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Somehow along the way, though, they missed the Dragon. Then the Dragon turns up. He's not [[The Man Behind the Man|The Man In Front Of The Man]], he just wasn't around when the Big Bad went down. Sometimes there's a reason for it, but sometimes... he's just absent. He was [[A Worldwide Punomenon|Dragon His Feet]].
His motives for persisting in going after the heroes can vary. He might be out for [[Revenge]] for his murdered boss, he might [[Dragon
([[The Real Ghostbusters|"I think he's been spending too much time with Ray..."]])
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== [[Anime]] ==
* This happened with the 5th ''[[Dragonball Z]]'' movie, ''Cooler's Revenge'': when Goku recovers from his injuries and powers up to fight [[Big Bad]] Cooler the force waves throw Cooler's remaining henchman and more or less Dragon Salza into a rock face which he disappears into. He's forgotten until the very end when Cooler is vanquished, when he emerges to try and finish off the exhausted and battered heroes. Until Piccolo blows a hole in him via an offscreen <s> Makkelranko</s> <s> Mallerkasanko</s> <s> Mykillerisdanko</s> ''[[Dragonball Z Abridged|SPECIAL BEAM CANNON.]]''
* Quattro in ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha
* The ''[[Kirby]]'' [[Kirby of the Stars|anime]] has an interesting variation. In this [[Alternate Continuity|continuity,]] Meta Knight is technically a vassal of King Dedede (a [[Large Ham]] borderline [[Harmless Villain]]), but Dedede himself is frequently annoyed that he never seems to help out except in the most dire circumstances. Meta Knight being [[Omniscient Morality License|technically]] a good guy might have something to do with it.
* This was also the case in the [[Soul Eater]] manga. Where one of Arachne's dragons, Giriko, was drugged by the good guys. {{spoiler|Which resulted in him sleeping through the entire invasion of Baba Yaga's Castle and Arachne's Death.}}
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== [[Film]] ==
* These have a habit of happening in ''[[James Bond (
** ''[[
** ''[[
** Scaramanga's assistant Nick Nack took a final shot at Bond at the end of ''[[The Man
*** Well, actually, that's an inversion. Firstly, he wasn't absent- he watched the whole thing on camera, and was manipulating Scaramanga's playhouse to torment Bond for amusement, then got worried when Bond managed to escape from viewpoint. And secondly, he wasn't out to avenge his master- he was supposed to inherit Scaramanga's island upon his death, and Scaramanga even let Nick Nack hire hitmen to kill him to that end, since Scaramanga liked to test his skills. In other words, he's pissed at Bond for destroying his inheritence.
** [[Big Bad]] Carver from ''[[
** [[Artificial Limbs|Tee Hee]] has a fight with Bond aboard a train after he kills Kananga in ''[[Live and Let Die (
** The trope even follows into the parodies: ''[[Austin Powers]]: International Man Of Mystery'' has Random Task infiltrate Austin's hotel room at the end, and at the end of the sequel ''The Spy Who Shagged Me'' Fat Bastard makes a surprise re-appearance ("SURPRISE SURPRISE!")
* In ''[[The Running Man (
* General Grievous from the ''[[Star Wars]]'' prequels is [[Informed Ability|supposedly Dooku's right hand man]] and most feared commander and assassin, but he's nowhere around while Dooku tries to take on two very powerful Jedi and gets himself killed. Perhaps justified as part of Palpatine's manipulations.
** Although, he could have just been considered [[The Brute]], because Palpatine was really the big bad with Dooku as the dragon.
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** It's a dual relationship because of the [[Man Behind the Man]] stuff going on. Sidious is behind everything and is the [[Big Bad]], but Dooku is the one everyone is aware of as the leader of the Separatists. Grievous is the droid army military commander. So while Dooku is technically [[The Dragon]] to Sidious, Grievous is [[The Dragon]] for Dooku.
** Grievous wasn't there to fight for Dooku for the simple reason that he actually ''was'' doing his job by commanding the fleet. It's not Grievous's fault that Dooku couldn't hold two Jedi- or that Palpatine was playing a bigger game.
*** Also, according to the novelization, Palpatine and Dooku had ''planned'' for Dooku to be captured by the Jedi after this duel. Then [[Chronic Backstabbing Disorder|Palpatine]] [[Treacherous Advisor|orders Anakin]] [[You Have Outlived Your Usefulness|to kill Dooku]]. Though really the [[Xanatos Gambit|whole point]] of the duel was to see [[Strike Me Down
* From the 2003 ''Zatoichi'' movie, the [[Ronin]] bodyguard Asano waits until after his boss is dead to fight Zatoichi. {{spoiler|[[The Man Behind the Man]] is still out there, but Asano certainly isn't aware of that fact.}} Considering the effort Asano puts into investigating Zatoichi's fighting style and MO, you wonder where he was when Z was carving up an entire mansion full yakuza, including Asano's employers.
** Given Asano's backstory, though, it doesn't seem like he'd shed many tears over the death of his employers- Asano being a samurai, and the Yakuza gang merely successful commoners- and may even be inwardly pleased that someone has released him from his contract without forcing him to dishonour himself. By the end of the film, he seems far more interested in validating himself as a samurai by facing down Zatoichi than by fulfilling his contractual obligations.
* Mr. Joshua from ''[[Lethal Weapon]]'' fled the scene of the movie's semi-final battle and instead chose to battle Riggs and Murtaugh in front of Murtaugh's home after the primary [[Big Bad]] bit it.
* Of Lo Pan's three dragons (The Storms) in ''[[Big Trouble in Little China]]'', {{spoiler|only Rain gets killed before Lo Pan dies while Lightning is knocked out during the battle royale. Thunder, who was distracted by one of the heroes when Lo Pan is killed, returns and [[Superpower Meltdown|self-destructs]] upon seeing the body. Then Lightning shows up to destroy the heroes as they escape, only getting killed when Egg Shen drops a statue on his head during the pursuit.}}
* The film ''[[
* A sort of reverse version of this shows up in ''[[The Departed]]''. {{spoiler|[[The Mole]] causes the death of the Police Chief, his [[Bad Boss]], and the hero himself, though not all directly.}} Things are looking pretty good for him, as he's the only one left standing. However, in the last scene {{spoiler|he walks into his apartment to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun held by the Police Chief's right-hand man, who disappeared about halfway through the film after his boss died. The film ends with [[The Mole]]'s brain splattered all over his front door.}}
** And before that, after {{spoiler|both the police chief and Costello die}}, the movie continues on for quite a while as the rival moles try to finish each other off as well, with the evil mole becoming the new villain.
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* The final battles of the ''[[Fighting Fantasy]]'' books ''Vault of the Vampire'' and ''Return of the Vampire'' are NOT against the titular vampire but his weaker sister, seemingly added as a "screw you" if you somehow best the title vampire and are on your last legs, though if she is portrayed as [[The Dragon]] depends on how you play. [[The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard|The Book Is A Cheating Bastard]]?
* In the first novel, [[Erast Fandorin]] barely survives the encounter with that book's Dragon ({{spoiler|[[Career Killer]] Achimas Welde}}), then after he destroys the [[Big Bad]], the Dragon comes after him, kills {{spoiler|his wife on the day of their wedding}}, and disappears again. In the fourth novel, the Dragon returns for the final time as a full-fledged [[Big Bad]] himself.
* Oddly enough, the novel ''[[From Russia
* In Lynn Flewelling's ''[[Nightrunner|Tamír Trilogy]]'', [[The Chessmaster|the wizard Niryn]] is set up as the primary villain. {{spoiler|However, he gets [[Dropped a Bridge
* [[The Lord of the Rings|Sauron]] was this. He dragged on for a long time (and got promoted to [[Evil Overlord]] status), but he was Morgoth's Dragon in [[The Silmarillion]].
** Saruman, too, insofar as he played [[The Dragon]] to Sauron.
* More of a case of "[[Mook]] Their Feet", but Father Gomez pulls this at the end of ''[[His Dark Materials|The Amber Spyglass]]''.
* Happens in an odd way in ''[[
== [[Video Games]] ==
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* The arcade shoot'em up game ''[[Time Crisis]]'' is also an example. Two thirds through the game, Miller manages to kill [[Big Bad]] Garo in a fairly anticlimactic battle. His mercenary Dragon, [[The Determinator|Wild Dog]], then takes command and tries to finish his job to make up for not being paid.
** Though Wild Dog would return in ''[[Time Crisis]] 2-4'' as a more traditional [[The Dragon|Dragon]]. Even when it seems like he won't. Apparently he wears an explosion proof vest.
* ''[[
* Arguably the case in the first ''[[Breath of Fire]]'' game. Jade, seemingly [[The Dragon]], is the one you have the biggest grudge against, since he personally captured and brainwashed your sister, and he survives his boss Zog to resurrect the [[Sealed Evil in
** Yuna in the fourth game is a more typical example. He and Yohm are setup as Dragons to Soniel. After Soniel's death, Yohm goes on to serve Fou-Lu and fight against the party at the start of the final dungeon. But Yuna is nowhere to be found, and is very much alive in the game's ending, [[Karma Houdini|unpunished for the BodyHorror he inflicted on Nina's sister.]]
* ''[[The Adventures of Bayou Billy]]'' has you chasing and confronting a villain named Godfather Gordon. When you beat him, his bodyguards Rocky and Rocko appear: they serve as the game's final battle. Great work letting YOUR BOSS GET TRASHED, guys...
* In ''[[
* In the first ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'', Revolver Ocelot is conspicuously absent for the big smackdown against Liquid Snake....if by 'conspicuously absent' you mean coming down with a case of [[Chronic Backstabbing Disorder]] and running far, far away.
* In the original ''[[Dragon Quest I
* This happens in every ''[[Fallout]]'' game. In ''Fallout 1'', it's optional based on the order you tackle the last 2 levels, whereas it happens as part of the plot in 2 & 3.
** Namely, in ''Fallout 1'', the last two levels are a cathedral where you confront and kill the [[Big Bad]], and a military base where you kill [[The Dragon]] and destroy the [[Big Bad]]'s [[Forgotten Superweapon]]. You can tackle them in any order you want.
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* This happens in the "true ending" path of ''[[Contra]]: Hard Corps''. You defeat the [[Big Bad]] at the end of the 2nd to last level. At the beginning of the last level, [[The Dragon]] shows up to fight you. When you point out that his boss is dead, he replies that he doesn't care and just likes fighting.
* In [[Tales of Vesperia]], one could argue that Zagi is at least temporarily the Dragon for every villain except for Cumore and {{spoiler|Alexei}}, who share Yeager as their Dragon. Yeager's Dragon, of course, would be Zagi.
* Sort of happens in ''[[
* This happens in ''[[Prototype (
* Happens twice in ''[[Shadow Hearts]]: Covenant''. First with Nicolai and Rasputin, then with Kato and Ishimura.
* Used in an odd sort of way in the sixth [[Fire Emblem]] game. Narshen more or less acts as [[Big Bad|Zephiel]]'s second in command, but is sort of a weasel and dies relatively early. However, Zephiel is always being followed by the priestess Idoun, {{spoiler|who ''is'' a literal dragon. After you kill Zephiel (the "normal" ending) you can go on to find that Zephiel was working ''for'' Idoun, but not being commanded by her, making each of them [[The Man Behind the Man]] to the other.}}
** In the seventh Fire Emblem, {{spoiler|either Lloyd or Linus becomes the final boss of the second act, depending on who died first.}}
* The whole [[
* A common theme in ''[[Splinter Cell]]'' is that in the [[Big Bad]] and main instigator of the current problem is killed off in the penultimate mission, with the finale being something of a mop-up mission. In ''Splinter Cell'' it takes place in a [[DLC]], while in ''Double Agent'' it's a bonus level for achieving the full ending.
* This is fairly common in the ''[[
** Rend Blackhand was chief lieutenant to Orgrim Doomhammer during the Second War. During the climactic battle which saw the Horde defeated, Rend and his clan were sent to deal with Gul'dan. After a few final skirmishes with the Alliance, Rend and his remaining allies retreated to Blackrock Spire. Decades later, Rend has proclaimed himself the [[The Remnant|Warchief of the Horde]] in opposition to Thrall. However, his battle is doomed to failure and he is little more than a minor lieutenant to Nefarion.
** Kargath Bladefist was a major player in the Second War but remained largely on Draenor. After its destruction and his corruption by fel energy, he declared himself Warchief of the "True Horde". Ultimately, he and the Fel Horde were easily dismantled by heroes.
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== [[Western Animation]] ==
* [[Sonic
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