History Main / AngelUnaware

* The DTV movies ''Call Me Mrs. Miracle'' and ''Mrs. Miracle In Manhattan'' don't say it, but the sweet old lady who fixes people's problems with common sense and sensitivity and just a tiny bit of magic is called Mrs. Miracle, and at the end of both movies she walks into the distance, fades, and we look up and see a star twinkle in the sky.

* ''Literature/TheRavensKnot'' by Creator/RobinJarvis has a man who believed himself to have been saved by angels in WWII, but realizes eventually that he is one, trapped in human form since he descended. Oh, and angels look like [[OurAngelsAreDifferent giant two-headed dragons that breathe holy light]].

** Baucis and Philemon (as told in ''Literature/TheMetamorphoses'') received with glad hospitality two weary travellers whom their neighbors had driven off. Since these were Zeus and Hermes, their neighbors' village got transformed into a lake and the neighbors into fish, while Baucis and Philemon received their wish: that they should die at the same moment so neither of them had to live widowed. Their bodies were also [[{{Transflormation}} transformed into two trees]] with entwined branches.

* ''Film/{{Constantine}}'' provides some backstory about the rules of the cold war between Heaven and Hell. Neither side is able to set foot in the mortal world, but "half breeds" on either side can. They don't do much directly, instead influencing mortals to act on their behalf. With a whispered word they could give someone endless HeroicResolve, or drive them straight over the DespairEventHorizon. TheStinger implies that [[spoiler:Chaz was one all along]].

** For a time Lucifer is convinced that Detective Chloe Decker is this, as it would explain how come she's immune to his powers. Eventually, it turns out she's not an angel, but [[spoiler:God did send the angel Amenadiel to bless Chloe's infertile mother shortly before Chloe was conceived.]]

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', the God Emperor loved doing this to people. Specifically, when he was recruiting his sons the Primarchs. In one story, he disguised himself as a traveler named Revelation to discuss matters of spirit with the last priest on earth. He eventually revealed himself as the Emperor, in the process ruining the priest's faith (he had turned to religion after a vision of god that was actually the Emperor). Despite his shaken faith, the priest remained true to his beliefs, and chose to become a martyr instead of joining the Emperor.

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'': It is very heavily implied (though not ''quite'' confirmed) that the gravedigger is Zeus or one of the others gods in disguise.

* ''Series/TouchedByAnAngel'' centers around this trope, taking the point of view of the angels who are WalkingTheEarth helping people. The finale, however, cranks it UpToEleven when it's revealed that [[spoiler:Monica has been helping ''[[JesusWasWayCool Jesus]]'' unawares]].

** Anna spent some time in mental institutions as a schizophrenic patient. She fell to become human, was born as a baby and grew up, then regained her own grace.

** An episode in season 7 reveals [[TraumaInducedAmnesia an amnesiac]] [[spoiler:Castiel]].

* ''Literature/WhatHappenedToLaniGarver'': Lani is a MagicalQueer come to help the protagonist sort out her life, and may or may not actually be an angel.
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': The Wizards appear to be Men, but have magical powers and are very, very old and mysterious. Pippin at one point wonders just what Gandalf is, but gets distracted. In fact, according to the appendices and various posthumously-published writings of Tolkien's, the Wizards are ''Maiar'' (angelic beings of the same order as Sauron) sent from the West to help defend the people of Middle-earth against their fallen brother. Gandalf in particular liked taking on this role even before he came to Middle-earth: the ''[[Literature/TheSilmarillion Silmarillion]]'' recounts that when he lived in Valinor he often took on the form of an Elf in order to walk among the Elves incognito, helping and inspiring them without revealing his true nature.

%%* ''TabletopGame/InNomine'': The case for most background [=NPCs=], and the case for a lot of [=PCs=], for that matter.%%How?

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': The god Bahamut sometimes [[WalkingTheEarth walks the material plane]] in the form of an elderly man who is accompanied by seven trained canaries which are actually seven ancient gold dragons in disguise. Do not mess with this guy.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': It's not uncommon for people wandering in rural areas around sunset to come across an old woman traveling by herself, dressed in black rags and followed by a flock of crows. This woman is the [[CelestialParagonsAndArchangels empyreal lord]] Andoletta in disguise, and if greeted politely and offered a meal she will reward this generosity with valuable advice.

* ''Anime/ElCazadorDeLaBruja''. In the middle of Mexico/South of Mexico, there is an inn run by an old man; he stops the villains chasing the heroines for a day or two so that they can have some character development. This includes a TykeBomb and witch with magic powers, who he stops simply by looking at them. Apparently is really the Hopi Fertility Deity Kokopelli. He takes the form of a white author who died 3 years prior to the plot.

* ''Manga/ChronoCrusade:'' [[spoiler: Ewan Remington]] eventually confesses he's one of these. In the English dub, he doesn't outright say it, but hints are still there.
* ''LightNovel/Overlord2012'': While angels definitely exist, it's debated in-universe whether they're servants of God or generic summoned monsters.

* ''Film/PiratesOfTheGreatSaltLake'': The Man in White. He's assumed to be a MagicalNativeAmerican, at least until FridgeBrilliance sets in. Only ghosts and people who can see ghosts can see him, but he can interact with the world in ways ghosts can't. He's also the only one who directly addresses the fourth wall, which greatly perplexes the protagonists.
* In ''Film/AlmostAnAngel'', former bank robber Terry Dean is convinced that he's died and been sent back to earth as an angel. Most of the other characters think he's just an eccentric, but accept him since he's a pretty nice guy despite the crazy. The last few minutes of the movie reveal that, indeed, he's an angel for real.
* ''Film/MaryPoppins'': She's seen ''putting her makeup on while sitting waist-deep in a cloudbank'', for [[{{Pun}} heaven's]] sake.

* ''Film/TheGreenMile'': John Coffey may or may not be an angel (if he isn't Christ).

** Mouse is also this trope, albeit in dogasaurus-form rather than human and an Asian version -- specifically, he's a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_guardian_lions foo dog]].

* ''Literature/TheGreenMile'': John Coffey. The narrator doesn't think so, but there's definitely room for doubt.

* Edwin Markham's "How the Great Guest Came," similar to the Tolstoy story, is about a cobbler named Conrad who dreams that Jesus is going to visit him. After performing several kind acts, at the end of the day he asks in disappointment why Jesus never showed up.

** There are, in a case of this trope being a two-edged sword, the True Fae Charlatans from ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost'', [[TheFairFolk very, very nasty and amoral fairies]] that have gone into the human world and lost all of their power and forgotten whom they are.
** In ''TabletopGame/DemonTheDescent'', almost ''anyone'' can secretly be an Angel or a Demon. "Night Horrors: Enemy Action" includes Angels holding down identities as TV reviewers, K-pop groups, suicide hotline volunteers and gardeners. Naturally, this being a gameline where GodIsEvil, this leads to all sorts of problems; the TV reviewer directs people toward shows that influence them in specific ways and proposes watching orders that can turn people into [[TrueSight Stigmatics]], the K-pop group has mind-affecting songs, the gardener is a DoubleAgent, the suicide hotline volunteer [[DrivenToSuicide intentionally sabotages the process for certain people]]...

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': Both the Bretonnian Green Knight and Grombrindal, the White Dwarf could possibly be this; the Green Knight may be the spirit of Gilles le Breton, founder of Bretonnia and its first Royarch, while there are a ''lot'' of theories on the White Dwarf, again including the possibility that he's Snorri Whitebeard, the first High King of the Dawi. [[spoiler: Both were confirmed in ''The End Times''.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/MoralOrel'': In one episode, Orel gets a dog named Bartholomew who is heavily implied to be the Second Coming of Jesus. [[spoiler: He gets put down by the town out of jealousy that he got so much attention, complete with ''very'' heavy crucifixion imagery: Bartholomew carries a cross shaped stick, he's taken to Calvary Pain Institute to be euthanized, etc.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/MoralOrel'': In one episode, Orel gets a dog named Bartholomew who is heavily implied to be the Second Coming of Jesus.

* Creator/IsaacAsimov: In one short story, a character is revealed to be the ''Devil'' in the end -- and it is unclear whether ''he'' is aware of that.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': Both the Brettonian Green Knight and Grombrindal, the White Dwarf could possibly be this; the Green Knight may be the founder of Brettonia, while there are a ''lot'' of theories on the White Dwarf, again including the possibility that he's the founder of the Dwarven nation. [[spoiler: Both were confirmed in ''The End Times''.]]

* Myth/ClassicalMythology:

* ''Series/{{Bones}}'' had an episode where Brennan talks, late at night while alone in the lab, with a janitor named Micah. Considering that this character never appeared on the show before or after, no one seemed to see him except Brennan, and the name does refer to a Biblical prophet, there was some speculation about him.

** For a time Lucifer is convinced that Detective Chloe Decker is this, as it would explain how come she's immune to his powers. It's not that simple, as it turns out.
** In a season 3 episode Ella tells the squad that she has for years interacted with a ghost who is now helping on a case. Although Ella doesn't, we learn that the ghost is the angel Azrael.

* Creator/RoberHeinlein:

* In Myth/OceanianMythology, Pele tests people on their SacredHospitality using this method. She frequently will appear as [[BewareOfHitchhikingGhosts a hitchhiker on the side of the road]] (either as an old woman in a white dress or a younger woman in a red dress, and sometimes accompanied by a small dog). If the traveler picks her up, they often will be rewarded somehow... but if they don't, they run into [[KillItWithFire some type of misfortune]]. She also is said in some stories to go to people's houses disguised as an old woman seeking food or lodging.

* In ''Film/AlmostAnAngel'', former bank robber Terry Dean is convinced that he's died and been sent back to earth as an angel. Most of the other characters think he's just a eccentric, but accept him since he's a pretty nice guy despite the crazy. The last few minutes of the movie reveal that, indeed, he's an angel for real.

* The music video for ''[[Music/WithinTemptation Within Temptations's]] song "Utopia" follows an old man in a suit wandering through a city. As he walks, he encounters prostitution, drug trade, theft and other crimes, but is only a passive witness. Near the end, he stands next to a mother and her child next to a busy street, when the kid drops and then stoops down to pick up a toy. The man grabs him and pulls him up just in time to keep him from being killed by a speeding truck and instantly disappears thereafter.

Compare DamselErrant, KingIncognito, ManicPixieDreamGirl, OldBeggarTest, TheTallDarkStranger. Contrast with IAmWho if the ''angel'' [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant is unaware that they are an angel]]. See also GodWasMyCopilot, where the supernatural aspect is revealed after a long period of appearing normal. Compare SantaAmbiguity.