History Main / NotAnAct

* ''{{Literature/Wulfrik}}'' Wulfrik's stated reason for needing a lot of gold from Viglundr is to assemble an army to get his revenge on the sorcerer who backstabbed him by besieging the city he's hiding in. Not only is it entirely genuine, any Norscan would act the same. Viglundr gives him the ships and men he needs in exchange for most of the plunder from the city [[spoiler:but wasn't counting on Wulfrik figuring out his and Sveinbjorn's plan, turning it against him, and then willingly sending ''their entire tribe'' to destruction]].

* The BigBad of ''Manga/EdensZero'' turns out to be Ziggy, a friendly theme park [[MaouTheDemonKing Demon King]] robot and [[TheHero Shiki]]'s adoptive grandpa, who came BackFromTheDead after breaking down years ago. Since TheReveal happens right after Shiki finds out all his other robot friends were [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim pretending to be evil to save him before they all died]], Shiki holds out hope that Ziggy must also be acting. Ziggy's immediate response is to demolish the theme park--and soon [[PlanetDestroyer the entire planet itself]]--with all the dead robots still there, establishing to readers that he's the villain whether they like it or not.

* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': One episode sees Summer held hostage by a Council Rick. Rick makes it clear he's going to ShootTheHostage, until Morty threatens to shoot Rick... leading to Rick admitting it ''was'' a bluff. Council Rick admits it had him going, calling Morty a fucking idiot, an opinion repeated by Summer and Rick. [[ContemptCrossfire All three calling him an idiot]] causes Morty to snap and shoot Rick... who takes advantage of the distraction to kill Council Rick (Morty's gun was fake, as stated by a note attached to the gun... which Morty evidently only read ''after'' the shooting).

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': Mako and Bolin are held captive by Bolin's sort-of fiancee Eska and her brother Desna as Unalaq fuses with the evil spirit Vaatu. Bolin starts blubbering that he and Eska will never be together if the world is destroyed, prompting Eska to kiss and release him (as Mako and Desna share an "are you seeing this too?" look). As Mako and Bolin escape, Mako congratulates Bolin on his acting skills. Bolin mumbles something like "[[SureLetsGoWithThat yeah... acting...]]" and sheds a SingleTear.

* ''Fanfic/TheMountainAndtheWolf'': From what we see of the Wolf's personality when he's around his Westerosi "[[TheFriendNobodyLikes allies]]" (where he appears as an ObviouslyEvil BoisterousBruiser who openly supports Daenerys going on a rampage across the Seven Kingdoms to establish her authority) and when around his own men where there's no need to hide his true intentions, there's... very little difference between the two, even regretting her wasted potential when the transfer of power happens with little protest.

* The BigBad of ''Manga/EdensZero'' turns out to be Ziggy, a friendly theme park [[MaouTheDemonKing Demon King]] robot and [[TheHero Shiki]]'s adoptive grandpa, who CameBackWrong after breaking down years ago. Since TheReveal happens right after Shiki finds out all his other robot friends were [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim pretending to be evil to save him before they all died]], Shiki holds out hope that Ziggy must also be acting. Ziggy's immediate response is to demolish the theme park--and soon [[PlanetDestroyer the entire planet itself]]--with all the dead robots still there, establishing to readers that he's the villain whether they like it or not.

'''Woody:''' You actually think you are ''the'' Buzz Lightyear? All this time I thought it was an act! Hey everyone, look! It's the real Buzz Lightyear!\\

'''Woody:''' Oh, no, no, no, no-- BUZZ, LOOK! AN ALIEN!\\

* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'': When Buzz chews out Woody for opening his helmet, Woody realizes Buzz ''really thinks'' he's the one and only Buzz Lightyear and mocks him for it. It takes seeing an entire shelf of Buzz Lightyear toys to finally make Buzz find out the truth. In the [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory2 sequel,]] Buzz gets captured and replaced by a newer model under the same delusion, causing Andy's Buzz to groan in recognition.

-->-- ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory''

* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'': When Buzz chews out Woody for opening his helmet, Woody realizes Buzz ''really thinks'' he's the one and only Buzz Lightyear and mocks him for it. It takes seeing an entire shelf of Buzz Lightyear toys to finally make Buzz find out the truth. In the sequel Buzz gets captured and replaced by a newer model under the same delusion, causing Andy's Buzz to groan in recognition.

-->--''WesternAnimation/ToyStory''

'''Woody:''' You actually think you are ''the'' Buzz Lightyear? All this time I thought it was an act! Hey everyone, look! It's the real Buzz Lightyear!

** Later in the series, Finick Odair tells Katniss that he [[NotSoDifferent sympathises with]] her need to maintain the facade of being in love with Peeta [[spoiler:since all his so-called "lovers" are actually [[SexSlave patrons he's being prostituted to by President Snow]]]]. But after he saw how Katniss nearly lost her mind with panic when Peeta walked into an electrical hazard and his heart briefly stopped, he realised that Katniss really did love Peeta too, [[ObliviousToLove possibly even before she did herself]].

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'': One arc begins with Calvin willingly leaving for school and acting disturbingly nice to his mother. She's left in complete confusion, while the reader learns that Calvin has used his cardboard box to make a pure good(y-two-shoes) clone of himself.

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* The ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' fanfic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8956408/1/A-MOTHER-F-ING-SURPRISE-DON-T-ASK-QUESTIONS A MOTHER FUCKING SURPRISE DON'T ASK QUESTIONS]]'' has the students reveal they faked their deaths in the killing game as part of a mystery game they put together for Makoto's birthday. Then Junko mentions that the scene where [[spoiler:she killed Mukuro]] was real, to everyone's horror.

* The ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' fanfic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8956408/1/A-MOTHER-F-ING-SURPRISE-DON-T-ASK-QUESTIONS A MOTHER FUCKING SURPRISE DON'T ASK QUESTIONS]]'' reveals that all the students faked their deaths in the killing game as part of a mystery game they put together for Makoto's birthday. Then Junko reveals that the scene where [[spoiler:she killed Mukuro]] was murdered was real, much to everyone's horror.

* The BigBad of ''Manga/EdensZero'' turns out to be [[spoiler:Ziggy, a friendly theme park [[MaouTheDemonKing Demon King]] robot and [[TheHero Shiki]]'s adoptive grandpa, who CameBackWrong after breaking down years ago. Since TheReveal happens right after Shiki finds out all his other robot friends were [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim pretending to be evil to save him before they all died]], Shiki holds out hope that Ziggy must also be acting. Ziggy's immediate response is to demolish the theme park--and soon [[PlanetDestroyer the entire planet itself]]--with all the dead robots still there, establishing to readers that he's the villain whether they like it or not.]]

!! Examples:

* ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfKorra'': Mako and Bolin are held captive by Bolin's sort-of fiancee Eska and her brother Desna as Unalaq fuses with the evil spirit Vaatu. Bolin starts blubbering that he and Eska will never be together if the world is destroyed, prompting Eska to kiss and release him (as Mako and Desna share an "are you seeing this too?" look). As Mako and Bolin escape, Mako congratulates Bolin on his acting skills. Bolin mumbles something like "[[SureLetsGoWithThat yeah... acting...]]" and sheds a SingleTear.

* ''ComicBook/CalvinAndHobbes'': One arc begins with Calvin willingly leaving for school and acting disturbingly nice to his mother. She's left in complete confusion, while the reader learns that Calvin has used his cardboard box to make a pure good(y-two-shoes) clone of himself.