History Main / HiddenVillain

* Slade in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' starts out like this, being introduced in the first episode as a shadowy {{Chessmaster}}, but not even ''named'' or revealed to the heroes until later (and its even longer before they meet him face-to-face and learn of his plans). Also a HiddenAgendaVillain, ironically.

* {{Trigun}} has no main villain at first, and then the big bad appears to be a fatalistic killer 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.]]

* {{MAG ISA}} -- [[http://www.drunkduck.com/MAG_ISA/index.php?p=544865 Look at these guys with darkened faces sitting around a table]] planning nefarious schemes for you and me...

* During the third series of DoctorWho, the subplots taking place in present day London throw around the name Mr. Saxon. In the three-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 became the the Minister of Defence.]]

->''"At last, the masks had fallen away. The strings of the puppets had become visible, and the hands of the prime mover exposed."''
-->--''LegacyOfKain''

* The Comedian's murderer and the person responsible for the events of ''{{Watchmen}}''. It turns out that [[spoiler: Adrian Veidt AKA Ozymandias is behind it, [[KnightTemplar all in the name of]] [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans world peace]] of course.]] The picture at the top of the page is this hidden villain from the film adaptation.

* The first ''SinCity'' hid the SerialKIller Kevin until halfway through and hid Cardinal Roark until just before the end. Because of TheMovie, most people realize who they are but it was a specific mystery at first.

* 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''.

* DesperateHousewives used this several times. The identity of the agressor in season 6 was hidden this way until the reveal [[spoiler: that he was a serial killer and actually one of Porter's friends]].

* In ''WolverineAndTheXMen'', 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]].
* During the third season of {{Ben10}}, 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.

-->- ''LegacyOfKain''

* Slade in ''TeenTitans'' starts out like this, being introduced in the first episode as a shadowy Chessmaster, but not even ''named'' or revealed to the heroes until later (and its even longer before they meet him face-to-face and learn of his plans). Also a HiddenAgendaVillain, ironically.

* [[{{HeWhoMustNotBeSeen}} Lord Baan/Vearn]] from {{DragonQuest}}: {{DaiNoDaibouken}}. 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 lesser {{Dragon}} who attempts GrandTheftMe on Hyunkeru to transfer to a younger, stronger body. Both the body-snatcher & the intended victim also are WhiteHairedPrettyBoys.]]

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[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:{{Manga}} and {{Anime}}]]
* ''TwentiethCenturyBoys''
* ''{{Bleach}}'' (ItWasHisSled. Even so, this particular {{Reveal}} was quite the WhamEpisode.)
* The first ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' anime (The manga and second anime version introduced its main antagonist quite early on).
* [[{{HeWhoMustNotBeSeen}} Lord Baan/Vearn]] from {{DragonQuest}}: {{DaiNoDaibouken}}. 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 lesser {{Dragon}} who attempts GrandTheftMe on Hyunkeru to transfer to a younger, stronger body. Both the body-snatcher & the intended victim also are WhiteHairedPrettyBoys.]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WebOriginal]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC: {{Web Comics}}]]
* {{MAG ISA}} -- [[http://www.drunkduck.com/MAG_ISA/index.php?p=544865 Look at these guys with darkened faces sitting around a table]] planning nefarious schemes for you and me...
* [[http://www.drunkduck.com/Harkovast/index.php?p=473700 The Enemy]] in {{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.

* ''{{Lost}}'' (In this case, the fact that there even ''is'' a BigBad is not immediately stated.)

** SlenderMan?

** The events of season 31 are caused by someone or something capable of [[spoiler: making the TARDIS explode]], accompanied by the ArcWords "silence will fall".

* [[http://www.drunkduck.com/Harkovast/index.php?p=473700 The Enemy]] in {{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 mentioned.

* {{MAG ISA}} -- [[http://www.drunkduck.com/MAG_ISA/index.php?p=544865 Look at these guys with darkened faces sitting around a table]] planning nefarious schemes for you and me...

* ''{{BlazBlue}}'' (The BigBad isn't revealed until the console-only [[GoldenEnding True Ending]] of ''Calamity Trigger'', and isn't fought until ''[[OddlyNamedSequel Continuum Shift]]''.) [[spoiler:And even then, that game's True Ending reveals him to be a DiscOneFinalBoss, the real villain being the DistressedDamsel that he kidnapped.]]

* ''{{BlazBlue}}'' (The BigBad isn't revealed until the console-only [[GoldenEnding True Ending]] of ''Calamity Trigger'', and isn't fought until ''[[OddlyNamedSequel Continuum Shift]]''.)

* Most of the plotline of the ''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 [[XanatosSucker Prince Rajnir]] and [[AntiVillain Commander Durasnir]], the other two main Venn characters.

* During the third series of DoctorWho, the subplots taking place in present day London throw around the name Mr. Saxon. In the three-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 became the mayor of London.]]

[[AC: Web Comics]]

* During the third season of {{Ben10}}, 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.