[[{{Firefly}} http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/big_damn_heroes_moment_small.jpg]]
[[caption-width:300: Just try and guess who saves the day.]]
->'''Mal:''' Well, look at this! Appears we got here just in the nick of time. What does that make us?\\
'''Zoe:''' [[TropeNamer Big damn heroes]], sir!\\
'''Mal:''' Ain't we just?
-->-- ''{{Firefly}}'', "Safe"

The poor DamselInDistress is looking her [[AFateWorseThanDeath fate]] dead in the face, and is [[YouCantFightFate resigned]] to it, because she knows that NothingCanSaveUsNow... and then, ''boom''! Here come the heroes. "[=~Sorry I'm Late~=]!"

BigDamnHeroes is the heroic swoop to save the day just in the [[JustInTime nick of time]]. Generally this is because the heroes had to fight through a swarm of baddies, or had to figure out just where their friends are before the clock ran out. Or sometimes the hero is just being a real [[AntiHero jerk]] and likes to see the DistressedDamsel suffer a little.

A RagtagBunchOfMisfits will often have a MisfitMobilizationMoment before becoming the BigDamnHeroes.

AbandonedByTheCavalry is a subtype where the Big Damn Heroes ''should'' have been there in the first place and are only redeeming themselves now. When the BigDamnHeroes come in with a [[CoolShip massive gunship]] or other vehicle with intimidating firepower (see {{BFG}}), it is a BigDamnGunship. In the event that the BigDamnHeroes just show up in some relatively dramatic manner and clear a path for ''[[TheHero the]]'' [[TheHero Hero]] to get to whatever they need to go, usually during an air battle, it's the IGotYouCovered subtype. Commonly precedes or constitutes [[CrowningMomentofAwesome awesome]]. Sometimes involves a DynamicEntry. May be a DeusExMachina.

May take the form of HorsebackHeroism. May double as a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming if the heroes had previously emphasized the fact that they wouldn't be showing - proving they aren't the jerkasses we thought they were.

Compare TheCavalry, when it's the heroes being rescued by the suddenly competent RedshirtArmy. See also ContrivedCoincidence. Polar opposite to BigDamnVillains. However, beware. Villain may declare YouAreTooLate.
----
!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]
* Debatably, what happens when Sara gets Ram-Dass in ''SoukouNoStrain'' -- in any case, the other pilots certainly see it as such.
* In the ''ElfenLied'' manga, just when Mayu is about to be raped by the unnamed "hunter", Bando shows up in big damn heroes fashion, which leads to fight that is his [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Crowning Moment of Awesome]].
* In ''KatekyoHitmanReborn'' one of Tsuna's [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Crowning Moment of Awesome]] is when he shows up in BigDamnHeroes fashion to save Chrome from ([[spoiler: Gola Mosca who [[NotQuiteDead reboots and destroys everything]]]]) after [[BadAss Hibari's]] [[CurbStompBattle fight]] with him.
* The main characters in action anime tend to do this so many times in their respective anime that it becomes tired and cliché after a while. Notorious perpetrators of this trope include Goku from ''DragonballZ'', Ichigo from ''{{Bleach}}'', Kenshiro from ''FistOfTheNorthStar'', etc.
**''{{Bleach}}'' plays with this by sometimes making the main characters into the rescuees, to indicate that they're not yet BadAss enough to be a Big Damn Hero. [[spoiler:The Hueco Mundo arc does this to/for ''every single primary character''. Each one gets their own Captain to save their arse(though to her credit, [[ActionGirl Rukia]] actually succeeded in killing her opponent, an [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Espada]] no less, and had to be save when she was immediately attacked by another Espada)]]. Currently, Ichigo's rescuer/rescued from ratio is about 5:2, tipping to 3:2 if the current arc continues its trend.
*** Long story short, [[http://www.onemanga.com/Bleach/379/22-23/ it tipped.]]
*** Interestingly, the characters who are the rescuees sometimes end up that way after a failed BigDamnHeroes attempt. Examples include Ichigo helping Renji against [[spoiler:Aizen]](saved by the captains), Uryu helping Renji against Szyael (saved by Kurotsuchi), Momo helping Rangiku against Halibel's fraccion, Hisagi helping Momo and Rangiku against Allon, and Iba helping Momo, Rangiku and Hisagi against Allon (yes, three failed attempts in one battle- all saved by Yamamoto). More recently, after the [[TerribleTrio rogue captains]] and a new GiantMook make their proper entrances, [[spoiler: the Visored]] finally show up (after taking several chapters just to walk across town) to save pretty much everyone. Ten to one says that [[spoiler: Shinji]] planned it out just to look cool. And so far new arrivals have barely been doing better then the already present captains.
*** Interestingly averted and played straight when Hisagi and Izuru run over to fight Poww, but arrive too late after he's already lost to Komamura, and both agree that it's a good thing they didn't get there in time.
** ''{{Naruto}}'' has quite a few of these - Naruto rescuing Inari from Zabuza's thugs, Asuma rescuing Shikamaru during the Chunin exam arc, Naruto saving Sasuke from a crazed Gaara, Lee rescuing Naruto and then the Sand Siblings rescuing Shikamaru (again), Kiba and Lee during the "Retrieve Sasuke" arc, and the Konoha ninja returning the favor to the Sand Siblings in one of the filler arcs.
***([[spoiler:Naruto pulls what may be the biggest damn heroes moment of the all. Dressed like the 4th Hokage, standing atop a huge toad that's on an even bigger toad, with two equally huge toads nearby. Then he takes out one of Big Bad Pain's bodies in one hit, with nobody noticing his movement]])
**** Speaking of which, [[spoiler:this is topped by ''the Fourth Hokage himself'', stopping Naruto from giving into despair and unleashing the Nine-tailed Fox ''from beyond the grave''. Something [[CrazyPrepared He was preparing for from the beginning]].]]
** Another [[DragonBallZ DBZ]] character who abuses this trope is Piccolo, whose constant Gohan rescuing actually becomes something of a running gag in the [[NonSerialMovie movies]]. It finally gets [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in movie 10, when ''Krillin'' pulls the obligatory Gohan rescue... ''dressed up as Piccolo.''
**Vegeta also has a few of these moments. Granted, he only does it because someone else was about to [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou kill off Goku before he got the chance]].
**Subverted in the fact that Gohan unintentionally pulled one of these off thanks to the Old Supreme Kai, who purposefully allowed him to sit there for the extraction of his latent power longer than was necessary.
* The last thirty minutes or so of the ''MartianSuccessorNadesico'' movie is pretty much a long string of these moments crammed together. There's so many heroes showing up to foil the bad guys in various places that the narrative starts to fall apart at the end.
* The last 5 or so minutes of the {{OVA}} ''GaoGaiGar FINAL'' is the ultimate BigDamnHeroes moment, after an episode leading up to it: [[spoiler: after all of the Yuusha Corps members pull out all the stops to defeat their 'rivals', the bad guys revive. In droves. No, really. Droves. But then it is revealed that the battles themselves were merely a diversion for GGG to figure out just how the Sol 11 were regenerating themselves - the 'Sun'. So Genesic GaoGaiGar flies up and - in what has to be the most incredible attack sequence ever animated - combines with the 3 battleships waiting in orbit, themselves combined in hammer form. The show had its Goldion Hammer before, which crushed enemies with near-infinite mass - the Goldion 'Crusher' was designed to be used against Jupiter-sized enemies. So yeah, GGGG warps to the fake sun, and crushes it into light.]]
** Most of the new character (and tool) introductions in that series actually qualify. ''Especially'' anything involving Symmetrical Docking. [=ChoRyuJin=], being the only one who can operate the energy-dissipating Eraser Head "missile", gets multiple ones, including the crowning BigDamnHeroes moment in the third episode of FINAL.
*** This troper wonders if you're not referring to the second episode of FINAL, where [[spoiler: Replica Mamoru has paralysed Guy with the 'true' Hell and Heaven. Then, moments before it hits: "ERASER HEAD XL!!"]].
* And one cannot forget perhaps [=ChoRyuJin=]'s BigDamnHeroes in the original ''GaoGaiGar'' when, after realising a second ubercharged railway cannon shell is coming moments after the first has been dissipated, [[spoiler: detaches his Mirror Coating chestplate and stands firm, holding it up as a shield]].
** [=ChoRyuJin=] also gets a BigDamnHeroes moment when [[spoiler: he flies into a gigantic asteroid on a collision course with Earth, preventing the collision but in the process becoming stranded with no way back.]]
** This troper feels this was better described as a [[spoiler: [[BigDamnHeroes Big Damn]] HeroicSacrifice]].
*** Of course, this also resulted in [[spoiler: [=ChoRyuJin=] killing the dinosaurs by sending that asteroid back in time 65 million years, so...oops?]]
* Heck, the titular robot even gets one of these towards the end of the main series. [[spoiler: Arm Primeval, fused with one of Jupiter's moons, is about to annihilate ''the entirety of the Gutsy Galaxy Guard'' in a single blow, and everyone believes they're [[OhCrap completely and utterly screwed]] due to GaoGaiGar falling into the planet's gravitational pull...then, just before it hits? "'''''PROTECT WALL!!'''''"]]
* In the first GhostInTheShell movie Batou arrives just in time to save the Major near the end. In the second movie, the roles are reversed.
** And then there's the [[CrowningMomentOfAwsome fight against the guy in the walking tank in the office building]], which mostly copies the end of the first movie.
** And later the arrival of [[the Taichikomas, who save Batou at the Majors house from the death squad]].
* A combination BigDamnHeroes/[[HesBack They're Back]] moment, accompanied by [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Saikyou Yuusha Robo Gundan]], makes episode 34 pure, unfiltered '''''awesome.'''''
* Suzaku from ''CodeGeass'' is an expert at pulling of BigDamnHeroes moments.
** [[spoiler:Kallen's]] return after the [[MidSeasonUpgrade end-of-season upgrade]] right into the middle of a climactic fight was... fabulous. But [[{{CrowningMoment/Code Geass}}what followed right afterwards...]]
** The Earl of Pudding himself, Lloyd Asplund, and his assistant Cécile had one in the first season finale when they swooped onto the battle field and saved [[spoiler:Suzaku and the student council from the gun happy Black Knight and Zero's self-proclaimed best friend, Tamaki]].
*** Lloyd gets another one, alongside Suzaku and ''Euphie'' of all people, in the [[AnimeFirst Nightmare of Nunnally]] [[http://www.onemanga.com/Code_Geass_-_Nightmare_of_Nunnally/18/18/ Spin-Off]]. And you can just tell from the way he's holding himself that he was thinking of this trope...
** Let's not forget Episode 20: "The Battle for Kyushu". It looks like Suzaku's finally run out of energy, ready to be picked off... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE0uJ7l_VBY and then!]]
* Happens in the first episode of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'''s second season, when Fate and Yuuno save Nanoha's ass from a [[CouldHaveBeenMessy rather messy]] [[DropTheHammer hammer-induced death]] literally at the last second.
* In ''ShakuganNoShana'', the {{Bottle Fairy}} MagicalGirl (No, really) Margery Daw has a Big Damn Heroes moment. Both she and her {{Sidekick}}''/''{{Empathic Weapon}} [[LampshadeHanging point out]] that this is "Nice timing".
* Subverted in ''{{Saiyuki}} Reload'', when Sanzo, Goku and Hakkai show up to 'save' Gojyo from Kami-sama--only to spend several minutes kicking him into submission for making them go through the big damn trouble of backtracking several days to find him. Still moot, though, because Kami-sama proceeds to beat them all spectacularly. Ironically, Gojyo is the only one conscious in the end and mostly responsible for their escape.
** Used again in the [[InactionSequence finale]] of ''{{Gunlock}}'', when Goku, Hakkai, Gojyo, and even [[TeamPet Hakuryuu]] have gotten sick and tired of being attacked by assassins thinking they're still the Sanzo party after they split from the priest, so they decide to go kick his ass right as [[OnlyAFleshWound he's being shot repeatedly]]. Plenty of jeering, Sanzo gets shot some more... only after that does Goku get a chance to punch him, and then Sanzo punches Gojyo, Sanzo tells them they're pains in the ass, they agree wholeheartedly. All is right with the world.
* And don't even get me started on ''{{InuYasha}}'' --although it does subvert this trope occasionally.
* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in ''{{Rurouni Kenshin}}'', when Hiko saves Yahiko from the giant Fuji. The boy accuses the swordsman of timing his rescue perfectly to look cool, with the latter rebutting that he was merely lost because of his pupil's poor directions.
* This became a trademark feat of ''{{Gundam SEED}}'' protagonist Kira Yamato after he acquired the Freedom Gundam, and its [[SoLastSeason upgraded model]] in the sequel ''Destiny''.
** Athrun Zala and Mu La Flaga are also occasionally guilty of this trope.
** While we're on ''{{Gundam}}'', let's not forget ''[[GundamWing Endless Waltz]]'s [[IncrediblyLamePun Big Damn Heero]] moment.
** Not in the series proper, but in the backstory to ''MobileSuitGundam'', with TheFederation on the brink of total surrender after Zeon's opening blitz, General Revil escapes from captivity and gives his [[DoNotGoGentleIntoThatGoodNight "Zeon is exhausted!" speech]], the full text of which appears in the novels.
* Mai and Mikoto play [[BigDamnHeroes Big Damn Heroines]] to Natsuki at the end of ''{{Mai-HiME}}'' episode 4, freeing her from the NaughtyTentacles of the PantyThief Orphan and giving her an opportunity to [[ItsPersonal finish it off herself]].
** Natsuki returns the favor in Episode 14 when the others are cornered by the Searrs army, [[BlastingItOutOfTheirHands shooting the soldiers' guns]] and blinding them with a flash cartridge to give Mai and Mikoto a chance to escape.
* The manga series ''KamenRiderSpirits'' seems to be one BigDamnHeroes moment after another - only it's often just one such Hero against a small army of overpowered cyborgs. (The V3 version of this is the best - a seemingly untransformable Kazami Shiro versus the first half of his [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters Of The Week]], then transforms and beats them all down. While bleeding from the transformation. And then '' firekicks'' the BigBad's body into little pieces of BLAM. On the ''moon''.)
* In ''{{Guyver}}'', Guyver III tends to do this a lot to Guyver I, the protagonist. Occasionally, Guyver I will return the favor.
* In ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', Simon and [[spoiler:Viral]] leave Earth to save the day when Anti-Spirals are destroying the Arc-Gurren, a huge spaceship. They arrive in an epically awesome Big Damn Heroes moment -- so awesome that it is actually a CrowningMomentOfAwesome as well, as the raw, unrestrained ''awesomeness'' of this particular Big Damn Heroes moment is so great that it actually, by itself, wipes out a swarm of Anti-Spiral enemies.
**On the subject of CrowningMomentOfAwesome, the first 4-5 minutes of the last episode. [[spoiler:The heroes, ALL of them, each tear themselves out of personalized dream worlds and show up right in the Big Bad's lair, bursting in, saving the Damsel, taunting the Big Bad, and then assembling a new, awesome, Galactically Huge new form.]] 'Nuff said.
* In the Kyoto arc of ''MahouSenseiNegima'', [[spoiler:Evangeline, of all people, gets one when she shows up on the field trip to save Negi and co. from a giant demon]].
** Not to mention [[spoiler:Mana and Ku Fei doing the same for Asuna and Setsuna, and Kaede preceding hers with a [[{{BFS}} Big Fraggin' Shuriken]], all earlier in the same arc]].
**And again in the latest arc with a ''double'' BDH. [[spoiler:Setsuna and Kaede show up to rescue Nodoka from bounty hunters,but the hunters planned ahead and they're suddenly caught in their magical lightning trap. Then Asuna appears,jumping in to rescue Setsuna & Kaede whilst Negi completes the first BDH and saves Nodoka all on his lonesome with his DangerousForbiddenTechnique]]. The series' transformation into Magical School DragonBall with added fanservice is now complete.
** Once ''more'' in the latest arc, as [[spoiler:Kotarou shows up to save the collective rears of Nodoka, Paru, and Chisame, entering the scene with a nonchalant "whoa there."]]
** And again in chapter 269, when in a flashback [[spoiler:Nagi and Ala Rubra show up in the nick of time to save Princess Arika from what would've been an extremely grisly execution.]]
* ''MacrossFrontier'' episode 14: [[spoiler: Sheryl is forced to pilot Skull-02 (Mikhail's Valkyrie) when he's knocked unconscious, but she's shot down less than a minute later and they're both ejected from the vehicle. Then Luca shields them both from the approaching Vajra, but his shots are ineffectual and his gun is knocked away. He's literally staring death in the face (the biggest Vajra is reflected on his visor) when Alto [[TeleportersAndTransporters folds in]] at the last second, destroying all the approaching Vajra and letting loose a [[MacrossMissileMassacre volley of micro missiles]] that demolishes several dozen more, all while performing a continuous [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aileron_roll axis roll]] that turns his TransformingMecha into the missile equivalent of a Gatling gun.]] Then he does a fly-by as the others look on in awe.
** Pulled on a grand scale in episode 25, as [[spoiler: not only has Alto's VF-171EX been shot down, the Vajra are enjoying a ThemeMusicPowerUp thanks to [[MindControlEyes Ranka]], and to top it off, a Vajra gunship is charging up to fire right into the Battle Frontier's bridge. Cue the SMS Macross Quarter skewering the Vajra gunship with a shot from its Heavy Quantum Reaction cannon, ''while still inside the fold portal''. Then, after explaining everything to the Frontier commanders, the Quarter and all its squadrons proceed to counterattack]].
* Rom Stoll in ''MachineRobo: Revenge of the Chronos'' practically lives by this trope. His favorite method is when there is trouble, he would suddenly appear out of nowhere and yell ''MATTE!!!'' (WAIT!!!), causing the said villain to be shocked and ask who's there. With arms crossed, Rom then proceeds to give out a long-winded speech of virtue and justice, frowning upon the said villain, and then the villain would respond with "Wha!? Who are you to talk to me like that!?" Rom's answer? [[CatchPhrase "You don't deserve to know my name!"]]. Cue ass-kicking.
** ''SuperRobotWars'' then plays on this one to further Rom's awesomeness. He would interrupt LOTS and LOTS of villains out of his series, even those who can't audibly speak (for example, an [[NeonGenesisEvangelion Angel]]) and tell them that they don't deserve his name!
* ''GreatMazinger'' was a master of these kinds of moments, as even his debut was a major one. During the final episode of ''MazingerZ'', a new enemy army appears and proceed to completely overwhelm Kouji. As the Mazinger barely holds itself even a tiny bit together, the Great Mazinger shows up just before the final blow is struck and proceeds to absolutely dominate the new foes. Also something he's fond of doing in remakes, often with a nice big '''THUNDER BREAK''' to blast any number of enemies ready to swarm his allies. Also some really nice descending from the clouds shots.
* The ''FullmetalAlchemist'' manga just had an incredibly awesome one from [[spoiler: Ran Fan complete with new automail arm]] in chapter 86.
** Not to mention [[spoiler: Izumi and Sig]] in chapter 96, with their heroic apperance just in the nick of time to save [[spoiler: the Armstrong siblings from being killed by Sloth, with Izumi literaly [[BadAss throwing him in the air after it took a dozen trained men to hold him back.]]]]
**Roy gets one as well when [[spoiler: he destroys all the Cyclops army in one page. Keep in mind, Ed and Scar were having a lot of trouble with these same guys for the entire previous chapter.]] T'was awesome.
** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Hoenheim in Chapter 88. When putting [[spoiler: Alphonse's]] plan into action, he nonchalantly says "A hero always waits until the last minute to save the day, right?" Ed was not amused.
* ''SuzumiyaHaruhi'' - When Kyon was about to get killed by [[UncannyValleyGirl Ryoko Asakura]], [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Yuki arrives to the rescue by]] ''[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome breaking through the wall/into the space]]'' [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome and catches the knife with her hands.]]
** In the 4th novel ''Disappearance'', [[spoiler: Yuki gets another BigDamnHeroes moment. Again, catches Asakura's knife.]]
*** And then when Kyon himself [[spoiler:mobilizes Mikuru, Yuki and the older Mikuru to save himself and shoot the changed Yuki with the program Yuki(non-changed one) gave him]].
* Played straight in episode 19 of ''NeonGenesisEvangelion''. The [[MonsterOfTheWeek Angel Of The Week]] is trashing Central Dogma and suddenly Unit One crashes through the wall and [[CrowningMomentofAwesome Shinji kicks arse]]!
** And again in the lava episode (which one was it?) where Asuka, having killed the Angel of the Week, begins to sink into the magma, sure to die of either starvation, overheating or suffocation. Shinji, without specialised armor or orders, dives headfirst into the magma and catches her.
** While we're on the subject, I'd like to bring up Rei during the fight with Ramiel. I can't remember if this happens in the original series, so feel free to edit this if it does, but in the first ''Rebuild of Evangelion'' movie, just when it seems the Angel Ramiel is about to kill Shinji with a super powered laser, Rei comes to the rescue at the last second, blocking the energy blast with a frickin' space shuttle!
** In ''EndOfEvangelion'', Shinji is being held at gunpoint by three JSSDF soldiers, one pressing a gun barrel directly on his head. Just before he pulls the trigger, Misato bursts in at the last minute, gunning down all the soldiers and saving Shinji in a manner most impressive. Keep in mind that these are all trained, hardened soldiers, and Misato has likely never seen an actual battle her whole life, making it more awesome.
* This happens fairly often in ''ChronoCrusade''. Two scenes that come to mind is Remington suddenly appearing to chase off [[spoiler:Aion as he looms over a weakened Rosette and a badly injured Chrono]], and Satella who comes flying in on a summoned beast to save Chrono and Rosette from a long fall.
* ''{{Berserk}}'' pulls a big one of these off in the manga when [[spoiler: the Skull Knight saves the lives of Guts and Casca at the end of the Eclipse just as the two of them are about to be finished off by Griffith and the Godhand]].
* Sailors Uranus and Neptune do this all the time in the anime adaptation of ''{{SailorMoon}}''. Likewise, Sailor Pluto comes to ''their'' rescue at one point in ''Sailor Stars''. In the movies, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are the de facto Reinforcements.
* At one point in the manga of ''FlameOfRecca'', Recca suffers a serious HeroicBSOD. Apparently, not only that he found out that Mikagami picked up a DistressBall and is now a hostage to the enemy, then he learns that Domon can't survive his JumpingOffTheCliff stunt way back, and Fuuko is currently getting drained of her personality. Who came to snap him out of it? '''DOMON''', NotQuiteDead, [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome instantly gives out a rallying speech that raises everyone's morale back]]. And you thought he's just a DumbMuscle JokeCharacter...
*The second season of ''HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi'' does this twice, a great indicator of the gradual mood change.
**First is towards the end of Minagoroshi-hen, with [[spoiler: Keiichi, Rena, and the Sonozaki Twins saving Rika and Satoko from the Yamainu, only to be brutally subverted by the main villain showing up and personally [[KillEmAll murdering them all]].]]
**Second, in Matsuribayashi-hen, [[spoiler: Akasaka saves Rika by way of his new [[TookALevelInBadass martial arts mastery]].]]
* In ''{{Hellsing}}'', [[spoiler:Alexander Anderson and his monk/nun army]], of all people, shows up to save Integra from an horde of vampires in a [[CrowningMoment/{{Hellsing}} manner most awesome]].
* Aya ends a TenMinuteRetirement with one of these in ''WeissKreuz''. Yoji, Ken, and Omi are cornered, outnumbered, and out of ideas - until Aya arrives, standing on top of a speeding car and packing a machine gun.
*In the ''BlackCat'' manga, Train goes and saves Rinslet just before Creed is about to kill Naizer, making this example slightly different in that the person whose life was in immediate danger wasn't the DamselInDistress. What follows after this, however, certainly makes this instance also a CrowningMomentOfAwesome.
** Train also does it the jerk-way when soldiers of the Apostle of Stars show up and corner Sven, Even, and Dr. Tearju; Train saves them with a newly acquired ability that forces the soldiers to retreat. Train later reveals that he had actually been watching for a while, and thought it would be ''funner'' if he [[JustInTime showed up at the very last second]]. Sven comically punched him in the face for his trouble.
*During the Seven Devils arc in ''{{Kinnikuman}}'', Mr. Khamen is about to suck out Brocken Jr.'s blood through a straw when Mongolman saves him.
* Subverted in ''SoulEater'': [[spoiler:Near the end of the Kishin arc, Black Star and Death the Kid pull a BigDamnHeroes act on Eruka and Free just about to awaken the Kishin, and a battle ensues. In a last-ditch effort, Black Star manages to slice in half the tool used to awaken the Kishin, seconds before Eruka can use it. As he is celebrating his victory, Black Star suddenly finds that the aura of madness that the Kishin is emitting caused him to hallucinate the whole thing -- he'd really just attacked one of the room's statues, and the Kishin is revived before the heroes' eyes.]]
** And played straight: Maka and Soul would have been killed by Crona in episode 8, for example, except that Stein and Spirit turned up and wiped the floor with the poor thing. Crona's reaction at being run through by Spirit - at this point behind the cathedral's closed door - is one of confusion (almost as though their body hadn't been damaged before). What follows is the series' first real example of why its [[AdultsAreUseless adults are far from useless]]. And for some a CMOA, though your mileage may vary.
* ''GunBuster'', Episode 4. the Exelion fleet is ambushed during a Fold jump by Alien Monsters. almost all of the fleet is destroyed, the mecha squadrons are decimated, and everything looks at its worst . . . then Gunbuster Rises, Noriko at the controls, and [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome destroys nearly entire alien fleet with one attack]].
** ''DieBuster'' manages to do its predecessor justice in episode 4: The [[AppliedPhlebotinum Variable Gravity Well]] has gone berserk. Most of the Buster Machine pilots are dead, and Europa has been literally shot through several times. The two remaining resident [[ActionGirl Action Girls]] are next to dead, and their mechs are totalled. The Variable Gravity Well turns around, stares right at them, charges its Texas-sized attack when, suddenly, [[spoiler:reality shatters like a pane of glass, and up out of the hole to nothing, having warped all the way from Pluto to Jupiter instantaneously, raises Nono, hair aflame and sporting new duds. She absorbs said giant fucking death ray, summons a legion of space monsters, then slices Europa in half, all while giving a motivational speech with the [[CrowningMusicofAwesome Buster Machine March]] playing.]]
*** Hell, she does it again in episode 6 when the entire Earth government has pooled its resources together to build a Buster Machine to propel Earth like a bomb to kill a blackhole, and just as it gets up to speed, [[spoiler:reality shatters like a pane of glass, and up out of the hole to nothing, having warped all the way from outside the Solar System to Earth, raises the titular Earth sized fembot, "DIE! BUS! TER!"]]
* ''ChromeShelledRegios'' when Layton increases his kei in order to [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome save nina and win the match with the 16th platoon]]
* In ''{{Claymore}}'', Awakened Being Agatha has Galetea literally pinned to the wall, and is about to kill Clarice and Miata. Her attack gets thrown off by one of her legs being destroyed. Cut to Clare and the rest of the Sexy Seven standing on top of a building in the rain and informing Agatha that as she is about to die, she doesn't need to know who they are.
* In the climax and crowning moment of [[MindScrew confusing]] of ''TsubasaReservoirChronicle'', [[CardCaptorSakura Syaoran and Sakura]], arriving minutes too late to save [[CloningBlues Syaoran]] and a few days too late to save [[CloningBlues Sakura]], are freed from a decade of imprisonment just in time to save their son, Syaoran, and his girlfriend, Sakura. Everyone with the same name looks exactly alike. Yes, it is somewhat hard to keep track of.
* ''HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi Rei'': Just when Keiichi has given up hope of escaping with his swimsuit from his friends, Tomitake, Oishi, and Irie (together with Keiichi, the "Heavenly Kings of Darkness") swoop in on surfboards ''in the middle of a pool scene'' to save him, each sprouting a grandiose line about not giving up. Oishi even ends up summoning a [[SeriousBusiness squad of fully-armed riot police]] to help, which storms in after their truck ''[[DynamicEntry bursts through the pool fence]]''.
* Subverted in the first ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma ½]]'' movie. In a tense climactic scene between [[BigBad Kirin]] and Akane, the door finally bursts open. But instead of Ranma coming to her rescue, it's [[spoiler:[[TheRival Ryoga Hibiki]] and the rest of the motley crew.]] Ranma gets his own big damn moment a little while later.
**Played straight rather sweetly earlier in the series, both anime and manga. When Ranma temporarily loses his strength to moxibustion, most of his enemies gang up and decide to give him the monumental collective ass-kicking they've been wanting to give him for some time. Ranma, on the ground, just about to be completely flattened, closes his eyes, hears a strange noise and opens them again to find Ryoga Hibiki, who has appeared out of nowhere, defending him.
* ''{{Gintama}}'' has a lot of last-minute rescues. Gintoki especially rescues Shinpachi a lot.
* Miaka of ''FushigiYuugi'' gets handed the DistressBall a lot, but the trade-off is that her warriors get to pull off some nice last-minute saves. Tamahome does this too many times to count, and in fact one of these is the start of their RescueRomance.
** Tasuki runs a close second: saving Nuriko, Hotohori and Miaka as they're about to be killed by zombies, showing up at the ''very'' last second to prevent Miaka from having her skull bashed in by [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed]] Tamahome, and finally [[spoiler:showing up with Chichiri [[UpTheRealRabbitHole in the real world]] to take on Nakago]].
** The twins get their moments as well. [[spoiler:Amiboshi saves Miaka after his HeelFaceTurn. As a result, Tomo corners both Amiboshi and Miaka with intent to kill them - at which point [[MoralEventHorizon moral event horizon-crosser]] ''Suboshi'' unexpectedly shows up and murders Tomo on the spot for daring to threaten his beloved brother.]]
* In ''AzumangaDaioh'', Sakaki is saved by the gang of cats led by Kamineko by the Irimouto cat she befriended earlier. Good thing there's ''something'' that doesn't hate her, right?
* ''GreatTeacherOnizuka'' does this all the damn time, sometimes with gunshot wounds. Ask any of his students. He even lampshades it once, where he apologizes for not arriving earlier, but then that wouldn't have been as dramatic.
* Interestingly, ''OnePiece'' which usually takes any opportunity to turn the heroism up to the eleventh doesn't use this trope much. In fact, the only time I can think of it happening is when Usopp, a not particularly heroic character, snipes out the marines ready to gun down Nico Robin from an impossible distance. And then strikes a badass pose.
** Well... [[spoiler:[[CrowningMomentofAwesome "MERRY!!"]]]]
**Don't forget the ''epic awesome'' in chapter 502/episode 396 [[spoiler: after the Straw Hats lose their chance of rescuing their friend, Caimie, who going to be sold as a slave to the World Nobles, Luffy comes crashing through the auction house window with Zoro and punches out the World Noble. Camie gets rescued.]]
** This changed most recently in Chapter 556, [[spoiler:right in the middle of the ongoing war between Whitebeard's Pirates and the World Government, which is pretty much destined to end badly, Luffy and the Impel Down escapees have literally thrown themselves into the fray, right at at what looks to be the tipping point of the battle!]]
* Subverted for laughs in ''EurekaSeven'''s infamous football episode. When things aren't looking good for the Gekko team, Holland takes off his coat and declares that he's going in. Cut to the score of 34-0 against the Gekkostate.
* This happened often in the first two seasons of ''{{Pokemon}}'', complete with some great background music.
** In "Noodles Roamin' Off", after TeamRocket has separated, James goes to catch a violent shiny Metagross, but gets in over his head ([[DidNotDoTheResearch He tried to fight it with Psychic-type Mime Jr. and Grass-type Carnivine]], neither of which are very strong against Psychic/Steel Metagross). Just when it looks like he's at its non-existent mercy, Yanmega and Seviper show up with Jessie to save him (not that ''that'' should've worked either).
*** And it didn't; Meowth had to save them both.
* This happened about three times in the teamup movie, PrettyCure All Stars. First, [[spoiler: Cure Black and Cure White saved Milky Rose, Cure Mint, and Cure Aqua from an freakin' huge Zakenna aeroplane. Then Cure Bloom and Cure Egret saved Cure Dream, Cure Lemonade, and Cure Rouge from an falling Uzainaa. Then Cure Peach, Cure Berry, and Cure Pine, are saved by everyone else from the innards of the BigBad!]]
* God Ginrai does this to Star Saber in the latter's first fight with Liokaiser.
* Volume 11 of LoveHina ends with [[spoiler:[[PutOnABus Keitaro]] FINALLY showing up - after nearly an entire volume of agonizing strife between [[{{Yandere}} Kanako]] and the rest of the girls, which largely wouldn't have happened had he been there - [[JustInTime just in time]] to [[LookWhatICanDoNow accidentally crash his van]] into the [[SomebodySetUpUsTheBomb booby-trapped street vendor's cart]] Kanako was about to use to [[DisproportionateRetribution blow up Hinata Sou]], [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome foiling her attempt]].]]
* It happens in ''{{Monster}}'', mostly with Tenma, who always has a fire to stop or a child to save.
* Inn ''TransformersZone'', Metrotitan has Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber on the ropes, but then Road Fire suddenly jets in to save them.
* The titular character of KenichiTheMightiestDisciple has been known to do this. His masters also tend to show up when things ''really'' get bad.
** Too slow... my dinner is getting cold... http://www.onemanga.com/Historys_Strongest_Disciple_Kenichi/104/16-17/
* In ''FullMetalPanic'', Sousuke tends to have [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome awesome entrances]] like these to save the day. In fact, the amount of times he does this to his ArchEnemy Gauron are so numerous, Gauron eventually {{lampshades}} it mockingly. In the finale of the first season, Gauron tackles Sousuke (while in their [[HumongousMecha AS]]), and holds him down while he [[TakingYouWithMe tries to self destruct]], teasingly telling Sousuke: "Well well, how do you like this? It's such a disgrace like this, isn't it? You can't act like a big damn hero and save the day in a cool way." Guess what: [[spoiler: He does it anyways]].
** In ''The Second Raid'', Sosuke does this when [[spoiler: it appears that Gates is going to wipe out his combat commander, and is even {{lampshaded}} by Kurz.]]
* For a [[TheMafia Mafia]] gangster [[CardCarryingVillain that insists he's totally a villain]], ''{{Baccano}}!'''s [[NobleDemon Luck Gandor]] sure ends up doing this a ''lot''.
** Rachel also makes a habit of this, despite orders to the [[{{Knowledge Broker}} contrary]].
* Surprisingly, in ''PokemonSpecial'', ''[[BigBad Giovanni]]'' of all people saves Yellow from being blasted to smitereens by Lance. (Of course, he ran away afterwards, but it was cool at the moment.)
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]
* In the climax of ''{{Watchmen}}'', [[spoiler:this is subverted. The big bad saw the Big Damn Heroes coming and activated his plan as he did. Consequently, they arrive 35 minutes too late]].
** Well, [[FridgeLogic logically]], they actually arrived a bit earlier, since the BigBad gets a JustBetweenYouAndMe speech first. Or did [[TimeStandsStill time stand still]] [[TalkingIsAFreeAction while he talked?]]
*** Ok so Night Owl and Rorschach arrived thirty minutes after [[spoiler:the destruction of NYC]] instead of thirty-five minutes. They were still far too late to do anything.
* ''ElfQuest'': in part 15 of the original series, just as [[spoiler:the Wolfriders and Leetah]] are about to be slaughtered by [[spoiler:Guttlekraw's trolls]], they are rescued by [[spoiler:the Go-Backs]] and '''(big spoiler)''': [[spoiler:Rayek]]. All except [[spoiler:One-Eye]], who's killed before they arrive. [[http://www.elfquest.com/gallery/OnlineComics/OQ/OQ15/DisplayOQ15.html?page=31 Here's the scene]], if all the spoiler tags haven't put you off.
* ''[[{{YTheLastMan}} Y: The Last Man]]''. Natalya and Ciba arrive just in time to stop one of Alter's mooks from kidnapping Beth Junior. GenreSavvy Hero even quips: "Natalya; always with the last minute Han Solo."
* {{Grant Morrison}} is particularly fond of this trope, beginning his obsession in ''{{Zenith}}'' (see [[http://mindlessones.com/2008/10/26/phase-aciiiieeeeeed/ this article]]) and taking it to its logical conclusion in ''SevenSoldiers'', which is literally just a bunch (conspicuously more than seven) of those moments strung together, from the badass ([[spoiler: "Gloriana! There is one!"]]) to the farcical ([[spoiler: Bulleteer accidentally running over the Queen of Darkness]] in a cartoony art style to boot) encompassing romantic, metafictional and slightly creepy along the way [[spoiler: even finding room for an ambiguous aversion, with Klarion merrily fulfilling his own personal character arc at the expense of the rest of the "team"]]
** Subverted in his JLA run when [[SmugSnake The Key]] devises a plan that actually depends on the Justice League's last minute heroic victory.
** Played straight moments later when Green Arrow Jr. shuts him down with a boxing glove arrow to the face.
* "[[{{Comicbook/TheAvengers}} Ultron. We would have words with thee.]]"
* There are some instances in the XWingSeries comics that count. In ''Requiem for a Rogue'', Wedge is captured by a [[FanNickname Sithling]] who wants to use him as bait for the other Rogues. The other Rogues come on foot to rescue him, and he slips away while the Sithling is directing his forces. Just as three Rogues are about to get killed, Wedge appears with [[GunsAkimbo two stolen blasters]], shouting "[[http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/2293/blz21.jpg Everybody down!]]" "Wedge! You're alive!" "Yeah, and you can ''keep'' me that way by moving your behinds!"
** A couple issues later and Plourr Illo and a squadron of Headhunters fly in and save everyone.
** In the ''Family Ties'' arc, the two [[FairCop CorSec]] officers, Corran and Iella, [[http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/709/blz03x.jpg stop three Rogues from being killed by thugs]].
* This is essentially the [[{{Bone}} Great Red Dragon's]] main schtick.
* The final battle in {{Kingdom Come}} is getting out of control. It looks like the apocalypse is only seconds away, and "their only hope for salvation rests with a force from on high." Cue {{Batman}} and his army of super heroes.
* Subverted in ''{{ComicBook/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles}}'', during the Foot's attack at April's building; despite Casey Jones' BigDamnHeroes entrance, the Shredder's forces still manage to overrun the heroes, and they are eventually forced to retreat. The scene is eventually adapted into [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles the first movie]] and the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 second cartoon]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Fan Fic ]]
* [[FanFic/ThousandShinji "I]] ''[[FanFic/ThousandShinji hate]]'' [[FanFic/ThousandShinji playing the Big Damn Hero."]] (Emphasis and Capitalisation Academia Nut's)
* ''[[FanFic/{{Forward}} Forward]]'' uses this extensively, but being a ''{{Firefly}}'' fanfic, that's no surprise, and its lampshaded and subverted as often as it is played straight.
* [[FanFic/EnemyOfMyEnemy Enemy Of My Enemy]] has two good ones: Vtan & Zerat [[spoiler:saving Perry from the desperate Outlander Elites]], and later [[spoiler:the Hunter pair [[DynamicEntry busting in]] to save a group of children from a Brute pack]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film ]]
* ''{{Film/Spider-Man}} 3'' has a great Big Damn Heroes scene from [[spoiler:Harry Osborn]].
* Subversion: In ''ElMariachi'', the prequel to ''Desperado'', the titular character (played by Carlos Gallardo instead of Antonio Banderas) arrives too late to prevent bad guy Moco from gunning down Domino, his love interest, in a fit of jealousy.
* This trope could very well have also been called "The Han Solo Moment", after the scene at the end of the first ''StarWars'' movie when he shows up to save Luke from Darth Vader during the Death Star battle.
** And of course, Episode II.
--->'''Yoda:''' Around the survivors a perimeter create!
** [[JustForPun Wouldn't he be more of a Small Damn Hero?]]
* A classic version of this occurs in ''Film/IronMan'' where an Afghan village is being terrorized. Just as the head thug is about to execute an innocent villager as his wife and children scream for them to stop, everyone hears something falling out the sky....Iron Man! Who then proceeds to lay the smackdown on all the terrorists in short order.
* Perhaps the best example of this trope that this troper ever saw comes from ''KungFuHustle''. In a scene lasting about three to four minutes, there are three Big Damn Heroes moments, one from each of the Three Heroes. The first is easily the most impressive, involving a lighter being caught by a coolie in a scene that would make the aforementioned Firefly crew green with envy, and the hero facing off against something on the order of a hundred gangsters. The others are less impressive, but only by comparison, involving a gay tailor sending a man through and beating the crap out of the gangsters swarming the first man, and a donut-making baker taking on three men armed with thompson machine guns with a pair of blunt sticks meant to roll out dough. Aint they just Three Big Damn Heroes?
* ''StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry''. Most of the characters besides Kirk, Spock and [[TheMcCoy McCoy]] had been given relatively simple (but meaningful) roles to play. That made this moment even more special as Captain Sulu and the Excelsior crew came to help the Enterprise against the cloaked Klingon ship. When they finally get the upper hand, "Target that explosion and fire!" it is especially satisfying. George Takei affectionately calls the movie 'Captain Sulu to the Rescue.'
** Remember the buildup to this moment too? Sulu orders his helmsman to fly faster to which he replies "But sir, she'll fly apart!" With satisfying, angry determination "FLY HER APART THEN!"
* ''StarTrekFirstContact'' had the Enterprise racing to Earth to aid the other Starfleet ships against the Borg. "It's the Enterprise!"
** This was arguably cockblocking Worf from trying to prove that RammingAlwaysWorks, but it's still an awesome moment.
* The new ''Film/StarTrek'' film has a great moment near the end, after Nero orders a "FIRE EVERYTHING!" at Spock's ship... and the Enterprise drops out of warp and nukes all the Romulan torpedos with a whole lot of firepower.
** Chekov, of all people, also sort of gets one of these by managing to beam Sulu and Kirk out of a free-fall and onto the Enterprise just before they hit the surface of Vulcan.
*The first ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' had one of these at the very end where [[spoiler: Jack is about to be hanged and Will saves him just in the nick of time]].
* ''TheLionKing'': Mufasa rescuing Simba from the hyenas.
** Also Pumbaa saving Timon and Zazu. "They call me... MISTER PIG!!!"
* ''TheDarkKnight'': Batman has crashed the Bat-pod, the Joker is standing over him, ready to kill, when suddenly an offscreen figure sticks a shortgun in his back.
-->'''[[spoiler:Jim Gordon]]''': We've got you, you son of a bitch.
** People in this Troper's theater actually burst into ''applause''.
**Also, earlier, when the Joker's thugs spring a trap on the police truck carrying Harvey Dent. Just as Dent and the cops are worried that the Joker may actually kill them all, the one and only Dark Knight shows up with the Batmobile and proceed to even the odds against the Joker.
* In ''TheLordOfTheRings'', this happens twice in the same battle. At the siege of Minas Tirith, the Witch-King has broken the gates and is facing down Gandalf, about to ride into the city, when the Rohirrim arrive and charge onto the field. Then, when the impact of the Rohirrim charge has dissipated and the armies of Mordor are once more gaining the upper hand, the wicked Corsairs of Umbar turn up... only it's actually an allied army that has commandeered the Corsair ships. Both of these would normally fall under TheCavalry, but Merry and Eowyn are with the Rohirrim, and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are on the Corsair ships; which means they qualify as BigDamnHeroes moments as well.
** Did you forget Gandalf and Eomer's moment at Helms Deep?
** "Eagles! THE EAGLES ARE COMING!" Even a moth manages to be a hero in that moment.
* In ''{{Rambo}} IV'', the Burmese soldiers have captured both the missionaries and their mercenary rescuers, and are lining them up for execution. They ready their weapons, prepare to fire....and then [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome John Rambo rises up into view behind the soldier manning the Burmese troops' .50cal machinegun.]]
* ''IpMan'': TrainingThePeacefulVillagers has been subverted, the factory workers are still getting their asses handed to them by the bandits - until Ip Man shows up and gives them the old what-for.
* ''Film/{{X-Men}} Origins: Wolverine'': [[spoiler: Gambit saves Wolverine from the collapsing nuclear reactor by cutting it apart with his staff.]]
* In ''{{Armageddon}}'', right when everything seems lost, seeing as though the first giant drilling machine was lost, AJ shows up with the (previously thought lost) second giant drilling machine to save the day.
* Lampshaded in ''{{Road to Rio}}'', where Jerry Colonna leads a calvary charge to save the day, to be still riding there long after everything is settled. "Exciting though, wasn't it?"
* ''{{Anastasia}}'': When it seems that Anya is about to fall into the icy river (Rasputin even ''says'' [[NothingCanSaveUsNow "No one can save you!"]]), Dimitri swoops in to save the day by punching Rasputin in the face. Subverted in that [[spoiler: he very quickly gets the living crap beaten out of him]], though it leads to Anya's CrowningMomentOfAwesome.
* DoubleSubversion in ''IndependenceDay'': Russel Case gives the line "Sorry I'm late, Mr. President!" ...and then his missile jams. ...and then he makes a HeroicSacrifice to destroy the alien ship anyway.
* HoratioHornblower: In ''Retribution'', Lieutenant Bush and crew are about to be captured by the Spaniards. [[NothingCanSaveUsnow Convinced that Horatio has abandoned them]], Bush angrily remarks, "If you see Mr. Hornblower, tell him he'll hang from the yardarm." What happens barely half a second later?
** ''KA-BOOM!!'' "Glad to see you safe, Mr. Bush!"
* In the TransformersFilmSeries, these are somewhat plentiful and frequently awesome. Film 1 has Bumblebee saving Sam from a pack of [[AngryGuardDog angry guard dogs]], Bumblebee saving Sam & Mikaela from Barricade, Optimus saving Sam & Mikaela from corrupt government officials (though this one doesn't work out so well), and Bumblebee & Mikaela saving the soldiers from Brawl. Film 2 has Bumblebee saving Sam & his parents from the kitchen appliances brought to life by the Allspark shard, Optimus & Bumblebee saving Sam & Mikaela from [[spoiler:the revived Megatron]], Jetfire showing up in the final battle to kill Mixmaster [[spoiler:and Scorponok]], and Bumblebee saving Sam & co. from [[spoiler:Rampage & Ravage]]. ...Bumblebee gets to do a lot of these, doesn't he?
** In this troper's opinion, the warehouse one is the best, especially if you don't see it coming. Sam is pinned down, the last several minutes have been very dark, culminating in a sadistic little bot centimeters away from cutting Sam's head open, with no apparent hope... and CRASH! Optimus busts through the ceiling, the heroic music instantly starting at full swing, immediately followed by Bumblebee making an entryway through a wall, and what was 15 seconds ago a quiet and disturbing scene is now a scene full of roaring weapons fire, shots flying everywhere, and hectic action. Oh, and Optimus kicking ass; can't forget that.
* ''PlunkettAndMacleane'': The former of the two protagonists saves the latter from the gallows in a [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome truly awesome scene]] with a [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome truly awesome score]] to go with it.
* In the movie version of ''LordOfTheRings - The Return of the King'', the battle for Minas Tirith is looking hopeless for the defenders until Aragorn shows up with some undead spirits and they annihilate the enemy. If they had only gotten there a few hours earlier...
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

*I'm giving one to Harry Dresden for his Dinosaur Rescue, even if he didn't know his people needed rescue.

* In the FairyTale, ''{{Bluebeard}}'', the heroine asks her murderous husband for a chance to pray as a last request, and her brothers arrive to save her just as her time is up.
** In AngelaCarter's version of this story in ''TheBloodyChamber'', it is the heroine's ''mother'' who comes galloping over the flooded causeway on horseback, bursts through the gates of the castle, and without a moment's hesitation, shoots her daughter's husband in the head with a revolver just as he's about to cut her head off. Definitely a BigDamnHeroes moment for mothers everywhere.
** Similarly, the heroine of ''The Seven Swans'' is rescued by her brothers just as she's about to be burned at the stake for witchcraft.
* In the ''StarTrek'' novel ''My Enemy, My Ally'', the ''Enterprise'' and renegade Romulan vessel ''Bloodwing'' are fleeing from a Romulan research station with the Vulcan-crewed starship ''Intrepid II'', having just freed the latter and her crew from being experimented upon. With Romulan forces overtaking them, they're saved in the nick of time as Starfleet reinforcements charge in across the Neutral Zone. Turns out to be a subversion, as [[TheKirk Kirk]] had actually ordered them to do so several days previously, pre-emptively calculating that if he hadn't made it back by then, he'd probably need backup at that exact time.
* In SandyMitchell's CiaphasCain novel ''For the Emperor'', [[SideKick Jurgen]] and [[ColdSniper Sorel]] get one of these moments when they arrive just in time to save Cain and Amberley from a Genestealer Broodlord.
* John Moore's ''Slay and Rescue'' opens with GenreSavvy [[TheAce hero]] Prince Charming (that's actually his '''name''') carefully timing the rescue of a princess to achieve this effect. It's part of the job.
* In DanAbnett's ''The Brothers of The Snake'', a Space Marine arrives on planet to deal with an attack of Dark Eldar when it has wreaked havoc.
* Used a couple times in the HarryPotter series. In ''The Goblet of Fire'', Harry is seconds away from being killed by [[spoiler:Mad-Eye Moody, who in reality is a disguised Barty Crouch Jr.]], when Dumbledore and a few other teachers blast their way through his door and knock him out. It's then used twice in a row in ''The Order of the Phoenix'', when Harry and his friends are saved from the Death Eaters, first by multiple members of the order (Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Kingsly, and [[spoiler:the real]] Mad-Eye Moody), then after the Death Eaters appear to gain the upper hand, Dumbledore again saves the day, single-handedly rounding up most of the Death Eaters within a matter of seconds.
** In ''DeathlyHallows'', this overlaps with GondorCallsForAid.
* OK, while the book is good, Cornelia Funke '''really''' overuses this in Inkdeath.
*In "City of Glass" Jace saves Clary from being killed by the big bad. [[spoiler: The big bad then proceeds to kill Jace seconds after he gives his World Of Cardboard Speech.]]
* In TheThrawnTrilogy, Luke's team heads into an old ship lost in deep space, covered by Rogue Squadron. Fey'lya's ship and two escorting squadrons show up to place Luke's team and the Rogues under arrest for leaving without acting with the Council's permission(it's a complicated plot). While the two New Republic forces argue, an Imperial Star Destroyer jumps in, sends troops into the old ship, and begins the attack. Fey'lya and his squadrons turn to flee while the Rogues fly cover and Luke's team fights boarders. Fey'lya is lured into an EngineeredPublicConfession, and his ship and squadrons turn to help the Rogues, but things still look bad. Then Talon Karrde's backup force of miscellaneous ships shows up but still, an Imperial Star Destroyer is more than they can handle. Finally, Garm Bel Iblis shows up with his six heavy Dreadnaughts, and they finally start winning. And then a ''second'' Imperial Star Destroyer comes out of hyperspace. It sounds complicated, but it's pretty awesome. And has all sorts of StuffBlowingUp.
** [[HandOfThrawn Vision Of The Future]]: Garm Bel Iblis and his people grimly realize that they've fallen into a trap and plan to [[RammingAlwaysWorks ram the nearest capital ship]], hoping that the snubfighters at least can escape. The [[BigBadDiumvirate three rogue Imperials]] who are [[DeadPersonImpersonation impersonating Thrawn]] gloat and start talking some Mistryl shadow warriors into pitching in with them. Then Supreme Commander Pellaeon arrives in-system, bullies his way onto their ship, exposes the plot, orders Imperial ships to stop firing and pull back, and finally gets to [[PeaceConference pitch peace]] to Garm Bel Iblis.
** At a few points in the XWingSeries, Y-Wing squadrons appear just in time to save Rogue Squadron. X-Wing jockeys [[InterserviceRivalry don't have the best opinion of Y-Wings]], and one Y-Wing pilot remarks that the Rogues always sound so pained when thanking them.
*In the fifth ''YoungWizards'' book, this happens when the Lone Power is giving Nita Its EvilGloating speech. She's just about ready to give in...when her wizard partner Kit bursts in in the nick of time. "Fairest and Fallen, ''one more time''...greetings and defiance." You can practically hear the epic music.
* In Bill Baldwin's Helmsman series, the final battle of the first book is the protagonist having to hold off three ships. He actually thinks about this trope, about how the BDH only arrive on time in books. Of course, since this is a book, a few cruisers do arrive - when half his crew is dead and the ship is good for nothing but scrap (and only half an enemy ship remains).
* Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie do it ''all the time'' in ''JourneyToTheWest''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* The trope name (and the quote) comes from ''{{Firefly}}'', wherein Mal and the rest of the crew save Simon and River from being [[BurnTheWitch burned at the stake]] in the episode [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqIyg7TwlJk "Safe"]].
* [[TheAce Ace Rimmer]] (What a guy!) in ''RedDwarf'' is usually introduced in a BigDamnHeroes scene. In his first appearance, he flies in, saves the crew, then performs emergency surgery on the Cat while nursing a broken arm. The second time, he literally sweeps in, rescues a DistressedDamsel from a Nazi firing squad, surfs from a plane on an alligator, takes a bullet to the holodrive and still manages to have sex before seeking aid -- [[CatchPhrase what a guy]].
* In an episode of the 2004 reimagining of ''BattlestarGalactica'', called "Exodus", the titular ship is attacked by three Cylon Basestars while attempting to help colonists on the planet New Caprica escape. The ship is severely damaged, and somber music plays while the camera zooms out as the basestars pummel the Galactica to death in the cold darkness of space... until a missile, then ''more'' missiles, fire off the edge of the screen, and the Battlestar Pegasus hurtles to the rescue, just in the nick of time. Of course, this is just the high point to heroic events which kicked off with a deadpan "Prepare for turbulence".
** In season 4, episode 13, Lee is [[spoiler:captured by members of Zarek's rebellion against the human-Cylon alliance. It looks as though he's about to be shot, and there's a gunshot...and you see Lee's face, spattered with blood, and Starbuck standing there, pistol in one hand. Another of the rebels moves, and she [[GunsAkimbo draws another pistol]], shooting him. "I can do this all day."]] It escalates the situation later on, but it's awesome at the time.
* ''{{Stargate SG-1}}'' did pretty much the same thing as ''BattlestarGalactica'', above, in a battle against Anubis fleet above Antarctica, in the two-parter GrandFinale (well, [[PostScriptSeason it was a finale at the time]]), "Lost City", at the end of season seven. Dozens of ships are descending towards the heroes' defenseless cargo ship. Cue rockets blowing up Goa'uld fighters, as General Hammond leads the Prometheus against the incoming enemies.
** {{Raven}} pulls one of thee at the ending of ''The Secret Temple''. About [[InformedAbility bloody time too]].
** Both of those situations share several stylistic similarities: main characters convinced that they are doomed, and the sudden appearance of rockets, instantly followed by the use of a ThemeMusicPowerUp: ''Galactica'' with fast-paced drums and ''Stargate'' with the main theme of the series. The resemblance is probably just a coincidence, unless a ''Galactica'' writer did a {{Homage}} to ''SG-1''.
* Also shows up in the ''[[BabylonFive Babylon 5]]'' episode "Walkabout". Just as Sheridan's White Star is about to be destroyed by a Shadow ship, the Narn cruiser G'Tok arrives and thoroughly fries the Shadow battlecrab. A small army of reinforcements arrive immediately thereafter.
** And again when the station breaks away from the Earth Alliance, after the station beats the EA's first wave and the [[WeHaveReserves second wave]] shows up. Delenn arrives JustInTime... [[BigDamnGunship with a Minbari War Cruiser]] (several, actually). [[CrowningMomentofAwesome CMoA ensues]].
** G'Kar is good at these. ''A Late Delivery From Avalon'', and they made a very satisfying thump when they hit the ground.
* Occurs all the time in ''PowerRangers'' This troper recalls one awesome moment in the finale of SPD where Commodore Fowler leads a contingent to give aid, complete with ThemeMusicPowerUp.
* And more often than that in ''WalkerTexasRanger''.
* ''[[BuffytheVampireSlayer Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'': At the closing moments of Season Six's penultimate episode, Willow, on a black-eyed bender of murderous, bad-magic-is-bad fury, is mopping the Magic Box floor with the Slayer, the only one who might have been strong enough to stop Willow's skin-flaying rampage. With Buffy down, Willow crows her triumph, informing all present (at least those still conscious) that there is no one on earth who is powerful enough to stop her. Cue Big Damn Hero entrance in the form of Rupert Giles, hepped up on some serious magic of his own, to [[CrowningMomentofAwesome test Willow's theory]].
** This troper would argue for the season 6 finale when [[spoiler: [[CrowningMomentofAwesome Xander]]]] confronts [[BigBad Willow]].
-->'''[[spoiler: Xander]]:''' I saved the world with talking from my mouth. My mouth saved the world.
* ''DoctorWho'': [[spoiler: Mickey and Jackie]] showing up to save [[spoiler: Sarah Jane]].
** Not to mention the Doctor [[CrowningMomentofAwesome smashing through a stained glass window astride a white horse]] (series 2) to save Madame De Pompadour from the creepy clockwork men.
*** Wasn't it a mirror? Which just makes it MORE awesome.
** Cleverly framed toward the end of The Doctor Dances. Jack Harkness is sitting in his cockpit, knocking back a hypervodka, resigned to the imminent destruction of his ship. The camera pulls away from Jack slowly, showing him in the center as the camera passes through the interior of his ship...and into the TARDIS. Cut to the Doctor and Rose dancing, and Rose shouts to Jack, "Well, c'mon!"
** In {{Torchwood}}, [[DistressedDamsel Ianto Jones]] is about to have his throat slit by a cannibal with a meat clever, when good ol' Captain Jack kicks down the door and starts shooting people. {{Narm}} or RuleofCool? The choice is yours.
** Lampshaded by an ungrateful Third Doctor: "Thank you, [[TheBrigadier Bridadier]]. Do you think for once in your life you could arrive ''before'' the nick of time?"
*''{{Lost}}'', third season finale "Through the Looking Glass:" Three of the Others are holding Sayid, Jin, and Bernard at gunpoint. Sawyer and Juliet are hiding in the bushes, wondering how they can possibly rescue them unarmed. All of a sudden [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Hurley comes barreling onto the beach and runs over one of them with a Volkswagen Bus]].
* AceLightning tends to end it's series' with BigDamnHeroes moments, usually in the form of a PowerTrio.
* In the series finale of ''{{Roswell}}'', Michael is on his way out of town when he sees a fleet of black cars heading the other way. Rightly guessing this means trouble, he turns back... just in time to burst through the school auditorium doors ''on a motorbike'', ride up the aisle and onto the stage, where Max gets on behind him and everyone gets away.
* Happens fairly often in the 60s spy series ''TheManFromUNCLE''. Usually Solo is in JamesBondage (often with the GirlOfTheWeek beside him) when Kuryakin will swoop in at the nick of time; occasionally it happens with the roles reversed. One example: The second season episode "The King of Diamonds Affair", when Kuryakin arrives to save Solo, the innocent of the week, and a [[HeelFaceTurn villain-turned-hero]] who are strapped to cannons with lit fuses which are about to fire:
-->'''Napoleon Solo:''' Next time, try not waiting til the last minute.
-->'''Illya Kuryakin:''' Next time try not to go that far up the Amazon.
* Occurs all the time in ''{{Supernatural}}''.
** But utterly subverted in the Season 4 finale, "Lucifer Rising": [[spoiler:Sam kills Lilith, which he thinks will stop her from breaking the final seal that will release Lucifer from his prison, but it turns out that she ''was'' the final seal, and killing will set Lucifer free. Dean arrives to tell him this, but Ruby prevents him from getting into the room until it's too late]].
* ''StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', episode "Shattered Mirror". When [[spoiler:Mirror Bashir and Mirror Dax]] swoop in to save the day, we've ''almost'' forgotten that they were a part of the plan all along.
* ''[[{{Sharpe}} Sharpe's Challenge]]'' sees Richard Sharpe, unarmed and being charged by mooks, saved by the timely arrival of a horseman who blasts the baddies with a [[WeaponOfChoice seven-barrel Nock gun]]. So it's a BigDamnHeroes moment, TheReveal and a CrowningMomentOfAwesome all in the one short sequence.
* In the Season 2 finale of ''{{Chuck}}'', the day is saved in the form of [[spoiler: [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome John Casey and his unit parachuting into the Church,]] [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome to the tune of Mr. Roboto.]]]]
* ''TrueBlood'': Jason Stackhouse [[spoiler:confronts a mob of Maryann's crazed revelers armed with only a chainsaw and a nailgun in order to save Sam from being sacrificed.]] Thanks to a rare moment of cleverness on his part, it works. TookALevelInBadass, indeed.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Music ]]

* This is the core theme of the Coasters' novelty song "Along Came Jones" (written by Lieber and Stoller).

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Professional Wrestling ]]

* This is called the run-in, and can be done by both heels and faces alike--but there's nothing like the crowd's pop when a face runs in to save an overmatched friend.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

* Most [=RPGs=] have you appear in the villain's lair just in time, after fighting your way past all his henchmen. This occurs even if you TakeYourTime getting there.
* It could be said that ''{{Exalted}}'' takes this to an extreme, as not only do you show up in the nick of time, but you are all but guaranteed a flashy, even gaudy entrance that defies all logic.
* The ridiculously extensive battle history of ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'' has hundreds of these moments on every side, to the point where in the latest [[SuperSoldier Space Marine]] codex, Vanguard Veteran Squads have a 'Heroic Intervention' ability exclusively to pull off these moments... though it doesn't always work.
* ''{{Nobilis}}'' has a fairly basic power available to starting characters which ensures they always show up in the nick of time. The more powerful version ensures they ALWAYS show up in the nick of time... even if the bad guys did it 35 minutes ago, or sacrificed the princess last week.
* In [[MagicTheGathering Magic: the Gathering]], the aptly-named instant [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=154003 Dramatic Entrance]] lets you turn [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=89096 any]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=109684 given]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=191394 massive]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179496 creature]] into your very own BigDamnHero.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

*The beginning of StarFox 64 features a BigDamnHeroes moment. The Star Fox team flies in and save Corneria from the invading forces of Andross' army.
* Subverted and [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in ''{{Disgaea 2}}'', when [[strike:Demon Lord]] Beauty Queen Etna, arrives just in time to save the heroes from being overrun by a neverending flood of zombies. She's actually downright annoyed that she's wound up arriving just in the nick of time, "like one of those 'heroes of justice' losers", and considers just letting the zombies finish you off before taking on the BigBad - fortunately for you, the BigBad is carrying the VillainBall, and sics the {{Mooks}} on her instead of letting them finish you. Cue the [[StuffBlowingUp explosions]].
** Played straight and lampshaded later in the game with Axel arriving with his flute to subdue the Rifle Demons (see the second page quote)
** Played straight in the first Disgaea if you lose to the Alternate Overlord (and if you're not on a NewGamePlus, [[HopelessBossFight you will]]), with all the random high-level NPCs from the castle saving your party.
* Happens Several times in ''SkiesOfArcadia''.
* In ''{{Tales of Symphonia}}'', before facing Yggdrasill in Welgaia, all of the members of the party besides Lloyd [[spoiler:apparently sacrifice their lives (via being caught in various traps) [[MoreExpendableThanYou so that Lloyd may continue onward to face Yggdrasill]]. Finally, Lloyd enters the chamber in which Yggdrasill is waiting for the completion of the transfer of Martel's soul to Colette's body. Yggdrasill is shocked and extremely angry that Lloyd managed to reach him, and moves to kill him -- but then a fireball from above stops Yggdrasill in his tracks. What do you know, the rest of the party didn't die after all, ''and'' appeared just in time to save Lloyd! (This scene also counts as a BattleRoyaleWithCheese.)]]
* ''FinalFantasyVIII'' pretty much lives off this trope. Half the game seems to be centered around BigDamnHeroes moments.
* There's one in ''FinalFantasyIV'', too! After smiting the Calcobrina dolls, the group is confronted by Golbez, who promptly douses them with a paralyzing agent before summoning a Shadow Dragon to start killing them. Kain gets off lucky if he's in the air before the gas goes off and when the killing begins; Rosa and Yang are still screwed. Golbez happened to be hiding the VillainBall in his robe at the time, as he takes a moment to bid Cecil farewell... a moment too long, as that's when a Mist Dragon erases Golbez' Shadow Dragon and Cecil's paralysis is lifted via Unicorn Horn before the real boss battle begins. Name the [[SummonMagic mystery]] [[BlackMagicianGirl benefactor]], folks.
* And viciously subverted in ''FinalFantasyX'': Yuna is [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty gettin' hitched]] to the BigBad, Seymour, so the party comes charging in on an airship to crash the wedding, guns blazing, [[CutscenePowerToTheMax kicking physics to the curb]]--and all they do is get overwhelmed by the amount of guards there and ruin Yuna's plan to [[KilledOffForReal Send]] Seymour by giving him material to threaten her with--kill him and they die too. And then they all wind up arrested and imprisoned anyhow, though were it not for Yuna thinking on her feet, they'd be dead.
* During the second trip through the Forsaken Fortress in ''TheLegendOfZelda: The Wind Waker'', Tetra pulls this twice - once to distract the Helmarock King and buy time to rescue the captives and again when Link is in Ganondorf's grasp... only for this attempt to fail and require ''another'' dramatic rescue.
** A pretty ironic example, considering that she's the damnsel and he's the hero. Well, she's an ActionGirl after all.
* It also happens in ''Twilight Princess'', as Link gets confronted by a hoard of enemies in Hyrule castle, and suddenly BAM. Cavalry. Well, infantry, but same effect.
** FridgeLogic sets in as you realize Link has survived much more than the single arrow which was headed for him, and he regularly beats down all sorts of monsters (especially the kind he was up against in this case) without any trouble.
*** This Troper still gets severely pissed off when people try to say that the group "saved Link's life". Saved him 20 seconds and a couple Arrows is more like it.
*This isn't exactly a story-based one, so much as one that I performed due to not wanting to deal with the NightmareFuel and the need for one of the items. I was collecting what was needed for The Well and noticed I needed some milk, which is easily obtainable at Romani ranch (I'd completed the ranch once already and had Epona's song). The alien attack starts at 2:30 and it was 2:15 when I noticed it (time was slowed down) and i remembered the boulder so I warped to clock town and bought a powder keg then warped to milk road at 2:25. I then blew up the rock and Goron rolled to the barn then reshifted into Link and got out my bow about a minute before the aliens came.
* Pretty much happens in every case of the ''PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' series at some point. The prosecution appears to have won and Phoenix is ready to give up but then... '''''OBJECTION!''''' Someone comes in with new evidence to save the day. The last case in the second game ends up boiling down to stalling until the big damn hero arrives.
**Also of note is the third case of the first and third games where [[ButtMonkey Detective Gumshoe]] pulls this outside of court.
***Not to mention Gumshoe's failed attempt at this in the fourth case of second game, and [[spoiler:Franziska's]] pick up save off of this at the very last second.
**This happens four times during the final showdown of ''AceAttorneyInvestigations'', and [[http://www.court-records.net/screenshot/kenji/5rouentrance.gif three]] [[http://www.court-records.net/screenshot/kenji/5gumshoeentrance.gif of]] [[http://www.court-records.net/screenshot/kenji/5samuraientrance.gif them]] get dramatic full-screen shots. (Spoilers on the links)
** Really no mention of the first game were after being worked into a corner by an obviously crooked witness who gets thugs to beat you up at one point [[spoiler:Edgeworth pulls this and destroys his own case in the process]]
* This trope occurs in ''{{Halo}}'' games several times, with Master Chief rescuing marines, or Johnson rescuing the chief. The third game directly references the TropeNamer, as a character called Sergeant Reynolds, played by Nathan Fillion, states, "Looks like we got here just in the nick of time. What's that make us?". Of course, this troper immediately replied "Big Damn Heroes, sir!"
** In fact, part of the ad campaign for ''Halo 3'' was based around the beneficiaries of such moments reminicing about the hero who saved them. You can see a couple of these ads [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq2akuhFaB0 here]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz_7WWO8lXE here]].
* The Subspace Emmisary of ''SuperSmashBros Brawl'' has [[spoiler:{{Sonic}} showing up just in time to prevent the final boss Tabuu from releasing a superattack on everyone. Also Ness and Falco get their Big Damn Heroes moment.]]
** [[spoiler:This troper recognizes it was the story mode of a fighting game, but still thinks it was a really lame way to introduce one of the most anticipated characters ever to be featured in the game.]]
** [[spoiler:Meta Knight manages to save Lucas and Red/Pokemon Trainer from falling to their deaths (or rather falling to their trophycation).]]
** [[spoiler:Link, Mario, Pit, Kirby, and Yoshi get one as well, leaping off a cliff to come to the aid of some of the other heroes who're fighting off the [[strike:Heartless]] Primids.]]
** Pretty much ''every'' character gets one of these at one point or another. [[spoiler: Fox bursting out of the wreckage of his Arwing to save Diddy Kong]], [[spoiler: Captain Falcon [[MegatonPunch using his signature move]] to take out a ROB who's just annihilated Cpt. Olimar's pikmin team]], [[spoiler: Ike destroying a Subspace Bomb being carried by the Ancient Minister]], this list could earn its own separate page.
* ''FireEmblem'' does this in every game out in the US (probably every game, period), generally as reinforcement to the stories Lord showing when they are in a really serious bind. However on easier difficulties this often leads to the reinforcements needing AMAZING projection as they aren't as leveled.
** The first example of the Lord getting to be the "Big Damn Hero" is in Fire Emblem 7 (released in the states as Fire Emblem). Florina (a supporter to the tutorial chapter's lord, Lyn) arrives to the main team of heroes to tell how her Lyn and the castle are under attack, naturally the main team of the game go to save them.
** Second example is in ''Fire Emblem 10'', right when [[spoiler:Lucia is going to be executed by the rebellion, The Greil Mercenaries in PERFECT Big Damn Heroes form all show up. What's great is that in the cutscene for their arrival, each one arrives saving another member of the party from being attacked. So any time the villains attempt a counter strike, they are instantly taken down. Making it a string of Big Damn Hero moments]].
*** [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome One of the best--if not the best--cutscenes in the game, though.]]
* In ''MegaManBattleNetwork 6'' (6 being the last game) in the 3rd to last (the last 2 being past the point of no return) cutscreen in the game, the villans realize it is a [[JustEatGilligan better idea]] to take on the KidHero in the real world then in cyberspace, only one of these moments save Lan.
** To be broader, Battle Network loves this trope such much that it has a LeitMotif for it
* Laker from ''SuperRobotWars Original Generation'' actally plans this, he lets Elzam keep the Kurogane, and occasionally gives him mechs so he can have moments like these, and aid the Hagane, and Hiryuu Custom from the shadows. In ''Original Generation 02'' the Hagane did this a lot in the early levels pissing off the Shirogane's captain Lee Injun, who was jealous of the Hagane.
** Axel Almer and Alfimi both did this in OG Gaiden to play part in the ''SuperRobotWars MX'' prologue. When the Jetzt wrecked the Cry Wolves, and it got Foglia killed, Hugo fatally wounded and Albero is sure in to be their next victim, suddenly both of them arrive and attracted the Jetzt, giving Albero time to escape with Hugo.
** An official ''SuperRobotWarsAlpha 3'' manga features a rather [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome epic]] version of this. After the BigBad is defeated, [[SmugSnake Son Ganlong]] appears to take advantage of the Alpha Numbers' weakened state and finish them once and for all. At that point all the Alphas who didn't return in 3 show up to support their friends and dispense an almighty smackdown.
* In ''CallOfDuty 4'' you both play as the BigDamnHeroes in several missions [[spoiler:and are blown up by a nuke because of it in one outstanding, totally badass instance]] and are saved by the Big Damn Russians in the very last mission, though Gaz and Griggs would probably have preffered it if they could have arrived a few moments earlier....
* [[VagrantStory "Reinforcements? I ]]''[[VagrantStory am ]]''[[VagrantStory the reinforcements."]]
** The same line occurs in ''MassEffect'' on Virmire, when you ride in to recue the Salarian recon squad. They are less than impressed with your BadAss selves, wondering why the Council didn't send the army they asked for.
**And speaking of MassEffect, what about "It's the Alliance! Thank the Goddess!" One of the possible endings has [[spoiler:the Alliance fleet arrive just in time to save the Council and its flagship, the ''Destiny Ascension''.]]
*** [[spoiler:''*click*'']]
* In ''MetalGearSolid 4'', [[spoiler: Johnny Sasaki, the resident ButtMonkey of the series, saves both Solid "Old" Snake and Meryl in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and then saves Meryl near the end of the game. Johnny and Meryl then proceed to kick ''a lot'' of ass, becoming a BattleCouple in the process. Also Raiden, who would save Snake's life at least twice... the first time cutting off an arm to do so, then the second time appearing without his arms, his sword (RuleOfCool) first clutched in his teeth and then in his left foot]].
* [[spoiler: Shinobu]] during the final boss fight of ''NoMoreHeroes''.
* Subverted multiple times in ''{{Metroid}} Prime 3: Corruption,'' wherein the bounty hunters show up just in time to reactivate a dead orbital cannon and nuke the SpacePirates' [[ColonyDrop asteroid weapon]] - and then just before they can hit the BigRedButton, Dark Samus shows up and blows them all away, achieving a Big Damn Villain moment of her own.
** And then subverted yet again, as Samus turns out to be OnlyMostlyDead, hauling herself to the control panel and activating the cannon before lapsing into a month-long ConvenientComa.
* ''TheWorldEndsWithYou'' has Neku and Shiki, in the third day, [[spoiler:almost out of time. Then at the last second, Beat and Rhyme show up and finish off the "master of A-East." Since only one player needs to complete the mission to spare everyone from the threat of erasure that comes with running out of time, their action not only spared them, but also Neku, Shiki, and all the other players currently in the game.]]
** Near the end of their week, Neku and Josh get a few chances to do this during [[spoiler: a Taboo Noise rampage, two out of three of which you can skip over and the [[ButThouMust third one]], oddly enough, forces you to save someone who is as good as dead even if you save him from the things]].
** At the beginning of the third week, [[spoiler:Neku is the only player in the game after all the other players have been taken as his entry fee, meaning that he can't partner up with anybody and is completely defenseless. Just as he's about to get erased, Reaper Beat comes out of nowhere to form a pact with Neku.]]
* In ''MegaManX 2'', if X succeeds in retrieving all of Zero's parts from the X-Hunters, Zero will break into the Central Computer's core just before Sigma unleashes his Copy-Zero on X, then proceed to destroy the Copy himself and punch a hole in the floor for X to pursue Sigma, all accompanied by kick-ass heroic music.
** Zero's introduction in the original ''MegaManX'' is another BigDamnHeroes moment that establishes him as a serious BadAss.
** At the end of ''Megaman X3'' either Zero or Dr. Doppler will arrive just in time to save X from the invincible Viral Sigma.
* [[GearsOfWar "Looks like we ]]''[[GearsOfWar are ]]''[[GearsOfWar the support, huh, Colonel?"]]
** Earlier than that, when Marcus, Dom, and Rook- I mean Carmine are exploring the ruins of Ilima City and get pinned down by a squad of Locust, Cole pulls off a ''superb'' Big Damn Heroes by showing up and taking out the entire enemy squad ''by himself''. "Nobody plays this game like me!", indeed.
* Early on in ''SuikodenII'', Flik and Victor show up just in time to stop the executions of the main character and Jowy. On your way out, you discover the main character's sister has broken out of jail on her own, and was on her way to attempt the same.
* A variation in ''WarCraft III''. Arthas and the village have held the line as best they can, but finally the undead are proving unstoppable...and then Uther, with TheCavalry at his back, charges into battle. But despite his initial joy:
-->'''Arthas:''' Uther! Your timing couldn't have been better!
** ...he becomes defensive later, when he misinterprets Uther's admiration as disbelief that he was good enough to hold out so long.
* In ''[[HalfLife2 Half-Life 2: Episode 2]]'', you try to protect a defenseless vortigaunt with two mooks and two busted turrets. By the last wave, it's the three of you and one working turret against dozens of Antlions. Then the last turret breaks down. You figure this is going to get unpleasant. Then, three Vortigaunts, who have been nothing but background filler until now, wander into the scene. Moments later, it's you, two mooks, and three Vortigaunts, against HUNDREDS of Antlions, all coming at once. And you know what? The Antlions never stood a chance. I really never expected the Vorts would get a BigDamnHero moment, but there it was.
** Alyx gets a fine moment of her own in ''[[HalfLife Half-Life 2]]'' when she saves Gordon from the metrocops early in the game. Then there's Gordon himself, who only hesitates to fling himself into alien dimensions and unstable fusion reactors if you, the player, make him.
* And it decisively shifted the Vortigaunt's personality from fugly alien [[MagicNegro Magic Negros]] to definite [[BadAss badasses]].
* ''TalesOfPhantasia'' offers a rather interest example, wherein one character performs a BigDamnHeroes moment for the player characters... who immediately perform one back. Near the beginning of the game, the BigBad Dhaos is unsealed, and Morrison casts a spell to send Cless and Mint 100 years into the past in order to save them from Dhaos. The two of them go on a journey (collecting two other allies in the process), and eventually activate another time warp to appear between Morrison and Dhaos, mere seconds after Morrison had sent them away. To the player, it took 30 or so hours of gameplay, but to the mentor and the bad guy, they appeared to have warped right back... until they proceed to kick Dhaos's ass, something they certainly couldn't have done when Dhaos first appeared.
* [[EarthBound All of a sudden,]] [[{{Mother3}} some guys rushed into the room]]!
* {{City Of Heroes}}: Most of the missions involve you arriving just in time to save someone, keep something from being from being destroyed, or stop a villian's plan.
* There's two in fairly close succession at the beginning of ''ValkyriaChronicles'', the first where Welkin saves his adopted sisters life by clubbing an imperial soldier about to shoot her with a fence-post, the second moments later when the siblings get their dad's old tank up and running and perform a proper rescue of the town watch in Bruhl. Alicia even mentions 'Now you're my hero' to Welkin afterwards.
* Lancer of ''FateStayNight'' is king of this trope in the UBW path. Has his heart impaled, and then he kills the BigBad of the last route in one attack. That's cool right? Heroic determination and stuff, nice from a guy who was basically just a minion. Only then Shinji shows up, and gets big damn heroed out as well, though not fatally. Still walking around and chatting sans heart, he lets Tohsaka go and burns the entire castle down.
** Gilgamesh subverts it by turning into the next baddie. Archer zigzags on the 'hero' bit.
* Tragically subverted in ''CaveStory'', wherein [[spoiler:the BDH arives moments too late to save the victim from being force fed a [[TheCorruption red flower]], and is killed moments later when he tries to attack the villains in a rage]]. And then you have to ShootTheDog.
**Later played straight in the[[spoiler: final, good ending, where you and Curly Brace are nearly crushed to death by a set of moving walls before Balrog the flying toaster, of all people, swoops in to save you.]]
* In the last mission of ''BattalionWars 2'', [[spoiler:Pierce]] has no fewer than 3 BigDamnHeroes moments: providing [[spoiler:3 Fighters to combat the air force]]; [[spoiler:shooting down Kaiser Vlad's escape transport, rendering his obtaining the staff useless, at least until the next game]]; and [[spoiler:giving Betty a ride on his personal Fighter to rescue her from being nuked by Vlad's usage of the staff used to call the satellite weapon]].
* ''MechWarrior 3'', you have picked up two of your 3 available npc allies and are travelling across country to try and rendezvous with mechwarrior Keith Andrew, who you have been in contact with for much of the game. On the way, in dire need of repairs, you come across an enemy fortress and secure it for supplies. The enemy responds by sending a massive force, and another from the other way, and there's an assault mech closing from the west, wait isn't that...
-->'''Alan Matilla:''' Can you read me, Damocles Command? Looks like you need a hand.
** Turns out you're also his best chance of survival since he can't even reload without assistance, but credit for the entrance. Keith Andrew never joins you and eventually meets with a rescue ship that you can't reach.
* There's a great one of these in ''WorldOfWarcraft'', during the Northrend quest [[http://www.wowwiki.com/Quest:Tirion%27s_Gambit Tirion's Gambit.]] [[spoiler:At the end of a long (and ''excellent'') quest chain, you enlist the help of Tirion Fordring to get a shot at destroying an artifact important to the [[BigBad Lich King]]. You, Tirion and a small band of Argent Crusade paladins sneak incognito into the Cathedral of Darkness, but the Lich King appears and exposes you all. Surrounded by elite Cultists, you and the Crusaders prepare for a hopeless battle, when...]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Koltira Deathweaver:''' Take courage, crusaders. You do not fight alone!]]
** [[spoiler:Highlord Darion Mograine and the Knights of the Ebon Blade rush in to save the day.]]
** Also, at the Battle of the Wrathgate, the Alliance army is getting its ass kicked when...
-->[[spoiler:'''Saurfang the Younger:''' [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Rise up, sons of the Horde! Blood and glory await us!]] LOK'TAR OGAR! FOR THE HORDE!]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Bolivar:''' I was wondering when you would show up.]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Saurfang the Younger:''' I couldn't let the Alliance have all the fun today!]]
** And then he proceeds to kill three massive Frost Vrykul with one swipe.
* In [[ResidentEvil Resident Evil 3]], If Nicholai gets away with the helicopter (or you destroy it), [[spoiler: Barry shows up with a helicopter and saves Jill and Carlos just before the nuke hits.]]
**Later on, in ''ResidentEvil 5'', Chris and Sheva are being attacked by Ganados on dirt-bikes, and are just abrely holding them off - until Captain Stone and Delta Squad arrive to save the day in a thoroughly badass instance.
* Subverted all the time in ''FinalFantasyTactics'': Ramza tries to storm the castle he thinks Princess Ovelia is held in, except he runs into Agrias, who managed to escape by herself; a subsequent rescue attempt turns out to be a trap. Throughout the plot, Ramza pretty much either stumbles into rescue missions by accident or arrives [[YouAreTooLate too late to do anything]].
** Depending on how much LevelGrinding you did prior to fighting [[ThatOneBoss Wiegraf]], the moment when your allies show up to reinforce you in the second stage of the battle, followed by Weigraf summoning his own monsters to even the score can be either a "awesome, cue the [[NoKillLikeOverkill overkill]]" or OhCrap moment.
* AceCombat 6, Mission 12: The PlayerCharacter and his Wingman saved their hometown from a [[DoomedHometown WMD attack]], and must now make it back to base. However, the Estovakians start to send in entire fighter squadrons (including a jammer and 2 AWACS in) to kill you. Just when you thinked you're about to die, [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome cue every friend you ever helped to come and save your rear.]]
*In Golden Sun 2, at the top of Jupiter lighthouse. Felix is initially ordered to move to the top of the lighthouse alone while the other party members try to help rescue the previous game's lead party. Piers insists on accompanying him, and the two are attacked by the 2 antagonists, Agatio and Karst, who had set the trap which detained the other characters. One by one the battle is interrupted as your party members return, and (just too late) eventually the entire cast of protagonists arrive, causing Agatio and Karst to retreat due to being outnumbered.
*Damas from ''JakAndDaxter'' drives ''through a wall'' and into a bunch of Dark Maker satellites, making them explode nicely.
* In ''KingdomHearts Chain of Memories'', Sora is alone facing [[AxCrazy Larxene]] (having angrily told Donald and Goofy to stay behind after they started questioning his trust in his memories), badly wounded after his fight with the Riku Replica. Just as she is about to attack him, Goofy's shield comes flying at her face, a spell heals Sora, and Goofy and Donald place themselves between Sora and Larxene, [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming reminding Sora that they had promised to protect him and that they would always stick together]]. Cue [[CurbStompBattle asskicking]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

* Antimony from ''GunnerkriggCourt'' finds herself on the receiving end of this three separate times (some less successful than others).
* Gwynn (of all people) actually pulls one of these off in [[http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=020707 this]] ''SluggyFreelance'' strip.
** There's a much bigger one in the Vampires storyline, when Riff, Bun-bun, Aylee and Kiki head to save Torg and Zoë from vampires. Delays caused by Bun-bun and the others cause them to arrive [[JustInTime in the nick of time]] too, though they had several days to start with. Played only partly straight in the end, as [[spoiler: Torg and Zoë end up killing the most important vampires themselves, albeit only enabled to do so by the help.]]
* {{Series/No Rest For The Wicked}}: just as the Witch is about to shove November into the oven, Red arrives.
* Pulled twice by different characters in a [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0613.html recent]] ''OrderOfTheStick'' strip, plus lampshaded:
-->'''Bozzok''': Damn it!!! How do the good guys keep DOING that????
-->'''Belkar''': Trade secret.
* Tedd in ElGoonishShive pulls a ''non-violent'' one.
* [[LookingForGroup "Rejoice, for bad things are about to happen."]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

*There are a few instances of this in ''SurvivalOfTheFittest''. A notable example is that of Seth Mattlock rescuing Bryan Calvert and Tory Johnson from a player - pulling it off in the true spirit of the trope: just in the nick of time. Amusingly, this is because he ''waited'' before pulling off the save, although he was, admittedly, trying to get the best possible shot on the bad guy. [[spoiler:It also turns into an unintentional HeroicSacrifice.]]
*A somewhat common climax for the ''Bunny Kill'' series is for the hero to be outmatched by the BigBad and get saved by another major character...[[HeroicSacrifice only for that character to get effortlessly one-shotted]] by the BigBad.
*One of the Cheat Commados, from ''Homestar Runner'', is aptly named Reinforcements, for often being , well, reinforcements.
*Andrew Hazel, who saves [[spoiler:Alec]] from [[spoiler:Boris's firing squad]] in [[{{Sapphire}} Sapphire Episode III]].
*TeamFourStar's Dragon Ball Z Abridged [[{{Lampshaded}} lampshades]] this upon Goku's entrance [[spoiler:into the fight versus Nappa and Vegeta. "Hey guys, what'd I miss? Oh. Are they all..."]]
*When the main characters are cornered in ''ThereWillBeBrawl'', Captain Falcon comes out of the alley, gives a speech about only ''he'' gets to bruise Pit's face, and Falcon Punches Saki and Issac to dust.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* ''{{Transformers}}: BeastWars'' has too many of these to list, generally set up by cutting to the good guys headed towards where they're needed, then cutting back to their destination and letting a scene play out until it's a good time for it to be interrupted by weapons fire. The best example of the trope occurred in "Coming Of The Fuzors, Part 2", when the Maximals are outgunned and literally surrounded. When it looks like they're done for (Megatron says, "Finish it."), the wall of the Maximal baseship blows open to reveal the new-and-improved Optimus Primal, BackFromTheDead and ready for a fight.
* ''Transformers'': Full of moments like these, mostly when a character is either first introduced, or appeared to be at death's door previously. One of the best examples has to be the episode "Key to Vector Sigma" where [[spoiler:Menasor has Superion pinned and is about to impale him on a large spike - only for Omega Supreme, nearly destroyed earlier in that episode, to show up and KO him]].
** In fact, [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Optimus Prime's entire fight scene against the Decepticons and Megatron]] from the 1986 Animated Movie is a Big Damn Heroes moment. This is acknowledged when Kup says "Optimus did it. He turned the tide".
* ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'': "The Boiling Rock" has [[spoiler:Mai saving the group from having the gondola they're dropped into the boiling lake]].
** Also, in "Sozin's Comet" : [[spoiler: Sokka and Toph are about to fall off an airship, and are surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers...in comes Suki, riding on top of another airship, giving them someplace to jump down to and destroying the first airship at the same time.]]
* Happens here and there in DannyPhantom.
--->'''Pariah''': *holding Danny and Vlad in his hand, both knocked out* Ghosts and humans! Is there no end to this day's surprises?
--->'''Valerie''': Hey, stoneface! Surprise! *shoots him in the face*
* Also comes up in ''TheFairlyOddparents'' a few times. In fact, it's the first thing we see [[ShowWithinAShow Crash Nebula]] doing.
* The second ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' cartoon has two such moments: the first occurs in "City at War", when Raphael, who had [[AbandonedByTheCavalry abandoned the turtles]] after offered to join forces with The Foot, returns for the final battle with Splinter in tow. The second occurs in "The Day of Awakening", when Cody, who had been left behind on Earth, burst into Moonbase Bishop to save the turtles from Sh'Okanabo.
* ''BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'' episode "The Return of XL" hangs a lampshade on this practice.
-->'''Booster:''' I just hope we're in time!
-->'''Buzz:''' It wouldn't be a real rescue if we were ''too'' early.
* The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Io5IFxOw1g opening title sequence]] of the animated ''GIJoe'' movie definitely counts. So awesome that it overshadowed the rest of the film.
* From Futurama: How Hermes Requisitioned his Groove Back
-->'''Morgan''': Bender's brain lost in the master in pile, and it would take some sort of giant, mechanical, atomic-powered sorting machine to find him.
-->'''Hermes''': You rang?
* In the season 3 premiere of {{Metalocalypse}}, a CorruptCorporateExecutive was trying to force Dethklok to sign a new contract advantageous to him. Nathan was just about to put his signature on it [[spoiler: when Charles Ofdensen, their [[FakingTheDead thought dead manager]], shows up in the doorway to stop them.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]
* Blücher and the Prussians managed to pull this off in the battle of Waterloo.
** Or possibly not; scholarship is divided as to whether Blücher outright saved the day, or turned up late and just turned the French defeat into a rout.
*** Pressure from the earliest of Blucher's troops to arrive stopped Napoleon from throwing everything in to finish Wellington. The French morale snapped when the Guard - which had never before failed - broke under British musketry.
*** The latter point of view reminds this troper of the story of Andrew Jackson (yes, the seventh president), who was considered a war hero for his rousing victory in a battle during the War of 1812...except, due to how slowly news traveled at that time, it was actually a battle fought ''just after the War of 1812 had ended'', as a peace treaty had been signed a few days earlier, much further north. And yes, his war heroics were a major part of what got him elected. Go figure.
*** To be fair, he was on the defensive. Holding your ground against a larger, better armed and disciplined force is heroic wether the war is technically still going on or not.
* A much less famous example is King's & Stålhandske's arrival at the battle of Wittstock, having been detached by Banér earlier on to outflank the imperial fortifications but been delayed by the difficult terrain.
* We also have Crown Prince Frederick at Königgrätz.
* Benito Juárez, one of the most remembered presidents in Mexico, was about to be shot by a traitor, when his friend Guillermo Prieto barged in screaming "Put down your weapons! Brave men don't murder!".
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy_Landings D-Day]].
** D-day wasn't exactly the nick of time, they planned it for months in advance, and the exact date was open to change right up until the hours preceding launch. It was pretty epic, though.
**In fact, D-Day had been delayed due to poor weather to deploy the troops. It cost them though, many paratroopers were lost in the marshy fields of Normandy due to the heavy rainfall.
** Germany wasn't doing so well by that time anyway, for it to be appearing just in the nick of time.
* The Battle of Stalingrad. Twice.
** The first time was on September 13, 1942. The Soviet defenders at that point were at the brink of being overrun. Suddenly, reinforcements arrived in the form of the 13th Guards Division. Although a "Guards" unit, most of the 13th's soldiers were new recruits. Many did not have rifles. But the commander of the 13th grimly declared that "I am a communist. I will not abandon this city!" and sent his men into the fray. Out of 10,000 men, only 300 survived the battle. Most died on the first day. But their sacrifice stopped the German advance cold and bought time to restore the Soviet defenses.
** A few weeks later, the Soviet 62nd Army was again at the brink of being overrun in Stalingrad. Out of tens of thousands of soldiers, only a few hundred survivors remained. Suddenly, word came that Zhukov had launched his counter-offensive and surrounded the German soldiers attacking them. Some of the defenders couldn't believe it, but then a Russian tank column smashed through the German lines from behind and reached the beleaguered 62nd. The Russian tanks were greeted with cheers, embraces, and most of all, tears.
*Bill Clinton rescuing two journalists from North Korea, for both it's randomness and heroness. In the words of one of the journalists "And then I looked and saw President Bill Clinton standing there and knew the nightmare of my life was over." It's questionable on how straight the trope is played. The whole thing maybe just political manipulation to make things look like a Big Damn Heroes moment, which may qualify as a subversion or even deconstruction.
*[[http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/04/florida.jail.attack/index.htm This event]]. Prison officer being attacked and choked to death by an far younger and stronger inmate when another inmate pulls off a [[DynamicEntry running punch]] on the attacker. Several other inmates assist in subduing the attacker and calling in help. The fact that the Big Damn Heroes included men charged with attempted murderer, home invasion and assault/battery means this doubles as a {{Crowning Moment of Heartwarming}}. Apparently, they did it because they liked the officer.
* King Jan Sobieski of Poland and the Holy League at the Siege of Vienna in 1683. The Ottoman forces have had the city under siege for month and have finally managed to place the underground charges to breach the walls when the relief forces arrive and... launch the largest cavalry charge in history, spearheaded by the Polish Winged Hussars. King Jan was considered a Big Damn Hero for that
* Against all probability, infamously bumbling mayor of London Boris Johnson recently pulled one of these when he intervened to stop a woman being attacked whilst out on his bicycle. [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Makes]] [[BunnyEarsLawyer you]] [[ObfuscatingStupidity wonder]]...
[[/folder]]
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