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[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spongebob_hired_to_hunt_yourself.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The maniac's far closer than he thinks.]]

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[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants [[quoteright:349:[[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spongebob_hired_to_hunt_yourself.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The [[caption-width-right:349:The maniac's far closer than he thinks.]]

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* The ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "Wolf in the Fold": When a murder occurs on the planet Argelius, the chief city administrator, Mr. Hengist, takes charge of the investigation and continues investigating as more murders take place. It later turns out that the creature inhabiting his body is responsible for the murders.
* In an episode of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', an alien committed a crime and then erased his own memory of it. Afterward, he worked so hard on solving the crime that he ended up revealing himself as the culprit.
** In "Relativity", that plays heavily with the TimeyWimeyBall, some time cops from the future are hunting a saboteur aboard ''Voyager''. The villain turns out to be [[spoiler: a future version of the timeship's captain, whose many run-ins with Janeway had driven (will drive?) him insane.]]

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* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
**
The ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "Wolf in the Fold": When a murder occurs on the planet Argelius, the chief city administrator, Mr. Hengist, takes charge of the investigation and continues investigating as more murders take place. It later turns out that the creature inhabiting his body is responsible for the murders.
* ** In the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode ''The Mind's Eye'', Geordi La Forge works with Data to uncover a Romulan ploy to assassinate a Klingon governor and drive a wedge between the Klingon Empire and the Federation, completely unaware that he had recently been kidnapped by the Romulans and was a brainwashed ManchurianAgent tasked with sabotaging the investigation and ultimately assassinating said governor. For bonus points, a Klingon ambassador who is encouraging this investigation and seemingly supporting Geordi in his efforts is actually a corrupt double agent working with the Romulans himself, and Geordi's secret handler giving him instructions and setting him up to be caught at the end.
**
In an episode of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', an alien committed a crime and then erased his own memory of it. Afterward, he worked so hard on solving the crime that he ended up revealing himself as the culprit.
** *** In "Relativity", that plays heavily with the TimeyWimeyBall, some time cops from the future are hunting a saboteur aboard ''Voyager''. The villain turns out to be [[spoiler: a future version of the timeship's captain, whose many run-ins with Janeway had driven (will drive?) him insane.]]
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* ''Series/TheWire':

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* ''Series/TheWire':''Series/TheWire'':
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* In ''Film/TheManInTheIronMask'', the Jesuits are actively opposing the king, so he puts a man in charge of finding their father general and killing him. Of course, he chooses one of his close allies: Aramis, who turns out to be the Jesuit general.

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* In ''Series/TheWire'', Jimmy [=McNulty=] is the lead investigator on the case of [[spoiler:a SerialKiller he invented]].

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* ''Series/TheWire':
** Burrell dragged his feet while investigating the Barksdales in season 1 because he and other high officials of the city government were being bribed by the Barksdales.
**
In ''Series/TheWire'', season 5, Jimmy [=McNulty=] is the lead investigator on the case of [[spoiler:a SerialKiller he invented]].



-->'''Haldeman''': Pat [''FBI Director Patrick Gray''] does want to. He doesn’t know how to, and he doesn’t have, he doesn’t have any basis for doing it. Given this, he will then have the basis. He’ll call Mark Felt (Deep Throat) in, and the two of them …and Mark Felt wants to cooperate because…

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-->'''Haldeman''': Pat [''FBI Director Patrick Gray''] does want to. He doesn’t know how to, and he doesn’t have, he doesn’t have any basis for doing it. Given this, he will then have the basis. He’ll He’ll call Mark Felt (Deep Throat) in, and the two of them …and Mark Felt wants to cooperate because…
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* ''Film/{{Anon}}'': [[spoiler:The killer turns out to be a hacking consultant brought in to catch the female hacker whom they wrongly assume is the killer. When the Commissioner roasts them about this, the detective protests that the Commissioner recommended him. Turns out he never did--the killer just faked the order and no-one bothered to check it with the Commissioner's office as they're in a [[EverythingIsOnline world with no privacy]] so are used to accepting everyone at face value.]]

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* ''Film/{{Anon}}'': ''Film/Anon2018'': [[spoiler:The killer turns out to be a hacking consultant brought in to catch the female hacker whom they wrongly assume is the killer. When the Commissioner roasts them about this, the detective protests that the Commissioner recommended him. Turns out he never did--the did -- the killer just faked the order order, and no-one no one bothered to check it with the Commissioner's office office, as they're in a [[EverythingIsOnline world with no privacy]] and so are used to accepting everyone at face value.]]
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Hotline Miami 2

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* In VideoGame/HotlineMiami2WrongNumber, [[spoiler:Manny Pardo is involved in the investigation to catch the Miami Mutilator.]]
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** In another arc, they are hired to deal with some terrorists who caused a riot in a public library and then holed up in the attached data center, shortly after learning that a squad of their men beat up some unruly frat boys in the library while trying to get to the attached data center.
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Adding an image.

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[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spongebob_hired_to_hunt_yourself.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The maniac's far closer than he thinks.]]
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** The same thing happened in an episode of ''Series/StargateSG1'', with the added wrinkle that the criminal didn't just erase their own memory, but also transferred it to someone else, knocked them out, and left them at the crime scene to frame them.
** In another episode that plays heavily with the TimeyWimeyBall, some time cops from the future are hunting a saboteur aboard ''Voyager''. The villain turns out to be [[spoiler: a future version of the timeship's captain, whose many run-ins with Janeway had driven (will drive?) him insane.]]

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** The same thing happened in an episode of ''Series/StargateSG1'', with the added wrinkle that the criminal didn't just erase their own memory, but also transferred it to someone else, knocked them out, and left them at the crime scene to frame them.
** In another episode "Relativity", that plays heavily with the TimeyWimeyBall, some time cops from the future are hunting a saboteur aboard ''Voyager''. The villain turns out to be [[spoiler: a future version of the timeship's captain, whose many run-ins with Janeway had driven (will drive?) him insane.]]]]
* Similar to ''Star Trek: Voyager'', an episode of ''Series/StargateSG1'', with the added wrinkle that the criminal didn't just erase their own memory, but also transferred it to someone else, knocked them out, and left them at the crime scene to frame them.
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* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6568694/1/Harry-Potter-Hit-Wizard Harry Potter, Hit Wizard]]'', Harry (after the events of the prequel fanfic) is a magical bounty hunter hidden under the name "Tom 'Snake' Aspheart" who gets requested to bring down Dumbledore and his attempt to turn Magical Britain into a FalseUtopia. Eventually, he is hired (as Aspheart) to hunt down himself (as Harry Potter).
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* French gendarme Alain Lamare was tasked with searching for a serial killer prowling the Oise and was arrested when his higher-ups started to have suspicions about him.

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* French gendarme Alain Lamare was tasked with searching for a serial killer man prowling the Oise who had shot a woman to death and was arrested when his attempted to kill several others, at one point booby trapping a stolen car with explosives that injured an officer. His higher-ups started to have suspicions about him.him over time and he was arrested, this wannabe SerialKiller having only killed one person due to his habit of looking away when he shot his victims. The movie ''Film/NextTimeIllAimForTheHeart'' was based directly off the case.
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No longer a trope.


* In the fourth of the ''Literature/{{Baccano}}'' LightNovels, the infamous assassin Vino purchases the identity of retiring hitman Felix Walken for reasons which only really make sense to himself but involves having a legal identity under which to get married. Then an enemy of Vino's adopted family tries to hire "Felix" to kill Vino. HilarityEnsues.

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* In the fourth of the ''Literature/{{Baccano}}'' LightNovels, the infamous assassin Vino purchases the identity of retiring hitman Felix Walken for reasons which only really make sense to himself but involves having a legal identity under which to get married. Then an enemy of Vino's adopted family tries to hire "Felix" to kill Vino. HilarityEnsues.
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* A brief aside in ''LightNovel/KinosJourney'' concerns a sentient tank that has unknowingly been tasked with hunting down and destroying itself. He gets another story in the novels, where he discovers this after befriending some kids.

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* A brief aside in ''LightNovel/KinosJourney'' ''Literature/KinosJourney'' concerns a sentient tank that has unknowingly been tasked with hunting down and destroying itself. He gets another story in the novels, where he discovers this after befriending some kids.



* In the fourth of the ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'' LightNovels, the infamous assassin Vino purchases the identity of retiring hitman Felix Walken for reasons which only really make sense to himself but involves having a legal identity under which to get married. Then an enemy of Vino's adopted family tries to hire "Felix" to kill Vino. HilarityEnsues.

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* In the fourth of the ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'' ''Literature/{{Baccano}}'' LightNovels, the infamous assassin Vino purchases the identity of retiring hitman Felix Walken for reasons which only really make sense to himself but involves having a legal identity under which to get married. Then an enemy of Vino's adopted family tries to hire "Felix" to kill Vino. HilarityEnsues.
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** In "The Smoking Peanut", Patrick tries to solve the mystery of something [=SpongeBob=] apparently caused, but when accused of being the culprit himself, he believes he really might have done it.

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** In "The Smoking Peanut", Patrick tries to solve the mystery of something [=SpongeBob=] apparently caused, but when accused of being the culprit himself, he believes he really might have done it. [[spoiler:Subverted when it's revealed that Mr. Krabs did it]].
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* "[[https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-11944/Mediancat+Martian+Manhunter.htm Martian Manhunter]]" sees Series/VeronicaMars being sent into the world of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''; bound by a deal with the entity that sent her to this world that she cannot reveal her future knowledge to anyone, Veronica finds a loophole where she can use her knowledge of the ''past'' to help out, such as revealing the existence of Kendra or the clause in Angel's curse. When sharing this information with others, she goes in disguise under the name "Epimetheus", a mythical Titan of knowledge; at one point Giles hires Veronica Mars to hunt down Epimetheus, but Veronica is able to set up the investigation to give the impression she made the attempt but didn't succeed in finding anything useful.

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* "[[https://www.''[[https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-11944/Mediancat+Martian+Manhunter.htm Martian Manhunter]]" Manhunter]]'' sees Series/VeronicaMars being sent into the world of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''; bound by a deal with the entity that sent her to this world that she cannot reveal her future knowledge to anyone, Veronica finds a loophole where she can use her knowledge of the ''past'' to help out, such as revealing the existence of Kendra or the clause in Angel's curse. When sharing this information with others, she goes in disguise under the name "Epimetheus", a mythical Titan of knowledge; at one point Giles hires Veronica Mars to hunt down Epimetheus, but Veronica is able to set up the investigation to give the impression she made the attempt but didn't succeed in finding anything useful.
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None

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* "[[https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-11944/Mediancat+Martian+Manhunter.htm Martian Manhunter]]" sees Series/VeronicaMars being sent into the world of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''; bound by a deal with the entity that sent her to this world that she cannot reveal her future knowledge to anyone, Veronica finds a loophole where she can use her knowledge of the ''past'' to help out, such as revealing the existence of Kendra or the clause in Angel's curse. When sharing this information with others, she goes in disguise under the name "Epimetheus", a mythical Titan of knowledge; at one point Giles hires Veronica Mars to hunt down Epimetheus, but Veronica is able to set up the investigation to give the impression she made the attempt but didn't succeed in finding anything useful.
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* At one point in ''Fanfic/DoubleAgentVader'', the Emperor becomes aware that there is a Rebel mole somewhere high up in the Imperial hierarchy, and assigns Darth Vader to locate and destroy the mole; the mole is Vader himself. It occurs to Vader that he could "succeed" at the mission with a DeceasedFallGuyGambit, but he choose to fail because [[BriarPatching the punishment duty for failure will be something he actually wants]].

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* At one point in ''Fanfic/DoubleAgentVader'', the Emperor becomes aware that there is a Rebel mole somewhere high up in the Imperial hierarchy, and assigns Darth Vader to locate and destroy the mole; the mole is Vader himself. It occurs to Vader that he could "succeed" at the mission with a DeceasedFallGuyGambit, but he choose to fail because [[BriarPatching the punishment duty for failure will be something he actually wants]].wants]] -- being assigned to the Death Star.



* On ''Series/TheBlacklist'', Reddington goes to prison after someone reports him. After he's freed, he asks Elizabeth to help find the person who turned him in. It was actually Elizabeth herself.

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* On Season 6 of ''Series/TheBlacklist'', Reddington goes is arrested and sent to prison after someone reports him. After he's freed, he asks Elizabeth to help find the person who turned him in. It was actually Elizabeth herself.herself, who learned at the end of the previous season that [[spoiler: Reddington is [[DeadPersonImpersonation an imposter]]]], and needed him out of the way so she could pursue her own private investigation.

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* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': a Tumblr post talked about a female dragonborn paladin being the knight, princess, or dragon as the circumstances require. Another user created a concept scenario where said character is hired to rescue herself from herself.
-->'''Priest:''' Sir Aldes of Mosley, the church has evidence that [[DragonsPreferPrincesses Princess Miranda of Foxley has been kidnapped by Firefang the Ruthless]]. Will you rescue her on behalf of His Holiness?"
-->'''Sir Miranda Aldes, born in Foxley, honorably knighted in Mosley as a Black Knight after winning a jousting tournament, who's [sic] rebellious teenage nickname was Firefang:''' So, about all that...



* The play ''Theatre/OedipusRex'' is about Oedipus' attempt to hunt down the murderer of Laius, not connecting it with that time twenty years ago when he killed an old man he met on the road...

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* The play ''Theatre/OedipusRex'' is about Oedipus' Oedipus's attempt to hunt down the murderer of Laius, not connecting it with that time twenty years ago when he killed an old man he met on the road...
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* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': In the "Identity Thief" SideQuest, Batman investigates a series of bizarre killings and is stunned to find eyewitness accounts and fingerprints all point to Bruce Wayne. [[VoiceWithAnInternetConnection Oracle]] suggests that Batman has been under a lot of stress and it could be the work of Scarecrow. [[spoiler:Subverted when it is revealed to be [[ComicBook/{{Hush}} Dr. Tommy Elliot]], Bruce's childhood friend, who has committed the murders to harvest the face and finger tissue he needs to turn himself into a perfect doppelganger of Bruce Wayne to destroy his life.]]
** Later flipped around in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'': [[spoiler: Elliott takes Lucius Fox hostage and demands that Batman bring him Bruce Wayne. Batman simply unmasks himself. Elliott [[ThisCannotBe is so freaked out]] Batman and Lucius take the opportunity to knock him out.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'', [[PlayerCharacter Adam Jensen]], the Sarif Industries corporate security chief, receives emails about office thefts which give passcodes to said offices. [[KleptomaniacHero When you plunder more stuff]], more emails arrive about further thefts.
** Which can be really embarrassing if you don't realise that picking up a newspaper in an office (the only way to read it) counts as stealing it, get the email, and diligently try to track down the thief. An oddly literal example of this trope.

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* ''Franchise/BatmanArkhamSeries'':
**
''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': In the "Identity Thief" SideQuest, Batman investigates a series of bizarre killings and is stunned to find eyewitness accounts and fingerprints all point to Bruce Wayne. [[VoiceWithAnInternetConnection Oracle]] suggests that Batman has been under a lot of stress stress, and that it could be the work of the Scarecrow. [[spoiler:Subverted [[spoiler:{{Subverted|Trope}} when it is revealed to be [[ComicBook/{{Hush}} Dr. Tommy Elliot]], Elliot, Bruce's childhood friend, who has committed the murders to harvest the face and finger tissue he needs to turn himself into a perfect doppelganger of Bruce Wayne to destroy his life.]]
** Later flipped Flipped around in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'': [[spoiler: Elliott ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight''. [[spoiler:Elliott takes Lucius Fox hostage and demands that Batman bring him Bruce Wayne. Batman simply unmasks himself. Elliott [[ThisCannotBe is so freaked out]] that Batman and Lucius take the opportunity to knock him out.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'', [[PlayerCharacter Adam Jensen]], the Sarif Industries corporate security chief, receives emails about office thefts which give passcodes to said offices. [[KleptomaniacHero When you plunder more stuff]], more emails arrive about further thefts.
** Which
thefts... which can be really embarrassing if you don't realise realize that picking up a newspaper in an office (the only way to read it) counts as stealing it, get the email, and diligently try to track down the thief. An oddly literal example of this trope.thief.



* Scott Shelby of ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'' [[spoiler:pretends that he's been hired by the families of the Origami Killer's victims in order to interview the parents of his latest victims and gather any evidence that might be left behind. This claim actually comes back to bite him in one ending of the game. Lauren (if she survives) does the legwork, learns that no one hired him, and realizes what he's done. She guns Shelby down in the street.]]
* ''VideoGame/KultHereticKingdoms'': If Alita tells the authorities that Joran Cynessa is a weapons smuggler, she can later find him back in town offering to pay anyone who can track down the lowlife who got him in trouble. Alita can take the case — and insist on half payment up front.
-->'''Quest log:''' Find out who sold out Joran. Here's a hint — it was you.

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* Scott Shelby of ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'' [[spoiler:pretends that he's been hired by the families of the Origami Killer's victims in order to interview the parents of his latest victims and gather any evidence that might be left behind. This claim actually comes back to bite him in one ending of the game. If she survives, Lauren (if she survives) does the legwork, learns that no one hired him, and realizes what he's done. She done, and guns Shelby down in the street.]]
street]].
* ''VideoGame/KultHereticKingdoms'': If Alita tells the authorities that Joran Cynessa is a weapons smuggler, she can later find him back in town offering to pay anyone who can track down the lowlife who got him in trouble. Alita can take the case -- and insist on half payment up front.
-->'''Quest log:''' Find out who sold out Joran. Here's a hint -- it was you.



* In ''VideoGame/{{STALKER}}'', the Marked One is hunting down Strelok, who turns out to be himself. [[spoiler:Turns out it was a coincidence because the entity that brainwashed the protagonist before the start of the game wasn't aware that he was Strelok, mistaking him for one of the many mooks assaulting his base.]]

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* In ''VideoGame/{{STALKER}}'', the Marked One is hunting down Strelok, who turns out to be himself. [[spoiler:Turns [[spoiler:It turns out that it was a coincidence because the entity that brainwashed the protagonist before the start of the game wasn't aware that he was Strelok, mistaking him for one of the many mooks assaulting his base.]]
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* ''Literature/FunJungle'': An accidental example occurs in ''Lion Down'' when one of the guards trying to figure out who's been making the giraffes sick is the one who's been doing it themselves (by innocently feeding them a plant that they have a bad reaction with).

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* ''Literature/FunJungle'': An accidental example occurs in ''Lion Down'' when Down'', in which one of the guards trying to figure out who's been making the giraffes sick is the one who's been doing it themselves (by innocently feeding them a plant that they have a bad reaction with).

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