History Main / BettyAndVeronicaSwitch

** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' has [[spoiler:Merrill]] and [[spoiler:Isabela]]. The former is a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} with NoSocialSkills with innocent-looking puppy eyes while the latter is a [[ReallyGetsAround promiscuous pirate]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Bisexual}} more open about her preference than the other companions]]. However, [[spoiler:one turns out to be a [[EvilIsNotAToy Blood Mage]] [[WideEyedIdealist trying to save her people]] via [[WellIntentionedExtremist consequentialist methods]] while the other is a BrokenBird trying to cope with the memory of ParentalAbandonment and can be persuaded to fully commit to love.]]

* In the Literature/CutlerSeries'', Dawn starts out dating the handsome, popular, and blond Philip Cutler who she views as her Prince Charming. Her other potential love interest is Jimmy who's dark-haired, a troublemaker at school, and also her ''[[BrotherSisterIncest brother]]'', which makes the latent attraction between them feel very, very wrong to her. Things change completely when Dawn is revealed to be the long-thought-dead daughter of the Cutler family, making her and Jimmy NotBloodSiblings and her relationship with Philip [[SurpriseIncest suddenly taboo]]. In addition, Jimmy proves over the course of the series to be a kind and devoted boyfriend/husband to Dawn while Philip, in stark contrast, [[LoveMakesYouEvil goes off the deep end]] when Dawn ends their relationship after the incest reveal and becomes a {{Yandere}} who repeatedly tries to rape Dawn and later on, her daughter Christie too.

* In ''Anime/AnoHanaTheFlowerWeSawThatDay'', Meiko/Menma and Naruko/Anaru seem to play the trope straight for Jintan -- Menma is dressed in white and looks like a very sweet and cute kid, while Anaru's looks are heavily based on the ''gyaru'' subculture (painted nails, miniskirts, bleached hair). Personality wise, though, they're the opposite: Menma is free-spirited and kinda thoughtless, while Anaru is very {{Adorkable}}.

* Not a surprise given the source material, but, for Lizzie in ''WebVideo/TheLizzieBennetDiaries'', [[spoiler:Wickham]] is TheWoobie, TheCharmer and a LovableJock with blond hair whose only bad side is being a SerialRomeo and a TemporaryLoveInterest who knew she never expected the romance to become serious anyway, and [[spoiler:Darcy]] is the TallDarkAndSnarky StalkerWithACrush with a terrible case of SmallNameBigEgo, IdleRich and CardCarryingVillain. [[spoiler:The audience knows Wickham is a {{Hypocrite}} ManipulativeBastard who took advantage of her need of companionship in difficult times, and Darcy is a well-meaning {{Workaholic}} with a case of NoSocialSkills, TheProudElite, BigBrotherInstinct and {{Adorkable}}.]]

* ''Series/{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}'' & ''Series/{{Angel}}'': Gender-flipped- [[ByronicHero Angel]] and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Spike]] in their love triangle with [[ActionGirl Buffy]]. Angel seems to have personality of a Betty while Spike the personality of a Veronica, but as it turns out Spike is Betty since he's a self-proclaimed ("attainable") fool for love while Angel is the mysterious and "unattainable" Veronica. Buffy goes back-and-forth on them many times.

* In ''Film/TotalRecall1990 Total Recall'', it sort of is the case with [[spoiler:Lori Quaid, the main character's wife, and Melina, the woman from his dreams]]. Less so in the [[Film/TotalRecall2012 remake]].

* In ''Film/Total Recall1990 Total Recall'', it sort of is the case with [[spoiler:Lori Quaid, the main character's wife, and Melina, the woman from his dreams]]. Less so in the [[Film/TotalRecall2012 remake]].

* Not a literal example, but worth noting: in ''WesternAnimation/ArchiesWeirdMysteries'', Archie goes into an alternate reality where the TropeNamers, Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge themselves, have switched places, leading to this hilarious line from Veronica:
-->"Why do boys always go for flashy, glamorous girls like Betty Cooper, instead of someone nice, and sensible, like me?"
[[/folder]]

This trope is often used to subvert and criticize gender stereotypes such as the MadonnaWhoreComplex by introducing a GoodBadGirl and a {{Hypocrite}} as potential {{Love Interest|s}} for a gullible hero, teaching him that just because the Betty is the "wholesome" choice doesn't mean she's exempt from the time-tested Aesop that you shouldn' judge a book by it's cover, something which is normally applied to the Veronica. Other examples for the mere sake of suspense also exist.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* ''Manga/YonaOfTheDawn'' has a genderswapped version of this, following the trope down to the BlondeBrunetteRedhead colour-scheme. With Princess Yona in the position of Archie, the manga introduces two [[ChildhoodFriendRomance childhood friend love-interests]] early on, though it's the Betty who originally attracts her affection. The designated Betty, [[KissingCousins Suwon]]--a fair-haired {{bishonen}}, complete with a near-constant MoeStare--is originally presented as sweet, kind and gentle. The designated Veronica, [[BodyguardCrush Hak]]--a dark-haired {{Hunk}} and chronic SmugSmiler--is originally presented as [[TallDarkAndSnarky snarky]], roguish, and {{Tsundere}}. This seemingly vanilla BettyAndVeronica dynamic comes to a screeching halt by the end of the first chapter, when Suwon [[spoiler: murders Yona's father, chases her and Hak out of the palace, and proceeds to take the throne.]] In comparison to Hak; who discards his home, his name, and his position as a General in order to travel with Yona, while frequently laying his life on the line and becoming a LivingEmotionalCrutch for her. Later, it is [[spoiler: Hak who earns himself a place as Yona's SecondLove.]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Comic Strips]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Film ]]
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', it happens between Selina Kyle and Miranda Tate, Bruce Wayne's other {{Love Interest|s}}. Miranda is a sweet clean energy champion, Selina is a burglar. [[spoiler: The latter saves him despite having been TheMole, the other is TheManBehindTheMan.]]
* The twist in Jim Carrey's ''Film/TheMask.'' [[spoiler: The approachable awkward reporter actually sells him out to the villain while the seemingly unattainable bombshell is actually much more centered than she first appeared.]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* ''Literature/DanielDeronda'': Mirah is Jewish, an outcast with an artistic and melancholy disposition, Gwendolene is charming, well-liked and Christian.[[spoiler: Gwendolene is also too self-involved, though in an understandable ''and'' harmful way, while Mirah is sweet and innocent]].

** ''Literature/MansfieldPark'' has an interesting unmentioned objective variation [[spoiler: for the heroine and antiheroine]], respectively a [[HurtingHero quietly depressed]], [[ExtremeDoormat meek]] and [[TurnTheOtherCheek forgiving]] LoveMartyr {{Woobie}} and a [[TheSocialExpert manipulative]], [[FemmeFatale charming-but-dangerous]] GoldDigger. Turns out the first becomes an IronWoobie [[BewareTheNiceOnes who won't let]] the others' mean preoccupations [[TheFettered go against her morals]] and knows perfectly well that [[YouGoGirl the treatment borne by her gender is unfair]], while the other falls in love, {{wangst}}s, and considers abandoning her ambitions and also losing integrity. [[spoiler: The hero chooses the new Veronica, who throws a proto-feminist speech in his face, making the work FairForItsDay. ]]
* ''Moonlight'' has Kayla with Mason and Lucas. She sees Mason as a NiceGuy and Lucas as a less kind and harmless person. However, the readers can see from early on that Mason is a ManipulativeBastard who is insulting to his rival and tries to make Kayla drunk, while Lucas ignores him and is simply kind to her, but has intimidating manners. [[spoiler: It must be acknowledged once Mason [[FaceHeelTurn does a Face Heel Turn]].]]

* The Literature/HerculePoirot novel ''Literature/TheMurderOnTheLinks'' features one of these. [[spoiler: Jack Renaud is engaged to Marthe Daubreuil (Betty), but had a brief fling with the vaudeville performer Bella Duveen (Veronica), who has been acting like a StalkerWithACrush ever since. However, it turns out that Bella really [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy just wants Jack to be happy]] and is willing to confess to murder to protect him, even after she learns about Marthe. Marthe, on the on the other hand is a GoldDigger and murderer who would have been willing to let Jack be executed for the crimes she committed.]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]

** It can also be argued to happen between [[spoiler:Isabella and Kate]] for [[spoiler:Robin]]. The first may be the seductive [[AristocratsAreEvil artistocratic and morally ambiguous]] antagonist and [[MadScientistSBeautifulDaughter Angry Sheriff's Beautiful Sister]] and [[spoiler:Kate]] the [[FarmBoy Farm Girl]] who joined the outlaws, but [[spoiler:Isabella]] is a TragicVillain who tries to get rid of [[spoiler:her rival]] by diminishing [[spoiler:Robin]]'s trust in her... while [[spoiler: the [[FarmBoy Farm Girl]]]] simply tries to kill the noble-born rival. Unlike [[spoiler: Isabella]], [[spoiler: Kate]] didn't have the excuse of growing paranoid due to years of abuse by a sadistic husband, so the line is at least blurred.
* In ''Series/TheSecretCircle'', the live-action adaptation of the book series, Cassie initially appears to be a timid and shy GirlNextDoor. For Diana, she is a confident and mature witch. As the series progresses, Cassie becomes more extroverted, ambitious, and willing to use her dark magic, but Diana grows more isolated and more cautious about the consequences of their actions. [[spoiler: The point is driven home when Diana learns that she has dark magic as well. She makes it very clear that she will not be as reckless with it as Cassie is. This is in contrast to their initial characterizations, Cassie desiring to stay away from the circle, and Diana to embrace their birthright as witches.]] Adam's interests tend towards which girl is more The Veronica at any given time. He is initially dating Diana, (she is a [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Victorious Childhood Friend]]), they break up as the personality shift starts, and he starts dating Cassie a few episodes later.
* It happened in ''Series/TrueBlood'', after [[spoiler:Erik's amnesia]] (which ended up turning him into a ManChild, and then into something closer from a NiceGuy) and [[spoiler: Bill]]'s acquisition of the title of King (which ended up making him a powerful authoritative villain). The first had blond hair all along, and the second has brown hair from the beginning, so they both ended up filling their new function better than before.
* A male RichSuitorPoorSuitor example appears in an episode of ''Series/TheTwilightZone''. A young woman has two suitors, a rich one she doesn't care for and a poor one she does. The poor one asks her to run off with him. Her future self later chases her younger self on horseback, begging her not to marry the wrong man... [[spoiler: [[WrongGuyFirst the poor suitor]], who turned out to be a money-hungry bastard and ruined her life.]]

* ''Series/TheVampireDiaries'' has the switch take place over the third and fourth seasons between Stefan and Damon, previously Betty and Veronica, respectively. Damon not only starts showing more of his humanity to his love interest but also becomes the un-judgmental, reliable friend to Elena who "like[s] her either way" after she has [[spoiler: been turned into a vampire]] and [[spoiler: murdered Connor]]; all the while Stefan switches off his humanity and becomes the Ripper [[spoiler: of Monterrey once again]], and later goes to the extreme of risking [[spoiler: Jeremy]]'s life and secretly allying with [[spoiler: [[BigBad Klaus]]]] in order to make [[spoiler: Vampire!Elena]] the person he wants her to be. Elena shows the tendency to prefer Betty, starting off the series being with the sweet, caring Stefan [[spoiler: and later breaking up with him to be with Damon]].

* In the ''Series/ColdCase'' episode "Soul", the VictimOfTheWeek was torn between these two archetypes. [[spoiler: The Betty turned out to be his killer, devastated when he decided to be with the Veronica]].

[[folder: Music]]

[[folder: Theatre]]

[[folder: Video Games]]
* VideoGame/BatmanTheTelltaleSeries has Vikki Vale and Selina Kyle. Vikki Vale is a hard nose but very well meaning reporter while Selina Kyle is a mysterious thrill-loving criminal. Then it turns out [[spoiler: Vikki Vale is really the story's true BigBad Lady Arkham]], while Selina Kyle has plenty of HiddenDepths and actually does care about those around her for the most part.

*** Blackwall and the Iron Bull are set up as Betty and Veronica, respectively, but Blackwall turns out to be [[spoiler:a former war criminal hiding his real identity]] while Bull falls in love with and stays completely devoted to the player... if they made the right choices. (Cullen and Solas are both Bettys, but Solas switches sides in a ''major'' way when he's revealed as [[spoiler: Fen'harel, the Elven trickster god, who wants to destroy the world and remake it the way it used to be]].

* ''VideoGame/DarkMessiahOfMightAndMagic'' gives Sareth two love interests. Xana is a sultry and flirtatious succubus who is clearly the girlfriend literally straight out of hell. Lena is a sweet and affectionate mage and the niece of the main questline's questgiver. However in practice, Xana is always honest with Sareth, offers invaluable aid, and even saves his life. While Lena makes Sareth do all the difficult and dangerous work, and upon learning of the existence of Xana she immediately demands that Sareth make a detour to a church and murder off Xana. If Sareth doesn't, [[spoiler: Lena accuses Sareth of betraying her and attacks him. That's right, the seeming Betty also wants to MurderTheHypotenuse.]]

[[folder: Visual Novels]]
* In ''VisualNovel/SchoolDays'', Sekai Saionji seems to be a straightforward Veronica (middle-class, a GenkiGirl, very straightforward in her thoughts), while Kotonoha Katsura looks like quite the Betty (rich but also humble, soft-spoken and shy, very booksmart). However, depending on how the player/s follow the original game or the UpdatedRerelease, either of them can go ''dangerously'' over the edge for one or another reason, often involving quite the BreakTheCutie. On one hand, Sekai can [[spoiler: murder Makoto after a huge misunderstanding caused by something he ''really'' shouldn't have said]] (both games), [[spoiler: go mad after being to broken - then push Kotonoha over a train rail right after she and Makoto get together (with different results)]] (re-release) or [[spoiler: stab Kotonoha and leave her to bleed to death]] (re-release). On the other, Kotonoha can [[spoiler: use [[IHaveBoobsYouMustObey her sexuality]] to blackmail Makoto into leaving Sekai]] (both), [[spoiler: snap after being bullied into insanity by Sekai's "friends" and give Sekai a SlashedThroat in broad daylight]] (both), or [[spoiler: go the SpurnedIntoSuicide way via throwing herself off a building in front of ''both'' Sekai and Makoto]] (both).
* In TheReveal of [=ClockUp=]'s ''Euphoria'', [[spoiler: Kanae is the ''real'' EvilGenius mastermind behind the plot, who had been giving Keisuke FakeMemories [[MadScientist as part of a huge lab experiment]]; and [[CloningBlues Nemu]], made out to be the cold AlphaBitch HateSink in the simulations, is Keisuke's ''real'' and sweet ChildhoodFriend.]]

[[folder: Web Originals ]]

* Not a surprise given the source material, but, for Lizzie in ''WebVideo/TheLizzieBennetDiaries'', [[spoiler:Wickham]] is TheWoobie, TheCharmer and a LovableJock with blond hair whose only bad side is being a SerialRomeo and a TemporaryLoveInterest who knew she never expected the romance to become serious anyway, and [[spoiler: Darcy]] is the TallDarkAndSnarky StalkerWithACrush with a terrible case of SmallNameBigEgo, IdleRich and CardCarryingVillain. [[spoiler:The audience knows Wickham is a {{Hypocrite}} ManipulativeBastard who took advantage of her need of companionship in difficult times, and Darcy is a well-meaning {{Workaholic}} with a case of NoSocialSkills, TheProudElite, BigBrotherInstinct and {{Adorkable}}.]]

* In the ''Anime/PrincessTutu'' anime, Fakir appears at first as a male {{Tsundere}}, and Mytho the Prince has a case of ChronicHeroSyndrome. They were respectively the Veronica and Betty to Ahiru's Archie, then [[spoiler:Mytho's heart shard is tainted with the Crow's blood and he becomes evil and potentially violent, and Fakir is seen as the friend and confident who does everything he can to protect Ahiru. And this is settled when Rue performs an HeroicSacrifice to bring Mytho back to the side of good... and then Mytho stays with ''her'' instead.]]

** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' has [[spoiler:Merrill]] and [[spoiler:Isabela]]. The former is a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} with NoSocialSkills with innocent-looking puppy eyes while the latter is a [[ReallyGetsAround promiscuous pirate]] [[BiTheWay more open about her preference than the other companions]]. However, [[spoiler:one turns out to be a [[EvilIsNotAToy Blood Mage]] [[WideEyedIdealist trying to save her people]] via [[WellIntentionedExtremist consequentialist methods]] while the other is a BrokenBird trying to cope with the memory of ParentalAbandonment and can be persuaded to fully commit to love.]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'':
** In season one, Korra and Asami are in a LoveTriangle for Mako and a lot of the traits usually associated with each side are swapped around. Asami is sweet and gentle and Mako feels more comfortable around her, but she's the richer, more traditionally beautiful one. Korra is much more violent and tends to crash with Mako, but she is naive and from the country (well, Southern Water Tribe). Eventually Mako becomes closer to Korra and his relationship with Asami becomes sour and finally falls apart after she finds out Mako and Korra kissed behind her back.
** With this twist in mind, Mako also undergoes a "Betty and Veronica switch". [[spoiler:He starts out as the Veronica for Korra's Archie and Bolin's Betty - the bad boy compared to his DoggedNiceGuy brother. But from Asami's point of view, in season 3 & 4 Mako becomes the Betty to her Archie and Korra's Veronica - since she's known Mako longer, and Korra as the Avatar is easily the more "unattainable" one.]]

This trope is often used to criticize gender stereotypes such as the MadonnaWhoreComplex, by introducing a GoodBadGirl and a {{Hypocrite}} as potential {{Love Interest|s}} for a gullible hero and teaching him not to judge a book by its cover. Other examples for the mere sake of suspense also exist.

* Subverted on ''Series/FamilyTies':, when Alex develops feelings for Marty, a music student he's tutoring, despite having a long time girlfriend, Lauren. However, despite being the "other woman", shy, awkward, [[HollywoodHomely plain]] Marty is as much as a "Betty" as Lauren is, if not more so--while by no means a bad person, Lauren is the more conventionally attractive of the two, a characteristic often given to "Veronicas".

* The twist in Jim Carrey's ''Film/TheMask.'' [[spoiler: The mousy coworker is actually a spy for the villain, the seemingly exotic dame he met at a club is actually much more centered than she first appeared.]]

* A male RichSuitorPoorSuitor example appears in an episode of ''Series/TheTwilightZone''. A young woman has two suitors, a rich one she doesn't care for and a poor one she does. The poor one asks her to run off with him. Her future self later chases her younger self on horseback, begging her not to marry the wrong man... [[spoiler: [[WrongGuyFirst the poor suitor, who turned out to be a money-hungry bastard and ruined her life.]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* In ''the'' ''Franchise/ArchieComics'', ''the'' Betty becomes a Veronica when she tries to murder Archie out of spite. For Veronica, despite having mistaken herself for a romantic novel heroine after a knock on the head, she never did such a thing, and thus gets the title of Betty in the trope namer for this kind of triangles.

* In ComicBook/SpiderMan ([[StepfordSmiler Seemingly]]) carefree party girl and FieryRedHead Mary Jane was the Veronica to sweet, GirlNextDoor Gwen Stacy. Gwen was actually victim of CharacterizationMarchesOn, and her earlier, less remembered appearances had her as something of a headstrong popular girl type; she would have been a Veronica had this remained. After Gwen [[ILetGwenStacyDie became victim to a certain trope she named]] MJ became closer to Peter and went through some CharacterDevelopment, showing the audience there was more to her than she let on. A few years down the line when sultry cat burglar Black Cat enters the scene intent on playing the DatingCatwoman card with Spidey, MJ becomes the Betty as an old friend of Peter's. What's interesting is that the headstrong popular girl Gwen was when Creator/SteveDitko was drawing and plotting the comics. During his run Mary-Jane was pretty much TheGhost only being mentioned by Aunt May; she only appears twice during his run and both times her face is obscured and she leaves before Peter gets to meet her. However she's dressed very ladylike (certainly not the party girl she ended up being) and we do know Aunt May thought she was housewife material. It's very likely that if Steve Ditko had stayed on, Mary-Jane would have been the Betty and Gwen the Veronica.

* The Music/{{Vocaloid}} song ''ACUTE'' by Kurousa-P portrays a love triangle between [[Main/{{Bishonen}} Kaito]], [[GenkiGirl Hatsune Miku]] and [[TheStoic Megurine Luka]]. Miku and Kaito are in a relationship, but he confesses his love for Luka, who is reluctant and fears that acting on their emotions will forever ruin the trio's friendship. Miku discovers the affair, [[CuteandPsycho literally goes crazy]], [[MurderSuicide stabs Kaito in a fit of rage, and then tries to commit suicide]]. The sequel, ''React'', reveals that both survived; Kaito is shown being pushed in a wheelchair by Luka, while Miku is in a hospital.

* The Music/{{Vocaloid}} song ''ACUTE'' by Kurousa-P portrays a love triangle between [[Main/{{Bishonen}} Kaito]], [[GenkiGirl Hatsune Miku]] and [[TheStoic Megurine Luka]]. Miku and Kaito are in a relationship, but he confesses his love for Luka, who is reluctant and fears that acting on their emotions will forever ruin the trio's friendship. Miku discovers the affair, [[CuteandPsycho literally goes crazy]], [[MurderSuicide stabs Kaito in a fit of rage, and then tries to commit suicide]]. The sequel, ReACT, reveals that both survived; Kaito is shown being pushed in a wheelchair by Luka, while Miku is in a hospital.

* In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' there's a huge debate about who's Betty and who's Veronica since Rei and Asuka present traits of both sides. [[ShyBlueHairedGirl Rei]] has a [[NiceGirl gentle disposition]] and [[ShrinkingViolet reserved nature]], but she's also [[CreepyChild bizarre]], [[EmotionlessGirl cold]], and [[UncannyValley strangely unsettling]]. [[FieryRedhead Fiery Redheaded]] [[ForeignFanservice foreigner]] Asuka has a forceful and aggressive personality, but is also seen as the more outgoing and [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman human]] one.

* Series/FamilyTies, when Alex develops feelings for Marty, a music student he's tutoring, despite having a long time girlfriend, Lauren. However, despite being the "other woman", shy, awkward, [[HollywoodHomely plain]] Marty is as much as a "Betty" as Lauren is, if not more so--while by no means a bad person, Lauren is the more conventionally attractive of the two, a characteristic often given to "Veronicas".

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', you may guess from the manual that the miniskirted, tank-punching terrorist Tifa is the Veronica, while the beautiful flower girl dressed all in pink is Betty. Enjoy it when Tifa's introduced in a semi-domestic setting talking about her history as Cloud's [[GirlNextDoor next-door neighbour]], and when Aeris's introduced in a sequence where she laughs at Cloud for accidentally making a sexual DoubleEntendre before getting him to take her to the city's red light district.