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-> ''"(Sigh) Here I am, a brand new member of the Shining Force... and already we're fighting Dark Dragon. Why me?"''
-->-- '''Torasu''', ''VideoGame/ShiningForce: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon''

An Eleventh Hour Ranger is any person who joins an ensemble right before or during the endgame/GrandFinale, sometimes even right before the FinalBoss fight. There could be many reasons for this:
# They were an AloofAlly who didn't want to join until now.
# They were SealedGoodInACan and their future teammates freed them just in time for the fight that matters most.
# They come out of flippin' nowhere for [[DeusExMachina author reasons]].
# This hero appeared because the others [[AllYourPowersCombined fused or worked together in some way to create them.]]
# The AntiHero arrives in the heroes' darkest hour, and steps in to help.
# Some last second EnemyMine or LastSecondChance, such as when a villain realizes [[EvilIsNotAToy that eldritch horror they woke up is not their friend]].
#Etc.

Compare SixthRanger for someone who doesn't join the team at its formation but rather mid-adventure.

In Videogames, these suffer from LateCharacterSyndrome. Compare LastEpisodeNewCharacter, GondorCallsForAid, BackForTheFinale, ChangedMyMindKid, and EleventhHourSuperpower.

!! This is an EndingTrope. {{Spoiler}}s ahead!

----
!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* A RecurringElement in ''Anime/BakuganBattleBrawlers'':
** The first season has Alice and Masquerade undergo a SplitPersonalityMerge just before the show enters the home stretch.
** ''New Vestroia'' has [[TheRival Spectra]] make a HeelFaceTurn with 8 episodes to spare, while his dragon Gus joins the Resistance for the final battle.
** ''Gundalian Invaders'' plays this straight enough to almost be a parody. The minute Fabia joins early on, Ren reveals that he was EvilAllAlong, and when Ren has a genuine HeelFaceTurn, Jake gets captured by the bad guys and ReforgedIntoAMinion. And after he gets freed, Ren’s fellow surviving Gundalian Agents have their own redemption, joining the Brawlers against Barodius’s final onslaught.
** After being a ChekhovMIA for most of the second half of ''Mechtanium Surge'' Gunz joins the Bralwers for the final battle against Coredegon.
* ''Anime/DigimonFusion'' features a CrisisCrossover with the past five ''Digimon'' series at its finale, but unfortunately they only show up in the last two episodes.
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
** In ''Anime/WrathOfTheDragon'', Vegeta does not show up until very late into the film, when he suddenly appears to help Goku, Gohan, Goten, and Trunks defeat Hirudegarn.
** In ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', [[spoiler:Frieza]] joins Team Universe 7 very late, as Majin Buu was the original member and needed a last minute replacement, due to him falling asleep.
* ''Anime/FairyTail'':
** [[spoiler:Cobra]] joins in Chapter 329, after a request from Jellal for [[spoiler:him]] to be freed from prison to [[spoiler:help the other six Dragon Slayers fight against Future Rogue and his seven dragons]].
** [[spoiler:Anna Heartfilia is Lucy's ancestor from ''400 years ago'' who was revealed to have traveled to the present day seven years before the start of the story.]] She shows up late in the final StoryArc to help defeat Acnologia.
* In ''Anime/GirlsUndPanzer'', Oarai gets two new tank crews just before the tournament finals. While the Auto Club had been helping maintain their tanks all along, they don't form Leopon Team or crew the Porsche Tiger until the finals. The three gamer girls are a new addition to the team, becoming Anteater Team and leading the others to a Chi-Nu that they crew.
* Akasaka in ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' is introduced about halfway through the series but doesn't become a reliable ally until the final act. Even in the penultimate arc, his appearance only serves as a HopeSpot for [[spoiler:Rika]] but isn't of any use in the end.
* Happens a few times in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
** In ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]'', Kakyoin is badly injured in a fight in the middle of the story, and is sent to a hospital for most of the second half of the part. He rejoins the team in just before entering DIO's mansion.
** Happens again in ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Golden Wind]]'' with [[spoiler:Jean-Pierre Polnareff]], who informs the main crew of the whereabouts of the Requiem Arrow, the main key to defeating The Boss. This example is particularly notable within the series in that [[spoiler:Polnareff]] did not appear prior to this within the part, making it a bit of a [[TheReveal surprise]] to fans of the series.
** Jotaro himself becomes this in ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]''. Towards the beginning, his memories and Stand are stolen and put on compact discs, which puts him into a coma and is unable to wake up until his memory and Stand discs are retrieved. He is successfully revived and joins the team, just in time for the final fight.
* In ''Manga/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess2016'', after his HeelFaceTurn, [[spoiler:King Bullion fights against TheSiege of Hyrule Castle Town on Link's side]].
* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'', [[spoiler:Yzak Joule]] pulls this in both the original series and the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny sequel]]. The first time after being confronted by [[spoiler:Dearka]] earlier and witnessing the heroes' willingness to defend his homeland from annihilation. The second time after watching his own side fire [[spoiler:Requiem]] and exploiting what he saw as a loophole in protecting said homeland.
* Kaworu Nagisa in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', coming from nowhere to be the last pilot two episodes before the last episode. [[spoiler:He turns out to be a SixthRangerTraitor.]]
* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'':
** ''Anime/Pokemon3'': Ash already has a complete team of six at the time of the film. Just when things are going bad for him at the climax of the movie, his Charizard [[BigDamnHeroes makes a comeback]] to help in the battle.
** In ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesDiamondAndPearl'', Ash's Gible and Dawn's Togekiss were this, having been caught at the end of Galactic Battles and just a few episodes before the Grand Festival in Sinnoh League Victors, respectively.
** ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoon'' was sparse on captures and boosts after the first year, though during the last season, ''Ultra Legends'', setting up for the Alola League in which all the main characters take part, the protagonists get an overhaul of tuneups. Lana's Eevee "Sandy" and Mallow's Shaymin appear so the girls both have secondary Pokemon to rotate with, while Ash captures his first mythical Pokemon, Meltan (who also evolves into Melmetal just before the finals). Ash's Poipole also reappears evolved into a Naganadel before the exhibition match, allowing Ash to fight with a full team of six.
* ''Anime/PrettyCure'' has a few:
** In ''Anime/FutariWaPrettyCureSplashStar'', the Kiryuu sisters join the Cures near the end of the season.
** In ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure'' [[HeelFaceTurn former enemies]] Westar and Soular fight alongside the Cures in the last three episodes.
** The third to last episode of ''Anime/SmilePrecure'' has fairy {{mascot}} Candy transform into [[EleventhHourSuperpower Royale Candy]].
** In ''Anime/DokiDokiPrecure'', [[spoiler:Regina]] joins the Cures in the last few episodes after spending much of the series in the HeelFaceRevolvingDoor.
** Despite being prominent in the film's advertisement, [[OriginalGeneration Ayumi]] doesn't actually become Cure Echo until the last 10 minutes of ''[[Anime/PrettyCureAllStars Pretty Cure All Stars New Stage]]'', and she doesn't really do anything until ''New Stage 3''... in which she ''also'' doesn't show up until the last 10 minutes.
** ''Pretty Cure All Stars New Stage 3'' had an example of this combined with EarlyBirdCameo: During the climatic battle towards the end of the film, Cure Honey suddenly appears to help Cure Lovely and Princess before disappearing after the battle.
** ''Anime/KiraKiraPrecureALaMode'' has Cure Pekorin and [[spoiler:Julio/Pikario]].
* In ''Anime/ReCreators'', [[spoiler:Syo and Blitz]] [[HeelFaceTurn jump ship]] and join the heroes during the FinalBattle against the Military Uniform Princess.
* In ''Anime/RoninWarriors'' the [[spoiler:Dark Warlords]] perform a HeelFaceTurn at the very end, serving this function.
* In the GrandFinale of ''Anime/SamuraiPizzaCats'', [[TheDragon Bad Bird]] has a HeelFaceTurn and joins the good guys for the final battle.
* Near the end of ''Manga/SummerTimeRendering'', [[spoiler: Shadow Ushio is finally able to summon from within herself the good version of Haine that Hizuru befriended in her youth.]] She joins Shadow Ushio and Shinpei in the final fight against Shide in Tokoyo the Eternal World.
* In the final episode of ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}'', [[spoiler:Miku]] gains complete control of her relic in time to help clean up the mess [[spoiler:Shem-ha]] left behind.
* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' has [[spoiler:Lordgenome]] join the heroes for the FinalBattle against the [[BigBad Anti-Spiral]]. While technically he'd been with the heroes a while earlier [[spoiler:as a disembodied head acting as their WetwareCPU, it's only after his body regenerates that he officially helps the heroes in the battle with an appropriately [[Awesome/TengenToppaGurrenLagann awesome]] HeroicSacrifice]].
* In ''Anime/VividredOperation'', [[DarkMagicalGirl Rei]]'s HeelFaceTurn is only cemented in the final episode, when [[spoiler:she [[FusionDance docks]] with Akane to become Vivid Red]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/BlazeOfGlory'': The ComicBook/GhostRider is only mentioned in the DramatisPersonae until his appearance at the very end of Issue #3, though [[spoiler:he's not really a new ally so much as an old one in a new outfit]]. better examples are Gunhawk and Caleb Hammer, who join the party right before the final battle.
* In ''ComicBook/TheGreatDarknessSaga'', ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} rejoins the ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes during the very final battle against ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}.
* ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast1992'': After a short encounter in the rubble of the Dark Palace, Roam reappears in the final issue to help Link rescue Zelda and fight Ganon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': In this ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' Franchise/MonsterVerse fanfiction, the MUTO Queen and Methuselah only enter stage towards the end, when Mothra calls the Titans to war against Keizer Ghidorah.
* [[spoiler:Terra]] after she decides to become a hero and try to save [[spoiler:Beast Boy]]. She then becomes one for the Titans in ''Fanfic/TheEndOfEnds''.
* [[spoiler:Shiho]], following a HeelFaceTurn, in ''Fanfic/PerfectionIsOverrated''.
* ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'':
** [[BadFuture Dark World]] has [[spoiler:Rainbow Dash, the Princesses, and Minty Pie]] arrive just in time to help in the FinalBattle [[spoiler:with Nightmare Paradox.]]
** The Shining Armor Arc has Gilda. Having left Equestria for Columbia after her falling out with Rainbow Dash, and having joined up with the military, her unit happens to join up with Shining during the BigBadassBattleSequence that marks the arc's climax. She then goes along with Shining's Misfit Actual squad into the FinalBattle with [[BigBad Makarov]] [[spoiler:and ends up being key to winning it]].
* ''Fanfic/ShadowsAwakening'' has Captain Black go from MissionControl to actively fighting alongside the J-Team during the last three chapters.
* The ''Series/TorchwoodChildrenOfEarth'' fic "[[https://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=33169 The Champion of the Children]]" features the Seventh Doctor arriving in the warehouse where Jack is preparing to use Steven to transmit the signal to kill the 456. With the Doctor helping Steven transmit the signal, both he and Steven survive the strain of the transmission, with the Doctor experiencing nothing worse than losing his memory of meeting Jack at this point, and Ace offers Alice the advice that she needs to acknowledge that Jack's actions were based around desperate necessity rather than reflecting what kind of man he is.
* In the ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' fic “[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3228846/1/The-Beginning-of-a-New-End The Beginning of a New End]]”, when Ash makes it to the finals of the Hoenn League, he uses his standard Hoenn Pokemon for most of the battle. However, when he’s down to his final Pokemon after Corpish, Swellow, Glalie, Grovyle and Pikachu have fainted, his opponent confidently assumes that she can defeat Torkoal with her Poliwrath on a water field, but Ash then reveals that he switched Torkoal for Charizard, giving him vital extra firepower that allows him to win.
* In the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' fanfic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3571753/1/The-World-As-We-Knew-It The World As We Knew It]]", Harry and his few remaining allies (Remus Lupin, Harry's sister Leila, and [[spoiler:Severus Snape]]) are stuck in an alternate reality where Voldemort never fell from power and their only option is to go back home. They have fled all the way to Beauxbatons, where even the still-alive Nicholas Flamel is having trouble with the necessary magical equations… and then the alternate Hermione is revealed to be attending the school, providing the perfect ally to crack the remaining troublesome details of the ritual.
* In ''Fanfic/BlueMoon'', after the battle between the Volturi and the Slayers has begun, [[spoiler:Buffy Summers ends the fight when she arrives via helicopter accompanied by Francesca, the vampire slayer turned by Aro centuries ago, proving that Francesca's apparent insanity was faked and Slayers can be turned without being driven insane]].
* ''Fanfic/HoursVerse'':
** In ''Heir Apparent'', [[spoiler:Hamuko joins the Phantom Thieves for the final fight against Maruki. She also offers to recruit Yu, but [[DefiedTrope Akira tells her point-blank that he doesn't trust the Shadow Operatives]] and is only letting her accompany them because she's right there.]]
** In ''Waking the Dreamer'', Kasumi joins forces with Akechi to investigate the newly amoral Phantom Thieves and the supposed utopia they're creating. After she [[spoiler: snaps the other members out of Akira's Yaldabaoth-supplied thrall, Kasumi and the Thieves knock some sense into Akira and break his distortion]]. Kasumi stays to help with the final battle, but she parts ways with them after that, since going from first awakening to [[spoiler: fighting a god for control of reality]] in [[DeconstructedTrope barely a week is a lot to handle]].
* ''Fanfic/LanternPrime'': In the middle of the final battle [[spoiler:Arcee finally chooses to be an Autobot. This enables her to become the first Blue Lantern, and assist the Green Lantern Corps in defeating Unicron.]]
* "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13936299/1/A-Better-Doctor A Better Doctor]]" is set after the 2019 version of ''Film/{{Rabid}}'', where the imprisoned Rose Miller is rescued from Doctor Burroughs by [[Series/DoctorWho the Eleventh Doctor]], who is able to cure Rose's condition (while retaining her health and appearance) and even save her sister.
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse fic ''Fanfic/SpiderManFindingHome'' basically opens with Spider-Man acting as this for the events of ''Series/Hawkeye2021'', as he shows up during the final confrontation with the Tracksuit Mafia, helping Kate in her confrontation with the Kingpin.
* In the endgame arc of ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11772125/122/Metroid-Kamen-Rider-Generations-Full-Series Metroid: Kamen Rider Generations]]'', [[Series/KamenRiderDrive Mr. Belt]] joins with [[Franchise/{{Metroid}} Samus]], [[Series/KamenRiderGaim Mitsuzane/Ryugen]], Gou/Mach, and the three [[BackFromTheDead revived bounty hunters]] in their final mission to storm the [[Series/KamenRiderGhost Ganma world]] as Kamen Rider Drive Type Tridoron [[PassingTheTorch in Shinnosuke's place]].
* In the climax of ''Fanfic/PowersOfInvisibility'', Juleka is forced to accept and wield the Turtle Miraculous to rescue Adrien and Marinette, who have been turned to stone by an akuma.
* ''Fanfic/ThePiecesLieWhereTheyFell'': [[spoiler:While not a Bearer himself, the fifth arc ("Recovery") of six sees the group joined by Tizoc, the Prince-King of the Cuanmiztl Kingdom and Xvital's love interest, who does his best to aid them in their quest to activate the final Element and defeat their hidden enemy.]]
* In ''Steven Universe'' fangame ''VideoGame/FlawedCrystals'', the last gem you recruit (probably Bismuth) will be this, as at that point the only thing you can use them for is the final dungeon. Fortunately, the non-linear nature of the game means the 11th hour ranger isn't fixed, and you can get more use out of them if you grab them earlier in a different playthrough.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys2022'': Diane Foxington takes on this role after the gang is arrested for a crime they didn't commit. Revealing herself to have once been [[spoiler:the legendary thief Crimson Paw]], she breaks the gang out of jail and helps them clear their names.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'': Frozone shows up to help take down The Omnidroid during the final battle. [[InvertedTrope He'd also spent some time working with Bob at the film's beginning]], when they were doing unsanctioned superheroics, before spending the bulk of the movie at home and unaware of events on Syndrome's island.
* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'': Masters Croc and Ox refuse to join the heroes, believing that [[BigBad Lord Shen]] is unbeatable and that their involvement will only make things worse. During the climax, Shifu turns up with them in tow to pull a BigDamnHeroes moment and participate in the final battle.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'' has [[Characters/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsSunsetShimmer Sunset Shimmer]] and, to a lesser extent, DJ [=Pon3=]. For the latter, it's revealed just before the climax that she is unaffected by the Dazzlings' music due to [[HeadphonesEqualIsolation always wearing her headphones]]. This allows her to free the Rainbooms and provide a sound stage for the final battle. For the former, Sunset is the only person with any magic affinity left to fight the Dazzlings when the others fall during the final battle, saving the others and finally becoming an accepted part of the group.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* All of ''The Avengers'' films in the ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' feature this.
** ''Film/TheAvengers2012'': Hawkeye is brainwashed by Loki at the start of the film, and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy is under his control]] for most of the movie, until Natasha frees him from it, and he subsequently helps the others battle Loki and the Chitauri.
** ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'': Not only do [[spoiler:Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and the Vision]] not even join forces with the team until right before the final battle, but [[spoiler:War Machine]] doesn't even join until ''the middle'' of it.
** ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'':
*** Most of the Avengers are fighting off Thanos' forces in Wakanda when [[spoiler:Thor, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot]] suddenly arrive to back them up, after having forged an axe that can damage Thanos.
*** [[spoiler:Nebula]] crashes the battle on Titan to help the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Avengers (specifically, Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange) try to fight Thanos.
** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'':
*** The Time Heist is possible thanks to the team gaining back Hawkeye and Ant-Man, both of whom missed out on the first part of the fight against Thanos in ''Infinity War'' because they were under house arrest for the events of ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar''.
*** During the climactic battle, [[spoiler:nearly ''the entire MCU'' arrives to support the Avengers, including nearly everyone who was dusted by the 2018 Thanos. Special notice goes to Captain Marvel, who hadn't had contact with ''any'' of the Avengers prior to ''Endgame'' and had only minimal involvement earlier in the movie, and Pepper Potts/Rescue, who was a long-time supporting character but had almost never taken part in combat, and the fact that she had received her own PoweredArmor was given only minor setup earlier.]]
* ''Film/{{Eliminators}}'': Kuji, the GratuitousNinja member of the team, doesn't appear (and is recruited) until the fifty-minute mark of the hour-and-a-half-long film.
* ''Film/TheHobbit'': [[Characters/MiddleEarthFilmDwarves Dáin Ironfoot]] refuses to lend support to Thorin's quest in the first movie. In the third movie, he arrives to back Thorin's claim on the Lonely Mountain after Smaug's death ''just'' when Thorin was seemingly seconds away from acquiescing to the Lakemen's and Thranduil's demands -- a somewhat antagonistic instance in this case, since Thorin is deep in the throes of GoldFever at this point, and Thranduil and the Lakemen (the latter especially) are ''more than'' within their rights to demand Thorin honor his word to the Lakemen in their time of need. However, Dáin and his army being on the scene ends up being very fortunate for the Free Peoples once Azog's army attacks and the [[FinalBattle Battle of the Five Armies]] begins.
* ''Film/JusticeLeague2017'':
** Franchise/{{Superman}} is absent from the team until the FinalBattle, having been dead for most the movie and suffering ResurrectionSickness for most of the second half. Then, in the League's DarkestHour, he [[HesBack returns]], and easily helps to turn the tide against Steppenwolf and save the world.
** Much the same in ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'', however the team has better teamwork to showcase before Superman's coming here, and he can't prevent [[spoiler:the detonation of the Unity that wipes out the League. It is actually Flash who's able to undo this via [[SuperSpeed Speed Force]] TimeTravel.]]
* ''Film/{{Python}}'': John's brother Brian, who helps defeat the snake when they lure it to the plant at the very end of the movie to trap in the acid vaults.
* In ''Film/Shazam2019'', Billy finds himself outmatched by [[BigBad Doctor Sivana]] and the SevenDeadlySins. To save the day, he [[SuperEmpowering shares his power]] with his foster siblings, allowing them to become superheroes themselves to take on the Sins while he defeats Sivana.
* ''Film/SpaceJam'' somewhat parodies the trope during the climactic basketball game. The Monstars have injured enough of the Looney Tunes that they can no longer field a full team, but are saved by the arrival of Creator/BillMurray, who (having not been in the movie prior to this) shows up out of absolutely nowhere to fill in. This being a Looney Tunes movie, it works.
* The [[EnemyMine Romulan security forces]] in ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' show up just in time to save the ''Enterprise's'' bacon from Shinzon.
* ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries'':
** ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'' introduces the Wreckers, Autobot heavy hitters near the end of the film. They join the main Autobots for the final battle.
** ''Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction'' has [[spoiler:the Dinobots]] join Optimus just in time for the final fight.
* In ''Film/UltramanSaga'', Ultraman Zero, Dyna and Cosmos were beaten so badly by Hyper Zetton that they were on the verge of death, but they refused to give up. The lights of their souls merge into one, and from the three's fusion, the titular Ultraman Saga appears to deliver one hell of a beatdown to Zetton.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/TheDarkTower'', Roland [[DeusExMachina just happens]] to encounter a character with ''Literature/HaroldAndThePurpleCrayon'' powers in [[Literature/TheDarkTower2004 the final book]], just before encountering the BigBad face-to-face. However, it was set up in ''Literature/{{Insomnia}}'' quite literally ten years before the publication of ''the Dark Tower.''
* ''Literature/FantasticMrFox'': Badger joins Fox and his children in the last quarter of the book, before they raid Mr. Bean's farm.
* In ''Literature/{{Oathbringer}}'', third book of ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', Szeth, aka the infamous "Assassin in White" shows up to help the heroes out during the battle [[spoiler:of Thaylen field]]. Considering it's basically an ongoing disaster at that point, he doesn't really get a chance to explain that [[spoiler:he's sworn his third Oath as a Skybreaker to serve Dalinar]], but everyone is pretty happy for the help, although they do repeatedly note how odd it is that they somehow ended up fighting alongside "The Storming Assassin in White".
* In the ''Literature/SallyLockhart'' book ''The Tiger in the Well'', Sally's long-time friend Jim Taylor technically fills this role, as he is absent for most of the plot due to being on a trip and is unable to serve as a character witness when Sally is sued for divorce by a man she's never married, only to get her house back and help prove Sally innocent of all charges in a few chapters after he gets back at last.
* ''[[Literature/TheCorellianTrilogy Star Wars: The Corellian Trilogy]]'': Centerpoint administrator Jennica Sonsen and technician Antone show up fairly late in the third book, but work a lot alongside the main characters trying to disarm Centerpoint Station before it can be used for more mass mayhem.
* ''Literature/TrappedOnDraconica'': Alister's daughters rescue him at the very end so he can join the final showdown against EvilOverlord Gothon.
* Villainous example: in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', [[spoiler:Mazrim Taim]], who'd been a recurring villain for much of the series, gets promoted to [[QuirkyMinibossSquad the Forsaken]] near the beginning of the last book; he's the ''only'' new member they get over the course of the series.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Angel}}'': Illyria becomes part of the team for the last six or seven episodes. As she's [[BodySnatcher replacing]] [[spoiler:Fred Burkle]], she is played by the same actress. Since she's very strong (due to being a [[DePower De-powered]] ElderGod), she is able to help out a lot in the final battles.
* In the ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' Season 3 finale, Team Arrow is captured and is sitting in the dungeons of Nanda Parbat, surrounded by Assassins. Then [[Series/TheFlash2014 Barry Allen]] swoops in and shows that the entire League is hopelessly outclassed by the Fastest Man Alive, before freeing the prisoners. It turns out that Oliver asked Barry to rescue his friends (although Barry doesn't participate in the final battle in Star City as he has his own villains to deal with back home).
* ''Series/BreakingBad'' has Todd and Lydia, both of whom are introduced and become integral parts of Walt's drug empire during the final season.
* ''Series/HouseOfAnubis'' didn't have Jerome join Sibuna in the first season until the very end, after he had been revealed to be working for Rufus Zeno and needed protection from him. In the second season, he helps out earlier on.
** Eddie doesn't join the team until the very end of Season 2, after he is revealed as the Osirian. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], because until the characters found out about his special destiny, he had no reason to get involved, and didn't even know what was going on until ''after'' he helped out.
** Willow could count, as she doesn't get involved until the finale of Season 3, but only because she wasn't a sinner at the time. However, that doesn't last long.
** Joy, in spite of being very important in the Season 1 mystery, didn't get the chance to join Sibuna again until the end of the second season. Justified again, as she only got involved when they needed her to help them save Nina.
* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' waits until the ninth and final season to add the titular mother to the main cast.
* ''Franchise/KamenRider'':
** ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'' gets a ranger who arrives so late that the main plot is actually over by the time he shows up: Wataru's son from the future, who shows up just as the credits are about to roll [[AndTheAdventureContinues to warn everyone about the oncoming threat of alien vampires from the future]].
** ''Series/KamenRiderDecade'' one-ups ''Kiva'' by having Natsumi and Kivala combine into Kamen Rider Kivala ''after'' the show is over, doing so in the FinaleMovie instead.
** ''Series/KamenRiderWizard'' gets the three Kamen Rider Mages on his side during the final episodes: they appeared before this, but two of them were BrainwashedAndCrazy while the third was entirely focused on her own revenge quest.
** ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'' manages to convince his EnemyWithout Parado to do a HeelFaceTurn with five episodes left.
** ''Series/KamenRiderZiO'' has Tsukuyomi gain Rider powers in the penultimate episode, mostly with the ''specific'' intent of hitting her evil brother Swartz's BerserkButton at not being a Rider himself rather than to actually have her do any significant fighting.
** ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'' has Sophia pick up the Sword of Darkness and become the fourth Kamen Rider Calibur when the team prepares to storm Storious's fortress for the final battle. Since she has training but no significant combat experience, she gets backup from the spirits of the previous wielders.
* ''Series/PennyDreadful'' introduces the character of Catriona Hartegan only ''three'' episodes before the GrandFinale, but she's still a part of the team that finds its way to Dracula's lair to rescue Vanessa.
* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'':
** In the finale, the changelings punish the Cardassian people for Kira's rebellion by committing genocide against the whole of Cardassia. The Cardassian fleet immediately flips sides and fights alongside the Alpha Quadrant Alliance.
** Not long before that is a villainous example with the Breen, who only join forces with the Dominion in the last few episodes.
* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' and ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' have a few examples:
** ''Series/BakuryuuSentaiAbaranger'' has [[spoiler:Mikoto/[=AbareKiller=]]], who joins the fight right at the end thanks to a [[spoiler:last-second HeelFaceTurn]]. (For the record, ''Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder'' has his counterpart join the heroes earlier, then an evil clone was created so they could use the footage portraying the character as a villain.)
** ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'' has the Nova Ranger, an ally of the FutureBadass Omega Ranger, who arrives in the middle ''of the final battle'' while searching the timestream for them. Her ''Series/TokusouSentaiDekaranger'' counterpart, [=DekaBright=], was a OneShotCharacter who appeared before the final arc.
** ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger'' and ''Series/PowerRangersMysticForce'' had two characters join the Rangers' side just in time to face N Ma-sama/the Master: Magi Mother/White Mystic Force Ranger, either presumed dead (in ''Magiranger'') or TheMentor whose powers were out of commission (in ''Mystic Force'') for most of the season; and [[spoiler:Wolzard Fire/Wolf Warrior]], who had been [[spoiler:BrainwashedAndCrazy as TheDragon Wolzard/Koragg]].
** Some consider ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger'''s Rio and Mele an example thanks to [[spoiler:a joint HeelFaceTurn in the last two episodes]], despite them never officially being acknowledged as Gekirangers. The reason why it's only "some" is because [[spoiler:they die redeeming themselves]] (''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger'' made their status as Extra Heroes official, giving them Ranger Keys and having them return from the dead to fight as part of the 199 Rangers). ''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury'' not only plays it straight, [[ExaggeratedTrope but straighter than straight]], having all seven mentors, the Spirit Rangers, and Jarrod and Camille join in the final battle. [[spoiler:And nobody dies in this version.]]
** [[spoiler:Kaoru]] in ''Series/SamuraiSentaiShinkenger'' and [[spoiler:her]] counterpart [[spoiler:Lauren]] in ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'' are a subversion. They're introduced late in their respective series and join the heroes, but then get injured and are forced to sit out the final battle. [[spoiler:She's]] officially an Extra Ranger.
** ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger'' has the team's mentor, Wise God Torin join the team as Kyoryu Silver, the Shining Brave, shortly before the final arc. Averted with his successor Dantetsu who simply fills Torin's place. While Yuko and Shinya had predecessors, Ramirez and Shinya's ancestor Tessai, who showed up to assist the team early on from time to time, the two successors join the team in the final two episodes as the new Kyoryu Cyan and Kyoryu Gray, respectively.
** ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'' utilizes this in the first season finale -- [[spoiler:[[MissionControl Kendall Morgan]]]] becomes the Purple Ranger halfway through the episode, and [[spoiler:her]] Zord ends up being the deciding factor in the fight against Sledge. The series as a whole matches ''Kyoryuger'' by having Torin's counterpart[[note]]in costume and being the Silver Ranger, but not being the team's mentor[[/note]] Zenowing join the team just a few episodes before the end.
** ''Series/DoubutsuSentaiZyuohger'': [[spoiler:Bud/Zyuoh Bird, the person who saved Yamato in his childhood,]] joins the Zyuohgers in the last quarter of the show. [[spoiler:Fittingly enough, his suit is a recolor of Zyuoh Eagle's suit.]]
** ''Series/KishiryuSentaiRyusoulger'': [[spoiler:Seto/Ryusoul Brown joins the Ryusoulgers two episodes before the finale, but he's a OneShotCharacter.]]
** ''Series/PowerRangersDinoFury'': [[spoiler:Tarrick/Void Knight joins the Dino Fury Rangers in the final arc of season 2.]]
** ''Series/KikaiSentaiZenkaiger'': After fighting for the bad guys during the entire series, [[spoiler:Stacy]] completes his HeelFaceTurn in time to join the heroes for the final battle against the Tozitend Dynasty.
** ''Series/AvataroSentaiDonbrothers'': [[spoiler:The first three Nouto become honorary members of the Donbrothers near the end of the show. The evil ranger Don Murasame also joins the Donbrothers in the final episode after an HeelFaceTurn]].
** ''Series/OhsamaSentaiKingOhger'': [[spoiler:Rcules Husty/Ohkuwagata Ohger II, who was a villain for most of the season,]] joins the Ohsama Sentai the final arc.
** ''Series/PowerRangersCosmicFury'' has a strange example: [[spoiler:Blue Ranger Ollie is one of the ''first'' members of the ''Dino Fury'' team, but he's BrainwashedAndCrazy for most of ''Cosmic Fury'', so unlike the rest of the team, he's only really a Cosmic Fury Ranger for the last couple of episodes.]]
* ''Series/TrueBlood'': Bridgette, who would go on to become Jason's wife, didn't appear until the seventh episode (out of ten) in the final season.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Podcasts]]
* The ''Podcast/InterstitialActualPlay'' party is joined by two additional members in the final few episodes. [[spoiler:Larxene completes her HeelFaceTurn to help them take down the Organization, and Roxanne's somebody Ennora is restored and joins them as well]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Toys]]
* Throughout the first ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' film, ''Mask of Light'', the 6-man team of Toa Nuva are desperately trying to defend their villages from the vicious Rahkshi, [[BigBad Makuta]]'s most powerful troops and a [[FiveManBand six-man band]] of their own. They overwhelm the Toa, and the Toa's ElementalPowers don't help them much. Luckily, two villagers find the legendary [[MaskPower Mask of Light]], which prophecies the arrival of a [[SixthRanger seventh Toa]] with the power to destroy the darkness. After one of them [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice gets killed fighting a Rahkshi]]]], the other realizes [[spoiler:he is meant to be the Toa. He puts on the mask, becomes a Toa, and proceeds to mop the floor with the Rahkshi in about 30 seconds. Then he goes to fight Makuta one-on-one.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/AlnamNoKiba'' has 12 playable characters. 11 of them are a part of the plot for most of the game, even if they're not playable the whole time, but the final party member Ryousui is only introduced and joins the party within the last few hours of the game.
* In ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'', upon entering the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, you're given the opportunity to recruit several new party members (if by some stroke of fate you entered with none). [[spoiler:These include Arronax, the person you've been led to believe is the game's BigBad. Turns out he's repented of his misdeeds, and it's another of The Void's prisoners that's the one behind the world's chaos. Others are a giant hungry demon, an evil warlord, and a human magically transformed into a dragon.]]
* ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'' [[spoiler:has a literal example in the form of the [[BoisterousBruiser Ranger Minsc]]]], who joins in Act III if the right conditions are met.
* Bioware explicitly averted this trope in later installments of ''Mass Effect'' and ''Dragon Age''; all party members are recruited in the first act or the beginning of the second. ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' goes one step further by having most of them seek ''you'' out, meaning the player has no reason not to recruit them early on.
* In ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'', Shrimp and Cornelia spend most of the game as [[RecurringTraveller Recurring Travellers]], trying to enjoy their vacation and stay out of the conflict. But when the endgame hits, they realize it’s their duty to help out, and join the party in time for the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.
* In ''[[VideoGame/DawnOfWar Dawn of War 2]]'', [[spoiler:Captain Gabriel Angelos]] joins your marines for the final battle, at the end of the last level of the campaign.
* Depending on your decisions in the two ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'' games, Heat can join your party in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.
* In ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'', you encounter the drug-dealing, foul-mouthed pre-teen Cuno during the murder the PlayerCharacter is investigating. It is possible to befriend Cuno, who proves to be much more intelligent, perceptive and emotionally sensitive that he appears at first, and if you have done so, he will offer to join you as your temporary sidekick near the end of the game, in the event that [[spoiler:Kim, your partner for most of the investigation, is put out of commission due to getting wounded in a firefight]].
* [[spoiler:Kurtis]] in ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'' joins a few battles before the end, on the very last world.
** In ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 3|AbsenceOfJustice}}'', Master Big Star and Salvatore The Magnificent join you right before the last two storyline fights against [[spoiler:Super Hero Aurum.]] They leave when the story's over though, and have to be defeated in the postgame to get them to permanently join your party.
** Likewise, in ''VideoGame/DisgaeaD2'' Barbara joins the party on the very last episode of the game, and once that's done you have to go and recruit her in the post-game.
** [[spoiler:Bieko]] joins the party in ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 6|DefianceOfDestiny}}'' when you're about three episodes away from the ending.
* ''VideoGame/DragaliaLost'': [[spoiler: [[EvilTwin Nedrick]] spends most of the latter half of the main campaign as the main villain, but once he fails to form a complete pact with Bahamut as he planned, he’s not sure what to do next, since that was the only way to defeat [[BigBad Xenos]]. In one of the very last chapters, [[TheHero Euden]] tries to tell him that there may be another way, and since they’re after the same thing, they should work together. Nedrick relents, but eventually, he (begrudgingly) joins Euden and friends on their quest to stop Xenos. This makes Nedrick one of the very last adventurers to be added to the game]].
* [[spoiler:Loghain]] in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' can be recruited into your party just before the final battle if you spare him. Doing so will cause you to lose [[spoiler:Alistair]] though. Oghren isn't quite as bad but he doesn't come up until half-way through the dwarven section, intended to be played just before the endgame plot kicks off and well past the 3/4 mark. It was because of this Oghren returns in the ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening'' expansion.
* ''[[VideoGame/DragonBallZTheLegacyOfGoku Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II]]'' has the title character, who only joins the playable roster in the very last portion of the game where the Z warriors collect the dragonballs and then fight Cell.
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'':
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'': You cannot recruit a Sage when you create your party, since you need find the Book of Satori and take it to Alltrades Abbey to get a Sage. You cannot start with one, but since it's such a powerful class, most players certainly will finish with one.
** In the remake of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'', a playable epilogue has [[spoiler:a revived and reformed Psaro, the BigBad of the main game's story]] join with the heroes and take on TheChessmaster who was the real mastermind behind the events of the main game's story.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX'' lets you create your very own customizable party members to take with you on your adventures. However, there are actually 5 characters you meet in the game who will join your party after completing their respective quests. These quests, however, are not only on a DLC schedule, but aren't available until after you've beaten the game.
* ''VideoGame/DyztopiaPostHumanRPG'': During the final chapter, a new party member will join depending on the player's choices, but they are all [[MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers mutually exclusive]].
** If Barbados has a higher link level than Rosie or is tied, [[spoiler:Kael joins the party on the train to Zeta instead of fighting them]].
** If Rosie has a higher link level than Barbados, [[spoiler:the archangel Virgo joins the party while possessing Rosie's body, otherwise she attacks the party]].
** Played with on the Evil Runi Route, since [[spoiler:[[TokenEvilTeammate Gemini]] has Runi mind-wipe herself and takes over her body. This causes Gemini to essentially replace Runi as a party member for the rest of the game, at least until she backstabs the party at the last second. Gameplay-wise, this means "Runi" is in sync mode at the start of battle to show that she's nothing more than a meat puppet for Gemini, but her moveset is otherwise unchanged]].
* ''VideoGame/EXTRAPOWERAttackOfDarkforce'': Ranran and En are usually seen throughout the game as apprentices of Master Wu, the evil spirit medium and rival of Fei who attacks the heroes with jiangshi every so often. If the cards are played right, Ranran and En can make a FaceHeelTurn and join the team in the late game, before the climactic sequences that finish off the Yami Clan and the Dark Force invasion itself.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', you can't recruit Super Mutant Fawkes until after you've dealt with [[PresidentEvil President Eden]] and escaped from Raven Rock. While you can still explore the world and complete side-quests with him, you're pretty much at the end of the game's main story line at that point.
** Likewise for [[HumongousMecha Liberty Prime]], who only gets activated once the final main quest starts, and you're past the PointOfNoReturn (unless you have ''Broken Steel'' installed, and he gets killed in the first quest of that).
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII'', [[spoiler:Leon]] joins just before the final dungeon.
* [=FuSoYa=] from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV''. He joins you abruptly a few hours before the end of the game, and then promptly leaves. He exists only to fill the fifth party member slot when Kain's HeelFaceRevolvingDoor is on the other side again. Made very explicit when you discover that when he gains levels, ''nothing'' happens, not even HP gain.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', Umaro and Gogo are only available in the World of Ruin toward the end of the game. Relm and Strago are a lesser example, showing up a bit earlier, but still almost at the very end of the World of Balance.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'', Red XIII is introduced at the very end of Chapter 16 out of 18 and is only around for about 10 fights throughout the endgame.
* [[spoiler:Gabranth]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' joins the party as a guest for the FinalBoss.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyLegendII'' has [[CrystalDragonJesus Isis]] join your party for the final dungeon. She's insanely powerful, but you have to fight the final boss without her because there are two of them and Isis has to fight the other one.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyLegendIII'' has a Gotoh-like mutant join your party at the end. The game has several {{guest star party member}}s.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' has Alma, who despite being in your roster at one time, only help you fight against the endgame boss.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'', similar to ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX'' below, won't let you have any special character (other than Montblanc) joining your clan until you've beaten the main storyline. The only one member you can get before the final boss is Ezel, [[SecretCharacter via a series of subquests.]]
** In the post-game, Judgemaster Cid joins at the start of the final series of missions, which are unlocked by completing all other jobs. By the time you get him, you don't have much of the game left.
* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
** The series has an entire Archetype of this, called Gotoh after [[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight the first such character]]. Traditionally, these characters are extremely powerful, and are meant as a kind of insurance if the player made it to the final boss with a party too weak to win (some can even beat the final bosses singlehandedly). Other members of this archetype include Mycen in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden Gaiden]]'', Ced and Galzus in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776 Thracia 776]]'', Karel in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade The Binding Blade]]'' (who only shows up in a TrueFinalBoss playthrough), Athos in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade The Blazing Blade]]'', Tibarn, Naesala, and Giffca in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance Path of Radiance]]'', Caineghis, Giffca (again), and [[spoiler:Renning]] (and arguably also Tibarn, Naesala, and Nailah) in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Radiant Dawn]]'' (also [[spoiler:Lehran]] on a second playthrough if certain conditions are met), and Nagi in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Shadow Dragon]]'' (again only if certain conditions are met, and getting her means Gotoh won't join your party) and in ''New Mystery.'' ([[spoiler:Also Michalis if certain conditions are met.]])
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'':
*** The game spices this up with a handful of powerful endgame units through Spotpass with several stat focuses: [[spoiler:Gangrel, whose main advantage is speed and luck, Walhart, with a high balance yet a focus on strength, Emmeryn, with a focus on magic, Yen'fay, with a focus on skill and speed, Aversa, who's entirely balanced but has access to dark magic, and Priam, who has a focus on possessing high strength and skill coupled with five very useful abilities]]. Morgan also counts, since [[spoiler:s/he can possess infinite potential and have his/her parents be anyone in the entire game]].
*** A more classic example from the same game: [[spoiler:Basilio and Flavia are introduced in the first few chapters and travel with your army for much of the game, but don't officially join as playable units until]] the end of Chapter 23 out of 26.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'', which has 26 chapters, two units join near the end of the game. [[spoiler:Mauvier, the TokenGoodTeammate of the Four Hounds]], joins at the start of Chapter 21, and [[spoiler:Veyle, the daughter of the BigBad]], joins at the start of Chapter 22.
* Himi in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'', and to a lesser degree [[AscendedExtra Eoleo]]. Subtly lampshaded in the final dungeon when Arcanus shows up -- everyone is shocked and outraged except these two, who don't know who he is.
* In the PSP release of ''Growlanser: Wayfarer Of Time'', you can recruit Tricia, your senior from the academy for the last three battles of the game.
* ''Franchise/DotHack'' games have a tendency to drop new party members into the group right near the finale. ''[[VideoGame/DotHackGU Redemption]]'', in particular, gives you an absolutely huge dump of previously unavailable party members just before the last sequences, among them Bordeaux, Alkaid, and Shino.
** Not only that, you can unlock Natsume and Tabby after the game "ends". ([[spoiler:And the Azure Knights.]])
* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' pulls this ''twice'': First with Quirrel, who renders the SeeminglyHopelessBossFight against Uumuu winnable by slicing through the outer membrane that's been protecting it from damage. It quickly regenerates, so he has to do this several times. Then (if you decide to go for the GoldenEnding by acquiring both halves of the Kingsoul), [[spoiler:Cloth shows up to help fight the Mantis Traitors and the Traitor Lord, dying in the attempt.]]
* In ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'', the player character can force [[spoiler:[[TheDragon Death's Hand]]]] to join the party at the end of the penultimate chapter, with only a short dungeon remaining before the final battle. [[WhatTheHellHero Though most of your followers won't be happy with your decision.]]
* Towards the end of ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander'', Damas will pull a BigDamnHeroes moment for Jak and Daxter (by driving a large vehicle into several [[TheHeartless Dark Makers]]) and become a GuestStarPartyMember after that. Like [=FuSoYa=] of ''Final Fantasy IV'', Damas does not stick around for the final boss, [[spoiler:as he dies not long afterwards]].
* ''VideoGame/LiveALive'':
** In the Prehistory chapter, [[spoiler:Zaki joins the party]] for the chapter boss, and only for that boss.
** In the Twilight of Edo Japan chapter, if the prisoner hasn't already been rescued, he'll free himself and join you just a few rooms away from the chapter boss. He ''can'' be recruited earlier in the chapter, but the PacifistRun requires that he be left until the end.
** Exaggerated in the remake: [[spoiler:[[RedemptionEqualsDeath Oersted]] joins the Final Chapter party during the final turn of the TrueFinalBoss fight]].
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' has Riku being purified of his darkness, and becomes a playable member for the second half of the final level (and even in the subsequent final encounters as your only partner).
** Aqua and Ventus are revived by Sora very late into ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' as Guardians of Light, with Terra, Roxas, and Xion joining them during the final Keyblade War.
* At the end of the last dungeon before [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Doom Island]], ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals'' has [[spoiler:Dekar rejoin the party, having returned from the HeroicSacrifice that previously removed him from the team]].
* ''VideoGame/MassEffect1:'' Liara, conditionally, if the player chooses to avoid going to recruit her until after doing all the other storyline worlds. Doing so means she can't be romanced, and changes the dialogue of her introductory scenes, including complaining about how Shepard has effectively done her life's work for her.
* Although you can recruit [[spoiler:Legion]] in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' at pretty much any time during the last third of the game, you can only get the game's [[GoldenEnding best ending]] if you 1.) Hold off completing the relevant mission until you've finished nearly all the other missions and assignments or 2.) Leave all other uncompleted missions and assignments until the post-game. Since the character in question ended up becoming popular among the fanbase despite lacking the screentime of the rest of the party members, Creator/BioWare made up for it by giving [[spoiler:Legion]] a large role in the main plot of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManX2'', Zero is [[BackFromTheDead revived]] right before the final boss and assists you in defeating Sigma (assuming you got the good ending).
* [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Dr. Naomi Hunter]] in ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid 4|GunsOfThePatriots}}: [[GrandFinale Guns of the Patriots]]''. She'd been in the first game as part of the MissionControl-with-an-agenda, but doesn't really join Team Snake until part-way through the heroes' final mission. [[spoiler:Turns out, more of an [[SixthRangerTraitor Eleventh Hour Ranger Traitor]].]] [[spoiler:[[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor Except not]]. We think...]]
* ''VideoGame/MSSagaANewDawn'' has Hal. He joins and leaves quite frequently in the beginning of the game, but his notable point in joining ''permanently'' is right before the final boss, while piloting a Sazabi.
* In ''VideoGame/NeoTheWorldEndsWithYou'', [[spoiler:Neku, the protagonist of [[VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou the first game]]]], returns on the fourth day of the third week, joining the party the following day; meaning he's only playable for a total of three days.
* In ''VideoGame/{{OFF}}'', if you choose the special ending, [[spoiler:you assume control of the Judge for the final battle against the Batter, who has served as the PlayerCharacter up to this point]].
* Joy from ''VideoGame/Payday2'' is this, at least as far as the original PC version goes (she was available from the start for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch port and not added to the PC version until six months later). She was added to the game with the Icebreaker event in August 2018, which, not counting the [[NostalgiaLevel "No Mercy" flashback]], left her with only two heists to canonically take part in before the end of the game's storyline.
* In ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', the ClimaxBoss section of the game where you obtain the [[OlympusMons legendary Pokémon]] on the cover of the game is moved to the very end, with the game forcing you to catch [[SealedGoodInACan Reshiram or Zekrom]], which are set up by the plot to be the Pokémon you need to defeat N's opposite dragon. You are forced to switch the legendary onto your team and use it for what is left of the main game: the final fights with N and Ghetsis.
* ''VideoGame/RadiataStories'' has over one-hundred-and-fifty recruitable characters, but the most powerful and competent fighters cannot be recruited until late in the game: [[spoiler:[[DaChief Elwen]], [[CrystalDragonJesus Kain]], [[TheDon Curtis]], [[TheSyndicate Nyx]] and [[LadyOfWar Natalie]] for the humans and [[BloodKnight Galvados]], [[OurOrcsAreDifferent JJ]] and [[TheLeader Gruel]] for nonhumans]].
* In ''VideoGame/RecordOfAgarestWar'' [[spoiler:every single protagonist and their respective women from the previous four generations come back to you and will help you kick the asses of six gods]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Relayer}}'' has twenty playable characters. ''Eight'' of them don't permanently join until the last arc of the game. In particular, Neptune's recruitment occurs with three missions remaining and quite literally marks the start of the final battles as [[spoiler:her awakening causes [[FinalBoss Aphrodite]] to break free]].
* ''VideoGame/RiverCityRansom'' EX has [[HuskyRusskie Ivan Popov]], who, if certain conditions are met, can be recruited literally at the gates of River City High, where [[BigBad Slick]] and the [[TheDragon Dragon Twins]] are holed up.
* ''VideoGame/RuinaFairyTaleOfTheForgottenRuins'': In the final dungeon, [[spoiler:Titus I possesses Chuna's body and fights the party until her body is mortally wounded. If the main character is a rogue, the party only contains three people, and the player has the Iterio Fragment, Chuna will be revived and will join in the fourth slot.]]
* The original ''VideoGame/ShiningForce'' has Hanzou the Ninja, who joins as a hidden character right before the last battle. The GBA version changed this.
* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'':
** ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'':
*** In ''VideoGame/Persona1'', [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness rather than having a full team and swapping out members like in later entries, you could only choose one additional person to join your initial party]]. Reiji Kido is the last option the game provides, but his recruitment is a massive GuideDangIt [[AwesomeButImpractical that requires you to go through large portions of the game without a full party]].
*** The last party member in ''VideoGame/Persona2: Innocent Sin'', Jun Kurosu, doesn't join until the end of the Caracol dungeon, at which point there isn't a whole lot of story left. [[spoiler:Justified in that up until this point, he was the ''main villain'', with his father taking over the role when he joins the heroes.]]
*** In the original release of ''VideoGame/Persona5'', [[ObviousJudas Goro Akechi]] doesn't join the Phantom Thieves until Niijima's Palace, after which the protagonist gets arrested due to a trap Akechi deliberately set up. However in ''[[UpdatedRerelease Persona 5 Royal]]'', Akechi joins the Phantom Thieves proper alongside newcomer and AloofAlly Kasumi Yoshizawa during the third-term events provided the player maxes out the [[spoiler:[[BonusDungeon Councillor]]]] confidant.
** In the original release of ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'', out of 12 playable characters, 7 of them don't join you until the 7th and final day. In the UpdatedRerelease ''Overclocked'', depending on whether you complete an optional battle during Yuzu's 8th day, Kaido joins you either midway through or with only a couple of hours left before the final battle; similarly, in Naoya's good 8th day, Yuzu, Midori, and Izuna re/join you with an hour or so before the final showdown.
** ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2'':
*** You get to control most of the heroes by the end of day 4. However, Yamato, Ronaldo, and the Anguished One don't join you until either the beginning of their respective 7th days (for all three) or midway through Daichi's 7th day (for Yamato and Ronaldo). In the Anguished One's route, Joe cannot be convinced to rejoin the party until midway through the 8th and final day with only an hour or two before the FinalBoss.
*** In the Triangulum arc introduced in the UpdatedRerelease ''Record Breaker'', the Anguished One and Miyako don't join you until midway through the 4th and effectively final day (well, unless you count the 3 hours that bleed into the early morning).
* When you encourage the Yehat in ''VideoGame/StarControl 2'' to rebel against their queen, they spend most of their time fighting the loyalists. Then right before the final battle, they contact you and mention the results of the rebellion.
* In ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'', Falco is absent for most of the game, until the very final fight against [[spoiler:Andross]], in which he swoops in to save Fox in the nick of time.
** And to an extent, James [=McCloud=] at the end of ''VideoGame/StarFox64''. He is presumed dead in the beginning of the story. But after defeating [[spoiler:Andross' Brain]] and surviving his DesperationAttack, James appears and helps Fox out of an EscapeSequence.
* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', the Sith Inquisitor gets their final companion Xalek just before Corellia, the final planet before the endgame for all storylines. As such, he's pretty much superfluous to the storyline since he appears too late to contribute anything to the Inquisitor's plans aside from being around to legitimize your political power. He's never present in group conversations, and none of the other companions ever acknowledge him.
* ''VideoGame/StellaGlow'': [[spoiler:Giselle]] pulls a HeelFaceTurn in the final chapter if you've met the conditions to reach the GoldenEnding, though you can still see the [[MultipleEndings other endings]] in a run where you've recruited her based on your choices during the final battle.
** To a lesser extent, Veronica. She actually joins fairly early in the penultimate chapter, barely any time at all after [[spoiler:the Harbingers]] who joined at the end of the previous chapter, but she otherwise fits the bill for a [[EleventhHourSuperpower late-game powerhouse]], having access to [[TheRedMage magic of all four elements]], a StatusBuff, and a debuff, an ability that deals bonus damage to the enemy type you'll be facing in every story battle thereafter, and being level 37 when the aforementioned characters that joined a grand total of one story battle earlier were levels 28-30.
* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration 1'' has Elzam and Sanger join right at the end. The sequel has them join about 2/3's in instead
** However, ''[=OG2=]'' also features [[spoiler:Einst Alfimi]] as an available party member, who literally joins your party for half of the last mission unless you get the {{Superboss}} fight, in which case she's available for that as well. In fact, several ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' games feature such characters -- ''Alpha Gaiden'', for instance, allows you to acquire Sanger just before the game's end, piloting the absurdly powerful Thrudgelmir, if the proper conditions are fulfilled. [[GameBreaker If the player has enough money on hand to upgrade it fully...]]
** ''OG Gaiden'' has a slew of them: [[spoiler:Axel Almer, Einst Alfimi (again), Despoiniz and Shu Shirakawa (though the latter ends up betraying the team for the final battle)]]
** ''2nd OG'' isn't too bad with this as even usual late joiners like Axel and Shu (who doesn't betray you this time) are permanently part of the team by at least prior to the homestretch of the game. Of course there are a few like [[spoiler:Alfimi]]. Touma is an interesting case. He gets Raioh on stage 49 giving you about 13 to 14 stages to use him, which is a decent amount. But he still joins unusually late for a character on the cover and intro of the game, and who was advertised significantly.
** In ''Dark Prison'', Shu, ''the protagonist'' still gets to be the Eleventh Hour Ranger and combines with EleventhHourSuperpower as he unlocks the Neo Granzon. He's joined alongside [[Characters/MasouKishin Monica and Saphine]], though this is justified because they just [[spoiler:defeated the TrueFinalBoss of ''2nd OG''.]] And five turns before they appear, it would be [[spoiler:[[Characters/SuperRobotWarsClassic Justine, Zebris and Grofis]], aka the Guest generals. Since they never formally join your party, each could also be considered a GuestStarPartyMember]].
** It's actually common in a number of games to get last-minute reinforcements, starting with [[spoiler:Ingram]] in Super Robot Wars Alpha. Other notable ones include Schwartz, Julia, Zechs (if you unlocked Heero), and Heinel (if you unlocked him) in VideoGame/{{Shin|SuperRobotWars}}, [[spoiler:Irui Ganeden]] in Alpha 3, [[spoiler:Al-Van Ranks]] in J, [[spoiler:Applicant]] in W, [[spoiler:Xine and Asakim, although Asakim's exclusive to the Rand-route]] in Z, and [[spoiler:Margaret Reeds]] in Z2-1.
** [[spoiler:[[VisualNovel/{{Demonbane}} Master Therion]]]] is the most powerful secret character in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsUX''. He has the best default stat in the game (higher than Kuro) as well as the same skill set as when he was an enemy. The [[spoiler:Liber Legis]] also has a default S rank in every terrain too. It's bonus is +300 attack power for both Melee and range weapon, immune to status change and a 35% special evasion. And the most important thing is that he has the "Soul" Spirit Command.
** In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsV'', [[spoiler:[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn Full Frontal in his Neo Zeong]]]] joins a few stages just before the final battle if unlocked. He boasts an impressive spirit command list, a 2L sized mech, a pretty big sized MAP attack, and can counterattack first before he's attacked on enemy phases.
** In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsX'', [[spoiler:the titular Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann happens one stage before the end, and Kouji inside Mazinger ZERO only happens at the final stage]].
** In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars30'', if enough secret objectives were met, [[spoiler:Akane]] (as a supporter) and [[spoiler:Katejina]] (as a pilot) can join on, respectively, the fourth-to-last and third-to-last mandatory missions of the base game. [[spoiler:Caruleum Vaull]] can be recruited in the third-to-last mission of the GoldenEnding route, then leaves, and doesn't rejoin until the start of the post-game "Extra" chapter, alongside [[spoiler:Betterman Cataphract]] if the player didn't recruit the latter earlier in the game. Lastly, [[spoiler:Orchidacaeda]] joins as a supporter when there's only three "Extra" missions left.
* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'':
** In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'', Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog joins the cast in the cutscene right before the fight against the FinalBoss in story mode. [[SerendipityWritesThePlot This is because Sonic was added very late into the game's development, and the story was essentially already done before he was written into one of the final cutscenes.]]
** In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', [[Franchise/FireEmblem Roy]], [[VideoGame/MetroidPrime Dark Samus]], [[VideoGame/KidIcarus Palutena]], and VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} don't join you until TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon in story mode.
* In the [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] [=PS3=] version of ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' (and the subsequent, internationally released Definitive Edition port, which includes the content added in the [=PS3=] version), Flynn kind of takes this role. He joins your team at the end of each arc in the story (with maybe one or two bit exceptions) and doesn't permanently join until right before the final dungeon of the game.
* Golyat in ''[[VideoGame/TearsToTiara2 Tears to Tiara 2]]'' first show up commanding his legions to crush Hispania's rebellion. As he retreats, Hamil offers him land grants for his veterans if he switch sides, something TheEmpire did in its heyday. He admits the offer is very enticing but it's too late and they'll lose. Fast forward to the final approach on Alba Longa, as the Party wonder if any of TheEmpire's legions will switch sides, they find him having already put the city under siege and is waiting for them.
* The single-player campaign of ''VideoGame/TelepathTactics'' has Gunther Lathe, an old foe who performs a HeelFaceTurn right before the FinalBattle.
* The second game of ''VideoGame/TrailsInTheSky'' trilogy has three: The stranded SkyPirate Josette Capua, the earlier GuestStarPartyMember Royal Guard Captain Julia Schwartz, and Oliver's associate from TheEmpire of Erebonia, Major Vander.
* In ''VideoGame/UnleashTheLight'', [[spoiler:Hessonite joins the party for the final battle against Pyrope, Demantoid and the Prism Fusion, but instead of fighting as the fifth member of your team, [[RequiredPartyMember you must replace one of your allies with her.]] She only becomes a permanent party member after you beat Story Mode and reach Neato Rank 35 in Rose's Room.]]
* Gandar in ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile'' is unavailable until the final period and can't be sent up to Valhalla. Suo and Lyseria may also count, being only available as the last einherjar you're going to meet.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland}}'', you can recruit an android robot named [=VAX=] in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon. He has the best stats of any recruitable [=NPC=] in the game.
** In ''VideoGame/Wasteland2'', in the final mission you can choose to add [[spoiler:General Snake Vargas, [[PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo one of the four default characters from the first game]] and TheLeader of the Rangers, to your party.]]
* ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'':
** Prince Vorkken only teams up with CENTINELS right before and during the final boss, but he can be unlocked as a permanent party member after getting certain achievements.
** [[spoiler:Luka as Wonder-Goggles]] joins the team in the Epilogue, which is the only segment where he's normally playable with his unique Unite Morph. Like Vorkken, he can be unlocked with a set of achievements.
* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'': [[spoiler: After Shulk and friends confront [[TragicVillain Egil]] to stop him from destroying Bionis, Shulk convinces Egil that there is another way to kill [[BigBad Zanza]], and that they should work together to defeat him. Egil accepts, but right as he’s about to join the gang, [[SubvertedTrope he ends up getting killed]]]].
* In the first ''VideoGame/XMenLegends'' Psylocke doesn't join the team until the game's final three missions.
* In ''VideoGame/YuGiOhReshefOfDestruction'', Obelisk the Tormentor is the last Egyptian God Card and the last overall that you get in the main story.
** Yami Yugi reappears before you duel Reshef and helps weaken him to the point where he can be defeated.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'''s Heaven's Feel Route [[spoiler:Rider]] makes a contract with Shirou and becomes his Servant right before the final confrontation with [[spoiler:Dark Sakura]].
** Granted, [[spoiler:Rider]] had been on the heroes' side for most of the route, but she'd never been directly affiliated with them because [[spoiler:she was only protecting Shirou because Sakura had ordered her to via Command Seal]], which had resulted in a lot of TeethClenchedTeamwork and made her seem like a HeelFaceRevolvingDoor. The final confrontation is just where she throws in with Shirou's faction completely.
* ''VisualNovel/MajikoiLoveMeSeriously'' has [[spoiler:Gen-san]] in the Ryuuzetsuran route.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'''s tendency for this trope is parodied in ''WebAnimation/SoThisIsBasically'', where one of the recruitable characters is the "11th-hour old man". Naturally, he’s a LowTierLetdown who CantCatchUp. He’s also the GayOption, in a borderline example of DiscountLesbians. "[[FanDisservice Blow on me to increase my affinity!]]"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':
** At the end of Book 6, Minrah Shaleshoe joins the Order to aid in their quest to stop Xykon. WordOfGod states that she counts more as a GuestStarPartyMember than a full-fledged member of the Order, however.
** Oona is a rare villainous example of this trope. She allies herself with Team Evil at the very last Gate, and only has one significant scene prior to Book 7.
** In the more classic "powerful character joins at the end" version, [[spoiler:Serini Toormuck is still very much alive and watching over Kraagor's Tomb.]]
* Jay in ''Webcomic/RubyQuest'' shows up and joins the party in the second-to-last-thread. [[spoiler:He wasn't even supposed to be one of these. He was found in the water filtration unit impaled by hooks, and Weaver had expected the players to MercyKill him. They decided to go OffTheRails and save him instead, so he joined them and escaped the Metal Glen with them.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'': During the Mighty Nein's final trek into Aeor to [[spoiler:prevent Lucien from contacting Cognouza]], they are joined by [[spoiler:Essek]], who sticks with them until the end of the campaign.
* ''Literature/NESGodzillaCreepypasta'': In the last level of the game, Zachary suddenly has a fifth playable character. However, when he tries to select him, [[BigBad Red]] outright says "No" and locks him in an unaccesible part of the map. [[spoiler:It's not until the final battle, after all the other characters have been killed and the game is at a stalemate, that Red breaks the rules by outright trying to stop Zachary's heart. This allows [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Melissa]] to intervene and finally unlock Acacius, whose skills are the only thing that can finally defeat Red]].
* ''WebVideo/TwitchPlaysPokemon'' examples:
** ''Crystal'' had Katie the Dratini join at Dragon's Den, just after getting the eighth badge, and still only being a Dragonair at the end of the Elite Four run.
** ''Emerald'' had Annie (Hariyama) join after attempts had already been made on the Elite Four, specifically to fill a need on the team, making her probably the purest example in the series as the E4 was the final goal in that run.
** Lard Helix wasn't part of the original Elite Four team in ''[=HeartGold=]'', joining during the journey through Kanto, and wound up reaching level 100.
** ''X'' had Xerneas join the party after the 7th badge.
** ''Omega Ruby'' and ''Alpha Sapphire'' both had Rayquaza join during the Delta Episode.
** ''Anniversary Red'' had Axemon (Dragonite), Robopon (Victreebel), and Rihanna (Venomoth) all joined after the first Elite Four and contribute to the rematch.
** ''Randomized Platinum'' had Spades (shiny Plusle) join after defeating the Elite Four when it was noticed that only five of Pepe's Pokémon had even battled during the winning run and wound up dealing the final blow to the rematch Elite Four.
** ''Sun'' was almost nothing but Eleventh Hour Rangers. Zydoge (10% Zygarde) and SE (Alolan Raticate) both joined shortly after winning the fourth and final Grand Trial; Nebby (Solgaleo) just before the Elite Four, and Bieber (Buzzwole) in the postgame.
** ''Waning Moon'' again had a late legendary addition that stuck around in the form of Alan (Lunala).
** Chandelure joined in ''Theta Emerald EX'' between attempts at solving the puzzles in the final gym.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Suki joins the Gaang two episodes before the four-part GrandFinale. Zuko joined a few episodes prior.
* That ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' was going to transition into ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'' was sort of an eleventh hour thing and the writers didn't have much notice to wrap up the show's storylines. One consequence of this is that a plot from Season 2 where the characters of Tigatron and Airazor were abducted by the Vok was hurriedly wrapped up in the last episode before the two-part finale, where they return to Earth having been merged by the Vok into one super powerful entity, Tigerhawk, who dies two episodes later in the finale.
* Sinedd in Season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/GalactikFootball''.
* And then in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' Book 1 we have [[spoiler:Zuko's grandson General Iroh, who assists Team Avatar in the season finale]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': In "[[Recap/TheOwlHouseS3E1ThanksToThem Thanks to Them]]", Camila Noceda opts to travel with her daughter to the Boiling Isles in order to save them from Belos and the Collector as well as Camila doing so in order to try and help support her daughter's emotional wellbeing. "[[Recap/TheOwlHouseS3E2ForTheFuture For the Future]]" even shows her [[ActionMom getting active in combat situations alongside her daughter]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', Bismuth (previously a brief semi-SixthRangerTraitor) rejoins the team just before the final (pre-Future) story arc.
* [[spoiler:[[HeelFaceTurn Ex-villain Jinx]]]] joins the party right in the middle of Season 5 finale in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', Jazz (who was already a recurring character) officially joins up with the main cast at the end of the episode right before the finale. Had the show continued, he would have remained as a major character.
* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'', Rocket joins the team the episode before the first season finale. She's no longer part of the team when the second season starts... because she joined the Justice League during the five-year TimeSkip (the comics reveal that she and Zatanna's first League briefing were just over a month before the events of Season 2's first episode).
[[/folder]]

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