| 1 | %%% |
| 2 | %% |
| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
| 4 | %% |
| 5 | %%% |
| 6 | |
| 7 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1449866623071843100 |
| 8 | %% Image kept on page per IP thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1606299755061028200 |
| 9 | %% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 10 | %% |
| 11 | [[quoteright:350:[[Film/{{Spectre}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oberhauser_composite_1.jpg]]]] |
| 12 | [-[[caption-width-right:350:"It was me, Franchise/{{James|Bond}}. The author of all your pain."]]-] |
| 13 | %% |
| 14 | %% Caption selected per above IP thread. Please do not replace or remove without discussion in the Caption Repair thread: |
| 15 | %% https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1404492079030138900 |
| 16 | %% |
| 17 | ->''"At last, the masks had fallen away. The strings of the puppets had become visible, and the hands of the prime mover exposed."'' |
| 18 | -->-- ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain'' |
| 19 | |
| 20 | A situation where a StoryArc contains a BigBad whose identity is not known until [[TheReveal much later]]. This could be a result of the heroes going against TheFaceless, requiring only a look under the mask to understand everything. In most cases, this is an {{inver|tedTrope}}sion of the HiddenAgendaVillain, where we know that something bad is happening and the DrivingQuestion is the one behind it all. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | Usually a MagnificentBastard post reveal. Compare TheManBehindTheMan, except without the first man, and TheManInFrontOfTheMan, who is HiddenInPlainSight. It can only overlap if the first man is ''obviously'' a DiscOneFinalBoss. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | If the Hidden Villain turns out to be a previously known antagonist, see HijackedByGanon. If it was someone who was never suspected at all, then TheDogWasTheMastermind. Not to be confused with EvilAllAlong, where a seemingly good character turns out to be evil. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | TheReveal may involve a dramatic EmergingFromTheShadows. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | ---- |
| 29 | !!Examples: |
| 30 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 31 | |
| 32 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 33 | * The central mystery of ''Manga/TwentiethCenturyBoys'' is who lies under the mask that [[BigBad Friend]] wears. |
| 34 | * Lucius Zogratis from ''Manga/BlackClover'' is the overarching villain of the story, having infiltrated the [[spoiler:Clover Kingdom as Julius Novachrono]] and groomed his younger siblings the Dark Triad to become devil hosts and form the Tree of Qliphoth. The existence of the eldest Zogratis is shown quite some time after the Dark Triad's introduction. And then he's revealed to be [[spoiler:the other soul of Julius, who was introduced in the very first chapter, and planned for the magic knights to defeat Lucifero to obtain his heart]]. With his hijacking of their body from [[spoiler:Julius after Damnatio confronts Julius about being the devil host of Astaroth]], he states that "[[VillainNoLongerIdle the time has come]]", stepping into the BigBad role for the [[GrandFinale final arc]]. |
| 35 | * ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': One of the shinigami, [[spoiler:Sosuke Aizen]]. This particular [[TheReveal Reveal]] was quite the WhamEpisode. |
| 36 | * [[HeWhoMustNotBeSeen Lord Baan/Vearn]] from ''Manga/DragonQuestTheAdventureOfDai''. Of course, when he is revealed, he's pretty unimposing. Until much, much later, when you learn that [[spoiler: he's really inhabiting the body of a [[TheDragon lesser character]] who attempts GrandTheftMe on Hyunkeru to transfer to a younger, stronger body. Both the body-snatcher & the intended victim are white haired]]. |
| 37 | * In ''Manga/FairyTail'', the Dark Guild [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Tartaros]] is led by [[TheDreaded E.N.D.]], the mightiest of all of [[BigBad Zeref's]] demons, powerful enough to fight [[PlayingWithFire The Fire Dragon King Igneel]] and one of the few beings in existence with the power to actually [[LaserGuidedTykebomb kill]] [[DeathSeeker Zeref himself]]. Despite this, we never see E.N.D. in person throughout the eponymous arc, due to being [[SealedEvilInACan sealed]] away within his [[TomeOfEldritchLore Book of Zeref]], the opening of which is the crux behind the villains' actions throughout. By the end, Tartaros is defeated, but [[DiabolusExMachina Zeref]] shows up to take E.N.D.'s book before it can be destroyed by the heroes. At the very end, alone, Zeref reveals that E.N.D. is actually a character we've seen in the series already, his powers and memory allegedly within the book and he himself unaware of his own existence as a demon. That person? [[spoiler:[[TheHero Natsu Dragneel]] himself, as shown by E.N.D.'s full name being '''E'''therious '''N'''atsu '''D'''ragneel]] and Zeref referring to both of them as the same person, [[SplitPersonality yet at the same time different]]. |
| 38 | %%* While ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' introduced its main antagonist quite early on, ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'' plays this straight. |
| 39 | * In the anime/manga of ''Literature/TheHeroicLegendOfArslan'', only Silvermask/Hilmes is aware of the full involvement of the Zahhak sorcerers in the story. Otherwise, the sorcerers take great lengths to avoid being seen or witnessed by others, in order to divide the fractions of Pars (and Lusitania) against each other, rather than for both kingdoms to recognize them as a common enemy. Arslan's group has seen and survived encounters with the sorcerers and even managed to kill a few but they remain completely in the dark as to who the sorcerers are and what their purpose and plans are. |
| 40 | * ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'': |
| 41 | ** The main villain of ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Golden Wind]]'', Diavolo, is only known as [[TheDon The Boss]] of Passione for the majority of the arc, and in all his appearances until near the very end, he's either TheFaceless with his face completely shadowed over, or appearing as his SplitPersonality Vinegar Doppio (who he ''physically morphs into'', so Doppio doesn't even look like him). In this case, he ''wants'' to be a completely hidden to maintain his power forever, to the point of killing anyone, even [[OffingTheOffspring his own daughter]], who could possibly threaten his rule, be it someone who tries to find out anything about him, has even seen his face, or shares his own blood. |
| 42 | ** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureJoJolion JoJolion]]'': Josuke and his allies come into conflict with the Rock Humans when their smuggling ring seeks the Locacaca branch. After discovering a connection at T.G. University Hospital, they figure that the head doctor, Satoru Akefu, is the one calling the shots. [[spoiler:Then, it is revealed that Satoru is actually the Stand of the real leader, Toru, who acts as the hospital's seemingly well-meaning intern to cover his true identity]]. |
| 43 | * In the first season of ''Anime/{{K}}'', the events were all secretly orchestrated by [[spoiler:the Green King]], who becomes the main antagonist of the second season. |
| 44 | * ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'' appears to have an obvious big bad at first: a nihilistic killer with psychic powers named Legato Bluesummers, who has seemingly assembled a private army just to destroy Vash. Midway through the Legato arc, we're given a flashback episode that reveals the existence of Vash's brother Knives. A few episodes later, we finally learn that Legato has been acting under Knives' orders all along, and his true objective isn't to kill Vash, but to [[spoiler: force Vash to kill Legato.]] |
| 45 | [[/folder]] |
| 46 | |
| 47 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 48 | * The head of Leviathan in ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman, Inc.]]'' is shown as a mysterious figure in white robes and a skull mask, until TheReveal in ''Leviathan Strikes!'' that [[spoiler:her identity is Talia al Ghul]]. |
| 49 | * ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'': There is an "emperor" (known to the Fables as "The Adversary") and his identity is a secret for a large part of the comic's run, until we find out it's [[spoiler: Geppetto]] of all people. |
| 50 | * ''ComicBook/ALittleSomethingSpecial'': The team-up between the Beagle Boys, Flintheart Glomgold, and Magica [=DeSpell=] on Scrooge's 50th anniversary in Duckburg is orchestrated from afar by Duckburg's first citizen: [[spoiler:Grandpa Blackheart Beagle]]. |
| 51 | * ''ComicBook/MsMarvel2014'': The Inventor is first mentioned in #3 by Vick and #4 by his henchmen. In #5, his face is revealed to the readers for the first time, and in #6, Kamala encounters a holographic projection of him. [[spoiler:The two finally meet face-to-giant robot-piloting face in #10.]] |
| 52 | * The first ''ComicBook/SinCity'' story hid the SerialKiller Kevin until halfway through. Because of the movie, which actually shows him performing the killing of Goldie, most people realize who he is, but it was a specific mystery at first. |
| 53 | * The Comedian's murderer and the person responsible for the events of ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}''. It turns out that [[spoiler:Adrian Veidt AKA Ozymandias is behind it, [[KnightTemplar all in the name of]] [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans world peace]] of course.]] |
| 54 | * Used to create a new villain in ''X-Factor''. There was a shadowy villain pulling the strings for several issues, and it was originally intended to be the Owl. For various reasons, this was nixed, and when the reveal came, prolific X-Men nemesis {{ComicBook/Apocalypse}} made his debut. |
| 55 | [[/folder]] |
| 56 | |
| 57 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 58 | * Discord is responsible for pretty much everything in ''Fanfic/DiariesOfAMadman'', but only the reader is aware of his involvement until much later on in the story. |
| 59 | * In ''Fanfic/MegaManDefenderOfTheHumanRace'', Mr. Black is initially seen as faceless, but eventually his face, backstory, and name are slowly revealed, as well as his motivations and target. |
| 60 | ** The Conduit, his boss, is also this to a greater degree, having several decoys at hand. His true identity as Lex Loath was only revealed just before the arc where he's defeated. |
| 61 | * In ''Fanfic/FateZeroSanity'', there is another presence within the Grail alongside [[MadeOfEvil Angra Mainyu]], but aside from some names that have some ties to him (Reaper, Grey), the presence's true name isn't revealed until the very end by Angra Mainyu at his own request. Who is it? [[spoiler: [[VideoGame/MegaManZX Prometheus]]]]. |
| 62 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/OldWest'', mercenaries harass the people of Mud, Grace Glossy's lands are wanted by someone, and Mud's water supply is blocked in order to drive the people away [[spoiler:while a large gold deposit underneath the town is being harvested]]. It's not until the 13th chapter that the mastermind behind everything appears. |
| 63 | * ''Fanfic/ThePiecesLieWhereTheyFell'': The Big Bad of the story, whose existence is revealed relatively early on, but whose identity isn't revealed until the final arc of the first story. [[spoiler: It's the Nightmare, the same entity that once possessed Princess Luna and turned her into Nightmare Moon, and is currently possessing the King of Equestria.]] |
| 64 | ** Other stories set in the same multiverse, including the final stories of the [[Fanfic/EscapeFromTheMoon Doa-verse]] and [[Fanfic/ADiplomaticVisit Diplomacy-verse]] have revealed the existence of a mysterious villain who exists in the Place Between Realms, the Void Between Dimensions, but whom none of the protagonists (save one who died shortly after finding out they existed, though not much more than that) know about. |
| 65 | * In the tradition of the Green Goblin and the Hobgoblin from the ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' comics, the fanfic ''[[Fanfic/UltimateSpiderWoman Ultimate Spider-Woman: Change With The Light]]'' features Jack O' Lantern as Spider-Woman's ArchEnemy along with several characters who could be his true identity. Said identity is eventually revealed at the end of issue #29. |
| 66 | * The sidestory "Shadows of the Jungle" of ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' is told in an ApocalypticLog format, and it's not revealed until the very final entry who's the one behind the vicious Bug Pokémon attacks. [[spoiler:It's a female bloodliner who controls them like a goddess or HiveQueen of sorts, and not a Legendary Pokémon as the crew had initially assumed]]. |
| 67 | * ''Fanfic/BecomingATrueInvader'': The story's BigBad, the Employer, is [[EvilIsNotWellLit cloaked in shadows]] for most of the story, hiding his identity until the climax, where he's revealed to be [[spoiler: [[TheDogWasTheMastermind Minimoose, of all people]]]]. |
| 68 | * Fanfic/{{Heroverse}}: |
| 69 | ** ''Fanfic/AceSavvyANewHope'': For a time, the true cause of Ace Savvy's death was unknown. It isn't until much later when it is revealed that [[spoiler:Lord Tetherby was the one who arranged his death.]] |
| 70 | ** ''Fanfic/PowerChordHighSchoolMusical'': One of the big mysteries of the fic is who is the person behind the mysterious affiliations of the students that cause them to reveal their biggest secrets. At the end, it's revealed that it is [[spoiler:Luan, who wants revenge for her mistreatment.]] |
| 71 | [[/folder]] |
| 72 | |
| 73 | [[folder:Film — Live-Action]] |
| 74 | * ''Film/Detonator2003'': In the end, Robert Brickland is exposed as the main antagonist of the film for he orchestrated the events to further his career in the FBI. |
| 75 | * ''Film/TheElementOfCrime'', made worse by the fact that the elusive child killer may actually [[spoiler:have been dead even before the events portrayed in the movie.]] ''And the whole movie is a flashback''. |
| 76 | * [[spoiler: Aldrich Killian]] in ''Film/IronMan3'', who was the real BigBad behind [[spoiler: the fake Mandarin]]. |
| 77 | * ''Film/JamesBond'' |
| 78 | ** Milos Columbo seems to be the villain of ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly'' at first, but he's just a RedHerring to cover up the real mastermind: [[spoiler:Aris Kristatos]]. |
| 79 | ** The identity of "Janus", the leader of TheSyndicate in ''Film/GoldenEye'' is kept hidden in the beginning, but is eventually revealed to be [[spoiler:Alec Trevelyn, James Bond's [[BigBadFriend former partner and best friend]]]]. |
| 80 | ** Pictured above: the BigBad of the movie ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' is Franz Oberhauser, who briefly appears early in the film, but his true name [[spoiler:[[CanonCharacterAllAlong Ernst]] [[HijackedByGanon Stavro Blofeld]]]], isn't revealed until his later appearance near the climax, as is his status as TheManBehindTheMan for the previous antagonists in the rebooted series. |
| 81 | * [[spoiler:Sir Lancelot]] in ''[[Film/NightAtTheMuseum Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb]]'', [[spoiler:though he does pull a HeelFaceTurn in the climax]]. |
| 82 | * ''Film/{{Seven}}'': John Doe's identity is not known until the very end. Kevin Spacey's involvement in the film was kept a secret so that even the actor playing the villain would be a surprise to audiences. |
| 83 | * The film version of ''Film/SinCity'' hid Kevin to a lesser extent than the comic, since he's briefly seen just before he kills Goldie. He's still a Hidden Villain however, since the audience has no idea who he even is at this point. |
| 84 | * In ''Film/Underworld2003'', although Lucian is set up as the main villain he turns out to be a DiscOneFinalBoss while [[spoiler:Viktor, the assumed BigGood,]] is revealed to be the one really responsible for the conflict between vampires and [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Lycans]]. |
| 85 | * In ''Film/TheUsualSuspects'', the mythical Keyser Soze is mentioned right from the beginning, yet his involvement in the events isn't at least somewhat understood until the climax, and only fully comprehensible at [[TwistEnding the very end]]. |
| 86 | * In ''Film/{{Valentine}}'', it quickly becomes apparent that the Cupid-faced serial killer weaving in and out of the main quintet's lives is Jeremy Melton, who was framed for sexual assault by four of the friends as a boy. This detail is clarified by the killer's bleeding nose, a trait Jeremy suffers from while under stress. However, Jeremy hasn't been seen in years; the real trouble is figuring out which character is Jeremy's public identity before he completes his vendetta. |
| 87 | [[/folder]] |
| 88 | |
| 89 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 90 | * The villain of ''Literature/CardForceInfection'', the source of the eponymous infection, is unknown, but it's been determined that it's definitely an intelligent and malevolent entity (as opposed to something like a law of nature). Since nobody knows who this is, they just call them "the devil" for now. |
| 91 | * Creator/BrandonSanderson's ''[[Literature/TheCosmere Cosmere]]'': |
| 92 | ** It was very obvious from the beginning of ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' that [[EvilOverlord the Lord Ruler]] won his position by saving the world from something [[OmnicidalManiac even worse]]. In the second book, it was revealed that this entity was still around, [[spoiler: and it was freed from its [[SealedEvilInACan prison]] at the climax. In the third book, the entity was revealed as Ruin, primordial god of entropy and destruction]]. |
| 93 | ** In ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}'' the BigBad is hidden for almost the entire novel, and the most obvious candidates are eliminated one by one (either by proving harmless, or revealed to be only a cog in the big machine). [[spoiler: It turns out to be Bluefingers, the God King's kindly, timid secretary, who had been considered an ''ally'' of the heroes up to that point.]] |
| 94 | ** ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': For the first two books, Taravangian is one for the main characters. In a classic case of DramaticIrony, the reader knows, but no one else does. They learn of his organization at the end of [[Literature/WordsOfRadiance the second book]], but not his identity. |
| 95 | * ''Literature/{{Daemon}}'': The Major is only the DragonInChief[=/=][[TheHeavy Heavy]] of the duology. We never get to meet the true face of the conspiracy he is an enforcer for. |
| 96 | * ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'': The Crimson King isn't mentioned till Book 4. From that point on details are given bit by bit. |
| 97 | * The [[TheHeartless dragon-snakes]] from ''Literature/TheDeathGateCycle'' are the collective BigBad and the incarnation of evil in that multiverse, given form by magic gone awry. As such, they're technically the ultimate villains all along, but are only introduced directly in the fourth book, ''Serpent Mage''. |
| 98 | * In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', it isn't even hinted that there might be something moving behind the scenes until the end of the second book. Said Hidden Villain was chased after for ''over ten years'', and the most tangible evidence that they existed was [[spoiler:the traitor Peabody, who was immediately removed from the equation]]. It is finally [[spoiler:confirmed in ''Literature/ColdDays'', and it is implied the villain ''may not even be from our reality''. Then the aftermath of the final battle in ''Literature/BattleGround'' reveals that "Nemesis" has been the GreaterScopeVillain of the series all along, and TheManBehindTheMan towards Ethniu (using the Titan as its UnwittingPawn), when Harry manages to put the pieces together, with only he and Lara Raith being aware of its involvement. Its true identity is "He Who Walks Beside", one of the three Walkers who serve the Outsiders -- beings from outside reality and seek to bring about the end of all Creation]]. |
| 99 | * Most of the plotline of the ''Literature/{{Inda}}'' series is driven by EvilSorcerer Erkric's scheming, as he's the one driving [[TheEmpire the Venn]] to be more warlike and expansionistic, but he's not directly introduced until the last third of the second book and his central role doesn't become apparent until later. This is at least in part because the Venn are initially portrayed as a faceless military juggernaut, though -- he's introduced at the same time as [[UnwittingPawn Prince Rajnir]] and [[AntiVillain Commander Durasnir]], the other two main Venn characters. |
| 100 | * ''Literature/KillDecision'': We never see the true face of the villains orchestrating the drone attacks, only a pair of spin doctors and a lower-level agent in their employ. |
| 101 | * Subverted in ''Literature/KingdomsOfThornAndBone''. It's obvious from early in the first book that ''someone'' is conspiring against the House of Dare, but exactly who's in charge is left vague, though hints point towards a single mastermind. This turns out to be a RedHerring, as the conspiracy is actually composed of several loosely-aligned factions working together for their own gain but with distinct goals, and the hints towards a mastermind were actually about several different people. [[TheEvilPrince Robert]], [[SinisterMinister Praifec Hespero]] and [[SorcerousOverlord the Black Jester]] all hand their hands in different parts, but represent distinct threats. |
| 102 | * The Crippled God, the BigBad of the ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'', is only introduced in person in the third book, though in hindsight he is pretty heavily foreshadowed in the first two. |
| 103 | * For the first three-quarters of the first book of ''Literature/MemorySorrowAndThorn'', it's obvious that there ''is'' a BigBad (EvilSorcerer Pryrates is an obvious villain, but as he's getting his power through a DealWithTheDevil he's also obviously not the ultimate string puller) but none of the main characters know who he is. It turns out to be the [[OurElvesAreDifferent vengeful Sithi prince]] Ineluki, resurrected as the undead entity called the Storm King, who had only been mentioned in scraps of legends prior to TheReveal. |
| 104 | * In the first of the ''Literature/{{Otherland}}'' books, the focus occasionally shifts to an Egyptian simulation ruled by someone using Osiris as an avatar, who gives out orders and makes commentary that bears suspicious relation to other events in the book, but these connections are never actually stated. Late in the volume, the user is revealed to be a man named Felix Jongleur, leader of the Grail Brotherhood and creator of the [[TitleDrop Otherland]] system. |
| 105 | * The ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'' spends most of the series setting up the mysterious "Man with the Golden Eyes", who seems to be [[TheManBehindTheMan behind nearly every villainous scheme since book 3]]. It is finally revealed to be [[spoiler: Erskine Ravel, one of the main character's best friends.]] |
| 106 | * ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': In ''Literature/FateOfTheJedi'', from the very first book ''something'' has started to make various Jedi go crazy, but none of the already introduced villains (PresidentEvil Daala and an isolated but ambitious cult of Sith) seem to have the power to cause it. In the third book, readers are introduced to an enigmatic woman with ''tremendous'' Force powers named Abeloth. [[spoiler:Turns out that she's the avatar of an EldritchAbomination who has been subtly influencing galactic events for a while now -- and by the end of the book she's out of her [[SealedEvilInACan can]] and ready to take the position of BigBad full time.]] |
| 107 | * It's already established in ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' how Littlefinger is a villain who [[DevilInPlainSight betrayed]] Ned Stark out of personal jealousy, but the ending chapters of ''Literature/AStormOfSwords'' escalates his role to show that he wasn't just a mere opportunist who's a little shady, but is [[MagnificentBastard directly responsible]] for the War of Five Kings. |
| 108 | * ''Literature/TortallUniverse'': The second book of the ''Literature/BekaCooper'' trilogy, ''Bloodhound'', is about an investigation into a counterfeit epidemic. While they know that Pearl Skinner's behind it and are mostly trying to find a way to stop her, Beka doesn't learn until near the end that the ''idea'' came from [[spoiler:Hanse Remy, who is trying to repay the entire realm for being {{Ungrateful Bastard}}s after his long military service]]. |
| 109 | [[/folder]] |
| 110 | |
| 111 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 112 | * In the first season of ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'', the figure behind [[NebulousEvilOrganization Project Centipede]] ([[ArcWelding and other antagonists of the week]]) was a supposed psychic who could see the future known only as "The Clairvoyant" even though psychic powers don't seem to exist in this universe. It's eventually revealed that the Clairvoyant is Thomas Nash, a man who is completely paralyzed and requires a ventilator and electronic voice box [[spoiler:except not really; Nash is just a decoy for the true Clairvoyant who is actually a SHIELD operative/HYDRA mole named John Garrett, who while not actually being psychic, does have high-level SHIELD clearances which give him access to all the information he needs to ''appear'' psychic.]] And in even more of a twist, [[spoiler:it's also revealed late in the season that Agent Grant Ward, a handpicked member of Coulson's own team, has actually been working for Garrett the whole time.]] |
| 113 | * ''Series/{{Arrow}}'': As Season 6 goes on, it becomes increasingly clear that the apparent new BigBad, Cayden James, is an UnwittingPawn of someone else, who's manipulated him into thinking that Green Arrow killed his son and sent him on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against Team Arrow. Midway through the season, it's revealed that this true BigBad is [[spoiler: Ricardo Diaz, one of James' own supposed underlings]]. |
| 114 | * ''Series/{{Bones}}'' did this with the serial killer Gormagon as well as the Gravedigger. Their identities were only revealed late or in the end of the story arcs. |
| 115 | * A really bizarre example comes from ''Series/BreakingBad'', where the ''main character'', Walter White, is the Hidden VillainProtagonist to his ''own brother-in-law'', HeroAntagonist DEA Agent Hank Schrader, [[spoiler:until "Gliding Over All".]] |
| 116 | * In ''Series/BurnNotice'', a Client of the Week turns out to be the head of the Organization that got Michael thrown out of the CIA and forcibly recruited into their group. Later, [[spoiler:Michael's trainer Tom Card]] who is initially a valuable contact and resource for multiple episodes, sends Michael on a SuicideMission without Michael ever realizing what was going on. |
| 117 | * ''Series/ChouseishinGransazer'': The Warp Monarch are a faceless threat for most of the series, so it's unknown who the specific individual behind their attack on Earth is. Eventually it's revealed [[spoiler:[[CorruptPolitician Belzeus]] is the one solely responsible, convincing the rest of Warp Monarch that humans are [[HumansAreCthulhu Bosquito descendants]] so he'd have the justification to invade and seize power.]] |
| 118 | * ''Series/DesperateHousewives'' used this several times. The identity of the aggressor in Season 6 was hidden this way until the reveal [[spoiler: that he was a serial killer and actually one of Porter's friends]]. |
| 119 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': |
| 120 | ** During Series 3, the subplots taking place in present day London throw around the name Mr. Saxon. In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E11Utopia the]] [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E12TheSoundOfDrums three]]-[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E13LastOfTheTimeLords parter]] that ends the season, he is revealed to be none other than [[spoiler:the Doctor's arch nemesis, the Master, who stole the Doctor's TARDIS and traveled 18 months before Martha was introduced, and in that time took on the Mr. Saxon identity and became Prime Minister]]. |
| 121 | ** The events of series 5 are caused by someone or something capable of [[spoiler:making the TARDIS explode]], accompanied by the ArcWords "silence will fall". It isn't until the following series that we meet the Silence, a religious order of supposedly {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s whose motives — [[spoiler:they believe the Doctor is destined to answer the question "[[TitleDrop Doctor who?]]", which will end the universe]] — aren't revealed until the very end of that series. And it isn't confirmed that they [[spoiler:blew up the TARDIS]] until the Eleventh Doctor's ''[[Recap/DoctorWho2013CSTheTimeOfTheDoctor very last episode]]'', which aired ''three years'' later. |
| 122 | ** Series 9 has the entity who made a deal with Ashildr to lure the Doctor into a trap, revealed in the finale to be [[spoiler:Rassilon and the Time Lords, who sought to interrogate the Doctor for information on the Hybrid.]] |
| 123 | * The identity of just ''who'' was really behind the ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' and the Rossum Corporation had a very high JustForFun/HolyShitQuotient when it was revealed late in Season Two. |
| 124 | * Happened in ''Series/GekisouSentaiCarranger'' by half of the season the Bowzocks were believed to be the main bad guy's until Exhaus is shown to be the real BigBad. |
| 125 | * ''Series/TheGoodPlace'': The show reveals around Eleanor who is mistakenly sent to the Good Place, as well as her trying to evade Michael, the Good Place Architect [[ObliviousGuiltSlinging who is sure that she's a good person]]. Eventually Eleanor is discovered and Michael brings in Shawn, The Almighty Judge on High of All Beings Living and Dead for All Eternity in order to convince him that Eleanor belongs in the Good Place. [[spoiler: In the Season 1 finale, however, Eleanor finds out that they are all in the Bad Place due to her finding out flaws that would ''definitely'' not be present in the Good Place, where Michael promptly drops the charade and [[EvilAllAlong reveals himself to be one of the Architects of the Bad Place]] and their main torturer, and then Shawn is revealed to be his boss, and definitely not the Judge in any sense.]] |
| 126 | * ''Franchise/KamenRider'': |
| 127 | ** In ''Series/KamenRiderBlade'', [[spoiler:Hiroshi Tennoji]] turns out to be the one responsible for the release of the Undead, having set up the [[MeleeATrois Battle Fight]] so he could rig it in his favor. |
| 128 | ** It isn't until the final third of ''Series/KamenRiderDenO'' that we meet the true mastermind behind the Imagin attacks - Kai the Singularity Point. |
| 129 | ** The identity of Wiseman, the leader of the [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Phantoms]], is kept hidden for most of ''Series/KamenRiderWizard'', with him either giving orders from behind a curtain or only appearing in his Phantom form. It takes until the final few episodes for us to learn his true identity, where he's revealed to be [[spoiler:Sou Fueki aka the White Wizard, the ostensible BigGood of the series]]. |
| 130 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderDrive'' has a hidden GreaterScopeVillain in [[spoiler:Tenjuro Banno, whose abuse and tampering with the [[KillerRobot Roidmudes]] caused their uprising, and who was secretly plotting his own scheme to forcibly digitize everyone.]] |
| 131 | ** Much of ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'' is the protagonists trying to uncover the traitor in [[TheOrder Sword of Logos]] responisible for corrupting Kamen Rider Calibur, releasing the Megid and setting in motion the plot. The traitor eventually turns out to be [[spoiler:none other than the [[MoleInCharge leader of Sword of Logos]], Master Logos.]] |
| 132 | * ''Series/{{Lost}}'', in which the fact that there even ''is'' a BigBad is not immediately stated. After several possible major antagonists are introduced over the first five seasons, the true BigBad is not revealed until the Season 5 finale. |
| 133 | * The BigBad of ''Series/TheMentalist'' is a serial killer [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname identified only by the pseudonym Red John]]. It's not until midway through the penultimate season that his true identity is revealed, [[spoiler:just minutes before he dies]]. |
| 134 | * At least two members of the ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' RoguesGallery finally appeared onscreen, after several episodes of {{Foreshadowing}} and references, as that week's person of interest in disguise. Namely, [[spoiler:[[DiabolicalMastermind Elias]] (in "Witness") and [[TheCracker Root]] (in "Firewall")]]. |
| 135 | ** A third, [[spoiler:Control]], makes their appearance as the loving family member of the week's actual person of interest. |
| 136 | * In ''Series/PrettyLittleLiars'', 'A' is a hidden villain and the main antagonist of the show. |
| 137 | * ''Series/StargateSG1'': The mysterious backer of all the attempts to loot off-world sites and waylay the second Stargate isn't revealed until halfway through the series as the Committee, and they aren't at all what Stargate Command was expecting. The organization reformed itself into the Trust later without a single, clear leader. |
| 138 | * In the Temporal Cold War arc in ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', there is the mysterious humanoid only known as "Future Guy", so named because he is communicating with his Suliban henchmen from somewhere in the future. Within the whole run of the series, it's never revealed who Future Guy actually ''is'', though. |
| 139 | * In the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' two-parter "Redemption", the Duras sisters are conspiring with a female Romulan officer hidden in the shadows, whose face gets revealed in the end. While she is a new character, it's still a MindScrew WhamShot for first time viewers, because she [[spoiler: looks exactly like the deceased Enterprise crew member Tasha Yar. It turns out later that she is the daughter of a time-displaced alternate reality version of Tasha]]. |
| 140 | * ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': The show's initial story arc is the boys' quest to find their father John Winchester, who has been kidnapped by an unknown entity, and to avenge the deaths of their mother Mary and Sam's girlfriend Jessica. It isn't until late in Season 1 that we and the Winchesters find out the identity of the entity behind this, the Yellow-Eyed Demon/Azazel. |
| 141 | [[/folder]] |
| 142 | |
| 143 | [[folder:Podcasts]] |
| 144 | * For its first four seasons, ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives'' appears to be a RoguesGallery with no true BigBad -- there are fourteen [[EldritchAbomination evil Entities]] trying to bring about world-ending rituals, but none of them seem to be more or less powerful than each other, and the protagonists are able to disrupt all of their plans. Until the end of Season 4, when the BigBad is revealed to be none other than [[spoiler:Jonah Magnus, the original founder of the Magnus Institute. He's been possessing [[BadBoss Elias Bouchard]] since before the start of the series, and has orchestrated all of the protagonists' victories in order to make way for the Beholding ritual, the Watcher's Crown. Which [[TheBadGuyWins he forces Jon to successfully perform in the Season 4 finale]]]]. |
| 145 | [[/folder]] |
| 146 | |
| 147 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 148 | * ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'': |
| 149 | ** [[spoiler: Al Mualim]] and [[spoiler: Prince Ahmet]] from ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'' and ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations'', respectively. |
| 150 | ** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins'', [[spoiler:Flavius Metellus]] is the man responsible for the murder of Bayek and Aya's son Khemu. |
| 151 | ** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey'' has the Ghost of Kosmos, the true leader of the Cult of Kosmos (the local proto-Templar group). In order to reveal their identity, you must hunt down and deal with every other member of the cult (most of whom are largely optional). After you hunt the rest of the Cult, the Ghost is revealed to be none other than [[spoiler:Perikles' wife Aspasia]]. |
| 152 | * The Platform/SegaCD tie-in game for ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' had Batman and Robin dealing with a succession of supervillains, all of whom tried to kill them. They first apprehend Poison Ivy and the Riddler before confronting the Joker, who at first hints that ''he'' is the mastermind behind all the mischief. Once Batman has beaten him into submission, he finally admits that there's been someone pulling ''his'' strings, and [[spoiler: he implies this person is Rupert Thorne. Batman and Robin track down Thorne's gang and think they have found Thorne himself, but it turns out to actually be Clayface, who has taken on Thorne's appearance and assumed control of his gang while Thorne is out of town]]. |
| 153 | * ''Franchise/BlazBlue'': The BigBad isn't revealed until the console-only [[GoldenEnding True Ending]] of ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueCalamityTrigger Calamity Trigger]]'', and isn't fought until ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueContinuumShift Continuum Shift]]''. [[spoiler:And even then, that game's True Ending reveals him to be a DiscOneFinalBoss, and it goes straight into TheDogWasTheMastermind. And then AllThereInTheManual suggests that no; he was the BigBad all along. And ''then'' in ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueChronophantasma Chronophantasma]]'', it turns out that his so-called puppet was the real mastermind all along and the Terumi was her UnwittingPawn. Why? Because the puppet is possessed by the 'thing' Terumi and Relius called forth: The Goddess of Death, Izanami. And for the record, yes, Izanami does all the planning backstage, leading you to believe that Terumi really look like the BigBad in charge. She might not be so hidden if you have read the aforementioned AllThereInTheManual, but still. The last installment, ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueCentralFiction Central Fiction]]'', finally puts the matter to rest. Terumi -- or rather his true identity ''the Susanoo Unit'' -- is and always has been the true villain.]] |
| 154 | * [[spoiler:OmnicidalManiac EldritchAbomination Ouroboros]], the source of corruption, is this in ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'', since he only appears in person during the final chapter. He also shares the role with [[spoiler:his servant]], the mysterious “Evil One” [[spoiler:A.K.A [[FairyCompanion Airy]]]]. |
| 155 | * ''VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition'' has this with [[spoiler: George Woodman & Kaysen]] but alludes to the Raincoat Killer many times as being some unknown entity. |
| 156 | * The Elder One of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' is kept a mystery for the first act of the game, until the quest "[[WhamEpisode In Your Heart Shall Burn]]" where it is revealed to be none other than [[spoiler:Corypheus, the villain of the ''Legacy'' {{D|ownloadableContent}}LC of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'']]. |
| 157 | ** And then Trespasser reveals [[spoiler: Solas]] was the villain all along: [[spoiler: [[TheManBehindTheMan he manipulated Corypheus]] into unlocking his orb, thinking it would destroy him so that he could use it to [[RestartTheWorld remove the Veil]] and make a better world for the elves. When that [[SpannerInTheWorks backfired spectacularly]], he is forced to [[LivingWithTheVillain assist the Inquisition]] in [[NiceJobFixingItVillain defeating him]], even if only to reassert control so that his rebellion can help put his plans back into action.]] |
| 158 | * Pagan Min in ''VideoGame/FarCry4'', where he is depicted as a BigBad who rules Kyrat with an iron fist with [[LaResistance The Golden Path]] being the ones fighting against his rule led by Amita or Sabal. When you complete the game however, [[spoiler:either leader you side with will reveal their true colours to the player, as they either turn Kyrat into a theocratic nation where non-believers and non-supporters of the Golden Path are killed for their 'betrayal' against their nation, or a quasi-socialist state that recalls aspects of [[UsefulNotes/{{Cambodia}} The Khmer Rouge]] along with the recruitment of ChildSoldiers for the sake of protecting their drug industry. This revelation show that they're similar to Pagan Min's rule, and this can all be prevented if Ajay Ghale were to just sit down and enjoy that Crab Rangoon]]. |
| 159 | %%* [[spoiler:Yomiel, "The Manipulator"]] from ''VideoGame/GhostTrick''. |
| 160 | * ''VideoGame/HorizonZeroDawn'': Whatever sent the signal that turned GAIA's subfunctions into independent entities. [[spoiler:In the sequel, it was Nemesis]] |
| 161 | * ''VideoGame/KanColle'': If there is a high command, TheManBehindTheMonsters, EldritchAbomination or other authority in charge of the Abyssals, they have yet to appear onscreen. |
| 162 | * ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' features [[spoiler: Hades]], who doesn't even make an appearance until apparent BigBad Medusa is taken out in Chapter 9. |
| 163 | * ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': |
| 164 | ** Starting in ''Chain of Memories'', certain [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness Organization XIII]] members occasionally mention their leader, "The Superior." In ''Kingdom Hearts II'', The Superior turns out to be [[spoiler:a LiteralSplitPersonality counterpart of the FinalBoss from the original ''Kingdom Hearts'' game]]. |
| 165 | * The BigBad / Murderer of the first ''VideoGame/LauraBow'' game turns out to be [[spoiler:Lilian]], when very little evidence suggests this. |
| 166 | * ''VideoGame/LoveAndPies'': |
| 167 | ** When Amelia answers her mother Freya's call and tells her that she caught the culprit of the café arson, Freya warns her that they're [[UnwittingPawn "just a puppet"]] and that someone else is "pulling the strings". However, Freya doesn't tell her their identity because she believes that it would put Amelia in danger. |
| 168 | ** The anonymous caller who claims to be Amelia's frenemy and was the one who sabotaged Esme's van refuses to reveal their identity because it would be "a lot less fun". [[spoiler:While it's not Edwina because she was in the same room as Amelia when the latter received the call,]] Yuka at least knows that they're from Global Megacorp because the threat letter they sent to Eve was made of high-quality paper, had "beautiful" ink on it, and had the company's logo ripped from its top. |
| 169 | * The Inaba killer in ''VideoGame/Persona4''. [[spoiler: It's Detective Adachi.]] Foreshadowed quite well due to the game being (except Knox's 2nd due to its nature) very compliant to the concept of FairPlayMystery. Who's even ''more'' hidden is [[spoiler: Izanami, aka the nameless gas station attendant, who gave Adachi, Nametame and the protagonist their powers in order to test humanity.]] |
| 170 | ** In ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'', [[spoiler: The Eerie Voice and Malevolent Entity Hi-No-Kagutsuchi]]. |
| 171 | * For most of ''VideoGame/NanoBreaker'', you assume you're fighting Keith, your traitorous comrade, until a revelation late into the game where it turns out your commander, General Raymond, is the mastermind behind the Orgamech takeover, manipulating you to help him take down the Orgamech computer core so Raymond can take over before having you disposed of. And that the presumed main villain Keith is just his lackey. |
| 172 | * ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'': [[spoiler: The player character, The Nameless One]], is really the bad guy but doesn't know it. [[spoiler:In actual truth, The Transcendent One, the mortal aspect of The Nameless One, is the bad guy. It gets confusing. Long story short...the player character]] was an evil douche, and the mortal aspect of him was split away, leaving [[spoiler: The Nameless One.]] |
| 173 | ** The game also Deconstructs the trope. Finding out ''why'' a villain chooses to remain hidden will reveal its weakness. [[spoiler:In this case, The Transcendent One fears to be rejoined with The Nameless One, not only due to how much it loathes him, but also facing eternal damnation.]] |
| 174 | --->''"An iron golem, forged from the weapons of war, told me this once: When one kills from a distance and does not show himself, it speaks of weakness. It is how a *coward* fights."'' |
| 175 | * For most of ''VideoGame/ShadowOpsRedMercury'', you're attempting to uncover the titular Red Mercury, a prototype nuclear bomb, who has fallen into possession of feared international terrorist Vladimir Styanovich. Alas, Vladimir is just a DiscOneFinalBoss who dies halfway through - [[spoiler:your CIA handler and liaison, Kate Daniels, is the game's ''true'' BigBad who is in cahoots with Vladimir the whole time. You eventually uncover the truth a few missions later when she reveals herself and leaves you to die in a train filled with bombs]]. |
| 176 | * In ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfileCovenantOfThePlume'', we know that Hel is the BigBad of the game having orchestrated all of the events for Wylfred to wreak as much sin as possible, and give Garm some fun. However; Hel is only mentioned, and when she talks, we never see her. |
| 177 | ** She does show up in the first game when she is stopped by the Einherjar that have been sent to Valhalla. Easy to miss if you don't realize that each line of text in the review has a cutscene associated with it. |
| 178 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' [[spoiler:Miang, the avatar of Deus]] is the BigBad who has been manipulating events for the last 10,000 years [[spoiler:in preparation for Deus' rebirth.]] |
| 179 | * In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'', it's known from the start that the BigBad is Smithy, but he doesn't make an actual appearance until the FinalBattle. Many first time players and even some characters in the game mistake Exor, the sword that crashes into Bowser's Keep, as Smithy. It didn't help that when Exor speaks in the game's start, it says how Bowser's castle "now belongs to the Smithy gang", which had people assume the sword ''was'' Smithy. |
| 180 | [[/folder]] |
| 181 | |
| 182 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 183 | * ''{{Franchise/Danganronpa}}'': |
| 184 | ** ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' has an interesting example: While Monokuma is the BigBad, he eventually reveals that he has a [[TheMole spy]] hidden amongst the group. [[spoiler:It’s Sakura Ogami, but she was being extorted into it. The ''real'' example is when Monokuma is revealed to be a robot facade controlled by the mysterious true mastermind. It takes a few more chapters until, at the end of the game, we find out that someone is Junko Enoshima, who was FakingTheDead throughout the game, and [[TwinSwitch inserted her twin sister]] Mukuro Ikusaba as the second mole before killing her off.]] |
| 185 | ** ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'' has Monokuma again, and he reveals that the new cast has a traitor among them as well, but since [[spoiler:Sakura, Mukuro, and Junko are a little too busy being dead]], it can't possibly still be them. [[spoiler:Indeed Sakura and Mukuro are dead, and the traitor this time ([[TheMole for a given value of traitor]]) is [[GamerChick Chiaki Nanami]]. As for Monokuma, [[HijackedByGanon it's Junko again, converted into an AI program of her]], and there is another mastermind: Izuru Kamukura, [[TomatoInTheMirror the real identity of the main character Hajime Hinata]] pre-mindwipe.]] |
| 186 | ** ''Anime/Danganronpa3''[='s=] Future Arc has the “attacker”, Monokuma's spy among the [[spoiler:Future Foundation]] council who is killing the others. [[spoiler:This time, it’s [[MoleInCharge Kazuo Tengan]], who set up [[BrownNote videos]] that [[DrivenToSuicide drive whoever sees it to suicide]]. Monokuma/Junko [[GreaterScopeVillain isn’t directly involved, as the one shown here is a recording, but did set the whole thing up]] through [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Chisa Yukizome]].]] |
| 187 | ** ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' has, as always, a spy working with Monokuma. [[spoiler:It's [[CosplayOtakuGirl Tsumugi]] [[MegaNekko Shirogane]], who works for [[EvilCorporation Team Danganronpa]] and is a LoonyFan of Junko. She is also the true killer of Rantaro, with [[DecoyProtagonist Kaede]] being victim to a FrameUp.]] |
| 188 | * ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' has Oyashiro-sama, who is repeatedly mentioned as the BigBad behind the strange events but [[NothingIsScarier never shown]]. Oyashiro's true identity -- [[spoiler:both the real, [[TheScapegoat innocent]] one (Hanyuu Furude) and the fake, evil one (Miyo Takano)]] -- is only revealed [[spoiler: late into the 7th novel]]. However, clever readers could identify the true nature of the mastermind as early as [[spoiler:the 3rd novel]] due to cryptic hints. |
| 189 | * [[spoiler:The Phantom]] from ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies''. |
| 190 | ** Also [[spoiler:Simon Keyes]] in ''[[VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations Ace Attorney Investigations 2]]'', who manipulates almost every case behind the scenes, the only case he doesn't manipulate is still incredibly important to him, and [[spoiler:all the while masking it as an innocent defendant who you actually prove innocent at one point]]. |
| 191 | ** Every ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' game, due to being a murder mystery series, has both the individual cases (except for the {{Reverse Whodunnit}}s) and the overall story that always hides the true BigBad until the last case. The main prosecutors are almost always [[DiscOneFinalBoss decoys]], with the exception of Klavier Gavin [[HeroAntagonist who is never positioned as a villain]]. [[spoiler: The one main prosecutor who ''is'' a final boss is Godot.]] |
| 192 | ** The BigBad of ''Dual Destinies'' is the ultimate cause of most of Athena and Simon's misfortunes, but remains hidden throughout the game until the protagonists are able to drag them to court in the final case. [[spoiler: He's actually HiddenInPlainSight as Bobby Fulbright, the game's main detective.]] |
| 193 | [[/folder]] |
| 194 | |
| 195 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 196 | * ''Webcomic/AverageJoe'' does this, with the main villain of the series appearing for a bit of EvilGloating as early as [[http://ajcomic.com/?p=167 Strip #5]], but after multiple appearances in flashback and flash-forward sequences we've still never seen his face (over a year later in real time). |
| 197 | * The Enemy in ''Webcomic/{{Harkovast}}'' is mentioned on the first page, but has never been shown in the comic. Who he is has only been hinted at on the comics forum, where his full title (The King in the West) has been stated. |
| 198 | * ''Webcomic/KirbyAdventure'' has the leader of Talzo's Gang. He has very few appearances throughout the comic and when he does appear, he is shrouded in shadows, with the only part of him we see being a pair of [[RedEyesTakeWarning glowing red eyes.]] |
| 199 | * ''Webcomic/{{MAG ISA}}'' -- [[http://mag-isa.thecomicseries.com/comics/pl/119594 Look at these guys with darkened faces sitting around a table]] planning nefarious schemes for you and me... |
| 200 | [[/folder]] |
| 201 | |
| 202 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 203 | * [[spoiler: Lear Dunham]] from ''WebAnimation/BrokenSaints'', [[FakingTheDead who was faking his own death.]] |
| 204 | * In ''Roleplay/TheGamersAlliance'', the Master of the Totenkopfs, one of the more dangerous villains, has been travelling with the heroes all along while furthering the Totenkopfs' sinister agenda, and the heroes are unaware of having the Master being so close to them. Another example is Ax's longtime friend and ally [[spoiler:Vaetris]] who turns out to be one of the four archdemons in disguise. |
| 205 | * ''WebVideo/{{Petscop}}'': In video 5, a character named "Marvin" is revealed, who is described as hitting a child, Mike, with a tool for having his Platform/PlayStation on. From this it can be assumed he is an evil person, but there is not much else known about Marvin. In video 8, however, a representation of Marvin seems to appear -- and he looks the exact same as the player character's sprite, but with some sort of green object replacing/covering the head. |
| 206 | * ''In WebVideo/UniversityEverAfter'' [[spoiler: Rose Red]] of all people is the BigBad of Season 2, despite being presented as one of Ella's friends from the very beginning. |
| 207 | [[/folder]] |
| 208 | |
| 209 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 210 | * During the third season of ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'', horror monster-themed aliens show up performing seemingly random tasks through several episodes. During the season finale, they are revealed to have been building a superweapon to allow [[EnemyWithout Ghostfreak]] to achieve world domination. |
| 211 | * ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' has Hawk Moth ''(Le Papillion)'', TheCorrupter who transforms innocent people into deranged villains and monsters from his hidden lair. While his stated goal is to steal the power sources of Ladybug and Cat Noir, why he wants them is never touched upon, and it's only very late in the first season and the beginning of the second that viewers are given even an inkling on who Hawk Moth is or his motivation. [[spoiler:It's Gabriel Agreste, Adrien's emotionally distant father, and it's strongly implied that Adrien's MissingMom is the center of Gabriel's obsession.]] |
| 212 | * Averted in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' according to WordOfGod. Creator/LaurenFaust claimed that originally ''something'' corrupted Princess Luna into [[FallenHero Nightmare Moon]] and also aided in her release, and fans speculated this same force aided in [[RealityWarper Discord's]] release as well. However with Faust's departure from the show, this plot point was dropped completely and never so much as touched on again. The ExpandedUniverse picked this up with the existence of the Nightmare Forces being responsible for the corruption, but later episodes of the main series seem to contradict this. |
| 213 | * In Season 2 of 2009 reboot of ''WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake'', the Slinking Slinker in episode "On the Road" comes from one of Blueberry's books, the Slinking Slinker actually a "villain" and it don't exist in reality. |
| 214 | * Slade in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' starts out like this, being introduced in the first episode as a shadowy [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]], but not even ''named'' or revealed to the heroes until later (and it's even longer before they meet him face-to-face and learn of his plans). Also a HiddenAgendaVillain, ironically -- meaning that for his first few appearances, ''all'' we know about him is that he exists and is up to no good. |
| 215 | * Downplayed in one episode of the first season of the Canadian sort-of-parody ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'', "Basic Straining". It's revealed at the very end that Harold was responsible for Courtney's elimination. He rigged the votes to have her eliminated without anyone's knowledge(well, anyone except for the non-contestants, that is) and to save himself from getting eliminated. Bonus points for having a SlasherSmile at the end that signifies how much he enjoyed making Duncan and Courtney suffer. [[TheBully After all the things Duncan did to him]], it's not surprising to see Harold wanting to get some revenge. |
| 216 | * Until Episode 20, it wasn't certain that Season 2 of ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'' even ''had'' a real BigBad, just a bunch of minor arc villains causing trouble with the majority of them being [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Shushus]]. [[spoiler:Qilby the Traitor]] was manipulating everyone all along from the very moment he appeared. |
| 217 | * In ''WesternAnimation/WolverineAndTheXMen2009'', pretty much the whole first season was masterminded by [[spoiler:the Inner Circle, who wanted to get their hands on the Phoenix]]. They're not introduced until just before the GrandFinale, and aren't truly TheManBehindTheMan because the only character they were directly controlling [[spoiler:was one of the heroes]]. |
| 218 | * In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'', the seven leaders of [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness The Light]] had their images hidden when communicating to their operatives. It wasn't until the episode "Revelation" that they are revealed to be [[spoiler:Vandal Savage, Lex Luthor, Ra's Ahl Gul, Queen Bee, Ocean Master, The Brain, and Klarion]], all who had appeared or were mentioned [[spoiler:with the exception of Savage]]. |
| 219 | [[/folder]] |
| 220 |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Main / HiddenVillain
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
