History Main / ChekhovsArmy

* The MassEffect series, depending on your choices, is apparently building up to this. [[spoiler:Spare the rachni queen in the first game? [[MercyRewarded They send a message promising to help you when you call]]. Upload a virus into the geth's data networks to [[HeelFaceTurn turn the small percentage that aid the Reapers back to the majority]], which opposes the Reapers? This will probably result in the entire geth race fighting the Reapers with you. Chose not to kill Wrex in the first game and perhaps convinced Mordin to make use of his student's data of a Genophage cure? This may also mean that the Krogans will fight alongside Shepard. Saving Tali from exile without getting her father implicated and flat out begging the quarians not to kill themselves fighting the geth will probably get them with you as well. With [[BadassArmy friends like these]], who needs the Council?]]

* [[spoiler: The Aggron, Arbok, Magcargo, Magmortar, Mismagius, and Rhyperior]] seen during the BadFuture sequence from [[PokemonMysteryDungeon ''Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky'']].

** [[spoiler:the series 4 finale]]. Hello again, [[spoiler:Martha, Torchwood, Rose, Mickey, Jackie, Harriet Jones, Sarah Jane, the Shadow Proclamation, the missing bees and the stolen planets]]!
** A Good Man Goes to War: [[spoiler:pretty much every other faction the 11th Doctor's seen come back to help, plus a few that only Ten's seen.]]

** [[spoiler:the seires 4 finale]]. Hello again, [[spoiler:Martha, Torchwood, Rose, Mickey, Jackie, Harriet Jones, Sarah Jane, the Shadow Proclamation, the missing bees and the stolen planets]]!

* ''TheDresdenFiles'' loves this sort of thing; in particular, ''Grave Peril'' has quite a few characters show up at Bianca's party who turn out to be ''very'' important later.

* BuffyTheVampireSlayer was fond of this. First, at the end of season three, [[spoiler:the entire graduating class, who'd been getting saved by Buffy for the last three years, bands together to form a literal army to fight off the BigBad.]] Two of the three BigBadWannabe 's of season six, conversely but similarly, started as one-off characters going as far back as season two, but joined up with each other in season six. The third was going to be as well, but the actor was unavailable so they made it his brother instead.

* The second ''AssassinsCreed'' features this, where [[spoiler:after TheReveal, the Hooker, thief, uncle, and various other minor characters end up being assassins instrumental in the endgame.]]

* Taken literally with ''MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail''. In the 'extended version', in which 23 originally cut seconds were restored, one of the characters breaks the fourth wall and starts talking about if her scene should have been cut out. This triggers a chat between her and some past characters. After that, some '''future''' characters start yelling at her to get on with the scene, including an actual medieval army. Guess what? [[spoiler: The army conveniently appears at the end of the film, when Arthur needs them to attack an enemy castle.]]

{{The Law of Conservation of Detail}} taken to its logical extreme.

* ''{{Anime/Monster}}'' is very good at this.

* Chances are, if you have a name and appear in ''{{Pokemon Special}}'', you're going to be plot-important later on. If you happen to be nameless, however, you will ''still'' appear some chapters later as either an ally or a throwaway gag.

[[folder:ComicBooks]]
* ''TheSandman'' probably has the most extensive one ever. Some notable examples:

* In the 2009 movie ''{{Film/Avatar}}'', there is a moment where [[spoiler: almost every single alien species that appears in the first part of the movie returns to beat the ever-loving crap out of the human military. Chekhov's Zoo, anyone?]]
* In the French film ''{{Amelie}}'', many characters are introduced extensively with seemingly no point. For instance, the air hostess that Amelie helps with pet sitting is the person who [[spoiler:takes Amelie's father's gnome to various places over the world]]. A seemingly unimportant blind man in the subway then returns later when Amelie helps him cross the street, and then she extravagantly [[spoiler:describes all of of the major sights along the route back to the subway]].
* [[Film/TheGame The Game]] - This 1997 Michael Douglas film fits this trope to a T when every last extra whose face was shown during the course of the movie, as well as several incredibly minor, even unnamed characters [[spoiler: were all revealed to be a part of the Game as shown in the cafeteria scene.]]

* The second ''AssassinsCreed'' features this, where [[spoiler:after {{The Reveal}}, the Hooker, thief, uncle, and various other minor characters end up being assassins instrumental in the endgame.]]
* The {{Mass Effect}} series, depending on your choices, is apparently building up to this. [[spoiler:Spare the rachni queen in the first game? [[MercyRewarded They send a message promising to help you when you call]]. Upload a virus into the geth's data networks to [[HeelFaceTurn turn the small percentage that aid the Reapers back to the majority]], which opposes the Reapers? This will probably result in the entire geth race fighting the Reapers with you. Chose not to kill Wrex in the first game and perhaps convinced Mordin to make use of his student's data of a Genophage cure? This may also mean that the Krogans will fight alongside Shepard. Saving Tali from exile without getting her father implicated and flat out begging the quarians not to kill themselves fighting the geth will probably get them with you as well. With [[BadassArmy friends like these]], who needs the Council?]]

* Similar to the above, in ''WorldOfWarcraft'', there is one quest chain where the player saves a bunch of baby wyverns who follow the player around for a bit. Later on in the chain, when you confront the person who had them trapped, the wyverns fly in, swarm him, lift him up, and then drop him off a cliff.
** Heck, it's actually ''all over'' the place in ''WorldOfWarcraft''.

*** The Cenarion Circle. Depending on where you go, they're a very minor faction who later on is the driving force behind several zones' storylines.
*** The Earthen Ring. Originally, the [[RecycledInSpace Earthen Ring but with Shamans]]. Later on, they become one of the main driving forces for good in ''Cataclysm'', after having several pre-expansion storylines dedicated to them.
*** The Argent Circle. At the low level game in Classic, they appear to be just one of many other factions...and were one of the driving forces for good in ''Wrath of the Lich King''.

* SketchComedy TheOnion [[TheMovie movie]] had just about everyone from the previous sketches appear in some manner in the climax.

** Wait til ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' comes out, until then it's speculation. So far, we know that one of the possible enemy types are [[spoiler: [[OurZombiesareDifferent rachni husks]]]].

Compare with ChekhovsArmoury. Might overlap with GondorCallsForAid and BattleRoyaleWithCheese.

* ''{{Series/Heroes}}''. Oh man, Heroes.

* The new ''Series/DoctorWho'''s [[spoiler:seires 4 finale]]. Hello again, [[spoiler:Martha, Torchwood, Rose, Mickey, Jackie, Harriet Jones, Sarah Jane, the Shadow Proclamation, the missing bees and the stolen planets]]!

* ''So'' many in ''OnePiece'', and some of them take a ''long'' time to come into play.

----

** 10 books later and the fallout from that party still isn't done yet. There's one character that hasn't been seen since but the amount of pure speculation means he has to come back at some point.

* ''FullMetalAlchemist'': With an actual army! The briggs soldiers help out Mustang during [[spoiler: the central riot/coup d'etat.]]
** [[Anime/FullMetalAlchemist The first anime]]: Every single named character who doesn't die in his first appearance shows up later in the series.

** Wait til MassEffect3 comes out, until then it's speculation. So far, we know that one of the possible enemy types are [[spoiler: [[OurZombiesareDifferent rachni husks]]]].

* The {{Mass Effect}} series, depending on your choices, is apparently building up to this. [[spoiler:Spare the rachni queen in the first game, they send a message promising to help you when you call. You can also upload a virus into the geth's data networks to turn the small percentage that aid the Reapers back to the majority, which opposes the Reapers. This will probably result in the entire geth race fighting the Reapers with you. Not killing Wrex in the first game and perhaps convincing Mordin to make use of his student's data of a Genophage cure may also mean that the Krogans will fight alongside Shepard. Saving Tali from exile without getting her father implicated and flat out begging the quarians not to kill themselves fighting the geth will probably get them with you as well. With friends like these, who needs the Council?]]

* The new Series/DoctorWho's [[spoiler:Season 4 finale]]. Hello again, [[spoiler:everyone!]]

* TheSandman probably has the most extensive one ever. Some notable examples:
** There is a lesbian character killed via MoralEventHorizon in ''Preludes And Nocturnes''. Her girlfriend is the main character of ''The Time Of Your Life''.
** In the very first issue, Dream is captured, and a widespread "sleeping sickness" results. One of the victims is the grandmother of the main character of ''The Doll's House'', Rose.
** Who is herself connected to the two characters mentioned above.
* [[Film/TheGame The Game]] - This 1997 Michael Douglas film fits this trope to a T when every last extra whose face was shown during the course of the movie, as well as several incredibly minor, even unnamed characters [[spoiler: were all revealed to be a part of the Game as shown in the cafeteria scene.]]

* The first MissionImpossible movie, where every random extra in the background in the opening scene [[spoiler: shows up as a secret agent in the last scene?]]

* TheWheelOfTime - Every named character in the series.
* ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited''. The Ultimen, the Question, LexLuthor, Brainiac, Amanda Waller, Huntress, Galatea, and CaptainAtom [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters (among others)]] all have larger roles in the season two myth arc and the four part finale than their initial appearances would suggest.

* SketchComedy TheOnion [[TheMovie movie]] had just about everyone from the previous sketches appear in some manner in the climax.
* Everyone in ''[[TheSpectacularSpiderMan The Spectacular Spider-Man]]''. '''Everyone.'''
* Every single named character who showed up at any time in the ''GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'' would be back later to play a larger part in the story. Every single one.
** One exception: The cat burglar.
* ''TheDresdenFiles'' loves this sort of thing; in particular, ''Grave Peril'' has quite a few characters show up at Bianca's party who turn out to be ''very'' important later.
** 10 books later and the fallout from that party still isn't done yet. There's one character that hasn't been seen since but the amount of pure speculation means he has to come back at some point.
* ''{{Series/Heroes}}''. Oh man, Heroes.
* In the first season of ''{{Chuck}}'', in [[IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming Chuck vs. the Alma Mater]], the titular character finds a disc of everyone at Stanford who is working for the CIA... and uses it (and a regular ChekhovsGun in the form of a code phrase about a toga party) to get a lot of reinforcements to bring in the episode's [[MonsterOfTheWeek Villain Of The Week]].

* The {{Mass Effect}} series, depending on your choices, is apparently building up to this. [[spoiler:Spare the rachni queen in the first game, they send a message promising to help you when you call. You can also upload a virus into the geth's data networks to turn the small percentage that aid the Reapers back to the majority, which opposes the Reapers. This will probably result in the entire geth race fighting the Reapers with you. Not killing Wrex in the first game and perhaps convincing Mordin to make use of his student's data of a Genophage cure may also mean that the Krogans will fight alongside Shepard. Saving Tali from exile without getting her father implicated and flat out begging the quarians not to kill themselves fighting the geth will probably get them with you as well. With friends like these, who needs the Council?]]
** Wait til MassEffect3 comes out, until then it's speculation. So far, we know that one of the possible enemy types are [[spoiler: [[OurZombiesareDifferent rachni husks]]]].
* {{LookingForGroup}} does this with [[spoiler:the little village up the coast.]]
* The second Assassin's Creed features this, where [[spoiler:after {{The Reveal}}, the Hooker, thief, uncle, and various other minor characters end up being assassins instrumental in the endgame.]]
* Buffy was fond of this. First, at the end of season three, [[spoiler:the entire graduating class, who'd been getting saved by Buffy for the last three years, bands together to form a literal army to fight off the BigBad.]] Two of the three BigBadWannabe 's of season six, conversely but similarly, started as one-off characters going as far back as season two, but joined up with each other in season six. The third was going to be as well, but the actor was unavailable so they made it his brother instead.
* WhateleyUniverse example: all the devisers and gadgeteers from the Whateley Weapons Fair in "Ayla and the Tests". Knick-Knack turns out to be the incarnation of Hephaestus. Kew turns out to be the gadget girl for the Spy Kidz, and gives Phase an intro to said team. Mega-Death turns out to be a good guy who sells Phase the very thing Phase will need when the Weapons Fair 'goes Westworld'. Jericho has invented a new kind of first-aid kit which Phase wants to market. Hazmat turns out to be interested in the protagonist of another series of stories. The list just goes on and on and on...
* In the mid-season finale of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', a lot of characters came back to fight on [[spoiler:the day of black sun]]. Characters from various old episodes and ones we'd forgotten about. It was epic. [[spoiler:Which makes it so stunning that they lost.]]
** The Kyoshi warriors are this on more than one occasion.
* Every ''single'' [[MaiHiME HiME]] that didn't show up in the first episode, Nao and [[spoiler: Shizuru]] being the most egregious examples.
* In TheFamousJettJackson, on an episode of the ShowWithinAShow, Silverstone; the main character discovers that nearly everyone he met in the town [[ObfuscatingStupidity was actually a secret agent.]] Except of course for the sweet old lady, who [[TheDogWasTheMastermind was actually the villain of the episode.]]
* [[spoiler: The Aggron, Arbok, Magcargo, Magmortar, Mismagius, and Rhyperior]] seen during the BadFuture sequence from [[PokemonMysteryDungeon ''Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky'']].
* Absolutely ''everyone'' in the first half of the first chapter of ''AlanWake'' plays an important role in the plot later. This actually [[FridgeBrilliance makes sense]], because [[spoiler:when Alan's forced to write a story about the town that [[RewritingReality becomes reality]], these are the only people he knows in the town.]]

* The new Dr Who's [[spoiler:Season 4 finale]]. Hello again, [[spoiler:everyone!]]
* In the French film Amelie, many characters are introduced extensively with seemingly no point. For instance, the air hostess that Amelie helps with pet sitting is the person who [[spoiler:takes Amelie's father's gnome to various places over the world]]. A seemingly unimportant blind man in the subway then returns later when Amelie helps him cross the street, and then she extravagantly [[spoiler:describes all of of the major sights along the route back to the subway]].
* Taken literally with MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail. In the 'extended version', in which 23 originally cut seconds were restored, one of the characters breaks the fourth wall and starts talking about if her scene should have been cut out. This triggers a chat between her and some past characters. After that, some '''future''' characters start yelling at her to get on with the scene, including an actual medieval army. Guess what? [[spoiler: The army conveniently appears at the end of the film, when Arthur needs them to attack an enemy castle.]]

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