History FakingTheDead / WesternAnimation

* ''WesternAnimation/BigCityGreens'': [[BigBad Chip Whistler]] is revealed to have done this following getting slung out of Big City in his helicopter in "Chipocalypse Now". He makes everyone think he died while taking refuge at the cemetary with his grave, and by the time of the S3 finale, he's revealed to still be standing and planning even bigger revenge against Cricket.

* ''WesternAnimation/TopCat and the Beverly Hills Cats'': When it seemed [[BigBad Mrs. Vandergelt's butler]] would finally get her fortune, it was revealed she had faked her death.

** Scrooge also fakes his own death in ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' episode "The 87 Cent Solution!", complete with a staged funeral [[AttendingYourOwnFuneral he attends in disguise]], in order for Flintheart Glomgold to admit he deliberately attempted {{Gaslighting}} and passing it on as "Gold Fever" with use of the [[TimeStandsStill Time Teaser]], in order for Scrooge's stocks to falter, making him the richest duck in the world.

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' has a version of this: [[spoiler:Grunkle Stan's real name isn't Stan''ford'', but Stan''ley'']] due to [[DeadPersonImpersonation impersonating]] [[spoiler:his missing brother.]] Dipper and Mabel find a news article saying that [[spoiler:Stan Pines]] was dead, but [[spoiler:Stanley]] later admits to faking [[spoiler:his]] own death while taking up [[spoiler:his brother]]'s identity and [[spoiler:trying to rescue him from another dimension.]] After the finale, [[spoiler:Grunkle Stan]] drops the whole charade and goes by [[spoiler:Stanley]] again.

* WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls fake their deaths in the reboot episode "Aliver" in order to shame Princess Morbucks into confessing she cheated throughout the reality show challenges and caused the girls' fates. The reality show's other contestants were in on the girls' charade as well.

** ''Unlimited'' did this as well with Green Arrow taking a nerve relaxant so that he appeared to have been killed in the illegal Metabrawl at Wildcat's hands, to show the aging fighter what he could unintentionally do if he continued fighting in it.

* 'The End of Muscle Man' in ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' fools the audience and its characters into thinking Muscle Man is dying. At the end of the episode, an event resembling a funeral is organised. His body is wheeled out on an ice sculpture, much to the horror and dismay of his girlfriend. Obviously, he wakes up, and amongst the confusion proposes to Sheila.

* In season 2 of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'', [[spoiler:Artemis]] does this in order to infiltrate The Light [[spoiler:with Kaldur]].

** Professor Ivo was apparently presumed dead prior to the episode "Schooled".

* In the ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' episode "What Have You Done", in order to make Ice King cry because [[ItMakesSenseInContext his cries are the cure for a disease he accidentally caused Princess Bubblegum's people to have]], Finn pretends that he's dying after Ice King accidentally hits him. It works, but Ice King soon demands to dispose his carcass. Finn takes offense at that and Jake says that he would mourn dramatically for ages if he had found his dead body and the episode ends with Finn pretending to be dead and Jake pretending to mourn him.

* The boys force Butters to fake his death in the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "[[Recap/SouthParkS9E9Marjorine Marjorine]]".
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', [[spoiler: Norman Osborn (AKA Green Goblin)]] pulls this off in the final(?) step of his two-season-long EvilPlan.

** In the climax of of the two-parter "Feat of Clay", Clayface suffers a ShapeshifterSwanSong and smashes into a set of controls, seemingly electrocuted. At the end though, Batman tests a small sample of Clayface he kept and proves electricity has no effect on it. Clayface had left a hollow shell behind as a decoy and escaped into Gotham under a new identity with his shapeshifting power.

*** What makes the scene hilarious is the ComedicSociopathy of it all: rather than thinking to ''help'' Homer, all his co-workers think that all they have to do is say "Oh no! Them rocks broke his arms and legs!" "Oh good! Those helpful beavers are swimming out to save him." "Oh no! The beavers are biting him! And stealing his pants!" No one thinks to, you know, move and ''help'' him.

*** What makes the scene hilarious is the ComedicSociopathy of it all: rather than thinking to ''help'' Homer, all his co-workers think that all they have to do is say "Oh no! He's hit the rocks!" "Don't worry, those beavers will save him." "Oh no! The beavers are taking his clothes!" No one thinks to, you know, move and ''help'' him.

* WesternAnimation/OggyAndTheCockroaches: ''The Fugitive'' usess this as a major plot point; to get out of Oggy clobbering him for trying to raid the fridge, Dee Dee fakes his own death. His brothers quickly realize his plan and worsen the poor cat's situation by calling the cops, and soon Oggy is tailed by an inspector determined to bring the "criminal" to justice at all costs.

* WesternAnimation/OggyAndTheCockroaches: "The Fugitive" has this as a major plot point; to get out of Oggy clobbering him for trying to raid the fridge, Dee Dee fakes his own death. His brothers quickly realize his plan and worsen the poor cat's situation by calling the cops, and soon Oggy is tailed by an inspector determined to bring the "criminal" to justice at all costs.

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' has a version of this: [[spoiler:Grunkle Stan's real name isn't Stan''ford'', but Stan''ley'' and was in fact impersonating his brother. Dipper and Mabel find a news article saying that Stan Pines was dead, but Stanley later admitted to faking his own death while taking up his brother's identity and trying to rescue him from another dimension. After the finale, Grunkle Stan drops the whole charade and goes by Stanley again]].

* It was revealed in the season 3 premiere of ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'' that [[spoiler: Charles Ofdensen]] did this. It's not until the penultimate episode of season 4 that we find out why: [[spoiler: when Mr. Selacia brainwashed Crozier, Ofdensen witnessed it and it caused his soul to separate from his body, making him 'The Dead Man' in the prophecies regarding Dethklok, and invisible to Selacia. He spent the time investigating the prophecy and spying on the Tribunal until Dethklok needed him again.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': It's revealed in [[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E18ASinglePaleRose "A Single Pale Rose"]] that [[spoiler:Pink Diamond faked her own shattering and permanently assumed the identity of Rose Quartz... by having Pearl shapeshift into Rose Quartz and pretend to murder her]].

* In the second season opener of the 90s ''WesternAnimation/IronMan'' cartoon, Tony Stark fakes his death by allowing the Mandarin's flunkies to blow up his private jet.

* When the ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' are first attacked by the HIVE (Jinx, Mammoth and Gizmo), Robin falls to ominous doom, and the others only find his utility belt. [[spoiler: He resurfaces after his teammates get kicked out of their own home]].

* In season 2 of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', [[spoiler:Artemis]] does this in order to infiltrate The Light [[spoiler:with Kaldur]].
** ''Both'' [[spoiler: Artemis and Kaldur]] do it in the second season's penultimate episode. When their [[spoiler: cover is blown]], they're both immediately shot dead by Deathstroke- who was really just M'gann in disguise, armed with a fake gun, and the death were used as a catalyst to break down the uneasy partnership between The Light and The Reach.

%%* The boys force Butters to do this in the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "[[Recap/SouthParkS9E9Marjorine Marjorine]]".

* ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends'' episode "Dr. Pelagian's War". Dr. Ansel Hillbrand fakes his death in a deep sea diving accident to allow him to prepare for his EcoTerrorist activities as Dr. Pelagian.

*** A CutawayGag in the same episode shows Peter faking his death up to the point where he's in a coffin and being buried while his family and friends mourn him. Inside the coffin that's being covered with dirt, Peter says to himself, "Hehehe. [[WhatAnIdiot No dentist appointment for this guy]]."