History Main / DelusionsOfBeauty

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The inverse of ObliviouslyBeautiful and IAmNotPretty. Compare/contrast CrushFilter, when someone looks more attractive to ''other people'' (who has a crush on them) than they really are.

* Prince Merkimer from ''WesternAnimation/Disenchantment'' believes he is the most handsome prince in the land. He's overweight with a pig-like nose. He's finally brought down to earth when he's turned into a pig.

* Darryl in ''NewspaperComic/BabyBlues'' used to say that from one angle, he looked just like Mel Gibson. (Back when that was [[FallenCreator a point of pride]].)
* Roger in ''NewspaperComic/{{Foxtrot}}'' thinks he looks like Brad Pitt, Viggo Mortensen, or other heartthrobs at times.

* ''WebAnimation/EtraChanSawIt'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW7ERIGLoXo Hiiragi]] thinks that he is attractive after being praised by his friends for marrying Yuri, who recently became attractive after [[FormerlyFat losing her weight]]. His delusions eventually escalate to the point where he decides to hit on other women, who are understandably creeped out by his behavior.

It is said that people tend to see themselves as more attractive than they really are. A combination of "self-enhancement" bias and the reversed image we usually see in the mirror often give us a false impression of what we actually look like. But characters in fiction often take this self-enhancement filter to a whole new level, where their delusions of beauty have no basis in reality at all.

** ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': [[DirtyOldMan Happosai]] always depicts himself as a tall, blonde-haired PrettyBoy whenever he regales his youthful exploits to other people, although a less biased flashback would show that he had always been a bug-eyed midget in his youth as he is in his present day. His nearly identical friend, Rakkyosai, likewise remembers his youthful self as a beautiful man with dark, flowing locks.

* ''LightNovel/TheDevilIsAPartTimer'': Miki Shiba, the landlady for Mao's apartment building (and later revealed to be a powerful deity in her own right), believes that she is a classical beauty, often pointing out that the "Mi" in her name means "beautiful". She is, in fact, morbidly obese. A photograph of herself in a swimsuit that she sent to the demons from Enta Isla caused them to experience a [[BrainBleach violent burst of nausea]].

* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'': A downplayed, situational example occurs in "[[Recap/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteersS2E1MindPollution Mind Pollution]]"; Skumm starts selling a designer drug called Bliss and manages to hamstring the Planeteers by getting Linka's cousin to give her drugged food, leaving her mind too cloudy to use her ring. While Linka is flirting with Wheeler and offering him a pill, he pushes her over to a mirror so that she can see what the drug is doing to her physically. She laughs and says she looks beautiful. Ordinarily, Linka is gorgeous and even with the drug affecting her body she's good-looking. However, she's red-eyed, worn, and obviously the worse for wear to anyone who's not under the influence; she's just too deep in denial to see it.

* ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'' has Phryne Jamil, a member of the Ishtar Familia. She is a huge, obese woman with a face that [[{{Gonk}} resembles a toad]], but believes herself to be the most beautiful woman alive. Phryne also has the disturbing habit of kidnapping men that takes her fancy and tortures and rapes them until they are too traumatized to have sex ever again--which she sees as further evidence of her desirability because [[InsaneTrollLogic clearly those guys are so love-struck that they will never be satisfied, sexually, by anyone else.]]

These are characters who might be ugly, plain, old, or overweight (or any combination thereof), but still see themselves as a sexy HeadTurningBeauty. They may try to invoke ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful while lacking the assets to get the desired results. They might also [[AbhorrentAdmirer try to force themselves on anyone who takes their fancy and get offended/confused that their target would turn down a big "catch" like them.

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[[caption-width-right:350:[[{{Hunk}} Fantasy]] vs. [[FatIdiot Reality]]]]

%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!

* ''Manga/{{Gals}}'': The ganguro sisters, while not ''that'' ugly, are drawn with GagLips that makes them look less conveniently pretty than the other female characters. They still think that they're as attractive as the main girls, and don't understand why Ran and the others are more popular with guys than they are.

These are characters who might be ugly, plain, old, or overweight (or any combination thereof), but still see themselves as a sexy HeadTurningBeauty. They may try to invoke ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful while lacking the assets to get the desired results. They might also [[AbhorrentAdmirer try to force themselves on the opposite sex (or sometimes the same sex)]] and get offended/confused that their target would turn down a big catch like them.

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/edfd788c_00af_4d98_9315_1ae410672d1a.jpeg]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'': Despite her ancient body, the main villainess Yzma is both a FashionVictimVillain and proud of her looks (the latter affirmed after a brawl with Kuzco accidentally turns her into a cat). Of course, this doesn't convince anybody and cements her reputation as a being [[TheDreaded "scary]] [[SoHideousItsTerrifying beyond all reason]]".

* ''Manga/{{Gals}}'': The ganguro sisters, while not ''that'' ugly, are drawn with GagLips that makes them look less conveniently pretty than the other female characters. They still think that they're just attractive as the main girls, and don't understand why Ran and the others are more popular with guys than they are.

* In ''[[https://ficbook.net/readfic/1334217 At the Sources of the Night]]'', Erica Rose is an aging fortune-teller (and no SilverFox) who is convinced that she is drop-dead gorgeous. She applies excessive makeup without any taste, is certain that teenagers Arven and Kinan are struck by her beauty, and even tries to invoke ArentYouGoingToRavishMe on them. [[spoiler:Arven believes that Erica's desperate wish to be beautiful is what created her evil alternate self in the mirror world that kept attacking young and pretty girls]].

'''Note:''' Do NOT list characters who are actually considered beautiful by other characters (unless their interest is considered "weird" in-universe), even if the viewer doesn't agree with the [[InformedAttractiveness story's assessment of the character's attractiveness]]. Also, '''Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease.'''

* ''Anime/PerfectBlue'': Near the climax of the film, Rumi--an overweight, middle-aged woman--falls into a delusion that she is Mima, the main character who is a young, beautiful IdolSinger. As she is chasing Mima through the street, her reflection shows "Mima" gracefully floating after the real Mima in an almost fairy-like way, while Rumi (wearing Mima's pop idol dress) is rabidly chasing her down with the intent to murder her, panting and sweating heavily.