History Main / PreEndingCredits

%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample)
* ''VideoGame/{{NieR}}'': triggered on the first two playthroughs.

%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * ''VideoGame/{{NieR}}'': triggered on the first two playthroughs.

Compare BaitAndSwitchCredits, CreativeClosingCredits, CreditsGag, FadeOutFakeOut, and ToBeContinuedRightNow all of which can have some overlap with this trope.

Compare BaitAndSwitchCredits, CreativeClosingCredits, CreditsGag, and ToBeContinuedRightNow all of which can have some overlap with this trope.

* ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce'': The film begins to roll the credits after [[spoiler:Evelyn appears to die]]. However, it turns out that when [[spoiler:Evelyn appeared to die]], we were watching [[RecursiveReality another version of the film]] that exists in an AlternateUniverse where Evelyn is an actress and her character is TheDanza. The film then continues from Evelyn's perspective.

* A notable modern-day exception, where all of the credits are shown before the film even starts, is ''Film/EnterTheVoid''.

* It was common practice for motion pictures before the mid-1960s to list all the credits at the beginning before any action took place. By the end of the 1970s, almost all films had shifted all but the most important credits to after the ending.

** The credits roll again after the first fight against Thunder Serpent Narwa, which serves as the wall between the first half of high rank and the second, though it's {{Justified}}, as ''Rise'' had a TroubledProduction and the TrueFinalBoss of High Rank, Narwa the All-Mother, wasn't complete in time for the game's 1.0 release.

* For games that implement AnotherSideAnotherStory, whenever there's a TrueFinalBoss and it's only unlocked via completion of all other characters' respective stories.
* For games that implement EasyModeMockery, preventing the player to play the final levels unless they choose the higher difficulty settings.

In all cases, the key part of the trope is that the credits (or a part of them) must roll in any fashion before any kind of climax takes place. If the work, instead of a credits roll or a proper ending just features something else that can be confused with an ending signal, that's a pre-ending form of AWinnerIsYou. If the credits roll at the very beginning, without any kind of action taking place priorhand, though there's definitely an overlap, that's a TitleSequence.

Compare BaitAndSwitchCredits, CreativeClosingCredits, CreditsGag and ToBeContinuedRightNow all of which can have some overlap with this trope.

* It was common practice for motion pictures before the mid-1960s to list all the credits at the beginning before any action took place. By the end of the 1970s almost all films had shifted all but the most important credits to after the ending.

* ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'' is subjected to EasyModeMockery, so players are allowed to play all the way until Fulgore in the lower difficulty settings, after which the credits roll. In order to fight against Eyedol, the player must defeat Fulgore in a higher difficulty setting.
* In ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'', the credits roll in high speed after defeating Macho Dedede; but since the main threat is still at large, cue the credits rewinding just as quickly. Fittingly, the music tracks played in both scenes are named "Sudden Happy Ending" and "Things Seldom Go Right..." in the original Soundtrack.

** The game rolls the credits after you successfully hunt a Magnamalo (the game's flagship monster) for the first time; gameplay-wise, this marks the barrier between Low and High Rank Hunts.

** ''VideoGame/Pikmin4'': The first part is about the Rescue Corp trying to rescue Olimar as well as collect treasure to get enough sparklium to power the S.S. Beagle in order to get home. Once Olimar is rescued and cured of being a leafling, the Rescue Corp and Olimar travel home and the credits roll, but they show that Louie has tamed Moss, hinting more to come. Indeed, right after the credits, it's revealed that, somewhere along the lines, Oatchi has mutated and now has a leaf on his tail like Moss. This means that he cannot leave PNF-404 without getting horribly sick. The second part is then about trying to find a cure for Oatchi and rescuing remaining castaways as well as collecting the rest of the treasure.

* Exaggerated in ''[[InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt Tom Mason's]] VideoGame/DinosaursForHire'': Upon completing the prelude level, the credits come up as if it's the end of game, though it only shows the studio that developed the game and the programmers before the credits were quickly retracted to the bottom of the screen and the following text shows up: "Whoa! Slight problem with your Genesis' [[InJoke Blast Processing]] Unit! Psych!!!"

* In ''VisualNovel/PrincessWaltz'', a little less than halfway through the game, one of the main characters dies, "BAD END" is displayed, and the credits roll. This is especially odd because there were literally no choices up to that point; [[ButThouMust so it's completely unavoidable]]. But once players reached the title screen, "Chapter Two" appears, and players can continue the game.

* A notable modern-day exception, where all of the credits are shown before the film even starts, is [[Film/EnterTheVoid]].

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

Compare BaitAndSwitchCredits, CreativeClosingCredits and CreditsGag, all of which can have some overlap with this trope.

[[quoteright:682:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tvt_preendingcredits.jpg]]

* Inverted in ''VideoGame/TheWitchAndTheHundredKnight'' rolls the game's credits after the end of each chapter, though this might be a glitch.

* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterRise'' rolls the credits after you successfully hunt a Magnamalo (the game's flagship monster) for the first time; gameplay-wise, this marks the barrier between Low and High Rank Hunts. The credits roll again after the first fight against Thunder Serpent Narwa, which serves as the wall between the first half of high rank and the second, though it's {{Justified}}, as ''Rise'' had a TroubledProduction and the TrueFinalBoss of High Rank, Narwa the All-Mother, wasn't complete in time for the game's 1.0 release.

** In ''VideoGame/TalesFromTheBorderlands'', the credits roll montage happens at the middle of every chapter, including the final chapter.

* For games that implement EasyModeMockery preventing the player to play the final levels unless they choose the higher difficulty settings.

* ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'' is subjected to EasyModeMockery, so players are allowed to play all the way until Fulgore in the lower difficulty settings. In order to fight against Eyedol, the player must defeat Fulgore in a higher difficulty setting.