History Main / ImpersonatingTheEvilTwin

* Scarlett from ''GIJoe'' is a MasterOfDisguise, but was typically horrible at actually impersonating somebody. In one episode, she attempts to impersonate an evil scientist's wife/partner. The trope is subverted in that she is immediately spotted because she did not greet "her" husband by insulting him. Typically Scarlett will get caught one way or another. Her evil counterpart -- TheBaroness -- and [[MasterOfIllusion shapeshifter/illusionist]] Zartan are much more competent.

** It's averted in the same episode by the fact that Dr. Fate, whose magic was involved in the mind switch, immediately points out that Luthor's mind has ended up in Flash's body. Luthor, for his part, doesn't even ''try'' to act like the Flash. And when he [[AntiClimacticUnmasking takes off his mask to find out the Flash's secret identity]], he has [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments "no idea who this is."]]

* A non-twin variation is used in ''Series/The100'', where [[spoiler:Clarke, having been subjugated to a GrandTheftMe by Josephine for several episodes before purging her, has to impersonate being Josephine herself, claiming that "she" eliminated "Clarke's" mind. As the two had seen each other's thoughts and memories during that time, Clarke can put on a near-perfect impersonation of Josephine.]]

** The only really good example of this in canon ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}}'' is the original Mirror Universe episode "Mirror, Mirror". In ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'' Mirror Universe episodes, counterpart visitors are either known to be counterparts or were replacing good guys, and in ''[[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Enterprise]]'' Mirror Universe episodes, there ARE no counterparts. Non-canon novels, comics, and fanfics still feature this trope, though.

** In the Expanded Universe, Mirror Kira has now been replaced by a crazy Cardassian from this universe, who was surgically alternated years ago to resemble the Kira over here in part of a failed intelligent scheme. (Although this Cardassian was never seen in the series, an episode had Kira asserted to be her and surgically altered 'back'.) This attempt appears to have inexplicably worked, despite the replacement not being the correct species, from the correct universe, or even an alternate universe version of that person, and thus having obvious gaps in knowledge.

* On ''Series/{{Charmed}}'', "The Importance of Being Phoebe", the demon Kaia shapeshifted to appear like Phoebe, and Phoebe was able to impersonate Kaia in turn just by adopting some of her slutty mannerisms such as constantly playing with her hair.

* ''Franchise/MetalGear'':

* In ''Film/ADoubleLife'', Kate is mistaken for her now dead EvilTwin sister, Pat. She passes off as her easily enough but soon everyone around her knows something is off.

* In ''Film/ADoubleLife'', Kate is mistaken for her now dead EvilTiwn sister, Pat. She passes off as her easily enough but soon everyone around her knows something is off.

** It's averted in the same episode by the fact that Dr. Fate, whose magic was involved in the mind switch, immediately points out that Luthor's mind has ended up in Flash's body. Luthor, for his part, doesn't even ''try'' to act like the Flash. And when he [[AntiClimacticUnmasking takes off his mask to find out the Flash's secret identity]], he has [[CrowningMomentOfFunny "no idea who this is."]]

* ''Series/ThePrisoner'' episode "The Schizoid Man". After his double is killed, Number 6 decides to impersonate him in order to escape from The Village. He fails due to a BluffTheImpostor trick by Number 2.

Compare with HughMann, where an attempt to pass as human by a non-human is hilariously obvious. Sometimes exposed by a BluffTheImpostor maneuver.

** Darkwing Duck tries to pull this off once. It actually works perfectly, but [[LegionOfDoom The Fearsome Five]] had just decided to betray Negaduck....

** And now, in ''[[Series/StarTrekDiscovery Discovery]]'', the good guy shave to pretend to be their Mirror Universe counterparts again. The two best examples are Sylvia Tilly, whose {{Doppelganger}} is the ruthless captain of the ISS ''Discovery'' (i.e. everything Tilly is ''not'') and Michael Burnham, whose counterpart is the equally feared captain of the ISS ''Shenzhou''. Brunham easily slips into the role of her counterpart, while Tilly takes several tries to get it right. Also, while Lorca does pretend to be his own double, we're not told anything about Mirror!Lorca, other than his failed attempt at rebelling against TheEmperor, which could either indicate that he's a good guy (unlikely, given that it pretty much takes a KlingonPromotion to become a captain in this universe) or that he was simply making a play for the throne himself. Then again, Prime!Lorca is hardly a paragon of virtue, given his highly questionable actions of late. For bonus points, Lorca has his crew disguise the ship herself as her own EvilCounterpart, even repainting the decals to say "ISS ''Discovery''", and modifying the crew's uniforms to match the Terran ones, plus removing any aliens from the bridge.

** And now, in ''[[Series/StarTrekDiscovery Discovery]]'', the good guy shave to pretend to be their Mirror Universe counterparts again. The two best examples are Sylvia Tilly, whose {{Doppelganger}} is the ruthless captain of the ISS ''Discovery'' (i.e. everything Tilly is ''not'') and Michael Burnham, whose counterpart is the equally feared captain of the ISS ''Shenzhou''. Brunham easily slips into the role of her counterpart, while Tilly takes several tries to get it right. Also, while Lorca does pretend to be his own double, we're not told anything about Mirror!Lorca, other than his failed attempt at rebelling against TheEmperor, which could either indicate that he's a good guy (unlikely, given that it pretty much takes a KlingonPromotion to become a captain in this universe) or that he was simply making a play for the throne himself. Then again, Prime!Lorca is hardly a paragon of virtue, given his highly questionable actions of late.

* Done in an episode of ''Series/StargateSG1'', when the team's counterparts from other realities started getting stuck in their world. One team was slightly eviler than the rest. Predictably, this situation resulted in a brain exploding amount of self-impersonations.

** In "Enter Zoom", Linda Park impersonates her Earth 2 counterpart, Doctor Light, in an attempt to lure Zoom into a trap. Unfortunately, her [[BadBadActing acting skills are horrible]]. It's a moot point because Zoom takes the bait anyway to prove he's much more powerful than Flash and beat the crap out of him.
** In "Invincible," Cisco and Caitlin distract Black Siren by disguising themselves as their Earth 2 counterparts, Reverb and Killer Frost.
* In ''Series/CrisisOnEarthX'', Oliver impersonates his Earth-X Nazi counterpart to infiltrate their base. The ruse falls apart when he is asked to execute the counterpart of his love interest Felicity. He instead slaughters everyone else in the room and frees her.

* In ''{{VisualNovel/Phoenix Wright|AceAttorney}}: Trials and Tribulations'', [[NiceGirl Iris]] pretends to be Dahlia (her murderous twin sister) for several months in an attempt to date Phoenix and get his pendant from him, which is proof of Dahlia's murder attempt against another man.

* TheFlash: Detective Morillo impersonates Plunder, his MirrorUniverse evil duplicate, and takes the opportunity to bust on his partner.

** In ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E4TheEnemyOfTheWorld The Enemy of the World]]'', the Doctor visits Earth during the year 2030, and is discovered to bear a shocking resemblance to a South American dictator named Salamander. The "good guys" ask him to impersonate Salamander and infiltrate his organization. At the end of the story, with his evil plans in ruins, Salamander makes an unsuccessful attempt to escape in the TARDIS by impersonating the Doctor.

* Papa Smurf in ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs'' story "The Smurf Menace" attempts to impersonate his EvilTwin self the Great Chief after he, Jokey, and Hefty escape being imprisoned in the Grey Smurfs' prison camp in order to find the laboratory in the Grey Smurf Village and make the antidote that will cause the Grey Smurfs to disappear. The Grey Smurfs encountering Papa Smurf almost buy into the impersonation until Jokey accidentally lets slip a joke that gives them away.

* In one storyline of ''Comicbook/TeenTitans'', the villain (mentally disturbed former Titan Jericho) can [[GrandTheftMe jump into people's bodies]], and was last seen occupying ComicBook/{{Cyborg}}, so to draw out another hero (the Vigilante) who is also looking for him, Cyborg pretends to still be possessed and fights his teammates... only to get the robot half of his head shot out for his trouble when the Vigilante shows up. Sometimes this works ''too'' well...

* In the ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'' novel ''Kingdom of the Wicked'', Valkyrie impersonates [[spoiler:her AntiChrist EvilCounterpart Darquesse]]. In a subversion, she acts her heart out and does a decent job, probably because the stakes are insanely higher than usual with this trope - [[spoiler:Darquesse is a [[PhysicalGod Physical Goddess]] who can survive ''beheadings'', and she is trying to bluff Mevolent, another PhysicalGod who can and has fought her to a standstill. Eventually, Mevolent sees through her, just in time for a handy Teleporter to get Val the hell out of there.]]

* In ''{{Webcomic/Drowtales}}'' Ariel Val'Sarghress and Kalki aren't twins, actually being half-sisters, but thanks to Ariel's shapeshifting she's able to impersonate Kalki long enough to get them out of the city of Felde, relying on Kalki's WildCard reputation to divert any suspicion.