History Main / DressingAsTheEnemy

* Done in Creator/CSLewis's final ''[[Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Chronicles of Narnia]]'' book, ''Literature/TheLastBattle''. Since the enemies are thinly disguised Arabs, the deception includes wearing blackface. One wonders how the upcoming film adaptation in going to handle this in these more PC times.
** There is a very clear difference between blackface and using makeup and other chemicals to darken ones skin for espionage purposes.

* In Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', Frodo and Sam disguise themselves as orcs during the last leg of their journey. And no, it doesn't fit either of them right. Good thing it's dark. It also helps that the armor the orcs are wearing is rather mix-and-match to start with, so while the ill-fitting armor may be noticed, it's not an immediate giveaway.
** Used in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' as well, when Beren, Finrod, and his soldiers disguise themselves as Orcs. [[spoiler:It doesn't work.]]
*** And later in the same story when Lúthien disguises herself as a bat and Beren as a werewolf to infiltrate Morgoth's citadel, [[spoiler:this one does work]].

** ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'' also involves several examples, usually as part of sabotaging an enemy base of operations as one of their own or as a member of a ''different'' enemy group to [[EnemyCivilWar get them to start fighting]]. The disguises are almost always magical in nature to make up for the fact that there are five playable races of varying shape and size (and most enemy factions, like the Nightmare Court or the Sons of Svanir, consist of only one race); even so, a few instances also make it so that the player can't do anything too suspicious within a certain radius of enemy units, or you'll be exposed and the disguise will disappear.

* ''Film/TheBanditOfSerwoodForest'': After infiltrating the castle, Robin Hood and his merry men capture the Sheriff's men, take their uniforms, and take their place on the battlements.

** In ''VideoGame/PaperMario64'', after Mario and his team defeat [[{{Cumulonemesis}} Huff N. Puff]], Princess Peach's use of the Sneaky Parasol, [[IdiotBall which she won in a quiz show hosted by Bowser's guards]] allows her to magically transform into one of [[BigBad Bowser's]] {{Mooks}} and gain access to areas that allow her to gain information on what Bowser is planning. However, Kammy Koopa isn't fooled...

* Spoofed in ''WesternAnimation/RecessSchoolsOut'' where T.J and Principle Prickly disguise themselves as {{Mooks}} in order to get into the {{Big Bad}}'s lab. Unfortunately, [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome the guard can plainly see that they're not mooks and they're forced to run]].

** Princess Peach's use of the Sneaky Parasol in ''VideoGame/PaperMario64'' in the final Peach segment after Mario and his team defeat [[{{Cumulonemesis}} Huff N. Puff]] allows her to magically transform into one of [[BigBad Bowser's]] {{Mooks}} and gain access to areas that allow her to gain information on what Bowser is planning. However, Kammy Koopa isn't fooled...

** Princess Peach's use of the Sneaky Parasol in ''VideoGame/PaperMario64'' allows her to magically transform into one of [[BigBad Bowser's]] {{Mooks}} and gain access to areas that allow her to gain information on what Bowser is planning. However, Kammy Koopa isn't fooled...

* ''Film/TheSoldier'': The heroes manage to infiltrate a U.S. nuclear missile site by posing as high-ranking Air Force officers. The subterfuge is aided by them having the proper access codes, a remnant of a nuclear fail-safe developed by the U.S. military being afraid that a potentially unhinged President might lock them out.

* In the 2020 BMovie ''Enemy Lines'', an NKVD team find the Allied team [[KidnappedScientist have got to their target first]], so remove the uniforms of the dead German guards lying around so they can continue to track them through a Nazi manhunt. At a roadblock a German soldier notices the bullethole in one of them, causing their leader to say that "He's bullet proof" as a BlatantLies explanation before opening fire. This is later used as a BadassBoast while HoldingTheLine against other Germans. "I'm bullet proof!"

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'':

* ''Film/ThreeAmigos''. While Carmen is held captive in El Guapo's fortress, she knocks an already sleeping guard totally unconscious by hitting him on the head with the butt of a pistol. Dusty Bottoms then dons the guard's clothing so he can impersonate him.

* ''Film/ThreeAmigos''. While Carmen is held captive in El Guapo's fortress, [[TapOntheHead she knocks an already sleeping guard totally unconscious]]. Dusty Bottoms then dons the guard's clothing so he can impersonate him.

* ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''. Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion are ambushed by three of the Wicked Witch of the West's Winkie castle guards. In the next scene, the heroes sneak into the witch's castle dressed in the guards' uniforms, providing the page picture.

* ''ComicBook/LeScorpion'': Done twice ''The Angel's Shadow''. First Armando disguises himself as a warrior monk as part of a TrojanPrisoner gambit to gain access to the Vatican dungeons. later, he and Hussar disguise themselves as Warrior Monks to steal a shipment of gold.

* ''Series/TheMandalorian''. In [[Recap/TheMandalorianS2E7Chapter15TheBeliever "The Believer"]], Din and Mayfeld mug a couple of Tank Trooper drivers for their armor, which lets Din go in disguise [[SeriousBusiness without having to reveal his face]].
Din may be a highly skilled fighter and bounty hunter, but he is clearly out of his depth when it comes to infiltrating an Imperial outpost while wearing something that's not his usual armor. He has no idea about basic Imperial trooper designations or protocols, he's really bad at making small talk, hiding his facial expressions, or just bluffing to maintain any sense of cover, and he constantly has to be bailed out by Mayfeld.

* ''Literature/{{Wasp}}'': To break an ally out of jail, Mowry and a number of hired goons dress themselves as Military Intelligence and the StateSec, and arrive to the prison to request him for interrogation. It almost works, except just as they are leaving, the real StateSec agents happen to arrive, who immediately realize something's not right.