History Main / TheDogWasTheMastermind

** In ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'', the culprit behind the murders claims herself to be the Golden Witch, Beatrice. Battler's mission is to expose her as the normal human culprit he believes her to be. In the seventh arc, Beatrice is revealed to be Shannon ''and'' Kanon, [[TheButlerDidIt two servants]] who are each a SplitPersonality of her. In a reference to ''VisualNovel/ThePortopiaSerialMurderCase'' (another user of this trope), her 'real' name is revealed to be Sayo '''Yasu''''da. Then it turns out that, in reality, Beatrice/Yasu [[DiscOneFinalBoss actually wasn't the ultimate culprit]]. In the real world, the true muderers were Battler's friendly, laid-back parents, Rudolf and Kyrie. In the witch world, the witches who turned Yasu into Beatrice are Bernkastel, who seemed to be Battler's ally and mentor, and Lambdadelta, who seemed to just be a silly minion of Beatrice.

* In UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks, it was assumed by everyone - in-universe and out - that [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]]'s unseen enemy Mr. Mind was an dangerously brilliant EvilGenius bent on world domination; this was true, but everyone also assumed he was human, which he was not. He is actually a tiny little worm from another planet, something which came as a surprise to everyone. (But he's one ''dangerous'' little worm.)

* In the original [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'', The Big Man--a New York crimelord and leader of the Enforcers--was revealed to be Frederick Foswell, a browbeaten reporter at ''The Daily Bugle''.

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Neptunia}}'' fanfic [[https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13978187/1/Rei-Ryghts-Ace-Attorney-Turnabout-Of-The-Revengers Rei Ryghts: Ace Attorney Turnabout Of The Revengers]], the true culprit is deduced as the [[SerialKiller serial murderer]] known as the Dragon Killer, who turns out to be [[spoiler: the movie director's errand boy, a nice young man who is also friends with E-Sha of Gold Third.]] Another reason he wasn't suspected was because he's [[spoiler: a native of [[Platform/XBox Leanbox]], whereas all the murders occurred entirely in [[Platform/PlayStation Lastation]].]]

* In the first ''Film/SawI'' movie, TheReveal at the end is that the The "dead man" in the middle of the room is actually the Jigsaw Killer, and the ManBehindTheMan of the previous apparent killer, Zep. He's also seen and named John Kramer in a flashback, where he's equally inconspicuous as a patient at the cancer ward. It's very hard to tell that these are even the same person on a first viewing, but there are actually a few hints. [[note]] A drug that can allow someone to appear dead is used on a victim in a flashback. The main characters find the revolver the guy on the floor supposedly committed suicide with empty, but since revolvers don't eject spent cartridges, if the man really had shot himself with it, it wouldn't have been empty. During the scene in the hospital, one can briefly spot sketches near the man's bed of one of the devices the Jigsaw killer used on a different victim. [[/note]]

* ''Film/ScoobyDoo'' has a literal example, as it turns out that the mastermind is [[TheScrappy Scrappy-Doo]], who, up until that point had only appeared in a short flashback.

** One of the mastermind behind the conspiracy in the second book is the twelve-year-old-brother of Phoebe, one of the narrators (although he is also an UnwittingPawn).

* ''Series/ColdCase''

* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'': In the main game, it's hinted that the City's founders who rebuilt and restarted the fight against Moebius contained a seventh member lost to history, with their only mention being that they refused to have a statue in their honour as the other six founders did. Come ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3FutureRedeemed'' and it seems that A, a mysterious individual that fights alongside the founders and is [[spoiler:an incarnation of Alvis from the first game]] is the mysterious seventh founder, but the reality is that it's none other than [[spoiler:''Riku'', the Nopon blacksmith that journeyed not only with the founders but the maingame protagonists over 1000 years later despite his claims that he's nothing more than a [[BlatantLies "common variety Nopon"]]. It's implied the reason is a mixture of wanting to keep a low profile so he can travel in secret and hide the fact that he's technically immortal, and because he's actual rather modest and isn't a fan of being in the spotlight or throwing any star power around.]]

* An early ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode has a WholePlotReference to ''Film/TwelveAngryMen'', as Arnold tries to defend [[BornUnlucky Eugene]] from the accusation of having pulled the school fire alarm. The evidence for his innocence piles up and eventually Curly, one of the other jurors, confesses. This was the first time the culprit had any sort of characterization, but sure enough s/he can be seen several times in the background when the crime was committed.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': In "Silence of the Luans", the prankster targeting the family that year was [[TheBabyOfTheBunch Lily]], inspired by Luan's previous April Fool's Day chaos. Bonus points, she disguises herself as Charles, the family dog, to follow Lincoln and Luan around while they search for clues, while the real Charles is with the rest of the family, disguised as Lily.

* ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain'': One-One. Who knew that the little robot looking for his mother was the actual conductor of the train?

* In ''Film/{{Searching}}'', Margot's disappearance turns out to be the work of Rosemary Vick, [[TheBadGuysAreCops the detective helping David solve the case]], and her son Robert. While Robert was the one responsible for Margot's fall down the ravine, it was Rosemary who was the true villain, wasting no time in helping her son cover it up, including tampering with evidence, engineering a FalseConfession from an ex-con (and then [[NeverSuicide killing him and making it look like a suicide]]), and attempting to divert Margot's father David with false leads.

** ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'': Volo, the affable, laid back IntrepidMerchant who's been at your side since the beginning and always willing to lend you a hand, is revealed in the post-game as a deranged, psychopathic GodhoodSeeker who's been the one behind the space-time distortions threatening the world and is so obsessed with the legend of Arceus that he's perfectly willing to put all of Hisui at risk just for a ''chance'' to meet it.

** In ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum'', the diabolical [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Evice]] is none other than the mayor of the town you saved at the very beginning. And he promised he'd help!

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Neptunia}}'' fanfic [[https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13978187/1/Rei-Ryghts-Ace-Attorney-Turnabout-Of-The-Revengers Rei Ryghts: Ace Attorney Turnabout Of The Revengers]], the true culprit is deduced as the [[SerialKiller serial murderer]] known as the Dragon Killer, who turns out to be [[spoiler: the movie director's errand boy, a nice young man who is also friends with E-Sha of Gold Third.]] Another reason he wasn't suspected was because he's [[spoiler: a native of [[UsefulNotes/XBox Leanbox]], whereas all the murders occurred entirely in [[Platform/PlayStation Lastation]].]]