History Main / LadyLooksLikeADude

* Nagi Ichinose from ''Manga/NyanKoi'' is an interesting case. She sounds like a gruff-voiced woman, but most assume her to just be a feminine-sounding man. So much so that every guy she attempted to flirt with turned her down, saying they didn't "swing that way." She eventually moved on to chasing girls, not because she turned lesbian, but because she wishes to "chase the beauty that [she] so wishes to have." She eventually falls in love with Junpei, after he tells her that he doesn't care that she looks like a boy, and she defaults to chasing after him.
* ''Anime/ProjectAKo'':
** The Alpha Cygnans are an all-female race of fighter pilots. Most look like normal females from Earth, except for their captain, Napolitalita, and Spy D, who both look and sound [[{{Gonk}} like men in drag.]]
** Among B-ko's henchmen is Mari, a giant muscle-bound girl who's clearly a parody of Kenshiro from ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar''.

* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'': Cagalli is introduced this way, though she wasn't ''specifically'' disguising herself as male. People assume she is until it's revealed otherwise, save for Kira who easily figures it out.

* ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'':
** Very early on in ''Ouran High School Host Club'', where Haruhi is assumed to be male because of her very unflattering appearance. This continues through the rest of the series, though a proper clothing upgrade makes her into more of a {{bifauxnen}}.
** Under similar conditions, Benibara of Lobelia has a rather masculine face despite dressing more effeminately. ''WebVideo/OuranTheVaguelyAbridgedSeries'' parodied this by giving her a craggy man's voice.

* ''Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure'': Both Tsubomi and Cobraja thought that Itsuki was a male until different circumstances revealed the truth (a servant of Itsuki's called her "Oujo-sama" in front of Tsubomi and Erika/Cure Marine told Cobraja flat-out that Itsuki was a girl). Cobraja was shocked while Tsubomi ended up falling slightly ill from the revelation.
* ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'':
** [[ProperLady Liechtenstein]] [[ImportantHairCut cuts her hair short]] to mimic her adopted brother Switzerland. When the two go walking while wearing the same military uniform, an old lady compliments Switzerland on having an adorable younger brother. [[ACupAngst Cue Liechtenstein groping her chest in shock.]] This isn't as much of a problem when she wears dresses and [[TertiarySexualCharacteristics a ribbon.]]
** Hungary thought she was a boy, and so did Prussia until he realised she had breasts. However, she looks a lot more female after puberty, when she has longer hair and is often seen wearing dresses.
* When Sechs from ''Manga/BattleAngelAlita'' [[RunningGag still had]] her ([[GenderBender female]]) TUNED body, it was easily masculine enough to be confused for male, especially considering the manga's art style. Compare and contrast with the twins, who, despite having the same series TUNED bodies, are easily identified as females.
* ''Manga/WaratteSotomuraSan'': In a flashback from when the Sotomura siblings went to a store to buy yukatas, each one was given something for the other's gender.
* Honey's and Natsuko's classmates in the original ''Anime/CuteyHoney'' manga, who are all [[{{Gonk}} ridiculously ugly]].
* In ''Manga/GunsmithCats'' we have the psychotic Russian assassin Natasha Radinov she looks like a tall broad-shouldered young man, she covers her rather large breasts with her trench coat most of the time.

* Kuu from ''Anime/HaibaneRenmei'' is a young girl with short hair who wears unisex clothes. She's mistaken for a boy by the man she works for but she doesn't feel the need to correct him.
* With her total lack of TertiarySexualCharacteristics, the fox herald Haru from ''Manga/{{Gingitsune}}'' is mistakable for a young boy. She gets upset when Makoto makes this mistake.
* Takako Bilda, from ''The Level 999 Villager'', is a muscular behemoth who everyone mistakes for a guy at first. Her ability to deliver a FastballSpecial via arm strength alone doesn't help clear things up.
* In ''Manga/LaidBackCamp'', both Nadeshiko and Rin are surprised to learn that Minami's partner at Lake Shibire was her sister, and she admits that with the way her sister acts, it's not hard to make that mistake. Up to that point, Nadeshiko and Rin have been referring to said sibling as Minami's ''brother''.

* Ryuunosuke Fujinami's spiritual successor Ukyo Kuonji from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' is introduced as yet another vengeance-seeking old ''male'' friend of Ranma's; Ranma never realized she was a girl when they were last together, and she has been pretending to be a boy since then as part of her vows of vengeance. Like Ryuunosuke, she binds her breasts, wears very masculine clothes, and speaks in a masculine manner, although unlike her, Ukyo still wears her hair long and acts girlish even when actively trying to be a boy. Despite the long hair, which to fans in the know makes her look more like [[{{Bifauxnen}} a girl pretending to be a]] [[{{bishonen}} very pretty boy]], in-universe she's convincing enough that Ranma doesn't finally realize Ukyo is a girl until he unwittingly cuts her {{sarashi}} and ends up [[ThanksForTheMammary copping an accidental feel]] of her now-freed bosom, whilst in the very next story, Ryoga Hibiki initially refuses to believe it when told that Ukyo is a girl until Ranma flashes her breasts at him.
* Kaori from Manga/CityHunter is frequently mistaken for a boy, to the point where other women hit on her.

* ComicBook/{{Jubilee|MarvelComics}} has been hit with this a few times over the years, much to her chagrin. Notable incidents include when she had to go undercover at a boat party with [[Characters/MarvelComicsPsylocke Psylocke]] and the ComicBook/BlackWidow. They went as partygoers in slinky dresses; Jubilee was disguised as a delivery boy. A little while later, on a visit to the Savage Land, she encountered a local tribe of dinosaur riders; after she defeated one of them in combat, they welcomed her as a male warrior and attempted to marry her to one of their young women.

* Charlie, the resident fox of ''Fanfic/PackStreet'', has the physique of a guy, dresses like one, and she doesn't act exactly feminine. [[spoiler:None of that stops the ShipTease between her and Remmy.]]
* In ''[[Fanfic/AKnightsTaleAsInquisitor A Knight's Tale as Inquisitor]]'', Arturia comes across to others as handsome rather than beautiful more often than not [[JustifiedTrope due to using Merlin's magic]] to pull off [[SweetPollyOliver being male]] for the vast majority of her life in her original world and era.
* ''Fanfic/TheNewAdventuresOfInvaderZim'': In the non-canon spinoff ''New Adventures: Mature Edition'', it's established that as a [[AgeLift teenager]], Gaz is so [[ACupAngst flat-chested]] and lacking in any other significant curves that she's [[RunningGag repeatedly]] mistaken for a boy. [[BerserkButton This really pisses her off.]]

* ''Fanfic/TheBoyWhoCriedIdiot'': While they don't really look like boys, Martin, due to his low intelligence, mistakes the Loud sisters for boys.

* In ''WesternAnimation/StrangeMagic'' one of the Bog Kings [[ThoseTwoGuys minions]] is revealed to be a female, much to the surprise of the other minion who had bumbled through the movie with her.
* [[MeaningfulName Madame Gasket]] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Robots}}'' is mistaken for a man, even down to the voice. TheReveal that she is, in fact, a woman has some pretty hilarious reactions (including the glass that helps protect the eyes shattering).

* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' has Master Tigress who, unlike Master Viper, lacks TertiarySexualCharacteristics to indicate any femininity (even her voice actress was initially confused), in addition to a low voice. Taken UpToEleven in the animated series, where her being mistaken for a man (despite her name obviously indicating otherwise) is a RunningGag and she is often subject to FemininityFailure.

* In ''Film/SkyHigh2005'', Royal Pain is thought to be a guy because of the voice modulator. It is later revealed that she is a she when she finally puts her evil plan into action.
* Executed brilliantly in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' whereby [[spoiler:flashbacks are shown of a child with a shaved head and modest dress. We're told this was the child of Ra's al Ghul and Bruce believes it is Bane, but it turns out to be Miranda Tate, birth name Talia]].

* ''Film/RomeoMustDie'' has a scene that combines this trope with SuddenlyEthnicity. Han (Creator/JetLi) is attacked by a faceless biker who looks reasonably masculine in appearance and who is presumably black (Han's Chinese family has been fighting with the black gangs in Oakland). Once he's chased the biker down, the biker takes off "his" helmet and exposes "himself" as a Chinese woman. It signals a major turning point in the plot since for the rest of the movie Han is battling a rival ''Chinese'' gang. (Han is also [[WouldntHitAGirl uncomfortable fighting her]] and has to get his love interest Trish to take her on by guiding her hands and feet)

* In ''Film/{{Bound|1996}}'', Caesar walks in on his girlfriend having an intimate conversation with a ButchLesbian, Corky. He's about to get angry when Corky turns around and reveals herself to be a woman. Caesar excuses himself and mutters about how dark the room is. Corky was probably written as being more butch than she ended up, as it's not particularly believable to mistake her for a man (albeit he saw her from the back at first).
* One of the detectives' "solutions" to the mystery in ''Film/MurderByDeath'' has the supposed butler being a woman.

* ''Film/BelowHerMouth'': Dallas could be easily mistaken for male from a distance and in dim light.
* ''Film/PrincessCyd'': Katie, due to her short hair and masculine clothing, gets taken for a man at a distance. She rolls with it, providing an impromptu bit part in a film as a result.
* ''Film/PaperMoon'': The tomboyish Addie is mistaken for a boy a couple of times early in the film, to her irritation.

* In ''Literature/DragonBones'', Tisala of Callis has short hair and a scarred face. She also doesn't look just like any dude, but extremely her ''father'', who, unfortunately, is not a Bishonen, but rather homely, in a way that's tolerable for a man, but defies the beauty ideals for women. She is also as tall as her father, who is considered a tall man. When Ward notices the latter, he pities her, as, he notes, it can't be easy for a woman to be taller than most men. (It takes him some time to notice as he's a GentleGiant, and Tisala's father is just about the height of his shoulders) [[AmazonChaser Doesn't stop Ward from having a crush on her.]]
* Jaime Lannister gives [[BrawnHilda Brienne of Tarth]] a lot of shit for this in ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', specifically during the third book. At one point, he even suggests that she might be UsefulNotes/{{transgender}}.
* ''Literature/AmericanGods'': in the narrative of the first people to come to North America (the ''first'' first people, not Columbus), one of the characters is a scout, technically female, who dresses like a man, has a male occupation, and a wife. She is accepted in this role and has a senior place in the tribe. Neil Gaiman [[ShownTheirWork shows his work]] with this one: historically, many Native American cultures had a practice by which a male or female person could fully embrace the duties, roles, and appearance of the opposite and from that point on be treated as if they were born and lived the other gender.
* In ''Literature/AlexAndTheIronicGentleman'', it is repeatedly addressed how Alex, a girl, is mistaken for a boy because of her nickname and her bowl haircut.
* ''Literature/AutobiographyOfRed'': In Argentina, Geryon briefly mistakes a tuxedo-clad female tango singer for a man.
* When Jesse from ''Literature/BridgeToTerabithia'' first meets Leslie he is unable to tell her gender due to her short hair, unisex clothes, and GenderBlenderName. Her tomboyishness is a point of contention amongst the others in town because she doesn't fit what's expected for a girl. The 2007 film adaptation gave her a GirlinessUpgrade and made her wear bright clothes due to what's unusual changing since the book's release. The 1985 made-for-tv film, however, kept Leslie's tomboyish look (albeit with slightly longer hair).

* [[TomboyishName George]] from ''Literature/TheFamousFive'' is described as having [[BoyishShortHair very short hair]], almost as short as a boy's, that she cut because she hates long hair. She wears androgynous clothes and is prepubescent. She often gets mistaken for a boy as a result.

* ''Series/{{Monk}}'': Mr. Monk gets stuck in traffic, where Monk runs into a truck driver whom he initially assumes to be a male.
* UpToEleven in ''Series/SisterSister'' where Rhonda, formerly an AlphaBitch towards Tia and Tamera, re-appears in the season 4 episode "You Are So Beautiful" looking and sounding rather masculine.
* In ''Series/{{Miranda}}'', this happens to the title character on a fair few occasions. It even got to the point where in one episode she was ''mistaken for a man dressed as a woman''.
-->'''Delivery Man:''' Here you go, sir.\\
''[cue audience laughter and an annoyed AsideGlance from Miranda]''
* In ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', Marcy was mistaken for male several times due to her flat chest and short hair. This was mostly due to RuleOfFunny since she wasn't especially unfeminine in appearance, and at least some of it was Al deliberately making fun of her.

* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' has the Zenetans, a species with pretty much ''no'' sexual dimorphism. By the end of "The Flax," D'Argo has had it up to here with Staanz, a former space pirate and "garbologist" - only to find out that, not only is the male-looking Staanz a woman, but has really fallen for D'Argo. [[AllThereInTheManual Supplementary materials]] discuss how Zenetans rely on pheromones to tell which gender is which.
* Because she's wearing trousers and has her long hair tucked into a cap, Polly is mistaken for a young boy throughout the ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E1TheSmugglers The Smugglers]]". While Ben pokes fun at her for it, she never really bothers to correct the mistake.

* Because of her androgynous appearance, Eleven in ''Series/StrangerThings'' is briefly mistaken for a boy in the first episode. This later leads to her case getting mixed up with Will's during Hopper's investigation.
* ''Series/{{Barry}}'': Esther looks very masculine, to the point that Fuches (jokingly or not, it's hard to say) notes "In America, Esther is a woman's name" on meeting her, to Esther's anger.
* ''Series/TheGhostAndMrsMuir'': In "Puppy Love", Candy falls for the new English boy at her school, but her tomboy appearance counts against her. She is insulted when he thinks she is a boy.

* ''Series/WeAreWhoWeAre'': Caitlin goes out off base often dressed in boyish clothes, to the point that Fraser doesn't recognize her at first, and she's taken for a boy by an Italian girl who hits on her. [[spoiler:As she later also questions her gender identity, it becomes a sign of her possibly being transgender.]]

* ''Series/FeelGood'': Mae's very butch style gets her mistaken for a man sometimes. This is later complicated by the fact that Mae realizes she's nonbinary. In the final episode, she comments happily on the fact that people tend to call her "sir".
* This was a RunningGag with Dorothy on ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'', who was played by StatuesqueStunner Bea Arthur, who was 5'10'' barefoot (and often wore heels on the show) and had short hair. In one instance, Rose sees her outside and tells Blanche to call the police about "a big, ugly man wearing Dorothy's coat"; in another, Sophia repeatedly compares her to Davy Crockett actor Fess Parker. Dorothy herself wasn't above [[InvokedTrope invoking]] the trope when it suited her. In "Ladies of the Evening," she has to defend Blanche from a tough-talking prostitute who wants to fight:
-->'''Dorothy''': Listen up, you...''punk.'' If you're gonna fight someone, you're gonna fight me--but I warn you, I did time in Attica.
-->'''Prostitute''': Attica's a ''men's'' prison.
-->'''Dorothy''': I know. [[BadassBoast I was there a year before they found out!]]

* ''Franchise/TouhouProject'': Wriggle Nightbug is female, [[ImprobablyFemaleCast like 99.99% of the cast]], despite her androgynous appearance (to the point of looking like a cute boy sometimes) [[{{Shipping}} and all the fanwork]] [[Rule63 to the contrary.]]
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** The Machop and Timburr lines have a 25% chance of being female, despite their ''very'' manly appearances- the latter line's final evolution, Conkeldurr even sports a visible goatee!
** In ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]'', Pokémon Coordinator Chaz has a Machoke named [[PunnyName Macherie]], who is female. You wouldn't be able to tell by just looking at her, but he refers to her by female pronouns and insists on not teaching her Tough moves for contests (preferring Cuteness and Beauty), as she's "too cute" for them.
** Even better example: the very masculine looking [[BullyBulldog Granbull]] actually has a ''75%'' chance of being female. Its pre-evolution being [[PinkMeansFeminine pink]] may have something to do with it.
* [[spoiler:Elh Melizée]] from ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'', at least according to the characters in-game. This even allows Red to help her sneak into an all-boys magic school, insisting to the Ritual Master that she "couldn't be any more of a boy" - which, of course, annoys her immensely, since by that point she was quite fond of him. [[ViewerGenderConfusion Viewers tend to get confused]] when first introduced to her: since she wears a skirt over slacks and has an [[{{Bifauxnen}} androgynous face]], most players assumed she was female, yet other characters insisted on referring to her as a boy and she [[{{Bokukko}} uses masculine pronouns in the Japanese version]], so players assumed they must've been mistaken. Then it's revealed that she ''is'' a girl after all; that skirt over slacks look is apparently ''boys' clothing'' in the Shepherd Republic, which is why the other characters thought she was a boy. She never bothered to correct anyone because [[YouNeverAsked they just never asked which she was]].
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'': Adel. The only clue that she is a she is that she is called a sorceress.
* Anna Hottenmeyer from ''VideoGame/MrDriller''.
* Jherii Gallo, the ''VideoGame/DeadRising3'' Psychopath representing {{Pride}}, is an overzealous and arrogant bodybuilder with a deep voice and over-muscular physique. She tries to kill Nick when he accidentally [[BerserkButton keeps referring to her as a "sir"]].

* ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'':
** Miyabi is apparently this to the point where she constantly gets mistaken for a man and [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer her squealing fangirls as well as childhood friend Imu won't let her catch a break]]. Her story mode has her trying her very hardest to make herself more feminine. It ends up backfiring. Of course, this is very much an InformedAttribute since she lives in a WorldOfBuxom and her chest makes it obvious that she's a girl. The InformedAttribute does get lampshaded in one of the games where she asks Yozakura if there is anything feminine about her, and all that Yozakura can answer is her breasts.
** Kanzaki is another example. Similar to Miyabi, some of her cards imply that she tries to make herself more feminine as well.
* If you play ''VideoGame/PersonaQShadowOfTheLabyrinth'' as the protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'', Naoto is called "Intelligent looking boy" before her name is revealed. Some characters don't get that she's a girl until much later in the game.
* In ''VideoGame/IcewindDale'' the swarthy dwarven warrior in the [[YouAllMeetInAnInn opening inn]] is called Hildur. She gets faintly annoyed at being confused for a man and having to explain to a non-dwarven party member that the [[GirlsWithMoustaches three foot beard is entirely normal]].
* ''VideoGame/PapersPlease'' has some female entrants whose heads look like men's heads. You have to strip search them to find whether or not the passport's stated biological sex is true or not in order to determine whether to let them in or to arrest them.

* Dorothy Albright from ''VideoGame/ArcanaHeart'' has a small case of this, in that just by appearance alone she might get confused by a young boy. It even comes to play in one of her victory animations where she passes off as a boy to fool the police (though she may also dress as a schoolgirl instead). Some fans refer to her as "Reverse [[VideoGame/GuiltyGear Bridget]]" because of this.
* King was this in the first ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'', to the point where she had a special KO animation that had her shirt get torn apart to reveal her bra. The sequel as well as later appearances in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' series however drop this.
* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'': Between the standard military uniform and the fact that [[NeverBareheaded she never takes her hat off]], Morag looks very masculine, to the point that in a sidequest it's revealed that Tora didn't even know she was a woman.
* {{Discussed|Trope}} early on in ''VideoGame/EvolutionTheWorldOfSacredDevice'': Mag Launcher mentions that [[TheRival Chain Gun's]] temper is what gets her mistaken for a guy.

* Sakura Ogami from ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' is an extreme example, to the point that she basically looks like a male bodybuilder wearing a SailorFuku. Adding to the confusion, she usually has a BadassArmfold hiding her BoobsOfSteel. When Aoi mentions spending the night in Sakura's room, Kiyotaka is outraged at a girl sleeping with a "boy", before Sakura points out that she's a girl. Even in the Prologue when first meeting her, Makoto internally remarks that he almost asked her if she was a man.

* ''Webcomic/TheNoordegraafFiles'' has Violet. She doesn't talk and is very, VERY flat-chested, so Theo initially mistakes her for a boy. The only possible way of noticing her true gender is that her arms are very feminine in appearance, and she has a ponytail.
* In ''Webcomic/BeyondBloom'', Tatsuma has this problem both in-story and out of story. It is [[http://beyondbloom.webcomic.ws/comics/51/ stated ]] by the author that this was never intentional, but the gag was incorporated into the story because of so many readers and non-readers mistaking Tatsuma for a male.

* ''Webcomic/FreakingRomance'': Verose has been mistaken for a guy multiple times, both in-universe and by readers.
* Justified in ''WebComic/DumbingOfAge'': Jocelyne is trans and still in the closet, so still presents herself as male to her family.

* Moose, the little sister of the title character in ''WesternAnimation/PepperAnn'', not only looks like a boy but also [[{{Tomboy}} acts]] and [[TomboyishVoice sounds]] like one. Her own uncle didn't even realize she was a girl for '''several years''' until one time at Thanksgiving dinner.

* Velma would occasionally get mistaken for a boy in ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'', which is kinda funny considering this show's incarnation of her is probably the most feminine she's ever looked in the entire franchise.

* One of the most bizarre recurring gags in the ''Film/{{Airplane}}''-style spoof film ''Film/HotShots'' concerns Kowalski, a pilot who is considered by all the other pilots (including the film's [[IdiotHero protagonist]]) and even her drill sergeant to be a man, even though she's obviously a woman, and a pretty one too. Her feminine appearance, her feminine voice, and the fact that she wears a bra during roll call while all her fellow pilots are barechested are still not enough to convince anyone due to RuleOfFunny; everyone assumes she's just a small man who has trouble sucking in his chest. (Of course, it doesn't help that throughout the movie she is [[LastNameBasis always referred to by her gender-neutral surname]].) Maybe this is supposed to be a mockery of PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad, with Kowalski being made to feel not just equal, but completely indistinguishable from the men. If so, it's not really necessary, since, due to the nature of this film series, Kowalski is just as competent - which is to say, incompetent - as all the other characters.

* [[spoiler:Elh Melizée]] from ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'', at least according to the characters in-game. This even allows Red to help her sneak into an all-boys magic school, insisting to the Ritual Master that she "couldn't be any more of a boy" - which, of course, annoys her immensely, since by that point she was quite fond of him. [[ViewerGenderConfusion Viewers tend to get confused]] when first introduced to her: since she wears a SkirtOverSlacks and has an [[{{Bifauxnen}} androgynous face]], most players assumed she was female, yet other characters insisted on referring to her as a boy and she [[{{Bokukko}} uses masculine pronouns in the Japanese version]], so players assumed they must've been mistaken. Then it's revealed that she ''is'' a girl after all; that SkirtOverSlacks look is apparently ''boys' clothing'' in the Shepherd Republic, which is why the other characters thought she was a boy. She never bothered to correct anyone because [[YouNeverAsked they just never asked which she was]].

** Ed is a girl, which the rest of the cast doesn't realize until the very end of the episode in which she's introduced. Given that she's young enough to be prepubescent and her personality is halfway between FeralChild and {{Cloudcuckoolander}} anyway, it doesn't actually affect her characterization much.

* Percy in ''WebAnimation/EpithetErased'' is mistaken for a man by a Banzai Blaster which she correct, and the Blaster is [[EvilHasStandards genuinely apologetic for his blunder]] but Percy doesn't mind as she tells him to continue with his threat.

* ComicBook/{{Jubilee}} has been hit with this a few times over the years, much to her chagrin. Notable incidents include when she had to go undercover at a boat party with [[Characters/MarvelComicsPsylocke Psylocke]] and the ComicBook/BlackWidow. They went as partygoers in slinky dresses; Jubilee was disguised as a delivery boy. A little while later, on a visit to the Savage Land, she encountered a local tribe of dinosaur riders; after she defeated one of them in combat, they welcomed her as a male warrior and attempted to marry her to one of their young women.

* ''Film/RomeoMustDie'' has a scene that combines this trope with SuddenlyEthnicity. Han (Creator/JetLi) is attacked by a faceless biker who looks reasonably masculine in appearance and who is presumably black (Han's Chinese family has been fighting with the black gangs in Oakland). Once he's chased the biker down, the biker takes off "his" helmet and exposes "himself" as a Chinese woman. It signals a major turning point in the plot since for the rest of the movie Han is battling a ''rival'' Chinese gang.

-->'''Choriza May: (during the reading mini-challenge)''' Ella Vaday, you look like a beautiful man...when you're in drag.

* Often discussed on ''Series/RuPaulsDragRace'' when a queen is aiming for a high feminine look but is too physically masculine to pull it off. For example, Season 13 contestant Tina Burner joked about how she looks like a "linebacker in a dress." In the earlier seasons, this would negatively affect the queens in the competition, but over time the judges grew to embrace androgynous drag, in reflection of society becoming more accepting of non-binary individuals. However, this doesn't stop the queens from taking playful jabs from time to time:

* Often discussed on ''Series/RuPaulsDragRace'' when a queen is aiming for a high feminine look but is too physically masculine to pull it off. For example, Season 13 contestant Tina Burner joked about how she looks like a "linebacker in a dress." In the earlier seasons, this would negatively affect the queens in the competition, but over time the judges grew to embrace androgynous drag, in reflection of society becoming more accepting of non-binary individuals.

* [[Music/ThePixies Kim]] and [[Music/TheBreeders Kelley Deal]]. Wearing lumberjack shirts and smoking like chimneys haven't helped
* Music/PattiSmith
* UsefulNotes/CalamityJane, who dressed up as a man and [[TheLadette swore and drank like them too]].

* Actress/voice actress Charlyne Yi, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFfKvP4vSL0 according to Sri Lanka]].

* [[Characters/MarvelComicsJubilee Jubilee]] has been hit with this a few times over the years, much to her chagrin. Notable incidents include when she had to go undercover at a boat party with [[Characters/MarvelComicsPsylocke Psylocke]] and the ComicBook/BlackWidow. They went as partygoers in slinky dresses; Jubilee was disguised as a delivery boy. A little while later, on a visit to the Savage Land, she encountered a local tribe of dinosaur riders; after she defeated one of them in combat, they welcomed her as a male warrior and attempted to marry her to one of their young women.

* When Jesse from ''Literature/BridgeToTerabithia'' first meets Leslie he is unable to tell her gender due to her short hair, unisex clothes, and GenderBlenderName. Her tomboyishness is a point of contention amongst the others in town because she doesn't fit what's expected for a girl. The 2007 film adaptation gave her a GirlinessUpgrade and made her wear bright clothes due to [[SocietyMarchesOn what's unusual changing]] since the book's release. The 1985 made-for-tv film, however, kept Leslie's tomboyish look (albeit with slightly longer hair).

* Creator/KaranGillan shaved her head to play Nebula in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', and she said the only downside was being mistaken for a man because she's so tall. When it came time for the sequel, she convinced the producers to let her keep ''some'' hair.

* Talk show host [[http://sandrarose.com/2014/07/wendy-williams-gets-why-people-say-she-was-born-a-man/ Wendy Williams]] has often been mistaken for a crossdressing man or UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} woman because of her height, relatively manly features, and over the top wigs and makeup. However, despite all this, she is in fact a cis woman, and has a child, and had many miscarriages.

* In ''Film/{{Bound|1996}}'', Caesar walks in on his girlfriend having an intimate conversation with a ButchLesbian, Corky. He's about to get angry when Corky turns around and reveals herself to be a woman. Caesar excuses himself and mutters about how dark the room is. Corky was probably written as being more butch than she ended up, as it's not particularly believable to mistake her for a man.

* Borderline parodied with [[https://nopixel.fandom.com/wiki/Peachingle_Dan Peachingle Dan]] on ''Roleplay/NoPixel''. She looks exactly like all the other Dans -- i.e. an elderly, bald black man with a mustache -- but she's actually their sister and has an appropriately girly voice.

* The Chinese BoyBand [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FanxyRed FanxyRed]], formerly known as Acrush, consisting exclusively of young ladies. Downplayed in that they look more androgynous, although credibly resembling young men in {{BoyBand}}s.

* In ''Trying to Be Special'', Kate not only gets mistaken for male but a ''teenager''.

* This was a RunningGag with Dorothy on ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'', who was played by StatuesqueStunner Bea Arthur, who was 5'10'' barefoot (and often wore heels on the show) and had short hair. In one instance, Rose sees her outside and tells Blanche to call the police about "a big, ugly man wearing Dorothy's coat"; in another, Sophia repeatedly compares her to Davy Crockett actor Fess Parker. Dorothy herself wasn't above [[InvokedTrope invoking]] the trope when it suited her: in "Ladies of the Evening," she has to defend Blanche from a tough-talking prostitute who wants to fight:

** ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' has Doris, one of Cinderella's ugly stepsisters. Emphasis on ''ugly''. She can easily be mistaken by a man on a drag and has a deep, masculine voice. Fiona even once remarks "You go...! Girl...?"