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| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
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| 6 | %% Image format updated per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16938593120.89617400 |
| 7 | %% Previous thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1310559261018532300 |
| 8 | %% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread. |
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| 10 | [[quoteright:350:[[Film/SupermanTheMovie https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cko.png]]]] |
| 11 | [[caption-width-right:350:You could probably take this guy in a fight... [[MuggingTheMonster or not]].]] |
| 12 | %% |
| 13 | ->''"Sensei, the truth is, I actually look thinner wearing clothes!"'' |
| 14 | -->--'''Takamatsu''', ''Anime/AngelBeats'' |
| 15 | |
| 16 | So there's this character on TV, and they looks like a [[YiddishAsASecondLanguage nebbish]]. They're rather nerdy, pretty scrawny, not too attractive, and likely to faint at the mere sight of blood. What a nerd, huh? |
| 17 | |
| 18 | ...Until they take their shirt off, and -- surprise -- they're [[HeroicBuild ripped]]! They've got abs of steel, their guns are fully loaded, and they can probably crush coal into diamonds with their massive pecs... Good Lord, they're a GeniusBruiser who's been hiding the "Bruiser" part all along! |
| 19 | |
| 20 | A Clark Kent Outfit is, basically, any article of clothing that hides a character's well-toned physique from the audience, setting audiences for a surprise when it's used, especially for harmless-looking fellows. Can apply to women as well, often leading to a BeautifulAllAlong moment when PlayedForDrama or HiddenBuxom when PlayedForLaughs. Or both. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | The most commonly used outfit for this purpose, the men's business suit (collared shirt, jacket, tie) was and is specifically designed to disguise a multitude of sins, and as such, also disguises a multitude of virtues (the three piece suit, which adds a vest, goes even further in both). |
| 23 | |
| 24 | Note that while the actor has to be able to fit into the physique-concealing costume when this trope is used in live-action works, no such restriction applies to other media, and thus it's possible to have a character reveal muscles (or curves) [[CostumesChangeYourSize that couldn't possibly have fit inside the outfit]] they were wearing beforehand. This can be PlayedForLaughs. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | Compare with BadassBookworm. Not to be confused with ClarkKenting, which has the opposite effect. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | ---- |
| 29 | !!Examples: |
| 30 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 31 | |
| 32 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 33 | * Takamatsu from ''Anime/AngelBeats'' tears off his shirt dramatically in the middle of class and reveals a very muscular figure in Episode 5. No-one cares. |
| 34 | -->'''Takamatsu:''' Sensei, the truth is, I actually look thinner wearing clothes!\ |
| 35 | '''Teacher:''' I see that, sit down. |
| 36 | :: Then when he rejoins the group no one cares about his reveal and Yuri just chastises him for not thinking of a better distraction. |
| 37 | -->'''Takamatsu:''' I thought it would be surprising, that no-one would see it coming, I train in secret...\ |
| 38 | '''Hinata:''' Yes yes, put some clothes on. |
| 39 | * ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': Every character that's enlisted in the military actually undergoes heavy physical training so they are able to properly control the 3DMG. As a result, most soldiers have really sculpted physiques. This, however, is only shown in a few instances, and characters are most often shown wearing their uniforms. |
| 40 | * ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': [[TheOneGuy Soga's]] clothes were originally all loose and covered his full body, making him simply seem thin and lanky, but the eventual BeachEpisode shows his muscles are remarkably well-toned. [[ProgressivelyPrettier Later on]], Soga switches to short-sleeve shirts that [[FormFittingWardrobe expose his physique]] as much as the female cast, but his ninja suit remains as concealing as before. |
| 41 | * ''Manga/BlackClover'': Asta's clothes hide his muscular physique despite how apparently thin they are. |
| 42 | * ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Captain Yamamoto wears robes almost all of the time and appears to be a stooped-over old man. When he removes his robes, he reveals that he's completely ripped. |
| 43 | * Joujirou from ''Anime/{{Charlotte}}'' is actually fairly toned, which he explains as helping reduce the damage from his SuperSpeed ability. Yuu [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]] on it when he sees Joujirou shirtless in Episode 5. |
| 44 | * At the end of the second season of ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'', this is done by Kirihara's new boss, who looks like Manga/{{Golgo 13}} if he was a staid Japanese bureaucrat. He takes off his shirt and reveals he's really ripped and he wields a {{BFG}}. |
| 45 | * In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', the Demon Slayer Corps uniform is not very form fitting and many members of importance, like the Hashira and the main characters, also wear a Haori over their uniforms, which mostly hides the physique of all male slayers who don't have their bulging muscles in apparent view. It is only during training sessions when the guys are usually shirtless that it is shown that well defined muscles is pretty much the standard physique for all males worth their salt in the Corps, after growing in strength Tanjiro and Zenitsu become just as muscular as Inosuke, but as soon as they dress themselves fully in uniform, none of that muscle is apparent at first glance. |
| 46 | * ''Franchise/DragonBall'': |
| 47 | ** The original ''Manga/DragonBall'' has Master Roshi, a scrawny little hunchbacked pervert, almost ''doubles'' in height, shoulder width and muscle mass when he first takes off his shirt. Roshi can also [[GrowingMusclesSequence expand]] his muscles at will. |
| 48 | ** For an in-universe example, Gohan's high-school outfit in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' almost [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/dragonball/images/8/8a/GohanOrangeStarSchool.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/211?cb=20100317104211 looks like it's a size too large,]] undoubtedly to help hide the fact that he's built like a... well, [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcS9vPxMEVHIPY1TNcU6CD9akSfRmaksbyiLaw&usqp=CAU like a Saiyan.]] It works, too, at least enough to make Videl initially think he's harmless. This extends to ''Super'' up to a point, but by then, it's noted he has lost much of his power for not training instead of looking out after his family and work, and as a result he is rarely shown in anything that reveals his figure at least until the final arc. |
| 49 | ** [[TheHero Son]] [[Characters/DragonBallSonGoku Goku]] himself qualifies. His [[SleevesAreForWimps usual attire]] reveals how [[HeroicBuild muscular]] [[https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Goku-arriving-on-Namek-movie-anime-manga-1.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&h=370 he]] [[https://comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/original/11123/111238406/4846002-0740183896-e4c61.jpg is]] but when he is in [[https://dw9to29mmj727.cloudfront.net/products/1569319391.jpg any]] [[https://i.imgur.com/WUGXrdB.jpg other]] civilian outfit, he appears to be a relatively normal guy with an average physique. |
| 50 | * ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist's'' Edward Elric is a short, intellectual teenager, but so incredibly buff under his jacket that he ends up [[ShirtlessScene shirtless]], like, almost every other fight scene. It's also initially done to hide his automail arm and leg. By the way he runs around before it's revealed, you'd never guess he was a double amputee. |
| 51 | * Lithuania from ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' is cute, slender and [[DudeLooksLikeALady feminine-looking]] and he's most often seen as a secretary or domestic housekeeper. However, as he was once a knight and still does martial arts, he's very muscular upon closer inspection. |
| 52 | * Kamishiro Yuu from ''Manga/{{Holyland}}'' looks harmless under his school uniform, but, as his opponents quickly learn and a classmate who grabbed his arm once commented, his muscles are rock-hard from both the street fighting and physical exercise aimed to increase his strength. |
| 53 | * ''Manga/HowHeavyAreTheDumbbellsYouLift'': Naruzo Machio can pass for an athletic but normally-proportioned man by wearing his signature blue-and-white tracksuits. Yet whenever he flexes his muscles he bursts his clothes apart, revealing a "macho gorilla" physique that looks totally incongruous and out of proportion with his "prince charming" face. RuleOfFunny is in full effect, since he is shown to magically shrink in both bulk and height in order to put a normal-sized tracksuit on again. |
| 54 | * Hajime from ''Manga/ICantUnderstandWhatMyHusbandIsSaying'' is shown to be quite muscular due to working from home and having plenty of time to work out. Hilariously, his wife was unaware of his physique despite their active sex life (they always keep the lights off). |
| 55 | * Jiji from ''Manga/IchiTheKiller'' is a tiny old man, but when he takes off his shirt he has a bodybuilder's physique, and {{neck snap}}s a {{Yakuza}} [[CurbStompBattle without breaking a sweat]]. It helps that he's really only 30-years-old, but got plastic surgery to make his face appear older. |
| 56 | * ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'': |
| 57 | ** The protagonist himself, post-training. His fellow classmates don't realize how ripped he is until they all go on a beach trip. It's not intended on Kenichi's part. [[TrainingFromHell The training]] his masters have him on have made him densely muscled, and he only has people much stronger than himself to compare against. Because of this, he mostly still acts like the meek boy he always was, and his school uniform always hung loose on his small frame. |
| 58 | ** Natsu Tanimoto also plays this up intentionally, trying to keep at school his image of a meek, soft-spoken PrettyBoy, and wearing clothes that keep his muscular build well hidden (making excuses like "the sun is bad for my skin" to justify it). Because of this, almost nobody knew he was Hermit of the Eight Fists of Ragnarok. |
| 59 | * In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'', [[TheStoic Trowa Barton]] appears as thin as the rest of the G-boys. But when we see him in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWingEndlessWaltz'' wearing a [[WalkingShirtlessScene very revealing circus costume]] he's [[HeroicBuild positively ripped]]! Its no wonder that he can beat a group of thugs to a pulp with his bare hands. |
| 60 | * In ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'': Major Ulube, while a military man, is retired from actual combat and mostly seems to stick to politicking and administration. It comes as a shock in the late stages of the anime when he reveals he is still in extremely good physical condition, good enough to go toe-to-toe with some of the strongest Gundam Fighters on the planet. |
| 61 | * ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': |
| 62 | ** Midoriya gets a lot of muscle after his training with All Might but it's concealed by whatever clothes he is wearing (including, for some reason, his form-fitting gym clothes). |
| 63 | ** Extends to other heroes and heroes-in-training: [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bokunoheroacademia/images/8/80/Class_1-A_Boys_at_the_pool.png/revision/latest?cb=20180407123925 most of the 1-A boys are built like brickhouses,]] but their school uniforms tend to obscure this fact. The uniforms also do this with the girls as well, though less for brickhouse appearance and more for how buxom they are. |
| 64 | * ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', quite a few characters invoke this trope. |
| 65 | ** Naruto the titular protagonist has an average build [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CxgX0zRXAAA4dPI.jpg with his baggy clothes on]], and wasn't considered attractive by most girls in Konohagakure... pity they never saw him with [[http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/070/566/552.jpg his shirt off.]] |
| 66 | ** Jiraiya, a 50 year old ninja wears an outfit that makes him look flabby and yet underneath he's [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/dogs-of-war/images/4/4e/Jiraiya-gif-jiraiya-34683481-500-251.gif/revision/latest?cb=20151002210402 rocking a six pack and biceps.]] |
| 67 | ** Hinata Hyuga's uniform is more about [[ShrinkingViolet her shyness]] than a secret identity, but her bulky jacket and loose pants are definitely designed to [[HiddenBuxom hide]] her [[MostCommonSuperpower physique.]] |
| 68 | * Chapter 45 of ''Manga/{{Ojojojo}}'' revealed that [[ServileSnarker Gramps]] is actually incredibly muscular under his suit [[spoiler:when he gets into a fight with Tsurezure.]] |
| 69 | * ''Manga/OnePiece'': Thanks to the NoodlePeople art style this trope happens a lot. |
| 70 | ** Sanji with his suit on looks [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQdDUiRxyFwIMDmQB-AwC3ahXeKybQgbIkJwsb24T31fEzXLNJ3 leaner]] than Usopp, with [[https://i.imgur.com/GbitYji.png his suit off]] he's about muscly as Zoro. |
| 71 | ** Luffy is even more scrawny and doesn't wear bulky clothes, yet when he’s shirtless [[https://66.media.tumblr.com/f0b3261a9c0e573ff19f259b248e03ae/tumblr_poezkoPQti1rlspi8_540.png he’s drawn quite buff.]] Although Luffy being a RubberMan this can be HandWaved since he can technically inflate his muscles [[GrowingMusclesSequence whenever he wants]]. HulkingOut if you will. |
| 72 | ** Silvers Rayleigh also plays this straight, [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/keyblade-universe/images/6/6d/Silvers_Rayleigh_Anime_Full_Body.png/revision/latest?cb=20171005194122 he looks like a regular old man]] with his top on... but is one of the most muscular characters in the series [[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l0Hvf5mz0sg/UEWCugNTSdI/AAAAAAAAEQo/UaJ7LA07jFM/s1600/Rayleigh+Reaches+Amazon+Lily.jpg with his top off.]] |
| 73 | ** In the present and in the past, Vergo's outfits completely hide his ridiculously buff physique. Whenever he undresses himself to become topless, he goes from "tall but with regular stature" to a "hulking beast of a man". |
| 74 | ** Tashigi is a good female example as unlike a good percent of women in ''One Piece'' [[http://neoapo.com/images/character/16713/d73887e6ef04b369a526cf4494da3195.jpg she doesn't dress scantly]] and is more reserved with her body, of course she's actually [[https://i.pinimg.com/564x/44/b5/90/44b5901307d443e1ab8346ba4b17a15c.jpg buxom as hell]] but [[HiddenBuxom hides it with her clothes]]. |
| 75 | * ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'': Both Saitama and Silver Fang have impressive physiques that are usually hidden by their clothing. Even Saitama's superhero outfit is too baggy for his muscles to show (except on rare occasions during a dramatic ArtShift.) |
| 76 | * If ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'' is to be believed, [[SelfieFiend Raihan]] has an extremely muscular physique underneath his baggy, dragon-themed hoodie, as shown in his selfie featuring himself [[ShirtlessScene waking up shirtless in bed]]. |
| 77 | * Enishi and Hiko Seijūrō XIII of ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' wear cloaks most of the time, and pretty much look like slim {{bishonen}}. When both take off those cloaks, they are extremely muscular. This is sort of plot important because Kenshin's lithe frame puts him at a disadvantage when fighting either of them, since his body isn't really meant to be performing those strenuous sword-fighting maneuvers. |
| 78 | * ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'': |
| 79 | ** The teacher Jinroku is a friendly and unassuming guy who is balding and wears glasses. Under his shirt though, he's fairly muscular (certainly compared to 90 pound weakling Nozomu) and has a large {{Yakuza}} tattoo. |
| 80 | ** Ditto with Abiru's father who has a similar "weakling {{salaryman}}" kind of look. While the rumors he abuses Abiru aren't true (he's a great guy; she gets her injuries from pulling animals' tails), it is true that he belonged to a black ops squad that knew how to kill people with [[ImprobableWeaponUser moe manga]]. |
| 81 | * Dr. Stein from ''Manga/SoulEater'' is surprisingly ripped for a creepy MadScientist, as his ShirtlessScene in the anime reveals. The same goes for Ox Ford, one of the DWMA's students, which the manga shows in a ShowerScene. |
| 82 | * ''Manga/TheSevenDeadlySins'': Meliodas usually wears baggy clothes that make him appear as nothing more than an ordinary child, maybe 12 or 13 years old. But anytime those clothes become torn, they reveal that he's actually ''[[HeroicBuild fucking ripped]]''. As befits the leader of the titular group of Holy Knights. |
| 83 | * Kotetsu T. Kaburagi from ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'' appears to have normal, even lanky, physique... until the [[ShirtlessScene shirt comes off]] and it becomes apparent he's, well, [[HeroicBuild a superhero]]. |
| 84 | * Vash the Stampede from ''Anime/{{Trigun}}'' [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcR-no7Z3OuVfjBQxVFwF4HYZbOq2GmMnRt_GiF2KRz1dYtLMujw is built like a scarecrow]] but his ShirtlessScene shows [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcT8fn3lfIObdxhG-4ln2iGRTs_ZitdoI56C8meD78ZVuDVmgRcB he’s very muscular]]... albeit covered in horrific scars. Vash explains his scarred body is the reason why he’s a CelibateHero being afraid girls will get scared off by his body, Meryl Strife his LoveInterest quietly disagrees. |
| 85 | * ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' has [[https://i.pinimg.com/236x/5b/e3/63/5be3638446f18b9bf00edcaae35996cd.jpg Yusuke]] [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/characterprofile/images/5/59/Mazoku.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160820204006 Urameshi,]] [[https://www.anime-planet.com/images/characters/hiei-yu-yu-hakusho-4011.jpg?t=1516249386 Hiei]] (and a [[https://i.pinimg.com/474x/f4/9d/ab/f49dab2a06a5179541e3403328a9e119--yuyu-hakusho-hiei.jpg shirtless Hiei]] for comparison) and [[https://pm1.narvii.com/5701/2a0d45a40a2084672b96b1ce535ee623317c8bf2_hq.jpg Shinobu]] [[https://66.media.tumblr.com/e064589fb38e3564a32c18a336fae947/tumblr_o1smfciGmu1sktfrro6_500.jpg Sensui.]] |
| 86 | * ''Manga/Zom100BucketListOfTheDead'': Compared to his even beefier friend [[WalkingShirtlessScene Kencho]], Akira tends to wear loose-fitting clothes that hide his surprisingly toned physique. This is reflective of Akira's insecurities over his PlainJane appearance and inability to score a date, especially when he watches Kencho [[ChickMagnet get girl after girl.]] |
| 87 | [[/folder]] |
| 88 | |
| 89 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 90 | * Subverted in ''ComicBook/KidPaddle'', where one strip has Kid's dad be completely ripped when he takes his clothes off at the pool before reminiscing about his time as a mercenary in Siberia... then the ImagineSpot ends with his scrawny dad shrieking at how cold the water is. |
| 91 | * ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Peter Parker is a less emphasized example, but few would guess that his regular clothes hide a sinewy physique. |
| 92 | ** Back when Creator/SteveDitko was still drawing ''Amazing Spider-Man'', his costume did the same thing. |
| 93 | ** A fan asked Stan Lee why none of Peter's classmates could see his muscles, Lee answered by stating if they ''felt'' his muscles they would see that ''Puny Parker'' is actually very buff. |
| 94 | *** In an early issue of ''Amazing Spider-Man'', one of Peter's classmates grabs him by the upper arm, and remarks to the group that "[Parker's] got muscles like a ''weightlifter's''". They still think he's a ''coward'', though. |
| 95 | ** There was an issue of ''Spectacular Spider-Man'' where a private detective has deduced who Spider-Man is, and suggests that Spidey (who he remarked was built very lean, but "like a Ferrari") would most likely utilize baggy clothes to hide his physique. Unfortunately for him, [[spoiler:he deduces that ''Jameson'' is Spider-Man. Jameson is most likely not amused.]] |
| 96 | ** In ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'', Gwen notes that Peter's "all muscle" when she, Peter and Eddie Brock are crammed into the same car. He claims to be into pilates. |
| 97 | * ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'': |
| 98 | ** Pre-Crisis Supergirl wore very plain clothes, long-sleeved blouses, and long skirts to hide her muscles. |
| 99 | ** Subverted in ''[[ComicBook/{{Supergirl 1972}} Supergirl Vol 1]]'', in where she wears tight clothes which make nothing to hide her figure or her muscles. However, she doesn’t stand out because most of the people she meets are well-built. In ''[[ComicBook/{{Supergirl 1982}} Volume 2]]'' she wore long dresses again. |
| 100 | ** [[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 Post-Crisis]] "Linda Lang" wears long shirts and trousers to cover her athletic, fit body. |
| 101 | ** In ''ComicBook/SupergirlRebirth'', Kara's SecretIdentity wears loose clothes and baggy trousers to hide her super-strong physique. |
| 102 | * ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'': |
| 103 | ** Superman is the TropeNamer, as his alter ego, Clark Kent, is modeled specifically for this purpose; namely, a spineless man (with glasses, of course) to hide his superhuman strength. ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'' has him wearing multiple layers of clothing to appear ''flabby'' rather than skinny. In some depictions, his glasses are also used to hide eyes so incredibly blue and bright they clearly aren't human. |
| 104 | ** In ''ComicBook/SupermanBirthright'' his mother Martha specifically ordered him to never wear T-shirts in public ever, since X-ray vision isn't needed to see his six-pack. |
| 105 | ** Somewhat averted in the '86 reboot. As Clark, he kept weights in his apartment to make it appear that he simply works out in order to obtain his muscular physique and prominently displays football trophies from high school to make him appear to be an ex-jock. |
| 106 | ** ''ComicBook/PowerGirl'': DependingOnTheArtist or [[DependingOnTheWriter Writer]], Peeg herself often does this in her civilian identity, at least to some extent, wearing turtlenecks that, at least, still outline her chest (and in fact, its often lampshaded that it would be ''impossible'' to hide this figure) but [[AmazonianBeauty obscure the fact she's also almost as jacked as her cousin]]. She isn't as consistent with this as Clark or Kara, however, and at least once has had someone figure out her secret identity for blackmail purposes because she failed to properly hide her identity. |
| 107 | ** ''ComicBook/{{Superboy}}'': Kon-El, during the 90s and late 2010s, tends towards wearing [[CivvieSpandex leather jackets over his spandex]] (he's even the image reference for that linked trope), that looks baggy enough that it makes him appear much smaller than the rest of his family's men, enough that he's even at times been described as a "twink" by both fans and even in-canon. When he's shown without his jacket, however, there's no mistaking him as the clone of Superman, as he's built line a linebacker. In the 2000s, this was averted, as he not only ditched the jacket just for a tight T-shirt that drew attention to his physique (which became even more ripped, with him becoming both taller and broader), but his civilian wear tended to do little to obscure this either |
| 108 | [[/folder]] |
| 109 | |
| 110 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 111 | * John's cloak in ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached'' makes him look like his normal, skinny Earth self. Take it off, however, and he's a [[WingedHumanoid winged demigod]]. Played for laughs in ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone: The Soft World'', because practically every time John takes his cloak off in front of someone, [[{{Squee}} they gasp or squeal]] or otherwise express... ''considerable'' admiration. |
| 112 | * ''Fanfic/LastChildOfKrypton'': Shinji wears shirts, baggy pants and multiple layers of clothing to hide his super-human muscles. The only time he wears -- reluctantly -- a skintight [[LatexSpaceSuit plug suit]], Misato and Ritsuko note that he's shockingly brawny and muscular. |
| 113 | -->'''Maya:''' Wow.\ |
| 114 | '''Misato:''' Yeah, puberty hit that kid like a freight train, didn't it? |
| 115 | * ''Fanfic/SOE2LoneHeirOfKrypton'': Asuka uses her regular school uniform and loose clothes to hide her muscular, sinewy physique. |
| 116 | * A sidestory of ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' has a minor example with RecurringCharacter Jeanette Fisher, who usually wears a kimono attire. Her traveling companion, A.J, gets the chance to see her without it and his thoughts imply she has a nice figure. |
| 117 | * Izuku's hidden six-pack abs are a RunningGag in ''Fanfic/MyHuntsmanAcademia''. Yang hoots and hollers when he works up the bravery to walk around in a t-shirt and shorts before going to bed and asks where he was hiding his muscles. After Initiation, Weiss derides Izuku as "green and skinny", only to swallow her words when Nora tricks him into running out of the shower with nothing but a towel on. |
| 118 | ** Coco deconstructs this while giving Izuku fashion advice. His choice of baggy, loose clothing hides his hard-earned muscles and makes him look weaker and stand out less. He could easily up his intimidation factor and divert attention away from civilians onto himself while fighting in a populated area simply by wearing more form-fitting clothing. |
| 119 | * In ''Fanfic/AvengerOfSteel'', featuring Clark Kent as part of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, while Clark uses his traditional disguise,he is further aided by a subtle computer virus Kelex added to Earth’s computers that prevents any facial recognition software from being able to accurately compare Clark Kent and Superman’s faces. |
| 120 | ** Steve and Thor attempt this when accompanying Clark and his neighbour, Jessica Jones, out for a drink, although Jessica insists that the idea is stupid. |
| 121 | * ''Fanfic/AvengerGoddess'' -- introducing Wonder Woman to the [=MCU=] in a similar manner -- Diana adopts glasses as part of a disguise while in London in 1944. |
| 122 | * In ''Fanfic/FateReachOut'', similar to canon, [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Shirou's]] clothing hides the fact that he's rather well-built for his age. Something the rest of the Investigation Team at the time find out when they go swimming in a river. |
| 123 | * Izuku again in ''Fanfic/YoungMidoriya'' is absolutely ripped, even more so than canon as he's had two extra years of training, but it's hardly obvious unless he's shirtless or in his hero costume. |
| 124 | * In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13239859/12/Unlimited Unlimited]]'', Izuku looks fit but a bit scrawny in normal clothing. Upon seeing him shirtless, even the incredibly ripped Mirio admits to feeling "chubby" by comparison[[labelnote:*]]Unlike canon, Izuku never got One For All and instead has achieved a CharlesAtlasSuperpower on par with [[Webcomic/OnePunchMan Saitama]][[/labelnote]]. |
| 125 | * The [[Music/{{Vocaloid}} titular character]] of [[https://ask.kagamine-len.com/ Ask Kagamine Len]]; he looks like an older version of his usual self most of the time, but one BeachEpisode reveals that ''[[https://ask.kagamine-len.com/post/621114880603389952 this]]'' is what he looks like without a shirt on. This was alluded to a few times beforehand -- one concept art page mentioned that Len was [[MuscleAngst "fit but embarrassed to show it"]]. |
| 126 | * Since the head writer of ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' mentioned that [[GreenThumb Willow]] works out regularly but avoids making a big deal about it, a number of fanartists and a few fanfic writers have run with the idea that she actively selects her wardrobe for the sake of looking [[BigBeautifulWoman 'Vaguely Chubby']] rather than 'Swole'. |
| 127 | * ''Fanfic/{{Anyone}}'': One of Izuku's new classmates is worried that their classmate "Akatani" will miss the school's mandatory medical check-up. Another one thinks back to that time he saw him change clothes before gym class and his HeroicBuild under them that completely classes with Izuku's baby face, and think to himself that he'll be fine. |
| 128 | * ''Fanfic/NotTheIntendedUseZantetsukenReverse'': Discussed in ''A Game of Cat and Cat''; on the [[IdiosyncraticRatingsScale scale of physical strength]], Soma falls at some place over "maybe he's ripped under that shirt" (and under "I'm willing to believe vampires are real if it can [[SuperStrength explain this]].") |
| 129 | [[/folder]] |
| 130 | |
| 131 | [[folder:Films -- Animation]] |
| 132 | * Helga Sinclair from ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' is a female example. When she wears clothing that fully covers her upper body, she doesn't look particularly muscular. Later in the film, she wears a tank top, which highlights her broad shoulders and prominent muscles. |
| 133 | * Tack from ''WesternAnimation/TheThiefAndTheCobbler'' looks pale and gangly at the start of the film, but by the end he's not only gained a nice tan, but once his extremely baggy outfit [[ClothingDamage gets ripped to shreds]] and he actually stands up straight for once he's surprisingly tall and athletic. |
| 134 | ** Earlier in the film, the Thief tries to steal some bananas from an old woman slowly walking through the city, only to discover she has arms like tree trunks and can handily slam him around and fold him into a pretzel. |
| 135 | [[/folder]] |
| 136 | |
| 137 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 138 | * ''Film/IchiTheKiller'': Jiji, the little old chessmaster, wears baggy clothing throughout the film. At the very end, he strips to his underwear to reveal a ridiculously muscled body. |
| 139 | * Referenced in ''Film/JuliaMisbehaves'', in which Julia meets Fred, an acrobat, on a boat trip to France. Julia flirts with Fred, complimenting his physique (despite Fred wearing a baggy suit and turtleneck), but she probably fell for this trope as much as the audience, since she is pleasantly surprised when she feels Fred's muscly bicep, and practically {{squee}}s on the spot. |
| 140 | * Standard in any Creator/BruceLee movie. Since he tends to play [[BewareTheNiceOnes Nice Guys who are pushed too far]] he would almost always begin his movies in slightly baggy clothing to hide the fact that he looks like he was twisted out of steel cable. It helps that Lee, despite being incredibly cut and strong, doesn't have exceptionally bulgy/bulky musculature. |
| 141 | * Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse does this trope well. |
| 142 | ** Tony Stark aka Film/IronMan doesn't ''look'' like a powerhouse, nor does he need to be physically fit since he has PoweredArmor and yet underneath his business suit he's pretty muscly. |
| 143 | ** Creator/ChrisPratt playing Peter Quill aka ''Star Lord'' in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'' initially looks no different from his flabby ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' character Andy... [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e9/31/ce/e931ced5f6e89c36819fe39603b0daa2.gif till his clothes are taken off]]. Very impressive since Chris lost 60 pounds in six months for the role. |
| 144 | ** Peter Parker aka [[Film/SpiderManHomecoming Spider-Man]] looks [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/98/c4/fd/98c4fd06d6db084086060931ef5cc1f8.jpg completely average]] while wearing normal clothes but when [[ShirtlessScene shirtless]] Peter [[http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/vulture/2017/04/18/18-spiderman-holland.w710.h473.2x.jpg is packed]], very fitting for the character. |
| 145 | ** [[Film/AntMan1 Scott Lang]] usually looks like he has an average physique when he is fully clothed. The moment he takes of his shirt, you can see he is as ripped as any [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse Marvel]] [[TheHero lead]]. Creator/PaulRudd [[Main/DyeingForYourArt worked]] hard to achieve that look. |
| 146 | * One of the best examples comes from the 1985 Creator/JackieChan[=/=]Creator/SammoHung action comedy ''Film/MyLuckyStars''. Creator/MichikoNishiwaki, in her first film role, is seen in the first part of the film wearing a kimono and acting in a very stereotypically demure Japanese lady-like way. And then she takes off the kimono. To understand the significance of this, Michiko Nishiwaki was Japan's first female powerlifting champion and the nation's first female bodybuilding champion. |
| 147 | * Early in ''Film/ThePrestige'', the protagonists have to work out how a weak old magician can hide a full fish tank. Turns out he's actually strong enough to grip it between his legs, pretending to be weak every minute of every day of his life. |
| 148 | * The Creator/JohnRitter comedy ''Film/SkinDeep'' had Ritter's character pick up an attractive blonde at a bar. When they get back to the bedroom, she takes off the dress and is revealed to be quite muscular. She was played by Creator/RayeHollitt, later one of the first ''Series/AmericanGladiators''. |
| 149 | * ''Film/SecretlyGreatly'': Dong-gu looks like a twig while wearing his tracksuit. Underneath it, Ryu-hwan is totally jacked. |
| 150 | * In Creator/PeterDavid's novelization of ''Film/SpiderMan2'', Jameson taps Peter Parker on the chest and is momentarily taken aback to discover "the seemingly scrawny Parker had pecs that felt like metal slabs". |
| 151 | * ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'': Possibly the greatest success of the Christopher Reeve movies was that he could pull off both meek Clark Kent and Superman and still fool people on the set into thinking that he was two different actors. Sure, the ClarkKenting jokes still won't stop, but people generally agree that Reeve made it believable. |
| 152 | * ''Film/{{Warcraft}}'': A villainous example in [[EvilSorcerer Gul'dan]] when he's challenged to [[TrialByCombat Mak'gorah]] by [[OurOrksAreDifferent Durotan]]. The hunched, hobbling warlock sheds his robe and stands to his full height to reveal he's ''absolutely shredded'', and manages to match the (still considerably larger) Durotan in hand-to-hand combat, only falling back on [[DarkMagic the fel]] when the portal is primed to open and he needs to end the fight quickly. |
| 153 | [[/folder]] |
| 154 | |
| 155 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 156 | * ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': The ancient sorcerer Belgarath is apparently ripped. He tends to wear loose, scruffy robes (they're much more comfortable, you see) and drink a lot, so not obvious when other characters see him, but it becomes noticed when he disrobes for a swim. |
| 157 | * ''Literature/TheDaevabadTrilogy'': Prince Ali has trained all his life to become his elder brother's [[TheGoodChancellor advisor]], so he's known for being a serious bookworm. However, the position doubles as head of the Royal Guard, so he's also [[MasterSwordsman trained all his life as a swordsman]], and is pure lean muscle underneath his conservative robes. Nahri finds this [[EatingTheEyeCandy very distracting]] when they're on the run together. |
| 158 | * In ''Literature/DeltoraQuest'' Lief and Jasmine are actually more toned and strong than their figure and clothes would suggest as revealed in the [[TournamentArc Rithmere Games]]. |
| 159 | * Weird example with Sazed in ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}''. Sazed always wears robes and is usually genuinely very skinny. However, he can become physically strong and very muscular by using his feruchemic powers to tap stored up strength and muscle-tone. Since Sazed tends to fight shirtless, the effect is that he is a skinny guy when clothed, and a muscular guy whenever the text describes him taking off his robes. |
| 160 | * In ''Literature/TheOdyssey'', Odysseus's beggar rags hide his fit physique. When he discards said rags to fight a lout named Irus, the witnesses are shocked at the powerful muscles that were hidden by the rags. |
| 161 | * In ''Literature/ProvenGuilty'', Charity gets a moment like this. While everyone's gearing up to storm a faerie stronghold, Harry tells Charity that, being a {{housewife}} and not a trained fighter like himself, Thomas, or Murphy, she should stay behind. Then she takes off her baggy sweater to start armoring up, and Harry notes that she "won some kind of genetic lottery," and that she's also ripped and muscled up. She then explains that not only does she make her husband's steel plate mail armor, but she's the one he spars and practices against. |
| 162 | * Invoked in ''Literature/RainbowSix'', in order to maintain the secrecy of their counter-terrorist group. The commandos of Rainbow travel by civilian airlines, dressed as businessmen wearing suits deliberately tailored to hide their physiques which would be a giveaway to their real identities as elite special forces. |
| 163 | [[/folder]] |
| 164 | |
| 165 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 166 | * Early on in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'', Roy Harper tells Thea that he considers Oliver to be "a bit of a wimp". Nobody would accuse Creator/StephenAmell of looking overweight or unfit, but his 'civilian' attire at this point seems to consist entirely of suits, which, as discussed in the Real Life section below, can conceal the finer details of a man's physique pretty well. |
| 167 | * ''Series/Batwoman2019''. [[BlackAndNerdy Luke Fox]] wears suit and tie to go with his MIT-graduate look, but the ''Series/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths2019'' showed an AlternateSelf [[HomoeroticSubtext lounging around Bruce Wayne's manor]] with his shirt open. Supergirl was quite impressed with the physique revealed. |
| 168 | * Jack Hodgins on ''Series/{{Bones}}'' is all geek, but in the first season Christmas episode he takes off his shirt and is very buff indeed. |
| 169 | * A possibly unintentional example; Xander from ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' is fairly ripped for a [[HollywoodHomely supposedly unattractive]] geek. Up until the Season 2 episode [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E20GoFish "Go Fish"]] Xander's outfits were scruffy oversized Hawaiian shirts. Then he joins the swim team. Even Cordelia looks interested. |
| 170 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': |
| 171 | ** The Third Doctor is first example of this, John Pertwee looks like just a regular [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSs56LMm0IsHAslCDhjuMLLBZmJ78ndAg3JOE2CW74W5LcoaO10 old dude with his kit on,]] but the ShowerScene in his first episode shows (along with his tattoo) that he’s actually [[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tdMNcM5j95g/URZqN8ttJ-I/AAAAAAAADks/KfWl5SF6m8s/s1600/tats.jpg "quite spry for [his] age."]] No wonder the Third Doctor could kick alien’s asses [[BareFistedMonk with his bare hands]]. |
| 172 | ** The Fourth Doctor too although he's less buff than solid and sinewy, there's no way you'd know underneath sixteen feet of garter stitch and layers and layers of Regency clothing. This is why "The Deadly Assassin" gives him a scene where he's dressed only in slim-cut trousers and a Mr. Darcy shirt and [[SexySoakedShirt has him get soaking wet]] during a fight scene. |
| 173 | ** The Tenth and Eleventh Doctors are more visibly built in their near-nude scenes than their normal eccentric clothes suggested. |
| 174 | %% * ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' has a subtle example in "Briar Rose" that pays off in a ''major'' way a few minutes later. |
| 175 | * In one episode of ''Series/FamilyMatters'', Carl and Steve get into an arm wrestling match. Carl wins (barely), and notes that Steve is a lot stronger than he looks. [[note]] Actor, Jaleel White, is actually very athletic in real life and keeps himself in very good shape [[/note]] Steve chalked it up to years of people making him carry their books for them. |
| 176 | * Dr Simon Tam in ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' is useless in a fight and often in rather smart duds -- until the final episode where an intruder on the titular ship holds him at gunpoint while he's getting ready for bed. ''Creator/JossWhedon'' even stops the DVD commentary for a moment's appreciation of Sean Maher's shirtless physique. |
| 177 | * Carlton in ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir''. He may be short, but he could still make a fair amount of men feel pretty inferior about their bodies. |
| 178 | * In one episode of ''Series/{{Friends}}'', Phoebe is dating two men at the same time, one of whom is very sensitive while the other is very buff. Deciding to choose [[BrainsVersusBrawn brains over brawns]], she tries to dump the buff guy... until he also turns out to be very sensitive. That means he has more advantages than the sensitive guy, right? Well, when Phoebe goes to his house to dump him instead, she sees him shirtless for the first time, and, well... this trope happens. |
| 179 | ** Ross Geller is an anthropology nerd who is TallDarkAndHandsome. [[https://youtu.be/1U-vppLPm2M?t=94 And when he takes off his shirt]] in this episode, he is actually quite well built. It is mentioned that he does work out sometimes. |
| 180 | * Creator/CrispinGlover as he [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALapHYNSmoA infamously appeared on]] ''Late Night with Creator/DavidLetterman'' looked especially scrawny, and he was just wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt... until he tried to challenge Letterman to arm wrestling, at which point Glover pulled up his sleeve and showed off his ridiculously muscled biceps to the audience. |
| 181 | * ''Series/TheGoodPlace'': Chidi is a nerdy professor and dresses like one most of the time, but Eleanor mentions that he is "surprisingly jacked". This is confirmed in Season 3 when he rips off his shirt during a breakdown and is shown to be quite well-built, more than characters of his archetype in fiction usually are anyways. |
| 182 | * Dr Martin Dear in ''Series/GreenWing'', as we see when he poses for a life drawing class. |
| 183 | * ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'': |
| 184 | ** In-universe, Atalanta in "Let the Games Begin". She is wearing a dress until she challenges her nephew to arm-wrestling. Her nephew is in shock when he sees how buff she is. |
| 185 | ** Another in-universe example in "If I Had a Hammer...". Atalanta is again in a dress, until she gets involved in a fight. After the fight (where her dress is torn off), her boyfriend left her as he had no idea how buff she was. |
| 186 | * In the first episode of ''Series/LoisAndClark'', Lois accidentally walks in on Clark shirtless in the bathroom at his apartment. Needless to say, she was surprised at what she saw. Even more so when she goes to get a drink out of his fridge and finds it's filled to the brim with junk food. She later asks him how he's able to eat like an eight-year-old and still look like "Mr. Hard-Body". |
| 187 | * Oddly, Jenny's fiancé from the first season of ''Series/TheLWord'' is like this. Any scene where he takes his shirt off is hard to pay attention to while trying to figure out where he'd been hiding those incredibly well-developed arms. |
| 188 | * Nerdy Billy Cranston from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' is often seen wearing baggy overalls and shirts that are a size or two too big. This is to hide the fact that his actor, David Yost, is a professional gymnast and built like a plow horse. As time went and Billy became more skilled at fighting he gradually wore clothing that showed off his physique more. |
| 189 | * Jimmy Palmer from ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' is revealed in Season 9 to have a great set of abs. To Abby, and even Gibbs comments. |
| 190 | * In ''Series/NightCourt'', Mac is usually depicted wearing rather colorful looking sweaters, so when he posed for an underwear ad in one episode, all the women on staff were taken aback to find out that under his clothes, he's actually pretty ripped. |
| 191 | -->'''Roz:''' How did Mac's head get on ''that'' body?! |
| 192 | * ''Series/RobinHood'': |
| 193 | ** Played straight with Allan-a-Dale, who appears at first glance to be a rather slim, unassuming guy no bigger than the other outlaws. But when him, Robin, Will, and Mulch are tied up, for some reason Allan was also stripped, and showed a rather jacked physique, which is odd given he was a simple conman whereas Robin and Mulch had just returned from war and Will was used to working farms. Inverted with everyone else, and apparently ''why'' only Allen was shirtless as [[WordOfGod supposedly]], his actor was the only one who'd had the sense to hit the gym before the series; the actors playing Robin and the others weren't particularly buff, but that wouldn't be very logical for an archer who'd just returned from the Third Crusades, so they kept him covered up to not draw attention to it. |
| 194 | ** Strangely played with Marian and Jaq, in a HiddenBuxom way that isn't remotely hidden; both characters attempt SweetPollyOliver disguises, with Jaq outright passing herself off as a guy to everyone besides the other Outlaws while Marian having essentially a superhero alter-ego as the Nightwatchman that everyone assumes is a man. Supposedly, in-universe, [[PaperThinDisguise these disguises fool everyone]], except the outfits they wear are still tailored to feminine figures (they're just wearing coats, with Jaq even leaving her coat open so that her form-fitting shirt can be seen underneath, while Marian avoids any extra padding to obscure her frame), so the audience can plainly identify them both as women. Its a case of this outfit being entirely informed. |
| 195 | * Solonius from ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'' looks like a typical spoiled, scrawny aristocrat. In his final episode, he's sentenced to fight in the GladiatorGames, and he's revealed to be incredibly ripped. |
| 196 | * In ''Series/StargateSG1'', Daniel Jackson wears baggy shirts for the first few seasons of the series and fit the stereotypical nerd profile, but later on he TookALevelInBadass and gets to show off some impressive biceps. |
| 197 | * PlayedForLaughs on ''Series/TheUmbrellaAcademy''. Luther wears an overcoat at all times to hide the fact that [[spoiler:he was turned into a human-gorilla hybrid following a failed mission that nearly resulted in his death]], except he's [[TopHeavyGuy positively massive]], even with the coat on, so it's a PaperThinDisguise at best. Lampshaded by one of his brothers, who asks him if he thinks that the coat is actually fooling anyone. |
| 198 | [[/folder]] |
| 199 | |
| 200 | [[folder:Professional Wrestling]] |
| 201 | * Wrestling/{{Carmella}} was introduced as a hairdresser coming in off the streets to learn to wrestle. At her first practice session, Enzo Amore expects her to be dainty and weak. Then she gets into her training gear -- revealing how ripped she is. Of course Leah Van Dale was previously a Laker's dancer and cheerleader, and had been training with WWE for over a year. |
| 202 | * Wrestling/VinceMcMahon is [[NonActionGuy a non-wrestler]] who primarily performs as alternatively the legitimate chairman/CEO of Wrestling/{{WWE}} or his colorful {{kayfabe}} persona "Mr. [=McMahon=]", [[BadassInANiceSuit wearing business formal at all times for both]]. Despite this, he's known in real life to maintain an intense personal workout regimen even in his advanced age, with the spare times where he does end up in the ring, ditching the formal wear, revealing that he's surprisingly jacked. |
| 203 | [[/folder]] |
| 204 | |
| 205 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 206 | * Dr. Casper Darling of ''VideoGame/{{Control}}'' ends up being pretty buff under his lab coat and sweater vest, as seen when he devolves into a NakedNutter by the end of the game. Then again, an ArtifactCollectionAgency like the FBC probably ''would'' require all employees including the scientists to be fit enough to defend themselves from a paranormal threat if needed (at least long enough for security to shoot it). Then there's the fact that [[spoiler:he's been exposed to so much Hedron resonance that he's about to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence. It's not unreasonable to assume that it also beefed him up at some point along the way]]. Finally, Darling only appears in live-action videos, not as an in-game model, and it would have been unreasonable to make Creator/MatthewPorretta [[DyeingForYourArt lose any muscles he might have had]] for a role in a video game. |
| 207 | * ''VideoGame/FireEmblemHeroes'': [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/f/f6/Innes_Heroes.png/revision/latest?cb=20170907021412 This]] is [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Innes]]. [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/f/fc/Innes_%28Summer%27s_Arrival%29_Heroes.png/revision/latest?cb=20180621090135 This]] is Innes in a swimsuit. |
| 208 | * Felix from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' looks like a fairly short and slim young man in his outfits, but during one support [[ActionGirl Leonie]] notes that he is much heavier than she expected, implying that he's deceptively muscular under his clothes. His strength stat is ''absolutely ridiculous'', as he has one of the very highest caps out of all characters in the game, even moreso than characters like [[TheBigGuy Raphael]], who are much taller and heavily built and visibly bulging with muscle. In fact, only two characters can have a higher potential strength, Dimitri and Edelgard, who are the leaders of two of the titular houses and both have magical causes for their strength. Dimitri [[HeroicLineage inherited a Crest]] that grants him superhuman strength, to the degree that routinely has great difficulty handling things in his everyday life without breaking them, and Edelgard gained her physical strength thanks to [[spoiler:cruel human experiments done with magic with the purpose of making her a SuperSoldier who could kill off the last of the ancient dragons and overthrow their secret grip on the world.]] |
| 209 | * ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' gives the male Shepard a ''drastically'' different physique depending on what he's wearing. Just compare his arms in the [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/masseffect/images/2/2f/Default_Casual_Cargo.png/revision/latest?cb=20100620082313 default attire]] to the [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/masseffect/images/0/06/Default_Casual_Roughneck.png/revision/latest?cb=20100620082435 "Roughneck"]] version. |
| 210 | * Kounosuke in ''VisualNovel/{{Morenatsu}}'' superficially looks more boyish when fully-clothed (just chubbier than other characters), but he displays very much a {{bara|genre}} body type when the shirt comes off. |
| 211 | * In ''VideoGame/Persona5'', while Joker usually conceals it with his school uniform or PhantomThief garb, Kawakami's massages show that his antics in the Metaverse have made him pretty ripped. That said, this is an InformedAttribute, when Joker is shown shirtless he's shown to have a slender build. |
| 212 | * ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'': Leon doesn’t appear to be a muscular powerhouse like Chris, but FormFittingWardrobe [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1a/50/a2/1a50a243c27bf0750f950801aa1c529c.jpg reveals his physique]]. Wesker is of similar mold, his build doesn’t make him [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/Albert_Wesker.png physically imposing,]] but his ShirtlessScene shows [[https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/intermediary/f/0d4ca459-1883-47d6-8f21-b6b00285257a/d2jmoql-a3ff04be-5772-497a-83d1-4dc31eb2c790.jpg he’s quite buff]]. |
| 213 | ** Female characters get this occasionally as S.T.A.R.S battlegear does a good job hiding curvaceous bodies (e.g Jill and Rebecca). Claire in the ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake RE2make]]'' doesn’t [[https://66.media.tumblr.com/7b4398a28efdee57c37fbb4fccf398ee/tumblr_pfrc437Rkp1s6ub5do4_250.gif seem buxom at all,]] but when [[HiddenBuxom she takes her jacket off]] Claire shows that [[https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZpHb-6jbhK8/maxresdefault.jpg she’s actually quite curvy.]] In the same game Ada’s figure is pretty well hidden by her coat until she takes it off. |
| 214 | * ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'': When not busy eviscerating anyone on the planet who's come into contact with a particular sword, Ivy Valentine wears a Tudor gown and passes for a noblewoman. |
| 215 | * ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'': Peter Parker looks so utterly average in [[https://media.comicbook.com/2018/04/spiderman-1102387-1280x0.jpeg civilian clothes]], you'd never guess how superhero [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/89/77/c0/8977c0d9b159154fa62a8ae1e20194ec.jpg shredded]] he really is. |
| 216 | * In ''VideoGame/TalesFromTheBorderlands'', Vaughn is a corporate accountant and has [[GeekPhysiques the scrawny physique to match]]... or at least, that's how he looks with his shirt ''on''. When he takes it off, he turns out to be surprisingly jacked underneath it. |
| 217 | * In ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', Yuri is often mistaken as a girl due to his long hair and lithe figure. However, his [[VideoGame/SoulSeries Mitsurugi]] costume shows, his figure is more akin to a swimmer. |
| 218 | * ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'': Wonderful-Red, or [[SecretIdentity Will Wedgewood]] appears to be anything but a hero. He panics, he stutters, and he's got really thick NerdGlasses. However, as soon as the children are out of sight, TheGlassesComeOff, and Mr. Wedgewood is suddenly acting far more heroic and confident, even before donning his CENTINEL suit. |
| 219 | * In the ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' series, characters of seemingly average builds often wear suits that hide incredibly muscular physiques that they only reveal when they [[BattleStrip rip it all off]] for boss battles. |
| 220 | [[/folder]] |
| 221 | |
| 222 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 223 | * Invoked in ''Webcomic/BetterDays'' when Fisk is recruited by the same [[NoSuchAgency black ops agency]] his father worked for. The first thing his trainer says will be to get him appropriate civilian clothing to hide all of his muscles and to learn how not to stand like a soldier. |
| 224 | * In the Lowroad Comics strip ''Giselle'', this is taken to absurdity with the Butler, who's usually a small, scrawny imp, [[http://lowroad75.comicgenesis.com/d/20091129.html revealing a statuesque physique on the beach.]] |
| 225 | * ''Webcomic/OniGF'': One strip shows that Billy, the male lead, follows an intense workout regimen and has an incredibly jacked physique. You would never know this when he's wearing his high school uniform, however. |
| 226 | * Wren from ''Webcomic/WhiteNoise'' has a thin, lanky build and [[http://whitenoisecomic.com/comic/page-18-chapter-7/ looks pretty scrawny.]] [[ArtEvolution In the early strips]] [[http://whitenoisecomic.com/comic/page-4-chapter-1/ he looks like]] a full-blown [[NoodlePeople Noodle Person]]. (He's also a long-haired PrettyBoy, so he looks [[DudeLooksLikeALady downright girly]].) But when we see him [[http://whitenoisecomic.com/comic/page-22-chapter-7/ shirtless,]] he's ''ripped''. |
| 227 | * ''Webcomic/YumisCells'' has Assistant Manager Shin, who looks like an uptight, bespectacled nerd but surprisingly does weightlifting and as a result is pretty ripped underneath his suit and shirt. |
| 228 | [[/folder]] |
| 229 | |
| 230 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 231 | * ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': |
| 232 | ** Bumi, the King of Omashu looks like a harmless, hunched-over old man wearing an obnoxiously ornate outfit. But when Aang chooses to challenge him to save his friends, he throws off his robes and reveals a frighteningly ripped old man. |
| 233 | ** Iroh, when put into prison, wore a ragged cape covering his body at all times and [[ObfuscatingStupidity acted like he had lost his marbles]] to confuse the warden. In reality, he had been training and preparing for his escape on the day of the black sun, and below his clothes, he was hiding his impressively ripped abs. |
| 234 | * ''WesternAnimation/AvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'': [[ComicBook/TheWasp Janet Van Dyne]] is a HiddenBuxom female example; in both her civilian clothes and even her superhero attire, it obscures her frame to make her look like [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/avengersearthsmightiestheroes/images/0/0e/HxqnUlh.png/revision/latest?cb=20160924134734 a cute, dainty young woman]]. But when we see her in a bikini, it turns out not [[https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KM951rLu4PQ/maxresdefault.jpg only does she visibly have a tight stomach, but also an impressive buxom]]. As it seems, this version of Janet likes to personify herself as the KidAppealCharacter of the team rather than the MsFanservice despite having the looks for it. |
| 235 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': |
| 236 | ** A variation on this: in the episode "Raging Bender", Bender constantly annoys a taller, lankier robot with an innocent-sounding voice during a showing at the movie theater, causing him to start a fight with him. Trouble is, the robot proceeds to sport several pounds of metal on his body, turning him into his alter-ego: famous robot wrestler "The Masked Unit". |
| 237 | ** In "Parasites Lost", [[DoggedNiceGuy Fry]] is infested with alien worms that make him both smarter and more physically fit. When called to defend [[LoveInterest Leela]]'s honor, he rips off his shirt to reveal a nonsensically muscular physique. However, before and after the infestation he looks more like you would expect. |
| 238 | * The lawyer from ''WesternAnimation/TheMarvelousMisadventuresOfFlapjack'' who takes up Flapjack as an apprentice. Captain K'nuckles challenges him to a boxing fight in order to get Flapjack back, but when he takes off his business suit, not only does he show lots of muscle, but he [[CostumesChangeYourSize grows in height as well]]! (He also puts on a fake mustache to look more like an old-fashioned bodybuilder.) |
| 239 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'' -- childlike Toki is seen to be quite fit, in spite of the dissipated lifestyle he and his bandmates live. |
| 240 | * ''WesternAnimation/MightyMouse'': In the Bakshi series, Mighty Mouse's alter ego of Mike Mouse has all the hero's physical features, all under the guise of a factory worker's uniform and hat. His superhero uniform's sleeves are still visible, so it's a wonder that Pearl hadn't caught on by then. |
| 241 | ** Scrappy had a hunch and asked Mike about it in "All You Need is Glove." Mike revealed to Scrappy he was Mighty Mouse...sworn to secrecy, of course. |
| 242 | * Marquess from ''WesternAnimation/MikeTysonMysteries'' is a foppish ghost who looks like he'd be scrawny, but is totally ripped under his 19th-century clothes. Appropriate for the ghost of the man who developed Queensberry boxing. |
| 243 | * ''Westernanimation/RickAndMorty'': A RunningGag in the episode [[RickAndMortyS4E6NeverRickingMorty "Never Ricking Morty"]] is characters ripping off their shirts to reveal what Morty calls "Cum Gutters" (washboard abs, large pecks, and big arms) before beating them to a pulp. Rick is disgusted by the term and its visual, but then also starts calling them that. |
| 244 | * Adora of ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'' is a female example. She often wears an orange jacket that makes her look like a slender girl with an average build. Without the jacket, though, she's shown to be [[AmazonianBeauty more muscular than even her own She-Ra persona]]. |
| 245 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': |
| 246 | ** Ned Flanders, Homer's fundamentally religious Christian neighbor and do-gooder, wears a sweater that hides his [[StupidSexyFlanders comically well-developed body, much to Homer's envy]]. Although "Envy" may not be ''quite'' the name of the deadly sin you're looking for here. |
| 247 | ** Groundskeeper Willie's physique looks a bit like Popeye's, with large forearms and an otherwise unexceptional upper body, but whenever he removes his shirt, he's muscled like a [[Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse He-Man]] doll. |
| 248 | ** When the Comic Book Guy starts vandalizing a competing comic book store in a fit of rage, Creator/AlanMoore, Creator/ArtSpiegelman and [[ComicBook/GhostWorld Dan Clowes]] proceed to rip off their shirts and reveal that they have the [[HeroicBuild physiques of superheroes]]. |
| 249 | * Parodied in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'', where [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick compete against each other in the Fry Cook Olympics, and they both rip off their shirts to reveal Herculean bodies for a wrestling competition. Patrick had to do this ''twice'' because he was somehow wearing a business suit underneath. This is just for a one-time joke, of course; Patrick is otherwise always shirtless and overweight, while [=SpongeBob=] himself has trouble lifting even a barbell made out of teddy bears. |
| 250 | * Incredibly zig-zagged in the WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck vehicle ''WesternAnimation/StuporDuck''. His Cluck Trent is Daffy in a suit and hat; his Stupor Duck is Daffy in a Superman outfit with the simple embellishment of shoulder brace that makes him look broad and powerful. |
| 251 | * ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'': Along with the TropeNamer, the show's iteration of Lois Lane is a female example. She usually wears a big, bulky purple, or sometimes red, blouse, but when she wears clothes that show off more of her body, we find she has a very toned, athletic physique underneith. |
| 252 | * Ava Ayala, AKA, White Tiger, from ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012'' is a female example. Her civilian outfit makes her looks like a slender teenage girl of average build. But whenever she's in her White Tiger outfit, or when she wears a bikini in one episode, we see just how ripped she is. |
| 253 | * ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'': Chase Young's arms look pretty thin underneath his black shirt. When he appears shirtless in the BadFuture in the series finale, his arms are revealed to be more muscular. |
| 254 | [[/folder]] |
| 255 | |
| 256 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 257 | * All of the male leads on ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' wear layers and/or loose clothes, but if you look closely, they've got some fairly impressive physiques to be portraying characters whose exercise regimen mostly involves walking up and down stairs and the occasional Wii game. |
| 258 | * Craig Walsh-Wrightson, the guy who played Solonius in ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'', surprised everybody in the studio when he removed his shirt and revealed his well-chiseled physique. |
| 259 | * Creator/BishopBarron generated some surprise in [[https://www.facebook.com/LiturgyMemes/photos/a.1149222488478341.1073741828.1149110911822832/1853328111401105 a Facebook photo in which his shirt showed his muscular arms.]] |
| 260 | * Creator/AndersonCooper is [[https://youtu.be/BhO5r4wMdpA?t=79 ridiculously muscular.]] However, this is more of a [[DownplayedTrope downplayed example]] given that his huge biceps and triceps are usually visible through his T-shirts, but not through his suits. |
| 261 | * Fran Kranz is actually in pretty good shape but tends to play the ButtMonkey a lot. Notably in ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'', he wears a baggy t-shirt when everyone else is swimming in the lake -- WordOfGod saying they didn't want audiences getting distracted by Marty being so ripped. |
| 262 | * Creator/ThomasQuill was cast several months after he had been working out in the gym. One scene required him to be in nothing but a swimsuit and when he stripped off everyone could only stare at the impressive shape he was in for two minutes. Director Rebecca Rose Flynn then sneakily ensured he'd be shirtless in the next scene as well. |
| 263 | * The athletic figure [[note]]result of years of ballet training[[/note]] of Japanese actor Sou Okuno had to be covered for the role of an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent [[Series/KamenRiderZiO Sougo Tokiwa]]. The bizarre oversized clothes used also highlight his baby face and are fitting ridiculous for the {{Cloudcuckoolander}} that Sougo is. |
| 264 | * Figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (and many of his colleagues) often wear costumes that emphasize his small proportions (especially [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRfTLpcaz_U his waist]], even when standing next to fellow PrettyBoy Roman Sadovsky) and gracefulness. Beneath them, he's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVqUJu9my5c actually ripped,]] as befitting a figure skater on top of his form in a sport/art where muscle size isn't relative to strength. His coach, Brian Orser, used to have a six-pack [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCL786w-FFo back when he was skating.]] |
| 265 | * Welsh scrum-half Gareth Davies looks short and scrawny, but actually has an [[https://i2-prod.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article13179506.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/CDF_100617_WalesRugbyRecovery12JPG.jpg incredible physique.]] [[https://i2-prod.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article27229278.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200b/0_JS304013758-1.jpg Recently, he seems to have bulked up even further.]] |
| 266 | * Rhydian Roberts was initially portrayed as nerdy and inept, he never looked back once he revealed to the world [[https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/79/590x/secondary/Rhydian-Roberts-348156.jpg he actually looks like this.]] |
| 267 | [[/folder]] |
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