History Main / BaitAndSwitchCharacterIntro

** The flashback that opens "Nature vs. Nurture" leads you to believe that even in the 1960s, John Kreese bullied those beneath him when a high school jock picks on a diner's busboy. This is helped by the fact that the guy talks about showing an opponent "no mercy" and is played by Martin Kove's son Jesse. Then the manager yells at the busboy, "KREESE! Those tables are not gonna bus themselves. Get back to work!"
** The flashbacks to Kreese's service in the Vietnam War initially lead you to think Kreese's squad-mate "Ponytail" is a young Terry Silver because he sports the same ponytail hairstyle Silver does in ''Film/TheKarateKidPartIII'' and has a similar loudmouth personality. Then the squad gets captured by the Viet Cong on a mission and Ponytail winds up being executed. Turns out Kreese's other squad-mate "Twig" is actually Terry Silver.

[[caption-width-right:350:He gets way meaner throughout college... [[WesternAnimation/MonstersInc and beyond]].]]

** ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'': The Yeti is first introduced with an intimidating silhouette and dramatic music before [[LargeHam loudly]] welcoming Mike and Sulley to the Himalayas.

* ''Literature/KukkaKaalinen'': In one book, Kukka starts taking piano lessons. When she arrives, she hears the piano teacher loudly berate someone for playing badly in the next room, making Kukka think he's a SadistTeacher. But then it turns out he was actually shouting at his ''piano'', showing that he's just a bit eccentric.

* ''Videogame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'':

* ''Videogame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'': For King K. Rool's reveal trailer, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are asleep in their house when they hear stomping outside. They look out a window to see a figure that looks a lot like King K. Rool, only for him to reveal that he's actually King Dedede in disguise, to the shock of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. Subverted when the actual K. Rool shows up and slaps Dedede away while Donkey's and Diddy's eyes pop out in shock, shattering the glass in the window

Sometimes, you can tell from a character's first moments exactly who and what they are. A character appears on-screen and immediately [[KickTheDog kicks a dog]], he's obviously the villain. Another appears and his first act is to help a kindly old lady across the street, he's a good guy.

Naturally, it can go in multiple different directions. A powerful character might be introduced as a non-combatant in order to establish them as a HumbleHero. A villainous character may be introduced doing something nice to establish them as a VillainWithGoodPublicity, or the opposite used to set up a HeroWithBadPublicity. So on and so forth.

* ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'': The Yeti is first introduced with an intimidating silhouette and dramatic music before [[LargeHam loudly]] welcoming Mike and Sulley to the Himalayas.
* Pictured above from ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'': When Mike Wazowski meets his new dorm-mate Randall Boggs, he is first seen in the shadows with a squinting look, evoking the shifty and snakelike look audiences are used to him displaying in ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc''. He then runs to the front of the dorm room to greet Mike, where we see he wears big glasses and a friendly expression.

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders'': Alessi's introduction involves a four year old boy accidentally getting mud on his pants. He speaks kindly to the boy, asking is he's alright, and where his parents are. As soon as he's sure the kid's parents aren't around he changes his tune, [[SuddenlyShouting starts screaming in the kid's face]] and [[WouldHurtAChild hits him]], sending the kid running away crying. This establishes him as a DirtyCoward villain who targets children. [[spoiler:And we see later that he has the power to transform adults into children.]]