History Main / BitchinSheepsClothing

See also: DevilInPlainSight, FairWeatherFoe, VillainWithGoodPublicity, WartsAndAll, FalseInnocenceTrick, and ConfoundThemWithKindness. TheFakeCutie is a subtrope where the (usually young) bitch tries to invoke cuteness or childlike innocence. The TroublemakingNewPet is a related trope where someone takes in a new pet, only to learn that the pet is a huge troublemaker or outright evil and gets rid of it afterward once discovered. A RomanticFalseLead is [[DerailingLoveInterests often like this.]] The EnfantTerrible is also a related trope (possibly the AnnoyingYoungerSibling with SiblingRivalry from Hell). EvilAllAlong is a subtrope comprised of purely villainous examples. JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope is for characters who are already morally shady before they commit an unambiguously evil act. For a version specifically concerning actors and actresses, see NiceCharacterMeanActor. For a more extreme version of this trope, see BaitTheDog, where the 'bitch', oddly enough, likes to KickTheDog.

* ''WebAnimation/RefreshingStories'': Momoka's boyfriend and manager [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw1Gt2lQkOQ Kenichi]] seemed unassuming at first, but he was a jerk who accused her of having plastic surgery and tried to spread rumors about it to make her famous.

You meet someone you think is a really NiceGuy/Girl, or perhaps you meet a favorite celebrity for the first time, thinking that they'll be just as [[NiceCharacterMeanActor warm-hearted and cool as they are on camera]]. However, something happens to show their [[BeneathTheMask true colors]], revealing an immature brat, [[NoHeroToHisValet total]] {{Jerkass}}, or even outright {{villain|s}}.

* Zola, in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', seems to be an innocent, rather ditzy pawn of high-ranking plotters, but she's really [[spoiler:a calculating villain, fully aware of what she's involved in, and possibly the biggest threat Agatha faces]].

** Emerald Sustrai masks her intentions behind a polite façade, being nice to the old shopkeep while stealing his wallet, discussing books with Tukson as a build-up to murdering him, and faking friendship with Team RWBY to obtain intel for the villains. On each occasion, her mask drops once away from the event, such as complaining to Mercury Black about his teasing or how much she dislikes the heroes' cheerfulness. [[spoiler:A street urchin saved from starvation by Cinder Fall, her UndyingLoyalty is increasingly tested as she learns more about the villains and Cinder's lack of compassion. Eventually, she joins the heroes and discovers the camaraderie she's always yearned for]]].
** Once Weiss Schnee returns to Atlas in the aftermath of Beacon's destruction, she becomes surprised and suspicious of her younger brother Whitley's decency and supportiveness, despite disliking both of his sisters. She only finds out why after it's too late. [[spoiler:Jacques has abused his family for years; while his daughters escaped his abuse, Whitley felt his only "escape" was to comply with his father's demands. Once Jacques is out of the way, Whitley becomes an extremely useful "ideas man" whenever the heroes aren't sure what to do]].

** Emerald Sustrai masks her intentions behind a polite façade, being nice to the old shopkeep while stealing his wallet, discussing books with Tukson as a build-up to murdering him, and faking friendship with Team RWBY to obtain intel for the villains. On each occasion, her mask drops once away from the event, such as complaining to Mercury Black about his teasing or how much she dislikes the heroes' cheerfulness. [[spoiler:A street urchin saved from starvation by Cinder Fall, her UndyingLoyalty is increasingly tested as she learns more about the villains and Cinder's lack of compassion. Eventually, she joins the heroes and discovers the camraderie she's always yearned for]]].
** After Weiss Schnee returns to Atlas in the aftermath of Beacon's destruction, she becomes surprised and suspicious of her younger brother Whitley's decency and supportiveness, despite disliking both of his sisters. She only finds out why after it's too late. [[spoiler:Jacques has abused his family for years; while his daughters escaped his abuse, Whitley felt his only "escape" was to comply with his father's demands. Once Jacques is out of the way, Whitley becomes an extremely useful "ideas man" whenever the heroes aren't sure what to do]].

** When Weiss Schnee returning to Atlas in the fourth volume, she's surprised her younger brother Whitley is being decent and supportive, despite disliking both of his sisters. She only finds out why when it's too late. [[spoiler:Their father Jacques has abused his family for years; while his daughters escaped his abuse, Whitley felt his only "escape" was to conform to Jacques' demands. Once Jacques is out of the way, Whitley becomes an extremely useful "ideas man" whenever the heroes aren't sure what to do]].

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' has two prominent cases with Emerald and Whitley. It's deconstructed as the story goes on, when Emerald and Whitley's depths are revealed and explains ''why'' they act this way:
** Emerald Sustrai has a knack for masking a cold personality under a polite façade. She acts very sweet to the old shop owner while trying to find the location of someone she's looking to murder in cold blood, stealing his wallet in the process. During the tournament, she is very friendly and cheerful in conversation with the show's eponymous heroines, but when they part ways, Emerald immediately begins telling her partner Mercury about how much she despises them; [[EvilIsPetty she apparently can't comprehend how they could be so happy all the time]]. [[spoiler: Emerald grew up a poor and destitute thief, having to rob people in order to survive while no one else helped her until Cinder came along. As such, she developed the mentality that the elites like those who were part of Beacon ''clearly'' couldn't be anything except self-serving frauds who pretended to care while actively disregarding people like her. It's only after seeing the lows that Cinder is willing to go for the sake of power and recognizing her abusive nature, and the similarities of the Fall of Beacon that she helped instigate reoccurring in Atlas, where hundreds of innocent people are forced into a situation similar to her past through no fault of their own that she realizes how wrong she was, [[HeelFaceTurn and defects to the very people she once opposed.]]]]
** When Weiss meets her brother Whitley after returning to Atlas in the fourth volume, the latter acts as a decent brother towards her. She's suspicious of this because she knows that Whitley dislikes both of his sisters, but the latter blows it off as a sign he's growing up. But as it turns out, Whitley's encouragement and support for Weiss is an act. [[spoiler:By behaving like a perfect, obedient son, Jacques views Whitley as the only option for the legacy of the SDC when his daughters disobey him. He disinherits both Winter and Weiss and makes Whitley his sole heir, exactly as Whitley planned. This is further elaborated on in the Atlas arc, as unlike his sisters Winter and Weiss, Whitley was left completely alone with his abusive father and [[ParentalNeglect negligent drunk mother]], meaning that he had no real way to save himself except by becoming like Jacques to avoid pain. As such, [[TheResenter he grew to resent Weiss and Winter for abandoning him]], even if in truth neither of them were in any position to really help him due to their own troubles. Weiss at the least recognizes her own part in his pain and began to try to reconcile with him]].

* Music/SetItOff has a song called "Wolf In Sheep's Clothing", which talks about someone who manipulates people and poses as a nice person.

* ''WebAnimation/{{Anon}}'': Lilly seems like a harmless wallflower at first, but then goes on to reveal her hobbies of stalking popular students on social media and impersonating her former best friend online in an attempt to make everyone hate her.

** Emerald Sustrai has a knack for masking a cold personality under a polite façade. She acts very sweet to the old shop owner while trying to find the location of someone she's looking to murder in cold blood, stealing his wallet in the process. During the tournament, she is very friendly and cheerful in conversation with the show's eponymous heroines, but when they part ways, Emerald immediately begins telling her partner Mercury about how much she despises them; [[EvilIsPetty she apparently can't comprehend how they could be so happy all the time]]. [[spoiler: Emerald grew up a poor and destitute thief, having to rob people in order to survive while no one else helped her until Cinder came along. As such, she developed the mentality that the elites like those who were part of Beacon ''clearly'' couldn't be anything except self-serving frauds who pretended to care while actively disregarding people like her. It's only after seeing the lows that Cinder is willing to go for the sake of power and recognizing her abusive nature, and the similarities of the Fall of Beacon that she helped instigate reoccurring in Atlas, where hundreds of innocent people being forced into a situation similar to her past through no fault of their own that she realizes how wrong she was, [[HeelFaceTurn and defects to the very people she once opposed.]]]]
** When Weiss meets her brother Whitley after returning to Atlas in the fourth volume, the latter acts as a decent brother towards her. She's suspicious of this because she knows that Whitley dislikes both of his sisters, but the latter blows it off as a sign he's growing up. But as it turns out, Whitley's encouragement and support for Weiss is an act. [[spoiler:By behaving like a perfect, obedient son, Jacques views Whitley as the only option for the legacy of the SDC when his daughters disobey him. He disinherits both Winter and Weiss and makes Whitley his sole heir, exactly as Whitley planned. This is further elaborated on in the Atlas arc, as unlike his sisters Winter and Weiss, Whitley was left completely alone with his abusive father and negligent drunk mother, meaning that he had no real way to save himself except by becoming like Jacques to avoid pain. As such, he grew to resent Weiss and Winter for abandoning him, even if in truth neither of them were in any position to really help him due to their own troubles. Weiss at the least recognizes her own part in his pain and began to try to reconcile with him]].

** Emerald Sustrai has a knack for masking a cold personality under a polite façade. She acts very sweet to the old shop owner while trying to find the location of someone she's looking to murder in cold blood, stealing his wallet in the process. During the tournament, she is very friendly and cheerful in conversation with the show's eponymous heroines, but when they part ways, Emerald immediately begins telling her partner Mercury about how much she despises them; [[EvilIsPetty she apparently can't comprehend how they could be so happy all the time]]. [[spoiler: Emerald grew up a poor and destitute thief, having to rob people in order to survive while no one else helped her until Cinder came along. As such, she developed the mentality that the elites like those who were part of Beacon ''clearly'' couldn't be anything except self-serving frauds who pretended to care while actively disregarding people like her. It's only after seeing the lows that Cinder is willing to go for the sake of power and recognizing her abusive nature, and seeing the similarities of the Fall of Beacon that she helped instigate to the situation in Atlas, where hundreds of innocent people being forced into a situation similar to her own through no fault of their own that she realizes how wrong she was, and defects to the very people she hurt.]]

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'':
** Emerald Sustrai has a knack for masking a cold personality under a polite façade. She acts very sweet to the old shop owner while trying to find the location of someone she's looking to murder in cold blood, stealing his wallet in the process. During the tournament, she is very friendly and cheerful in conversation with the show's eponymous heroines, but when they part ways, Emerald immediately begins telling her partner Mercury about how much she despises them; [[EvilIsPetty she apparently can't comprehend how they could be so happy all the time]].
** When Weiss meets her brother Whitley after returning to Atlas in the fourth volume, the latter acts as a decent brother towards her. She's suspicious of this because she knows that Whitley dislikes both of his sisters, but the latter blows it off as a sign he's growing up. But as it turns out, Whitley's encouragement and support for Weiss is an act. [[spoiler:By behaving like a perfect, obedient son, Jacques views Whitley as the only option for the legacy of the SDC when his daughters disobey him. He disinherits both Winter and Weiss and makes Whitley his sole heir, exactly as Whitley planned]].