History Main / SecretChaser

** Alya is determined to figure out Ladybug's SecretIdentity, heedless of how this might screw over the young superheroine. One of her primary defenses for her behavior is that "most American superheroes" have revealed themselves; therefore, she insists that [[LogicalFallacy Ladybug should do the same]]... ignoring how [[ExactWords most does not equal ALL]]. [[AlternateUniverseFic Since they aren't classmates or friends here]], Marinette regards her as an incredibly dangerous and reckless WildCard who does not ''care'' what impact such a reveal would have, [[GoingForTheBigScoop so long as she gets her story]].

[[folder:ComicBooks]]

* Ben Urich was this to ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'', in both the comic and the movie adaptation.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

* [[Characters/GravityFallsDipperPines Dipper Pines]] from ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' is obsessed with solving the mysteries of the titular town.

** Alya is determined to figure out Ladybug's SecretIdentity, heedless of how this might screw over the young superheroine. One of her primary defenses for her behavior is that "most American superheroes" have revealed themselves; therefore, she insists that [[LogicalFallacy Ladybug should do the same]]... ignoring how [[ExactWords most does not equal ALL]]. [[ForWantOfANail Since they aren't classmates or friends here]], Marinette regards her as an incredibly dangerous and reckless WildCard who does not ''care'' what impact such a reveal would have, [[GoingForTheBigScoop so long as she gets her story]].

* Adolin Kholin of ''Literature/WordsOfRadiance'' has good enough instincts to know that [[MagicKnight Kaladin]] is hiding something, but he can't pin down what it is. He spends most of the book suspicious of him and ''almost'' catching him doing something notably superhuman (healing too fast, being too strong, glowing), but never being able to confirm it. When Kaladin finally decides to drop the act and reveal himself as a [[GravityMaster Windrunner]] and Knight Radiant in light of [[GodzillaThreshold the beginning of the apocalypse]], Adolin takes a moment to gloat that he knew ''something'' was going on with him.

* Adolin Kholin of ''Literature/WordsOfRadiance'' has good enough instincts to know that [[MagicKnight Kaladin]] is hiding something, but he can't pin down what it is. He spends most of the book suspicious of him and ''almost'' catching him doing something notably superhuman (healing too fast, being too strong, glowing), but never being able to confirm it. When Kaladin finally decides to drop the act and reveal himself as a [[GravityMaster Windrunner]] and Knight Radiant in light of [[GodzillaThresholds the beginning of the apocalypse]], Adolin takes a moment to gloat that he knew ''something'' was going on with him.

* ''Series/HouseMD'': Dr. Gregory House [[DrJerk does not treats his patients as humans but as puzzles to figure out]] and if there is a secret, he ''has'' to know it, and he ''will'' find it even if he has to break government confidential agreements, into houses and risk people's lives (or their self-esteem). Telling him that there's no secret, maybe because you ''don't'' know the secret? "[[CharacterCatchphrase Everybody lies]]" and double down on his hunt. Often the secret being revealed is ''[[EurekaMoment the]]'' clue that helps him figure out how to save the patient's life, [[SweetAndSourGrapes and that is the one good thing that came from it being revealed]].

* [[Characters/MiraculousLadybugAlyaCesaire Alya Césaire]] of ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' opens the "Ladyblog" and, at least at first, is determined to discover Ladybug's true identity (completely unaware that Ladybug is her best friend). She eventually agrees to stop doing this (probably helps that she gets recruited to Ladybug's team as "Rena Rouge"), but continues with her research to try to figure out [[BigBad Hawk Moth's]] identity.

* Candace from ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', the older sister of her two ChildProdigy brothers whose crazy inventions only she witnesses: by the time she fetches their mom, it always disappears by some crazy coincidence.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "The Coon", Cartman spends most of the episode trying to find out who Mysterion is. He finally succeeds in having him unmasked when he convinces him that villains would continue to threaten the town unless he revealed himself. But the audience doesn't find out who it was (all he does is lift up his mask while still keeping the hood on; since most of the characters have similar designs, all anyone can tell is that it's a male child in Mr. Garrison's class) until a later episode. [[spoiler:It was Kenny and he is effectively immortal; waking up the next day after he dies and no one remembers his death.]] Also everyone figures that The Coon is just Bruce Vilanch.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' Episode ''The Secret'' is dedicated to this trope. While they're locked in the bathroom, Gumball, thinking they're going to die, [[DeathbedConfession admits he's the one who drew a picture in Darwin's book that got him in trouble.]] Just as Darwin is about to reveal a secret of his own, they are set free. Gumball spends the entire episode trying to figure out Darwin's secret, eventually locking them in the bathroom again to get him to say it. It turns out that Darwin lied when he said a sandwich was great, because it was "just good." Gumball, understandably, is furious that the secret ended up being so trivial.

* Dipper Pines from ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' is obsessed with solving the mysteries of the titular town.

* Alya of ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' opens the "Ladyblog" and, at least at first, is determined to discover Ladybug's true identity (completely unaware that Ladybug is her best friend). She eventually agrees to stop doing this (probably helps that she gets recruited to Ladybug's team as "Rena Rouge"), but continues with her research to try to figure out [[BigBad Hawk Moth's]] identity.

* Sergeant Doakes from Series/{{Dexter}}.
** Detective Quinn becomes one as he starts to get suspicious about Dexter. However, he has secrets of his own and the closer he gets to the truth the less willing he is to pursue it further.

* Lt. Mitch Kellaway in ''Film/TheMask'' movie and the animated series is both this and the InspectorJavert. (Not so much in the movie where Stanley ''does'' do illegal things with the mask, such as robbing a bank (he just happened to do so just in front of the goons).)

* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': Jazz in ''[[DannyPhantomS1E9MyBrothersKeeper My Brothers Keeper]]'' grows suspicious of Danny's behavior, then eventually learns of his ghost alter ego, but decides to let her brother tell her when he’s ready and becomes a SecretSecretKeeper.

Contrast/compare SecretKeeper. See also NotSoImaginaryFriend.

** Cassidy and Devin in ''Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder'' were like this too (well, Cassidy chased the secret and dragged Devin along with her). They, like their predecessors, had no idea they were going to school with the heroes [[spoiler: until the season finale, where they learn the truth and choose not to reveal it.]]
* In ''Series/PushingDaisies'', [[spoiler: Oscar Vibinius]] eventually ends up as one of these.

* In early seasons of ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', both Lex and Lionel Luthor suspect something is different about Clark, and go to great lenghts to try and discover it. Later on, in the episode "Hydro" Lois Lane attempts to prove Oliver Queen is ComicBook/GreenArrow. Oliver and Clark manage to convince her otherwise by having Clark dress up as the Green Arrow. In the episode "Identity" Oliver repays the favour by pretending to be the Red-Blue Blur when Jimmy Olsen suspects Clark Kent.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "The Coon", Cartman spends most of the episode trying to find out who Mysterion is. He finally succeeds in having him unmasked when he convinces him that villains would continue to threaten the town unless he revealed himself. But the audience doesn't find out who it was (all he does is lift up his mask while still keeping the hood on; since most of the characters have similar designs, all anyone can tell is that it's a male child in Mr. Garrison's class) until a later episode. [[spoiler: It was Kenny and he is effectively immortal; waking up the next day after he dies and no one remembers his death.]] Also everyone figures that The Coon is just Bruce Vilanch.

* In the first season ''WesternAnimation/MiaAndMe'', [[AlphaBitch Violetta]] seems to want to learn the secret of Mia's book, although by the second half of the season she seems to have lost interest. In the second half of the second season, [[spoiler: she learns Mia's secret after obtaining a piece of the gem from her bracelet, which transports her to Centopia whenever Mia goes there.]]

[[folder:Film]]

* Dr. Kornbluth in ''Film/{{Splash}}'' is intent on exposing Madison as a mermaid to boost his own career, although when he finally succeeds, he regrets his actions and undergoes a HeelFaceTurn.
* In the Richard Donner cut of ''Film/SupermanII'', Lois Lane is this in spades, going even so far as to risk killing herself by jumping out a window and later pulling a gun on Clark and firing at him [[spoiler:(she loaded the gun with blanks)]] just to prove that he is Superman.