History Main / LastMinuteHookup

** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' especially, there are several units available via [=SpotPass=] (playable versions of Emmeryn, certain antagonists[[note]]Gangrel, Walhart, Yen'Fay and Aversa, the last of which is notable for being the boss of the chapter you have to beat to unlock these in the first place[[/note]], [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers and Priam]]) which you only get access to right before the final map who are still somehow able to reach S support level with the player character. Downplayed (but still present) with Flavia and Basilio (towards the player, since they are only PlatonicLifePartners of each other) who become playable in chapter 23, about 3 chapters before the last one.

It finally happened. After all the {{Fanwank}} and {{Shipping}}, after all the [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend denial]], after all the WillTheyOrWontThey, after all the fighting (by either [[BelligerentSexualTension the couple]] or [[ShipToShipCombat the fans]]), and after all the heartless [[ShipTease teasing]], devoted fans and viewers alike are at last rewarded with the two characters (usually the main character and his/her close friend of opposite gender) [[FanPreferredCouple everyone knows and/or demands should inevitably get together]], finally doing just that. Too bad it can't be enjoyed, what with the show ending in the next two seconds and all.

** That same unused scene reveals that [[GlassCannon Tye]] and Asami get together. There was nothing explicitly romantic between them previously, but they at least interacted more and it was [[FanPreferredPairing already popular with the fans]].

** Alicia receiving a ring for the ''Marriage to the Sea'' event was the only scene that implied that she had a boyfriend.
* ''Manga/CaptainTsubasa'': In the last two Volumes of the first manga series (volumes 36 and 37) Tsubasa and Sanae realize the feelings they have for each other, Sanae finally becomes honest with herself and her feelings, but Tsubasa is a strange case, he showed no hints whatsoever that he liked Sanae or anyone else, so his love confession felt like a last-minute plot. This is saved from its own awkwardness because that’s only the first manga series’ climax, the sequels do take their time to show Tsubasa showing affection towards Sanae, and consequently developing their relationship.
* ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'': The Creator/KyoAni adaptation had [[OfficialCouple Nagisa and Tomoya]] hook up during the final episode of the first season. In the VisualNovel however, if you play through Nagisa's route, they end up hooking up much, ''much'' earlier (in the anime, it's a day after the Culture Festival, in the game, it's on April 24, and the game starts on April 14).

* This is heavily implied in the anime ending of ''Manga/{{MAR}}'' between Ginta and Koyuki/Snow. Their last scene together is very suggestive, and literally about 2 minutes before the end.

* In ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'', Hitomi and Van, who confess their feelings for one another in the last half of the last episode and don't even get a kiss. This was mostly the result of the series getting massively cut down from the intended number of episodes, forcing the rushed ending. Had the series continued as planned this presumably would have been averted.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'':
** A little unclear but appears to happen when Leela may have fallen for Fry after the big Faustian showdown at the opera in the last episode, but if so, this was unintentional as it wasn't meant to be the last episode, but rather the series got ScrewedByTheNetwork and cancelled. Complicated by the later [[UnCanceled revival of the series]], which hit the ResetButton, and any such relationship no longer survives.
** Then another last-minute hookup happened at the end of ''Into The Wild Green Yonder'', which was supposed to be the series finale. Now the show has been revived a second time, and the writers are actually acknowledging the hookup.
** In what was the ''final'' Final Episode, there's an almost literal Last-Minute Hookup: Fry decides to ask Leela to marry him, and an accident involving a "time-looping device" results in the entire world ... except for the two of them ... being frozen in time. They spend the rest of their lives growing old together in this frozen moment, until [[spoiler:Professor Farnsworth, who was apparently killed in the accident but was actually "rotated into an orthogonal time dimension", shows up and rebuilds the looping device to loop the world back to before he got the idea to invent the device]].

** Subverted with the main couple in special case. Kim and Ron's OfficialKiss was the last scene of what was intended to be the FinaleMovie. However, grassroots operations orchestrated by fans [[UnCanceled brought the show back]]. Kim and Ron stay an OfficialCouple for the entire fourth season.

* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'':
** Ryoga's getting together with Akari Unryuu could technically count as one of these. While Akari appears about four volumes before the final volume, she only makes appearances in four stories.
** Zigzagged with the Ukyo/Konatsu pairing; introduced at about the same time as Akari, Konatsu only has '''one''' dedicated storyline after his introduction and a cameo in the final story.

* ''Series/{{Angel}}'' has a variation, where [[spoiler: Fred and Wesley]] don't so much hook up at the last minute as they do hook up and then have EXACTLY ONE MINUTE to enjoy it before [[spoiler: Fred dies in the very next episode]].

** In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' ends with [[MasculineFeminineGayCouple Korra and Asami]] walk off into the spirit portal {{holding hands}} and [[HeldGaze looking lovingly]] at each other, with the creators later confirming that this was indeed an example of this trope. Until then, the fandom had assumed that any perceived romantic moments were the result of their own LesYay ShippingGoggles, not actual ShipTease.

* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': A special case, in that it would've without a doubt fulfilled the trope with Kim and Ron's Disney kiss in the intended GrandFinale movie (lampshaded a few episodes beforehand). However, grassroots operations orchestrated by fans [[UnCanceled brought the show back]]. The creators have repeatedly stressed in interviews how hard they had to work to avoid JumpingTheShark or "gross[ing] out the 10-year-olds watching."

* ''WesternAnimation/SuperRobotMonkeyTeamHyperforceGo'': After four seasons of BelligerentSexualTension with many CanNotSpitItOut moments, the last episode has Sprx and Nova finally show their true feelings for each other when Nova confesses her love to make Sprx go back to being good after the [[ArtifactOfDoom Fire of Hate]] turned him evil and he almost killed her. Nova then gives Sprx a kiss right before the final battle against the resurrected BigBad begins. In the show's defence, it was meant to go another season, so it's possible the hookup was added at the last minute to tie up loose ends once they realized it was getting cancelled.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'': The series often alluded to Robin and Starfire having feelings for each other, with the duo finally having their [[TheBigDamnKiss Big Damn Kiss]] in the last few minutes of the movie, ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansTroubleInTokyo''.
-->'''Cyborg:''' Well, [[ShipperOnDeck it's about time]].

* ''Manga/DNA2'' makes it obvious in the final scene that [[VictoriousChildhoodFriend Ami]] and Junta will end up together. This is after a good chunk of the manga revolved around Junta's feelings for Karin and her trying to come to terms with her own for him, with the attempt of hooking Junta up with Ami being a minor subplot that was quickly forgotten. Couples as StrangledByTheRedString, as the other romantic options are quickly dealt with: Kotomi has been [[PutOnABus shipped off to Germany]], Tomoko goes back to her [[JerkJock jerk]] boyfriend and Karin, [[FishOutOfTemporalWater being from the future]] has to return and actually fixes the circumstances, so that Junta will end up with Ami.

* ''Manga/MagicKnightRayearth'': In the anime version, Hikaru and Lantis do this, with a full-blown confession from both of them, right before Hikaru gets whisked back to her world. [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue The last few scenes]], however, seem to imply that they won't be separated for long...
* ''Anime/MartianSuccessorNadesico'' holds off on making the relationship between Akito and Yurika official until the very end. While Yurika was pushing for a reciprocated ChildhoodFriendRomance from the start, Akito avoided it at every turn. The fight leading UP to the romance began with 5 minutes left in the series and is established with about 2 minutes left.
* This is heavily implied in the anime ending of Manga/{{MAR}} between Ginta and Koyuki/Snow. Their last scene together is very suggestive, and literally about 2 minutes before the end.
* Happened in ''Anime/IGPXImmortalGrandPrix''. Takeshi and Liz spent all of 26 episodes (two years in-universe) [[BelligerentSexualTension exchanging blows]]. Takeshi already had a girlfriend in Fantine, a pilot for a rival team, who noticed Liz's connection with Takeshi and promptly broke off their relationship. In the last few minutes of the final episode, Takeshi [[CannotSpitItOut struggles to ask Liz out on a date]]. Liz responds with a [[TheBigDamnKiss gentle kiss]], confirming her answer.
* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'', Roux Louka ends up joining Judau in the ending. He's the hero, his primary love interest (the BigBad, Haman Khan) is dead, and his [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Unlucky Childhood Friend]] Elle is more-or-less hooked up with Beecher, so Roux (the only unattached girl on the Gundam Team) is elected despite having no more subtext with him than any other female major character.
* ''{{Franchise/Naruto}}'': Due to the genre of the series, all canon pairings were decided within the last two chapters and ''Anime/TheLastNarutoTheMovie''. AllLoveIsUnrequited is strictly enforced for the entire duration of the series and even at the end of the main story, the romantic relationships of the characters were still left unresolved. Then the last chapter is a BabiesEverAfter DistantFinale with the romantic relationships somehow resolved off-screen during the TimeSkip. In the case of [[OfficialCouple Naruto and Hinata]], their hookup was resolved in a canonical movie appropriately titled ''The Last'', set between the second last chapter and the last chapter of the manga.
* ''Anime/SandsOfDestruction'' ends with Morte and Kyrie [[KissingDiscretionShot apparently suddenly realizing their feelings for one another are romantic]] in the last moments of the very final episode. You could almost make an argument for them being StrangledByTheRedString, considering that most of their previous interactions were nearly entirely platonic or [[AmbiguousSituation ambiguous]] at best, except that the romantic resolution is given little more than a light nod.
** The [[VideoGame/SandsOfDestruction game]] it was adapted from averts the trope, with the two of them becoming an OfficialCouple about halfway through the plot and plenty of build-up: he's clearly infatuated from their first meeting, and she shows hints of softening towards him before the plot [[LoveEpiphany brains her with a clue-by-four]].
* ''Anime/{{Nightwalker}}'': Over the course of the story, Riho develops from {{muggle}} GirlFriday to SecretKeeper to [[spoiler:vampire daughter]] and finally to lover of the {{Vampire Detective|Series}} protagonist. Despite appearing like a one-sided crush on Riho's part for the majority of the show, in the penultimate scene Shido and Riho get into bed (a coffin) together.
* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', Gray spends most of the series rejecting Juvia's advances, much to her chagrin. Only in the very last chapter do we see a brief interlude of the two walking home together, and he ''accepts'' her proposition this time around.
* Creator/HiroMashima seems to love this trope, as his previous work ''Manga/RaveMaster'' also had it with Haru and Elie. They declare their love for each other during the final battle, when it seems she's going to have to kill him to save the world, but fortunately, he turns up alive one year later and they're HappilyMarried [[BabiesEverAfter with a son]] in the epilogue.
* Parodied in chapter 2 of ''Musashi-kun to Murayama-san wa Tsukiatte Mita''. After Musashi accepts her spur-of-the-moment offer for a relationship, Murayama [[ThinksLikeARomanceNovel starts pouring over her collection of romance novels]] for advice since she has no idea how to date someone. Unfortunately for her, every single one of them ends with the confession.
-->'''Murayama:''' Whaddya mean ''the end?!'' We're just getting to the real part.

[[folder:ComicBooks]]

* Cassie Hack and [[spoiler: Georgia]] have this in ComicBook/HackSlash.
* Within a year of Harley Quinn crossing over into canon comics, writers flip-flopped and started showing that the Joker really would kill Harley and only kept her around because she was loyal and made him laugh. A good handful of writers even had Joker openly flirting with Batman and Lex Luthor to amp up his creepiness. But in the very last issue of ''Gotham City Sirens'', when Harley wants Joker dead for good and believes he's luring her into a trap, right before the New 52 complete reboot of the DC Universe, Joker kisses Harley. Note that this particular writer had zero experience writing the Joker before this.
* Fairy tales often leave off with the couple overcoming the problem at hand, having a kiss, and proceeding to "live HappilyEverAfter". This is turned right on its ear with the ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'' comic book series, where it's revealed that the "Prince Charming" from the various tales is all the same guy, working through a series of failed marriages.

[[folder:{{Fanfic}}]]

[[folder:{{Film}} -- Animated]]

* ''WesternAnimation/AMonsterInParis'' stretches this trope to its limits, with [[spoiler: Raoul and Lucille]] only hooking up ''after'' the [[spoiler: DancePartyEnding]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'' Jack and Sally.

[[folder:{{Film}} -- Live Action]]

%%* ''Film/SkyHigh2005'': Will and Layla.

* ''The Snake King'', A Film/SyFyChannelOriginalMovie, ends with the male lead and female lead, who have shown ''[[StrangledByTheRedString no interest in each other at all]]'' up to this point, falling in love after the final battle. It is a prime example of this trope, complete with the one single kiss at the very end.
* ''Film/StrangeDays'': Mace and Lenny get together just seconds before the end credits roll.
* ''Timelock'' ends with a spaceship pilot and a criminal in bed... despite the fact that she was a total bitch to him and he should be serving his sentence at Alpha One.
* ''Film/SavingSilverman'': J.D. hooks up with Coach Norton at the end of the movie, immediately after both admit they are gay. They get married in the next scene.

* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'': The pairing of Faramir and Éowyn at the end of the [[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing third film]] comes [[StrangledByTheRedString basically out of nowhere]] (though [[AdaptationExplanationExtrication it's given much more attention in the books]]) after Éowyn has spent most of her time pining after Aragorn. Though you might argue realizing the crush is hopeless shows CharacterDevelopment.

* In ''{{Film/Holiday}}'', John and Linda wait until the ''very last shot'' of the movie to make their relationship official. That's still one up on the play's MaybeEverAfter ending.
* ''Film/{{Highwaymen}}'': After Fargo's defeat, the protagonist initially considers leaving as his quest for revenge is over (Fargo previously murdered his wife). He and Molly seem to get together just before the end credits.
* ''Film/TheMartian'': Beck and Johanssen's relationship is reduced to a literal Last Minute Kiss when she gives him a quick smooch before he goes EVA to help retrieve Mark, instead of (apparently) hooking up beforehand and moving into the same bunk as happened in the book. Given that said romance didn't really add much to the story in the first place and barely ever comes up after it's mentioned, [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools this doesn't really hurt much.]]
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/PopstarNeverStopNeverStopping'', where immediately after the Style Boyz performance at the Poppy's, Lawrence makes out with the unnamed stagehand who he had previously never even met (at least on screen). This is even {{Lampshaded}} by Conner in the middle of his inner monologue.
--> '''Conner''': Yo, do they even know each other?
* ''Film/EpicMovie'': Near the end of the film, Mystique ends up revealing she now finds Peter extremely attractive and drags him into his tent to have sex with him. Peter had a crush on Mystique near the beginning of the film, but her only scenes up to this point involved her mocking and rejecting him, and the other simply had the X-Men and her now wanting to stand beside Peter. Her finding him attractive enough to have hardcore sex with him, [[FanDisservice as a fat, unibrowed grandma]] [[ChubbyChaser per his requests]] might I add, all night long near the end of the film comes almost completely out of nowhere.

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

* This happens in so many books of Creator/AgathaChristie such as ''Literature/TheMurderOnTheLinks'', ''Literature/TowardsZero'' or ''Literature/WhyDidntTheyAskEvans'' In fact, it might be shorter to name the Christie books that ''don't'' have a last-minute hookup. Sometimes the 'last-minute' part may even be as late as the final page and occasionally overlaps with FourthDateMarriage.
* In the ''Darkest Powers'' series, Chloe and [[spoiler:Derek]], only get together at the end. However given they may make an appearance at some point in the next YA trilogy (''Darkness Rising''), there might be the possibility of seeing them as a couple then.

** A book specific example would be Harry and Ginny in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince Half-Blood Prince]]''. Not only do they become a couple close to the end after Harry spends a good portion of the book crushing on her, but they ''still manage to break up before the end of the book!'' To make matters worse, they spend even less screen time together in the last book. [[spoiler: By the epilogue, they're HappilyMarried]], leaving even those who took no sides in the shipping scratching their heads. Again, the film tries to avert this. Not only does Ginny get a fair more screen time and more scenes with Harry in the ''Half-Blood Prince'' adaptation, but they don't break up at the end, either. Plus their interactions in ''Deathly Hallows, Part 1'' count too. (Thank you Creator/SteveKloves!) However, like Hermione and Ron, it still suffers on account of [[CompressedAdaptation how much is left out]].

* It's not until the last page of ''[[Literature/TheHungerGames Mockingjay]]'' that Katniss ends up with [[spoiler:Peeta]].
* ''An Old Fashioned Girl'' by Louisa May Alcott. She spends the final paragraphs letting readers know that, the two main couples did indeed marry, and pairs off most of the other unmarried characters, not without a TakeThat to readers who objected to [[spoiler:Laurie marrying Amy rather than Jo at ]]the end of ''Literature/LittleWomen''.
** Although the hookup is mentioned in the middle of the book, she does this again in ''Jack and Jill'' by explaining that all the assumed pairings would happen in a decade but they're just children now. She has to add the obligatory old maid, however, in Molly.
* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain'' by Creator/LloydAlexander: After five books of arguments and misunderstandings, Taran and Eilonwy get married at the very end of the last chapter of the last book.

* In ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'', Jacob Black with [[spoiler:Renesmee. It takes them ''less than a minute'' to be paired up, especially after Bella delivered her and recently passed away. Way to mourn the girl you thought you were in love with, Jake]].

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
* ''Series/{{Alice|2009}}'': Hatter and Alice.

* Spoofed at the end of Series 2 of ''Series/ATouchOfCloth'' when Jack Cloth suddenly and inexplicably hooks up with the only available main character -- his nemesis, who killed his wife and who he was inches away from killing for most of the series, and who is also another man, with no indication given to Jack's (or his) orientation prior.
-->'''Ann:''' But... I don't understand.\\
'''Jack:''' Nor do I. That's just how feelings work.\\
'''Ann:''' But you ''hate'' him.\\
'''Jack:''' Love and hate don't mean anything, they're just words we use to describe meaningful feelings.\\
'''Ann:''' He ''killed'' your wife!\\
'''Jack:''' ''(with a shrug)'' No one's perfect.

* Rose and the Tenth Doctor's metacrisis clone in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' series 4 finale "Journey's End".

* ''Series/ICarly'': After ''5 years'' of shipping fan wars, pandering for the Sam/Freddie pairing as well as the Carly/Freddie one ''and'' both relationships having temporary in-canon relationships that are broken up, Carly kisses Freddie for the last time and they have a last-minute parting kiss in the original series finale before Carly leaves the country.

* ''Series/{{Life On Mars|2006}}'': Sam and Annie.

* ''Series/MissFishersMurderMysteries'': Phryne and Jack ''finally'' get their OfficialKiss after three seasons of solid WillTheyOrWontThey, not to mention plenty of BelligerentSexualTension along the way.

* On Stargirl, the final minutes of the finale reveal Rick and Beth are married in the future. While a popular couple for the fans to ship, they never showed any actual romantic interest in the series proper.

* In ''Series/LesFillesDaCote'', at the end of the show's first incarnation, before its reboot with a pretty much brand new cast, it is strongly hinted Marc gets off with Claire, and they [[PutOnTheBus depart as a couple, possibly to Brussels]]. Apparently Claire was worn down and couldn't be bothered to say "Non!" anymore.

[[folder:VideoGames]]

* ''VideoGame/ShiningForce 2'': There are a couple last-minute hookups. [[spoiler: Bowie and the princess hook up after his kiss brings her out of her coma. Sarah we found out had a crush on Bowie all along and is heartbroken, but we're led to assume that she [[PairTheSpares hooks up with Kazin instead]].]]
* ''Franchise/StarWars VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'': All three potential romances do not reach their resolutions until the end of the game. The [[GayOption lesbian relationship]] with Juhani occurs after you decide to stay on the good side once and for all, the relationship with Carth occurs when you return to the ship, and the relationship with Bastila begins not long before the final boss battle.
* ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'': Allen and Shion get together at the end.

* Played with in ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'', Gades ''[[DiscOneFinalBoss seems]]'' to be the final boss, and Selan suddenly confesses to Maxim mere minutes into the aftermath. [[ForegoneConclusion Their journey is far from over.]]
* ''VideoGame/EternalEden'' is an unusual variation. After spending a major portion of the game flirting with [[DudeLooksLikeALady Jean]], Fierro was engaged to Josefine in the epilogue. Granted, the epilogue took place after a CosmicRetcon, where the events that take place in the game did not happen in the new reality, and the two probably had an offscreen romance.

[[folder:WebComics / Web Original]]

* ''WebVideo/AgentsOfCracked'': [[spoiler: Dan and Michael.]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Avalon}}'' had two: [[spoiler:Joe & Helène, and Ceilidh and Phoebe. This second one became a rather large controversy for many fans, as there was little to no hint of it in the strip before the ScheduleSlip until the text summary that the author ended the comic with. The second one felt rather out of left field (perhaps to the point of Phillips' falling prey to PairTheSpares), while the first one was pretty obvious for quite some time.]]

* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'': In the final episode, [[spoiler:Scanlan and Pike]] ask each other out right before the WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue begins, and said epilogue involves them getting married.
* ''WebVideo/AlexanderAvila'': Discussed in his "Last Minute Gays" videos. He discusses how a lot of canon queer relationships are only allowed to get together at the end of a series. Among the many examples are Korra and Asami from ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' and Marceline and Princess Bubblegum from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''.
* In the last chapter of ''WebComic/MagicalBoy'', [[spoiler:after his attempt in asking Toby out fails, Max gets asked out by Sean]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' did this with Jimmy and Cindy in the last episode, "The Lady Sings the News". Even though the episode itself was [[ADayInTheLimelight Libby-centered]]...

** Drakken and Shego at the end of "Graduation."

* ''WesternAnimation/SuperRobotMonkeyTeamHyperforceGo'' had Sprx and Nova, the resident BelligerentSexualTension pairing who had a severe case of CanNotSpitItOut for the show's entire run, finally admitting their feelings in the last episode. In the show's defence, ''SRMTHG'' was meant to go another season, so it's possible the pairing was added to tie up loose ends once they realized it was getting cancelled and would have been held off more if the show continued. Also, while Nova tells Sprx that she loves him, it's quite up in the air if they became a couple given some issues such as him being BrainwashedAndCrazy when she confessed to him and their exchange being interrupted by the BigBad's resurrection before he could give her an answer.

* The GrandFinale of ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'' has Upchuck [[PairTheSpares randomly hitting on]] [[{{Goth}} Andrea]] during a party. She agrees to leave the party to go on a date with him, to his complete and utter amazement.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' ends with [[FanPreferredCouple Korra and Asami]] walk off into the spirit portal {{holding hands}} and [[HeldGaze looking lovingly]] at each other, with the creators later confirming that this was indeed an example of this trope. Until then, the fandom had assumed that any perceived romantic moments were the result of their own LesYay ShippingGoggles, not actual ShipTease.
* The GrandFinale of ''WesternAnimation/PennZeroPartTimeHero'' has Penn and Sashi share a kiss sometime after the team's final mission.
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'''s final episode "Come Along With Me" has Princess Bubblegum and Marceline share a kiss after the latter rescues the former from GOLB. LSP and Lemongrab also kiss, which is PlayedForLaughs.

See HookedUpAfterwards for when this happens to side characters, and MaybeEverAfter for when the hook up is hinted or implied rather than being certain.

* ''Manga/{{ARIA}}'': A variety of this trope occurs at the end of the series, when super-undine Alicia declares that she will retire and get married. Before that there was no indication whatsoever that she was even ''seeing'' someone, let alone that she was getting engaged. Throughout the series [[PseudoRomanticFriendship she appears to be mostly focused on Akari]], so her announcement does come totally out of the blue. Worse, her fiancé doesn't even get the slightest bit of screen time, so it all feels like quite a cop-out.

* ''Manga/CaptainTsubasa'': In the last two Volumes of the first manga series (volumes 36 and 37) Tsubasa and Sanae realized the feelings they have for each other, Sanae finally became honest with herself and her feelings, but Tsubasa is a strange case, he showed no hints whatsoever that he liked Sanae or anyone else, so his love confession felt like a last minute plot. This is saved from its own awkwardness because that’s only the first manga series’ climax, the sequels does take its time to show Tsubasa showing affection towards Sanae, and consequently developing their relationship.

* ''Manga/DNA2'' makes it obvious in the final scene that [[VictoriousChildhoodFriend Ami]] and Junta will end up together. This is after a good chunk of the manga was revolving around Junta's feelings for Karin and her trying to come to terms with her own for him, with the attempt of hooking Junta up with Ami being a minor subplot that was quickly forgotten. Couples as StrangledByTheRedString, as the other romantic options are quickly dealt with: Kotomi has been [[PutOnABus shipped off to Germany]], Tomoko goes back to her [[JerkJock jerk]] boyfriend and Karin, [[FishOutOfTemporalWater being from the future]] has to return and actually fixes the cirumcstances, so that Junta will end up with Ami.

** Zigzagged with the Ukyo/Konatsu pairing; introduced at about the same time as Akari, Konatsu only has '''one''' dedicated storyline after his introduction, and a cameo in the final story.

* ''Anime/{{Vandread}}'': Dita finally gets into the space ship with the male protagonist to fly home with him, after he [[SayMyName calls her name]]. Coincidentally, the only time Dita calls Hibiki by ''his'' name is in that episode.

* ''Manga/MagicKnightRayearth'': In the anime version, Hikaru and Lantis do this, with a full blown confession from both of them, right before Hikaru gets whisked back to her world. [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue The last few scenes]] however seem to imply that they won't be separated for long...

* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', Gray spends most of the series rejecting Juvia's advances, much to her chargin. Only in the very last chapter do we the see a brief interlude of the two walking home together, and he ''accepts'' her proposition this time around.

* Parodied in chapter 2 of ''Musashi-kun to Murayama-san wa Tsukiatte Mita''. After Musashi accepts her spur of the moment offer for a relationship, Murayama [[ThinksLikeARomanceNovel starts pouring over her collection of romance novels]] for advice since she has no idea how to date someone. Unfortunately for her, every single one of them ends with the confession.

* Fairy tales often leave off with the couple overcoming the problem at hand, having a kiss and proceeding to "live HappilyEverAfter". This is turned right on its ear with the ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'' comicbook series, where it's revealed that the "Prince Charming" from the various tales is all the same guy, working through a series of failed marriages.

* Most of the couples in ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'' avert this, getting together during the course of the story (either shown on page like Naruto and Hinata, or implicitly like Shikamaru and Temari). The only ones who play it straight are Kiba and Tamaki, who get a BigDamnKiss in the second-to-last chapter (and a few chapters earlier even had a IfWeGetThroughThis moment).

* ''Literature/{{Changes}}'' actually manages to subvert this: Harry and Karrin finally almost-acknowledge their feelings for each other and manage to set up a date, but Harry [[spoiler:gets shot and dies]] just before the date can happen. Of course, this being Harry, [[PlotArmour the hero of the series]], [[spoiler:he goes on to solve a case ''while being a ghost'', then comes back alive]].
* This happens in so many books of Creator/AgathaChristie such as ''Literature/TheMurderOnTheLinks'', ''Literature/TowardsZero'' or ''Literature/WhyDidntTheyAskEvans'' In fact, it might be shorter to name the Christie books that ''don't'' have a last-minute hookup. Sometimes the 'last-minute' part may even be as late as the final page, and occasionally overlaps with FourthDateMarriage.

** [[spoiler:Pham ships Ezr off with Qiwi within twenty pages of the end of the book, and Ezr apparently has no problem with this. In his case, it's especially jarring because Ezr has spent literally the ''entire book up to this point'' faithfully waiting on the Focused Trixia, only to be flat-out rejected by her once she is partially defocused, because she no longer feels like a human. Flip a page or two, and suddenly Ezr and Qiwi are a thing.]]

** A book specific example would be Harry and Ginny in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince Half-Blood Prince]]''. Not only do they become a couple close to the end after Harry spends a good portion of the book crushing on her, but they ''still manage to break up before the end of the book!'' To make matters worse, they spend even less screen time together in the last book. [[spoiler: By the epilogue, they're HappilyMarried]], leaving even those who took no sides in the shipping scratching their heads. Again, the film tries to avert this. Not only does Ginny get a fair more screen time and more scenes with Harry in the ''Half Blood Prince'' adaptation, but they don't break up at the end, either. Plus their interactions in ''Deathly Hallows, Part 1'' count too. (Thank you Creator/SteveKloves!) However, like Hermione and Ron, it still suffers on account of [[CompressedAdaptation how much is left out]].

* Done surprisingly well in Creator/GuyGavrielKay's ''Literature/TheLastLightOfTheSun''. At the start of the story, Bern Thorkellson is saved by witch-in-training Anrid. He then goes off to have numerous adventures, while she stays behind and eventually becomes the head witch on her island. Neither of them ever forgets the other though, and when Bern returns home at the end of the novel, Anrid is waiting for him. She explains that he has been pardoned and is allowed to come home to the family farm, while dropping some not-so-subtle hints that she would like to go with him. Bern--who at this point has watched his father die and is more or less disillusioned with life in general--decides that having some genuine warmth in his life would be a good thing, and they decide to get married and give it a shot.

* ''Film/{{Clueless}}'' Even though Dionne and Murray have sex in the movie, they do not hook-up [[{{Disneyfication}} on the TV show]] until the last episode of the show.

** Thankfully averted with both Chandler/Monica and Mike/Phoebe. Chandler and Monica were together for over half the series without any break ups to hook them up again, and married for the final three seasons. Phoebe and Mike got (back) together at the beginning of Season 10 and married halfway through.

* ''Series/ICarly'': After ''5 years'' of shipping fanwars, pandering for the Sam/Freddie pairing as well as the and the Carly/Freddie due ''and'' both relationships having temporary in-canon relationships that are broken up, Carly kisses Freddie for the last time and they have a last minute parting kiss in the original series finale before Carly leaves the country.

* The SurprisinglyHappyEnding of ''Series/TheMusketeers'' has all four protagonists happy in love. D'Artagnan, Athos, and Aramis all had well-established love-interests, but Porthos had only ever had [[GirlOfTheWeek Girls of the Week]], and that quite rarely. Cue one of the Girls of the Week from a single episode earlier in the series, with whom he'd only been mildly flirtatious, suddenly turning up in Paris and by the end of the (pretty fast-paced) episode they're engaged.

* ''Series/TheOfficeUK'': Tim and Dawn in the UK Version. [[spoiler:Dawn finally leaves Lee for Tim at the end of Christmas special (which was actually after the series finale). David also finally hooks up with a girl, but it's uncertain if that will be as lasting.]]

* ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' had Sabrina [[spoiler:returning to first love Harvey instead of getting married]] when [[ScrewedByTheNetwork the network]] refused to allow an hour long finale.

* ''Series/{{Spaced}}'': In an instance of this trope occurring long after the actual series is over, the last two minutes of the DVD documentary features a couple that look exactly like Tim and Daisy arguing over who should change their baby.

* ''Series/SugarRush'': Kim and her crush, the hedonistic Sugar, finally cop off after Sugar stabs a guy. Rather than letting them have any kind of relationship, the second series fast forwards 18 months and ''nothing more'' has happened between them. Talk about a let down.

** ''Series/ChoujinSentaiJetman'': After a series-long love triangle between Ryu, Kaori and Gai, with the attraction between Ryu and Kaori only implied, a WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue shows that they marry three years after the events of the show.

* ''Series/VeronicaMars'' ended on a number of cliff hangers due to its cancellation, one of which was over the status of Veronica and Logan's incredibly on-again/off-again relationship. The concluding BigDamnMovie seven years after the show ended revealed that they didn't get back together at the time, but then they do hook up (apparently for good this time) by the end of the film. [[note]]Though since there are confirmed canonical tie-in novels set after the movie and possible plans for a sequel, this may or may not meet your definition of "last minute".[[/note]]

* ''Series/{{Zoey 101}}'': Zoey and Chase. After three seasons of ShipTease and EveryoneCanSeeIt they confess their love to each other, but only after they're 6000 miles away from each other and can't do much about it. Chase is then PutOnABus for the final season, only to come [[BackForTheFinale back in the finale]], where they finally kiss and become a couple ''in the last five minutes''.
* In ''Series/LesFillesDaCote'', at the end of the show's first incarnation, before its reboot with a pretty much brand new cast, it is strongly hinted Marc gets off with Claire and they [[PutOnTheBus depart as a couple, possibly to Brussels]]. Apparently Claire was worn down and couldn't be bothered to say "Non!" any more.

* Numerous fairy tales leave off with the StarCrossedLovers overcoming the problem at hand, having a kiss and proceeding to "live HappilyEverAfter." With the state of modern marriage, it would've been nice for the storytellers to have left some notes and guidelines as to how a man and a woman could come to achieve this. Maybe even a study guide.

--> '''Rapunzel's Prince:''' She has skin white as snow...
--> '''Cinderella's Prince:''' Did you learn her name?
--> '''Rapunzel's Prince:''' No, there's a dwarf standing guard.

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' only lets Byleth reach an S support 'after' you've aready beaten the final boss. Especially notable with [[spoiler:Rhea, who 'is' the final boss of the route in which you can S support her.]]

* ''VideoGame/ShiningForce 2'': There are a couple last minute hookups. [[spoiler: Bowie and the princess hook up after his kiss brings her out of her coma. Sarah we found out had a crush on Bowie all along and is heartbroken, but we're led to assume that she [[PairTheSpares hooks up with Kazin instead]].]]

* Typical romance theme in ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'' between the Ein and [[HaremGenre the girls]] isn't really obvious other than a RelationshipValues untill the very end of the game, [[spoiler: where a BigBad kills off the protagonist's soul mate to revive an [[SealedEvilInACan sealed lady monster]] for a final battle [[DisneyDeath before she gets revived after you beat the game]].]] Rose's good ending is not better either, [[spoiler: since Ein has been treating her as a cat for the entire game until some magical medicine turns her into a human girl.]]

* ''Webcomic/{{Fans}}'' had a few examples in the strip's fifth book (which was meant to be the series' last arc, until T. Campbell and Jason Waltrip decided to [[{{Revival}} return to the strip a year or so later]]). Will and Shanna, after [[WillTheyOrWontThey dancing around each other]] finally hook up. After Tim's tech business goes bust, [[PairTheSpares Tim and Julia get together]]. And in one of the more bizarre variations on this trope, Alysin (who had at the beginning of the arc decided to leave her husband Rikk because she felt she didn't deserve him) not only reconciled with Rikk, but resolved the Rikk/Aly/Rumi triangle...[[MarryThemAll by inviting Rumi to join their marriage]]. As of two or so years of the revival, all three relationships are still doing well (although Will and Shanna have had some stumbling blocks).

* ''Webcomic/{{Avalon}}'' had two, [[spoiler:Joe & Helène, and Ceilidh and Phoebe. This second one become a rather large controversy for many fans, as there was little to no hint of it in the strip before the ScheduleSlip until the text summary that the author ended the comic with. The second one felt rather out of left field (perhaps to the point of Phillips' falling prey to PairTheSpares), while the first one was pretty obvious for quite some time.]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

** A little unclear, but appears to happen when Leela may have fallen for Fry after the big Faustian showdown at the opera in the last episode, but if so, this was unintentional as it wasn't meant to be the last episode, but rather the series got ScrewedByTheNetwork and cancelled. Complicated by the later [[UnCanceled revival of the series]], which hit the ResetButton, and any such relationship no longer survives.
** Then another last minute hookup happened at the end of ''Into The Wild Green Yonder'', which was supposed to be the series finale. Now the show has been revived a second time, and the writers are actually acknowledging the hookup.
** In what was the ''final'' Final Episode, there's an almost literal Last Minute Hookup: Fry decides to ask Leela to marry him, and an accident involving a "time-looping device" results in the entire world ... except for the two of them ... being frozen in time. They spend the rest of their lives growing old together in this frozen moment, until [[spoiler:Professor Farnsworth, who was apparently killed in the accident but was actually "rotated into an orthogonal time dimension", shows up and rebuilds the looping device to loop the world back to before he got the idea to invent the device]].

* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': A special case, in that it would've without-a-doubt fulfilled the trope with Kim and Ron's Disney kiss in the intended GrandFinale movie (lampshaded a few episodes beforehand). However, grassroots operations orchestrated by fans [[UnCanceled brought the show back]]. The creators have repeatedly stressed within interviews how hard they had to work to avoid JumpingTheShark or "gross[ing] out the 10-year-olds watching."

* ''WesternAnimation/MyDadTheRockStar'': In the final episode, Willy, the male lead, and his female friend Alyssa start dating. Furthermore, it's only the last few minutes that they officially become a couple, with Willy spending most of the episode uncertain if they were on a real date or just hanging out as friends. Quincy also finds a LoveInterest (in [[LastEpisodeNewCharacter an entirely new character]]) during those last few minutes, which avoids making him a third wheel.

* The GrandFinale of ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' has Mordecai literally hook up at the last minute with a ''brand new character''.

* ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam'': The supposedly final episode had June reveal her crush on Henry by giving him a kiss, which he accepted, considering their hookup to be the end to the finale. One week after the episode premiered, came a brand-new episode, [[PostScriptSeason continuing for another season]].

* The GrandFinale of ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'' has [[ExtravertedNerd Upchuck]] [[PairTheSpares randomly hitting on]] [[{{Goth}} Andrea]] during a party. She agrees to leave the party to go on a date with him, to his complete and utter amazement.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'': For all of the fairy tale subversions, plays this straight by having Fiona and Shrek hook up at the end, but the subsequent sequels serve to illustrate the ups and downs of their abnormal marriage.

* Subverted in ''Series/TedLasso''. The final episode opens up with Ted walking into Rebecca's kitchen, obviously scruffy from sleep, asking if she wants to talk about it... and then in walks Coach Beard, closely followed by his wife, and the quick explanation that they're here because of a gas leak and Ted is *actually* asking whether Rebecca is willing to discuss [[spoiler:Ted moving back to the US.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutron'' did this with Jimmy and Cindy in the last episode, "The Lady Sings the News". Even though the episode itself was [[ADayInTheLimelight Libby-centered]]...

Oftentimes the audience will only follow a series just to see if a specific couple will hook up. Actually hooking up the couple in the middle of the series runs the risk of TrueLoveIsBoring and ShippingBedDeath. In many series, resolving the romantic situations of the main characters is a SeriesGoal, hence any attempt to break through and resolve the relationships before the GrandFinale results in FailureIsTheOnlyOption. StatusQuoIsGod results in the characters' relationship stagnating for the duration of the series.

With a Last Minute Hookup, even the most uncreative and hilariously unromantic of writers are enabled to enjoy all the benefits of rewarding incessant {{fan|on}}s with an intimate relationship, without the hassle of actually having to do so. All they need to do is make sure the two have [[TheBigDamnKiss that one single kiss]] or exchange a single "I love you" at the very end, and it's all good. It's just that easy.

** That same unused scene reveals that [[GlassCannon Tye]] and [[TheChick Asami]] get together. There was nothing explicitly romantic between them previously, but they at least interacted more and it was [[FanPreferredPairing already popular with the fans]].

** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': [[CasanovaWannabe Julian Bashir]]'s interest in [[HotScientist Jadzia Dax]] is [[FirstGirlWins clear from the very first episode]]. Seven years later, Jadzia Dax has [[GirlOfTheWeek fallen in love with a character of the week]], [[OneShotCharacter been forcibly separated from him]], [[HoYay fallen for a woman]], [[{{Anvilicious}} been separated from her by social stigma]], [[UptightLovesWild fallen for a Klingon]], [[CrazyCulturalComparison married him]], [[LawOfInverseFertility tried to get pregnant]] [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy (with Bashir's reluctant medical assistance)]], [[RealLifeWritesThePlot been senselessly murdered]], [[TheNthDoctor had the Dax symbiont extracted and rejoined to create Ezri Dax]], [[RelationshipSalvagingDisaster slept with said Klingon again]], [[OldFlameFizzle broke up with him]], [[FirstGirlWins realized she had feelings for Bashir]], [[TwiceShy spent a third of a season avoiding him]], and then finally [[ElevatorGoingDown kissed him in the next to last episode]] and slept with him in the last. They probably ended the series because they ran out of ways to torture the Bashir/Dax shippers.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Faith and Principal Robin Wood. The two head off to the Cleveland Hellmouth to [[TheyFightCrime battle there]]. [[spoiler: However, as of the comics, they've apparently broken up.]]

%%See thread to discuss a replacement.

[[quoteright:250:[[Webcomic/{{RubyQuest}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7930fac9_4c95_48d2_b250_43002c1da0b8.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:250:[[DeusExMachina Fortunately for the new couple,]] [[HeroicSacrifice this'll end well.]]]]

* ''WebVideo/AreTheyGay'': Discussed in his "Last Minute Gays" videos. He discusses how a lot of canon queer relationships are only allowed to get together at the end of a series. Among the many examples are Korra and Asami from ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' and Marceline and Princess Bubblegum from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''.

** A book specific example would be Harry and Ginny in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince Half-Blood Prince]]''. Not only do they become a couple close to the end after Harry spends a good portion of the book crushing on her, but they ''still manage to break up before the end of the book!'' To make matters worse, they spend [[UpToEleven even less screen time together]] in the last book. [[spoiler: By the epilogue, they're HappilyMarried]], leaving even those who took no sides in the shipping scratching their heads. Again, the film tries to avert this. Not only does Ginny get a fair more screen time and more scenes with Harry in the ''Half Blood Prince'' adaptation, but they don't break up at the end, either. Plus their interactions in ''Deathly Hallows, Part 1'' count too. (Thank you Creator/SteveKloves!) However, like Hermione and Ron, it still suffers on account of [[CompressedAdaptation how much is left out]].

** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', which as the most character-driven Star Trek, took this up to eleven. [[CasanovaWannabe Julian Bashir]]'s interest in [[HotScientist Jadzia Dax]] is [[FirstGirlWins clear from the very first episode]]. Seven years later, Jadzia Dax has [[GirlOfTheWeek fallen in love with a character of the week]], [[OneShotCharacter been forcibly separated from him]], [[HoYay fallen for a woman]], [[{{Anvilicious}} been separated from her by social stigma]], [[UptightLovesWild fallen for a Klingon]], [[CrazyCulturalComparison married him]], [[LawOfInverseFertility tried to get pregnant]] [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy (with Bashir's reluctant medical assistance)]], [[RealLifeWritesThePlot been senselessly murdered]], [[TheNthDoctor had the Dax symbiont extracted and rejoined to create Ezri Dax]], [[RelationshipSalvagingDisaster slept with said Klingon again]], [[OldFlameFizzle broke up with him]], [[FirstGirlWins realized she had feelings for Bashir]], [[TwiceShy spent a third of a season avoiding him]], and then finally [[ElevatorGoingDown kissed him in the next to last episode]] and slept with him in the last. They probably ended the series because they ran out of ways to torture the Bashir/Dax shippers.

** Zigzagged with the Ukyo/Konatsu pairing; introduced at about the same time as Akari, Konatsu only has '''one''' dedicated storyline after his introduction, and a cameo in the final story. Thanks to a RelationshipWritingFumble, he and Ukyo don't even manage to pull ''this'' trope off, as Ukyo never expresses any sign of returning Konatsu's one-sided crush.