designed to give a bit of flavour to the ''Borderlands 3'' Vault Hunters and explain what they were doing on Pandora before the events of the game.
* ''Videogame/TheAwesomeAdventuresOfCaptainSpirit'' is a GaidenGame to ''Videogame/LifeIsStrange2'' that serves to set up the events of the latter, with the Diaz siblings showing up at the very end of said game. Notably, this was their first appearance in the series and prior to them being announced as the protagonists of "2".
* ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy'': The [[NoPlotNoProblem plotless]] spinoff ''VideoGame/BulletHeaven'' introduces Anna as a playable character and [[spoiler:has Godcat as the final boss]], before their proper introductions in [[VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy4 the next main installment.]] Some enemies that would go on to appear in the fourth RPG also make their debut here.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
!!!'''By Studio:'''
* Creator/HannaBarbera:
** Before getting his own segment on the ''WesternAnimation/YogiBear'' show, WesternAnimation/{{Snagglepuss}} was an antagonist in selected episodes of ''WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw''.
** Before being a heroic sheriff on the ''WesternAnimation/MagillaGorilla'' show, Ricochet Rabbit was an antagonist on an episode of ''Touché Turtle'' two years earlier.
** In the 70s, Posse Impossible appeared in the series finale of ''WesternAnimation/HongKongPhooey'' before getting their own segment three years later on ''WesternAnimation/CBBears''.
** In 1959, lugubrious hyena [[WesternAnimation/LippyTheLionAndHardyHarHar Hardy Har Har]] appeared in a [[WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw Snooper and Blabber]] cartoon before being paired up with Lippy the Lion three years later.
** WesternAnimation/YakkyDoodle appeared in one of the earliest WesternAnimation/YogiBear cartoons.
* Creator/{{Terrytoons}} had three characters in their ''Deputy Dawg'' show that spun off into their own series. A little blue space alien became Astronut, a Russian mouse named Mischa became Macon Mouse, and the Long Island Duckling became Duckwood. Astronut was paired with a human named Oscar Mild, Duckwood was paired with a con-artist mule named Donkey Otie, and Macon Mouse was among the gang in ''Possible Possum''.
!!!'''By Series:'''
* The credits of Season 2 in ''WesternAnimation/AbbyHatcher'' features the credit of someone named "Farmer Jo", who hasn't appeared yet several episodes in.
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': The Lich first appears in a quick cameo in the episode "His Hero" in season 1, well before his official introduction as the BigBad of season 4.
* Ralph the Guard, a regular on ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'', made his debut as an unnamed, [[CharacterizationMarchesOn surprisingly]] competent security guard in several episodes of ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''. Likewise, World's Oldest Woman and Lucky Bob, two characters on ''WesternAnimation/{{Histeria}}'', made cameo appearances in ''Animaniacs'' segments years before their own show premiered. ''Histeria'''s version of Joan of Arc (which was actually just a caricature of Shirley [=MacClaine=]) also first appeared on ''Tiny Toons''.
* Long before viewers even learn who [[TheDragon Princess Azula]] is in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender,'' she makes one brief appearance; she's seen in the audience during Zuko and Ozai's Agni Kai, in which the former receives his signature facial scar. Since she's the only one in the crowd ''smiling'' as Zuko screams in pain, the viewers are given a clear warning that she is ''a serious threat'' - [[HeroKiller and she very much lives up to the warning]]. She also appears in the opening theme as the firebender, albeit cast in shadow as a silhouette.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman''[='=]s second episode [[Recap/TheBatmanS1E2Traction "Traction"]] features a flashback to the night Bruce's parents died, with a young red-headed and mustachioed police officer informing Bruce that Alfred's there to pick him up. According to [[WordOfGod producer Jeff Matsuda]], this was indeed supposed to be a young Jim Gordon, who would properly debut in the Season 2 finale, [[Recap/TheBatmanS2E13NightAndTheCity "Night and the City"]] with a side of RememberTheNewGuy as dialogue by Alfred and Gordon himself suggested Batman was already in an alliance with the recently-appointed Commissioner despite only appearing in said flashback beforehand. Also, Matsuda denied that the flashback was done as a tie-in to ''Film/BatmanBegins'', which started a trend (including being {{Ret Canon}}ed in the comics, as well as the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries'' and ''Series/{{Gotham}}'') of having the future Batman and future GCPD Commissioner meet the night the Waynes' died.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'':
** Harvey Dent is established as Gotham's DA and a friend of Bruce Wayne in two episodes before he has the accident that [[TwoFaced melts half his face off]].
** Matt Hagen is mentioned [[FreezeFrameBonus on a magazine cover]] as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" a couple episodes before his debut episode and transformation into Clayface.
* The ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead'' episode '1-900-Beavis' has an early version of [[WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill Dale Gribble]] appear as the husband/boyfriend of a phone sex worker. [[FanDisservice Wearing nothing but a pair of briefs.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/BewareTheBatman'' episode "Monsters", Special Crime Unit captain Dane Lisslow briefly appears as he directs his forces against Batman, Metamorpho, and the armored criminals. Who knew this unassuming, reasonable officer would end up becoming a close friend of Bruce Wayne a few episodes later? Or that [[spoiler:he'd end up being Deathstroke, the BigBad of the second half of the season]]?
** Due to the show's abrupt disappearance from Cartoon Network, Man-Bat and Killer Croc appeared in the tie-in comics several months before their introductory episodes aired on television.
* ''WesternAnimation/BigCityGreens'':
** Wholesome Foods, the store run by the Greens' rival Chip Whistler, makes a cameo as the store the Greens get their steak from in "Steak Night" before its official debut in "Supermarket Scandal".
** The Barry Cuda song was briefly heard in "Gridlocked" prior to its titular episode.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bonkers}}''[='=]s second partner Miranda Wright makes an extended non-speaking cameo as the Chief's uniformed secretary in "Hear No Bonkers, See No Bonkers", which, though animated later, is the fourth episode chronologically.
* The MTV show ''WesternAnimation/TheBrothersGrunt'' stemmed from a station ident where one of the characters craps out the MTV logo.
* Mr. Bumpy, Molly Coddle, and Squishington, the three central characters of ''WesternAnimation/BumpInTheNight'', were featured in a series of stop-motion bumpers that aired on Creator/{{ABC}} in 1993 before they got their own show.
* ''WesternAnimation/CarmenSandiego'': The poisoner from Season 2 makes a non-speaking appearance in Season 1's "The Vermeer Caper."
* ''WesternAnimation/ChalkZone'':
** In the episode "Snapmobile", Craniac 3 makes a brief cameo before becoming the major villain in "Future Zone". Coincidentally, both episodes ended up in the same half-hour, though "Snapmobile" aired before "Future Zone".
** Michelle Norwegiano makes a cameo in "The Wiggies", watching Penny talk about the titular creatures on a news report (Michelle herself having her hair eaten by them) before she's properly introduced in "The Skrawl" (however, Nickelodeon [[OutOfOrder screwed up the episode order]] and aired the latter before the former). She also has a slightly different design (possibly an earlier model) and she's voiced by Hynden Walch instead of E.G. Daily.
** Non-character example: Rudy was first shown in his season four outfit in a comic in the July 2004 issue of ''Magazine/NickelodeonMagazine'', a year before season four began airing.
* The ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' villain Potty Mouth debuted as a background character in the episode "Operation: M.O.V.I.E." before making his first full appearance in "Operation: A.W.A.R.D.S."
* All of the monsters and antagonists seen in the opening of the first season of ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' wouldn't appear within the series until the second season: Schwick from the episode "Courage in the Big Stinkin' City", the [=McPhearson=] Phantom from the episode of the same name, Robot Randy from the episode of the same name, the mummified Mayan baker from "Courage Meets the Mummy", Carmen from "Serpent of Evil River", and one of the banana people from "1000 Years of Courage".
* WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck and Gosalyn could be seen in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD5Si_AT25Y the opening sequence]] for the first season of WesternAnimation/TheDisneyAfternoon, about a year before their own show started airing.
* ''[[WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure]]'' featured the ''WesternAnimation/DoraAndFriendsIntoTheCity'' version of Dora four months before it was officially announced that she would have her own toy line.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'':
** General Amaya can briefly be seen from behind at the end of the opening narration, but does not appear properly until episode 4. She's also mentioned by Harrow in the first episode, but without any indication that she's a member of his own family.
** Ethari, Runaan's husband, is shown in two post credit scenes in season one, though he doesn't show up until early in season three.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "I Second That Emotion" Leela's parents can be seen in the background among the mutants in a few scenes, they would be properly introduced two seasons later.
** The first episode has an ''extremely'' subtle example as [[{{Foreshadowing}} Nibbler's shadow is shown as it was later revealed he was the one who pushed Fry into the chamber.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/GodzillaTheSeries'': Before Ts-eh-Go's appearance in "Where Is Thy Sting", a smaller but otherwise identical mutant scorpion named Scorpio briefly appears in the episode "Freak Show".
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'':
** In episode "[[Recap/GravityFallsS1E9TheTimeTravelersPig The Time Traveler's Pig]]", while Dipper and Mabel are jumping through time, we get a brief glance at [[spoiler:Ford Pines]], who wouldn't be introduced until halfway through Season 2. [[spoiler:While his face is shown up-close, the show tries to trick viewers in to thinking that he is his twin Stan in the past]]. He also appeared in the background of Stan's memory of boxing lessons in "[[Recap/GravityFallsS1E19Dreamscaperers Dreamscaperers]]", face obscured by a book.
** The time traveler Blendin Blandin from that same episode appears in the background of three prior ones, [[spoiler:cleaning up the anomalies that Dipper and Mabel caused when they accidentally went to the past]].
* Both animated versions of ''Literature/HortonHearsAWho'' could actually be this to the Grinch, since the book both animations were based on predated the book version of ''Literature/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas''.
* ''WesternAnimation/HouseOfMouse'' for some reason portrayed [[WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}} Ronno]] as a fawn instead of an adult deer since Bambi is always portrayed here as a fawn as well. Young Ronno won't make his official appearance in any animated Disney work at all until the release of the DirectToVideo film ''WesternAnimation/BambiII''.
* ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain'':
** Our first glimpse of [[spoiler:[[BigBad the Conductor]]]] is in the [[Recap/InfinityTrainS1E5TheCatsCar fifth episode]]... unless you were paying [[FreezeFrameBonus extremely close attention]] in [[Recap/InfinityTrainS1E1TheGridCar the first one]]. In which case, [[spoiler:you can see [[SamusIsAGirl her]] [[https://i.imgur.com/tiVcMex.jpg disappearing behind some trees]] when Tulip first wakes up in the snowy car]].
** The [[Recap/InfinityTrainS1E10TheEngine season one finale]] briefly shows other train passengers on a computer display, including two [[BrokeTheRatingScale whose numbers extend beyond five digits]]. The pair, [[TheCorrupter Grace and Simon]], later appear as [[spoiler:secondary antagonists in Book 2]], in addition to being the main characters of Book 3.
* Multi-Paul, [[spoiler:Dupli-Kate's twin brother in [[ComicBook/{{Invincible}} the comics]]]], appears as a prisoner in episode 3 of ''WesternAnimation/Invincible2021''.
* ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'': Well before Tarakudo officially appears in Season 4, his face is first shown in Season 2, in the form of his MarkOfTheBeast on the cover of the Demon Archive which turns Jade into the Queen of the Shadowkhan for an episode. The same mark is shown in Daolon Wong's cauldron when the dark chi wizard summons the Ninja Khan to serve him (it's the latter spell gone wrong that directly brings Tarakudo into the fold in the Season 4 premiere).
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' shows future BigBad and WellIntentionedExtremist Kuvira appearing during a metalbending dance routine halfway during Book 3, after which she receives some minor speaking roles. She's not named until the season's penultimate episode, where her introduction coincided with a ScareChord that instantly foreshadowed her future villain status in the show's final season.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' cartoon, before he joined the Legion and coined his superhero name in The Substitutes, Matter-Eater Lad was a competitor in the Space Olympics episode "Champions." The other, rejected [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway lame-power applicants]] also showed up in Lightning Storm for comic relief. Ultra Boy makes his first appearance as a competitor in Champions, as well.
* A few songs in ''WesternAnimation/MagicAdventuresOfMumfie'' came out on CD and cassette before they appeared in the show, with "Home" and "Real Eel Electricity" being released the earliest. All songs from the show's CD after "Ocean of Sleep" are also this trope, as when the CD was released, the episode featuring the Pirate Song would air a week later.
* Sort of inverse to the above example — part of Major Lazer's song "Powerful" played in the background of the ''WesternAnimation/MajorLazer'' episode "Vampire Weekend" nearly 8 months before the full track was officially released on an album.
* In its second season, ''WesternAnimation/{{Marsupilami}}'' frequently appeared in The Disney Afternoon's commercial bumpers a year before Disney released his cartoons as part of the ''WesternAnimation/RawToonage'' series.
* Magnus Hammersmith is seen in a flashback during the Season 3 premiere of ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'', long before he takes on a prominent role in Season 4. Also, Ishnifus Meaddle is quoted on the back of the Season 3 DVD. He doesn't appear until the fourth season finale.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** Snips and Snails showed up as thieves in the [[UsefulNotes/AdobeFlash Flash]] game ''Adventures in Ponyville'' on the Hub's website before their first appearance on the show.
** ''[[http://www.hubworld.com/my-little-pony/shows/friendship-is-magic/games/game-mylittlepony-discover Discover the Difference]]'', another flash game on the Hub's website, provides glimpses at the beginning of the instrumental version of a ThemeTuneExtended, as well as revealing scenes from "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E24OwlsWellThatEndsWell Owl's Well That Ends Well]]", "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E25PartyOfOne Party of One]]", and "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E26TheBestNightEver The Best Night Ever]]".
** ''[[http://www.hubworld.com/my-little-pony/shows/friendship-is-magic/games/mlp-adventures-in-ponyville Adventures in Ponyville]]'' showed Twilight as able to grant functional wings with magic, though they were a very different kind of wing (proper pegasus wings) than the ones she gave Rarity (butterfly wings made of gossamer and dew).
** The Cutie Mark Crusaders -- Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle -- appear huddled together for a short moment at the end of the first episode (Apple Bloom had already been introduced earlier, but the other two wouldn't officially meet her until episode 12).
*** Sweetie Belle also appears briefly at the beginning of Call of the Cutie due to an animation error, where an anonymous pony based on her model should've been shown.
** In the [[http://i.imgur.com/gZhjI.jpg Comic-Con 2011 poster]]/[[http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.262953797055398.84804.118429394841173 desktop background]], [[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=82897&view=findpost&p=1936410 the rightmost pony in the Twinkling Balloon is Pipsqueak]], who wasn't introduced until "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E4LunaEclipsed Luna Eclipsed]]".
** The background pony Blossomforth was released as a toy six months before her first appearance in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E22HurricaneFluttershy Hurricane Fluttershy]].
*** Also prior to Hurricane Fluttershy, Flitter and Cloudchaser had cameos in Hasbro's ''Friendship Express Train Puzzle Adventure''.
** Displays seen during a party at Hasbro's world headquarters, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM78zuCRcdE during the Hong Kong Licensing Show]] and [[http://mlparena.com/mlp/index.php?topic=290623.msg110717#msg110717 at a British Toys "R" Us store]] featured Princess Cadance and Shining Armor before their debut in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E25ACanterlotWeddingPart1 "A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1"]].
** [[CanonForeigner Diamond Rose]] [[http://csr.hasbro.com/pla01-our-employees.php appeared]] on Hasbro's Corporate Social Responsibility site before the first toy of her was [[http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/shop/details.cfm?R=C976877E-5056-900B-1077-F1350B3FDC1A:en_US listed]] on their ''My Little Pony'' site.
** In [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E12PinkiePride "Pinkie Pride"]], Pinkie Pie's [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E18MaudPie then-unnamed third sister]] appeared in the Pie family photos.
** The Mane Six's Rainbow Power forms from [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E26TwilightskingdomPart2 Twilight's Kingdom Part 2]] were present in the toyline up to a full year beforehand (albeit without the enhanced hairdos).
* Heffer from ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' first appeared on an MTV bumper in 1989 (where the flew out of a TV with the MTV logo branded on his butt) before being a deuteragonist for that show four years later.
* Jack Frost has a small appearance in ''WesternAnimation/RudolphAndFrostysChristmasInJuly''. That special premiered in November 1979, one month before [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Frost_(TV_special) his own special]] premiered in December.
* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'':
** Double Trouble appeared in the background of the Princess Prom at season one, three seasons before their significant appearance.
** Octavia, who plays a notable role in the episode "Boys' Night Out", can be seen among the Horde officers watching Shadow Weaver's dressing down in "The Beacon".
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'':
** Five years before the first episode aired, creators Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone made a short film called ''The Spirit of Christmas'', which was made using construction paper and had prototypical and mostly unnamed versions of the show's main characters. Three years later they made another ''Spirit of Christmas'', this time with the show's main characters properly named, characterised and recognizable, and also added Wendy Testaburger as an unnamed, non-speaking cameo.
** Butters had been a background character since the very first episode. He spoke in Season 2's "Roger Ebert Should Lay Off the Fatty Foods" and "Clubhouses", but he lacks his usual stuttering Southern accent.
** Like Butters, Token also first appeared in the first episode, but was never named or spoke until around the third season, after which he became a recurring character. In fact, he was depicted as [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness white in some of his Season 1 appearances]].
** Timmy had a scene in "Tooth Fairy Tats 2000", and became such an immediate EnsembleDarkhorse that he quickly gained his own [[ADayInTheLimelight day in the limelight]], "Timmy 2000".
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'':
** Not only does Eddie Brock get an extensive role (influenced by his role in ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan''), but also has Norman and Harry Osborn, The Sandman, The Rhino, The Shocker, Doctor Octopus, Curt Connors, and, possibly, [[spoiler: Frederick Foswell]], as supporting characters or minor villains before their inevitable darker turns, as well as, as said before, every named schoolmate Peter had in the comics, as well as (again, as noted above) Gwen Stacy, [[KilledOffForReal whose fate is well known.]] Felicia Hardy also cameos ''in costume'' in a HalloweenEpisode before her official introduction.
** Of specific note is Quentin Beck, who's introduced much earlier in season one as Chameleon's henchman before adopting his Mysterio persona. Naturally, when Spider-Man unmasks him, they make fun of it:
---> '''Mysterio:''' Don't pretend you've forgotten! I was the Chameleon's right-hand man!
---> '''Spider-Man:''' Ooooohhh... right... on the boat... you were... you were dressed as the crewman!
---> '''Mysterio:''' AS THE WAITER!!! You remember! 'Demitasse, Spider-Man?'
---> '''Spider-Man:''' Sure, sure, if you say so.
** Cletus Kasady (Carnage's host) makes a cameo in the Christmas episode. Had the series continued he probably would've become a recurring villain.
** Morris Bench (Hydro-Man in the comics) and Roderick Kingsley (Hobgoblin in the comics) also made appearances, and Mac Gargin (Scorpion in the comics) was mentioned at one point. Had the series continued, all three villains would have likely been used.
** Miles Warren also makes recurring appearances as an amoral and cold-hearted scientist who gradually takes over Curt Connors' lab, during which time he makes it clear he's interested in gene-splicing by transforming Kraven the Hunter. Had the series gone on he would have become the supervillain The Jackal (who splices his [=DNA=] with a jackal late in the comics) and probably done their version of ComicBook/TheCloneSaga. They also point out that he is the brother of Peter's high school science teacher.
** Also, a girl seen at the school dance in the seventh episode later becomes a recurring character in the second season: Sha Shan, Flash Thompson's would-be-girlfriend.
* Max Dillon appears in the eighth episode of ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheNewAnimatedSeries'' as Peter's friend and classmate, and doesn't become Electro until the following episode.
* Flats the Flounder had cameos in two Season 1 episodes of ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'', "Sandy's Rocket" and "Texas" before being featured in "The Bully". Possible FridgeBrilliance as "Sandy's Rocket" shows him as one of [=SpongeBob=]'s alien hunting victims possibly giving him motivation for wanting to kick [=SpongeBob=]'s butt in his featured episode.
* Glossaryck from ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' makes two brief appearances in "Star Comes to Earth" and "Monster Arm" before making his proper debut in "Mewberty".
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': In the Season 1 episode "Liberty on Ryloth", we see General Syndulla briefly interact with a female Twi'lek child who would later feature prominently as an adult in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'', Hera.
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'':
** The characters Ruby and Sapphire appear [[FreezeFrameBonus briefly]] in silhouette during [[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E32FusionCuisine "Fusion Cuisine"]] early in season one, when Alexandrite unfuses, twenty episodes before they'd receive proper introductions in [[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E49JailBreak "Jail Break"]].
** Yellow Diamond, [[GreaterScopeVillain one of the matriarchs of the Gem Homeworld]], who had previously only been [[TheGhost mentioned in passing]] in the actual show, appeared for a few seconds in the extended theme song video showcased at SDCC 2015, months before her proper debut in [[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E28MessageReceived "Message Received"]].
** [[spoiler:Bismuth]]. [[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E35Lion3StraightToVideo "Lion 3: Straight to Video"]] in the middle of the first season has her gemstone seen floating among the many miscellaneous objects in Lion's mane. Then, early Season 3 episode [[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E3SameOldWorld "Same Old World"]] has a brief scene of [[spoiler:Bismuth poofing Lapis Lazuli]] during a flashback. We finally meet the character near the end of the third season.
** The title sequence for ''[[WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture Future]]'' shows several antagonists that appear throughout the series. They are Jasper, two Lapis Lazulis, a fusion of [[spoiler: Aquamarine and a member of the Ruby squad]], a cactus that Steven brought to life, White Diamond [[spoiler: being controlled]], and a large monster who turns out to be [[spoiler: Steven himself]].
* ''WesternAnimation/StormHawks'': Harrier and Suzy Lu (with their respective squadrons visible further in the background) and the Screaming Queens and Buff Buzzards all make cameos in "Age of Heroes" amid the combined assault on Cyclonia. They respectively play relevant roles in later episodes.
* The first episode of ''WesternAnimation/StretchArmstrongAndTheFlexFighters'' features Officers Reynolds and Santos as two members of Rook Unlimited's security: The former becomes an unexpected major ally to the Flex Fighters near the end of the second season, while the latter becomes a villainous cyborg obsessed with revenge at the beginning of season two. In addition, when the Flex Fighters defend the train from Multi-Farious, you can see [[spoiler:Rook's mysterious Flexarium test subject]] in his disguise as an unassuming civilian.
* Laserbeak from ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' actually first appeared in the form of a toy that is packaged in the same blister pack as Animated Soundwave. Laserbeak himself didn't appear in the cartoon until season 3. (This was due to the show's creators not being informed that Soundwave came with a Laserbeak toy.)
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Ultimate Spider-Man}}'', Curt Connors has a recurring role in the first season as a SHIELD scientist. He doesn't become the Lizard until the second season.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' uses this form of the trope regularly. Many easily-missed background characters gain major plot relevance down the line. Sometimes it's only a few episodes later (such as the Investors appearing in the background of an episode before their official introduction,) while other times it's many ''seasons'' later (such as August St. Cloud, who was a frequent background character dating all the way back to season 1, but wasn't officially introduced until season 5.)
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'':
** The Matriarch of the Cra people who features in Season 2 makes such a cameo in [[Recap/WakfuS1E24Reunion Season 1]].
** There are two in the [[Recap/WakfuS1E26MountZinit Season 1 finale]]. [[spoiler:Qilby]] appears in one of Yugo's FreezeFrameBonus Eliacube visions as a [[SatanicArchetype particularly demonic-looking figure]]. And just before Yugo can deal the final blow to Nox on Mount Zinit, he's distracted by [[SinisterSilhouettes Ogrest]] who's roaring from the mountaintop.
** Rushu, one of the BigBadDuumvirate of the second season, makes a brief first appearance in "[[Recap/WakfuS2E4TheReturnOfPercedal The Return of Percedal]]".
** The Prince of Brakmar first appears in "[[Recap/WakfuS2E10KrissKrass Kriss Krass]]", before playing a small but important role later on in the season.
** In "[[Recap/WakfuS2E17TheCouncilOfTwelve The Council of Twelve]]", the woman next to the Osamodas King is actually princess Aurora, who's eventually married to Armand in Season 3.
* The Yogman Twins Lenny and Denny appear in the pilot episode of ''WesternAnimation/WhateverHappenedToRobotJones'' as background characters before being properly introduced in the episode "Electric Boogaloo".
* The 90s ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' cartoon had background appearances from Mystique, Pyro, Earthquake, Blob, Omega Red, and Captain America at least an episode (or in Cap's case, a couple of ''seasons'') before they actually played some sort of role.
* The tie-in comic series to ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' came out alongside the show and is officially canon to it. As a result, it premiered several characters long before they made their debut on the show such as the Terror Twins, The Joker, Kaldur'ahm's parents (Sha'lain'a and Calvin Durham), and Wyynde. The latter three really stand out because they appeared on the show ''seven years'' after their comic appearances due to the show's cancellation and revival.
* Odd case involving a song: The ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' episode "Waffles" features background music that eventually became [[PottyDance "The Pee Pee Dance"]] from "Serious Business". Though it might be downplayed, as the creators have stated that [[ExecutiveMeddling the show's creative executives did not take well to some concepts in the original script]], so it might have originally been planned for Season 1, with the instrumental here being planned as a ContinuityNod.

[[/folder]]

* The druids who accompanied Wrestling/UltraMantisBlack for his match against Wrestling/{{Hallowicked}} at ''Through Savage Progress Cuts the Jungle Line'' later gained individual, and largely unrelated to Black identities as Obariyon and Kodama.

* Flex Rumblecrunch was first spotted at the December 2012 Chikara event ''Under The Hood'' accompanying The Devastation Corporation during their entrance, then leaving. He wouldn't be seen or heard from again until May 18th, 2013, during the Tag World Grand Prix, when he turned up and to attack Wrestling/{{The Colony|Wrestling}} with Max Smashmaster and Blaster [=McMassive=].

* The man who would become Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}} wrestler Wrestling/GranAkuma was in the audience for ''The Second Show'' on May 31, 2002, meaning his face appeared on camera ''three years'' before he lost his mask to Wrestling/ShaneStorm at ''Running in the Red'' on November 13, 2005.

** According to the commentary track on his [[WesternAnimation/TheLorax Lorax]] Review, A early version of the character Hyper Fan Girl appears in his top 11 WesternAnimation/SouthPark episodes played by Rachel wearing glasses an orange shirt instead of a sweater. She's later played by Tamera and is a recurring character on the show.

** Also in the case of [[VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures Dinosaur Planet]] a much older version of Tricky appears in ''DKR'' as the first guardian you race.

[[folder:Other]]
* The [[Creator/{{Disney}} Disney Videos]] logo first appeared in a Brazilian VHS promo shown on the Brazilian VHS of ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' as a still and in the "Disney is Magic" anti-piracy bumper of the Mexican VHS in its normal form (both were released in 1994), before its official debut in January 1995.

* Before the band Music/OldDominion was formed, three of its members (Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, and Brad Tursi) wrote songs for other country music singers.

* CountryMusic songwriter/producer Shane [=McAnally=] was originally a singer, and charted at #31 in 1999 with "Are Your Eyes Still Blue". He went away for several years, then after having a few songs in the LGBT film ''Shelter'', had a hit in the form of Music/LeeAnnWomack's "Last Call", which he co-wrote. From that point onward, songwriting and production became his bread and butter.

* After leaving S-K-O (Schuyler, Knoblock & Overstreet), Paul Overstreet was one of two featured vocalists (the other being Paul Davis of "I Go Crazy" fame) on Music/TanyaTucker's 1988 hit "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love" before his solo career officially began.

** The former album also had a track written by a then-unknown Big Kenny, later of Music/BigAndRich (he also wrote a song on The Mavericks' ''Trampoline'' the same year).
* Before Music/BigAndRich released their debut single "Wild West Show" in December 2003, they wrote "Amarillo Sky" for [=McBride & the Ride=] in 2002 (later CoveredUp by Music/JasonAldean). They also co-wrote and sang backing vocals on the album track "She's a Butterfly" on Music/MartinaMcBride's (no relation) 2003 album ''Martina''.

* According to songwriter Dennis Linde, the eponymous Earl of Music/DixieChicks' "Goodbye Earl" is the same character who previously appeared in "Queen of My Double Wide Trailer" by Sammy Kershaw.

* At the end of the final episode of ''Anime/MyHime'', Arika, the lead of ''Anime/MaiOtome'', runs across the screen in the background.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' established Harvey Dent as Gotham's DA and a friend of Bruce Wayne in two episodes before he has the accident that melts his face off.

** In ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce]] sends [[Franchise/WonderWoman Diana]] footage that Comicbook/LexLuthor has been collecting of metahumans, giving Early Bird Cameos of Comicbook/{{Aquaman}}, Franchise/TheFlash and Comicbook/{{Cyborg}}, while the Kryptonian ship gives Lex a glimpse of [[Comicbook/NewGods Steppenwolf]], before these characters are fully introduced in ''Film/{{Justice League|2017}}''.