History Main / TheNotSecret

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/secret_nuclear_bunker_sign_7600.jpg]] [[caption-width-right:350:Top. Secret.]]

->"''ACKNOWLEDGE MY SHOCKING REVELATION, DAMMIT!''"
-->-- '''Zeta Vincent''', ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}''

A character is ready to reveal their secret. Maybe they're gay, maybe they're a vampire, maybe they're a superhero, or [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking maybe they're the one who stole the cookies from the cookie jar.]] All that matters is that they've kept this a secret for a while, and now they're ready to come clean. However, when they finally tell the truth, there's not a single surprised look. Everyone already knew.

TransparentCloset is a common subtrope, where a character's sexuality isn't as much of a secret as they think it is. See also OpenSecret where it's painfully obvious from the get-go that no one is fooled by the secret.
----
!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* In ''Anime/{{Mai-HiME}}'' when Akira decides to wear a mask and use her ninja skills to help defend the school from the rampaging Orphan Monsters; Akira's roommate Takumi realizes instantly, but tries to humor the whole "secret identity" thing.
-->'''Takumi:''' Oh, if only there was a ninja protector who could save us!\\
'''Akira:''' <rolls eyes> I'm going for a walk.\\
'''Takumi:''' <happily smiles>
* The end of ''[[Anime/PrettySammy Magical Project S]]'' has Sasami's class telling her they knew she was Pretty Sammy, they just figured they weren't supposed to talk about it.
* In ''Manga/ToLoveRu'', the general reaction to finding out Lala is an alien goes along the lines of "Oh. So that's why she has the tail." All while Rito, the only one who cares about TheMasquerade, freaks out and panics.
* In the ''Manga/SchoolRumble'' manga, Yakumo's friends clumsily prepare her a surprise birthday party and she spends the rest of the day pretending she doesn't know. She comes home to find Tenma also preparing her a party.
* Near the end of ''Anime/MartianSuccessorNadesico'' Nagare dramatically reveals that [[spoiler: he is the CEO of Nergal Industries]]. Someone replies, "Yeah, I figured it was something like that." In fact, everyone except Akito and Yurika'' knew about it.
* Humorously done in part 3 of ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'' with Polnareff trying to surprise the others with the revelation that [[spoiler: Abdul [[BackFromTheDead survived a seemingly fatal attack]] [[NotQuiteDead and had been recovering the whole time he was gone]]]] only to find out that not only did they already know, every single one of them but him was in on it! Total ChewToy moment.
* From ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'':
** Setsuna tries to hide the fact that she has BodyguardCrush on Konoka. No-one is fooled, so when Rakan reveals that she had her first kiss with Konoka, no-one even blinks their eyes. [[ChasteHero Even Negi]].
** When Takane tells Yuuna that her father is a mage, she just says she figured it was something like that since she recognized the person working at the gates was a friend of her father's. And from there she figured that Mahora is a magic school. Only really applicable to Yuuna, everyone else was pretty surprised.
* In an episode of the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' anime, there is an OldSuperhero named Gligarman who is really the owner of a toy store. He gets shocked when everyone in town starts calling him by his real name during a climactic battle.
* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', it seems that Ed has "I performed [[GoneHorriblyWrong a human transmutation]]" written on his shirt. Most alchemists he meets figures it out within an episode.
* Subverted hilariously in the last chapter of ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'': The girls eagerly declare that they already knew Haruhi's "[[SweetPollyOliver secret]]" when she wears a dress and begins dancing romantically with Tamaki. It isn't until later that they actually find out that she's a girl, and it turns out that they thought her "secret" was that [[MistakenForGay "he" and Tamaki were gay]] and that "he" liked [[RecursiveCrossdressing wearing women's clothing]].
* Nano Shinonome from the ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'' manga is a robot who goes to school and believes she's convinced everyone she's not a robot. This despite the fact that one complaint that she has on returning to school one day is everyone keeps turning the big wind-up key on her back.
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': [[BaldOfAwesome Ikkaku]] goes to such lengths to hide his bankai that he ends up losing a fight he shouldn't have lost because he was holding back, causing a captain and vice-captain to have to come to his rescue. While [[TheCaptain Captain]] [[BigBadassWolf Komamura]] is cleaning up, [[NumberTwo Vice-Captain]] [[SunglassesAtNight Iba]] begins lecturing [[SubmissiveBadass Ikkaku]] on the difference between his bankai and Komamura's bankai. On seeing Ikkaku's shock Iba says Ikkaku's an idiot if he thinks something as powerful as bankai can be kept secret. Then they discover Komamura was standing right behind Iba. Komamura, however, brushes it off by claiming his hearing isn't working today and walks off. Then it's revealed that Akon and Mayuri know when Mayuri accidentally tells Ichigo. Mayuri makes a comment implying that unlike the others, he just didn't give a damn about keeping Ikkaku's "secret". After all, the other people confirmed to know are Ikkaku's friends, and [[MadScientist Mayuri]] doesn't do "friends".
* All the girls in ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'' are confused as to how all the men never realized that Kisara's right hand Shiratori is [[spoiler:actually a girl]]. This revelation comes after a LoveTriangle arc, showing that the object of Shiratori's affection was ''not'' who all the men thought it was.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* One old (prose) ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' story suggested that most of his close friends and co-workers knew he was Superman, but were secretly government agents assigned to allow him the illusion of a "normal" life.
* One issue of ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' had an emergency that doesn't leave him time to get into costume at the Daily Planet, and everyone tells him to just go do it -- they've just been humoring him about the "secret identity" thing. [[WhamEpisode Wham issue]]? Nah, it was AllJustADream.
* Franchise/{{Spider-Man}}'s secret identity is like this sometimes, especially in [[Comicbook/UltimateSpiderMan Ultimate Marvel]]. In one issue, Daredevil (not in costume, of course) walked up to him, at school, to recruit him for a mission. In another issue, the Human Torch and Iceman showed up at school mostly because they were bored (Iceman: "Hey, aren't you-" Peter: "Don't you dare."). And finally, Kong -- a jock who deduced it on his own -- tells Peter to go help a friend, and when Peter looks ambivalent, he mocks him. "What do you want me to say? Should we have a code? Should I just throw up my hands and say 'Oh, if only Spider-man were here...'!?"
* In his own comic book, Comicbook/{{Wolverine}} found out that Jessica Drew and some other people knew that he was the man called Patch. Considering that Patch is Wolverine with an eyepatch and the claws not extended, this should really not have been such a shock.
* In one issue of ''Comicbook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders,'' Alfred reveals Batman's identity to the team while he (Batman, not Alfred) is unconscious, to prevent them from wasting time by [[BruceWayneHeldHostage trying to contact Bruce Wayne, who they know as the team's rich patron]]. At any rate, Batman later reveals his identity, but the team acts shocked anyway.
* In ''ComicBook/GoldDigger'', Britanny Diggers did a brief stint as a superhero in her school days. While the villains remained oddly oblivious, the rest of the students had no trouble figuring out the superhero 'Cheets', was actually their classmate Brittany, the only member of the student body who also had fur and a tail and was the only werecheetah on Earth.
* [[Franchise/FantasticFour The Human Torch's]] features in ''Strange Tales'' involved him protecting his secret identity...despite the fact that he was a celebrity in his main title. Presumably, this was due to a lapse in Stan Lee's memory ([[http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2005/11/03/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-23/ which actually has some precedent]]); eventually, it was [[RetCon retconned]] that all the supporting cast were simply going along with the Torch's masquerade out of concern for his privacy...
* Comicbook/GreenArrow's "secret identity" as Oliver Queen. Between his not-particularly-concealing mask and incredibly distinctive facial hair anyone who's met them both will know that it's him. In one case a policeman working with Green Arrow came to his house and, on being asked how he knew his identity, hadn't even known it was supposed to be a secret. His to-be sidekick Mia also recognized him instantly, not least because he was claiming to be a good friend of the Green Arrow. The best he could hope for is people thinking he's got a twin.
* Two examples in ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'':
** The first occurs when Leetah accidentally yells out Cutter's secret soul name in front of Cutter's best friend, Skywise. It turns out Cutter and Skywise have such a strong mental link, they've known each other's soul names since they were kids.
** The second one occurs when BigBad Winnowill reveals Cutter's animal heritage to Leetah. Not only did both Leetah and Cutter already know, they're actually both ''proud'' of it.
* Both averted and played straight in ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'', when Barbara Gordon revealed to her father, then-former Commissioner Jim Gordon that she has been operating as Oracle for several years after [[TheKillingJoke being shot in the spine and paralyzed by the Joker]]. Jim Gordon was surprised, but ultimately assured Barbara that he was proud of her. Barbara then pulled out her old Comicbook/{{Batgirl}} uniform and added, "I'm afraid there's something else I need to tell you, Daddy." Jim replied, "Oh. Well, ''that'' I knew about."
* Right from the first issue, it's almost become in a RunningGag in ''ComicBook/DemonKnights'' that '''everyone''' knows "Sir" Ystin's real gender.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''FanFic/ACureForLove'': 1) [[Manga/DeathNote Light]] [[TransparentCloset is gay.]] 2) Light and L's [[SlashFic "secret" relationship.]] 3) L, [[WesternTerrorists the Astraea Organization]], Matt... pretty much everyone [[SelectiveObliviousness but the Kira Taskforce]] knows that Light is Kira.
* In ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' canon, Dr. Drakken [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas tells his mother]] [[DontTellMama that he's a radio talk show host]]. A fair number of fanfics have her knowing perfectly well that he's a MadScientist villain.
* In ''{{Fanfic/Heir}}'', a [[Franchise/HarryPotter Dark!Harry]] fic, Harry, Tom, and Draco aren't nearly as careful with their scheming as they think they are-Ron, Blaise and perhaps half of Slytherin house knows that Harry is the Heir but have so far kept quiet.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* Captain Shakespeare's crossdressing in ''Film/{{Stardust}}''. Outsiders don't know, but his crew is fiercely protective of his "secret".
-->'''Crewmember:''' We always knew you were a whoopsie. (Rest of crew pulls him back to shut him up.)
* The only people who ''don't'' know that nightclub owner Johnny Kelly is really mob boss Film/JohnnyDangerously are is mother and baby brother. This is made explained to Johnny by ''the Pope''.
* Mocked in the ''Film/GreenLantern'' movie where the love interest very snarkily informs the hero that a domino mask really isn't sufficient to hide his identity from her.
* In ''Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove'', [[EvilVizier Yzma]] has a "secret lab". It's not.
-->'''Kuzco''': Yzma's got that "secret lab". (He makes [[MemeticHandGesture Air Quotes]].) I'll just snap my fingers and order her to change me back!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/GreatExpectations'', Pip confides in Herbert about his love for Estella, to which Herbert replies, "Exactly. Well?" When Pip asks him how he knew, Herbert exclaims, "Told me! You have never told me when you have got your hair cut, but I have had senses to perceive it. You have always adored her, ever since I have known you. You brought your adoration and your portmanteau here, together. Told me! Why, you have always told me all day long." Unlike most other examples on this page, Pip feels relieved instead of annoyed that his secret was known all along.
* Literature/HoratioHornblower suffers from horrible seasickness every time he puts out to sea, something which he is mocked for earlier in his career. Once he gains command of his first ship, he takes pains to not let the crew know about his seasickness, for fear of appearing weak. It is years before he finally realizes that his men have always been aware of his seasickness, and have simply chosen not to comment on it out of respect for [[TheCaptain their captain.]]
* In ''[[{{Literature/Fudge}} Superfudge]]'' by JudyBlume, Peter is asked by his parents to humor Fudge's belief in Santa, despite never having believed himself. After receiving his coveted red bicycle, Fudge confides to him that he's never believed, either, and pretends for his parents' sake.
* In ''[[Literature/{{Airborn}} Starclimber]]'', by Kenneth Oppel, Matt and Kate are in love but have to keep it secret because of class differences, and Kate is engaged to someone else to make her parents happy. They're both on the crew of a spaceship that's about to crash-land, and Kate throws her engagement ring to the floor and announces that she loves Matt. Then another character informs her that this was obvious to everyone already.
* In Jim Butcher's ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' series, Harry is afraid to reveal the demon in his head to his KnightInShiningArmor buddy Michael, whose job is pretty much to bring down said demons. When he finally does, the reaction is of course "I know." Harry has forgotten that at least in theory, Michael's job is to give people possessed by those demons ''a chance to repent'' and be freed.
** Harry also forgot that Harry was possessed while protecting Michael's toddler son... on Michael's front lawn... while Michael was home...
* It takes several books before Tavi in the ''Literature/CodexAlera'' finds out that his "aunt" Isana is [[FamilyRelationshipSwitcheroo actually his mother]], and his father was Gaius Septimus: he's the heir to the throne. Ambassador Varg is a WolfMan who could tell this by smell as soon as he met him. Besides, Tavi could pretend to be haughty and imperious very well. This was a bit of FridgeBrilliance as Tavi acted like a lord several books before either the reader or himself knew that he was. Ambassador Varg just figured he must have a reason and [[YouDidntAsk didn't say anything about it]]. Tavi's reaction is a bit nonplussed.
* In [[SimonRGreen Simon R. Green]]'s ''Beyond the Blue Moon'', it is revealed that Hawk and Fisher [[spoiler: are Prince Rupert and Princess Julia from the ''Forest Kingdom'' books]]. They attempt to hide this fact from the other characters, but at the big denouement at the end, everybody is relieved that they can finally drop the pretense.
* In ''Literature/ShadowOfTheHegemon'', Peter finally reveals to his parents that he's Locke and that he's been manipulating events via his articles. His parents tell him that they've known all along, they didn't want to interfere at all, and that they're proud of him (Mrs. Wiggin revealed to Bean earlier that she's known all along, so this isn't a shock to the audience by the point).
* At the end of Megan Whalen Turner’s ''[[TheQueensThief The Thief]]'', when it is revealed that Eugenides is really [[spoiler:the Thief of Eddis and cousin to the Queen of Eddis, not some random half-Sounisan peasant,]] he is sorely disappointed to find the magus had figured it out already…as had virtually everyone but Sophos, actually, and [[TomatoSurprise the readers]].
* In ''Literature/HouseOfChains'', the fourth book in ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'', the true identity of Sergeant "Strings" is blindingly obvious to both the reader and everyone around him. Halfway through the book people tell him to stop being ridiculous, and he--after a moment of indignation at having his cover blown--reluctantly agrees to go by the name Fiddler again.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* A recent episode of ''Series/CriminalMinds'' had J.J. trying to keep the fact she was having a relationship with a detective she'd met the year before a secret to keep her personal life personal, causing problems when the team encountered him again and she didn't want to acknowledge it. When she finally gave in and kissed him in public, the response from her co-workers who saw it was amusement that she was finally admitting it.
* From ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'':
** In the premiere, Gwen is cleverly (she thinks) infiltrating the Hub as a pizza delivery person, only to have the group unable to keep up the charade that she's fooling them and break out laughing.
** Torchwood as an organization theoretically a secret. However, they use vans labeled "Torchwood", and most everyone nearby has at least a general idea as to where they're located.
--->'''Ianto''': Ask about Torchwood, and most people point towards the bay.
*** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwhK999ui9s Bloody Torchwood.]]
* From ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''
-->'''Dr. Cox:''' Heaven help me, I love newbie theater. Honest, I do. It's... the way you both play your parts with such wonderful commitment that almost had me believing that you aren't having whiny, neurotic, extremely pale sex with each other.\\
'''J.D.:''' What are you talking about?\\
'''Dr. Cox:''' Please stop. The whole floor knows. We do. Watch this. [''turns around''] Laverne, did you know?\\
'''Laverne:''' Was it supposed to be a secret?\\
'''Dr. Cox:''' And Carla?\\
'''Carla:''' Please. I knew before they did.\\
'''Dr. Cox:''' So, there it is. And if you go ahead and listen very carefully, you'll hear the familiar sound of no one caring.
* Eric on ''Series/That70sShow'' hid his money in a Candyland box, only to discover just about everyone already know about it (and had been dipping into it).
* An episode of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' had Percy preparing to lend Edmund the savings he has hidden, only to be told that not only do Blackadder and Baldrick know about it, Blackadder has already taken it.
-->'''Percy:''' You've seen it then?\\
'''Blackadder:''' Seen it, pinched it, spent it. And the same goes for the two farthings Baldrick thinks he's got hidden inside that mouldy potato.\\
'''Baldrick:''' Oh bloody hell!
* ''TopGear'' frequently introduces a Top Secret Test Facility of one kind or another, and then helpfully provides detailed directions to it.
* On the ''TrueLife'' episode "I'm Coming Out",they profiled three (closeted) gay teens. Towards the end of the piece, one young man worked up the courage to come out to his best friend. He sits her down, lets her know how much their friendship means to him, and that he has something to tell he that he's never told anyone else. He tells her that he's gay. Without blinking, she looks at him and replies, in a slightly confused tone "Yes. What was the secret you wanted to tell me?" In fact, the girl's first words on the ConfessionCam were "From the moment I met [him], I knew he was gay."
* From ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
** In the episode "I Was Made To Love You", Warren makes a dramatic, unbelievable revelation: his girlfriend is actually a robot! Which would have had more impact if everyone else hadn't (easily) figured that out several scenes earlier.
** During class awards towards the end of prom on her senior year (ep 20, season 3), Jonathan makes a speech saying everyone knows that Buffy had been acting as their protector, and that she was the reason for the school having their lowest mortality rate ever.
* On ''NorthernExposure'', this is the townsfolk's reaction when Joel and Maggie announce that they are now having sex: "I assumed you'd been doing it for months."
* From ''Series/TheNanny'':
** Niles admitted that he was once secretly in love with the housekeeper, Catherine. Maxwell's response was, "The whole house knew! We were taking bets on when you two would get together!"
** In another episode, Fran and C.C. are [[LockedInARoom stuck in a wine cellar]] and to pass the time, try to have a conversation. When asked if she has a crush on anyone, C.C., who everybody knows is obsessed with Maxwell, "confesses" that she has a crush on him, adding that "My therapist says I'm obsessed with him!", to which Fran responds "How much did you pay to figure that out?".
* From ''Series/HowIMetYourMother''
** Barney revealed his season-long crush on Robin to Ted, who (like everyone else in the series) had figured this one episodes ago.
** Ted's insistence on hiding the fact that he was "edgy" radio show host Dr. X in college. Not only does everyone know it (including Barney and Robin, who didn't go to Wesleyan), but they all tell him time and again that they know it. Finally, in season 8's "The Stamp Tramp", Ted admits that he was Dr. X, with Lily leading everyone else into a coordinated SpitTake to show their "surprise".
* On ''Series/TheInvisibleMan'', Darien prevents a priest in a chemical-induced psychosis from bludgeoning a man while he is invisible. Later he goes to the confession box after the priest has been administered the anti-pyscho serum. To his surprise, the priest knew about him and the project that made him {{invisible}}.
--> '''Father Tom''': You stopped me from killing a man.
--> '''Darien''': What're you talking about? I got there right after you dropped that poker. Surely that must've been God that saved you.
--> '''Father Tom''': I don't think God sneaks up on a man and puts him in a half-nelson. It was you. Invisible you.
* On ''Series/TheMentalist'', when Wayne Rigsby and Grace Van Pelt revealed that they were in a relationship, Cho comments that "Half the building knew. The only person who didn't know is the one glaring at you." As Lisbon glares at them.
* May only half qualify but in an episode of ''Series/{{Psych}}'' while drunk Lassiter admits that none of the higher ups at the police department actually believes he's a psychic and are only playing along due to his impressive track record. Though, it is also clear that a good number of officers do buy into the psychic act.
* ''Series/BeingHuman'', first episode: New vampire Lauren corners George and does her big scary build-up reveal about the stuff of nightmares being real and herself being a vampire about to kill him. Then she is perplexed when he doesn't react scared. Too bad George is a werewolf and has been sharing a house with another vampire for some time.
* On ''Series/{{Mash}}'', Frank Burns and Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan had a secret relationship for the first few seasons. Although as Hawkeye once observed, "The only person in Korea who doesn't know about them is [=MacArthur=]'s pipe stuffer."
* ''Series/{{ER}}'s'' fourth season started with ex-lovers Dr. Doug Ross and Nurse Carol Hathaway (George Clooney and Juliana Marguiles) reconciling and having a "secret romance" (due to past experiences, she was a bit shy to commit at first). During the season's ChristmasEpisode, Carol announced at the hospital's Christmas party that she and Doug were together again. After an awkward silence, a nurse's aid(who had apparently won the office pool) held out her hand and said, "Pay up!"
* ''Series/{{Castle}}'':
** Lanie and Esposito are trying to keep their relationship a secret from their co-workers, and several times just barely manage to cover up verbal slips or dodge questions about their weekend plans. At the end of the episode, Castle, Beckett, and Ryan talk about how cute it is that they think nobody knows.
** Castle, Beckett and Esposito are torn up about telling Ryan that his fiancee slept with a pick up artist a month after they started dating. When they're finally about to, Ryan nonchalantly announces he already knew and didn't care because they weren't exclusive at the time.
** Castle and Beckett are finally on the receiving end, multiple times.
*** Martha reveals she knew they finally had sex even though they thought they'd fooled her by Beckett hiding in a closet and then sneaking out of the apartment.
*** After just about everyone else knows they still keep it secret from Captain Gates, assuming she'd use their relationship as an excuse to break them up. When Castle saves Beckett from a bomb, Gates tells her that this would be a good time for Beckett to kiss him as a thank you. She's offended that they didn't think she was a good enough detective to realize what was going on.
* On ''Series/{{Glee}}'', Kurt believes that his father doesn't know he's gay. In the episode "Preggers", he comes out to his father, who says that he had know since Kurt was three and he asked for a "sensible pair of heels" for his birthday.
* In one episode of ''SimonAndSimon'', the B-plot revolved around the partners trying to dispose of her recently deceased father's possessions without letting his widow learn about his truly impressive [[PornStash magazine collection]]. At the end of the episode, she quite calmly and casually asks over dinner, "Have you decided what to do with your father's dirty magazines?"
* On ''Series/{{The X-Files}}'', there are a lot of secrets. The paternity of Scully's baby is not one of them. Even though it's played up as WhosYourDaddy and Scully doesn't volunteer any information about her pregnancy at all, everybody knows who William's father is. Skinner and the Gunmen admit as much at various points that they know it's Mulder.
* On ''Series/TheAmazingRace'' 19, Ethan & Jenna wanted to keep it a secret that they had both won ''Series/{{Survivor}}'' in order to keep the other teams from targeting them. However, at the same time they were telling this to the camera, the other teams were talking about it while waiting for their flight.
* On ''Series/OnceUponATime'', Mary Margret (a.k.a. Literature/SnowWhite) admits to her roommate Emma that she's been having an affair with David (PrinceCharming). Emma says she knows, and Mary Margret demands to know how she found out:
-->'''Emma''': I'm the sheriff. You're a love-sick school teacher. It wasn't hard.
* The relationship between Renly and Loras in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' is the worst-kept secret; ''everyone'' seemed to know.
-->'''Jaime''': It's all true about Renly. His proclivities were the worst-kept secret at court.
* This is part of the premise of the very first season of ''Series/TheWire''. Officially, [[BigBad Avon Barksdale]] is just an unassuming Baltimorean from the West Side projects with no criminal record whatsoever, and almost no one in the Baltimore Police Department has any reason to have ever heard his name. Except, anyone who lives anywhere near the projects knows that he's actually the biggest drug dealer in the city, and that he's had countless people murdered. The Police Department's embarrassment from having to admit that they're some of the few people who ''don't'' know this is part of what spurs the criminal investigation in the first season.


[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* To quote an in-character passage from ''Glantri: Kingdom of Magic'', about one of this {{Mystara}}-setting nation's several wizard-princes: "He hides the fact that he's a werewolf? How droll! We've all known that for years."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theater]]
* In another example of the TransparentCloset, in ''Theatre/AvenueQ'', there is a straitlaced Republican stock broker who is *gasp* in the closet. Of course, the response to his coming out is underwhelming.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'', Woozie's blindness. He's convinced that he acts normally enough to be indistinguishable from someone sighted, but he feels his way around everywhere and fires an [=MP5=] like... well, someone who can't see. Everyone humours him.
-->'''Woozie:''' I have a confession to make. I... I'm blind.
--> '''CJ:''' [[SarcasmMode No shit.]]
* It was a somewhat shocking twist at the end of ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' that the mysterious Mr. Karate was actually Takuma Sakazaki, Ryo and Yuri's father and teacher of the Kyokugen style. Unfortunately, Takuma must be senile, because he pulls the grand reveal a few more times, including ''KingOfFighters'' 96 and 97, well after everyone else already knows.
* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', Estelle thinks she's managed to hide her status as an [[KingIncognito Imperial Princess]] from the rest of the party. She hasn't.
* Similarly, though much more tragically, in ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss,'' Luke thinks he's hidden his [[spoiler: impending disintegration - [[ItMakesSenseInContext yeah, literally,]]]] from everyone except Jade, who, of course, figured it out right away. Tear finds out not much later from Mieu, who had overheard Jade and Luke, and in the ending, Guy and Anise reveal that they, too, knew all along.
* From ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'':
** [[spoiler:HFS, the Hidden Fun Stuff]], [[SelfDemonstratingArticle is always hidden in spoilers]] as per a community tradition. Nowadays, though, nearly every player discovers [[spoiler:them]] through the forums or the DF wiki. The 'secrecy' is not helped by the fact that the wiki article on [[spoiler:them]] is protected only by a scrolldown wall, and [[spoiler:they]] are discussed on the forums openly in every way save the name, which, as it was told above, is always hidden in spoilers.
** [[spoiler:Adamantine]], too. Also called 'cotton candy', the name coming from an extended metaphor of ''[[spoiler:freakin' Hell itself]]'' being a 'clown car' (probably due to [[spoiler:endless numbers of HFS in there]]), and [[spoiler:adamantine]] essentially being [[spoiler:a cork that seals the entrance into there, thus being next to it]]. Heck, the words 'cotton candy' are often coloured cyan on the forums, further playing up TheNotSecret status of it.
* In ''[[{{Avernum}} Avernum 3]]'', the player characters are spies from Avernum (BeneathTheEarth) exploring the surface in secret. Anyone with a brain knows or suspects you're Avernite spies immediately, due to your pale skin and conspicuous behavior. No one really cares enough to report you, since the Empire has much more important things to worry about.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Magicka}}'', you discover to your shock and horror halfway through the game that your mentor Vlad, [[MostDefinitelyNotAVillain who repeatedly assures you he's not a vampire]], [[ClassicalMovieVampire wears evening-wear all the time, has a romanian accent, slick hair, opera cape]] and is seen sucking blood fro-, I mean, 'having a conversation' with some poor villager that happens to get tossed off a cliff the moment he notices you've been observing him... Is actually a werewolf! No, wait. Not a werewolf. The other 'v' monster. 'Vampire', that's it. He's secretly a vampire. Shocking, we know. We apologize for the lack of spoiler tags.
* In ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'', the existence of [[TimePolice Oroborous]] and TimeTravel in general is supposed to be a secret. (The badge that you get when you gain access to their headquarters outside of time is even called "Entrusted With The Secret".) In practice, however, its utility as a teleport nexus for getting around the city quickly means that heroes frequently open glowy/whooshy time portals in plain sight, right in the middle of Atlas Plaza, and most characters arrange to gain access as soon as possible rather than waiting to learn the "secret" by doing one of the mission arcs that are intended to award it.
* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' since the Cataclysm expansion, the zone of Azshara has a secret goblin R&D facility, cleverly named the ''Secret Lab''. Several goblin non-player characters talk about how it'll make a good tourist attraction, and there's a visitor's guide book about the lab to be read at the nearby rocketway terminal.
* ''VisualNovel/LittleBusters'': If Riki manages to beat him, the mysterious Mask The Saito will finally reveal himself to be...Kyousuke! Riki's reaction is basically 'yeah, I know', given that that'd been pretty obvious since at least the moment he opened his mouth. [[LargeHam Kyousuke]] is quite disappointed by the lackluster reaction, so Riki makes an attempt to humour him and pretend he really didn't know, but Kyousuke just advises him not to bother.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Gilgamesh Wulfenbach of ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' has saved Punch and Judy and still thinks his father doesn't know about it. Granted, they both have huge spy rings, so he probably won't be ''terribly'' surprised when he finds out...
* ''Webcomic/FriendlyHostility'': Collin realizes he's gay and tells this to Fox. Fox's reaction is less than surprised, to say the least, as [[http://friendlyhostility.com/d/20060104.html shown in this strip]] and the above exchange. It's more understandable if you know that Collin has been insisting that he's asexual, and probably views [[SingleTargetSexuality being attracted to only one man]] as less shameful than being attracted to men in general. Still, considering that Fox has been Collin's boyfriend and only romantic partner for years, come ''on'' now...
* When Nanase of ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' came out of the closet, only Tedd didn't know. Most everyone found out independently one way or another. Fortunately, those characters were all aware Nanase didn't know they had found out so kept quiet.
* ''Ice'' by Faith Hicks: [[spoiler:Cirr's [[http://www.faitherinhicks.com/ice/page158.html parentage]]]].
* After five years of being in a TransparentCloset, Marluxia of ''Webcomic/AnsemRetort'' comes out. As Namine put it, it was anticlimatic. Zex even asked why this was more important than ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' reruns.
* In ''Webcomic/GirlsWithSlingshots'', Jamie thinks she's obtained "proof" that Thea and Angel weren't actually [[UnusualEuphemism "playing board games"]] in the back. Hazel tries to tell her that everybody knew about them. Subverted when Jamie's "evidence" is revealed to show Angel with someone who isn't Thea.
* In ''Webcomic/DragonTails'', when Lemuel reveals his crush on Firewing, Goldy responds with this gem:
--> '''Goldy:''' You know, for a dragon that's normally unwilling to speak up when his tail's on fire, you've sure been broadcasting that you like this girl. Everyone in the forest thinks your crush on Firewing is very cute.
* In {{PvP}}, Max comes out to the office. The response: "And...?" [[note]]He thought Jade was the only one who actually knew[[/note]] Francis was the only one who hadn't figured it out already.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Spinnerette}}'', Mecha Maid - under the influence of a HatePlague - accuses Spinny of being ashamed of her, inadvertently outing them both in front of the Canadian super heroes. Green Gable's stunned response to this revelation: [[http://www.spinnyverse.com/2012/10/26/10262012/ "That was a secret?"]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' [[DatingCatwoman Terezi and Gamzee]] become kismesis in secret and constantly sneak around in vents to see each other. By the time a year passes, however, everyone else already knows. (Although Dave and Karkat don't know that the other knows and try to keep it a secret from each other.)

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', due to a complicated chain of events, Simmons is pretending to be a Blue. Church knows it's really Simmons the entire time but doesn't say anything, instead using it to needle him mercilessly.
** In Recreation, when the other fill Tucker in on what happened in Reconstruction, his response to the revelation that [[spoiler: Church is the Alpha AI]] is that he'd figured that out a long time ago, and was surprised no one else had noticed.
* In ''WebVideo/MarbleHornets'', not even Jay is particularly surprised to find that [[spoiler:Tim is actually Masky]]. It's those sideburns, man.
* Missy Kix from ''Moshi Monsters'' is supposed to be a secret agent, but she released a song about it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* On ''{{Daria}},'' [[LovableLibby Quinn]] spent four-and-a-half seasons pretending that [[TheSnarkKnight Daria]] was her cousin/foreign exchange student/etc., especially to her friends in the Fashion Club. When she finally reveals that Daria is [[TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry her sister]], [[WithFriendsLikeThese Sandi]] tries to make a big deal about it, only for [[TokenGoodTeammate Stacy]] and [[AsianAirhead Tiffany]] to note that they already knew that. ([[FridgeBrilliance Which makes sense]], [[CallBack since Daria revealed it to the whole school in the first episode]].)
* Played with in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''. In order to hide from the invading Thanagarians, it's proposed they simply go out in their civilian identities. Flash is reluctant to do it, because even though he trusts his teammates, it's still his secret identity. Batman, annoyed, proceeds to name off everyone's secret identities (at least the ones who have them).
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** When Patty Bouvier came out of the closet, Homer treated it as though she'd just said she waxed her car that morning. Marge, on the other hand...
-->'''Homer:''' Yeah, and I like beer!
** From "A Milhouse Divided":
-->'''Homer:''' As you know, there’s been a lot of talk about divorce lately, and I think your mom might not be happy with me.
-->'''Lisa:''' You’ve done a lot of crazy stuff over the years, and she stood by you.  Why would she leave you now?
-->'''Homer:''' Cause there’s lots of stuff she doesn’t know about!
-->'''Lisa:''' You mean like your poker shack out in the swamp?
-->'''Homer:''' Mmm-Hmm.
-->'''Lisa:''' She knows.
* In ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'''s continuity, {{Area 51}} is rumored to be a secret alien research base. The main characters eventually arrive at Area 51 to discover that it actually ''is'' a secret alien research base, but with a twist -- authorities [[CassandraGambit let the secret out, knowing that the public would believe it to be wild rumors]], thus keeping the "secret" safe.
** Most of the villain lairs, which are obviously intended to be secret and untraceable by the villains themselves but are easily found by a ten year old boy, Global Justice and/or pretty much anyone the plot wants to know. Particularly notable with Dementor and Drakken, who really push the "secret lair" schtick. In one memorable case, Drakken's lair was found no problem by ''his mother''. Like everything, {{Lampshaded}} - this time by Motor Ed.
--> '''Ed:''' " "Dude, seriously, what type of secret hideout is this? Everyone knows you live here, man!"
--> '''Drakken:''' "One magazine subscription and suddenly everyone's got your address..."
%% Well yeah. Then they moved it to the Dugway Proving Ground...
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether'' deals with the housemates doing a role-playing exercise to help Xandir tell his parents he is gay. They (pretending to be his parents) initially simply exclaim "Duh!" when he tells them. The rest of the episode is an extended fantasy in which the characters all take on roles and act out an elaborate story of what might happen when he really tells them, involving running away, prostitution and eventual murder. At the end of the episode he finally comes out to his parents... who simply exclaim "Duh!"
* In ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'', when Peggy finds out that Nancy has been cheating on Dale with John Redcorn (for years), she confesses this discovery to Hank. Hank's more distressed that this is news to Peggy than over the revelation itself. Peggy, in turn, is horrified that everybody seemed to know except her. (The only people who didn't know were Peggy, Dale, and "Dale's" son, Joseph).
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', Timmy travels back to the time of Dimmsdale's founding to meet its founder, Dale Dimm. Alden Bitterroot, the witch hunter, is unmasked as a witch himself when Timmy points out that his feet don't touch the ground. The Mayor says that "many of [them] were quite perplexed about that."
* In ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'', Steve discovers that Stan, his dad, is bald, and they promise to share with the world their secrets and live with them, which Stan doesn't. From the half on, is a race between Steve wanting to reveal Stan's secret and Stan wanting to avoid this, while all the family, beside Steve, already knew this all along.
* ''WesternAnimation/MoralOrel'' revealed some time in the second season that Orel's father Clay is actually the mayor of Moralton... and everyone but Orel and the audience knew it already.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'' episode "Doug Says Goodbye", [[http://dougfunniesjournal.tumblr.com/post/647604908/episode-13-part-2-doug-says-goodbye everyone was able to recognize Skeeter]] despite his PaperThinDisguise.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', "Green Isn't Your Color": Spike confesses his crush on Rarity to Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle. While [[CloudCuckoolander Pinkie]] is surprised, Twilight isn't, and claims that nearly everyone in Ponyville can tell.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' had a slight variant on this. In "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," Binky spends most of the episode trying to keep a secret from the Tough Customers that he sometimes still holds his Mom's hand. When he does get caught out, it's not that they already knew, but the reaction is completely disappointment... that Binky's secret wasn't something more interesting. The Tough Customers don't think any less of him for holding his mom's hand, but chide him that next time he has some big secret, it had better be something really juicy.
* {{Averted}}, but ''HeyArnold'' creator [[WordOfGod Craig Bartlett]] has mentioned that he wanted to do a scene where [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Helga]] hides from everyone else and recites her love poems to [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan Arnold]] in secret, only to have everyone suddenly yell that they already know that she's in love with him.
* Meta-example on ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': We are introduced to the mysterious KidHero [[TheCowl Mysterion]], and the audience never finds out who, exactly, he ([[SamusIsAGirl or she?]]) is. Then Mysterion reappears as part of the Coon and Friends Trilogy. The whole first episode passes, still without revealing Mysterion's identity...only for [[TheEveryman Stan]] to casually address him by name ten minutes into the second episode. It's [[spoiler:Kenny]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Area 51 in Nevada has always [[LampshadeHanging hung its own lampshade]]. It's on Google Earth, for crying out loud. [[RefugeInAudacity Official government policy]] before the mid-90's was to refuse to acknowledge in any way that the [[BlatantLies massive restricted area (with barb-wire fences and armed soldiers patrolling it)]] actually contained one damned thing. It was only revealed when the base was ''sued'' for causing [[NightmareFuel a horrifying and almost completely unknown disease]] in several workers by ''[[NoOSHACompliance burning toxic waste on site]]'' and refusing to give their doctors information about the unidentified substance even though it might have saved their lives. A story that almost disappeared behind claims of alien saucers.
** It is also fairly well known at this point that Groom Lake is (or at least was) a testing ground for new aircraft. Stuff like the B-2, the SR-71, the F-117...
** In that vein, it's fairly well-known that Cheyenne Mountain is the command center of NORAD. This does not tell anybody [[Series/StargateSG1 just what goes on down there,]] and it deflects attention from more important and more secret sites elsewhere. Misdirection, donchaknow. And just to show that they're [[{{Troll}} trolling us]], a door in Cheyenne Mountain with multiple locks on it, labeled "Stargate Command." It leads to [[spoiler: a broom closet.]] This was especially funny to anybody who worked in fast food in the nearby town. For years practically every night Domino's Pizza, KFC, and a number of other fast food joints would send a driver up the mountain trail with a massive order that they would hand off at a guarded gate to guards that officially wasn't there to feed people that [[http://www.norad.mil/about/CMOC.html technically didn't exist]]. It does make people wonder if the people in NORAD just keep the charade going as a joke.
** There is also a real life government facility at Raven Rock, although it presumably doesn't yet have [[VideoGame/{{Fallout3}} an insane AI mainframe]]. As of yet, there has been no official denial.
** TheNotSecret government installation at Mount Weather was SO Not-Secret that it's been handed over to FEMA.
* Comb-overs. It's amazing how many men honestly believe that they actually fool anyone.
* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BT_Tower-1.jpg BT Tower's]] existence was officially classified and omitted from the government mapping agency's maps until 1993. This is a six-hundred foot office building in central London; it was built in 1964, appeared in ''Series/DoctorWho'' in 1966, and contains (among other things) viewing galleries, a souvenir shop, and a restaurant. One can only surmise that making it classified in the first place SeemedLikeAGoodIdeaAtTheTime,[[note]]it's equipped with line-of-sight microwave transceivers to carry emergency comms traffic if the landlines are destroyed by act of war or natural disaster[[/note]] and nobody bothered doing anything about it because declassifying something before its pre-arranged release date (anything between thirty years and a century) requires a small redwood forest's worth of paperwork.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov once called the longbow England's "unsecret weapon": their rivals knew how to make them and how to train people to use them, but the training took a ''long'' time, and they didn't want to let commoners become that valuable when they could just teach them to use crossbows instead.
** There's a saying: "if you want to train a longbowman, start with his grandfather." The English longbow corps grew directly out of the strong, longbow-proficient, English yeomanry, with generations of tradition behind them since the trick was starting the training at a very young age. English boys practiced with series of stronger and stronger bows as they grew up. This is why the remains of yeomen examined today show skeletal deformation from excessive muscle build-up on the draw arm, and why (once researchers got real bows from the wreck of the ''Mary Rose'' to examine) the English longbow actually had a draw weight more than twice as heavy as historians originally thought (120-150 lbs versus the estimated 60). That tradition would be impossible to match, and trying would have resulted in well armed peasants who could cause trouble. Definitely not worth it.
* Israel has long been very ambiguous about whether or not it has [[TheRestofTheNuclearClub nuclear weapons]], and may or may not have had them since roughly the 1960's. No statement has, or will ever be made conclusively, but they are quite vocal and open, making sure everybody is well aware that they, you know, hypothetically speaking ''might'' have something nuke-ish, if you look at it from the right angle and squint a bit, maybe. At one point the prime minister even referred to the country's nukes outright in a speech, and [[ImplausibleDeniability quickly retracted the statement]].
** Subverted somewhat by the South African government declassifying documents dating back to the old apartheid days, including details of negotiations to provide the Israelis with fissile materials from their own nuclear weapons project.
* The Church of Scientology believes that a good deal of contemporary human suffering is caused by the lingering spirits of humans who were killed by Xenu, a malevolent galactic overlord who attacked Earth with hydrogen bombs in the distant past. Officially, only high-level Church members can have the story of Xenu "revealed" to them (usually after donating a certain amount of money), and the Church's public relations department refrains from mentioning or acknowledging it in any statements to the general public. But it's already been leaked to the public and spread by word of mouth so much that it's now the ''only'' thing that many people know about Scientology.
* Likewise, Mormon temple garments, termed "magic underwear" by non-Mormon wags. Meant to be hidden at all times and not discussed with non-Mormons, the advent of the Internet has blown the secret right out of the water.
* At one point the Italian government's way of keeping the locations of their military bases secret was to just black out the areas of the map they could be found on. While this did indeed keep the ''precise'' location of the bases secret, it certainly provided a good starting point for finding them.
[[/folder]]
----

* [[ChurchOfHappyology Xenu]]. In theory, it will destroy your mind to know it before being "ready" (sorry about [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife destroying your mind]], by the way). However, the organization that set up the largest ever infiltration of the US government ''somehow'' managed to let slip to all and sundry information that makes them and everything they touch look absurd.

* Meta-example on ''SouthPark:'' We are introduced to the mysterious KidHero [[TheCowl Mysterion]], and the audience never finds out who, exactly, he ([[SamusIsAGirl or she?]]) is. Then Mysterion reappears as part of the Coon and Friends Trilogy. The whole first episode passes, still without revealing Mysterion's identity...only for [[TheEveryman Stan]] to casually address him by name ten minutes into the second episode. It's [[spoiler:Kenny]].

You've got a secret. [[DarkSecret A deep, dark,]] [[EarthShatteringKaboom Earth-shattering,]] [[RealityWarper reality-bending,]] [[GoMadFromTheRevelation madness-inducing secret]]. Something so secret that you have to kill people just in case they do know it. It's a secret of massive proportions. They don't have a classification for how secret it is. TheMenInBlack would be astonished to learn it. The AncientConspiracy? They don't have a clue. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking It's not even on the Internet]].

And then, for truly life-threatening reasons, you have to reveal the secret. You set it up carefully, bringing proof because, I mean, something so secret it's not like anyone will believe you when you spill the beans, right? You take a deep breath, and blurt it out.

There's no shock. There's no surprise. There's mild annoyance when your audience says "What, that's it? I thought you were going to tell us something we didn't already know."

Your deep, dark, Earth-shattering, reality-bending, madness-inducing secret? [[OpenSecret Oh, they knew about it.]] They just didn't mention it because they were being ''polite''. Or humoring you. Or, worst of all, they ''didn't know you were trying to keep it secret''.

It is at this point you might want to revisit the "Kill them all if they find out" strategy out of annoyance.

See also TransparentCloset, which is one of the most common manifestations of this. Also often applies to SecretRelationship. Contrast the OpenSecret, where even the secret-keeper is aware that everyone knows.

* Meta-example on ''SouthPark:'' We are introduced to the mysterious KidHero [[TheCowl Mysterion]], and the audience never finds out who, exactly, he is. Then Mysterion reappears as part of the Coon and Friends Trilogy. The whole first episode passes, still without revealing his identity...only for [[TheEveryman Stan]] to casually address him by name ten minutes into the second episode. It's [[spoiler:Kenny]].

* On ''{{Daria}},'' [[LovableLibby Quinn]] spent four-and-a-half seasons pretending that [[TheSnarkKnight Daria]] was her cousin/foreign exchange student/etc., especially to her friends in the Fashion Club. When she finally reveals the truth [[WithFriendsLikeThese Sandi]] tries to make a big deal about it, only for [[TokenGoodTeammate Stacy]] and [[AsianAirhead Tiffany]] to note that they already knew that. ([[FridgeBrilliance Which makes sense]], [[CallBack since Daria revealed it to the whole school in the first episode]].)

* Subverted in ''House of Anubis'', as the secret is a pretty poorly kept secret, (Only one person in the entire house at the end of season 3 ''never'' got involved) but it still manages to remain a secret. Which is odd, considering the students talk about it in the middle of the school like it's homework and not a life threatening mystery.

* In his own comic book, {{Wolverine}} found out that Jessica Drew and some other people knew that he was the man called Patch. Considering that Patch is Wolverine with an eyepatch and the claws not extended, this should really not have been such a shock.
* In one issue of ''BatmanAndTheOutsiders,'' Alfred reveals Batman's identity to the team while he (Batman, not Alfred) is unconscious, to prevent them from wasting time by [[BruceWayneHeldHostage trying to contact Bruce Wayne, who they know as the team's rich patron]]. At any rate, Batman later reveals his identity, but the team acts shocked anyway.

* GreenArrow's "secret identity" as Oliver Queen. Between his not-particularly-concealing mask and incredibly distinctive facial hair anyone who's met them both will know that it's him. In one case a policeman working with Green Arrow came to his house and, on being asked how he knew his identity, hadn't even known it was supposed to be a secret. His to-be sidekick Mia also recognized him instantly, not least because he was claiming to be a good friend of the Green Arrow. The best he could hope for is people thinking he's got a twin.

* HoratioHornblower suffers from horrible seasickness every time he puts out to sea, something which he is mocked for earlier in his career. Once he gains command of his first ship, he takes pains to not let the crew know about his seasickness, for fear of appearing weak. It is years before he finally realizes that his men have always been aware of his seasickness, and have simply chosen not to comment on it out of respect for [[TheCaptain their captain.]]

-->'''Kuzco''': Yzma's got that "secret lab". (He makes AirQuotes.) I'll just snap my fingers and order her to change me back!

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': [[BaldOfAwesome Ikkaku]] goes to such lengths to hide his bankai that he ends up losing a fight he shouldn't have lost because he was holding back, causing a captain and vice-captain to have to come to his rescue. While [[TheCaptain Captain]] [[BigBadassWolf Komamura]] is cleaning up, [[NumberTwo Vice-Captain]] [[SunglassesAtNight Iba]] begins lecturing [[SubmissiveBadass Ikkaku]] on the difference between his bankai and Komamura's bankai. On seeing Ikkaku's shock Iba says Ikkaku's an idiot if he thinks something as powerful as bankai can be kept secret. Then they discover Komamura was standing right behind Iba. Komamura, however, brushes it off by claiming his hearing isn't working today and walks off. Then it's revealed that Akon and Mayuri know when Mayuri accidentally tells Ichigo.

** In the premiere, Gwen is cleverly (she thought) infiltrating the Hub as a pizza delivery person, only to have the group unable to keep up the charade that she was fooling them and break out laughing.
** Torchwood as an organization theoretically a secret. However, they use vans labeled "Torchwood," and most everyone nearby has at least a general idea as to where they're located.

* In ''TheEmperorsNewGroove'', [[EvilVizier Yzma]] has a "secret lab". It's not.

* In [[Homestuck]] [[DatingCatwoman Terezi and Gamzee]] become kismesis in secret and constantly sneak around in vents to see each other. By the time a year passes, however, everyone else already knows. (Although Dave and Karkat don't know that the other knows and try to keep it a secret from each other.)

* In ''Homestuck'' [[DatingCatwoman Terezi and Gamzee]] become kismesis in secret and constantly sneak around in vents to see each other. By the time a year passes, however, everyone else already knows. (Although Dave and Karkat don't know that the other knows and try to keep it a secret from each other.)

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': [[BaldOfAwesome Ikkaku]] goes to such lengths to hide his bankai that he ends up losing a fight he shouldn't have lost because he was holding back, causing a captain and vice-captain to have to come to his rescue. While [[TheCaptain Captain]] [[BigBadassWolf Komamura]] is cleaning up, [[NumberTwo Vice-Captain]] [[SunglassesAtNight Iba]] begins lecturing [[SubmissiveBadass Ikkaku]] on the difference between his bankai and Komamura's bankai. On seeing Ikkaku's shock Iba says Ikkaku's an idiot if he thinks something as powerful as bankai can be kept secret. Then they discover Komamura was standing right behind Iba. Komamura, however, brushes it off by claiming his hearing isn't working today and walks off.

* In one issue of ''BatmanAndTheOutsiders,'' Alfred reveals Batman's identity to the team while he (Batman, not Alfred) is unconscious, to prevent them from wasting time by [[BruceWayneHeldHostage trying to contact Bruce Wayne, who they know as the team's rich patron]]. At any rate, Batman later reveals his identity, but the team act shocked anyway.