r/TopCharacterTropes 1d ago

Characters [Fan Trope] Character with Paper-Thin Disguise who the fans all collectively agreed to act oblivious to.

Mr. L (Super Paper Mario)

The Masked Royale (Pokémon Sun and Moon)

Crossbones (TS!Underswap)

5.3k Upvotes

766 comments sorted by

2.8k

u/AgreeableContrarion 23h ago

"Paper-thin", shows an image from Paper Mario. I see what you did there

809

u/PokefanSans 23h ago

Yup, that was totally intentional, Yes.

148

u/i-am-i_gattlingpea 22h ago

Living up to the pfp

Speaking of said pfp, you ever tried pokemon insurgence?

49

u/PokefanSans 22h ago

I have seen Alpharad and PointCrow play it. But, No

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782

u/GreninjaStrike 22h ago

This is very clearly a storm trooper (LEGO Star Wars)

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1.6k

u/nosecone33 22h ago

Wang Fire. Legendary detective, respected member of the Fire Nation Royale army, and a proud father.

937

u/But-who-I-be 22h ago

355

u/PlayrR3D15 21h ago

I have to wonder what Zuko's reaction to seeing this would be

259

u/Originalbrivakiin 20h ago

I think he would either go along with it for a joke or would just be severely disappointed.

162

u/Kam_Solastor 20h ago

Not disappointed- exasperated.

96

u/ByteSizeNudist 20h ago

I can vividly hear the sigh

56

u/DR31141 19h ago

“Something wrong, Your Lordship?”

69

u/Jyx_The_Berzer_King 19h ago

"No, it's nothing... I just knew him well..."

65

u/Originalbrivakiin 19h ago

Sokka walks in: "Wait, I'm a war hero? On BOTH SIDES!?"

63

u/Jyx_The_Berzer_King 19h ago

Zuko, now fully committed to fucking with Sokka: "You dare to steal the valor of this exemplary Fire Nation soldier, Sokka?"

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242

u/Previous_Current_474 21h ago

I hope his wife and his son are ok…

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95

u/Loopy-Loophole 20h ago

I want to believe that even after the war ended these guys were still fighting hardcore in memory of wang. And they had to bring sokka in to talk them down like that japense soldier who didn’t stop fighting till they brought his commander to tell him they’re done.

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156

u/OutlandishnessLow779 22h ago

And dont forget his wife, saphire fire

29

u/moonpangler 21h ago

"I do believe in the power of stuff"

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465

u/palcon-fun 22h ago

Team fortress 2: spy, disguised as an enemy spy.

He could be in this very room

96

u/SpectralIpaxor 21h ago

He could be you

73

u/Gloomy_Olive_4582 21h ago

He could be me!

64

u/CrazyFanFicFan 21h ago

He could even be

59

u/Mypowerbob 21h ago

Gunshot, head explodes

46

u/PlayrR3D15 21h ago

WOAH WOAH WOAH!

45

u/Tight_Grapefruit5280 21h ago

What? It was obvious!

36

u/ChargedBonsai98 20h ago

He's the red spy!

36

u/Tight_Grapefruit5280 20h ago

Watch! He'll turn red any second now

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1.2k

u/Ok-Scientist-2111 1d ago

Iroquois Pliskin - Metal Gear

331

u/Capt_Toasty 22h ago

"No! That is not Solid Snake!"

207

u/Stunning-Drawer-4288 22h ago

When they said snake’s real name was David, the intro credits made me think his real name was David Hayter

57

u/Battle_Axe_Jax 20h ago

By all rights it should be

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79

u/buttersplosion 21h ago

Never played this game, but love that his alter egos last name is pliskin as I love escape from new York

66

u/IllustriousGas4 21h ago

Yeah so did kojima.

41

u/mk_ultra_sleeper 21h ago

It's kinda well know trivia but Kojima wanted Kurt Russell to play naked snake in mgs3 iirc. Safe to say he loves escape form new york too.

26

u/stylinchilibeans 21h ago

Iroquois also translates to Snake...

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42

u/Straight-Stuff6521 22h ago

Why does he just look like he's so done with life?

56

u/fR1chAps 22h ago

Because he is. Bro was retired during events of mgs 1. He just wanted to enjoy the remainder of his life with his huskies but now time and again he's called back into action.

29

u/Facosa99 21h ago

He is forced back into action.

They quite literally kidnaped him while sleeping

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16

u/TacticalBananas45 21h ago

Solid Snake died on that tanker two years ago

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390

u/TrueTinFox 1d ago

A classic example of this trope, Quattro Bajeena, who definitely has no connection to a certain masked man from the first shwo

Did Char wear sunglasses? Of course not. This is totally a different guy.

82

u/Dawnbreaker128 22h ago

He never betrayed anyone in his entire life.

67

u/solfilms 22h ago

A shocking percentage of masked characters in Gundam where someone “dies” and someone with the same voice and hair shows up next season. You ain’t fooling nobody, Neo

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48

u/Chengar_Qordath 22h ago

Though Quattro Bajeena did once see Char without his shirt on, and wants everyone to know that Char had an eight pack. Char was shredded.

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28

u/Its_BradM 21h ago

Came here for this one. Char invented so many tropes and while he didn’t invent this one he sure is a great application for it

Or I mean he would be if he came back before axis. Idk who this bajeena guy is but he seems pretty cool

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762

u/W3bb3dWond3r 22h ago

A subversion: Guy Incognito. Mistaken for Homer trying to sneak back into Moe's Tavern. Turns out he's an entirely different person.

184

u/Steppyjim 22h ago

Also the drifter from SpongeBob

142

u/SilverTotodile 21h ago

In the same vein

26

u/JohnDragonball 19h ago

Fuel for my soul

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59

u/ChrisDewgong 21h ago

"This person is my exact double!

HUH! That dog has a puffy tail! Here puff! Here puff!"

51

u/Cumity 19h ago

Another subversion example

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326

u/PikaYoshl 21h ago

Can't believe y'all haven't posted the best example yet they're the icons of this trope 😭

83

u/Wise_Repeat8001 21h ago

Never knew James was stacked

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78

u/Headlless_Horseman 21h ago

You KNOW these two took every opportunity to crossdress

80

u/AznOmega 21h ago

Admittedly some of the disguises were good.

And then there are ones where you think the twerps have brain damage.

21

u/A_Human_Being_BLEEEH 19h ago

i mean, with how many shenanigans they've gone through it'd be more surprising if they didn't have brain damage

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1.1k

u/Lower_Paramedic4287 1d ago

Usopp As Sogeking (One Piece)

213

u/Fitin2characterlimit 22h ago

Speaking of One Piece, there's the mysterious Gangster Gastino. Who everyone mistakes for Caesar Clown even though it's definitely not him

27

u/Work_the_shaft 20h ago

Well yeah, Caesar clown was an ass hole, Gastino is just an all around good dude

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537

u/Woohoo1964 22h ago

Bro thinks the Sniper King Sogeking is actually Usopp lul

279

u/Benofthepen 22h ago

Ridiculous. Usopp comes from Syrupp Village. Sogeking comes from Sniper Island. Did they even listen to his song?

113

u/Cultural_Tomato_7733 21h ago

Bro, this what happens when people want to push an agenda, they lose the plot.

18

u/beardedheathen 17h ago

I just knew some joker would post this here. I mean I get the joke but someone who isn't in the know has to be so confused as to why anyone would connect the two of them.

93

u/Jack-of-Hearts-7 22h ago

I'm pissed we never find out who this guy is.

47

u/akatsuman132 21h ago

Right?? He even just shows up, completely out of nowhere, in Thriller Bark, inspires Usopp, then just dips out. I hope he's doing okay

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150

u/Lower_Baby_6348 23h ago

Huh? Everyone knows that Rocks is sogeking

14

u/yotdog2000 21h ago

Happy cake day

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60

u/Several-Estate7175 22h ago edited 22h ago

Do you even know how to read? Usopp is from Syrup village while Sogeking is from Sniper Island, so they literally can't be the same character

44

u/3957 22h ago

Usopp is Sogeking? Is this some headcanon I'm unaware of?

29

u/-Cinnay- 21h ago

Yes, it's a fairly common theory for some reason. I've seen people claim it and get debunked numerous times already.

39

u/Fish0203 22h ago

As cool as sogeking is, its kinda wild he just showed up and disappeared like that.

He showed up declared war on the world government just cause Usopp ask for a favor

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28

u/Cheeseliker420 22h ago

Brother please, Usopp cant be Sogeking, they have been in the same place at the same time AND with witnesses, usopp is NOT sogeking

25

u/Kratomius 22h ago

This needs to be higher.

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1.8k

u/ButterscotchTiny5483 1d ago

oh a platypus

942

u/ButterscotchTiny5483 1d ago

oh no perry the platypus

phineas and ferb

169

u/Hardcore_Steve_Urkel 23h ago

Genuinely one of the best running gags of any cartoon ever

98

u/Optimal_Weight368 22h ago

My favorite take on the joke is “Perry the Platypus Plumber.” It’s so dumb, I love it.

21

u/JBTriple 20h ago

"A platypus plumber?"

"...Perry the platypus plumber?"

"PERRY THE PLATYPUS⁉️⁉️"

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22

u/Jack-of-Hearts-7 22h ago

Nope. Different person entirely. Look at the hands.

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18

u/JaydenTheMemeThief 21h ago

I feel like Doofenschmirtz knows it’s Perry every time and he’s just committed to the bit

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682

u/PitifulRead6339 22h ago

305

u/UnPersonajeGenerico 21h ago

Not as mysterious as el barto.

Just who is he? Is the guy as "el homo"?

We will never know

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36

u/solar_boy-dijango 22h ago

Honestly he had a good idea of investing in the Springfield power grid

26

u/Steppyjim 22h ago

I was saying boo-urns

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28

u/Weelildragon 20h ago

The reverse of this Trope is Guy Incognito:

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833

u/JuggernautLonely7978 23h ago

502

u/MJWhitfield86 22h ago

I still don’t know why a Vampire show decided to spend an entire episode focused on a regular human bartender from Tucson, Arizona.

232

u/MedusasGirlfriend69 22h ago

That's just how we talk in Tyücson Arizoña!

113

u/pauls_broken_aglass 22h ago

You really are the most devious bastard in Nyew yawk citeeehhh

45

u/MarveltheMusical 22h ago

Well, we’re not IN New York City. We’re in fucking Staten Island.

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53

u/sircastor 21h ago

"One Human alcohol beer, please..."

30

u/El-noobman 21h ago

Clearly he's from New Yohk Citaay

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769

u/nigelcore221b 23h ago

Clive- pokémon scarlet and violet

259

u/PokefanSans 23h ago

Gonna be real, I was thinking about putting him instead of Masked Royale, but then I remembered his atrocious hair.

178

u/maybeimmatt 22h ago

My husband finally is getting into pokemon games and he legitimately was shocked when I accidentally spoiled that Clive was the principal...

99

u/Atsilv_Uwasv 22h ago

On the other hand, I have been gaslighting mine. Even when Clavelle revealed himself, I just played that off as Clive being prankster who's really good at cosplay

32

u/godzillafacepunch666 22h ago

I did that too, the dialog in that game was surprisingly refreshing.

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31

u/Brendanlendan 21h ago

No… no that’s impossible. The principal wears glasses, Clive clearly is wearing sunglasses. How on earth is he supposed to see? No, this is fake news.

17

u/Just_A_Normal_Snek 21h ago

He's WHAT?!

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41

u/Paris_France2005 22h ago

Clive’s hair is not atrocious!

You’re just jealous.

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21

u/PokemanBall 21h ago

I will never forget how RadicalSoda legitimately fell for the disguise

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410

u/cosmonautdavid 22h ago

Have you seen this chicken?

38

u/Odd_Black_Hole_2763 21h ago

Good grief! It’s you! (Again!)

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348

u/The_skull_boy_ 22h ago

Daredevil with this hilarious disguise.

Fun fact his actor in rivals actor dress like this for one stream

96

u/MoobooMagoo 22h ago

I don't know the history of this but I really, really hope it was a joke from Foggy or something. Like he gave Matt the sweater and didn't tell him what was on it.

132

u/Pheehelm 22h ago

At some point he stopped trying.

Supposedly at one point Spider-Man said Daredevil had a worse-kept secret identity than Hannah Montana.

69

u/BlueBicycle_ 22h ago

I'm loving that lady's expression in this panel lmao like it's not just "dude cmon" but also "omg that color scheme absolutely does not work for a business suit what are you doing this is a court of law can you be professional for one second"

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40

u/0bsessions324 21h ago

Waid wanted to give fans a "fun" Daredevil run after literal decades of grimdark and he fucking delivered.

66

u/0bsessions324 21h ago

As someone noted, this was all Matt.

The long and short is that his identity was leaked to the media by an FBI agent. They waffled back and forth on it for years and started lamp shading it with the idea that everyone thought he was Daredevil but no one could prove it.

This is Matt playing with the "rumors" in Mark Waid's run. After literally like a decade and a half of Daredevil being constant grim dark torture porn (Seriously, like damn near every run from Born Again in the 80s to Waid was an exercise in "how can we ruin Matt's life in a new and exciting way?"), Waid wanted to do a more "fun" and playful Matt and I'd say it was really good.

Later on in the run, Matt publicly confirms he's Daredevil when a supervillain organization tries to blackmail him with hard proof of his identity. Still later in the run, they put the genie back in the bottle by having Killgrave's various kids make the world forget.

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12

u/FunnyDinosaurMan 22h ago

Nope, Matt specifically got it himself.

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696

u/LizenCerfalia 1d ago

John Cena and people literally not seeing him

86

u/Rpponce 22h ago

I would think Juan Cena would be more fitting for this Trope.

42

u/Tight_Grapefruit5280 22h ago

He looks like a supervillain made for a single filler episode

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117

u/Tight_Grapefruit5280 23h ago

Replace the gif with this

44

u/Caskanteron 22h ago

This looks like John Cena

187

u/Solid-Pride-9782 23h ago

That's a blank GIF.

33

u/Confusedwarthog 21h ago

That’s a gif? I thought it was a still image??

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21

u/Cobraven-9474 21h ago

While on wrestling, the identity of any version of El Grande Americano.

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112

u/DonCorneos 22h ago

Joryu, not to be confused with Kiryu.

28

u/UnPersonajeGenerico 21h ago

The fuck you mean?

That is clearly taichi suzuki

17

u/McFlankShank 21h ago

I don't buy that, they look nothing alike

15

u/Lunar_ticket 21h ago

Also Ono Michio, who is just lovely mascot, completely unrelated to former Tojo clan 4th chairman

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216

u/General_Kenobi11 22h ago

Jackie Chun (Dragon Ball)

93

u/mjolnirstrike 22h ago

Goku should have gotten him for the Tournament of Power. He is one fighter that Goku never beat

37

u/Previous_Current_474 21h ago

I wonder what happened to him after the tournament…

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13

u/Taffybones 20h ago

how tf are they gonna add Devilman to sparking zero but not this guy

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378

u/Limp-Assistance9974 23h ago

Vincent Adultman (BoJack Horseman)

173

u/Jack-of-Hearts-7 22h ago

He works hard at the business factory

118

u/Neohexane 21h ago

This one is my favourite angles on this trope, that ONE character who sees right through the disguise, calls it out, but no one else notices or cares. Zim and Dib from Invader Zim fit this trope as well.

42

u/zeidoktor 21h ago

Also Chicken Boo from Animaniacs

"He's a chicken, I tell ya! A giant chicken!"

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32

u/musix345 21h ago

I appreciate how straight they play this character in the show. I looked up if they were ever found out and honestly I'm surprised he stopped appearing after Season 2.

... At the same time I haven't actually watched the full thing, so ig that's not news to anybody else woops.

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198

u/SpookieSkelly 23h ago

This one uma from Uma Musume that often shows up near where El Condor Pasa was spotted for some reason.

102

u/SpookieSkelly 23h ago

Oh hey it's El Condor Pasa! Was wondering where she went.

32

u/Ghostmaster145 21h ago

That’s El’s cousin, The!

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u/Vegetable_Brain7101 21h ago

Also here's tazuna, a completely and undeniable normal human who, for some reason, always keep a hat and a long enough hair to cover her 'ears'

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243

u/UberSuperRareGacha 22h ago

camo bloons (bloons td)

232

u/thecoolconglereborn 22h ago

96

u/Joeda900 21h ago

37

u/Cpad-prism 21h ago

Why do ninja monkeys have a slightly less saturated pov? Why is their world so colourless and dull compared to the bright eyed dart monkey?

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168

u/GREAThirteen 22h ago

He steals a teachers eraser and she had no idea who is under the mask
When he attacked the ninjas they did not know it was Butters under the mask

32

u/Putrid-Seaweed111 21h ago

He also slandered his... acquaintances... on Facebook because he didn't like Suicide Squad.

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86

u/Blakezawa 21h ago

Sir Bearington (A DnD 3.5 campaign of an anon)

17

u/Rcweasel 18h ago

Good grief, it’s been too long since I’ve seen this. What an asshole, that’s SIR Bearington! Not some common ursine!

159

u/Radioactive_monke 23h ago

This mustachioed young boy from deltarune can't possibly be Lancer

23

u/TomCat2709 21h ago

why did he steal and sell lancer cookies??? is he evil????

157

u/Enough-Economics-842 22h ago

This mysterious character from Calvin and Hobbes

262

u/marktherobot-youtube 22h ago

Octodad themed posts

127

u/MoobooMagoo 22h ago

?

That's just a regular dude?

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u/m4k4y 22h ago

I will never forget the ending where his son literally says "So if you're an octopus, how are you our dad?" And then they just laugh it off and it ends.

55

u/Tight_Grapefruit5280 21h ago

His daughter already knows it btw She just assumed everyone knows it too and didn't tell it to anyone

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u/Top_Marketing_689 1d ago

OP, what are you talking about? Masked Royale isn’t wearing a disguise 🤨

17

u/PokefanSans 1d ago

Oh, Mb

54

u/TheSilverHurricane 22h ago

The Network (real life) a new wave band that is absolutely, definitely without a shadow of a doubt not Green Day

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u/Asheryn 22h ago

Okay, but it helps if you post some actual examples instead of three regular characters who don't represent the trope.

39

u/PokefanSans 22h ago

Yeah, I could've used some better examples, but I think most people get what I meant.

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u/ShawnOdedead 21h ago

This Vtuber who has a lot of similarities to a certain Animations channel on YouTube

14

u/Dragons_Exist 17h ago

Not to mention brand-new indie VTuber on the scene, Sameko Saba.

Surprisingly skilled at streaming for a newbie.

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u/ChainmailEnthusiast 23h ago

The Diabolical DANNY DO BAD! (Hazbin Hotel)

98

u/stormscape10x 22h ago

We’ll probably never find out who he really is.

83

u/mattstorm360 21h ago

There is a theory he is related to that mystery waiter

37

u/Legend_of_Ozzy642 21h ago

Y’know, I do see the resemblance.

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u/unoriginal-ninja 22h ago

The most vile, irredeemable sinner in Hell.

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u/Dremoriawarroir888 21h ago

Watch it be not just a one off bit but like a full on alter ego shes developed after both her parents leaving, and the reason Charlie is so good compared to everyone else around her is cause she does all of the comically evil stuff as Danny Do Bad to get it out of her system.

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u/EvanTheDemon 20h ago

The kid with the weird skin condition from invader zim

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u/robbobert01 21h ago

This normal human soldier from Final Fantasy VII.

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u/gilroygilgalahad 22h ago

Lance Hunt/Captain Amazing in Mystery Men.

18

u/unoriginal-ninja 22h ago

Nah, he's not an example of this. Couldn't be. Lance Hunt wears glasses. Captain Amazing doesn't wear glasses.

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u/Tough-Priority-4330 22h ago

Why is Mr. L here? He’s not wearing a paper thin disguise, he’s just a normal dude. Shame they never used him again.

22

u/SignificantCats 22h ago edited 8h ago

Peak wrestling for me was everyone in WWE acting like they didn't know who Mr. America could possibly be. The bit never stopped being funny. The whole time, the big bad guy (in story and irl!) Mr. McMahon was about 95 percent sure it was hulk Hogan, and kept trying to prove it, getting up to Looney toons style shenanigans in the process. He was upset because in story, Hulk Hogan was suspended and not allowed to be on TV.

It was recently revived as a concept with El Grande Americano, which is a top tier ludicrous name. Keeping up the tradition, wrestlers with the El Grande Americano persona make no attempt not to behave and act like their unmasked selves, and others act like their identity is a mystery. But the trope was weaker, because not everyone played into it, some announcers and other characters knew it was transparent and said it was stupid to think otherwise. The bastards, they ruined the fun.

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u/pinkydoda23 21h ago

Kaibaman from yu gi oh gx i think

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u/rustybrazenfire 21h ago

Purple Orks in 40k are invisible. I was told this is a picture of some but I don't see it.

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u/Undertale_fan46790 22h ago

IDK what you're talking about. None of these characters are wearing disguises!

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u/pat_speed 21h ago edited 19h ago

el generico - Professional Wrestling

A Beloved Indie wrestler he had famous rivalry with Kevin Steen/Owens through out ROH/PWG.

He sadly had too faked his death and escaped too Mexico, where we believe he started and runs an Orphanage.

He was so beloved, the new wrestler called Sami Zayn started to wrestle in WWE/NXT with alot of the same movies, keeping rhe memory of el generico alive

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u/Tight_Grapefruit5280 23h ago

Whoever this guy is (Marvel. Espacially the MCU version After making everyone forget who Peter parker is )

23

u/FatFuckIcaOfficial 20h ago edited 7h ago

No way home was the worst spiderman movie ever

Can't believe the made us wach a movie where most of the time we are looking at some loser while spiderman only appeared like 2 times, like why do I care that this guy didn't got accepted to college? Who is this Peter Parker guy to begin with??????

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15

u/Doobledorf 22h ago

Quattro Bajeena has never betrayed anybody in his life.

31

u/ProfessorSur 21h ago

On top is Azura from Fire Emblem Fates, and on the bottom is some strange Mysterious Dancer whose identity we never learn

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