, titled "The Beginning of the End! Pretty Cure vs. the Three Generals" (or "The Miracle Jewel" in the English Glitter Force dub), is a pivotal turning point that shifts the series from its upbeat monster-of-the-week format into its intense emotional finale.
, a powerful artifact revealed to be the key to the future of Märchenland. The Generals' Last Stand: Smile Precure- Episode 45
In the Glitter Force English dub, this episode was heavily censored and trimmed. The darkness was tinted purple to look less "scary," and several lines of Miyuki’s internal monologue about the futility of fighting were cut. For this reason, hardcore fans insist you watch the original Japanese subtitle version of Episode 45 to get the full impact. , titled "The Beginning of the End
Joker’s goal in this episode is not to kill the Precures physically—he has already stripped them of their power—but to break their spirits. He imprisons the girls in a pocket dimension, a twisted reflection of the world they fought to protect. Here, the sky is gray, and the atmosphere is thick with hopelessness. He returns their transformation devices to them, but with a sadistic catch. He challenges them to transform and fight him, knowing fully well that they are too weak to win. , a powerful artifact revealed to be the
The emotional climax triggers the physical one. Because Miyuki refuses to despair, the Miracle Jewels react. But unlike previous episodes where they combine into a generic power-up, Episode 45 unveils the (often referred to as "Royal Cure Happy" or the "Rainbow Burst" form).
In the landscape of the magical girl genre, few shows manage to balance the formulaic joy of episodic storytelling with a devastating, high-stakes conclusion quite like Smile Pretty Cure! (Smile Precure). For 44 episodes, the audience followed Miyuki, Akane, Yayoi, Nao, and Reika through a whimsical journey of fairy tales, comedy, and the power of perseverance. The show’s mantra, "The greatest happiness is to smile even in the toughest times," was tested repeatedly, but never as severely as in the final arc.