History Main / UnreliableExpositor

[[folder:Web Original]]
* PlayedForDrama on the ''LetsPlay/DreamSMP''. Wilbur lied to his father, Phil, in the letters he sent him about the Pogtopia situation because he didn't want to admit that he was suffering to his father, and didn't want him to worry. Instead of telling his father [[TyrantTakesTheHelm the]] [[SanitySlippage truth]], Wilbur said he won the election but gave the position of president to a trusted friend and left to make a new nation. [[spoiler:Phil then believed, as a result of the [[BlatantLies misinformation]] from the letters, that Tubbo was the one committing atrocities as the head of government (rather than Schlatt) and thus devoted himself to destroying L'Manburg as an anarchist in the Doomsday War, thinking that government corrupts good people. Phil only learnt the truth about the Pogtopia situation ''months'' after [[NukeEm the Doomsday War]] from his grandson.]]
* In the SeriesFauxnale of ''WebVideo/TheMonumentMythos'', ALCATRAZAPOCALYPSE, it's revealed that everything said by [[spoiler:Leonard W. Morlin in any form of media he participated in (with the sole exception of the New Delaware Journal)]] was an utter fabrication made by the [[WesternTerrorists ADA]] to give themselves credibility by using his reputation after they kidnapped the poor guy and corced him to read their scripts.
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** When Hank goes over the events leading up to him kill Tuco in a shootout in the episode prior as part of police protocol, he adds details which make himself look better, such as stating he identified himself to Tuco before the shooting started, but in reality he was so shocked seeing Tuco that he forgot. However, whether or not he was truthful in this case is largely irrelevant considering the circumstances, as Tuco was a known cartel member and drug lord, and pulled his gun on Hank unprovoked.

* In ''Series/CobraKai'', when Johnny tells Miguel about his past association with Daniel [=LaRusso=] from the first ''[[Film/TheKarateKid1984 Karate Kid]]'' movie, the version Johnny tells is ''highly'' selective and stretches the truth to make Daniel look like a jerk who was responsible for the animosity between the two men while leaving Johnny as the wounded party. That's not to say that Johnny doesn't have a point about certain things, as even Daniel has to admit, and at least some of Johnny's motivations were more sympathetic than one would guess from watching only the original movie, but on the whole it's a ''very'' distorted picture of what actually happened.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': A constant theme throughout the series is that while Team RWBY and JNPR are doing their best to try to fight for the right side, it is made exceptionally more difficult because most of the authority figures they know are this. Thus, a good chunk of the story is focused not just on fighting against the forces of evil, but just simply trying to figure out ''what'' the [[JigsawPlot truth actually is amidst falsehoods, half-truths, and outright lies.]]

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': A constant theme throughout the series is that while Team RWBY and JNPR are doing their best to try to fight for the right side, it is made exceptionally more difficult because most of the authority figures they know are this. Thus, a good chunk of the story is focused not just on fighting against the forces of evil, but just simply trying to figure out ''what'' the [[[[JigsawPlot truth actually is amidst falsehoods, half-truths, and outright lies.]]

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': A constant theme throughout the series is that while Team RWBY and JNPR are doing their best to try to fight for the right side, it is made exceptionally more difficult because most of the authority figures they know are this. Thus, a good chunk of the story is focused not just on fighting against the forces of evil, but just simply trying to figure out ''what'' the truth actually is amidst a sea of falsehoods, half-truths, and outright lies.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': [[BigGood Ozpin]] has learned over time to [[KeepingSecretsSucks play things close to his chest]], making it hard to tell when he's telling the truth, omitting important information, or even outright lying. Although he explains that he's been cursed by the gods with [[ResurrectiveImmortality immortality]] for failing to stop [[BigBad Salem]] in the past, he only admits he possesses magic when Yang reveals she knows that he gave her mother and uncle the ability to [[VoluntaryShapeshifting turn into birds]]. When the protagonists agree to help him protect the Relic of Knowledge, Yang insists it's on the condition he stops lying and telling half-truths. [[spoiler:When he fails to mention the Relics attract the Grimm until the Grimm are attacking a train they're on, the heroes confront him about his secrecy. It results in the [[ArtifactOfPower Relic of Knowledge]] revealing that Ozpin has been hiding the truth about [[DominoRevelation more than they knew]], starting with the [[MissionFromGod real reason]] why he is immortal, the truth about his [[KnightInShiningArmour origins]], [[SavingTheWorld his goal]] and his [[DestructiveRomance connection to Salem]]. It leaves the team so mistrustful of him that even his [[UndyingLoyalty most loyal]] companion, Qrow, [[BrokenPedestal rejects him]] — an outcome that [[HeroicBSOD breaks him completely]]. They reconcile with Ozpin eventually, after learning for themselves just how hard it is to carry his burden without breaking themselves and the people they share it with.]]

** InUniverse, the [[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Killik/Legends Killiks]] are a race of InsectoidAliens. Due to possessing a HiveMind, they can pass down memories over several generations, with the oldest hives having memories over a ''million'' years old. The problem is that the Killiks have [[LiteralMinded no concept of fiction]]; ''anything'' they see or hear about, including folk tales, myths, and holo-vids, becomes part of their recollection of "history", so any time someone has to look to them for historical information, they're usually left wondering just how much of what the Killiks tell them is really the truth.

** Hitsugaya has a tendency to share information that aren't true, although he's oblivious of that. At the beginning of the Arrancar arc, he described Vasto Lorde as even more powerful than Captain-level Shinigami, but the databook ''UNMASKED'' that most of the Espada were Vasto Lorde, yet in the story, the Espada were defeated by the Captains. Although, the current Captains at that time are far stronger than the average Captain-level Shinigami, so Hitsugaya's point isn't necessarily untrue. What is untrue though is when Hitsugaya told us Ginjou's criminal backstory. Later in ''Can't Fear Your Own World'', most of the stuff Ginjou told what was perceived as fabricated was actually true, and it's the Shinigami's version of the story that's actually fabricated.

* ''Series/BreakingBad'':
** When Hank goes over the events leading up to him kill Tuco in a shootout in the episode prior as part of police protocol, he adds details which make himself look better, such as stating he identified himself to Tuco before the shooting started, but in reality he was so shocked seeing Tuco that he forgot. However, whether or not he was truthful in this case is largely irrelevant considering the circumstances, as Tuco was a known cartel member and drug lord, and pulled his gun on Hank unprovoked.
** Spooge states to Jesse that stealing the ATM was a "victimless crime" and that nobody even saw the ATM being stolen. This is voiced over footage showing that the bodega owner caught Spooge in the act and was shot to death in response. Of course, the idea that it was a victimless crime proves doubly false when Spooge himself is crushed to death underneath the ATM trying to get it open.
** When Todd is recounting the train heist from the previous episode to his uncle Jack, he conveniently leaves out the part where he shot an innocent child to death because he interpreted Jesse and Walt wanting no witnesses to their crime to mean "kill anyone who sees them on sight". It's a moot point though, because when Jack and his Neo-Nazi gang find out about it later, they don't really care.

** In contrast to the Masterminds of previous games, the Mastermind of ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'', [[spoiler: Tsumugi Shirogane, is a ConsummateLiar who utilizes deception and outright lies to make her plans work. This why the game itself incentives the player to not take all the {{Awful Truth}}s she reveals at the end at face value- even Shuichi thinks she's lying about at least some of it. Some of her revelations outright contradict events that happened in the Prologue (which is confirmed to be real) and even the “evidence” she provides can’t be trusted because it could have been fabricated thanks to her Ultimate Talent.]]

* [[NoNameGiven Phone Guy]] in ''Videogame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' gets most of the exposition correct, but WordOfGod is that he's missing a [[TragicVillain couple]] [[SerialKiller key]] [[NeverFoundTheBody details]]. Justified in that he never had a clue what was going on. After he took up the job as the night guard, he was probably a bit preoccupied with figuring out how to survive.

* Franchise/{{DCAU}}:

* In the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' manga, Robin Wolfe invites Phoenix to his house, saying that he's a suspect for killing his employee Eddie Johnson because he had a talk with him about his disrespectful attitude before he committed suicide, and was the last person to speak with him before his death. It then comes to light that he had taken Eddie to the Den of Spiders and restrained him in a chair for three hours, but while Robin claims that he was unaware of Eddie's arachnophobia, his wife Theridia testifies to his knowing about it. Robin's other lies include the claim that Eddie tried to get into a relationship with his daughter Lira but failed (Lira loved Eddie and hates her father for driving him to his death), and that his brother Bobby is "a servant" (not only do the Wolfes not have servants, but Robin keeps Bobby out of sight of guests, thinking him an embarrassment to the family name).

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime'': Moiraine says there's 4 ''ta'veren'' in Two Rivers. Padan Fain says there's 5.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Half the things [[BigBad Sosuke Aizen]] says are lies. The other half are half-truths and AGodAmI BS. Everything he ''doesn't'' say is a lie. His power even has the ability to [[MasterOfIllusion alter people's perceptions]], or, ''lie''. This is a problem, considering that almost everything that gets revealed about the plot [[MrExposition comes from him]]. When Ichigo finally calls him out and accuses him of lying, Aizen lampshades the problem: if Ichigo believes Aizen is lying now, then he must believe Aizen told the truth in the past; but, if he believes Aizen is a liar, how can he believe anything Aizen's ever said? Yet, if that's true... that must mean that sometimes Aizen doesn't lie. Aizen himself believes he's transcended both truth and lies.

** Also PlayedWith in the ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' anime regarding the Saiyan race and their homeworld. When Goku first meets King Kai, he reveals the history of the Saiyans, saying that a "Guardian" of their homeworld, much like Kami on Earth, got fed up with the Saiyans' evil and destroyed Planet Vegeta with a meteor shower, of which only Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz survived. Of course, as we all know, it was actually [[BigBad Frieza]] who was the one responsible for Planet Vegeta's destruction, and it's later revealed that that planet wasn't even their homeworld (the Saiyans massacred that planet's native species, apparently including its Guardian).
** Then, ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' reveals that the God of Destruction, Beerus, gave Frieza permission to destroy Planet Vegeta (technically making King Kai's anime-only story half-right). Later, it's revealed that the true homeworld of the Saiyans, Sadala, was ''indeed'' destroyed by internal conflict (possibly involving its Guardian), once again making King Kai's story correct even if missing a lot of important details.

--->'''The Doctor:''' ''[upon being asked how old he is]'' 1200-and-something, I think. Unless I'm lying; I can't remember if I'm lying about my age, that's how old I am.

* ''TabletopGame/DarkSun'' has this with the Wanderer. The [[DirectLineToTheAuthor "author"]] of ''The Wanderer's Journal'' (part of the original boxed set) is a self-confessed UnreliableExpositor as he notes that what he has written is the product of sifting a little truth out of quite a lot of lies. Especially since official histories are little more than works of self-aggrandizing propaganda spread by the sorcerer-kings to make themselves look powerful, wise, and impossible to depose. Obviously done so the potential GameMaster wouldn't feel too constrained by what was in the ''Journal'' if they wanted to change something.

* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'': At one point, Getaway lists the signs of "Matrix compatibility", the things that make it possible to bond to the Matrix of Leadership and become a Prime, including things like bright blue eyes, feeling giddy in a hot spot ([[BizarreAlienReproduction a field where Transformer souls are born]]) and making photonic crystals "snap" when placed against their chest. It's clear, at least, that ''Getaway'' believes in the signs...but Getaway is also wracked by an InferioritySuperiorityComplex backed up by delusions of grandeur and the in-universe mental illness [[https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Primus_apotheosis Primus apotheosis]], and would cling to ''anything'' that would [[IJustWantToBeSpecial make him special]]. Nor does it help that the "Signs of Affinity" had a tendency to be conveniently shown by whoever was next going to take the ''fake'' Matrix that was being used from Nova Prime's departure to Optimus Prime finding the real one, and nothing in the entire continuity shows Optimus Prime "snapping" a photonic crystal or shows Rodimus to be more giddy than usual in hot spots...and even the one about blue eyes is called into question by red-eyed ParodySue Thunderclash, who once looked after the Matrix and was ''such'' an IdealHero that getting it off him so Optimus could have it back required surgery (a thing Getaway is ''very'' salty about).

** The franchise in general suffers a lot of this thanks to [[spoiler:Kyubey]] being the main source of exposition. He never gets caught in a direct lie, but he exploits YouDidntAsk and giving just enough information to deliberately lead someone to the wrong conclusion as a way of life. A classic example being what happened with [[spoiler:Kyouko]], where he was asked whether it was possible to [[spoiler:turn someone back from being a Witch]]--he answered that he'd never heard of it happening, but when dealing with magic, who knows what's possible, when magic defies possibility? The actual answer, as it turns out, was "no", at least as far as a solution that [[spoiler:Kyouko herself could implement for Sayaka]]. As shown in the various other spin-offs, [[spoiler:the only real chance would be to have another girl outright use her wish to bring Sayaka back]].

* In ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'', Hank Pym meets with Bill Foster, a disgruntled ex-associate, and while describing their previous partnership, they end up arguing over who was at fault and whether Bill quit or was fired. Somewhat later on, Bill claims that [[spoiler:Hank's decision to cut Elihas Starr loose resulted in the accident that resulted in Elihas and his wife dying and Ava becoming afflicted with her intangibility]], while Hank later tells Scott and Hope that [[spoiler:Elihas was "a traitor," thus framing his firing as being more justified]]. It's never conclusively determined which of the men is right. [[spoiler: Deleted scenes do show that Elihas did in fact work with enemy powers, hinting that Hank's version of events is the more accurate one.]]
* ''Film/BlindChance'' has several indications that [[spoiler:Witek's memories are actually what he wishes had happened, rather than real happenings]].

** An AlternativeCharacterInterpretation of Han Solo's claim the Millennium Falcon "made the Kessel run in [[UnitConfusion less than 12 parsecs]]." An ACI as far back as the original script. Backed up in that Obi-Wan visibly winces at this line.
** Kylo Ren's account of his StartOfDarkness makes it look like Luke tried to murder him in cold blood. In reality, Luke considered killing him for a moment when he sensed darkness inside him, but ultimately relented.

** Nothing the Doctor says can be trusted, either because he's being deliberately deceptive or because he genuinely doesn't know as much as [[InsufferableGenius he thinks he does]]. The Seventh Doctor's defining trait is keeping everyone but himself ignorant so that they would be [[ManipulativeBastard more easily manipulated]], and one of the ArcWords around the Eleventh is "the Doctor lies". Of particular note is his age; Romana called him out on claiming to be younger than he was, and the Tenth Doctor claims to be fifty years younger than the Seventh Doctor once claimed to be. WordOfGod is that he has no idea how old he really is, and claims an approximate century because it's a nice round number.

** Javik, your DLC Prothean squadmate in ''3'', pontificates a lot about what happened in his [[ViciousCycle "cycle"]], which given that it ended 50,000 years ago makes him the only source. It's possible he's entirely serious about nearly everything he says, but he's supremely jaded and bitter and not above [[{{Troll}} deliberately screwing with people]], so who knows.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' [=GLaDOS=] is basically lying most of the time. Or "enhancing the truth", as she puts it. She's the only source of information in the entire game, leading to much confusion about everything. ''VideoGame/Portal2'' meanwhile turns this trope into an art form with ''three'' different examples, all of them unreliable for different reasons ([=GLaDOS=] again, who retains her lying ways, a literal IdiotBall, and a narcissistic maniac [[PosthumousCharacter who's been dead for decades]]).

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' has two main culprits - [[BigBad Sephiroth]], who is not only willing to lie in order to manipulate the protagonists, but is also genuinely mistaken about an extremely important detail in his first big MotiveRant, and [[spoiler: Cloud, whose entire backstory is a delusion.]]

*** After the third trial's culprit's conviction, [[spoiler: Mikan reveals that she regained her memories of being [[ApocalypseCult a Remnant of Despair]], and declares the Future Foundation to be their enemy with the others taking her word as gospel despite the fact that she murdered two of their friends in cold blood. ''Technically'' [[MetaphoricallyTrue she wasn't lying]], as the Future Foundation ''was'' the enemy of the Remnants of Despair, but the whole point of the Neo World Program was to [[AmnesiacDissonance reset the students to their pre-despair selves]] to redeem them, the Future Foundation is ''not'' the class's enemy.]]
*** The BigBad [[spoiler:Junko Enoshima]] told everyone in the final trial that [[spoiler: She'd managed to convert Hajime's alternate persona Izuru Kamukura into a despair-lover like herself, and that he was TheDragon and killed the Hope's Peak Student Council. The anime reveals she was outright lying; she was able to get Izuru to be an AccompliceByInaction, but that was it; he never really bought in to her despair philosophy (though he was willing to give it a chance), only killed one person in self-defense (the rest of the Student Council killed each other), and eventually turned against Junko.]]

* Viewers immediately called Amon on this in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' due to the historical precedent of charismatic radicals fabricating their origin stories. Even before the show revealed his backstory, they knew he was lying about ''something.'' [[spoiler:He was lying about ''everything.'']]

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars''[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS1E10LairOfGrievous , "Lair of Grievous"]]: At the end of the episode Kit Fisto gives a rather tactful mission brief to the rest of the Jedi Council which seriously downplays just how much is former padawan Nahdar Vebb was courting ideas and actions the Council believes lead to the Dark Side and which fly in the face of the Jedi's code at the time. This allows Vebb to be remembered in a better light than he likely would have been otherwise, and there's no danger of him falling to the dark side and becoming a threat since Grievous killed him.

** Rose Quartz herself was this, due to being a ConsummateLiar. Pearl told Bismuth that Rose said she had lost track of Bismuth during the war. [[spoiler:Bismuth eventually reveals that she got in a fight with Rose, who was forced to poof her]]. Garnet becomes furious on learning [[spoiler:that Rose lied to her about her origins, including being born on Earth and begging Pink Diamond to spare the Earth. Rose ''was'' Pink Diamond, and she started the ruse because her sister Diamonds would have taken the planet and colonized it against her wishes]].
** Much of what we know about Rose Quartz falls under this. The series starts out by portraying her as a paragon of good and justice... because everything we learn about her is from the lens of her widowed husband and her closest friends, who are obviously only going to focus on her good qualities. As the show goes on however, and Steven learns more about her from both his family and Rose's old enemies, he realizes that despite her good intentions, she was often a horribly selfish and short-sighted person with a tendency to callously hurt everyone around her.