History Main / PleaseKeepYourHatOn

** Darth Vader is probably the most popular example of this. In ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', we see the back of Vader's bald, scarred head. In the next movie we see that from the front. He can only survive without the helmet if he's in that meditation chamber we saw in ESB.

* ''WesternAnimation/MeetTheRobinsons'': Lewis had to do this to avoid revealing his identity to Wilbur's family. Why? [[spoiler:Because he's Wilbur's father.]]

* Celty Strulsen from ''{{LightNovel/Durarara}}'' is understandably reluctant to take her helmet off anywhere outside her own apartment, what with the [[HeadlessHorseman headlessness and all.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' uses this for a DiscussedTrope again when the Red Hood is about to remove his helmet, warning Batman against what he is about to see. A discretion shot serves to delay TheReveal: The heroic Red Hood is a MirrorUniverse analogue of [[spoiler:The Joker]].

* Shao Kahn from ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' never takes off his helmet. [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/mkwikia/images/5/50/MK3-17_Shao_Kahn-PR1.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20120201153853 Official art]], [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/mkwikia/images/5/5b/Shao_Kahn_comic.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/208?cb=20060613183106 derived material]] and [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/mkwikia/images/f/f7/Shaokahnunmasked1.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/465?cb=20110520024449 a brief glimpse]] on ''VideoGame/MortalKombatShaolinMonks'' shows he has a reason, as he's borderline demonic. At least in the old continuity - [[VideoGame/MortalKombaX the new one]] at most [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/mkwikia/images/c/cf/Screen_Shot_2019-04-25_at_11.31.41_PM.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20190426093346 removed the mask part]], revealing a more humanized look, but still [[ButterFace very ugly]].
* Flint in ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}'': His hat's brim is kept low until the very end of the game, wherein it is revealed that [[spoiler:he's bald. "Bald as a bean"]].
* Razputin, the hero of ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'', wears an aviator's cap and goggles throughout the entire game, until the denouement, where he is made an official Psychonaut. He gains a sweater and loses the aviator cap - and the hair revealed by this fashion change looks like it's in desperate need of combing.

* The Engineer in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' is bald underneath his helmet. Meanwhile, Pyro is the only class that doesn't have a "no hat" alternate hat, so fan theories have run wild about what exactly is under his ubiquitous gas mask, ranging from a horribly scarred or deformed freak to a hot woman. Someone even made a video where the Pyro reveals themselves to be Half Life 3.

* Early in ''VideoGame/{{XCOM 2}}'s'' campaign, we get a good look at why the ADVENT soldiers and officers wear big, face-concealing helmets. It turns out that they only vaguely look human underneath their helmets, with enlarged eyes, catlike noses, and tiny ears, which would naturally undermine ADVENT's attempt to present their soldiers as human-like peacekeepers.

* Played with in ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'', there is a running gag where every time someone mentions that Scott might need a haircut, his goofy hat will be on his head in the very next shot.

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'' has an in-universe example in the form of Toepick, an alien form who's constantly wearing a caged helmet. Once the gates of the cage slide open, Toepick's true face is revealed. We never actually see it, but it's apparently [[BrownNote so horrifyingly ugly]], every villain who has looked at it so far turned into screaming, shivering wrecks.

* ''Literature/TheNatureOfPredators'': The species of the Federation - who are all evolved from prey animals [[spoiler:or so we are told]] - believe that all animals with front-facing eyes are predators and therefore dangerous, and as such humans tend to cause a fear response whenever they make eye contact or smile. cue mouth coverings and eyepieces with tinted lenses, which all humans that aren't on earth are encouraged to wear as much as they possibly can.

* All the illustrations of Captain Sam Vimes from the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' stories show him wearing the Watch regulation helmet, except in ''Literature/WheresMyCow'' (a defictionalization of Sam Jr.'s favorite book), where Vimes is shown without his helmet and with a corresponding case of greasy-looking helmet hair. But that's probably only that artist. Paul Kidby depicts Vimes with short, tousled, unremarkable hair that couldn't grease down like that if he tried. And according to ''Feet of Clay'' he's actually starting to go bald.

* Professor Quirrell in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone''. And it's not a usual example, [[spoiler:''he has a face on the back of his head.'' Not just any face either; it's the series wide BigBad.]]
-->"Who's ever suspect p-p-poor st-st-stuttering Professor Q-q-quirrel?"

* ''WebAnimation/OxhornsShortShorts'' has Mortuus, who keeps his stylish hat on at all times. In ''Inventing Swear Words 4'', when he is about to be wed to Lacy, Oxhorn suggests Mort take his hat off; it is a wedding, after all. Mortuus is reluctant, but when he takes off the hat, his hairstyle is so horrifying that Oxhorn and Staghorn beg him to put it back on.

* ''WebVideo/OxhornsShortShorts'' has Mortuus, who keeps his stylish hat on at all times. In ''Inventing Swear Words 4'', when he is about to be wed to Lacy, Oxhorn suggests Mort take his hat off; it is a wedding, after all. Mortuus is reluctant, but when he takes off the hat, his hairstyle is so horrifying that Oxhorn and Staghorn beg him to put it back on.

* In ''Always Running'' a confessional novel about Mexican gangster in California at the end Luis meets a disturbed man who has lots of disgusting scars on top of his head that he hides with a beanie hat because of gang warfare.
* In one of the ''Series/SesameStreet'' Manners Books (probably ''Grover's Guide to Good Manners''), it states that it's okay to ask someone in front of you to remove his hat — but the following illustration reveals that hat-wearer to have [[CompressedHair mass quantities of hair]] under the tiny little bowler hat he just removed.
** A similar visual gag was used in an old WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker cartoon.
* In ''Savages of Literature/{{Gor}}'', Cabot meets a man who never takes his hat off. In ''Blood Brothers of Gor'', we learn why: He had been scalped as a young adult.

* The witches in...well, ''Literature/TheWitches'' have wigs on all the time because witches are naturally bald and leaving them off would expose them for what they really are.

* The Literature/FatherBrown story ''The Purple Wig'' revolves around this. A duke is famous for a purple wig, which he claims is to hide the hideously deformed ear that is the mark of shame for his family's crimes. Father Brown points out that, if he really wanted to hide the thing, he would wear a wig of an actual hair color and wouldn't go around telling his shame to everyone he met. [[spoiler:It turns out that what he's really hiding is two perfectly normal ears - and a scar identifying him as the lawyer who defrauded the old duke out of his lands and title.]]
* ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'': In ''You Can't Scare Me!'', Hat (real name: Herbie) keeps his baseball cap on at all times. When finally exposed, his hair is plastered to his head to the point where it looks like wood, much to everyone's disgust. His following comment implies that he never washes it either, which explains a lot about its condition.

* ''Series/AntFarm'': In the "MUTANT Farm" trilogy, Chyna's monster counterpart is a Medusa gorgon; she frequently has to hide her snake hairdo under a hairnet at all times, because anyone who looks at them [[TakenForGranite turns to stone.]]

* Razputin, the hero of ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'', wears an aviator's cap and goggles throughout the entire game, until the denouement, where he is made an official Psychonaut. He gains a sweater and loses the aviator cap - and the hair revealed by this fashion change looks like it's in desperate need of combing.
** Dogen Boole wears a special tinfoil hat to prevent him from accidentally exploding people's heads. "Please keep your hat on" indeed.
* Flint in ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}'': His hat's brim is kept low until the very end of the game, wherein it is revealed that [[spoiler:he's bald. "Bald as a bean"]].
* The Engineer in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' is bald underneath his helmet. Meanwhile, Pyro is the only class that doesn't have a "no hat" alternate hat, so fan theories have run wild about what exactly is under his ubiquitous gas mask, ranging from a horribly scarred or deformed freak to a hot woman. Someone even made a video where the Pyro reveals themselves to be Half Life 3.
** Soldier looks kind of weird without his helmet. This is probably due to his sloping forehead and [[LanternJawOfJustice enormous chin]], which gives him a vaguely simian or Neanderthal appearance.

* Nergal of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'' wears a turban which hangs low enough to cover his right eye. [[spoiler:In the final chapter, he removes it to reveal [[GoodScarsEvilScars a massive scar distorting that eye]], inflicted by Athos centuries ago.]]
* Early in ''VideoGame/{{XCOM 2}}'s'' campaign, we get a good look at why the ADVENT soldiers and officers wear big, face-concealing helmets. It turns out that they only vaguely look human underneath their helmets, with enlarged eyes, catlike noses, and tiny ears, which would naturally undermine ADVENT's attempt to present their soldiers as human-like peacekeepers.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'', [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Duane]] always wears his [[InTheHood hood]] up, and [[http://www.casualvillain.com/Unsounded/comic/ch02/ch02_32.html for good reason,]] [[NightmareFuel too.]]

* A bit of a RunningGag for Rick O'Shay in ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'', along with his chronic ScheduleSlip. It's been proposed that he has, among other things, a demonic soul-stealing abomination, a bad case of helmet hair, or shiny pink {{Bishonen}} hair. [[FunSize Mini-Rick]] appears to keep several Met helmets under his Met helmet in a sort of infinite loop of Met helmets--he's seen pulling one off yet having another one under it...yet is also able to manifest the aforementioned shiny pink hair by taking off his helmet. RuleOfFunny is to blame, most likely. Amusingly enough, it's the pink Bishonen hair that's freaked out the most people in the comics.

* WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee has WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows finally reveal his face to WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick ([[ItMakesSenseInContext who has been converted into a Borg]]). The sight causes her to shriek and short out. WordOfGod is that to look on Todd's face is to see your own soul, and the Chick is something of a BitchInSheepsClothing / BrokenBird...

* In the ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' short "William Won't Tell," Popeye is in the role of the famed archer who refuses to remove his hat for anyone as the Queen had kissed him on the forehead as a reward for repairing the wheel of her stagecoach. When the Queen says this is so, it's because she was buying a new crown for the King's birthday. Now the King is reluctant to remove his crown because he's ''bald.''

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* DaChief Inspector Meguire from ''Manga/CaseClosed'' never takes his hat off. It turns out he keeps it on at all times because [[spoiler:he has an ugly scar from where he was injured on a case... the same one in which he met his wife Midori.]].
* The Millennium Earl in ''Manga/DGrayMan'' always wears a jaunty hat to hide the pair of devil horns under it.
* Why does [[spoiler:Karasawa]] in ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'' always wear a cap? It's to cover a large scar on his forehead courtesy of [[spoiler:the girl who lives next door.]]
* Celty Strulsen from ''{{LightNovel/Durarara}}'' is understandably reluctant to take her helmet off anywhere outside her own apartment, what with the [[HeadlessHorseman headlessness and all.]]
* ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'': [[http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100917092255/hokuto/images/a/a8/Jagi_%28Jagi_Gaiden%29.jpg Holy hell,]] Jagi! The main purpose of his helmet is to KEEP HIS HEAD FROM EXPLODING. It's not a pretty sight [[YourHeadASplode once the helmet and underlying bracer come off.]]
* Inverted in one of Mozguz's torture squad in ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'': when he removes his plague-doctor mask, he's a {{Bishonen}} (contrasting with the other deformed mooks). However, it turns out he wears it because of an allergy to sunlight, causing him to burst into flames if uncovered.
* In ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'', Ruby wears his iconic hat to hide a scar that he got fighting a wild Salamence barehanded to impress a pretty girl [[spoiler:who turns out to be Sapphire]] in the backstory.

* ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'''s Nightfall has perfectly normal (though voluminous) hair, but always keeps it under a headscarf except when she's literally letting her hair down.

* Vaughn Bode's Cheech Wizard, whose floppy wizard's hat covers him down to his navel, is ordered to remove it by some police and a priest - when he does, they lapse into a comatose state at the sight. In a later strip he mentions this to a girl who wants to see what he looks like. She persists and he obliges her, warning "okay, here goes, but I bet you go blind!"...and the last panel is a total blank.
* ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} is horribly scarred all over his body as the result of the process through which he got his powers. When this idea was first introduced, it was given as the reason why he had never been seen previously without his costume (which covers every inch of his body, like ComicBook/SpiderMan's) on. Over the years, he's varied between [[LoafingInFullCostume always wearing his costume even in private]] and warning anyone who asks him to remove it that they won't like what they see, to walking around in casual clothing as if he doesn't realize (or doesn't care) that he's unpleasant to look at, DependingOnTheWriter and/or [[DependingOnTheArtist artist]]. He ''is'' insane, though, so the degree to which his condition bothers him may actually change from day to day.
** Deadpool's actual scarring changes from time to time as well. Justified in that his healing factor keeps regenerating his decaying flesh randomly.

* In the early 1950s, when ComicStrip/BeetleBailey was still a college student, he removed his hat exactly once in the classroom. The professor told him to put it back on.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** Darth Vader is probably the most popular example of this. In ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', we see the back of Vader's bald, scarred head. In the next movie we see that from the front. He can only survive without the helmet if he's in that meditation chamber we saw in ESB.
** In ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' for most of the film, Darth Maul's hood hides his horns.
* Played with in ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'', there is a running gag where every time someone mentions that Scott might need a haircut, his goofy hat will be on his head in the very next shot.

* In ''Film/CannibalTheMusical'', the prospectors are drying themselves by the campfire after failing to ford a river. Humphrey struggles to remove his earflapped cap, and after it comes off with a loud pop, the others stare agape at his humungous ginger afro.

* After completing the wedding ceremony, the groom asks the priest how much he owes. The priest replies that it is traditional to make a donation based on the beauty of the bride. The groom looks embarassed, and pulls a dollar out of his pocket. The priest then lifts up the bride's veil, digs around in his pocket, and gives the groom three quarters, saying "Here's your change".

* Mojo Jojo from ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' wears a giant helmet on his head to hide [[MyBrainIsBig his enlarged brain]].

When you see someone who wears a [[NiceHat hat]], helmet, or other [[Creator/MitchHedberg cranium accessory]] [[NeverBareheaded all the time]], eventually you're gonna wonder why. Then you finally see them sans headwear... and you realize that there's a very good reason. Maybe they have terminal hat hair. Maybe it's just a stupid hairstyle under there. Maybe their hair is [[CompressedHair very very expansive]] when not contained by the hat (regardless of how big the hat in question is). Or maybe [[BreadEggsMilkSquick their scalp is deformed or horribly scarred]].

* The Millennium Earl in ''Manga/DGrayMan'' always wears a [[NiceHat jaunty hat]] to hide the pair of devil horns under it.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'': Yes, everybody loves Dr. Facilier's personality and style, but when he takes off his NiceHat... [[spoiler:his hair has the same form. And we're talking about a ''top hat''.]]

* Flint in ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}'': His [[NiceHat hat's]] brim is kept low until the very end of the game, wherein it is revealed that [[spoiler:he's bald. "Bald as a bean"]].

* In ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100602 Ol' Man Death]] has a Very NiceHat. He also has [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100614 Very Bad Hat-hair]] under it.

* In ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'', Edd [[NeverBareheaded always wears a hat]]. Sometimes it comes off and the other characters stare at it in horror and shock, although what is being seen is never shown to the audience.

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'' has an in-universe example in the form of Toepick, an alien form who's constantly wearing a caged helmet. Once the gates of the cage slide open, Toepick's true face is revealed. We never actually see it, but it's apparently so horrifyingly ugly, every villain who has looked at it so far turned into screaming, shivering wrecks.

* ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} is horribly scarred all over his body as the result of the process through which he got his powers. When this idea was first introduced, it was given as the reason why he had never been seen previously without his costume (which covers every inch of his body, like ComicBook/SpiderMan's) on. Over the years, he's varied between always wearing his costume even in private and warning anyone who asks him to remove it that they won't like what they see, to walking around in casual clothing as if he doesn't realize (or doesn't care) that he's unpleasant to look at, DependingOnTheWriter and/or [[DependingOnTheArtist artist]]. He ''is'' insane, though, so the degree to which his condition bothers him may actually change from day to day.

* DaChief Inspector Meguire from ''Manga/DetectiveConan'' never takes his hat off. It turns out he keeps it on at all times because [[spoiler:he has an ugly scar from where he was injured on a case... the same one in which he met his wife Midori.]].

* [[http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100917092255/hokuto/images/a/a8/Jagi_%28Jagi_Gaiden%29.jpg Holy hell,]] [[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar Jagi!]] The main purpose of his helmet is to KEEP HIS HEAD FROM EXPLODING. It's not a pretty sight [[YourHeadASplode once the helmet and underlying bracer come off.]]

* Masamunya from "The Gothic World of Nyanpire" doesn't like removing his helmet.[[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wx26jAy1BFM/Tn3xx6-T_YI/AAAAAAAAKuM/ec7ERSXYyOA/s1600/nyanpire%2Bhalloween.JPG In the end of episode 11, Nyanpire and friends are busy Trick or Treating and they wonder who that person is. He then removes his Halloween costume to reveal it was Masamunya dressed up.]] Judging by his reaction, it's a good reason why he never takes his Samurai helmet off.

** Similarly, Comicbook/HowardTheDuck started wearing pants because he looked too much like WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck otherwise (though in universe it was portrayed as the act of MoralGuardians).

* In the ''Radioactive Man'' comic book spinoff from ''TheSimpsons'', the titular hero has a lightning-bolt shaped shard stuck in his head, which he hides under a hat in his SecretIdentity.

* Nergal of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemBlazingSword'' wears a turban which hangs low enough to cover his right eye. [[spoiler:In the final chapter, he removes it to reveal [[GoodScarsEvilScars a massive scar distorting that eye]], inflicted by Athos centuries ago.]]
* Early in ''Videogame/{{XCOM 2}}'s'' campaign, we get a good look at why the ADVENT soldiers and officers wear big, face-concealing helmets. It turns out that they only vaguely look human underneath their helmets, with enlarged eyes, catlike noses, and tiny ears, which would naturally undermine ADVENT's attempt to present their soldiers as human-like peacekeepers.
* Shao Kahn from ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' never takes off his helmet. [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/mkwikia/images/5/50/MK3-17_Shao_Kahn-PR1.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20120201153853 Official art]], [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/mkwikia/images/5/5b/Shao_Kahn_comic.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/208?cb=20060613183106 derived material]] and [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/mkwikia/images/f/f7/Shaokahnunmasked1.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/465?cb=20110520024449 a brief glimpse]] on ''Videogame/MortalKombatShaolinMonks'' shows he has a reason, as he's borderline demonic. At least in the old continuity - [[Videogame/MortalKombaX the new one]] at most [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/mkwikia/images/c/cf/Screen_Shot_2019-04-25_at_11.31.41_PM.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20190426093346 removed the mask part]], revealing a more humanized look, but still [[ButterFace very ugly]].

** Similarly, Comicbook/HowardTheDuck started wearing pants because he looked too much like DonaldDuck otherwise (though in universe it was portrayed as the act of MoralGuardians).

* Nergal of ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword]]'' wears a turban which hangs low enough to cover his right eye. [[spoiler:In the final chapter, he removes it to reveal [[GoodScarsEvilScars a massive scar distorting that eye]], inflicted by Athos centuries ago.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie BALD]]! [[ComicallyMissingThePoint BALD]]! [[MemeticMutation BALD]]! [[OverlyLongGag BALD]]![[note]][[EyeScream MY EYES!]][[/note]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' - the lady cosmonaut on the Venture Industries space station has a stunning figure in her form fitting space suit, and a face (unseen) that startles and horrifies. When she and Brock have sex, he requests she keep her helmet on.

** In a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoQWwtkyhVg sketch]], Film/MacGruber wears a bandana to hide a thinning scalp. Of course, this being [[NegativeContinuity a MacGruber sketch]], it's the only time it happens.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}''. B.D. has been wearing some manner of helmet for decades. When it's finally removed, it is...[[spoiler:quite normal hair and he wasn't sure what the big deal had been]].