History Main / DramaticUnmask

* One of these happens at the end of the [[WhamEpisode 38th episode]] of the first season of the [[Anime/{{Bakugan}} Bakugan anime]]. To be more specific, it’s a massive plot twist that reveals that Masquerade, one of the story’s main villains, was actually [[spoiler: Alice all along, [[AlternateIdentityAmnesia not that she would remember any of it]]]].

* Bandit Keith in ''Anime/YuGiOh'', even though he's ''obviously'' Keith. Made more absurd in ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'', where he still has his VerbalTic.
* Subverted in ''Manga/CromartieHighSchool'': a new guy comes to Cromartie and claims to have changed in his personality, re-igniting certain principles of badness once lost in the students. They don't know who the heck he is, though, because they've never seen his face before - because [[spoiler:Masked Takenouchi realizes that he forgot to put on his mask.]]
* Inverted in ''Manga/DeathNote'', where Near dons a dramatic ''mask'' for Light's benefit.
* In ''Manga/Eyeshield21'', Sena reveals that he is the titular Eyeshield 21 to his childhood friend Mamori, just before the match against the Bando Spiders.
* Subverted in a filler episode of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', where Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke spend an entire episode debating what secret Kakashi might possibly be hiding under his mask: [[GagLips abnormally thick lips]], [[AsianBuckTeeth buck teeth]] or some other facial anomaly. They try and trick him to take it off but have all of their plans fail, until he finally offers to remove it. Under is mask is... [[spoiler:[[UnReveal another mask.]]]]
* This is a common occurrence in the more plot-involved arcs of ''Manga/CaseClosed'' due to characters existing on both good and bad sides who are masters of disguise. Often the disguises are used to protect the identities of the main characters when facing off against the Black Organization, and usually the masks will come off once they're no longer necessary. One of the more notable instances is [[spoiler: in episode 345, where Heiji had disguised himself as Shinichi, Conan was disguised as Haibara, and Vermouth had been Dr. Araide for multiple appearances. All three of them end up dramatically unmasking during the events of that night.]]

* After Manga/{{Kinnikuman}} defeats Warsman with the Kinniku Buster, Warsman struggles to his feet, relates his tragic backstory (Especially dramatic as he had been TheVoiceless until then), and removes his own mask, revealing his circuit board face. As this was a mask-removal death match, it's a signal of surrender.

* At the end of the "Here Comes the Squirtle Squad" episode of ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'', the leader of the eponymous delinquents shows up trailing the heroes. After Ash offers him to join his team, Squirtle removes his TriangleShades, showing off his huge eyes, before running up to embrace Ash.
* ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion''. Not that we can't guess who it is earlier, but Asuka yanking off her fullface helmet in the ActionPrologue of ''3.0'' reveals her EyepatchOfPower for those who weren't spoiled by the trailers.
* Spoofed in the ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' manga ''Manga/TouhouSuzunaanForbiddenScrollery'', when Aya reveals herself as a {{Tengu}} to Kosuzu. Since her "disguise" in the Human Village is just [[https://en.touhouwiki.net/images/8/85/AyaHumanDisguise.png an early 20th Century newsboy outfit]] (not even bothering to hide her PointyEars), this "unmasking" involves swapping out her newsboy cap for [[https://en.touhouwiki.net/images/c/c3/10Aya1.png her usual hat.]] Kosuzu is still shocked by this.

* Parodied in one ''Manga/OnePiece'' light novel with a pirate named Skull who is NeverBareheaded, constantly wearing a mask in public. His allies eventually deduce that he was ''planning'' to dramatically unmask at some point to reveal his true identity, but he could never find an appropriate time and kept putting it off. He's therefore been wearing the mask for years on end and can't bring himself to take it off in front of others because it's been too long and now it would just be awkward to suddenly remove it.
* ''Manga/MoriartyThePatriot'': When Sherlock reappears in ''The Adventure of the Empty Hearts'', he does so in disguise until finding a convenient moment to pull off his mask and wig to reveal himself, shocking Bond nearly speechless, and delighting the audience with his long-awaited return.
* ''Anime/{{Beyblade}}'': Vladimir Volkov/[[DubNameChange Boris Balkov]] inverts this trope. He puts his mask ''on'', so Kai can finally recognize him.

* In ''Toys/{{Bionicle}} 2: Legends of Metru Nui'', the fake Turaga Dume removes his mask to confirm what the audience already knew and what Vakama suspected, that he's actually [[BigBad the Makuta]], wearing his own [[MaskOfPower Mask of Shadows]] under Dume's Mask of Regeneration. This leads to another reveal: the characters already knew who Makuta was, they just didn't expect that he was actually evil.
* During part of the beginning of ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'', when Basil is disguised, full-body, as a fat white Chinese rat.
* ''WesternAnimation/MeetTheRobinsons'': Parodied when Bowler Hat Guy dramatically rips his clothes in front of Lewis to reveal [[spoiler: he is still wearing the same baseball uniform that he used when he was Goob, Lewis’s roommate at the orphanage]].
* [[spoiler: Tighten]] actually does this near the end of ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'' during the scene where he decides that he's better off as a villain and starts destroying the city.
* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'', Kenny's face is shown for the first time, when he sacrifices himself to save the rest of the Earth at the cost of going back to the afterlife.

* ''Film/BatmanReturns''. Bruce ''rips'' the plastic mask off dramatically.

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'':
** When the Green Goblin originally unmasked himself as Norman Osborn during Creator/StanLee's original run on the title after Steve Ditko left and John Romita Sr. took over on art.
** Partly with Spider-Man himself during Marvel's ''ComicBook/CivilWar2006'' arc. While it has this effect on the people watching him in the story (and is a Dramatic Unmask in delivery), [[InternalReveal the readers already know who he is]].
* A unique version is the famous ending of the first issue of ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'' as Citizen V enters with his face unmasked to reveal a horribly scarred visage. Seeing the discomfort of his team, V decides to put on another mask...the mask of Baron Helmut Zemo, revealing the Thunderbolts are the Masters of Evil in disguise.

* An issue of ''ComicBook/YoungJustice'' has a group of young heroes on a camping trip playing Truth or Dare. Robin is challenged to remove his mask. Turns out he's as CrazyPrepared as Batman himself and has decided to wear an inner mask for the occasion to preserve his identity.

** This is the emotional climax of ''JLA: Year One''. The newly-formed League is struggling with confusion and mistrust; disheartened, they start to turn away from each other... and Flash pulls off his cowl and announces his name. After a [[BeatPanel beat]], the others follow suit.
** Also used in ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmericaTowerOfBabel'', in what is essentially Creator/MarkWaid riffing on his own earlier storyline a generation later. In ''Year One'', the breakdown in trust is caused by Martian Manhunter making contingency plans against every super on the planet and an enemy making use of them; in ''Tower of Babel'', the same thing happens with Batman's countermeasures. Batman leaves the League in the aftermath, but later rejoins after allowing everyone into the Batcave with all the computer files unlocked, and revealing himself as Bruce Wayne. While everyone is pretty gobsmacked at that, it's nothing to the reactions when Clark Kent introduces himself -- most of the younger League didn't realize that Superman even ''had'' a secret identity.
* In the story arc "ComicBook/TheTrialOfTheFlash", ComicBook/TheFlash is forced to unmask when he was on the witness stand. Fortunately, he has just been in a horrific battle with a baddie, destroying his face, and has taken the opportunity to get plastic surgery, so he reveals a face that looks nothing like Barry Allen's.
* [[TheUnreveal Subverted]]/lampshaded in the ''ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' Season 8 comics: Twilight starts to unmask himself, but only because his neck itches. He never lifts it past his chin. [[spoiler:Played straight in the penultimate story arc when he unmasks himself as Angel.]]
* ''ComicBook/{{Diabolik}}'':
** Happens often due the title character's use of LatexPerfection, to the point that it's rarely dramatic anymore.
** One famous {{subver|tedTrope}}sion comes from the flashback of the first battle between Diabolik and [[SympatheticInspectorAntagonist Ginko]]: at the end of a long chase Ginko ''did'' manage to arrest Diabolik and promptly took away the mask of his suit, but Diabolik, anticipating the possibility, was wearing one of his masks. As at the time the masks weren't known to the police Ginko didn't even suspect, and wouldn't until much later, when he raided one of Diabolik's hideouts and found that very mask along a few others.
* {{Defied|Trope}} in ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures'': Paperinik once admitted he's tempted to do it and reveal his identity to his girlfriend Daisy or even retire, but as he's extremely protective of his loved ones he'll never do it for fear of endangering them.

* Early in ''ComicBook/HouseAndPowersOfX'', especially in ''House of X'' and the Year X[[superscript:1]] sequences of ''Powers of X'', Professor X's face is hidden from the readers' view, as everything above his nose is hidden behind his Cerebro helmet. This lasts until issue #4 of Hickman's main ''X-Men'' series, in which Xavier takes Cerebro off in front of an economic assembly, and the panels gradually focus on his eyes, showing that, while the Year X[[superscript:0]] scenes in ''Powers of X'' (depicting scenes set in the past) showed him with brown eyes, he now has blue eyes.[[note]]Prior to Hickman's takeover of the franchise, Xavier came BackFromTheDead in Fantomex's body, and this development may relate to that.[[/note]]

* In ''Film/TheAdventuresOfTintin'', Sir Haddock has a very intense sword fight with Red Racham, which he manages to win (while also blowing up the ship and avenging his slain men). After bringing Recham to his knees, Haddock uses his sword to take off the pirate's mask, [[TheReveal revealing]] to the audience that [[spoiler: he's the ancestor of Saccharine.]]

* In Phi's ending of ''VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward'', K takes off his mask and armor to reveal that he is [[spoiler: the old woman]]. This is surprising because in K's own ending, which is required in order to unlock the Phi ending, [[spoiler:Sigma took off K's mask and saw his own face]].

* ''VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward'':
** In K's ending, Sigma takes off K's mask only to find [[spoiler:his own face behind it.]]
** The epilogue has a downplayed example. Sigma is approached by Zero I, who removes their signature gas mask and hood to reveal [[spoiler:22-year-old Akane Kurashiki]], but the player has long known whose face is behind that particular mask.

* ''Fanfic/SpiderNinja'': When confronting the man who killed Ben and May Parker, Petra lifts up her mask and asks the killer if he remembers her. He needs a minute, but he realizes who she is. Unmasking briefly wasn't a problem for her, as she hadn't begun her vigilante work and she doesn't keep a secret identity; she simply wears a mask because her brothers do.

* In ''VideoGame/OverlordII'', inverted when [[spoiler:Florian]] reveals his alter-ego of [[spoiler:Solarius]] by donning the latter's signature mask.

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS5E145TheMasks The Masks]]", the Harpers -- Emily, Wilfred, Sr., Wilfred, Jr. and Paula -- remove their masks to find that their faces now match the grotesque features of said masks. Later, Dr. Sam Thorne removes Jason Foster's mask. He has retained his normal face but it has an expression of contentment in death.

* At the beginning of the finale in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind'', Vinegar Doppio walks behind a pillar when approaching [[spoiler:Polnareff]] and [[spoiler:emerges from the other side as Diavolo, the main villain of the storyline. Even though the audience is in on this at this point it comes as a huge shock to Polnareff.]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}} episode III'', the Red Testament takes off his mask and reveals himself to be [[spoiler:Kevin, Shion's dead lover]].
** Also in ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}} episode III'', the White Testement removes his mask, revealing himself to be [[spoiler: Albedo, the BigBad of the second game.]]

* The Shyguy victory animation from ''[[VideoGame/MarioTennis Mario Power Tennis]]'' actually shows him walking up to the podium where Luigi will give him his trophy, but he trips on the last step before the top, causing his mask to fall off. Luigi sees the Shyguy's face (but the player doesn't) and is freaked out before the Shyguy puts his mask back on and takes his trophy. This was also reused in ''VideoGame/MarioStrikers Charged Football''.

* ''VideoGame/Persona4'' has Teddie removing his head [[spoiler:to show he's human]]. In his first try, Yosuke stops him because there's kids watching and [[HarmfulToMinors they'll be scarred for life when they see an empty mascot]].
* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'', after the first phase of the fight with Shadow Shido, the Protagonist dramatically removes his PhantomThief mask to reveal that he is the high school student whom Shido earlier framed for assault after he stopped him from sexually assaulting a woman.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' ''A Realm Reborn'', the Ascian Lahabrea removes his mask and hood after the Player Character's rescue mission in a [[TheEmpire Garlean base]], to reveal [[spoiler:Thancred]] underneath.
* Creepily subverted in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'' with [[spoiler: the Phantom, who pulls off his mask to reveal... another mask. And another. And another. His breakdown has him tearing off dozens of masks, [[ShapeshifterIdentityCrisis desperately trying to actually unmask his true face]]. We never see it.]]

* Actually inverted in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'', where a maskless [[spoiler: Volke]] reveals his true identity as an assassin-for-hire in the employ of [[spoiler: Ike's late father Greil]] before putting ''on'' a mask as his class changes.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn''. The BlackKnight removes his helmet at the beginning of "Rebirth Part 2", but Ranulf had already rather anti-climatically revealed him to be [[spoiler:Zelgius]] several chapters beforehand.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', during the final flashback to the Nibelheim Incident, one of the Shinra mooks dramatically removes his helmet to reveal [[spoiler:Cloud Strife]].

* Played with in ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'', as the one person that Spider-Man takes off his mask for, [[spoiler:his Aunt May]], [[SecretSecretKeeper already knows his secret identity]] and simply wants to see his face one last time before dying.
* In ''VideoGame/SpiderManMilesMorales'', Miles unmasks himself before the Tinkerer, aka. his best friend Phin Mason, in a bid to dissuade her from fighting him and continuing her crusade against Roxxon. It doesn't work as well as he hopes.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Medabots}}'', Space Medafighter X gets badly injured, and his golden mask begins to crack. When it is broken it reveals... [[spoiler:a second, white mask! Space Medafighter X is really the Phantom Renegade!]]

[[folder:Fanworks]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* In ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}!'', Karn unmasks Eternion after Khrima first defeats him. As it turns out, Eternion is actually [[spoiler: an infinitely powerful Eternal!]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "The Blue Spirit", Aang does this to the mysterious rescuer Blue Spirit, revealing [[spoiler:Prince Zuko]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE25TheClockKing "The Clock King"]], it's clear Mayor Hill has no clue who the crazy guy that just put him into a DeathTrap is. Until he takes off his glasses, at which point Hill does recognize him. Even though he's dressed the exact same way he was the last time Hill ever saw him... 7 years ago.

* A very emotional example from ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' when Leela corners two hooded mutants who she believes killed her alien parents. [[spoiler: Fry, having figured out the truth, unmasks them, and reveals that they ARE her parents, having given her up to an orphanage under the guise of an alien child to give her a normal life, as aliens on Earth have the same rights as normal humans but mutants are forced to live underground in the sewers.]]
** A ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo'' parody episode has Daphne!Leela unmask the person she believes to be the culprit. Unfortunately, she just accidentally pulls off Zoidberg's ''head''. Of course it's played for laughs. They then capture the villain and subvert this by [[MindScrew wiping off the mask as if it were makeup]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', Amon unmasks himself in order to reveal his scar in front of a shocked audience. The mask is knocked off a second time when Korra sends him out of a window and into the ocean. At this point, [[spoiler:the scar is revealed to have been fabricated, and his true identity as Noatak is revealed.]]

* One Strong Bad Email from ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' is actually about Strong Bad finally taking off his mask. Unfortunately, [[TheUnreveal we never get to see him without his mask on]] as his head is actually blocked by his new armchair in which he bought from Bubs in the same Email. Given his repeated statements that the mask ''is'' his face, plus the horrific screams when he pulls it off, [[GoryDiscretionShot this was probably for the best]].
* Second season of ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'' ends with Centurion taking his mask off, revealing himself to be [[spoiler:Lord Rogal Dorn]].

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Steve_unmasked995_2462.jpg]]]]

* Princess Leia reveals herself to Han Solo and to the audience early in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', as she'd been masquerading as a mysterious bounty hunter until then.
* Kylo Ren in ''Film/TheForceAwakens''. Paralleling Darth Vader, [[spoiler:his maternal grandfather]], Ren covers his face with a mask for much of the film. Rey deriding him as a "creature in a mask" leads him to take it off, and the reveal is an effective contrast to the elderly, disfigured Vader. Physically, Ren is an unremarkable, handsome young man.
* In ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'', the title character is forced by his arch-enemy to reveal his identity in the Colosseum. Epic BadassBoast follows.
** A porn parody ''Gladiator Eroticus'' spoofs this scene by having the title character hide behind a [[RuleOfFunny series of masks, false beards and a large axe]] before being exposed.

-->'''Steve Rogers:''' [[ThisCannotBe ...Bucky?]]\\

* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3'': At the end of the movie, after the Guardians curbstomp the High Evolutionary, Gamora grabs him by the neck, and pulls off [[LatexPerfection the rubber mask he wears over his face]] [[spoiler:to reveal that it [[MaskingTheDeformity covers up]] [[FacialHorror the horrific injuries that Rocket inflicted on him many years ago]]]].

** ''Series/{{Hawkeye|2021}}'': In "Never Meet Your Heroes", Kate Bishop is eavesdropping on an auction where various items recovered from the Avengers Compound were being sold off, including her childhood idol Clint Barton's old Ronin costume and sword. When the auction is attacked by members of the Tracksuit Mafia, Kate dons the costume to take them on. She's caught on camera fleeing the scene afterwards, which gets Clint's attention when he hears about it on the news (as he's in New York with his kids for Christmas). He goes out to confront this person, and ends up saving Kate as she's being ambushed by the Tracksuits. He drags her into a nearby alley, and roughly rips the mask off. Clint is in disbelief over the fact that his costume ended up in the hands of a young woman, while Kate can't believe that her idol of all people came to her rescue.

*** In episode 8, Billy Russo and some PMC contractors loaned to him by Rawlins ambush Dinah Madani, Sam Stein and a bunch of SWAT officers accompanying them when they are tricked (by Madani feeding false information into Rawlins' bug) into going to a warehouse where they think they will capture Frank meeting with a gun dealer. Stein manages to corner a masked Russo outside and draws his pistol on him. He advances on Russo and pulls his mask off. [[OhCrap He freezes up in shock]], long enough that [[NothingUpMySleeve Russo produces a concealed knife and stabs him to death.]]
---->'''Billy Russo:''' [[MeaningfulEcho Who's pretty now...]]?

** Midway through ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', Johann Schmidt dramatically peels off his face to reveal himself as the ComicBook/RedSkull.

** ''Film/BlackWidow2021'' has this happen with Taskmaster. [[spoiler:And the 'dramatic' is enhanced, as Natasha mentioning to Dreykov how she caused his daughter's death is what prompts him to order Taskmaster to remove the mask and show the daughter didn't die, she just got turned into an EmptyShell of an assassin.]]

-->'''The High Evolutionary:''' LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO ME! For what?! All I wanted to do... was to make things... PERFECT!

* In K's ending of ''VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward'', Sigma takes off K's mask only to find [[spoiler:his own face behind it.]]

* Partly ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' during Marvel's ComicBook/CivilWar arc. While it has this effect on the people watching him in the story (and is a Dramatic Unmask in delivery), the readers already know who he is.
** Played perfectly straight, however, when the ComicBook/GreenGoblin originally unmasked himself as Norman Osborn during Creator/StanLee's original run on the title after Steve Ditko left and John Romita Sr. took over on art.

* Franchise/{{Batman}}, who is CrazyPrepared is seldom dramatically unmasked. The plot contrives to stop those who would unmask him before it happens. Or he's wearing another mask under the first one so he remains masked even if he removes the cowl. This makes it much more dramatic on the rare occasions when the mask does come off -- most memorably when he pulled it off ''himself'' to show Joe Chill, his parents' killer, who he really was.

** Once, Batman fought the Red Hood to a standstill; during which RH managed to strip Bats of one glove and his utility belt before ripping his mask off. Stoically, Bruce made no attempt to cover his face. His secret was safe, however: The street they're fighting on was empty and the Red Hood, [[spoiler: aka Jason Todd, already knew]].
*** ...who himself has just performed his own Dramatic Unmask, with a twist: he's wearing a DominoMask under his helmet, which of course doesn't hinder Batman recognizing him in the least. Later, a villain asks him why he wears a mask under his helmet, to which he answers:
---->'''Red Hood''': I did it once for dramatic effect and then it just got to be a habit.
** In Creator/GrantMorrison's run on ''Batman and Robin'' spent twelve issues building up speculation around who mysterious masked man Oberon Sexton was, with many readers speculating that it might be Bruce Wayne himself. In a dramatic unmasking, he is revealed to be [[spoiler:ComicBook/TheJoker]].

--> ''"If I wanted to know who you were, I could have discovered it ten years ago. And for all you know, maybe I did."''
** During the Hush arc Batman finally unmasks to [[spoiler:Catwoman]] thereby progressing their [[DatingCatwoman relationship]].
** In one issue, Batman [[EasyAmnesia forgot who his secret identity was]] due to a TapOnTheHead. When he looked under the mask he didn't recognize the face, but found out through police records that he was actually a low-life snitch. As soon as he suspected that something wasn't right he had a closer look, removed the makeup and found his own familiar face. The world's greatest detective, staring intensely in the mirror, was unable to realize that his face and balding head was a disguise.

* This is the emotional climax of ''JLA: Year One''. The newly-formed League is struggling with confusion and mistrust; disheartened, they start to turn away from each other...and Flash pulls off his cowl and announces his name. After a [[BeatPanel beat]], the others follow suit.
* Also used in ''JLA: Tower of Babel'', in what is essentially Creator/MarkWaid riffing on his own earlier storyline a generation later. In ''Year One'' the breakdown in trust is caused by Martian Manhunter making contingency plans against every super on the planet and an enemy making use of them; in ''Tower of Babel'' the same thing happens with Batman's countermeasures. Batman leaves the League in the aftermath, but later rejoins after allowing everyone into the Batcave with all the computer files unlocked, and revealing himself as Bruce Wayne.
** While everyone is pretty gobsmacked at that, that's nothing to the reactions when Clark Kent introduces himself. Most of the younger League didn't realize Superman even ''had'' a secret identity.
* In the "Trial of ComicBook/TheFlash" story arc, the Flash was forced to unmask when he was on the witness stand. Fortunately, he had just been in a horrific battle with a baddie, destroying his face, and had taken the opportunity to get plastic surgery; so he reveals a face that looks nothing like Barry Allen's.
* [[TheUnreveal Subverted]]/lampshaded in the ''[[ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]]'' Season 8 comics: Twilight starts to unmask himself, but only because his neck itches. He never lifts it past his chin.
** [[spoiler: Played straight in the penultimate story arc when he unmasks himself as Angel.]]
* Happens often in ''ComicBook/{{Diabolik}}'' due the title character's use of LatexPerfection, to the point it's rarely dramatic anymore.
** One famous {{Subversion}} comes from the flashback of the first battle between Diabolik and [[SympatheticInspectorAntagonist Ginko]]: at the end of a long chase Ginko ''did'' manage to arrest Diabolik and promptly took away the mask of his suit, but Diabolik, anticipating the possibility, was wearing one of his masks. As at the time the masks weren't known to the police Ginko didn't even suspect, and wouldn't until much later, when he raided one of Diabolik's hideouts and found that very mask along a few others.
* {{Defied}} in ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures'': Paperinik once admitted he's tempted to do it and reveal his identity to his girlfriend Daisy or even retire, but as he's extremely protective of his loved ones he'll never do it for fear of endangering them.
* ComicBook/UltimateMarvel
** ''ComicBook/UltimateDaredevilAndElektra'': Matt unmasked himself to Elektra during the discussion about Trey's fate. As usual for him, it was taken as a CassandraTruth, because it's tough to believe that a blind man can fight so well.

** ''ComicBook/TheUltimates''
*** [[ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour The Maker]], the villain that destroyed Berlin, unmasks himself to Thor. He is Reed Richards. Less of a dramatic reveal for the readers, especially if they'd read ''Ultimate Fallout''.

* Early in ''ComicBook/HouseAndPowersOfX'', especially in ''House of X'' and the Year X[[superscript:1]] sequences of ''Powers of X'', ComicBook/ProfessorX's face is hidden from the readers' view, as everything above his nose is hidden behind his Cerebro helmet. This lasted until Issue #4 of Hickman's main ''X-Men'' series, where Xavier took Cerebro off in front of an economic assembly, and the panels gradually focus on his eyes, showing that, while the Year X[[superscript:0]] scenes in ''Powers of X'' (depicting scenes set in the past) showed him with brown eyes, he now has blue eyes[[note]]Prior to Hickman's takeover of the franchise, Xavier came BackFromTheDead in Fantomex's body, and this development may relate to that[[/note]].

*** In episode 8, Billy Russo and some PMC contractors loaned to him by Rawlins ambush Dinah Madani, Sam Stein and a bunch of SWAT officers accompanying them when they are tricked (by Madani feeding false information into Rawlins' bug) into going to a warehouse where they think they will capture Frank meeting with a gun dealer. Stein manages to corner a masked Russo outside and draws his pistol on him. He advances on Russo and pulls his mask off. [[OhCrap He freezes up in shock]], long enough that [[NothingUpMySleeve Russo produces a concealed knife and stabs Stein to death.]]

* ''Series/StarTrekPicard''. Jean Luc Picard, posing as a black market [[OrganTheft organ trader]], pretends to have caught Seven of Nine and [[EvilIsHammy twice hams up]] the DramaticUnmask when he pulls the [[BagOfKidnapping black hood]] off her head. It's a dramatic unmask InUniverse as well, as it turns out the organ trader he's selling her to is a prior acquaintance of Seven.

* All three intruders get one by the end pf ''Film/Masquerade2021'':

** The female intruder unmasks herself to gain Casey's trust. More of an emotional impact example as she's nobody we know. The woman -- played by Skyler Samuels -- is never named in the movie itself or the credits.
** Most dramatic of all is the male intruder who is revealed to be [[spoiler:a younger Daniel from an art heist that occurred many years previously]].

* At the end of the "Here Comes the Squirtle Squad" episode of ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'', the leader of the eponymous delinquents shows up trailing the heroes. After Ash offers him to join his team, Squirtle removes his TriangleShades, showing off his huge eyes, before running up to embrace Ash.