History Main / ShroudedInMyth

* ''Fanfic/GFSerendipity'': [[WesternAnimation/GravityFalls Stan Pines]] is so rich he's rumored to have bought a whole country. The fic's author [[WordOfGod says Stan didn't]].

* In C. S. Goto's Literature/BloodRavens novel ''Dawn of War: Ascension'', an aspirant had heard tales of the "Sky Angels" but thought them overblown -- why, they didn't even agree on the color of their armor! When he actually sees {{Space Marine}}s in battle with Eldar, he is awe-struck. After a time, he realizes that they are fighting a stalemate, but he concludes that means the foe is worthy of their steel -- and that he and the other aspirants should help.

* In Creator/StevenErikson's '' Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'', Anomander Rake is widely seen as one of the most uber-badass characters in that entire [[TheVerse universe]], both a MasterSwordsman and an [[TheArchmage Archmage]]. He's led his people, the [[DarkIsNotEvil Tiste Andii]], for millennia, has an ongoing feud with the Champion of Light, Osserc, and has about [[IHaveManyNames a gazillion names and titles]] slapped onto him whenever he is mentioned. The world's longest and best known poem, ''Anomandaris'', is about him and his deeds and characters cite it liberally in the first book, ''GardensOfTheMoon''. It's all true, though, and Anomander Rake just ''is'' that awesome, has lived for that long and only adds to his legend whenever he does anything, whether he wants to or not.

* The First Hokage Hashirama in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' is known in legend as the God of Shinobi and a badass of epic proportions. [[spoiler:When he is revived via Edo Tensei with his personality intact in chapter 619]], he's...an {{Adorkable}} ButtMonkey not unlike Naruto.

* In ''WesternAnimation/DragonsRidersOfBerk'', [[{{Adorkable}} Hiccup]] has become this. The BigBad actually refers to him as 'The Dragon Conquerer' who was so fearsome that no dragon would ''dare'' harm him. (In reality, Hiccup's just TheBeastmaster- a very brave, intelligent one to be sure, but not the bloodthirsty subjugator legend paints him as.) It's actually DoubleSubverted; upon seeing the real, scrawny Hiccup, everyone laughs and mocks this trope. But then Hiccup meets a dragon, and the tribe gets to see that while ''Hiccup'' was exaggerated, his skills were ''not''.

* Omar Little's larger-than-life exploits on ''Series/TheWire'' are exaggerated by everyone on the street, and even kingpins treat him and the stories about him with a sort of fearful awe. After [[spoiler:Omar dies in the final season]] a ''huge'' GossipEvolution effect kicks in, turning [[spoiler:Omar being shot in the back by a 12 year old psychopath while buying some cigarettes into an epic LastStand where Omar fought to the last bullet against a whole crew of gangsters with [=AKs=]]]. When one character who knows the truth tries to correct the GossipEvolution, everyone refuses to believe him. One of the last scenes of the show has two random drug dealers continuing to retell the stories to each other, with the tale continuing to get even ''bigger''.

** It actually goes farther than that, in the Serenity comic ''Better Days'', the crew gains an absolute ''shitload'' of money. Now having enough cash to be able to waste some, Jayne gives a handful of bills to a monk, who then remarks: "The Hero of Canton... he's real!" This is happening on a ''completely different planet.''

-->'''Luke:''' Tell me what you know about the Force.\\

* By the time of ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' the heroic duties of the Original Trilogy PowerTrio Luke, Leia, and Han have become somewhat of a myth to the more common folk. Even main heroine Rey is in shock to find out Luke Skywalker is indeed a real person.

* ''Film/TheLastJedi'': After the fall of the Empire, the Jedi have become legends again, but due to the Empire's attempts to erase them from history, no one really knows who the Jedi were or what the Force is.

*** Similar rumors swirl around Vimes in several books. In ''Literature/TheFifthElephant'', his traveling party's killing seven bandits leads to GossipEvolution claiming that ''he'' did it alone, and it was thirty men -- and a dog. When Vimes leaves the city, the crime rate goes ''down'' -- because most criminals think that if they make too much of a mess, he would be unhappy and clean it up personally. In ''Literature/MonstrousRegiment'', a foreign country dubs Vimes "TheButcher" for propaganda reasons. Vetinari himself also banks on the unspoken but generalized fear of Vimes both criminals and nobles have, knowing that some insinuations would be true for those not aware of the steps Vimes takes to control them.

[[folder:Fanfiction]]
* Played with in FanFic/DungeonKeeperAmi, Mercury's exploits -- magical, and on the field of battle -- are recounted remarkably accurately. This might be because her detractors have a vested interest in downplaying her achievments, and thus her combat reputation is basicaly accurate. Her [[AnythingThatMoves other]] [[ExtremeOmnisexual reputation]], on the other hand...

* In ''FanFic/AeonNatumEngel'' this is a reason behind the biggest bad moment in the Operation [[strike:It got worse]] CATO: The whole reason behind the invasion of Iceland was to capture Moloch, the dormant Herald. The intelligence presumed that it will only be slightly larger than the {EVA}s, but when it finally surfaced, it was at least as big as the city.

** By Embers, Ezio is known as far as China.
** Altaïr, who Mario says his life is a mystery.

-->'''Orange Elder:''' Can they really breathe fire or did we make that up?
-->'''Blue Elder:''' Gee, I can't remember anymore! It might just be from that stupid movie.
-->'''Green Elder:''' Was that the original or the re-make?
* After his exile, Megatron of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' grew to near-boogeyman status amoung the Autobots made after the Great War ended. Amoung other things, it's said that he [[EatsBabies eats protoforms (a stand-in for children or babies) for breakfast]].

* ''Film/InglouriousBasterds''. When the Basterds are first introduced, we first see UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and his subordinates talking about how the [[RedBaron Bear Jew]] is a KabbalicGolem. Hitler is clearly very, very nervous and upset. This is ''Hitler'' we're talking about here. Towards the end of the movie we see the opposite end of this spectrum; the only other surviving member of the group besides Aldo is upset to learn that due to his below average height he's been storied of as "the Little Man" and described as a circus midget.

* ''Film/InglouriousBasterds''. When the Basterds are first introduced, we first see UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and his subordinates talking about how the [[RedBaron Bear Jew]] is a {{Golem}}. Hitler is clearly very, very nervous and upset. This is ''Hitler'' we're talking about here. Towards the end of the movie we see the opposite end of this spectrum; the only other surviving member of the group besides Aldo is upset to learn that due to his below average height he's been storied of as "the Little Man" and described as a circus midget.

* In ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'', Isaac is selected to compete in the InevitableTournament of Colosso. When speaking with one of the other competitors, it's mentioned that rumor had it that Isaac was an intimidatingly large and muscular man, rather than the young teen he actually is.
** Of course, if you've played the series you know [[ElementalRockPaperScissors exactly]] [[SummonMagic the reason]] [[PsychicPowers why ]] he's managed to get this far.

* Papillon from ''Manga/BusouRenkin'' becomes an urban legend.

** The Qunari are an example of this in-universe. Before their arrival in Par Vollen from an unknown continent, roughly three hundred years ago, no-one in Thedas had ever heard of them and - due to their reluctance to reveal much of themselves to those outside the Qun, their unwillingness to rarely allow people to venture to Par Vollen, as well as their fiercely kept technological and military secrets - very little has been learnt since. Furthermore, because female Qunari don't serve in the military, for nearly two centuries it was believed their species was solely male, until scholars were given the chance to visit Par Vollen and dispel that myth.

** Which is too bad.

** ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': The origins of Voland, the leader of a notorious mercenary company, are the subject of wild theorizing, due in large part to him keeping a tight lid on the subject. The more sedate speculations assume him to be a disgraced noble from the Empire, some believe him to be the Emperor's bastard son, and the wilder theories include one where he's the child of the Fay Enchantress of Bretonnia and a one-pig named Eric.

* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** In ''Literature/InterestingTimes'', Rincewind is surprised to hear the weird and wonderful theories people develop about the Great Wizzard (sic), including being 9 foot tall, multiheaded, and breathing fire. Rincewind tends to resent his reputation for always escaping danger not because it is untrue ''per se'', but because people assume he then must be a great hero who defeats his enemies, rather than his deliberate, actual attempts to be a well-planned (but breathing) coward.
** Happens to Rincewind again in ''Literature/TheLastContinent'', when a series of events engineered by a trickster god lead to him becoming seen as the ultimate Ecksian hero.
--->'''Rincewind''': I didn't do any of that stuff! I mean, I ''did'', but...
** Similar rumors swirl around Vimes in several books. In ''Literature/TheFifthElephant'', his traveling party's killing seven bandits leads to GossipEvolution claiming that ''he'' did it alone, and it was thirty men -- and a dog. When Vimes leaves the city, the crime rate goes ''down'' -- because most criminals think that if they make too much of a mess, he would be unhappy and clean it up personally. In ''Literature/MonstrousRegiment'', a foreign country dubs Vimes "TheButcher" for propaganda reasons. Vetinari himself also banks on the unspoken but generalized fear of Vimes both criminals and nobles have, knowing that some insinuations would be true for those not aware of the steps Vimes takes to control them.
** The issue with Vimes is that even the honest truth of his exploits sound like overblown tall tales: "Sam Vimes [[Literature/{{Jingo}} once arrested Vetinari for treason]]. Sam Vimes [[Literature/GuardsGuards once arrested a dragon]]. Sam Vimes [[Literature/{{Jingo}} stopped a war between nations by arresting two high commands]]. (He's an arresting fellow, Sam Vimes.) Sam Vimes [[Literature/TheFifthElephant killed a werewolf with his bare hands]], and carries the law with him like a lamp. Watchmen across half the continent will say that [[IncorruptiblePurePureness Sam Vimes is as straight as an arrow, can't be corrupted, won't be turned, never took a bribe]]. The Assassins' Guild ''refuses'' contracts on Sam Vimes." [[Literature/{{Thud}} And that's not to mention that he arrested an]] EldritchAbomination within himself [[HeroicWillpower by sheer force of autodiscipline]]. And he doesn't even know it. It's mentioned in passing at least once that city police forces that pattern themselves like the Ankh-Morpork City Watch are often called "Sammies" (even in areas where most people haven't heard of him), in part thanks to the Ankh-Morpork trained watchmen who leave the city to take up officer positions elsewhere. (Presumably a reference to the fact that British police officers are nicknamed "Bobbies" in reference to Robert Peel, the man who wrote the [[strike: book]] precepts on How To Be A Good Copper.) Most recently, he's become something of a demon amongst some dwarves (for whom his most impressive title is not 'Duke' nor 'Commander' but 'Blackboard Monitor').
** Also on the Discworld is Lu Tze. His deeds as an agent of the History Monks are so legendary among the few who know of the secret society that no apprentice who hears the tales suspects that Lu Tze is actually one of the temple's janitors. Even when learning the truth, it can be tempting to discount the stories or underestimate him... until you find out why Rule One on Discworld is [[OldMaster "Never act incautiously when confronted by a small, old, wrinkly, bald smiling man!"]]
** Powerful witches on the Discworld, such as Black Aliss, the ultimate wicked witch, and Granny Weatherwax, the ultimate ''good'' witch, tend to get shrouded in myth. Miss Treason from ''Literature/{{Wintersmith}}'' shrouds ''herself'' in myth (as part of what she calls "Boffo", the power of becoming what people expect) in order to gain respect as a witch.
*** Nanny Ogg too has a few myths around her.
** And in the book ''Literature/MakingMoney'' this gets parodied. Multiple times there are myths surrounding MagnificentBastard Vetinari or personal possessions of his, like that he has a sword made from the iron taken out of the blood of a thousand men, but every time it shows exactly how cheap and tacky these gimmicks would be compared to the pure awesome of Vetinari just being Vetinari.
* Creator/DavidGemmell's ''Literature/{{Drenai}}'' saga:

* Creator/SandyMitchell's Literature/CiaphasCain of the ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' universe is made of this trope. Despite his cowardly, self-serving tendencies, and [[ThinkNothingOfIt his valiant attempts to quell them]], he is regarded as a [[IncorruptiblePurePureness sterling]] [[TheHero hero]] with [[ThinkNothingOfIt touching modesty]]. One religious sect has even proclaimed him to be ''a physical manifestation of the god-emperor's Divine Will''.

* In Creator/GrahamMcNeill's TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 novel ''Storm of Iron'', when trying to verify whether a soldier really had survived an attack, Vauban remembers hearing of Yastobaal, a great and selfless hero who [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificed himself]] to save his planet, and how his further researches had discovered the man was a reckless GloryHound. He wonders how this soldier, a discipline problem, would be remembered in history.
* Inverted in ''Literature/GotrekAndFelix'' as Felix's brother has published the journals Felix kept of their adventures. They are by and large true, but everybody believes them to be fairy tales.
* In Kim Stanley Robinson's Literature/RedMarsTrilogy, many of the First Hundred become mythical figures over their better-than-two-hundred years of life; for example, John Boone's communion with the little red men of Mars, Saxifrage Russel having been injected with the brains of multiple superintelligent lab rats, or the rumored Coyote who stowed away on the colony ship that carried the First Hundred to Mars. In the third book, Nergal [[HesJustHiding refuses to believe]] that Hiroko Ai died or was captured in the raid [[NeverFoundTheBody during which she disappears]], and another character responds that having reported sightings on opposite ends of the planet is a sure sign she's dead. However, she ''did'' disappear for a time in the first book, and [[spoiler:the character who makes this admonishment is Coyote, about whom the same things have been claimed.]]
* In Lee Lightner's TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Literature/SpaceWolf novel ''Wolf's Honour'', when Ragnar and other Space Wolves on the [[{{Shadowland}} shadow planet]] meet up with [[spoiler:the Thirteenth Company, while they are waiting to move, the Company regales them with tales of their primarch as a human being, not as "the blessed Primarch". He still impresses the Space Wolves who come from ten millennia after his time -- as does the Company.]]

* In Creator/BenCounter's TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 novel ''[[Literature/SoulDrinkers Chapter War]]'', the legends of the Black Chalice -- apparently based on an earlier visit from the Soul Drinkers -- greatly complicate the Soul Drinkers' lives. Especially since the Howling Griffons [[ContrivedCoincidence have]] [[IGaveMyWord sworn]] {{Revenge}} on the Black Chalice. [[spoiler:After considerable deaths, and letting the Orks advance while they fought the Soul Drinkers, the Howling Griffons learn that they are not those they swore revenge on -- and they had sworn an oath to protect the planet from orks.]]
* The secrecy surrounding the Grey Knights from ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' is actually used to the advantage of the BigBad in setting up a RightHandVersusLeftHand LetsYouAndHimFight in Ben Counter's novel ''Literature/GreyKnights''.
* In the ''[[Literature/TheWarGods Bahzell]]'' series quite a few mentions are made of the fall of an ancient civilization called Kontovar, and how Wencit of Rum was the last white mage who helped people survive. Then they meet him, and he proves that yes, being an ancient wyldmage does make him a badass.

* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/OnlyYouCanSaveMankind'', Johnny's [[AFriendInNeed helping]] Bigmac after he saw his friends crash gets mutated, by the next morning, into his having pulled him from the wreck.

* At the end of the ''Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures'' novel ''The Also People'', Franchise/BerniceSummerfield complains that the Doctor and many of his other friends are shrouded in myth on various worlds, when's it ''her'' turn? The Doctor assures her that there is one planet that worships her as the Goddess of Alcohol and Sarcasm. She's not impressed.

** In ''Discworld/InterestingTimes'', Rincewind is surprised to hear the weird and wonderful theories people develop about the Great Wizzard (sic), including being 9 foot tall, multiheaded, and breathing fire. Rincewind tends to resent his reputation for always escaping danger not because it is untrue ''per se'', but because people assume he then must be a great hero who defeats his enemies, rather than his deliberate, actual attempts to be a well-planned (but breathing) coward.
** Happens to Rincewind again in ''Discworld/TheLastContinent'', when a series of events engineered by a trickster god lead to him becoming seen as the ultimate Ecksian hero.

** Similar rumors swirl around Vimes in several books. In ''Discworld/TheFifthElephant'', his traveling party's killing seven bandits leads to GossipEvolution claiming that ''he'' did it alone, and it was thirty men -- and a dog. When Vimes leaves the city, the crime rate goes ''down'' -- because most criminals think that if they make too much of a mess, he would be unhappy and clean it up personally. In ''Discworld/MonstrousRegiment'', a foreign country dubs Vimes "TheButcher" for propaganda reasons. Vetinari himself also banks on the unspoken but generalized fear of Vimes both criminals and nobles have, knowing that some insinuations would be true for those not aware of the steps Vimes takes to control them.
** The issue with Vimes is that even the honest truth of his exploits sound like overblown tall tales: "Sam Vimes [[Discworld/{{Jingo}} once arrested Vetinari for treason]]. Sam Vimes [[Discworld/GuardsGuards once arrested a dragon]]. Sam Vimes [[Discworld/{{Jingo}} stopped a war between nations by arresting two high commands]]. (He's an arresting fellow, Sam Vimes.) Sam Vimes [[Discworld/TheFifthElephant killed a werewolf with his bare hands]], and carries the law with him like a lamp. Watchmen across half the continent will say that [[IncorruptiblePurePureness Sam Vimes is as straight as an arrow, can't be corrupted, won't be turned, never took a bribe]]. The Assassins' Guild ''refuses'' contracts on Sam Vimes." [[Discworld/{{Thud}} And that's not to mention that he arrested an]] EldritchAbomination within himself [[HeroicWillpower by sheer force of autodiscipline]]. And he doesn't even know it. It's mentioned in passing at least once that city police forces that pattern themselves like the Ankh-Morpork City Watch are often called "Sammies" (even in areas where most people haven't heard of him), in part thanks to the Ankh-Morpork trained watchmen who leave the city to take up officer positions elsewhere. (Presumably a reference to the fact that British police officers are nicknamed "Bobbies" in reference to Robert Peel, the man who wrote the [[strike: book]] precepts on How To Be A Good Copper.) Most recently, he's become something of a demon amongst some dwarves (for whom his most impressive title is not 'Duke' nor 'Commander' but 'Blackboard Monitor').

** Powerful witches on the Discworld, such as Black Aliss, the ultimate wicked witch, and Granny Weatherwax, the ultimate ''good'' witch, tend to get shrouded in myth. Miss Treason from ''Discworld/{{Wintersmith}}'' shrouds ''herself'' in myth (as part of what she calls "Boffo", the power of becoming what people expect) in order to gain respect as a witch.

** And in the book ''Discworld/MakingMoney'' this gets parodied. Multiple times there are myths surrounding MagnificentBastard Vetinari or personal possessions of his, like that he has a sword made from the iron taken out of the blood of a thousand men, but every time it shows exactly how cheap and tacky these gimmicks would be compared to the pure awesome of Vetinari just being Vetinari.

''*cough* *cough* I can't see a thing in all this myth!''

* The wildly conflicting rumors about Vash from ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'' become an issue in the very first episode. Even at the end of the series, the fact that a [[ObfuscatingStupidity dorky]], ActualPacifist is the world's most notorious outlaw is still stunning everyone who learns the truth. He finds it useful on occasion to play into the stories surrounding him. Many of the rumors about Vash in the first episode could just as easily describe the 12-foot tall criminal Descartes.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', most members of the vigilante group called the Minutemen have had the details of their lives documented, and their identities and fates are public knowledge. The exception is Hooded Justice, who was not only one of the original ([[TerrorHero and most brutal]]) of the masked vigilantes, but also the most secretive and aloof, which invited much InUniverse speculation about him. This only increased when Hooded Justice responded to being [[HauledBeforeASenateSubCommittee summoned to a Congressional committee on vigilante heroes]] by refusing to attend and vanishing without a trace, and even Hooded Justice's former teammate/bitter enemy turned government super agent The Comedian claimed to have been able to find no clues about Hooded Justice's identity or whereabouts. Hollis Mason (another old teammate from the Minutemen) speculated in [[FictionalDocument his book about the group]] that Hooded Justice was a German-American [[TheStrongman circus strongman]] named Rolf Muller who was a Nazi sympathizer, noting that Muller also mysteriously vanished at around the same time as Hooded Justice, and Muller's background would explain some of Hooded Justice's actions. (There's also speculation that The Comedian only claimed to have been unable to find anything on Hooded Justice, and that Comedian actually killed the man, covered it up, then claimed to have found nothing.) On a more meta level this has also extended to real life, as Creator/AlanMoore has alternated between responding to fan questions about Hooded Justice with fairly plausible answers, and at other times his responses come off more like a TrollingCreator. (For example, Moore has said that Muller ''might'' be Hooded Justice... and that Muller might have just been one of many aliases and identities for a man who was spying on America for the Nazis. Or the Soviets. Or both at once.)

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

'''Rey''': It's a power the Jedi have that lets them [[JediMindTrick control people]] and... [[MindOverMatter make things float]].\\
'''Luke''': [[SarcasmMode Impressive]]. Every word in that sentence was wrong.

** The Doctor's name and knowledge of his various incarnations is sprinkled liberally throughout history. There are groups dedicated to seeking him out, but for the most part, especially in Nine's initial portrayal during the new series' first episode, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E1Rose "Rose"]], he is portrayed as a strange enigma whose true identity is known only to a few and who seems to appear all over the place in totally unconnected ways (well, unconnected except for the fact that there's always trouble wherever he goes: from the RMS ''[[UsefulNotes/RMSTitanic Titanic]]'', to [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E2TheFiresOfPompeii Pompeii]], to a 51st Century weapons factory.) This is one instance where his reputation is well deserved.
--->'''The Doctor:''' [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E9ForestOfTheDead I'm the Doctor, and you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up.]] ''[he aliens in question do so, and promptly ''run for their lives'']''

----> '''Dorium:''' All those stories you've heard about him. They're not stories, they're true.
** Also [[spoiler:Rory Williams]] in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E13TheBigBang "The Big Bang"]]. He spent [[spoiler:''two thousand years'' guarding the Pandorica while his fiancée healed inside. By the time she gets out, the tale of "the Last Centurion" is chronicled in museums detailing his appearance in every single culture throughout history up to the London Blitz. Since the entire universe is falling apart at this point, people's belief in this story is one of the few things holding it together. When the universe gets rebooted, the myth of the Last Centurion is woven throughout human history, even though it technically didn't happen this time.]]

* Much like the original ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', ''Series/Watchmen2019'', a SequelInAnotherMedium to the comic, takes this approach to Hooded Justice. Part of the reason "This Extraordinary Being" is such a WhamEpisode is because [[spoiler:in the universe of the series, the relationship with Captain Metropolis is the ''only'' accurate piece of InUniverse speculation as recurring character Will Reeves, a still-living 100+ year old African-American former cop, is revealed to be Hooded Justice, possibly making him the sole surviving Minuteman.]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

[[folder:Truth In Television]]

** Ninjas have also been considered a straight example by some, coming from a combination of insular hill clans acting as mercenaries and authors' desire to avoid implicating real soldiers in anything "dishonorable."

* ''WsternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfiction:

* While most of the details of the Minutemen were known in ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', Hooded Justice was not, with InUniverse speculation that he was a German strongman named Rolf Muller who was a Nazi sympathizer, in a relationship with fellow Minuteman Captain Metropolis, and possibly later killed by the Comedian.