History Main / BigBadFriend

Contrast FriendlyEnemy. [[IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] [[DidWeJustHaveTeaWithCthulhu another type of big bad friend]]. EvilAllAlong is for anyone who turns out to be evil, not just friends. Related to TheyWereHoldingYouBack.

* AmericanGods: [[spoiler:Low-Key Lyesmith is Mr. World/Loki.]]

* This trope also applies to [[spoiler:Wolfwood]] in the ''{{Trigun}}'' anime. [[spoiler:He turns against the villains shortly afteward, [[RedemptionEqualsDeath only to die in the process.]]

* This trope also applies to [[spoiler:Wolfwood]] in the ''{{Trigun}}'' anime.

* In ''{{Devilman}}'', [[spoiler: Akira's best friend Ryo, the guy who got him into the whole horrible mess, turns out to be ''Lucifer''.]]

* In ''CodeGeass'', Lelouch is an odd example of a main character who's a BigBadFriend to Suzaku, a member of the supporting cast.
** And vice versa, as Suzaku is in league with the Emperor himself for a while.

* In one story of ''FrankenFran'', Fran's younger sister Veronica [[spoiler: realizes that the only girl that had befriended with her while she was in a private school was actually working for a criminal organization that was kidnapping students and selling them to pedophiles in foreign countries.]]

* In one story of ''FrankenFran'', Fran's younger sister Veronica. [[spoiler: realizes that the only girl that had befriended with her while she was in a private school was actually working for a criminal organization that was kidnapping students and selling them to pedophiles in foreign countries.]]

* Old school Japanese PC/NES adventure game ''Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken (The Case of the Portopia Serial Killer)'' has this as TheReveal, as the titular killer turns out to be [[spoiler:Yasuhiko "Yasu" Mano, who is not only the main character's ''partner'' but also the single most unlikely suspect as he is with you ''throughout the entire game, executing the commands of the unseen protagonist''.]] The shock factor was so high that nowadays the phrase "[[spoiler:Yasu]] is the culprit" is something of a [[MemeticMutation meme]] amongst old fans. It was even given a ShoutOut in ''{{Haruhi-chan}}''.

* After Arachnophobia's arc, it turns out that [[spoiler: Justin Law]] had gone through the first phase of this, but afterwards...well, [[spoiler: turns out that Law worships Asura, not Shinigami-sama, is an extreme misogynist, likes to be playing HoYay with his longtime [[FoeYay apparent enemy]], and more than likely helped set up Kid to be kidnapped by the arc's BigBad {{Chessmaster}}.]] So, he subverted this while acting TheMole. He might still like Stein, though, because [[spoiler: he did retreat before injuring him]].

* "TheTrumanShow". Truman's "best friend" since childhood (who is really an actor) at one point appears to truly be listening to Truman's plight and confusion, almost seeming to really want to help his buddy understand the crap that's going on with his life. However, he allows himself to be instrumental in the biggest MindScrew the studio pulls on Truman in bringing his "father" back from the grave. He later leads the hunt to capture Truman once he starts escaping. Earlier drafts and deleted scenes emphasised the actor being torn over doing such a thing to a man he had genuinely come to view as his best friend, and he initially redeemed himself by intentionally looking the other way when locating Truman and allowing him to escape.

* "TheTrumanShow". Truman's "best friend" since childhood (who is really an actor) at one point appears to truly be listening to Truman's plight and confusion, almost seeming to really want to help his buddy understand the crap that's going on with his life. However, he allows himself to be instrumental in the biggest MindScrew the studio pulls on Truman in bringing his "father" back from the grave. He later leads the hunt to capture Truman once he starts escaping.

* In GrandTheftAutoViceCity, [[spoiler:Lance Vance betrays Tommy Vercetti during the final mission of the game.]]

* In the ''SouthPark'' episode "The Mystery of the Urinal Deuce", we find out that it was [[spoiler:Stan]] who put the dookie in the urinal. Though it ''was'' [[YouShouldKnowThisAlready terrorists who caused 9/11]].

-->'''Hartigan''': ''Then there's thunder from behind me and lightning bolts punching holes through my chest. I guess I won't be having that steak I was looking forward to, after all. [[{{Retirony}} My last day on the job. Hell of a way to start my retirement.]]''
-->'''Bob:''' ''Damn it, Hartigan, I warned you.''
-->'''Hartigan:''' ''Hell of a way to end a partnership.''
-->-- ''SinCity: That Yellow Bastard''

Contrast FriendlyEnemy. [[IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] [[DidWeJustHaveTeaWithCthulhu another type of big bad friend]]. EvilAllAlong is for anyone who turns out to be evil, not just friends.

* In ''SluggyFreelance'' Torg ''believes'' Riff is one of these following the "Hereti-Corp freelancer" revelation, though it's more a case of "unwitting stooge."
** Played straight with Sam during the "Vampires" StoryArc.
*** On the other hand, [[{{JustifiedTrope}} vampire.]]

* ''{{Bioshock}}'': When the protagonist discovers that [[spoiler: his ally Atlas is really Frank Fontaine, the real big bad, and has been manipulating him with mind control from the very beginning of the game.]]

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* [[MaxLord Maxwell Lord]] to the [[JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLI]]. Despite killing BlueBeetle in the build-up to InfiniteCrisis, Max still views them as his friends and warns them to stay out of his way, even telling BoosterGold that killing BlueBeetle wasn't easy for him.

* Maxwell Lord to the [[JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLI]]. Despite killing BlueBeetle in the build-up to InfiniteCrisis, Max still views them as his friends and warns them to stay out of his way, even noting the killing BlueBeetle wasn't easy for him.

*Maxwell Lord to the [[JusticeLeague JLI]]. Despite killing BlueBeetle in CountdownToInfinateCrisis, Max still views them as his friends and warns them to stay out of his way. Even noting the killing BlueBeetle was'nt easy for him.

* [[spoiler:[[SonicTheHedgehog Merlina]]]]

* The Boss in ''MetalGearSolid 3'', before defecting, was Snake's mentor and one of his closest friends. She celebrates her FaceHeelTurn by beating him up and stealing his rescued hostage.