Finale Credits

Many a Grand Finale (and occasionally a Season Finale) will have different Closing Credits then they normally would have.

See also Special Edition Title, where this is done with opening titles.

Since these are the credits of finales, there will be spoilers.

Anime

 * .hack//Roots did this in episode 26, where credits play over the music piece "Dwindled Bible."
 * Death Note: Piano music plays as.
 * Cowboy Bebop: The camera zooms out from Spike's body as it moves into the sky and finally stops at a fading star.
 * Kemeko Deluxe: The camera zooms in on a just introduced character as the normal credits play in a picture-in-picture.
 * Trigun: The town celebrates the working of their water well as Vash carries his unconscious brother over his shoulder.
 * Fullmetal Alchemist: The credits roll and the theme goes as the brothers reminisced on the meaning of Equivalent Exchange and their promise to reunite. This actually results in Alphonse completing the first opening narration, which had been hinted at for the whole series to be incomplete.
 * Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood ends with the second OP theme playing over a collection of photos displaying the cast's futures.
 * Digimon Savers: The first opening song plays over an epilogue where we see what everyone is getting up to five years in the future.
 * Cardcaptor Sakura: Platinum (the final opening song) is played over a montage of Sakura + Syaoran moments.
 * Ojamajo Doremi Dokkan ended with a rendition of "Watashi no Tsubasa" being sung by Doremi's class.
 * Ojamajo Doremi Naisho played a montage of events that happened in episode 13 in a screen to the left, whilst the credits were cued over black to the right. The usual closing theme was played.
 * Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: The final episode of season one featured an extended version of the opening theme music over the credits, rather than the usual closing theme. And the credits omitted the pictures of the characters that were normally displayed.
 * The final episode of the Fist of the North Star anime series (or more precisely Hokuto no Ken 2, the Sequel Series) has Kenshiro riding away on his horse Kokuoh while a montage of every major character in the series up to that point (plus a couple of anime-originals that managed to sneaked in as well) is shown at the background. Instead of "Love Song" by Tom Cat, the usual ending theme of Hokuto no Ken 2, ending theme for this episode was Crystal King's "Yuria Towa ni", the first closing theme of the original series.
 * Excel Saga normally shows Menchi (the dog) singing "Bolero of Sorrow - So, You are Going to Eat Me" while a woman reads the translation. At the end of the final episode, "Going Too Far", the translator trades places with Menchi. She crawls on screen wearing a dog collar and leash and sings the bolero, while Menchi reads the translation (into dog-ese). Note that Menchi, the dog, never actually wore a dog collar during the normal ending credits. The song also sounds fairly innocent when Menchi sings it, but has a lot of double meanings when the woman sings it. There are also some jokes in the credits, but that happens in every episode (with one exception).
 * The last episode also has a gag version of the opening credits.
 * The second-to-last episode "We Will Not Be Held Responsible" skips the opening credits, and uses a modified version as the ending credits, including clips of what happens to some of the characters afterwards. This episode was the last episode broadcast, since "Going Too Far" was partly a Take That directed at the censors.
 * Zero no Tsukaima: the ending credits for the first season show Louise and the other mages receiving commendations from Princess Henrietta. Louise then runs back to her room to show her medal to Saito... who is outside talking to Siesta.
 * Full Metal Panic!: Fumoffu?: The credits roll in a black background as the whole school panics in the background as a result of Sousuke's clothes-eating biological weapon. After the credits there is a final shot of Sousuke trying to call in an evac when he is cornered by a mob of vengeful students.
 * Bonus points in the English dub which includes a Hilarious Outtakes. See the page for details.
 * Kamichama Karin gives us as the ending credits for the last episode a Montage of the characters going through a day while Karin waits for Kazune to return.
 * Code Geass have special credits in the last episode. They have the same music but the images shown are different.
 * King Of Braves Gao Gai Gar and its sequel King of Braves GaoGaiGar FINAL have special credits, the original having the main cast bidding Mamoru and Galeon farewell and FINAL showing the secondary characters recovering from the effects of the final episodes, rebuilding Earth and paying tribute to the missing Gutsy Galaxy Guard. While the original series plays the normal version of "Someday, In The Sea Of Stars", FINAL dumps its usual end theme, "Leon Renne" in favor of a cast-based version of "Someday, In The Sea Of Stars".
 * Angel Beats usually ends with a montage of Yuri being slowly surrounded by the other characters, but for the finale, it starts with a full cast shot,
 * Sonic X does this with both the last and next-to-last episodes, at least in the original version. The next-to-last has Tails and Cosmo talking to each other one last time while standing in a bright, white void. The last episode ends with a still image of a plant pot with a tiny seedling growing in it, presumably the the white seed that Cosmo left behind.

Film

 * The final The Lord of the Rings movie used production sketches as a backdrop for the credits, including character sketches for the main actors.

Live-Action TV
""And now, for those of you that have been archiving this ISN Special Documentary, the people responsible... Funding for this program was made possible by grants from the Anla'shok Memorial Fund.""
 * Lost: At the end of season 5, the end title screen went white (instead of the usual black.)
 * The series finale ends with a peaceful, rather than suspenseful note.
 * Jeeves and Wooster: The credits roll over footage of Bertie and Jeeves being chased in circles around the church by angry wedding attendees. As the last credit comes up, the image freeze-frames on the two racing through the front gate before fading over to the animated band from the opening sequence, which bounces/dissolves into the white background as the final notes of the theme song play.
 * Kamen Rider examples (note well that in the case of the Heisei era series (bar Kuuga and Hibiki (first half)), the presence of credits being cued at the end is an event in itself because said shows lack ending credits in the first place):
 * Kamen Rider Black RX: Footage of the previous Showa Riders were edited into the final closing credits.
 * Kamen Rider Kuuga: After saying goodbye to some kids he just met, Yusuke walks down a beach and the credits are cued over that with the second verse of the ending theme playing.
 * Kamen Rider Den-O: The actual closing credits are cued up over Ryotaro on his bike riding next to the DenLiner with everyone saying goodbye whilst "Climax Jump" plays in the background.
 * Kamen Rider Kiva: Wataru's son from the future bursts into the church where everyone was and declare that villains named "Neo Fangire" have appeared. Everyone then does a final henshin and the show ends with everyone doing a Rider Kick to the screen.
 * Kamen Rider Decade: The exception among the Heisei shows; it ends not with credits as with the preceding series (or special ending sequences and whatnot) but rather on a completely abrupt cliffhanger note with the same (lack of) closing sequence as all preceding episodes. This is because the finale is a theatrical release.
 * Super Sentai examples (all of them are Heisei series):
 * Choujin Sentai Jetman: The credits are cued over the scenes of the Jetman's previous battles.
 * Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger: The credits are cued over the Zyurangers leaving for Heaven to meet their dinosaur spirits with the second verse of the opening theme playing. As they fly over Tokyo, footage of each of the rangers is seen. The children they gave the dinosaur eggs to wave goodbye to them. The Zyurangers then arrive at Heaven, the picture turns into an illustration, and the book from the opening credits shuts.
 * Gosei Sentai Dairanger: The credits are cued over the Dairanger (who are now grandparents) remembering their adventures over the series whilst their grandkids, whom have inherited their powers, beat up monster with the DaiRenOh with the opening theme playing rather than the usual ending theme.
 * Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger: The opening song are played over the Hurricanger and Goraigers getting their diploma scroll from Mugensai easily, showing their amazing progress over the series while at the same time showing them getting on with their lives and jobs and also a scene with the Shurikanger's previous hosts showing up at the restaurant where the five are eating and the cook yelling "STOP!" at them showing that he may be Shurikenger.
 * Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger: The credits are cued over the three remaining Abaranger and their friends having a reunion and eating at the Dino Snack.
 * Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger: The opening theme plays over the credits cued over Tetsu announcing his permanent assignment to SPD's Earth division (he has a silver badge) and the other Dekarangers getting on with their lives/job. Includes Ban, who is now a member of the SPD Fire Squad, an all-red ranger squad. After the credits it shows the first case of Super Sentai Passing the Torch. Dekared is show meeting and shaking hands with Magired, the red ranger of Mahou Sentai Magiranger.
 * Go Go Sentai Boukenger: The credits are cued over Boukenred leaving for outer space, with Boukenpink stowing away. Meanwhile the remaining Boukengers continue to defend Earth against Shizuka. At the very end as Boukenred's ship flies away from Earth, the words "Bouken Dreams On" appear behind the vessel (a reference to the regular closing credits where the words "Bouken Dreams" would appear in front of the Boukengers).
 * Juken Sentai Gekiranger: The credits are cued over Gekired leaving to go on a trip and scenes of the other rangers' battles in the series.
 * Engine Sentai Go-onger played a special rendition of the ending theme entitled "Engine Winning Lap" over the usual (later) ending credits.
 * Samurai Sentai Shinkenger. There's no ending song, and the credit is played as one by one the vassals say good bye to Takeru, and ends with Takeru looking outside the Shiba house, and the narrator said his Catch Phrase: "This brings the chapter to a close."
 * Tensou Sentai Goseiger: The credits are cued over the Goseigers going their separate ways.
 * Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger: The opening theme is played rather than the usual ending theme. The credits are cued over the Gokaiger aboard their vessel as it leaves Earth, whilst Capt. Marvellous returns the Ranger Keys to their original owners (and thus we see cameos from numerous Sentai alumni).
 * Blackadder Goes Forth had a Tear Jerker Drama Bomb Finale which faded to a shot of the poppy fields at the Somme
 * The final episode of Friends played an instrumental of the opening theme over shots of New York where the credits were cued up. Normally we would have a last gag over the credits.
 * In Doctor Who, the final episode of Tom Baker's final season had his face masked over.
 * The final episode of Matt Smith's first season featured the credits being cued over the opening titles (with the credits and logo removed) as the episode ended with the TARDIS flying through the time vortex.
 * All the way back in season 2 of the classic series (1965), the end credits for the last episode featured, successively, artistically posterized faces of William Hartnell, Maureen O'Brien, and Peter Purves against a star field just before the credits rolled.
 * The Babylon 5 series Finale forgoes opening credits, sticking finale specific Through the Years Credits in the end, complete with pictures of the production and filming crew available in an announced Freeze-Frame Bonus, and claiming you have just finished watching a documentary.


 * The final episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, instead of a plate of food at the Where's Lunch section of the credits, a bill appears on the plate that reads, "No Charge, Thanks."
 * Coal House At War ended with a montage of scenes that had happened during the series accompanied to a 1940s song rather than the usual closing theme.
 * The season 1 finale of M.I. High had the picture freeze after Daisy's last line and fade to black over the credits, rather than giving one last gag.
 * Ashes to Ashes had showed clips of the characters with their names and the actors who played them before cutting to the usual green on black credits. This was then followed by a clip of Dixon of Dock Green saying goodbye and the words "The End" showing up before cutting to the end board.
 * In the series finale of The Young Ones, the manic, ska-style Ending Theme was replaced with a slower, sax-heavy '50s-style piece as the credits listed, in alphabetical order, every single person who had appeared on or contributed to the show in any way throughout its run. Considering the way the show ended, the effect is, strangely, rather wistful and heartfelt.

Radio

 * The sixth episode of The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy (which was intended at the time to be the final episode) ends with Louis Armstrong singing "What a Wonderful World" instead of the usual end-credit music. The same thing was done on the sixth episode of the TV version (which actually was the final episode).
 * Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Radio Edition's finale credits uses the song "Fulfilled Dream Segment" instead of "A Place We Should Return To".

Western Animation

 * Avatar: The Last Airbender: A kickass version of the main theme plays over the final credits.