History Main / BaitAndSwitchCredits

*** That's actually Schniezel, but this is misleading for a different reason; [[spoiler:he doesn't become a major villain until R2]].

Compare FakeOutOpening, ActionHoggingOpening and PostersAlwaysLie. For when a character prominently featured in the credits of an early episode suffers a shockingly rapid demise, see DeadStarWalking.

Compare FakeOutOpening and ActionHoggingOpening. For when a character prominently featured in the credits of an early episode suffers a shockingly rapid demise, see DeadStarWalking.

* Taken to the logical extreme with ''TropicThunder'', which opens with [[RealTrailerFakeMovie fake trailers and commercials]] starring almost all of the lead "actors" of the film-within-a-film. The parodies are so spot on that some in the audience thought the previews were still running.
* The opening song to ''TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'' promises that we will "see androids fighting Brad and Janet". There's nothing in the film that could be described as an android except just possibly Rocky, who never touches Brad, and what he does to Janet is... not called fighting. Put a comma there and continue to pretend Rocky is an android and it ''almost'' works. We see at least one "android" fighting, and we see Brad and Janet. This is one hell of a stretch, admittedly.

* The live-action {{Popeye}} movie starts out like one of his old cartoon opening, then, where the title of the short is, Popeye sticks his head up and says, "Hey, what's this? One of Bluto's tricks? I'm in the wrong movie!" and we enter live-action.

* ''{{Kamen Rider Den-O}}'' begins its opening sequence with the narration: "The time-traveling train, Denliner. Will its next stop be in the past or the future?" The answer to this question is ALWAYS "the past." At no point in the TV series does Denliner visit the future.

* ''SuperRobotWars Original Generation Divine Wars'' shows Latooni battling in her ElegantGothicLolita outfit. She only uses that outfit for two episodes (and only one battle) and most of the time is given a regular uniform and [[{{Meganekko}} glasses]].

* The original ''{{Scooby-Doo}}'' cartoon credits showed all manner of supernatural menaces, while of course the episodes centered on proving that mysterious events have a mundane explanation.
** There is no way to tell if the supernatural menaces in the opening credits are real or not. Conversely, later incarnations of the show did include real supernatural elements.
** Finally fixed with "What's New, Scooby-Doo?" opening, which has unmasking of three monsters.

* ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'' was about time travelers from the future, and clips in later versions of the opening showed the characters in different eras like the Wild West, feudal Japan, or prehistoric times. The actual show, however, mostly took place in the present day (where the time travelers were stuck); with only the prehistory clip being from a legit time trip. The rest of the clips came from either ''MiraiSentaiTimeranger'' StockFootage, which was never put into the American version, or from an episode where the characters were [[TrappedInTVLand trapped in various movies]] showing off different time periods.

** DragonballKai (the new director's cut of Z) also has a bait and switch. The end credits feature Launch, a character who was prominent in Dragon Ball but who has barely any appearances in Z...and the one sequence she ''does'' appear in was cut out of Kai.

* In ''SoulEater'', the second opening, Paper Moon, starts out pretty basic... with just a bunch of pictures of the characters flashing across the screen in rapid succession. Until the very last shot, when we see Soul crying in anguish, holding a dead, bloody Maka in his arms. This never happens. If anything, it's [[spoiler: Soul's near-death in the final episode that fuels Maka's RoaringRampageOfRevenge. The one that reveals that she is a weapon.]]

** This was a result of changes to the author's original storyline rather than deliberate deception, not that someone watching the finished product has any way to tell the difference. Director Ikuhara later joked it was a scene he had thought up during his work on ''SailorMoon'' and that it wouldn't make any sense ''there'' either.

** The third opening of [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime version]] features Edward and Alphonse fighting some dragon-looking monsters in a swamp. This never comes to pass in the series. Indeed, nothing even remotely close to these creatures appears in the series proper [[spoiler:until the very end, when Envy transforms into a very similar dragon on his way into the other world. He later appears, still as a dragon, in the [[GeckoEnding movie]]]].

* ''TrinityBlood'': The ending credits hint at [[spoiler:a romance between Abel and Esther, which never happens]]. Also, the opening credits seem to give the Crusnik way more screen time than he gets in most episodes.

* The original Saban-controlled {{Funimation}} OP for ''DragonballZ'' wasn't ''technically'' bait-and-switch, but the spirit was sure there. 90% of the clips were either taken from the ''Dead Zone'' movie or from the Cell Saga -- which also not only [[SpoilerOpening spoiled the Super Saiyan transformations of Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta, but also the appearance of Trunks.]] The theme song was catchy, though. Ironic considering that Funimation didn't reach Trunk for several years after the first two seasons started airing due to lack of funding.

* The first opening of ''CodeGeass'' shows Lelouch riding a white horse, something that never happens in the show. The show's creators have said that the scene is metaphorical, but what exactly it means they didn't say. The first opening for the second season has a similar scene, which differs in that it ends with Lelouch glaring at what appears to be a coastal military base -- again, something that has yet to happen.

* Virtually every opening for ''{{Naruto}}'' features activities of characters who really aren't doing anything at the time.

** The sixth ending Features Sakura prominently, and makes the show look like it's a romance.

* The OP for the first season of ''HidamariSketch'' shows Yuno walking in on Sae on top of Hiro in a suggestive manner, but the scene where it comes from (sadly, a NotWhatItLooksLike moment) isn't shown until the second season.

* The credits of ''DarkerThanBlack'' shows falling stars scene and Amber cradling Hei's head, in the second version Hei fighting against several clones of himself -- neither happens in the series. In other respects though, the clones scene is pretty similar to one in the OVA.

* ''SonicX'' is guilty of this. The second opening shows Super Sonic and Super Shadow fighting. They do fight midway into the Metarex saga, but it's nowhere near as spectacular.

* The second ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikerS'' opening seems to set up a fight between Subaru and Nove, which was also hinted at when Nove said she wanted to get revenge on Subaru for [[spoiler:severely injuring Cinque]]. In the final battle, Teana ends up fighting Nove with Wendi and Deed, while Subaru fights [[spoiler:her BrainwashedAndCrazy older sister Ginga]].

* Until the Kyoto Arc, the opening sequence to ''RurouniKenshin'' made it seem like some kind of RomCom (the peppy theme song in which the female singer waxes poetic about an unrequited love don't help).

* ''HikaruNoGo'' has a scene at the end of its last ending sequence which shows Hikaru and Sai playing against each other as equals, implying that someday Hikaru will reach Sai's level and be able to play against him in a fair match. Though Hikaru ''wants'' to do this, it never happens, and he's nowhere near Sai's level when [[spoiler: Sai disappears permanently.]]

* Ren and Miu start the ''DearS'' opening off with an intensely {{Moe}} kiss. Ren in-series is completely fixated on Takeda and Miu doesn't particularly like her, though there's a moderate amount of LesYay available.
* The opening for ''WelcomeToTheNHK'' features a cheery sounding duet for the theme, with pastel-colored, brightly lit scenes of cute girls frolicking, which gives the impression of a lighthearted romantic comedy of some sort. The series is actually about a young man with [[{{Hikikomori}} extreme social anxiety]] struggling to deal with his psychological issues and addictions, being helped by a BlitheSpirit [[spoiler:that's actually as screwed up mentally as he is]]. There ''are'' some hints of the darker, BlackComedy tone of the show in the opening--the few times the main character is shown he's almost always shown having some sort of panic attack, the main heroine is shown looking lonely as she leans against a wall, and the other women in the opening are faceless (a probable nod to the issues the main character and his friend have with women)--but it still seems a little too upbeat.
* ''{{Durarara}}'''s second opening introduces five new characters, three of which showed up briefly in the first half of the series. This means they're important, right? Not really. Only one was actually important, three of the others played bit parts, and one didn't show up ''at all.''

* ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' features a bizarre mash-up of vaguely symbolic imagery, LesYay, and light bondage. [[CatchPhrase I AM IN DESPAIR!]] THE LACK OF A FOLLOWUP ON [[YuriFan YURI ELEMENTS]] HAS LEFT ME IN DESPAIR!
* ''ShakuganNoShana'' pulled this off with its second opening, which contains a one-on-one duel between Shana and Sydonay that never actually happens.

* ''OniisamaE'''s opening features many pretty dolls, [[CreepyDoll some of them being quite creepy]]. They're seen in a rather luminous and jewelry-full environment, but in the series itself [[spoiler: one of them is actually in Rei's very dark [[RoomFullOfCrazy apartment full of crazy]]. The other items are in Fukiko's own [[RoomFullOfCrazy Madness Room]], which she has kept locked away from others ''for six years''.]]

* ''ElfenLied'''s opening does have some elements of the heavy fanservice featured in the show, but is played over a soothing Gregorian chant about divine justice and Art Nouveau-inspired {{Moe}} imagery, most likely meant to convey innocence rather than sensuality. The ending is also a pop love song that may match the show in the lyrics, but ''not'' in tone.

* The first seven episodes of ''PenguinMusumeHeart'' slowly change before stabilizing into something that makes the show look like some sort of combination of ''[[RevolutionaryGirlUtena Utena]]'' and ''CaptainHarlock''.

* The opening sequence for ''RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' shows Utena and Anthy in dark blue and red plate armor, respectively, riding flying horses in an implied battle against an unseen enemy. Needless to say, we never see anything like this in the series.

* Supposedly the inspiration for Bart Simpson comes from Matt Groening being dissapointed by ''DennisTheMenaceUS'', as in the show Dennis is not the whirlwind of disruption he is depicted as being in the credits.
** Bart is actually closer in personality and age to the '''other''' [[DennistheMenaceUK Dennis the Menace]].

** By the time the series ends (and the viewers know what's really going on), it becomes obvious that it's a subverted trope. It's especially obvious each time the OP gets shifted to the end of the episode; it's the exact same song, but because of the episode we just saw, a new meaning is revealed.[[hottip:*:Yes, it's a TwelveEpisodeAnime. Yes, it's pulled off more than once.]] In a series that delights in going FromBadToWorse, on a second viewing you can get MoodWhiplash because the actual episode is so ''light'' compared to the opening credits.

** Although, Studio Bones had some hints as to what was going to happen in the manga before it came out, as a bit of an assistant for the GeckoEnding they created. Kid's stripes, Blackstar's conversations with the Will of Nakatsukasa, and Rachel Boyd's[[spoiler: return to health]] make an appearance. In chapter 110, Maka is [[spoiler:ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice by Asura, and her fate is not yet known.]] Whether the second theme hinted at this is also not known.

* The show ''MrBean'' uses this and then subverts it at the same time, by starting with a solemn choir...and then apparently, beaming down Mr. Bean, as if from space. He gets up and wanders off. Towards the end of the credits, he wanders back into the picture, then off again in the opposite direction as before.

* The loving interaction between Kurau and Christmas dressed in cute summer attire in the opening credits of ''KurauPhantomMemory'' doesn't appear anywhere in the anime.

** I always felt that scene was a flashback to the Heaven's Gate War.

** Also, though Shadow is featured decently prominently in the first opening, he doesn't even appear until after the second opening has appeared. And I don't remember the ARK exploding...

* In Manga/ShingekiNoKyojin, the OP shows people heroically fighting and killing Titans - most of the fights with Titans don't go that way, and a lot of people die in every fight. Also, one part of the opening specifically shows Eren, Mikasa, Annie and Jeanne fighting a Titan together - this never happenes.

* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] [[HehHehYouSaidX hard]] for humorous effect by ''[[WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtheadDoAmerica Beavis and Butt-Head Do America]]'', which leads with the main characters in a [[BuddyCopShow '70s-style cop show]] opening, complete with a theme song in the mode of ''{{Shaft}}'' and performed by none other than Isaac Hayes himself. As one might have guessed, the protagonists spend little of the remainder of the film [[StuffBlowingUp blowing stuff up]], [[KickingAssAndTakingNames kicking ass]], or [[QuestForSex scoring]], though certainly not for lack of trying.

** Although, Studio Bones had some hints as to what was going to happen in the manga before it came out, as a bit of an assistant for the GeckoEnding they created. Kid's stripes, Blackstar's conversations with the Will of Nakatsukasa, and Rachel Boyd's[[spoiler: return to health]] make an appearance. In chapter 110, Maka is [[spoiler:ImpaledWithExtremePredjudice by Asura, and her fate is not yet known.]] Whether the second theme hinted at this is also not known.

* ''Film/TheLifeAndDeathOfPeterSellers'' has an AnimatedCreditsOpening covering the first stretch of the credits; it's set to "What's New Pussycat?" and featuring loads and loads of animated Peter Sellers gadding about. It's inspired by the opening titles of many of Creator/PeterSellers' actual films...but it's also light and funny to deliberately contrast with the mostly-miserable story of a mostly-miserable man that follows.

* Minor example: ''Ghost Ship'' starts with cheesy lounge music and the title in a cheerfully 50s-style font, and zooms in on the ship's passengers happily dancing the night away [[spoiler: and then a tightly wound wire slices through the crowd]].

* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] [[HehHehYouSaidX hard]] for humorous effect by ''BeavisAndButtheadDoAmerica'', which leads with the main characters in a [[BuddyCopShow '70s-style cop show]] opening, complete with a theme song in the mode of ''{{Shaft}}'' and performed by none other than Isaac Hayes himself. As one might have guessed, the protagonists spend little of the remainder of the film [[StuffBlowingUp blowing stuff up]], [[KickingAssAndTakingNames kicking ass]], or [[QuestForSex scoring]], though certainly not for lack of trying.