History Main / SecretIdentity

* Their insurance policy don't have a [[HeroInsurance superhero clause]].

* ''WesternAnimation/Ducktales2017'': Lena has to keep her identity as [[spoiler:Magica's shadow]] a secret from everyone to carry out her plot to outrule Scrooge, especially Webby.

** At the end of ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'', a free Lex Luthor hires [[Characters/BatmanDeathstroke Deathstroke]] and reveals him that [[WhamLine Batman is actually Bruce Wayne]].

** In ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', both Clark and [[Comicbook/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] have secret identities. This film makes it clear that, as in the Post-Crisis comics, Clark is ''himself'' when he's Clark Kent, reporter for the Daily Planet, as opposed to putting on a mild-mannered, clumsy facade as Clark and being himself when he's Superman. The concept of a Secret Identity is deconstructed somewhat, as Clark and Bruce are easily able to discover who the other really is (Clark overhears Bruce talking to Alfred with his [[SuperSenses super-hearing]], and Bruce isn't called the World's Greatest Detective for nothing) and [[spoiler: like Lois, Comicbook/LexLuthor has been able to discover Clark is Superman, and also knows the secret identities of Batman, Comicbook/WonderWoman, Comicbook/TheFlash and Comicbook/{{Cyborg}}]].
** In ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'', none of the Comicbook/SuicideSquad have secret identities, as they are all known criminals and [[spoiler: [[ManipulativeBastard Amanda Waller]] makes it pretty clear that she also knows Bruce is Batman]].

* ''Series/TheAdventuresOfSlimGoodbody'': Slim leads a strange double life, in that both his alter ego (Captain Halen Hearty) and Slim himself work for the same organization. Nevertheless, his co-workers never realize that Slim is the captain--not even his RobotBuddy B-1, [[UpToEleven who activates the machine that turns Halen into Slim!!]]

** In general, the show [[{{Reconstruction}} reconstructs]] this, explaining why it's important for superheroes to have secret identities. [[BigBad Hawk Moth's]] goal is having the heroes' Miraculouses, and they cannot be transformed all the time, requiring them to live normal lives. His power is [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashing other people to turn them into supervillains]] to do his work instead of going after the heroes on his own, and they can reveal valuable information. Many close friends and family of the heroes were akumatized, and when an old lover of [[TheChooserOfTheOne Master Fu's]] is akumatized, she almost reveals his identity as the guardian immediately. It was a surprise to Hawk Moth that a random victim knew him - she volunteered the information without even being asked. Even Marinette was almost akumatized at one point, which would give Hawk Moth an instant win. Chloé, who doesn't have a secret identity, becomes a target of Hawk Moth's schemes so Ladybug almost never allows her to have the Bee Miraculous again. Also, Master Fu, the [[TheChooserOfTheOne keeper of the Miraculous]], knows secrets about them that he doesn't tell the heroes, and ''no one'' but the two main heroes knows about him, and they didn't at first - only when Tikki was deathly ill did she tell Marinette about Master Fu, longer still before she fully understood who he was, and it was a long time before Ladybug would share the secret with Chat. Basically, the more we learn, the clearer it is that ALL involved are telling each other as little as absolutely necessary - even the FairyCompanion and TheMentor who, in other shows like this, are normally fountains of exposition and fully trusting of, and trusted by, the heroes.
** The main two superheroes Ladybug/Marinette and Chat Noir/Adrien keep their identities a secret from each other, mostly at Ladybug's insistence. What makes it really infuriating is that they both go to the same school and are somewhat close in every guise - Marinette has a crush on Adrien, who considers her a friend, but he's in love with Ladybug, who's dismissive of Chat Noir's flirting, though still valuing ''him'' as a friend and partner. It's primarily the fuel for a [[TwoPersonLoveTriangle Two-Person Love Square]] that ''really'' wants you to smack your head against the wall. Marinette has on several occasions wished she could tell the truth, but [[FairyCompanion Tikki]] is absolutely insistent she never do so--even after Tikki herself discovers Chat Noir's true identity. On the other hand, Chat Noir's kwami Plagg doesn't see what the big deal is, and often encourages Adrien to try to figure out Ladybug's true identity. As of Season 4, their true identities are known only to TheChooserOfTheOne Master Fu [[spoiler:and Luka, a SecretSecretKeeper who finds out while using the Snake Miraculous; Marinette also outs herself to her best friend Alya]].

* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'' and its later sequels/remakes had Prince Adam/He-Man. One of the things that made the double identity more plausible than most in later adaptations is that He-Man has a totally different skin tone and build than Adam does (In the 2021 series He-Man's shoulders are significantly broader than Adam's), so someone who's seen both would not notice a resemblance.

* Soldiers serving in NATO peacekeeping missions in Europe are heavily encouraged to use burner phones and create temporary e-mail and FaceBook accounts under aliases before communicating with their loved ones back home via SocialMedia to prevent cyber attacks from the enemy against them and their families. Numerous soldiers who didn't reported death threats to their families back home via e-mail and telephone, and even a few cases of identity theft.

* {{Parodied}} in ''WebComic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'': [[https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/secret-identity "Secret Identity"]], where it's revealed that Superman's Clark Kent identity was something he came up to relax after superheroing by indulging his workplace humiliation fetish.

* ''LightNovel/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove'' beats this trope up for its lunch money [[GagSeries like it does so many others]]. Though the alien characters will try to keep {{Muggles}} from seeing their battles with CosmicHorrors, they do little else to maintain TheMasquerade. Nyarko will gladly introduce herself as "The Crawling Chaos who creeps up on you with a smile, [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Nyarlathotep]]", and when joining Mahiro's high school gave a speech where she outright says she travels the stars and fights Malign Deities. And it's not even a case of being written off as a CloudCuckoolander, since people always seem to believe her BlatantLies about being pregnant with Mahiro's child.

-->'''Ben''' (after transforming): [[LampshadeHanging This doesn't weird you out at all]]?
-->''(character shrugs and motions towards [[MakesSenseInContext the goblin army taking over a miniature golf course]])''
-->'''Ben''': Yeah, good point.

* [[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies They may wish to protect their loved ones from possible retaliation by their enemies]]. (Oddly enough, they often don't inform said loved ones of any risk. And in some cases, it doesn't even work.)

While it's difficult to become a DeadHorseTrope, the rise in surveilance and forensic technology in the 21st Century has led to it becoming increasingly more difficult. On the other hand, it's OlderThanSteam as a trope and unlikely to die out [[EvolvingTrope as new ways are found to keep it going]] with society constantly changing.

* Inverted in ''ComicBook/JonSableFreelance'' in that Sable is publically known as a mercenary. What he keeps secret is that writes children's books under the name "B.B. Flemm", and he has an elaborate disguise he wears when he has to make public appearances as Flemm. Furthermore, his publisher knows about Sable's real life, but is ''very'' persuasive in making him keep to his writing contract in that false identity.

** ComicBook/BlackPanther is publicly known to be Wakandan royalty. It surprises nobody T'Challa takes up the mantle after his father's death. Although his identity was initially unknown at least the people around when he first went after Bucky, due to most people there not being familar with Wakanda's policies. T'Challa immediately unmasks after that fight though to make use of his diplomatic immunity and to get the UN's cooperation.

** The ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy don't have any secret identites, as they operate more like freelance mercenaries when they aren't doing more traditional hero work. Secret identities would impede their ability to get work since it's important everyone across the galaxy know exactly who they are and what they've accomplished.

* The show ''WesternAnimation/RandyCunninghamNinthGradeNinja'' centers around the Norrisville ninja who is in fact Randy Cunningham. He keeps his identity a secret to stay save from his enemies. He only told his best friend Howard Weinerman about his secret identity, though several others have come to know it.
* The Propulsions from ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'' are secretly aliens from the planet Bortron 7, and are trying to keep a low profile on Earth or else they could become celebrities, and Jet would never get to play with his friends again (as pointed out in "Visit to Mom's Office"). Their alien identities are only known to Sydney, Sean, and Mindy.

* Bruce Banner is the Comicbook/IncredibleHulk, which starts off as a secret but ends up as public knowledge in most continuities, in part because it's kind of a hard secret to keep under wraps. Ditto for his cousin Jennifer Walters, AKA ComicBook/SheHulk, albeit for somewhat different reasons. (Most of the time, She-Hulk is in control of whether she appears as Walters or She-Hulk; for a while, she appeared as She-Hulk pretty much all of the time, and once became locked in that form (a development that didn't bother her in the least).)

** Even in his [[Film/TheIncredibleHulk origin movie]], the Hulk can't really keep a secret identity. Bruce Banner creates aliases only because he is a wanted man. He freely reveals the Hulk to anyone whom he believes can help. He also has no fear in forcing himself to transform in the middle of Harlem.

* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'' and its later sequels/remakes had Prince Adam/He-Man. One of the things that made the double identity more plausible than most is that He-Man has a totally different skin tone and build than Adam does (In the 2021 series He-Man's shoulders are significantly broader than Adam's), so someone who's seen both would not notice a resemblance.

* ''Series/TheBoys2019'': The superheroes have them, and Starlight is outed when she's unknowingly recorded beating up some attempted rapists, then recognized by people as the video gets posted online. Homelander on the other hand doesn't bother; [[BewareTheSuperman he's so narcassistic]] he doesn't see any need to pretend to be ordinary.

* ''Series/{{Zorro|1957}}'': Zorro, of course. Like the Scarlet Pimpernel and Superman (in his earlier incarnations), Zorro maintains an alter ego who behaves like a bumbling coward.

* ''Series/TheBoys2019'': The superheroes have them, and Starlight is outed when she's unknowingly recorded beating up some attempted rapists, then recognized by people as the video gets posted online.

** Series/{{Daredevil|2015}} notably ''does'' have a Secret Identity, perhaps the first example in the MCU. ''Series/{{The Defenders|2017}}'' makes a point of how he's the odd man out in this regard - Series/{{Luke Cage|2016}} is well-known as Harlem's hero, Series/{{Jessica Jones|2015}} is a private detective, and Danny will tell anyone who'll listen that he's the Series/{{Iron Fist|2017}}. Matt Murdock is the only one who wants (or needs) to keep his two lives separate. ''The Defenders'' actually ends up {{Reconstruction}}ing Secret Identities: because the others never bothered with one, [[spoiler:the Hand]] [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome knows the identities of their loved ones]], forcing them to gather Claire Temple, [[ComicBook/PatsyWalker Trish Walker]], and Malcolm [=DuCasse=] and hide them, with [[spoiler:the Hand]] actually making attempts on Claire and Trish, which result in ComicBook/ColleenWing injured and Jessica nearly killed. Matt also hides Karen Page and Foggy Nelson because he can't take the risk [[spoiler:the Hand]] have figured out who he is.

While it's difficult to become a DeadHorseTrope, the rise in surveilance and forensic technology in the 21st Century has led to it becoming increasingly more difficult. On the other hand, it's OlderThanSteam as a trope and unlikely to die out [[EvolvingTrope as new ways are found to keep it going]] with [[SocietyMarchesOn society constantly changing]].