History Main / SecretSecretKeeper

** Played very darkly with the supervillain Carl King / The Thousand. Carl was one of Peter's high school bullies who discovered Peter was Spider-Man, but it kept it secret so he could gain Peter's powers for himself. When his attempt failed and transformed him into a TranshumanAbomination, he still kept it a secret, now so he could KillAndReplace Peter.

* In ''Fanfic/TheBridge'' has several examples.

* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': Danny's sister Jazz found out his secret halfway into the first season, and decided not to confront him about it because she believed that Danny would tell her when he was ready. This led to such lines as "You go... somewhere I can't see you and get help!" Danny eventually finds out about her knowing in Season 2, when [[ItMakesSenseInContext she sends him a message through time via the Ghost Zone]]. She becomes a SixthRanger from that point forwards, albeit to the initial annoyance of the others.

* In a classic Creator/FrankMiller ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'' arc, Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich discovered Daredevil's secret identity of Matt Murdock, and considered reporting it. He ultimately decided that New York needed Daredevil more than he needed a Pulitzer. This subplot was also featured in [[Film/{{Daredevil}} the movie]]. [[Series/Daredevil2015 The Netflix show]] has Ben's role filled by Karen Page, but Matt tells her the secret of his own volition and despite the fact that she could easily have gone public, she doesn't.

*** There's plenty of scenes throughout Season 2 where it's strongly implied that Karen Page had suspicions that Matt was Daredevil, but she didn't put together two and two owing to [[BeneathSuspicion Matt being blind]].
*** While he never says it out loud, it's pretty clear that Frank Castle figures out Matt's secret identity as Daredevil during their interactions at the hospital and during the trial, but he doesn't say a word about it because he just doesn't care about Matt's secret identity. Even if he didn't figure it out then, he definitely would've figured it out by seeing Matt sans-helmet through his rifle scope during the Season 2 finale.

** ''Series/IronFist2017'': When Joy is revealing to Ward that she's secretly gathered a dossier of dirt to blackmail the Rand board of directors to get themselves back into the company, she reveals that she's known about Ward's drug addiction for a long time, but didn't say anything about it because it didn't seem to impact Ward's ability to work.
** The first season finale of ''Series/MsMarvel2022'' has the gang startled to discover Zoe has known all along about Kamala's powers and kept quiet to return Kamala saving her life in the first episode.

* Virgil's dad Robert in ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'' only consciously invokes the trope in the interim between his capture by the villains and his first conversation with Static, as it's then that he reveals that he knows the truth. (There aren't many reasons to kidnap a middle-aged counselor and sometimes community leader.) Cue the page quote.

* ''Fanfic/KimberlyTsGargoyles'';

* PlayedWith in ''[[Fanfic/ALadysScout A Lady's Scout (and the Salt within her Soul)]]''. As part of a plan to [[LiarRevealed expose Lila]] while punishing her [[FairWeatherFriend Fair-Weather Friends]] [[AccusationFic for abandoning her]], Marinette gives the former temporary heroes gifts implying that she knows their secret identities. These double as 'parting gifts' signaling that the recipient won't be becoming that hero again. Everyone remains unaware that she's Ladybug, but grow convinced that she's been secretly working as a 'talent scout' for the superheroine.

** In ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner Of Azkaban]]'', Hermione manages to figure out [[spoiler:Lupin was a werewolf]], but kept it to herself, [[spoiler:until she came to the belief that Lupin was an accomplice to Sirius Black.]] The person is impressed with her because another person set the students up to see if they would figure out this as well.

** In ''Series/Supergirl2015'', Kara learns in the first episode that the DEO has known since she was a kid that she's a Kryptonian and Superman's cousin. She also learns that James Olsen has known for some time, as Clark had confided him and even told him to watch after her.

* ''Series/DeadMansGun'': In "The Imposter", Angela shoots Joe Tate, and Leo asks if she heard their conversation--where he revealed he was an imposter, and she denies it. But later, after Leo leaves town, Angela seeks him out with a wagon for "Sunshine's Emporium" revealing that she did hear and has opened a store for both of them.

* ''VisualNovel/KindredSpiritsOnTheRoof''
** Yuna Toomi, the protagonist, acts as a "Yuri Cupid" who clandestinely helps lesbian couples get together for the sake of two ghosts (or "kindred spirits") who want to consummate their relationship; for example, she creates a distraction to allow Seina Maki to place a love letter in her senpai and crush Miki Aihara's bag. That said, Yuna generally doesn't let on that she knows about the couples unless they tell her about it; she doesn't even meet Seina until an extra scene that takes place after the main story ends.
** The broadcasting club consists of three members- Umi Ichiki, Sasa Futano and Nena Miyama. The former two are in love with each other, and the latter is aware of it, but doesn't say anything outright and lets the relationship take its course.
** Toward the end of the game, it is revealed that Yuna's friend Fuji Ano knows about [[spoiler:the fact that Yuna can see the kindred spirits. Ano can faintly see but not hear the spirits, and was aware that Yuna was conversing with them at a few points.]]
* ''VisualNovel/{{Melody}}'':
** When the protagonist and Melody finally tell Hank about their relationship, [[spoiler:Hank tells them that he already knows, because several musicians and their respective managers have tried concealing their romantic involvements from him before.]]
** [[spoiler:Tim knows about the protagonist's and Isabella's relationship as soon as he hears them having sex in his house. However, it isn't until the High School Sweetheart Ending that he lets on that he knows.]]

* In ''[[VisualNovel/ShallWeDateNinjaShadow Shall We Date?: Ninja Shadow]]'', some characters will find out on their own that the PlayerCharacter Saori is a girl playing a SweetPollyOliver role and keep that to themselves, but the amount of characters who figure it out before Saori reveals the secret depends on the route:
** [[spoiler: Eduard]] will '''always''' realize Saori's secret and keep mum, thinking that she has good reasons to pretend that she's a guy. ([[AngstySurvivingTwin She does]]) He'll only spill it out towards the very end.
** [[spoiler: Makoto]] finds out in his own route and some others ([[spoiler: i.e., Kagura's and Yuzuki's]]), depending on the circumstances, and doesn't reveal it unless confronted.
** [[spoiler: Hijikata]] realizes this fairly early in his route but keeps his trap shut because not only he thinks she's doing it for really important reasons, but he wants her to trust him enough to tell him herself. Later [[spoiler: Hijikata's best friend Okita]] explains that he also put two and two together, and finally the deal's upgraded to [[spoiler: "EverybodyKnewAlready" levels since all the guys (save for [[LockedOutOfTheLoop Shintaro]]) came to similar conclusions, and aren't surprised at all when she officially explains it.]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* From ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Nanase's mother knows quite a bit about Nanase's magical ability, but doesn't want this knowledge to become known, even going so far as to have a government agent convince Nanase to continue keeping magic a secret from her family.

** Similarly quite a few people figure out that Rhoda and Catalina are a couple, largely due to them both doing an awful job at concealing it. Rhoda actually gets somewhat upset when Diane and Lucy both tell her that they knew about it since the main reason she'd been hiding it was out of concern for how they'd react.

* Non-Supers example: Haley and Roy from ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' have both caught on that Belkar is only faking his alignment shift away from ChaoticEvil, but have agreed not to call him out for it, preferring how he acts now.
** Which becomes an inversion at times, when he '''really''' shows signs of character development, but is promptly ignored because everyone thinks he's faking.
* In ''[[Webcomic/Rain2010 Rain]]'', several of Emily's close friends find out about her pregnancy ([[MySecretPregnancy which she's hiding from everyone at school except Rain]], since St. Hallvard High is a Catholic school where she could be expelled for having premarital sex[[note]]never mind that [[ChildByRape said sex is strongly implied to have been nonconsensual]][[/note]]) well before the point at which the progress of said pregnancy forces her to tell the rest of the school. Maria overheard Emily telling Rain about her pregnancy at the latter's New Year's party, while Gavin and Rudy found out when Ky (who Emily hadn't been keeping her pregnancy a secret from, since they go to a different school, and who hadn't known that Emily was trying to keep it a secret from everyone else at ''her'' school) told them.
* In ''Webcomic/SchwarzKreuz'' [[KidSidekick Nigel]] has figured Nick's secret "ages ago", but pretended not to, since Nick didn't want him to know.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Podcast/RedPandaAdventures:''
** There are signs as early as his first appearance that the Red Panda's butler, Weston, knows more about the double life his boss leads than he lets on. Weston does things like make sure the Red Panda and Kit have newspapers with the latest superhero or murder related headlines, justifying it by saying he's simply noticed his master's and Kit's preferences. However, when Kit collapses from exhaustion in the manor while still in full Flying Squirrel costume, Weston is not only unsurprised but covers for her with the rest of the staff. From that moment on he's an open and invaluable ally.
** In the chronological GrandFinale, "The Final Problem", the Mad Monkey reveals he's known the secret identities of the Red Panda and Flying Squirrel for years. The reason he never acted on that knowledge was he simply didn't ''care'' about their secret identities. He's the ''Red Panda's'' self proclaimed arch-nemesis, not the arch-nemesis of one of the city's wealthiest men.
[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'':
** Bruce Wayne figured out Batgirl was Barbara Gordon at an indeterminate point, but didn't tell her until revealing his own identity. That he also kept this a secret from Dick Grayson was the last straw that convinced Dick to leave Batman and become Nightwing.
** Barbara also later attempts to come out as Batgirl to her father, Commissioner Gordon. Before she can state it outright, he heavily implies that he already knows, [[SoProudOfYou is proud of her]], and [[PlausibleDeniability doesn't want to "officially" know]].

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'':
** Implied in "Unmasked". When Terry unmasks himself to reassure a kid he's rescuing, Cobra later tracks the kid down and checks his memories for Batman's true identity. The resulting image is Batman with the head of the kid's action figure, which Terry takes to mean that the kid didn't see his face well and subconsciously replaced the image. As proof, he walks over to the kid's soccer game and mentions to Maxine that he sees the kid everyday, and he hasn't figured it out. The last shot, however, is the kid looking back and giving a knowing smile, implying that he does know but kept it secret.
** It's been revealed in the [[ComicBook/BatmanBeyond comic adaptation]] that [[spoiler: Dana Tan]] knew about Terry being Batman before he revealed it.
** And WordOfGod indicated that Bruce knew for a long time that [[spoiler:Terry is his genetic son]] long before Terry figured it out for himself.
** In the early episodes, it was implied that Barbara Gordon already knew that Terry was the new Batman before finally acknowledging it by meeting with Bruce in the Batcave. (Of course, he's the obvious suspect for anyone who knows that Bruce was the original Batman.)

* ''WesternAnimation/DcSuperheroGirls2019'': The episode "[=#BreakingNews=]" has Lois Lane set out to discover the identities of the titular hero team, and within the span of a scene transition, she's essentially figured them out already. Jess (aka Green Lantern) tips the rest of the girls off, so they do their best to put her off the trail, only for their BadBadActing to serve as confirmation. However, Lois decides not to submit her story to the news after dwelling on the matter and realizing the harm it could cause them, keeping her knowledge to herself. Of course, she doesn't tell our heroines this, so they end the episode believing that she didn't run the story because they successfully tricked her.

-->'''Prince Adam''': I was wondering, when Skeletor had us all chained up, why did you free me instead of one of the others?\\
'''Queen Marlena''': Because you are my son, Adam. I didn't have time to free everyone. And I had a... feeling you would know what to do.\\
'''Prince Adam''': Mother, ah...\\
'''Queen Marlena''': Adam, a mother always knows her own son. And what he is capable of doing.

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'':
** Events transpire which require the members of the League who have civilian identities to reveal them to one another. The Flash hems and haws, until Batman, like it ain't no thang, shows why even in the TV-PG world of JL he's still the gosh-darn Batman:
---> '''Flash:''' Hold on, what about the whole "secret identity" thing? I mean, I trust you guys, but I'm not sure I'm ready to...\\
'''Batman:''' ''[jabs a finger in Flash's chest]'' Wally West... ''[jerks a thumb at Superman]'' Clark Kent... ''[pulls off his own mask]'' Bruce Wayne.\\
'''Flash:''' Show-off.
** In a later episode, Amanda Waller reveals that she's always known Batman's identity, when she angrily calls him "Rich Boy".

** In [[Recap/MiraculousLadybugS04E18Wishmaker Wishmaker]], Luka finds out [[spoiler:Ladybug and Cat Noir's secret identities thanks to the titular villain's power. However, because he used his [[SaveScumming Second Chance]] ability as Viperion to keep them from being revealed to Shadow Moth (and everyone else in Paris), neither Marinette nor Adrien remembers being unmasked. However, his usage of Second Chance causes Ladybug to suspect that one or both of them were unmasked, and asks Luka about it after taking back his Miraculous, but he lies and tells her that neither of them were. In [[Recap/MiraculousLadybugS04E22Ephemeral Ephemeral]], Ladybug is forced to send Luka a message that would make no sense if Luka did not know Marinette was Ladybug, so she may have picked up on the deception, but most of the events of that episode were time-reversed themselves]].

-->'''Zick''': You can see [the ghosts]!?\\
'''Greta''': Of course, I can see them! They're my parents!

* ''WesternAnimation/MyAdventuresWithSuperman'': In the fifth episode, "[[Recap/MyAdventuresWithSupermanS1E05MyAdventuresWithMadScience My Adventures With Mad Science]]", Jimmy cuts off Clark's long and awkward build-up to revealing his secret identity by telling him that he already knows his best friend is Superman. It turns out he knew about Clark's abilities since the first day they met in college, when Clark [[BadLiar tried to pass off]] ''[[BadLiar ripping a door handle in half]]'' [[BadLiar as being a result of loose screws]]. As such, when Superman showed up, Jimmy immediately knew it was his roommate. He just never said anything over the years because he figured it was a sensitive topic, and was willing to wait for Clark to explain things. However, he is offended that Clark seemingly told Lois, the coworker they've both known for only a few weeks, before him.

** It's heavily implied that Willow has already realized [[spoiler:Amity has a crush on Luz]] by the end of "Wing it Like Witches".
** It's implied over the course of "Thanks to Them" (and confirmed in "For the Future") that Gus is aware that [[spoiler:Hunter is a Grimwalker]] as a result of [[spoiler:digging into Belos' memories in "King's Tide"]]. He identifies with a character implied to be secretly aware that [[spoiler:one of his crewmen is a clone]], he [[spoiler:specifically introduces the crewman in question as a clone apparently to give Hunter someone to relate to]], and he doesn't react when Luz accidentally lets it slip.

* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'': Lana Lang surprised Superman by revealing that she knew who he was. It helps that in the SuperheroOrigin premiere, they are childhood friends and Clark confided in her about the weird things that were happening to him as his [[PubertySuperpower powers began activating]], and then she saw him [[HerosFirstRescue save a family from a burning van]] without getting so much as a blister. Honestly, it would be surprising if she didn't connect the dots between "superpowered childhood friend" to "new superhero in the city said friend just moved to".

* In ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'', Able (the boss at Beck's garage) seems to be awfully tolerant of Beck's frequent absences and strange explanations for those absences, as well as quick to scold Zed when he expresses frustration with "The Renegade's" antics.
** [[spoiler:In "Grounded", he finally lets Beck know he knows.]]
--->[[spoiler:'''Able:''' What I have to say, I hoped I'd never have to say. So here goes. How did you become the Renegade?]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'', Amanda Sefton briefly sees Kurt with his image inducer turned off and using his teleporting powers once. This increases her interest in him and she tries to pursue him romantically. Later, during an emergency where Kurt is reluctant to use his powers because Amanda would figure out the truth, she reveals she knows about him, and then just becomes a regular SecretKeeper for the existence of the mutants until [[spoiler: TheMasquerade is broken]].

** PlayedWith. Instead of a civilian keeping the superhero's secret, Robin knows Artemis' civilian identity (specifically, that she's [[spoiler:from a family of supervillains]]) but doesn't let her know. He did almost bring it up when she was suspected of being TheMole, however. Also, since she doesn't know ''his'' identity, he {{Troll}}ed her a bit when she transferred to his school.

** Pre-[[ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths Crisis]] Lois Lane figured it out ''ages'' ago but could never prove it (not that she was ever shy about voicing her suspicions, mind you), and for years it was practically a full-time job for Clark/Superman to convince her she was wrong.
** Ditto for Pre-Crisis Lana Lang.

** In Pre-ComicBook/{{Crisis|on Infinite Earths}} ''ComicBook/{{Superboy}}'' comics, Pete Ross is one for Clark Kent. Later, his son discovers Superman's secret identity and, not knowing his father knows, doesn't discuss it with him.

* ''Film/{{Equilibrium}}'': Preston spends the film trying to prevent anyone from finding out that he's a sense offender, especially his CreepyChild son, who is a true believer in the laws enforcing emotionlessness. In the end, his son reveals that not only has he known about Preston's sense offenses, but both the son and daughter have been sense offenders since their mother died.

* In ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' Lex Luthor has known about Superman and Batman's real identities for some time, which allows him to stir up trouble for both without either suspecting it. When he reveals this knowledge to one and then the other, he's openly gloating about it.

* ''Film/ManOfSteel'' seems to feature this, as Clark spends a good amount of time demonstrating his feats of strength during his youth in Smallville (at one point lifting a ''bus'' full of kids out of a lake to save some of his classmates). One could only assume that the citizens (or at the very least Pete Ross, his childhood friend) were able to connect the dots that he is, in fact, the alien that goes on to confront Zod.

* In ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' Lex Luthor has known about Superman and Batman's real identities for some time, which allows him to stir up trouble for both without either suspecting it. When he reveals this knowledge to one and then the other, he's openly gloating about it.

* ''Film/ManOfSteel'' seems to feature this, as Clark spends a good amount of time demonstrating his feats of strength during his youth in Smallville (at one point lifting a ''bus'' full of kids out of a lake to save some of his classmates). One could only assume that the citizens (or at the very least Pete Ross, his childhood friend) were able to connect the dots that he is, in fact, the alien that goes on to confront Zod.

* ''Manga/MariaNoDanzai'': [[spoiler:[[ChekhovsGunman Akihiro Yuda]] was sitting outside Kowase's house when Maria kidnapped him, having intended to kill him with his own hands at the time. Seeing that they shared the same goal, he kept it a secret until she reveals herself to him after [[HeKnowsTooMuch he kills Iijima]].]]

*** In late season 2, Moira reveals she knew Oliver's secret all the way back in season one, but kept it to herself to what he was doing, [[SoProudOfYou pride for who he became]] and PlausableDeniability.

** [[spoiler:Destroyah didn't know the precise reason why, but she had long deduced Xenilla wasn't seriously trying to win the kaiju war against Godzilla's faction and in fact didn't want his brother dead. She just didn't feel it necessary to say anything.]]

* PlayedWith in ''[[https://salthaven.tumblr.com/post/190458693897/ A Lady's Scout (and the Salt within her Soul)]]''. As part of a plan to [[LiarRevealed expose Lila]] while punishing her [[FairWeatherFriend Fair-Weather Friends]] [[AccusationFic for abandoning her]], Marinette gives the former temporary heroes gifts implying that she knows their secret identities. These double as 'parting gifts' signaling that the recipient won't be becoming that hero again. Everyone remains unaware that she's Ladybug, but grow convinced that she's been secretly working as a 'talent scout' for the superheroine.

-->'''Zick''': You can see them!?\\

* In ''Anime/YuGiOhSeason0'', Anzu manages to figure out that her mysterious rescuer was Dark Yugi (due to noticing an injury on his hand that the regular Yugi shared, and later seeing him in action), but didn't tell Yugi about it.

* ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'': In ''Film/SpiderMan2'' It's implied Aunt May realized Peter was Spider-Man after he saved her from Doc Ock during their fight at the bank. She never directly confronts him about it, but later in the film she talks him out of his TenMinuteRetirement, and in the third film she advises him not to seek vengeance against Sandman, claiming that "Spider-Man" doesn't kill people.
** It's implied Robbie Robertson also knows, given his meaningful look to Peter when he says Spider-Man was on the scene and his sorrow over Spider-Man's mask when the garbageman gives Jameson his costume.
** Likewise, when Mary Jane learns his secret, her reaction is not, "Jesus Christ you mean that was ''you'' I had that upside-down kiss with?!" but a low-key, "You finally told me," implying that at the very least she had strong suspicions.
* ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'': ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'' implied that Aunt May knew Peter was Spider-Man but didn't tell him. By the time of ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'', it's pretty obvious that she knows, though he doesn't seem to think she does.

*** In the Season 1 finale, Foggy finds Matt venting off steam on a punching bag at Fogwell's Gym. Matt is surprised that Foggy found him here because he's never told Foggy about the gym, prompting Foggy to reveal that he'd known about it from the beginning but didn't say anything out of respect because he was under the impression that Matt's trips to Fogwell's were about the connection the place had with his father and nothing to do with Matt's nighttime outings as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen.

** ''Series/IronFist2017'': Joy Meachum reveals that she knew about Ward's drug addiction for a long time, but didn't say anything about it because it didn't seem to impact Ward's ability to work.

** ''ComicBook/SupermanAndBatmanGenerations:'' James Gordon confides to Bruce in ''Generations II'' that he always knew that Bruce was Batman.
--->'''James Gordon:''' Wouldn't be much of a cop if I hadn't been able to figure that one out, would I? My ''oldest friend'' is ''gunned down'' by a robber...and nineteen years later, just about the time his ''son'' comes into his ''inheritance''...the Batman makes his first appearance in Gotham City.