History DiscOneFinalBoss / LiveActionTV

* ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'': During the first half of the first season, the "Skinjobs" running the Cylon force seem to be operating on an equal footing, with no hierarchy and all decisions made collectively. Then we are introduced to [[spoiler:D'Anna]], aka Cylon Model 3. The next time we see 3 interacting with other Cylons, [[spoiler:she]] seems to be taking a more dominant role -- the majority of aggressive decisions are made by [[spoiler:her]], and other Cylon models seem rather intimidated by [[spoiler:her]] presence. Then the season 2 finale introduces [[spoiler:Brother Cavill]], aka Model 1, who, amongst other things [[spoiler:has the entire Model 3 line 'boxed' when D'Anna sees the faces of the final five]], and quickly becomes the dominant model [[spoiler:(at least, amongst those who don't side with the humans in Season 4)]], firmly establishing [[spoiler:himself]] as the BigBad.

** In an example that doesn't follow the formula, in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E1BuffyVsDracula Buffy vs. Dracula]]", Dracula is introduced in such a way to make it appear that he'll be a major force in the season, especially with his ability to reform after being killed...then leaves Sunnydale forever at the end of the episode. The actual BigBad, Glory, shows up in episode five. In a particularly elegant example of misdirection, ''the entire ad campaign'' that had been running in the weeks leading up to the premiere played up Dracula as the season's BigBad. This was really a cross-promotion with the ''Vlad'' miniseries on a neighboring station owned by the same conglomerate.

** In season four, after Adam (who is the only BigBad who is killed in an episode other than the finale) is defeated, the spirit of the First Slayer acts as a threat for the final episode of the season, as she believes Buffy has too many human attachments to do her job properly.

** Season 2's faux BigBad Daniel Whitehall...AND IS HE EVER! In the midseason finale, he has [[DroppedABridgeOnHim the bridge unceremoniously dropped on him]] when Phil Coulson simply shoots him in the back before Cal can give him a well-deserved KarmicDeath.

** Season 1 features Kyler Park, Miguel Diaz's main bully at West Valley High School who is the very reason why Miguel convinces Johnny Lawrence to open up Cobra Kai, with Miguel as the star student. After Miguel defeats Kyler in the lunchroom midway through the season, the rest of the events turn to the former prepping for the All-Valley tournament, culminating in Miguel facing off Robby Keene (mentored by Daniel [=LaRusso=]) in the finals.
** As it turns out, all of the events prelude to John Kreese's reappearance in the Season 1 finale, who becomes the series' BigBad after stealing ownership of the dojo from Johnny and further corrupting the latter's students, eventually becoming the primary threat to both Johnny, Daniel, and their students. [[spoiler:However in Season 4, Kreese brings in Terry Silver, whom, after a series of teaching disagreements and falling outs, completely usurps the former by framing him for Silver's NoHoldsBarredBeatdown on Raymond, becoming the series' new BigBad (helped with Cobra Kai's All-Valley victory and Silver's plan to franchise the dojo]].

** ''Series/KamenRiderBuild'': Juzaburo Namba is the CorruptCorporateExecutive behind Faust, the NebulousEvilOrganisation our protagonists spend the first quarter of the series fighting, and is also manipulating the Prime Ministers of Hokuto and Seito in order to exploit the Japanese CivilWar for his own ends. However, he turns out to really be a pawn of [[spoiler:his own EnigmaticMinion Blood Stalk]], who sweeps him aside right as the series enters its final stretch.

** ''Series/KamenRiderDouble'': The Sonozaki Family serve as the villains for most of the series, and are defeated right as their plan is about to reach its climax, seemingly putting an end to the Gaia Memory drug trade for good. However, just like ''Kabuto'', there's still three episodes left, so the family's benefactors, [[NebulousEvilOrganization Foundation X]], come onto the scene and hijack the remains of the Sonozaki family's plan for their own ends, with Foundation X researcher Jun Kazu serving as the main threat to the heroes for the rest of the series.

** ''Series/KamenRiderZeroOne'': The Ark, the evil AI responsible for the events of the series, gets defeated {[[NotQuiteDead seemingly]]) for good at the end of the third arc. The story could have ended there, but [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist Horobi]] decides to [[KickTheDog still be a dick]] and begins a crusade to kill any humans and [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Humagears]] who stand in his way. In fact, the actual conflict isn't even resolved in the series - it takes three movies to tie it all up.
** ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'': Giff, the demonic alien responsible for the show's events, manages to be the Disc One Final Boss ''twice''. The first time comes while he's still in his coffin and the Riders invade his lair, defeat his cultists, and destroy his spaceship, seemingly putting an end to their attempts to resurrect him. The second time comes with four episodes before the end of the show, this time with the Riders killing Giff for good and with George taking Giff's place as the new lead villain. However, George is ''also'' this trope, and gets defeated while there's ''still'' two episodes left, leaving the position of the actual final boss to go to Vice.

** ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'': Kuroto Dan[=/=]Kamen Rider Genm drives the plot for the first half of the show, gathering data so he can create the "ultimate game", Kamen Rider Chronicle, as part of his [[AGodAmI raging God complex]]. Then, as Chronicle nears completion, Parado kills him and takes the game for himself, only to get ousted from the spot much later when [[TheManBehindTheMan the true mastermind]] shows himself. The heroes end up having to revive Kuroto because his programming skills are indispensable, and he becomes an uneasy ally and source of comic relief. Although [[spoiler:Kuroto steps up to be the final BigBad in the [[PostScriptSeason post-series movies]], pointing out that he never actually ''reformed'' from his evil ways.]]

* ''Film/{{Yuma}}'': Nels Decker seems like the BigBad of this MadeForTVMovie, but he gets an arrow to the back an hour or so in, and [[spoiler:fellow businessman Mules McNeil is revealed to be the true mastermind]].

** ''Series/KamenRiderStronger'' has the Black Satan organization as the villains for the first half until they're defeated by Kamen Rider Stronger. After their downfall, their former [[TheDragon top lieutenant]] General Shadow steps in with his Delza Army to begin menacing Stronger. In the final arc, Shadow gets usurped by Marshal Machine, who is revealed in the final few episodes to be working for the [[HijackedByGanon Great Leader]].

** ''Series/KamenRiderDouble'': The Sonozaki mafia family serve as the villains for most of the series, and are defeated right as their plan is about to reach its climax, seemingly putting an end to the Gaia Memory drug trade for good. However, just like ''Kabuto'', there's still three episodes left, so the family's benefactors, [[NebulousEvilOrganization Foundation X]], come onto the scene and hijack the remains of the Sonozaki family's plan for their own ends, with Foundation X researcher Jun Kazu serving as the main threat to the heroes for the rest of the series.
** ''Series/KamenRiderZeroOne'': The Ark, the evil AI responsible for the events of the series, is defeated by all of the other villains teaming up with the heroes to destroy it, which looks as though it should mark the end of the RobotUprising. However, Horobi decides afterward he still wants to destroy humanity anyway for his own reasons, setting off a chain of events that lead to ''Zero-One himself'' becoming a FallenHero and the real final boss.

* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'': Slade Wilson is a GeneralRipper who causes serious problems for the main cast in the first half of Season 10, leading the Vigilante Registration Agency in its attempts to force {{Superhero}}es to comply with the VRA's dictates. He kidnaps members of the Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}} and subjects them to ColdBloodedTorture, nearly kills Clark with Kryptonite, and [[spoiler:kills Hawkman in a SwordFight right before being trapped in the Phantom Zone by Clark]]. Yet despite this list of achievements, he's still the UnwittingPawn of [[UltimateEvil Darkseid]], and his defeat marks the foiling of only a part of the true BigBad's plans.

* ''Series/BetterCallSaul'': [[spoiler: Lalo Salamanca is the ultimate foreseeable threat throughout the second half of the series, menacing both Fring’s fledgling criminal empire as well as Kim Wexler and Jimmy [=McGill=] AKA Saul Goodman. This being a prequel series to ''Series/BreakingBad'', with Lalo nowhere to be found beyond a brief namedrop by the aforementioned Saul, he barely makes it halfway through the final season before ultimately biting it in a tense stand-off with Fring himself.]] Played with in that there isn't really a follow-up antagonist to him, making him still come across as the FinalBoss, and the rest of the series is spent dealing with the ramifications and the trauma the main characters have as a result of his actions.

* ''Series/BetterCallSaul'': [[spoiler: Lalo Salamanca is the ultimate foreseeable threat throughout the second half of the series, menacing both Fring’s fledgling criminal empire as well as Kim Wexler and Jimmy [=McGill=] AKA Saul Goodman. This being a prequel series to ''Series/BreakingBad'', with Lalo nowhere to be found beyond a brief namedrop by the aforementioned Saul, he barely makes it halfway through the final season before ultimately biting it in a tense stand-off with Fring himself.]]

** Season 5 builds up towards [[spoiler:what is implied to be the ultimate confrontation between Walt and Hank, only for Hank to be murdered near the start of the third-to-last episode. Walt's final opponents are actually Hank's killer Jack, his neo-Nazi crew, and Lydia.]]