History Main / RedHerringMole

* The Gralsritter {{invoke|dTrope}} this in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsToAzure'' by sending Ries Argent to Crossbell, a state where they can't operate openly because the archbishop hates them so much that he even ignores his duty to report artifacts. She's [[PaperThinDisguise such an obvious Gralsritter plant]] that her presence distracts the archbishop from the ''actual'' Gralsritter mole, [[spoiler:Wazy Hemisphere]].

* In the '80s CrisisCrossover ''ComicBook/Millennium1988'', the premise was that every book had a mole working for the alien robots known as the Manhunters. The writer of ''ComicBook/SuicideSquad'' promptly drafted Mark Shaw, a character who had previously worked with the Manhunters (before turning on them), into the book to be an obvious target of suspicion. Naturally the mole was someone else entirely.
* In the first volume of ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', the mole is subtly hinted at to be [[spoiler:Karolina. It turns out, of course, to be Alex, despite many of Karolina's lines seeming like the kind of thing someone who wished failure upon the mission would say. Nope, Karolina just wasn't that bright.]]
* In ''ComicBook/TheTransformersAllHailMegatron'', readers are lead to believe that Mirage is responsible for the Decepticon ambush that nearly killed Optimus Prime, but it turns out that's not really the case.
* In ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' story arc ''ComicBook/WhoIsSuperwoman'', several clues seemed to point to Thara Ak-Var being the titular villain. Thara was Kandor's chief of security but she was missing when Reactron rampaged across the city; Superwoman helped Reactron escape from Kandor; Superwoman's comment regarding ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} not listening to her mother is similar to another previously uttered by Thara. And Thara has a grudge against Alura. They turned out to be false clues, some of them planted by the real Superwoman, [[spoiler:Lucy Lane]].
* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' story arc ''ComicBook/TheCloneSaga'' has Anthony Serba. Despite being drawn with a combover, a name hailing from Shiftystan, and a mug which wouldn't look out of place in ''Dick Tracy'', he's not the culprit here. Far from stealing Warren's tissue samples for his own nefarious use, he tried to dispose of them right before Warren snapped and suffocated him to death.

** There were two others. Miss Martian, who seems like a sweet girl, except she's clearly hiding something, and Super Boy, whose [[CloningBlues dubious background]] makes it likely that he is a ManchurianAgent. In the end [[spoiler:all three of them come clean, and TheMole turns out to be Roy, who really ''is'' a ManchurianAgent.]]

** This got to the point where, in book 6, Rowling devoted an ''entire chapter'' to explain how [[spoiler:Snape can be a loyal Death Eater after seemingly siding with Dumbledore against Voldemort]] in the previous 5 books. This chapter exists for the sole purpose of making it believable that he is very definitely the mole before [[spoiler:he kills Dumbledore at the end of the book.]] In the end, [[spoiler:he was on Harry's side the whole time and was only faking allegiance to the Death Eaters. Dumbledore had planned his own death at Snape's hands to give Snape the unassailable credentials he needed as TheMole against Voldemort because he knew he was dying anyways.]]

[[folder:Animation]]
* ''Animation/AgentAli'': In Season 1, it gets apparent to the main cast of MATA agents that someone is supplying their information to the Numeros. Ali's uncle Bakar is the prime suspect due to footage evidence of him copying the IRIS' blueprint, but Ali finds out that he was mind-controlled at the time. When Ali tracks down the enemy base and goes there, Rizwan follows him, leading Ali to assume Rizwan always knew the base and thinks him to be the mole, but not for long once the Numeros attack them. The season finale reveals the [[BitchInSheepsClothing seemingly kind]] gadget scientist Jenny to have been playing the long con on MATA.
[[/folder]]

* In ''Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'', the film makers avoided the IKnewIt crowd by making Literature/TheInvisibleMan vanish ([[JustForPun Heh]]) from the movie for a bit, with people who read the original arc from ''Creator/AlanMoore'' 's comic book sequel think he was going to be the traitor, only for him to be the straight up hero who saves the gang at the risk of his own life.

* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'': Tarquin insists that he was only working with the villains as a KidnappedScientist, claims amnesia whenever he's pressed for details, slowly reveals the depth of his involvement with multiple evil factions (including [[spoiler:resurrecting the BigBad, an infamous SorcerousOverlord]]), and asks your help in rebuilding a powerful destructive artifact. You can call him out on his many deceptions, but by the end of the game, it's confirmed that he's genuinely trying to help you and [[TheAtoner make up]] for his past.