History Main / BecomingTheMask

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'' reveals [[spoiler:Saix]] as a villainous example. [[spoiler:He and Axel (who was his best friend before they became Nobodies) were [[TheStarscream originally plotting to overthrow Xemnas in the event that Xemnas strayed from the Organization's goal of regaining their hearts]] (a suspicion that is shown to be correct after Saix and Axel both die). Axel's killing of Vexen and manipulation of Zexion's death in [[KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories Chain of Memories]] were actually done on Saix's orders.]] However, due to [[spoiler:Axel's friendship with Roxas and Xion, a rift formed between him and Saix, both feeling that the other had changed]]. As a result, the plan slowly fell apart and by the end of the game, [[spoiler:Saix]] dismisses his previous plan as nothing more than a fantasy.

** To summarize: [[spoiler: Axel's]] was originally using Roxas, as stated [[AllThereInTheManual in extra materials.]] He eventually grew to care for Roxas and Xion. Meanwhile, [[spoiler: Saix grew to become legitimately loyal to Xemnas]]. And thus, tension, tradgedies, and [[ForegoneConclusion Foregone Conclusions]] appeared.

* In ''KamenRiderKabuto'', the Scorpioworm assumed the identity of [[spoiler:Kamishiro Tsurugi]], but prior to the beginning of the series somehow came to believe himself to be [[spoiler:Tsurugi]] to the point at which even he is shocked when the mask slips.

* TheodoreRoosevelt: Born a sickly asthmatic at the pinnacle, he built up a persona as a rugged man of action. By the time of the SpanishAmericanWar, he ''was'' a rugged man of action.

** Creator/WilliamShatner and Creator/LeonardNimoy are nearly as close as Captain Kirk and Commander Spock are. The were both close with [=DeForrest=] Kelley.

* Wannabe Heroine [[Literature/{{Worm}} Taylor]] starts off joining the Undersiders due to a combination of [[ObviouslyEvil looking evil]] and the [[UngratefulBastard heroes]] [[TheInfiltration needing]] [[MysteriousBacker information]] on them. Over time her disillusionment with the heroes and the friendship she finds among her [[TrueCompanions team]] complicates things, and she decides to stay with them. Interesting in that it's a hero to villain example, although most of the superheroes and supervillains have GreyandGreyMorality.

* Between ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' and ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood'', {{Meido}} Kohaku goes from sinister {{Chessmaster}} with no emotions who is planning the downfall of the Tohno family through drugging them; to really being the lovable goofball she pretends to be; who possibly makes robots and rides around on a broom in her spare time.
** Note, however, that the robots and broom-riding may have been influenced by Tatari, and she's STILL trying to play everyone like saps. She's just more...nice...about it.
** In Hisui's route it's revealed that she ''was'' becoming the mask, she just followed through on her plan anyway because she had no idea what else to do. In her own route, the mask starts to crack when Shiki pays attention to her and she reveals she honestly has no idea how she really feels anymore, so she leaves for a little while and becomes/reverts back to a very sweet, kind person.

* In ''Anime/DGrayMan'', Lavi is a successor to the [[TheWatcher Bookman]] lineage, who only joined the Black Order to record the war. However, as the years passed, he got more and more into the role of an exorcist, and is visibly angry when Bookman tells him he's not really a part of the Order, and that he's only there because it's convenient. His issues with BecomingTheMask are actually what LittleMissBadass Road Kamelot uses to [[MindRape "destroy his heart"]].

* In the ''NewTricks'' episode "Only The Brave" it turns out the murderer was ReverseMole, Knowles, who had gone native in the gang he was sent in to investigate.

* [[spoiler: Reiner Braun]] from ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', in an absolutely heartbreaking deconstruction. [[spoiler: His guilt over his crimes as TheMole, and growing attachment to his human comrades, results in him suffering dissociative episodes. He quite literally {{Mind Rape}}d himself into having episodes where he genuinely believes his cover is real, since that's who he would rather be]]. Two a little more minor cases also occur with [[spoiler: Annie Leonhart and Bertolt Hoover, his partners. During a rampage, Annie spares her former classmates... which eventually leads to her being exposed. And Bertolt eventually admits [[WasItAllALie that not everything was a lie and he did care about his comrades during his VillainousBreakdown]]]].

* [[spoiler: Reiner Braun]] from ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', in an absolutely heartbreaking deconstruction. [[spoiler: His guilt over his crimes as TheMole, and growing attachment to his human comrades, results in him suffering dissociative episodes. He quite literally {{Mind Rape}}d himself into having episodes where he genuinely believes his cover is real, since that's who he would rather be]]. A minor case also occurs with [[spoiler: Annie Leonhardt, one of his partners. During a rampage, she spares her former classmates.....which eventually leads to her being exposed]].

* ''BreakingBad'': Walt creates the persona Heisenberg when dealing with the criminal underworld. As he gains more and more power, the ruthless, [[spoiler: murderous]] Heisenberg becomes his new personality, and the mild-mannered pushover that was Walter White becomes the mask, to no longer existing by the time season 5 rolls around.

* Explored in the ''Videogame/MassEffect''[=/=]''Film/{{Terminator}}'' crossover ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6338566/1/Drift Drift]]'', where [[RobotGirl Cameron]] has spent a couple hundred years carefully developing an entire personality construct based on her "Allison" memories, effectively becoming an otherwise indistinguishable human. It turns out that Cameron has apparently been using the Allison persona for so long that elements of her have influenced other parts of her "brain," like her combat programs - which she finds quite troubling, because she is apparently unable to actually do physical maintenance on her processors.

* Played straight in ''CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger''. Steve started out as a USO propaganda figurehead, playing the heroic Captain America in stage productions and advertisments. Then, he became the real thing.

* Subverted on the most recent season finale of ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'', where the Teens were revealed to be secret agents of some sort and Carl was a secret agent assigned to spy on them. At the end of the episode, he mixes up strip club and liquor store, implying that the real Carl does not share the *ahem* interests of the Carl we've come to know and love. Of course, given what show we're talking about, don't expect this to carry over into next season.

* A similar thing happens in the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode ''All Dogs Go To Heaven'' [[spoiler: a skinwalker disguises himself as a family dog, waiting for the call to attack and turn the family. He eventually grows to love the family, and almost dies to defend them]].

* In 'Shadows Of The Past', this is something [[spoiler:Will wishes he could do.]]

** On the other hand, pretending to be a hitman who happens to look identical doesn't work out so well.

* In ''Ed, Edd, n Eddy'', Eddy decides to dress up as a foreign exchange student named 'Carl', to find out who wrote graffiti about him. When he introduces himself to the rest of the kids, he finds out that they all prefer him, instead of Eddy. Double D ([[spoiler:the one who wrote "Eddy is a no neck chump" in the first place]]) tells the surprised 'Carl' that it's respect, and that he hasn't done anything to provoke a negative opinion, like scamming for pocket change.

* Dramatic Detective of {{LIS_DEAD}} admits in the comments of [[http://lisdead.blogspot.com/2012/02/do-pardon-earlier-brusqueness-things.html an early post]] that he identifies himself more closely with some of his aliases than the name his own mother gave him.

* In ''Disney/TreasurePlanet'' Silver ends up [[ParentalSubstitute developing a bond]] with Jim Hawkins, despite him and his crew being the mole and simply being on the ship to steal the treasure. This serves as one of the primary conflicts of the story.

* Taken quite literally in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode ''Masks'', in which Data becomes the embodiment of The Sun, Masaka, wearing her mask. Picard dons her
counterpart's mask to "become" Korgano and convince "her" (Data) to sleep and end the ritual.

* [[VideoGame/{{Crysis}} They call me... Prophet.]]

* SuikodenV gives us Euram Barows, who, at first glance and throughout the game, shows us to be a foppish, idiotic buffoon. Background information received from Oboro, [[spoiler: and information learned after his HeelFaceTurn, shows that he actually starting acting this way to comfort his mother, who was mad with grief over the death of Euram's older brother Hiram, assassinated during a civil war prior to the game. Between that, [[SmugSnake the influence of his father]], and Euram's own emotional weakness, this act became real. The real Euram is a demure guy [[ItsAllMyFault who blames himself for a lot of problems.]]]]
* Dollface, of "VideoGame/TwistedMetal" [[spoiler: drops the key to her mask and decides to wear the mask forever, saying "It doesn't cry and it doesn't look scared, and it'll always be pretty, even when I'm old and grey inside."]]