History Main / HelpMistakenForAttack

Not to be confused with StabTheScorpion, as that's typically associated with giving the audience a misleading first impression as well. Can result in MadeOutToBeAJerkass.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''Series/TheMandalorian'' when the Child uses the Force to heal Greef Karga’s fatal injuries and Karga briefly believes that the Child is trying to ''eat'' him.

* Many examples in ''Film/{{RRR}}'', but the most poignant is when Bheem thinks [[spoiler: Ram is trying to shoot him when Ram was aiming at the soldier trying to kill Bheem]].

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': In "Rock Bottom", this is how [=SpongeBob=] perceived the Anglerfish.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''
** In "Rock Bottom", this is how [=SpongeBob=] conceived the Anglerfish.

* In the ''Series/KenanAndKel'' episode "Get the Kel Outta Here", Roger gets a back massage by a chiropractor after getting injured due to Kel's incompetence. Kel returns to the house, in which he misinterprets it as a mugging and proceeds to shove Roger out of the way to fight the chiropractor. When the chiropractor explains himself to Kel, Roger gets hit in traffic.

* In the ''Series/KenanAndKel'' episode "Get the Kel Outta Here", Roger gets a back massage by a chiropractor after getting injured due to Kel's incompetence. Kel returns to the house, in which he misinterprets it as a mugging and shoves Roger out of the way to fight the chiropractor. When the chiropractor explains himself to Kel, Roger gets hit in traffic.

* In the ''Series/KenanAndKel'' episode "Get the Kel Outta Here", Roger gets a back massage by a chiropractor after getting injured due to Kel's incompetence. Kel returns to the house, in which he misinterprets it as a mugging and shoves Roger out of the way. When the chiropractor explains himself to Kel, Roger gets hit in traffic.

* In the first ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'', Sid's toys were seemingly trying to cannibalize Buzz when his arm fell off. Woody panics and tries to save Buzz, but it turns out they were repairing him and restored his arm.

* ''Fanfic/{{Boldores and Boomsticks}}: When Ruby asks a Golbat for directions to the nearest town, it responds by grabbing her and flying into the air. Her teammates ready their weapons until Ruby calls down that she can see one, as Golbat was hovering just above the treeline.

* ''Fanfic/RosarioVampireBrightestDarkness Act IV'': In chapter 25, Jacqueline blows up Tsukune's house right in front of him [[ForTheEvulz just because she can]], apparently killing Tsukune's mother inside as well. However, [[SuperSpeed Gin]] managed to get her out in time; sadly, when the neighbors see the big werewolf carrying Kasumi, they automatically assume that he's trying to kidnap her. one even brings out a shotgun.

* On the SoapOpera ''Series/{{Passions}}'', local {{Jerkass}} Julian Crane (who is actually a JerkWithAHeartOfGold) is trapped in an elevator with local MarySue Whitney Russell. Julian tries to find a way out, only for glass to shatter and fall into the elevator. Whitney repeatedly screams at him to "Get back!", meaning for him to be careful (he's staying in place to protect her from the shards). Hearing this outside the elevator, her father TC, who loathes Julian, assumes that Julian is attacking her and proceeds to beat the crap out of him when the two finally get out.

* ''Fanfic/TheDesertStorm'': In ''Fever'', after Aayla gets infected with ''[[SyntheticPlague Temple's Bane]]'', Quinlan uses the Dark Side to purge the virus from her body. This creates a brief misunderstanding with the other Jedi, who hear Aayla's screaming and--sensing the Dark Side--assume Quinlan is attacking her.

* ''FanFic/RosarioVampireBrightestDarkness Act IV'': In chapter 25, Jacqueline blows up Tsukune's house right in front of him [[ForTheEvulz just because she can]], apparently killing Tsukune's mother inside as well. However, [[SuperSpeed Gin]] managed to get her out in time; sadly, when the neighbors see the big werewolf carrying Kasumi, they automatically assume that he's trying to kidnap her. one even brings out a shotgun.

Not to be confused with StabTheScorpion, as that's typically associated with giving the audience a misleading first impression as well. Can result in MadeOutToBeAJerkass

Not to be confused with StabTheScorpion, as that's typically associated with giving the audience a misleading first impression as well. Can result in MadeOutToBeAJerkass. See also StabTheScorpion.

[[folder: Stand-Up Comedy]]

* This is what triggers the plot of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'' ChristmasEpisode. When everyone is playing ice hockey, Bebe strays too close to thin ice. Porkchop tries to warn her about it, but she doesn't pay attention to him (not helped by the fact that the warning sign fell through the thin ice), so Porkchop grabs her by the leg to pull her away, inadvertently hurting her. This results in Porkchop being condemned as a mad dog and nearly sentenced to put to sleep. Fortunately, Porkchop was able to prove himself innocent when Bebe ends up falling through the thin ice and he saves her life.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' episode "Dino Disappears", this is what lead to the main plot. When Pebbles crawled on top of a table and caused it to wobble over, Dino races over and catches her before she falls. Hearing the noise, Fred comes in and sees Dino holding Pebbles in his mouth and assumes he tried to attack her, leading to him putting Dino outside. [[TropeyComeHome This causes Dino to run away]].
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'' involves WesternAnimation/HumphreyTheBear saving a StrayingBaby whose family is on a camping trip, but when he tries to return him to the camp, the family thinks he's attacking the baby and try to kill him, so now, it's up to the Rescue Rangers to try and save him.

-->'''Alice:''' I hate being unfriendly, [[BigRottenApple but this]] ''[[BigRottenApple is]]'' [[BigRottenApple New York.]]

-->'''Alice:''' I hate being unfriendly, but this ''is'' New York.

* In the first ''Disney/ToyStory'', Sid's toys were seemingly trying to cannibalize Buzz when his arm fell off. Woody panics and tries to save Buzz, but it turns out they were repairing him and restored his arm.

* ''Disney/TheRescuersDownUnder'' has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-coYU-INP3E Marahute the eagle trapped under rope,]] who when Cody arrives to free her, and takes out a knife, Marahute seems to (temporarily) interpret this as an attempt to wound or kill her rather than to free her.
* In ''Disney/LadyAndTheTramp'', The Tramp kills a rat that got into the baby's room. During the fight however, the baby's crib gets knocked over. When Aunt Sarah comes in and sees the overturned crib, and not the rat's body, she assumes that the Tramp was after the baby, and turns him over to the pound to be euthanized.