History Main / EverybodyKnewAlready

A character is ready to reveal their secret. Maybe they're gay, maybe they're a vampire, maybe they're a superhero, or [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking maybe they're the one who stole the cookies from the cookie jar]]. All that matters is that they've kept this a secret for a while, and now they're ready to come clean. However, when they finally tell the truth, the only shocked reactions they get, if any, are at the realization this was supposed to be a secret. [[TitleDrop Everybody Knew Already.

A character is ready to reveal their secret. Maybe they're gay, maybe they're a vampire, maybe they're a superhero, or [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking maybe they're the one who stole the cookies from the cookie jar]]. All that matters is that they've kept this a secret for a while, and now they're ready to come clean. However, when they finally tell the truth, the only shocked reactions they get, if any, are at the realization this was supposed to be a secret. Everybody knew already.

* ''Manhua/RetiredHeroes'': Some {{Fake Ultimate Hero}}es expose a couple of adventurers as demons. Not only did the entire village already know they were demons, but they're actually the people who the fakes are impersonating.

* ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' does this with Freeza's transformations:

'''Vegeta (uninterested):''' Huh. That right?\\

'''Vegeta (legitimately surprised):''' Really?

* The end of ''[[Anime/PrettySammy Magical Project S]]'' has Sasami's class telling her they knew she was Pretty Sammy, they just figured they weren't supposed to talk about it.

* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': The Human Torch's features in ''ComicBook/StrangeTales'' involved him protecting his secret identity...despite the fact that he was a celebrity in his main title. Presumably, this was due to a lapse in Stan Lee's memory ([[http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2005/11/03/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-23/ which actually has some precedent]]); eventually, it was [[RetCon retconned]] that all the supporting cast were simply going along with the Torch's masquerade out of concern for his privacy...

-->'''Chromedome''': "Anyway, I thought you ''liked'' having amnesia."
-->'''Skids''': "Who told you that?"
-->'''Chromedome''': "You told [[MotorMouth Swerve]], right? So assume everyone on board knows. [[SerialEscalation In fact, assume everyone on Cybertron knows]]. In fact, assume that distant ''alien races'', otherwise untouched by civilization—"
-->'''Skids''': "Okay, okay, point taken."

* ''Series/{{Castle}}'':

** Early on, Joker and Ryuji are trying to reveal Kamoshida's [[SadistTeacher true]] [[SexualExtortion nature]] to everyone. Unfortunately, it turns out that while not ''everyone'' is aware, it's definitely no secret to the principal, teachers, or even parents. The volleyball team feels [[ItCantBeHelped there's nothing they can do about it]], while female students quietly hint to each other that you probably don't want to be alone with the guy. What makes it worse is that all the people in the know are either too scared to speak up or doing so is against their own interests. After less than a week, Kamoshida even starts making moves to have the boys expelled, putting the newly minted Phantom Thieves on a tight deadline to force him to confess with the Metaverse, or it's game over. Once they succeed, those who were aware ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and aren't]] [[DirtyCoward the principal]]) are now able to more openly express their thoughts.
** [[spoiler: Towards the end of the game, it seems Joker has fallen into Goro Akechi's trap. only for it to be revealed that the Phantom Thieves knew about his ruse, and had a plan to evade the assassination attempt, and turn the tables on him and his master.]]

* It was a somewhat shocking twist at the end of ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' that the mysterious Mr. Karate was actually Takuma Sakazaki, Ryo and Yuri's father and teacher of the Kyokugen style. Unfortunately, Takuma must be senile, because he pulls the grand reveal a few more times, including ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' 96 and 97, well after everyone else already knows.

** Early on, Joker and Ryuji are trying to reveal Kamoshida's [[SadistTeacher true]] [[SexualExtortion nature]] to everyone. Unfortunately, it turns out that while not ''everyone'' is aware, it's definitely no secret to the principal, teachers, or even parents. The volleyball team feels [[CantBeHelped there's nothing they can do about it]], while female students quietly hint to each other that you probably don't want to be alone with the guy. What makes it worse is that all the people in the know are either too scared to speak up or doing so is against their own interests. After less than a week, Kamoshida even starts making moves to have the boys expelled, putting the newly minted Phantom Thieves on a tight deadline to force him to confess with the Metaverse, or it's game over. Once they succeed, those who were aware ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and aren't]] [[DirtyCoward the principal]]) are now able to more openly express their thoughts.

%%* ''Webcomic/{{Ice}}'' by Faith Hicks: [[spoiler:Cirr's [[http://www.faitherinhicks.com/ice/page158.html parentage.]]]]

* Downplayed example in ''Series/MsMarvel'': by the time Kamala tells her family about her new powers, everyone has already heard, due to Muneeba telling Jusef.

** Early on, Joker and Ryuji are trying to reveal Kamoshida's [[SadistTeacher true]] [[SexualExtortion nature]] to everyone. Unfortunately, it turns out that while not ''everyone'' is aware, it's definitely no secret to the principal, teachers, or even parents. The volleyball team feels [[CantBeHelped there's nothing they can do about it]], while female students quietly hint to each other that you probably don't want to be alone with the guy. What makes it worse is that all the people in the know are either too scared to speak up or doing so is against their own interests. After less than a week, Kamoshida even starts making moves to have the boys expelled, putting the newly minted Phantom Thieves on a tight deadline to force him to confess with the Metaverse, or it's game over. Once they succeed, those who were aware ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and aren't]][[DirtyCoward the principal]]) are now able to more openly express their thoughts.

** Early on, Joker and Ryuji are trying to reveal Kamoshida's [[SadistTeacher true]] [[SexualExtortion nature]] to everyone. Unfortunately, it turns out that while not ''everyone'' is aware, it's definitely no secret to the principal, teachers, or even parents. The volleyball team feels [[CantBeHelped there's nothing they can do about it]], while female students quietly hint to each other that you probably don't want to be alone with the guy. What makes it worse is that all the people in the know are either too scared to speak up or doing so is against their own interests. After less than a week, Kamoshida even starts making moves to have the boys expelled, putting the newly minted Phantom Thieves on a tight deadline to force him to confess with the Metaverse, or it's game over.

* [[Franchise/FantasticFour The Human Torch's]] features in ''Strange Tales'' involved him protecting his secret identity...despite the fact that he was a celebrity in his main title. Presumably, this was due to a lapse in Stan Lee's memory ([[http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2005/11/03/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-23/ which actually has some precedent]]); eventually, it was [[RetCon retconned]] that all the supporting cast were simply going along with the Torch's masquerade out of concern for his privacy...
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

** Early on, Joker and Ryuji are trying to reveal Kamoshida's [[SadistTeacher true]] [[SexualExtortion nature]] to everyone. Unfortunately, it turns out that while not ''everyone'' is aware, it's definitely no secret to the principal, multiple teachers or many parents. The volleyball team feels they can do nothing [[StockholmSyndrome when they don't defend him]] while female students quietly hint to each other that you probably don't want to be alone with the guy. What makes it worse is that all the people in the know are either too scared to speak up or doing so is against their own interests. After less than a week Kamoshida even starts making moves to have them expelled, putting the proto Phantom Thieves on a deadline to force him to confess with the Metaverse or game over.
** At one point it seems the party have fallen into [[spoiler: their mole Goro Akechi]]'s trap only for it to be revealed they knew about the ruse and have a plan to turn the tables on them.

TransparentCloset is a common subtrope, where a character's sexuality isn't as much of a secret as they think it is. See also OpenSecret where it's painfully obvious from the get-go that no one is fooled by the secret. The metafictional version, where a writer reveals a twist that the audience already figured out, is the CaptainObviousReveal. Opposite trope of ThoughtTheyKnewAlready. Super-trope to EveryoneCanSeeIt. Also see TheUntwist.

* In ''VideoGame/UnleashTheLight'', Hessonite's minimal disguise fools absolutely nobody and nobody is shocked when she "reveals" herself just before the final battle. Well, almost nobody. [[BigBad Pyrope]] is the only one fooled.

* ''VideoGame/UnleashTheLight'': When Hessonite first arrives, she dramatically reveals the secret to unlocking the Prism Doors in the Palace of Light... finding the Prism Keys. Only problem is that the Crystal Gems (and by extension, the player) already unlocked the first Prism Door when she told them about it.