This is an Ending Trope, so beware of unmarked spoilers!
Times where the final episode of a season or series introduces a new character in Anime and Manga.
- While the goddess Rind appears surprisingly early in the story, Urd's mother Hild only appears in the last episode credits of Ah! My Goddess. (She does get a larger role in the second season of the TV series, though.)
- In the anime adaptation of Amatsuki, Kanzou appears for the first time in the ending credits. However, the identity of this mysterious man is hardly the only question viewers are left with after watching the last episode.
- In the manga version of ARIA, Ai.
- Ura Sakaki, Tamaki's major rival in the Bamboo Blade manga, only appears in the last few seconds of the anime as sort of a Sequel Hook (there is no second season, by the way.)
- Similar to Naruto below, the last chapter of Bleach is set 10 years after the end of the Quincy Blood War and marks the debut of Kazui Kurosaki (son of Ichigo and Orihime), who becomes a Shinigami after absorbing the last of Yhwach's reiatsu; Ichika Abarai (daughter of Renji and Rukia), a young freshman Shinigami who meets Kazui in a similar way to when Rukia met Ichigo; and Nemuri Hachigou, the eighth iteration of the Nemuri project and a replacement for Nemu (Nemuri Nanago) Kurotsuchi, created by Mayuri after her Heroic Sacrifice. Kazui and Ichika later appear in the anniversary oneshot and start of the impending Howl From the Jaws of Hell arc.
- A Certain Magical Index:
- At the end of season 1, Laura Stuart appears.
- Shiage Hamazura in II, which would be an Early-Bird Cameo, except he was actually introduced in that arc in the novel. This, presumably, is a tease for a third season of Index.
- The last chapter of Chainsaw Man introduces Nayuta, the reincarnation of the Control Devil and Big Bad Makima. Though this only applies to "Part 1" of Chainsaw Man as it's the last chapter in Weekly Shonen Jump before it moves to Jump Plus.
- In the horrible sequel to Dangaioh, Great Dangaioh, in the last five or so minutes of the final episode, an entirely new hero in an entirely new robot shows up to save the day, while telling the current heroes that they aren't needed any more. While he did appear very briefly in earlier episodes, he only had one, maybe two lines (of no more than ten words total) and was always wearing a long coat and sunglasses before he made his true appearance.
- In the last chapter of the Death Note manga, a new guy named Yamamoto is shown to have joined the National Police Agency (then again, Light was shown to have a classmate named Yamamoto, so it might be the same person).
- Pan, Uub and Bra in Dragon Ball Z, though Pan becomes a regular character in the anime-only sequel Dragon Ball GT. Uub goes from "Goku's hand-picked student" to "Overshadowed by Awesome" entirely off-screen, and Bra is basically a Living Prop who only really exists to affirm that Bulma and Vegeta (her parents) are still together.
- Dragon Ball Super does show Pan as a baby as a minor character, and hints at her having even more potential than her father. Bra would be born later, right before the Tournament of Power.
- Dragon Ball GT does it again with Goku Jr. and Vegeta Jr., the Identical Descendants of their namesakes.
- The second Durarara!! OVA, the last part of the season, introduces Mairu and Kururi Orihara. They became full-fledged characters in the second season when it debuted five years later.
- Encouragement of Climb Second Season: Despite appearing in official promo art, Honoka, a quiet girl who likes taking photos, doesn't appear until the final arc of the anime, and returns for the last episode.
- The Pirate King Atomsk is merely hinted at throughout FLCL, isn't referred to by name until the penultimate episode, and finally makes his first and only appearance in the final episode. This pattern is repeated again in FLCL Progressive, though Atomsk appears in the end credits this time, and gets more screentime in the final episode.
- Ogiue is introduced at the end of the ending animation sequence of the last episode of Genshiken, and (obviously) has no lines; she then shows up in the OVA.
- In the last episode of the anime version of Giant Killing, there are lots of group shots. A couple of players who've never been seen before are in the crowd, acting like they've always been there. And logically they should have been seen, when the whole team was shown training. Of course, the original manga was months ahead with the story, by the time that last episode was made.
- Gourmet Girl Graffiti: Yuki is introduced in the third-to-last episode of the anime and doesn't show up again. In the manga, she becomes the school librarian at Ryo, Kirin, and Shiina's new high school.
- In episode 12 of Granblue Fantasy, many characters who were at best briefly seen earlier, suddenly shows up to assist Gran and his crew with the latest Monster of the Week. It's implied that they ran into said characters before, since Gran's group mostly acknowledges them by name. Episode 13 also mixes things up by replacing Gran with Djeeta, a lady who essentially does the same things he did, and also has a mostly all-female crew.
- The Distant Finale of the Gunslinger Girl manga revolves around a character introduced in that chapter: Triela's daughter Speranza.
- Some Jewelpet seasons introduce a brand new Jewelpet at the last episode of their series' run:
- Jewelpet Twinkle☆ introduces Angela, a pink alpaca Jewelpet who was revived along with her human partner Fealina as part of Akari's wishes.
- Jewelpet Sunshine introduces Granite, a white lion Jewelpet who just so happens to be the Jewelpet form of Mikage Shiraishi so he and Ruby can end up together.
- Jewelpet Kira☆Deco! introduces the pink Ussuri brown bear Jewelpet Rosa, who was born out of Decolina's hands after the Mirror Ball is restored and Labra was brought back to life.
- Inverted in Lady Jewelpet; the dutch rabbit Jewelpet Luea was introduced in the season's very first episode as the mentor to Lillian.
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure:
- During the last chapter/episode of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency, a much older Joseph Joestar, the protagonist of this Part, decides to visit his grandson in prison, Jotaro Kujo, who will go on to become a major character in the subsequent Parts.
- The last chapter of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean has Emporio running into the characters Irene, Anakiss, and a third woman that was named Eldis in the anime. They are the counterparts of Jolyne, Anasui, and Ermes after the universe was reset following Pucci's defeat.
- During a Flashback in the final two Chapters of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: JoJolion, we are introduced to the new character Fumi, who assists the now elderly returning character, Lucy Steele, from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, as they attempt to find the Locacaca plant as well as figuring out the mystery of the Radio Ga Ga incident. We then learn in the last chapter that in a massive Continuity Cameo, Fumi is actually the SBR-verse's incarnation of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency's protagonist, Joseph Joestar, complete with Clackers and a now humanoid Hermit Purple as his stand. Joseph was only mentioned in passing beforehand in the manga with this being his first official depiction within the new continuity. Fumi's descendant is Jodio, the protagonist of the ninth part, The JOJOLands.
- Joshiraku: Parodied with Uzannu Uzatei who tries to ruin the final episode by being as annoying as possible, but the main cast manages to get rid of her at the end of the first half of the episode by introducing hundred more new characters for one brief scene.
- Kaguya-sama: Love Is War:
- The first season has an Early-Bird Cameo for both Iino and Osaragi during its final scene. Both of them would be properly introduced in the following season.
- While not the last chapter altogether, Iino and Ishigami's epilogue in the final volume introduces Takano, Tono, and Kanegae, the three new members of the student council after Kaguya, Shirogane, and Fujiwara aged out.
- Due to time constraints, the Toei version of Kanon stuffed Mishio's entire story into the last episode of Makoto's arc, with no previous explanation.
- Right before the end credits of the last episode of the anime version of Kemeko Deluxe!, we see Kamishiro Yukina, miko and nanoball prototype, who appears in the manga a couple of chapters after the last anime episode.
- A strange example occurred in Love Hina, where Naru and Kaolla's siblings appear in the television series but not the manga. However, Naru's sister was given a cameo in the final pages of the manga. The original manga also ended with an epilogue that that introduced a brand new character, Ema Maeda, who was a Distaff Counterpart of main protagonist Keitaro.
- The final episode of the Killing Bites anime has its last minute introduce Pure Inui and Tasuku Kuroi, who become the major characters in Part II of the manga (Chapter 31 onwards).
- Hikaru Sakuraba only appears in the last episode of the anime adaptation of Lucky Star. She's featured more prominently later on in the manga.
- Maiho in Maburaho makes her debut in the final episode of the anime adaptation, and she gets only one speaking line.
- Reinforce Zwei of Lyrical Nanoha, whose first appearance in the frachise was in the Distant Finale of the second season.
- Tateo Mochizuki makes a cameo at the end of Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro, after the arc he appeared in was cut from the show.
- Maria†Holic has Enjouji, the hot swimming instructor. Kanako lampshades this. Later subverted, when it's revealed that she's entirely in Kanako's dream.
- In the last episode of Mazinger Z (and in the Mazinger vs Great General of Darkness movie), Kouji Kabuto and his friends were defeated, Mazinger-Z completely destroyed, and their base demolished. Before Kouji gets killed, though, showed up Tetsuya Tsurugi riding the newer and most powerful Great Mazinger, and easily defeated the new enemy. We were introduced to new characters, enemies and locations would star in the sequel, Great Mazinger.
- Mobile Suit Gundam AGE introduces a new villain in the very last episode of entire series: Zera Gins, a clone of Lord Ezelcant who provides the final fight for Kio Asuno.
- My Hero Academia: The last two episodes of Season 3 are actually the first few chapters of the Internship Arc and both introduce several characters that will become relevant only in the next season. While Overhaul, the next Arc Villain, and focus characters Mirio, Tamaki and Nejire are introduced in the penultimate episode (the last three right at the very end), the final moments of the final episode introduce Sir Nighteye and his assistant Bubble Girl and set up a little of his relationship to the next Arc.
- In My-HiME, Arika is literally the very last character visible on screen in the final episode, although she never says anything and plays no part in the action. She then appears in My-Otome as its lead. (Sunrise also created a fake "movie trailer" for My-HiME that had her being a villain and taking over the school.)
- Nagasarete Airantou: Michiru, daughter of an islander and a Yuki-onna and Obaba's medical apprentice. First appears during the end credits of the last episode.
- The manga has since retconned her into the very beginning of the story: she is now seen helping treat Ikuto when he first shows up on the island. Her late appearance is explained away as a consequence of being the daughter of a snow woman, a spirit associated with winter. She is immune to cold but sensitive to heat, and thus rarely went outdoors to avoid the sun.
- In the final chapter of Naruto, over 10 years have passed and most of the recurring cast are married with children. Stand-out characters include Naruto and Hinata's two children, Boruto and Himawari, along with Sasuke and Sakura's daughter, Sarada. They would become the main characters of the Sequel Series, Boruto.
- In Penguin Musume Heart, the very last shot shows a girl who is perhaps Sakura's sister, looking just like her and also going by the same name, but acting a lot more dignified.
- Pokémon: The Series:
- Several Pokémon from later generations will often tend to appear toward the end of certain story arc of the anime, with the sole exception being Ho-oh, which appeared at the end of the show's first episode.
- Giovanni's secretary appears in the final episode of Diamond and Pearl. She becomes a recurring character in Best Wishes, when Team Rocket gains more importance.
- In the ending Montage to Rozen Maiden: Träumend, a new character appears who may or may not be the resurrected version of another character; likely, it's actually the as yet unseen one that she had been impersonating.
- Pretty Cure:
- The final episode of HeartCatch Pretty Cure! gives us Futaba Hanasaki, Tsubomi's baby sister who's cute, cuddly, and becomes a Pretty Cure herself in (about) ten years time. However, it's never stated whether or not this was a case of Passing the Torch.
- Starting with Go! Princess Pretty Cure, it would become common for the lead Cure of the next season to be introduced within the final episode of the current season, mostly to build hype for the new team as they wreck the Post-Final Boss.
- Ranma ½:
- The last story arc introduced not just the Mt. Phoenix tribe (who, like the Musk Dynasty, work just as well as one-shot enemies,) but also the Jusenkyō Guide's daughter, Plum, an adventurous and smart little girl (smarter even than the teens and adults) who never really got much screentime.
- The animated version introduced Ranma's mother Nodoka in the final, two-episode story in the TV series.
- Both seasons of Restaurant to Another World do a version of this as each season finale has a character visiting Nekoya who's only been mentioned or shown in flashbacks; Season 1 has the hero Alexander, while Season 2 has his former comrade, the hero Yomi, the current owner's grandmother who cofounded Nekoya.
- Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers: The final episode of the anime introduces Rolonia, the eighth member of a group that should only be six, revealing that right after uprooting one Mole, there's now a second one they have to think of.
- In Saki Zenkoku-hen, Usuzan High School, one of Kiyosumi's opponents in the semifinals, is introduced after the quarterfinals that comprised most of the series have finished. The same episode also introduces a so far unnamed girl who is implied to play a large role in Saki and Teru's backstory.
- Bontenmaru in Samurai Deeper Kyo, who gets no dialogue, despite being a major character in the manga.
- Sgt. Frog: There were three of them in the last episode of the 7th season shown throughout all of Japan (257. 258 had an initial limited Tokyo-only run), two who probably will return later if the anime continues. The characters were the supremer commander of the Keronian army, an invasion AI called DK-666, and also Haru Hinata, Fuyuki's and Natsumi's absent father. The last one basically only had a cameo appearance though, and his face wasn't even shown.
- Tsukiyo Ooba from Sketchbook has some inconspicuous cameo appearances throughout the series, but only gets a few lines in the last episode, which gets lampshaded by her vocal complaints about this treatment. There is also a glimpse of Soyogi-sensei, who doesn't get a speaking part whatsoever.
- Subversion: Before airing, it was highly expected that Slayers Try would make use of Lina Inverse's mysterious sister, Luna. Once it aired, she merely made an appearance in the opening, with an accompanying humorous apology note to the fans.
◊ - The manga version of Soul Eater Not! ends with the introduction of Ao Hoshino, Tsugumi's third Meister, who specializes in the scythe portion of the halberd. Not only is two Meisters already unheard of, let alone a third (and Tsugumi's other Meisters are not amused), but Ao also has star eyes, which makes her related to the Star Clan. The how is never explained.
- Take Responsibility For My Stomach ends with main duo Ritsu and Ruka's track team underclassmen visiting them at college and making their debut in the series after having been mentioned in the first chapter. In fact, their existence drives the plot of the series despite their lack of panel time, since their visit is the impetus for Ritsu to lose weight.
- Tiger & Bunny has an in-series example. Barnaby decides to make his debut in the last episode of HeroTV's most recent season (in episode 1 of the actual anime) as a way of making a stellar impression on the in-show audience.
- The manga version of Tokyo Mew Mew ends with a never-before-seen girl (later identified as Shirayuki Berii) looking through the window at the party inside the Cafe Mew Mew.
- Konomi Yuzuhara's (from To Heart 2) appearance in the sixth Omake of To Heart: Remember My Memories may count as this.
- Tsuritama has one in the form of Urara, the very same fish alien... person... who terrorized all of Enoshima for the last few episodes.
- Wagnaria!! has Maya, the glasses-wearing girl who had been in shots sprinkled through the entire show, introduced and finally speak in the final episode. This also happens in the manga to a certain extent, since she's only properly introduced in Volume 5. This occurs in the second season as well.
- Yellow Dragon Zeno in the anime version of Yona of the Dawn. His introduction is adapted very faithfully from the manga and he dangles a few plot possibilities in front of the viewers, but with no second season...
