History Main / MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch

* The prime example would be the Klingons from ''Franchise/StarTrek''. They talk a lot -- an awful lot -- about how they are a [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Proud Warrior Race]], but virtually any actual Klingon you might meet is almost certainly little better than a street thug. The most famous Klingon, Worf, knows this better than anyone, and it really disappoints him, having idealized his species while growing up in the Federation--and particularly because, though he could show his emotions more freely, he is otherwise already there: the ideal, moral, honorable, passionate Klingon warrior. Also true for various other species with Deep Dark Secrets.
** This trope is the central premise of [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]] episode "A Matter Of Honor", where Riker serves aboard a Klingon ship in an officer exchange program. They don't outright contradict their stereotype, but they're shown in a much more complete and complex light than they had been in [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries TOS]].

* {{Inverted|Trope}} in ''WesternAnimation/MrBogus'' with [[MeaningfulName Baddus],] who is the only one who looks and acts like an actual gremlin, in stark contrast to Bogus, as well as all of the other denizens of Bogusland.

* [[spoiler: Paarthurnax]] from ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', the leader of the Greybeards. [[spoiler: During the Dragon Wars, he was the top lieutenant of [[BigBad Alduin]], but had a change of heart and instead chose to aid the Ancient Nords, teaching them [[TheLanguageOfMagic the Thu'um]] and thus allowing them to turn the tide against the Dragons. Despite being the closest thing in the game to a BigGood, he tells the Dragonborn that he ''still'' has the innate desire to [[AlwaysChaoticEvil destroy and dominate]] as all Dragons do and has to constantly fight to keep his urges in check. He lampshades that [[NotSoDifferent the same is true]] for the Dragonborn as well.]]

** Only 1/3 of the playable races can be played on both the Republic and Empire, with the rest being exclusive to one side. However, if you complete a character's story for one race, you can unlock that race for yourself, regardless of class or allegiance. This can result [[BloodKnight Pureblood]] [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Siths]] and [[TheChssmaster Chiss]], overwhelmingly Imperial races, becoming light-sided defenders of the Republic, and pro-Republic races like Mirialan and Miraluka becoming [[FaceHeelTurn some of the most dangerous Sith ever seen]].

**** Aribeth is not exactly the best example, as she is a "fallen" Paladin through most of the game (her fall comes shortly after the death of her boyfriend in the original campaign), and can become a true Blackguard, depending on how you go through Underdark.
*** Nathyrra is both the proof of, and the exception to the Trope. Although she is a Good member of an AlwaysChaoticEvil, she is also one of the followers of Eilistraee, a Good Goddess forbidden to be worshipped by most drow but still manages to garner a reasonably sized following, a good deal of whom are met in the game as NPC's.
**** Nathyrra isn't the best example either, since if you actually look at her alignment she's Lawful Evil. (Although that's probably a programming oversight. Take the [[CardCarryingVillain unambiguously evil]] [[TheBaroness Valsharess]], who scans as Neutral Good.)
*** It's probably because the Assassin prestige class requires an evil alignment to take levels in it. This is a distinct example of GameplayAndStorySegregation because though Nathyrra behaves as Neutral/Chaotic Good, she's required to read as Lawful Evil so she isn't stuck into her base class as she levels.

[[folder:Film]]

* Lenny from ''{{Shark Tale}}'' pulls the same deal... except, it's specifically fish he doesn't eat, since he lives in, y'know, the ''ocean.'' This leaves the mind boggling as to what, precisely, he ''does'' eat...
* And then there are the sharks from ''WesternAnimation/{{Finding Nemo}}''. Apparently having a carnivorous animal [[YouFailBiologyForever eschew the consumption of the diet it requires to]] ''[[YouFailBiologyForever survive]]'' makes it more likeable.
* ''TheDeathsOfIanStone'' ups the ante--it seems ThePowerOfLove can redeem even {{Humanoid Abomination}}s.
* Chomper from TheLandBeforeTime is the only sharptooth who is seen befriending leaf-eaters and is the only sharptooth who lives in the great valley. As such, he prefers befriending leaf-eaters and generally doesn't associate with sharpteeth outside his family.

* One can find this reflecting different cultures of humans (Alderaanians compared to Corellians) as often as different species in ''StarWars''. For example, in the ExpandedUniverse, Winter Celchu (a childhood friend of Leia's from famously-disarmed Alderaan) quickly came to favor military action against the Empire. (And there had to be ''some'' Corellian actuaries.) For a more conventional example, after the Battle of Endor, Twi'leks were tired of being seen as a species of scheming male traders and their female merchandise, and the strong warrior tradition of the species came to greater prominence as the warriors became more vocal. Finally, it's noted that species that tend more strongly to the PlanetOfHats (like the Ithorians) stay that way by kicking out troublemakers, so that members of the species encountered out in the galaxy are far more likely to be examples of MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch than those on the homeworld.

** Liara is at the age when you're told that most asari are out in the galaxy whoring it up and/or shooting it up. Instead, she's initially happy to be a solitary archeologist and researcher. It's unknown if this is related to who her "father" is revealed to be: [[spoiler:Aethyta]]. Asari are also commonly stereotyped as sexually promiscuous, and Liara's a virgin as of ''Mass Effect 1''.

*** The Centauri courtesan-slave Adira points out that not all Centauri engage in digging up dirt on others to gain leverage on friend and foe alike. Londo--her master--points out that such people tend to be at the lower rungs of Centauri society.[[hottip:*:Londo eventually sees the error of the Centauri way, and [[ThanatosGambit engineers his own death to ensure that Vir gets the throne.]]

Often happens to races who are AlwaysChaoticEvil, resulting in them having been GoodAllAlong. May lead to an EnemyCivilWar as those who reject the hat fight the ones who love it. Despite the fact that the KlingonScientistsGetNoRespect, they may not believe this trope and choose to "rebel" in order to enable their peers to wear their hat.

** This is a common interpretation of changelings, that most of them are evil like Chrysalis, but there are some who just want to live like normal ponies and not eat the love of other ponies.

** There was also the dragon that the group met during the second episode; his mad thrashings were creating severe turbulence in a river they had to cross. Expecting some insane beast, it turns out he's just a particularly [[CampGay fabulous]] dragon that is having a breakdown because his mustache was ruined; an on-the-spot fix made him so happy he actually helped the ponies across the river (though [[FanNickname Steve Magnet]] is officially a sea serpent, which may or may not be a dragon subspecies. If he was, one would think Fluttershy would have been terrified). Any other time an adult dragon is encountered, they tend to be more or less speechless and would rather be just left alone with their giant pile of gold and gems.

* Urdnot Wrex of ''MassEffect'', at first glance, appears to be another [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy typical krogan]]. However, it turns out that a long time ago, he tried to convince his people to give up their warlike tendencies and just focus on breeding and survival after their last disastrous war. He wasn't very successful, and now is just another bitter, angry krogan mercenary who signs up with Shepard for the money. Later on in the game, however, Wrex reveals that he's stayed on with Shepard for so long because he felt that by joining Shepard, he could finally fight for a cause more valuable than just credits.

** Yet again in ''Mass Effect 2'' could be [[spoiler:the batarian you meet at beginning of Mordin's recruitment mission. While nearly all batarians we have met up to this point have been A) criminals, B) slavers or C) all of the above, this one is simply a normal guy afflicted with a plague, and is verbally thankful to Commander Shepard. It has actually been noted that due to the dictatorial Batarian government, few people outside of Batarian space actually meet an average Batarian citizen]].
*** ''Mass Effect 3'' confirms [[spoiler:the same is true of most batarians. From the refugees we see from Khar'shan - the batarian homeworld which was destroyed by the Reapers - most are very pleasant, and they are revealed to be a deeply spiritual people with their own pillars of faith. Most are more than happy to talk to Shepard and receive aid from him.]]
** Matriach Aethyta, who works as a bartender in Illium, is extremely dillusioned with how her people prefers to spend their golden years being sexual playthings or mercenaries instead of serving the Asari republic meaningfully, such as strengthening their military and expanding their scientific knowledge.
*** She even mentions how she was mocked by other asari for the "absurd" idea of studying and building their own mass relays. So now, she tends bar.

** Liara is at the age when you're told that most asari are out in the galaxy whoring it up and/or shooting it up. Instead, she's initially happy to be a solitary archeologist and researcher. It's unknown if this is related to who her "father" is revealed to be: [[spoiler:Aethyta]].
*** Asari are also commonly stereotyped as sexually promiscuous, and Liara's a virgin as of ''Mass Effect 1''.

'''Tristram''': ''To my '''race''', yes. Not to '''me'''.''

* Dobby and Firenze in the ''HarryPotter'' series.

**** Nathyrra isn't the best example either, since if you actually look at her alignment she's Neutral Evil. (Although that's probably a programming oversight. Take the [[CardCarryingVillain unambiguously evil]] [[TheBaroness Valsharess]], who scans as Neutral Good.)
*** It's probably because the Assassin prestige class requires an evil alignment to take levels in it. This is a distinct example of GameplayAndStorySegregation because though Nathyrra behaves as Neutral/Chaotic Good, she's required to read as Neutral Evil so she isn't stuck into her base class as she levels.

* Daetrin Haal of ''Literature/TheMadnessSeason'' does not like to identify with vampire cliches, to the point where he refuses to transform into a bat, even when trapped underground where echolocation would really help him get around.

** The Cult of Skaro has produced two of these. They are a select group of [[OmnicidalManiac Daleks]] who exist to "imagine", to find new ways to assure that the Dalek race remains supreme. As such they have far more individuality than most Daleks, even their own names. First Dalek Sec [[HalfHumanHybrid merged himself with a human]], and found that (even though the human in question was a bit of a bastard), he now feels empathy and knows that the Daleks are flawed. He intends to make them even ''more'' human than he has become, but is killed before doing so. Dalek Caan, on the other hand, is a pure Dalek who is driven mad (and given the [[MadOracle gift of prophecy]]) when he flies unprotected through the time vortex. He sees the Daleks for [[CompleteMonster what they are]] by observing their actions throughout time and space, and arranges for the ([[JokerImmunity almost]]) destruction of the entire species to prevent them from destroying the universe.

[[folder: The Red Menace]]
* There's a very interesting, and completely unintentional, version of this in ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}''. Cassie is a little too casual with the [[AppliedPhlebotinum Morphing Cube]] and ends up giving an ant the ability to morph into her.
-->"I glanced back at it, watching it scream and writhe like it was in mortal agony. Why would it be in pain? ... They were all part of a collective. Mindless, soulless beings without wills or thoughts of their own. When the ant had morphed to human it had become an individual with the freedom to choose. With free will. The human brain, with all its diversity and innate curiosity, must be completely overwhelming it."
** Given how much intentionality is part of the morphing process, one has to wonder how the ant ever activated the ability of which it had no way of even conceiving.
* Also very common when a species is standing in for Communists. The species, having been established as entirely collectivist without any sense of individuality, will invariably issue a couple of members who are fiercely individualistic: Hugh and Seven of The Borg, and the Queen depending on interpretation; Quinn from ''[[Series.WarOfTheWorlds War of the Worlds]]''; the humanized Daleks in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Evil of the Daleks" (although Daleks are actually Nazis, not Communists). It happened to just about every important alien in ''First Wave''.
** The ''{{Planescape}}'' setting for ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has rogue Modrons, a whole PC race of creatures like this. It's rather like the Always Angsty ChaoticGood drow in other settings, except it's a ''requirement'', since the comically robotic non-rogue Modrons are too constrained by rules to even notice that most other creatures exist.
** While we're on the subject of Daleks, the revived series has created The Cult of Skaro, four Daleks who have individual personalities, imaginations, and names, so that they could 'imagine new ways to survive'. One of them took this even further and merged with a human, doing a genetic HeelFaceTurn. [[RedemptionEqualsDeath Redemption equaled death]]. The other three remained evil.
*** And by new ways to survive, they mean new ways to be the only survivor.
** One of them is now the first to ever laugh. He's also completely insane, which for a Dalek is saying a lot.
*** And he's not even a [[AxCrazy Special Weapons Dalek]] either.
**** [[spoiler: Dalek Caan ultimately ended up an example of this trope. He used his status as MadOracle to manipulate [[OmnicidalManiac Davros]] into unwittingly engineering the destruction of the Daleks at the hands of the Doctor.]]
** Then, of course, before them there was Lone Dalek, antagonist in 'Dalek,' which believed itself to be the only one left and had spent years being [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured by a human]] JerkAss. Sure, it was scary and cruel and killed a lot of people, as per Dalek standards, but it was so ''lonely''. In the end it turned out the power boost from Rose had also given it a Rose infusion and allowed it to be something other than Dalek, but it didn't ''want'' that. It opened its casing to feel the sun and settled for IDieFree and as much [[DyingAsYourself Dying As Itself]] as it could still manage. It was a ''TearJerker''. The death of a ''Dalek''.
*** It also produced the line, earlier in the episode when the Doctor was taking way too much pleasure in killing it, "[[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame You...would...make...a...good...Dal...ek.]]"
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This trope's name comes from the oft-[[BeamMeUpScotty (mis-)]]quoted line from Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Hamlet,'' "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." Note that in Shakespeare's time, "protest" meant "proclaim solemnly or firmly" (which, in context "the lady" was suspiciously overdoing). That's almost the opposite of its modern western connotation, "dissent loudly", although it still occurs in "to protest one's innocence".[[note]]However, in this case, it works with either definition[[/note]] Using the example from above, Bob's warrior species "protests too much" by overly avowing violence, when all Bob wants to do is flirt with Alice the GranolaGirl.

** In Mass Effect 2, [[spoiler:if Wrex survived the events of the first game, by the time Shepard meets him [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething he's managed to unite the krogans of Tuchanka under him]], [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority attempting to bring his people out of their self-destructive ways]].]]

** Yet again in Mass Effect 2 could be [[spoiler:the batarian you meet at beginning of Mordin's recruitment mission. While nearly all batarians we have met up to this point have been A) criminals, B) slavers or C) all of the above, this one is simply a normal guy afflicted with a plague, and is verbally thankful to Commander Shepard. It has actually been noted that due to the dictatorial Batarian government, few people outside of Batarian space actually meet an average Batarian citizen]].
*** Mass Effect 3 confirms [[spoiler:the same is true of most batarians. From the refugees we see from Khar'shan - the batarian homeworld which was destroyed by the Reapers - most are very pleasant, and they are revealed to be a deeply spiritual people with their own pillars of faith. Most are more than happy to talk to Shepard and receive aid from him.]]

*** Asari are also commonly stereotyped as sexually promiscuous, and Liara's a virgin as of ME1.

*** She is even a double.... "Protester", since she is also half Krogan. Although she does seem pretty violent sometimes, she is often shown as being not, too, as in the example above.

** A sidequest on Illium in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' can end in you sending a crime boss evidence that some of his people are stealing from him. You are later met by a meticulously polite Krogan who wishes to pass on his employer's thanks, and a small compensation for your help.
** Elsewhere in the same game, you meet several Krogan scientists and a Krogan mechanic. While the scientists' opinion of their lots in life vary (one is enthusiastic, another simply laments that he's not able spend his time researching better ways to destroy things), the mechanic has a BadassBoast that without skilled technicians like him, there 'is'' no Krogan might. And of course, the entire Krogan arc in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' is made of this, by allowing Shepard to learn what the Krogan ''used'' to be like, and could be like again.

*** Umoja the Druid from ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'''s 2 expansion pack, is rather than obsessed with balance like the typical druid, in the words of writer Annie Carlson "I made him SPECIFICALLY to be easygoing and not to be all "blah blah blee bloo balance" all the time but to just be awesome".
*** Hagspawn are ugly, often violent brutes with none of the magical power their hag mothers have... except for Gannayev, your hagspawn companion in the ''Mask of the Betrayer'' expansion pack, who is instead a handsome [[TheCasanova Casanova]] with the ability to enter and travel through people's dreams ([[PowerPerversionPotential a power which he uses to get laid even in his sleep]]).
** [[InvertedTrope Inverted]], however, in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' with Khelgar Ironfist. Khelgar is considered by some fans to be a [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy stereotypical dwarf]] but this ignores the fact that most of the rest of his clan looks down on him because he professes to be an honorable warrior while, in fact, being [[BoisterousBruiser little better than a drunken thug]]. As a result, it is ''Khelgar'' who fails to live up to Dwarven standards of honor and dignity, though PlayerCharacter can [[CharacterDevelopment remedy this]].

* A variant occurs in the ''[[SixteenThirtyTwo 1632]]'' novels. The Hapsburg family are easily the most solid antagonists of the series, most opposed to the changes brought by the [[MassTeleportation Ring of Fire]]. They are also known for being generally ignorant - perhaps alone among European rulers, King Philip IV of Spain makes little attempt to replicate up-time technologies. His brother Fernando, on the other hand, who was essentially the Spanish viceroy in the Low Countries, decides to crown himself King of the Spanish Lowlands, creating the Dutch Hapsburgs as a third branch of the family. He also arranges an unofficial peace with the USE. While he remains nominally a vassal of his elder brother, the Spanish Lowlands are effectively neutral, and he is working to the point that he will be able to openly oppose the Spanish Hapsburgs (and the Austrians, although they will probably be busy dealing with the [[spoiler:imminent Ottoman invasion]]).

* ClassicalMythology gives us Chiron, the only good Centaur. All of the other Centaurs were vicious, self-serving brutes, but Chiron was a wise healer and teacher of Heracles, Thesus, and Jason. His accidental death at the hands of Heracles resulted in his transformation into a constellation (either Sagittarius or Centaurus).