History Main / EquipmentSpoiler

* At one point, in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, Explorers of Darkness/Time/Sky]]'' you find yourself in what feels like the point of no return. But, once there, enemies start dropping treasure boxes. These boxes do not appear before this time, and can only be opened at a shop in Treasure Town. So, that means that you will return to Treasure Town.

* Subverted in ''FireEmblem: Mystery of the Emblem'''s Book 2: You can get a few axes but never get an axe user; [[VendorTrash you're supposed to sell them for cash]]. The remake, whichfeatures playable axe users, replaces those bonus axes with simply getting bonus money.

[[folder: Eastern RPGs]]

[[folder: Western RPGs]]

[[folder: Rougelike]]

[[folder:Unsorted Video Game Examples]]
* Surprisingly subverted in ''VideoGame/DiverDown''--the very first shop sells an expensive suit of armor that no character will ever be able to equip (and this is a game that does ''not'' give MoneyForNothing, so you will definitely regret purchasing it.)
* In ''VideoGame/RadiantHistoria'', you can find claw-type weapons before you get a claw user, and buy weapons for a character who already left the party, spoiling that he would return eventually.
* Pretty much the case for every game in the ''VideoGame/{{Shining}}'' series which generally has multiple character classes and LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters. However this can work in it's favour at times because multiple characters can be the same class.
** In the ''VideoGame/ShiningTheHolyArk'' later weapon shops end up selling claw-type weapons. They belong the GuideDangIt hidden character Doyle.
** ''VideoGame/ShiningForceIII'' almost always ruins the surprise of a new character as weapon shops suddenly have new types of weapons just before a new character shows up. Most notably with Irene; but as she can die before you recruit her you know there is going to be another character shortly that can use her gloves...and sure enough Kahn appears shortly afterwards.
** Subverted however in ''VideoGame/ShiningForce II'', where Talos can drop his sword, which can only be used by the Giant class. No Giant ever joins the team.
* ''{{VideoGame/MOTHER|1}}'' has this in Magicant, where a present containing a Sword can be found. At this point, all the player has in their party is Ninten; the Sword goes on the final member of the party, Teddy, and it just so happens to be his InfinityMinusOneSword as well.
* In various ''Franchise/SilentHill'' games, you tend to start finding ammo for new types of guns shortly before you find the gun itself.
* Common in ''VideoGame/{{Lufia}}'' games:
** ''VideoGame/LufiaAndTheFortressOfDoom'' has an interesting example for a character who's ''already'' part of your party. The last town of the game has Zircon Swords for sale, and there's even a easily-found Zircon Sword in one of the last dungeons. [[spoiler:But by that point, you've already got the much-stronger [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement Dual Blade]]...and probably already know from this that [[TeasedWithAwesome you're going to lose it]].]]
** In ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'', Bound Kingdom sells a piece of armor that not even your current MightyGlacier Guy can equip. Said armor is exclusive to [[ArrogantKungFuGuy that guy who just proclaimed himself]] [[WorldsStrongestMan the strongest warrior in the world]].
** Most party members in ''VideoGame/LufiaTheLegendReturns'' have their own unique weapon, which you can often find in shops in the towns they'll end up joining you in. You'll also often find Ancient Texts that none of your party members can use shortly before someone who can learn their IP Attacks joins, and early in the game the "Holy Attack" Ancient Text is a good indicator that someone with green Spiritual Force will be joining soon.
** In ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals'', you can buy hammers and discs as soon as you reach Parcelyte, before Guy and Selan have joined the party. Artea's guns can also be found in the Ancient Cave, though [[DittoFighter Dekar]] can still use them even before you've met Artea.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'', if you go out of your way to kill certain high-leveled enemies ''long'' before what is reasonable, you may obtain a type of weapon and a unique class of armor that nobody in your party can equip. [[spoiler:What's more, the weapon type is similar to the weapons used by a certain party member who was killed...]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Game Examples]]
* At one point, in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, Explorers of Darkness/Time/Sky]]'' you find yourself in what feels like the point of no return. But, once there, enemies start dropping treasure boxes. These boxes do not appear before this time, and can only be opened at a shop in Treasure Town. So, that means that you will return to Treasure Town.
* An interesting one in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia''. There's a point in the game where your party seems to be killed off one by one. During that sequence, you find... a new weapon equippable only by one of the party members that already died. Spoils the moment a bit.
** You also find new equipment equippable only by [[spoiler: two people, both of which are seemingly now the enemy]].
** Played more straight in ''VideoGame/TalesOfGraces''. A particular Dualize recipe spoils the fact that [[spoiler:Richard will rejoin your party,]] because the Darkshine Crystal can only be dualized with his weapon, and can only be found after [[spoiler: he leaves.]]

* In ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' oculars "usable by Modrons" drop from enemies all around the maze where you can find a HiddenCharacter of that race if you look hard enough.
* Used in ''Videogame/{{MARDEK}}'' in an interesting way:
** Some monsters in Chapter 2 drop weapons that are not usable by anyone. You can [[OldSaveBonus carry them over to the next chapter...]] only to discover that most of them are starting weapons for the new characters.
** In Chapter 3 you can buy a weapon usable only by a character that's considered missing-in-action as of second chapter's ending. It sprouted [[EpilepticTrees fan speculations]] about [[HesJustHiding the character returning]] in a future installment.
* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' has a merchant selling you scythes shortly before [[spoiler:Magus joins up]].
* In ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos'' you can find knuckle attacks before Savyna shows up.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Videogame/DawnOfWar 2'' you can find pieces of armour for the Dreadnought way before you get one. Not enough information to guess that [[spoiler:Captain Davian Thule dies]] but once that happens, if you are familiar with the Warhammer 40k lore enough to know what exactly dreadnoughts are, you already know who will be piloting the one in your party.
* Subverted in ''FireEmblem: Mystery of the Emblem'''s Book 2: You can get a few axes but never get an axe user; [[VendorTrash you're supposed to sell them for cash]]. The remake, which features playable axe users, replaces those bonus axes with simply getting bonus money.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', as early as Ostagar and even some [[MultipleGameOpenings origins]], you can loot large colored crystals that get sorted into weapons and armor inventory sections but cannot be equipped on any your party members. They are actually for Shale, a {{golem}} whom you can recruit at the end of DLC-only Honnleath quest line.
* In ''VideoGame/LuminousArc2'', the endgame quests give you [[InfinityPlusOneSword various characters' best weapons]]. There's absolutely nothing to stop you from getting the weapons of a character you get even later in the game.
* Subverted in ''VideoGame/BetrayalAtKrondor'', though it's not quite as obvious as some examples. All swords and armor have a "racial mod" of either human, elven, or dwarven, granting a modest effectiveness bonus for the corresponding race. While you do have control of an elf and several humans throughout the game, you never get a single dwarf. The items are still perfectly ''usable'', but the dwarven racial bonus on will never benefit you.

* In ''VideoGame/MetroidZero Mission'', Samus can pick up powerups which are incompatible with her Power Suit. The fact that you don't get the fix that by the time you face Mother Brain, the FinalBoss of the [[VideoGame/Metroid1 original game]], tells you your adventure isn't over just yet...

* In ''LuminousArc2'', the endgame quests give you [[InfinityPlusOneSword various characters' best weapons]]. There's absolutely nothing to stop you from getting the weapons of a character you get even later in the game.

* Also common in ''Franchise/{{Lufia}}'' games:

* In ''{{Xenoblade}}'', if you go out of your way to kill certain high-leveled enemies ''long'' before what is reasonable, you may obtain a type of weapon and a unique class of armor that nobody in your party can equip. [[spoiler:What's more, the weapon type is similar to the weapons used by a certain party member who was killed...]]

* In ''BatenKaitos'' you can find knuckle attacks before Savyna shows up.

* ''VideoGame/LufiaAndTheFortressOfDoom'' has an interesting example for a character who's ''already'' part of your party. The last town of the game has Zircon Swords for sale, and there's even a easily-found Zircon Sword in one of the last dungeons. [[spoiler:But by that point, you've already got the much-stronger [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement Dual Blade]]...and probably already know from this that [[TeasedWithAwesome you're going to lose it]].]]
* In ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'', Bound Kingdom sells a piece of armor that not even your current MightyGlacier Guy can equip. Said armor is exclusive to [[ArrogantKungFuGuy that guy who just proclaimed himself]] [[WorldsStrongestMan the strongest warrior in the world]].
* Most party members in ''VideoGame/LufiaTheLegendReturns'' have their own unique weapon, which you can often find in shops in the towns they'll end up joining you in. You'll also often find Ancient Texts that none of your party members can use shortly before someone who can learn their IP Attacks joins, and early in the game the "Holy Attack" Ancient Text is a good indicator that someone with green Spiritual Force will be joining soon.
* In ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals'', you can buy hammers and discs as soon as you reach Parcelyte, before Guy and Selan have joined the party. Artea's guns can also be found in the Ancient Cave, though [[DittoFighter Dekar]] can still use them even before you've met Artea.

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'' has a similar case. A certain party member appears to be killed off early on, but savvy players will notice they had a unique weapon type, which you can still buy...
** [[spoiler:DoubleSubverted: Said character uses a completely different weapon type when she re-joins, and can no longer equip the weapons that she wielded before she "died".]]

* In ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'', Bound Kingdom sells a piece of armor that not even your current MightyGlacier Guy can equip. Said armor is exclusive to [[ArrogantKungFuGuy that guy who just proclaimed himself]] [[WorldStrongestMan the strongest warrior in the world]].

* In various ''Franchise/SilentHill'' games, you tend to start finding ammo for new types of guns shortly before you find the gun itself.

* Surprisingly subverted in ''DiverDown''--the very first shop sells an expensive suit of armor that no character will ever be able to equip (and this is a game that does ''not'' give MoneyForNothing, so you will definitely regret purchasing it.)

** You could also buy ammo for Irvine's gun before you met him. Rather annoying, considering that Squall's weapon was a GunBlade, which contrary to what one would assume, didn't use any ammo at all.

** Averted at one point early in the game where you can find Cait Sith's [[InfinityPlusOneSword ultimate weapon]], but Cloud lets it be because no one in your party has any use for a megaphone at that point and he doesn't even think anyone ''could'' use one as a weapon (unlike Yuffie and Vincent's gear).

* ''XenobladeChronicles'' has a similar case. A certain party member appears to be killed off early on, but savvy players will notice they had a unique weapon type, which you can still buy...
** [[spoiler: DoubleSubverted: Said character uses a completely different weapon type when she re-joins, and can no longer equip the weapons that she wielded before she "died".]]

** ''FinalFantasyIX'' has claws and forks for Amarant and Quina in the shops way before you even meet them.
** [[FinalFantasyX Besaid]] temple's destruction sphere treasure is a staff for Yuna. Tidus hasn't met her at that point, but the inventory screen says her name, albeit in grey text.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect'':