Deletion at end (Removal of last node) in a Linked List

Last Updated : 29 Aug, 2025

Given the head of a linked list, delete the last node of the given linked list.

Examples:

Input:

Output:

Explanation: The last node of the linked list is 5, so 5 is deleted.
Input:

Output: 3 -> 12 -> NULL

Explanation: The last node of the linked list is 15, so 15 is deleted.

Approach:

To perform the deletion operation at the end of linked list, we need to traverse the list to find the second last node, then set its next pointer to null. If the list is empty then there is no node to delete or has only one node then point head to null.

Step-by-step approach:

Check if list is empty then return NULL.
If the list has only one node then delete it and return NULL.
Traverse the list to find the second last node.
=> Set the next pointer of second last node to NULL.

Implementation:

C++

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

// Node class for the linked list
class Node {
public:
    int data;
    Node* next;

    Node(int x) {
        this->data = x;
        this->next = nullptr;
    }
};

// Function to remove the last node
// of the linked list
Node* removeLastNode(Node* head) {
    // If the list is empty, return nullptr
    if (head == nullptr) {
        return nullptr;
    }

    // If the list has only one node, delete it and return nullptr
    if (head->next == nullptr) {
        delete head;
        return nullptr;
    }

    // Find the second last node
    Node* secondLast = head;
    while (secondLast->next->next != nullptr) {
        secondLast = secondLast->next;
    }

    // Delete the last node
    delete secondLast->next;

    // Change next of second last
    secondLast->next = nullptr;

    return head;
}

void printList(Node* head) {
    while (head != nullptr) {
        cout << head->data << " -> ";
        head = head->next;
    }
    cout << "nullptr" << endl;
}

int main() {
    // Creating a static linked list
    // 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5 -> nullptr
    Node* head = new Node(1);
    head->next = new Node(2);
    head->next->next = new Node(3);
    head->next->next->next = new Node(4);
    head->next->next->next->next = new Node(5);


    // Removing the last node
    head = removeLastNode(head);

    printList(head);

    return 0;
}

Java

class GfG {

    // Node class for the linked list
    static class Node {
        int data;
        Node next;

        Node(int x) {
            this.data = x;
            this.next = null;
        }
    }

    // Function to remove the last 
    // node of the linked list
    static Node removeLastNode(Node head) {
        // If the list is empty, return null
        if (head == null) {
            return null;
        }

        // If the list has only one node, 
        // delete it and return null
        if (head.next == null) {
            return null;
        }

        // Find the second last node
        Node secondLast = head;
        while (secondLast.next.next != null) {
            secondLast = secondLast.next;
        }

        // Delete the last node by making 
        // secondLast point to null
        secondLast.next = null;

        return head;
    }

    static void printList(Node head) {
        while (head != null) {
            System.out.print(head.data + " -> ");
            head = head.next;
        }
        System.out.println("null");
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Creating a static linked list
        // 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5 -> null
        Node head = new Node(1);
        head.next = new Node(2);
        head.next.next = new Node(3);
        head.next.next.next = new Node(4);
        head.next.next.next.next = new Node(5);

        // Removing the last node
        head = removeLastNode(head);

        printList(head);
    }
}

Python

# Node class for the linked list
class Node:
    def __init__(self, x):
        self.data = x
        self.next = None


# Function to remove the last 
# node of the linked list
def removeLastNode(head):
    # If the list is empty, return None
    if head is None:
        return None

    # If the list has only one node, 
    # delete it and return None
    if head.next is None:
        return None

    # Find the second last node
    secondLast = head
    while secondLast.next.next is not None:
        secondLast = secondLast.next

    # Delete the last node by making 
    # second_last point to None
    secondLast.next = None

    return head


def printList(head):
    while head is not None:
        print(f"{head.data} -> ", end="")
        head = head.next
    print("None")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    # Creating a static linked list
    # 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5 -> None
    head = Node(1)
    head.next = Node(2)
    head.next.next = Node(3)
    head.next.next.next = Node(4)
    head.next.next.next.next = Node(5)

    # Removing the last node
    head = removeLastNode(head)

    printList(head)

using System;

// Node class for the linked list
class Node {
    public int data;
    public Node next;

    public Node(int data) {
        this.data = data;
        this.next = null;
    }
}

class GfG {
    // Function to remove the last
    // node of the linked list
    public static Node removeLastNode(Node head) {
        // If the list is empty, return null
        if (head == null) {
            return null;
        }

        // If the list has only one node, return null
        if (head.next == null) {
            return null;
        }

        // Find the second last node
        Node secondLast = head;
        while (secondLast.next.next != null) {
            secondLast = secondLast.next;
        }

        // Delete the last node by making 
        // secondLast point to null
        secondLast.next = null;

        return head;
    }

    public static void printList(Node head) {
        while (head != null) {
            Console.Write(head.data + " -> ");
            head = head.next;
        }
        Console.WriteLine("null");
    }

    static void Main() {
        // Creating a static linked list
        // 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5 -> null
        Node head = new Node(1);
        head.next = new Node(2);
        head.next.next = new Node(3);
        head.next.next.next = new Node(4);
        head.next.next.next.next = new Node(5);

        // Removing the last node
        head = removeLastNode(head);

        printList(head);
    }
}

JavaScript

// Node class for the linked list
class Node {
    constructor(data) {
        this.data = data;
        this.next = null;
    }
}

// Function to remove the last
// node of the linked list
function removeLastNode(head) {
    // If the list is empty, return null
    if (head === null) {
        return null;
    }

    // If the list has only one 
    // node, return null
    if (head.next === null) {
        return null;
    }

    // Find the second last node
    let secondLast = head;
    while (secondLast.next.next !== null) {
        secondLast = secondLast.next;
    }

    // Delete the last node by disconnecting it
    secondLast.next = null;

    return head;
}

function printList(head) {
    let current = head;
    while (current !== null) {
        process.stdout.write(current.data + " -> ");
        current = current.next;
    }
    console.log("null");
}

// Driver code
function main() {
    // Creating a static linked list
    // 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5 -> null
    let head = new Node(1);
    head.next = new Node(2);
    head.next.next = new Node(3);
    head.next.next.next = new Node(4);
    head.next.next.next.next = new Node(5);

    // Removing the last node
    head = removeLastNode(head);

    printList(head);
}

main();