In Michael C. Bailey's Action Figures — Issue One: Secret Origins, Matt comments that Carrie has these when she says ice hockey is her favorite sport.
Throughout most of the Amber Brown series, Amber dismisses the possibility of ever being friends with a classmate of hers named Fredrich Allen because he picks his nose and chews the boogers, and she doesn't think she could ever be friends with someone who does that. In Amber Brown Is Tickled Pink, however, she meets him at his father's farm and comes to realize pretty quickly that the picking and eating is just a bad nervous habit, rather like how she sometimes chews on her hair or her nails, and learns that Fredrich is actually a pretty nice boy. After this, she becomes very annoyed with her other friends when they tease him behind his back, just like she used to do with them, only now she feels guilty about it.
In the final story arc of Animorphs, Jake relinquishes command for a short period. When he becomes leader again, he's an absolute authority figure, and refuses to second-guess himself or let anyone else question his decisions, working from the standpoint that "a leader who shows weakness invites disaster". This ultimately leads him to becoming the most ruthless character in the series.
Serge Storms: Atomic Lobster, Rachael, a Pretty Freeloader and Addled Addict with a Hair-Trigger Temper, knows enough about computers to create and run a profitable website. Granted, it's a porn site with pictures of herself, but Serge is surprised she even knows how to turn a computer on (especially since the book is set in 2008).
Bazil Broketail: One thing which makes Endi stand out among other dragonboys is his aptitude at hazard games, be it cards or dice.
Beldin is a hunchbacked dwarf who seems, in his initial appearance, seems to be almost more beast than man, to the point where he dresses in filthy rags and prefers to eat his food directly off the ground to from a plate. However, this turns out to be a key part of Beldin's self-perception. His appearance and handicaps make people treat him like less than human anyway, and nothing in the world will ever make him beautiful, so he aggressively ignores both his appearance and any human standards of interaction. Once you get past that, Beldin is probably the most intelligent and well-read person in the world, capable of giving lectures on any number of topics, as well as kicking the ass of people three feet taller and three millenia younger if they don't pay attention. He is capable of feats of magic beyond nearly everyone, aided by his interest in science and nature. To cap it all off, he is a skilled entertainer, adept at storytelling, acting, tumbling and juggling, and is also something of an aesthete with a keen interest in and appreciation for art.
Mandorallen is, at first sight, a typical jock knight with arrogance instead of brains. However, there is more to him than that. There is not a shred of arrogance about him, he really is one of the greatest fighters alive, and he is also beset by several insecurities, mostly concerning certain irregularities surrounding his birth, and the fact that he has difficulty managing his emotions. In spite of sometimes coming across as a bit arrogant and uptight, he is genuinely good with people. He is also not the sharpest bulb in the box, but still capable of improvising beautiful speeches in Flowery Elizabethan English.
Silk masks a great deal of personal tragedy behind a veil of glibness and snark, most significantly his unrequited crush on his uncle's wife (who also happens to be his seniormost boss), and being forced to constantly lie to his mother about how she was disfigured by smallpox (she was blinded by the disease, and the rest of the scarring was so bad blindness was described as "a mercy"). It's stated that he is really far too senior a spy to still be working in the field, but he tries to stay away from home as much as possible so he won't have to spend his days lying to people he loves. He also frets constantly about Becoming the Mask, and sometimes has trouble remembering his identity.
Rhodar is generally thought of as a Big Fun-type of king, who spends most of his time thinking about his young wife. Rhodar is actually one of the best educated people in the world, and his personal library is the world's third largest. When the big war at the end of the series rolls around, Rhodar becomes the de facto Commander in Chief of the armies of the west, by virtue of having read every single text on military theory and history in existence. The more martially inclined kings like Anheg and Korodullin are better tacticians, but both readily defer to Rhodar on matters of grand strategy.
The Bone Maker: Guine is introduced as one of Zera's many beautiful, muscular, interchangeable boy-toys — of which he is definitely the first two. However, he also reveals himself to be quite perceptive, good at administrative work, and reliable in a crisis, and after they admit they genuinely care about each other, Zera promotes him to her second-in-command as Guild Master.
Bridge of Birds has Miser Shen, a seemingly comical character who lives up to his name by hoarding wealth. It's only when he loses said wealth do we find out his backstory. Shen's village was razed because he was unable to pay the duke's taxes. His daughter died in the purge and Shen was so devastated he look for a way to bring her back. He discovered that there was a giant who could grant his wish by paying him heavily. Shen then spends the rest of his life making money until he completely forgets about his goal.sob
Feyre Archeron. One of the first things you learn about this cold, practical girl is that she's an artist at heart. She doesn't get to paint often because of her family's financial situation, but she secretly longs to more than anything. When she eventually gets the chance, she also shows herself to be skilled at it.
Cassian is as rough as you'd expect from the leader of Rhys's armies, but is noted to be surprisingly perceptive. He can pick up on when Feyre's in a bad mood and adjust their training as necessary to best account for that. Feyre herself notes that she shouldn't be surprised by this; after all, as a general, he probably needs to be able to read his men's moods before going into battle.
Dark Days Of Hamburger Halpin: It's revealed in the climax that Purple knows ASL thanks to her having a deaf uncle. Thus, she's able to translate for Will when he reveals he knows who the killer is.
Daughter of Fortune: Eliza Sommers's guardian, Miss Rose Sommers is a very proper English lady who writes erotic novels anonymously. Her brother Jeremy is completely ignorant of this, but her brother John, a sea captain, helps her get them published.
Deryni: Late in King Kelson's Bride, Sofiana reveals to her Camberian Council colleagues her previous role as godmother and arcane tutor to Mátyás Furstán. She implies that they intentionally downplayed his arcane abilities: "He was also a formidable pupil of the ars magica even then—far more formidable than I felt his brothers should know." She goes on to say that he came to her secretly for help when he learned of his brothers' plans, and that she and Azim (another Councillor) covertly assisted him.
In The Dinosaur Lords, it turns out that every girl in Melodía's Girl Posse has hidden depths, leading to Melodía (who for most of the book thought herself the smartest) to conclude that she's the only shallow one out there.
Abigail, apart from being a cynic who likes to see others suffer, is also an excellent strategist and planner, not to mention a born spymaster.
Llurdis talks dumb, but is the most caring one and willing to go through literal shit to save her friends.
Lupe is foul-mouthed, but also caring and devoted.
Fina is a crybaby with a new great cause every other day, but she's also highly analytical and intelligent.
The Truth — Mr. Tulip of the New Firm is a mountain of dumb muscle with a bizarre Verbal Tic and a habit of snorting anything in powdered form, including icing sugar and crushed mothballs; he's almost too stupid to be really malicious, except that he really is great at killing people. He does, however, have a phenomenal appreciation for art history, capable of pointing out to various curators the provenance, quality and legitimacy of a wide range of pieces, and sometimes weeping over their splendour. All while hulking there with his ill-fitting suit and bloodshot eyes, dribbling drain cleaner and saying "—ing" every sentence. This and other elements of his Backstory, like whatever left him Plagued by Nightmares, are only lightly hinted at throughout the book.
Vimes also seems to have a lot more to him than Noble BigotCowboy Cop. But in his own words "He knew he had hidden depths. There was nothing in them he wanted brought to the surface".
People who look at Fred Colon see a Fat Idiot. People who get to know him see... well, that he is overweight and not particularly bright, but he is an experienced street copper whose natural knack for getting along with people is one of the cornerstones of the Watch's information gathering efforts. He also runs one of the Disc's best kept dungeon (you'll find clean beds, plenty of fresh water and, if you're lucky, a cup of tea and a biscuit, but never be able to get away with fake gastric disorders or swiping the keys) in his capacity as Watch jailer. He has (reluctantly) fought in several wars (The Leshpian War as depicted in Jingo only being the last) and is a doting husband and father on the rare occasions he and his family are awake at the same time (his wife and children work day shifts).
All three of the witches are fairly obvious character types: Granny is The Determinator — a mean, strong, unyielding powerhouse, whose main flaw is that she can't admit she's wrong; Magrat is an overly-romantic wet hen who gets steamrollered by Granny; and Nanny's a disgusting old baggage whose main role seems to be as Plucky Comic Relief. But later books reveal Granny is full of self-doubt and not lacking a form of kindness; right from the beginning it's clear that Magrat has a core of iron; and Word of God is that Nanny is more powerful than Granny, but cultivates an image that hides this because she has less will to use it. Being a witch seems to require having Hidden Depths; they're where the Second (or Third) Thoughts come from.
Some trolls get this in low temperature environments, especially Detritus. In their first appearance it is revealed that the oldest trolls will sink so far into philosophical questions that they are essentially dead unless somebody wakes them up by, say, starting a fire in their mouth.
Bjorn of Dora Wilk Series looks and acts like a big, burly Viking, but is actually a great fan of classical music and an excellent cook with a serious case of Heroic Self-Deprecation.
The elven princess Laurana is initially regarded as little more than a Brainless Beauty, but when challenged she proves to be a brave warrior, skilled diplomat and inspirational leader whose innovative tactics lead her army to a series of remarkable victories in the Vingaard Campaign.
You know Raistlin, right? The gloomy, pessimistic, bitter, snarky, mage in sour armor? Turns out he's quite the entertainer, having started performing as a street illusionist at a very young age, to feed himself and his brother. Kids love his shows!
In Death Masks, Michael reveals that his wife Charity made his armor. In Proven Guilty you find out she also spars with Michael, has her own armor, and was a dark magic witch who was sacrificed to a dragon (which is how she met Michael). In the same book Charity and Harry storm the heart of the Winter court Arctis Tor to rescue Molly.
There is also "Cujo" Hendricks, "Gentleman" Johnny Marcone's bodyguard and top enforcer. A typical linebacker who communicates in grunts, totes machine-guns one-handed and generally looks like the Dumb Muscle. Hendricks is shown to be deeply committed to his boss' safety, as well as madly in love with Sigrun Gard, one of his co-workers. Even later he is stated to have studied Philosophy on a football scholarship before one of his knees gave out, and is shown working on his Master's degree in his spare time. He also quotes Chaucer at his boss when the boss does something he doesn't like.
Ronald Carmichael, one of Murphy's subordinates is fat, bald, and dresses like he sleeps in his suit and has permanent ketchup stains on all his ties. He is also a razor-sharp investigator, who keeps a collection of stuffed animals in his office to help comfort any children his work brings him into contact with.
A recurring theme in The First Law series. Some characters who at first appear as nothing more than villainous scumbags will turn out to be more noble than we were originally led to believe or they'll reveal to have very understandable reasons for their actions. Likewise, some of the "heroes" will be revealed to have a darker side to themselves or that they have been working on very selfish motives.
In the Carl Hiaasen book FlushJasper is the son of the main antagonist, and serves as the protagonist's jerkass rival, along with his crony Bull. Bull is described as very big, but not too smart (and he is beaten by the protagonist's sister and grandpa). However, later in the book, Jasper and him sneak out some beers and cigarettes, which he tried to light up, and instead set his dad's boat casino on fire. Bull drags him out of the burning wreckage, despite both inhaling smoke, and Jasper even tries to shift blame on to him for it. Amazingly, he still hangs out with Jasper, and leaves him when confronted by the protagonist and his family in the end.
Family Skeleton Mysteries: Various one-shot suspects who work at or attend the various colleges where Georgia adjuncts often turn out to have interesting interests and lives behind closed doors.
In The Skeleton Makes A Picture,
An infamously snobby art student creates all kinds of slash fic fan art and posts it online, although this is also treated as being somewhat hypocritical.
The prim and professional department secretary runs a fan site for an 80s glam rock group. It later turns out that he was the lead singer.
In The Skeleton Makes a Friend:
The murder victim is viewed as a boring man who wore a suit for his FaceBook profile, but is an avid closet gamer who is praised for his selfless and considerate nature by his gaming friends.
A suspect with ample reason to frame a man mentions that she is a Wiccan who believes that hating people merely transfers negative energy back at you.
On the surface, the Gentleman Bastards are ordinary sneak thieves, while they're really brilliant confidence artists. Their original leader, "Father Chains," masquerades as a blind priest, but is really a gifted forger and all-around criminal, who's pulling the wool over the eyes of the town's crime kingpin.
And in the second book, they run into a pirate captain who's also a highly-educated student of literature.
The Hot-Blooded, aggressive, and rivalry happy Kirara of Girls Kingdom has stated that she wants to wear ball gowns, surprising her best friend, Misaki.
Rafael Gives Light in Gives Light is the son of a serial killer, a brooding loner known for getting into fistfights, but he leaves memorials at the graves of his father's victims.
Severus Snape, on the surface a Sadist Teacherand later apparently revealed to be The Mole, turns out to be a Double Agent and the The Atoner who is torn over his feelings towards the son of the man he hated and the woman he loved, both of whom he involuntarily got killed (hence the atoning).
Consistent differences between Fred and George start to become apparent after a few books. Fred tends to be the main instigator of mayhem and ringleader while George is only slightly more serious and has just a teeny-bit more moral restraint (for example, in the 4th book, he was actually a bit hesitant about blackmailing Ludo Bagman unlike Fred who was pretty hot-headed about it and wanted to rush in without a thought) — with the exception of the incident in the fifth book where he and Harry go apeshit and beat Malfoy up, who mocked their families in a way that really pushed their buttons; but then again, Fred would've joined in if he wasn't being physically restrained by all three of the Gryffindor Quidditch team Chasers whereas Harry alone was restraining George until Malfoy pushed him over the edge.
Fleur Delacour at first appears to be a highly vain woman who only cares about Bill because of his looks. She later surprises everyone when it is revealed that she genuinely loves her fiancé after a werewolf attack leaves him with some very ugly scars — she views them as badges of honor.
According to Pottermore, Minerva McGonagall fell in love with a Muggle after graduating from Hogwarts. He proposed, and she accepted, but then turned him down because she knew he wouldn't go with her to London where she would be working for the Ministry.
Petunia Dursley is shown throughout the series to be incredibly jealous of her magical sister Lily and despises Harry for reminding him of her. The final book reveals she begged Dumbledore to be allowed to go to Hogwarts and a deleted scene from the movie has her remarking that Harry didn't just lose his mother that night in Godric's hollow...she lost her sister.
The Heroes of Olympus: Coach Hedge in the first three books appears to simply be an MMA-loving Blood Knight and not much else. The fourth book, however, reveals that he and side character Mellie got married shortly before Hedge boarded the Argo II, he's about to become a father, and he's been harboring some hardcore guilt over his mother's death.
He Who Fights With Monsters: Clive initially appears as a stuffy, scatterbrained Magic Society bureaucrat who Jason easily runs circles around. Then he mentions he grew up on an eel farm who got his expensive education on a scholarship for merit, and demonstrates that he's actually a quite powerful (if inexperienced) adventurer. He ends up being one of Jason's closest friends.
At the end of Catching Fire, Katniss learns she's the Unwitting Pawn. Who is the mastermind? Haymitch. The lush. Who suffers from DTs, so he's not faking the drunkenness.
Turns out Finnick isn't really a narcissistic playboy, and Johanna's bitchiness is most likely a product of and/or cover for her inner Broken Bird.
P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster: Many characters in stock roles like the Upper-Class Twit and The Jeeves turn out to have hidden depths, which are Lampshade by name from time to time. Jeeves in particular is notable, in that he has become a role-model for a large number of stuffy manservants. Jeeves can indeed "buttle with the best of them" while on the clock and his antics in his spare time are not shown and mostly mentioned in throwaway lines. However, when taken together, they present a rather different image. Jeeves is fully capable of quickly and silently taking down a policeman, should the need arise, and, in his final appearances, has had his lethality augmented by unspecified service in World War Two. He is a highly skilled hunter and shotgun marksman, to the point that Bertie starts getting invited to hunts so the hosts have an excuse to put a shotgun in Jeeves' hands. Jeeves is also a highly skilled card player, and isn't above hustling his employer's friends when they need a fourth for a game of whist or bridge and his wallet needs a little padding. Finally, he is a man-about-town with a wide circle of friends, several clubs and at least one on-and-off girlfriend.
Journey to Chaos: Would you believe that Annala, the shy and Cute Bookworm, is/was a daredevil? Her Mad Scientist mom made her self-mending clothes because of it. It relates to her Crisis of Faith. Taking extreme risks and allowing her Healing Factor to repair her body when the risks fail was how she reassured herself that she wasn't forsaken by her race's patron goddess.
Katt Loves Dogg: Oscar and Molly don't have the best opinion of their cousins (Romaldo and Violet, respectively), and not without reason. But they soon learn their cousins are much smarter than they initially appear.
Romaldo is a very theatrically-minded dogg who always wears shirts with puffy sleeves, and is known to not be one of the best Dogg Scouts in the organization. However, he is very knowledgeable about how to build structures and ways to reinforce dams. He actually wants to be a building architect, and the whole acting thing is because he apparently hears that architects are pretty arty.
Violet is a typical teenage girl, obsessed with fashion and her phone. She's also very knowledgeable about the healing properties of certain plants. Molly thinks she's as knowledgeable about them as Molly's own mother, who is a nurse. Violet actually dreams of becoming a doctor.
"You are thinking, Kull," said the old statesman, suddenly, "that Ka-nu is a useless old reprobate, fit for nothing except to guzzle wine and kiss wenches!" In fact, this remark was so much in line with his actual thoughts, and so plainly put, that Kull was rather startled, though he gave no sign. Ka-nu gurgled and his paunch shook with his mirth. "Wine is red and women are soft," he remarked tolerantly. "But—ha! ha!—think not old Ka-nu allows either to interfere with business."
The 3 cops of L.A. Confidential. Bud is frustrated with being the Dumb Muscle, Exley is a squeaky clean hero cop ready to sell anyone out for a promotion, and Jack wants to do real cop work, but he's so hip deep in corruption that's it's hard to escape.
J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings — most hobbits have these. Check "The Scouring Of The Shire". Early in the book, when Frodo reveals his to Gandalf, it's even lampshaded a bit.
Gandalf: Hobbits really are amazing creatures, as I have said before. You can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month, yet after a hundred years they can still surprise you in a pinch.
Prominent in A Man Called Ove. The title character seems, at first glance, like nothing more than a bitter old curmudgeon. As the story goes on you learn a whole lot more about him and realize what is beneath that exterior. In fact, the point of the story is not that Ove needs to change but that those around him need to learn to look deeper. For example, the ultra conservative Ove turns out to have no issues whatsoever with homosexuality, and even allows a young man called Mirsad to move in to his house after Mirsad came out to his father and got kicked out of the house.
In the Matador Series by Steve Perry, Sleel is initially portrayed as a Loveable Rogue*one of his friends actually used the words "loveable rogue" to describe himand a bit of a horndog with a complex about always proving he's the best. Then he's found browsing in the philosophy section of a bookstore, casually quoting poetry, and is able to spot a deception that fooled everyone else in his team. And then it's revealed that he has a doctorate in poetic literature, wrote several best-selling novels, and used the proceeds to set up a foundation caring for orphaned children. Oh, and his name is actually an acronym of his neglectful parents' initials.
In The Bell at Sealey Head, Miranda Beryl arrives at the house of her dying relative and seems a perfect city-loving Blue Blood. Then, when Emma see Ridley Dow caught in magic and is unable to rescue him, Miranda calls him by his first name, which works, and arranges for him to be brought to a room with total competence and complete disregard for what happens to her clothes in the process — and evinces knowledge about magic. Whereupon she recruits Emma to help her keep up the facade of a Blue Blood heiress waiting for her inheritance.
In The Riddle Master Trilogy, several characters have hidden depths, including Morgon, the peaceful farmer-Prince of a remote island, who is the last one anyone (including himself) expects to get caught up in prophecies that will affect all the lands; Raederle, who has inherited more than she knows or wants to know from the mysterious shapeshifters beneath the sea; and the pig-woman of An who Raederle befriends.
Meg Langslow Mysteries: Various victims and suspects have more to them than is apparent.
Mr. Briggs in No Nest for the Wicket is presented as the face of Villainous Gentrification at first. However, Meg later notes how he and his epileptic wife are Happily Married and that their two employees care more about Mrs. Briggs' health than their performance in a croquet tournament, and admits that "Mr. Briggs was a lot easier to hate when he was merely a despoiler of the countryside and not also the caring husband of a sick wife."
Clay, the interior decorator victim from The Nightingale before Christmas, is a mean-spirited, arrogant ex-convict who is correctly suspected of sabotaging his competitors and killed his former agent (Clay was once a painter) in a fight after the man cheated him. When Meg finds his sketchbook, which indicates he was thinking about returning to painting, while there are several cruel caricatures of his fellow interior decorators, there are also a few drawings which are merely curious and respectful. A picture Clay drew of himself is also accurate in some unflattering ways, suggesting he struggled with self-loathing.
In Some Like it Hawk, the falconer who is brought in to keep the county clerk from using carrier pigeons is viewed as a brooding and sinister figure but turns out to be a pleasant, geeky guy who wants to train vultures to replace cadaver dogs and wants Dr. Blake's help with that project.
In Terns of Endearment, three drunken, lecherous cruise ship passengers who Meg unaffectionately dubs "the Three Stooges" help old ladies get around the ship and assist in moving around bags, taking care of sick crewpersons, and spreading announcements after the ship breaks down.
In Birder She Wrote:
Shane Griswold (the son of an obnoxious couple who moved to town a few years ago) is first mentioned as an apparent Spoiled Brat who was arrested for drinking and driving and possession of cocaine, but he is also a Friend to All Living Things who causes Meg to say a sincere prayer asking for him to not be the murderer (he isn't) after they spend some time together.
Society matron Mavis Anstruther is a pretentious credit stealer with some politically incorrect moments, but her Stealing the Credit moments (which she is embarassed about) come from a sense of inadequacy and she also shows a bit of wit and backbone, not unlike Meg's grandmother after she and Meg get to know each other,
In Let it Crow, Jasmyn, the reality show production assistant, seems like just a prissy, bird-hating Control Freak who got her job due to Nepotism, but a lot of that is due to her unhappiness with a job she isn't really suited for, and she loves kittens, Christmas decorations, and yoga.
In The Moomins, Sniff proves his surprising people-skill as early as the second main book in the series. While Snufkin and Moomin can't get through to the professors at the observatory because they're too preoccupied with their work, Sniff walks up to one, butters him up with some flattery, and comes back with the exact information they were looking for. He also suggests that the Hemul might get into studying insects once he finishes his stamp collection, a hobby which the Hemul keeps for most of the franchise.
Moon Base Alpha: There is more to multiple characters than meets the eye, although as Dash lampshades in Lilly Sjoberg's case, hidden depths don't mean that a person's flaws aren't real and serious.
Overly strict moon base commander Nina has a sick mother back home.
Spoiled Brat and occasional bully Lily likes to sit in the greenhouse for long periods of time without stealing any of the food (which is more than her family, Nina, and most of the scientists can say) so that the plants can remind her of Earth.
Nightfall (Series): Initially, Tristan seems to be a vain Pretty Boy, whose only redeeming quality is his Undying Loyalty to the Big Bad. Later on, his Back Story reveals that as a human he was a reclusive poet, fighting to find his place in the world. After he becomes a vampire, he develops a great capacity to care for others and struggles with his inability to create art.
In The Pale King, Chris is surprised when his father quotes a famous poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley. The again, he didn't know much about his father in the first place...
The Perfect Run: Fortuna, Felix's sister, is a raging narcissist who has never had to lift a finger in her life because of her absurdly overpowered luck ability. She repeatedly tells Ryan that anyone she is interested in has a duty to the universe to fall to her feet and worship her, and she says this as if she's explaining a basic fact of life. She's also an accomplished sculptor who is very apprehensive about her work. Between her luck and her family connections, she considers her art the only thing that's hers alone, and she is very protective of it.
Portrait in Sepia: Frederick Williams, the perfect English butler and later consort to Grande Dame Paulina del Valle became a butler after being Sentenced Down Under for stealing and later on learning the trade. Paulina is amused at someone of his past passing off as English nobility in Chile.
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is all about Hidden Depths, with the main character learning that first impressions are not the only barometer of a person's character (the dashing charmer turns out to be a scoundrel, the uptight dullard is revealed to be a decent, honourable and caring man, etc). There's a reason Jane Austen initially called it First Impressions.
Queen Sabran IX in The Priory of the Orange Tree. At the start of the book, she seems to be ignorant, sheltered, and arrogant, with absolutely no tolerance for being gainsaid. Ead considers being in her presence unpleasant and dangerous, and only tries to get closer because it would make being her secret bodyguard easier. Then a High Western wyvern, the "right wing" of the world-ending Nameless One, arrives to demand that Inys declare loyalty to his master. Sabran marches right out to meet him and orders him to leave her city or face a defeat the likes of which he's never seen. Although she's mistaken about being shielded by her Heroic Lineage, it's still an act of courage that marks a turning point in how Ead sees her.
Raptor Red — Red's sister is, for most of the story, a manic, easily-angered character who is deeply suspicious of almost every creature that isn't her sister. Imagine Raptor Red's surprise when she finds her playing slide-down-the-snow-hill with a pack of Troodon. "Sister — playful. The concepts do not go together."
In the Red Dwarf novelisations, the character of Arnold J. Rimmer is fleshed out with lots of backstory that explains why he is such a Jerkass as an adult. Sociopathic parents, bullying siblings, thwarted expectations, plus a couple of honest mistakes anyone could have made (Gazpacho soup...) but which paralyze him with embarrassment and reinforce his self-loathing. He becomes more sympathetic as a result; you end up feeling sorry for him. His alter-ego "Ace" Rimmer demonstrates what really is there, deep down, and what Rimmer might still have the potential to become.
Riley McDaniels: Grampy Dawson is introduced as an irresponsible drunk who nearly misses his son-in-law's funeral and then skips town rather than help his family through their grief, but he later starts being there for them more, appreciates classical violin music far different than what he plays in barrooms, and is a Retired Badass brand inspector who is still willing to draw a gun on criminals.
Roys Bedoys: Mr. Master seems like a generic karate teacher, but “It’s Black Friday, Roys Bedoys!” reveals that he also plays video games.
Sans Famille: We first learn there might be more to Vitalis than meets the eye when, during a performance to raise money for a doctor to help the sic Joli-Cœur, Vitalis sings. Remi is bewildered to find out his master can sing, and Vitalis’ singing is praised by a rich lady. Although Vitalis pretends it is nothing, and that he simply used to be a singer's servant, we learn after his death that he indeed was a famous singer once.
The Scholomance: The midway point of the second book fleshes Cora and Jowani out a bit after they previously come across as Flat Characters.
Cora is developing Dance Battler skills for the graduation ceremony and is the first person to say no when an enclaver proposes that the seniors abandon El's plan and save themselves first.
Jowani's apparent aloofness is because he has a Speech Impediment that makes it hard for him to interact with comparative strangers, and every morning he reads a poem about love and hope from a book his father gave him.
The Secret Of The Crystal Castle: Signi the Red used to be an Abhorrent Admirer to Ninisel, who barely escaped marrying him, and now he is a gruff and rude elderly man with a son hanged for murder and two bandit grandchildren. However, it is revealed he is desperately unhappy and wishes he could have been a better man and Ninisel would have stayed with him. The narration implies his feelings for her run deeper than mere lust (as Ninisel believed).
John Watson knew he was a competent surgeon and a decent soldier, but had no idea he was any good at writing until he started keeping a diary of his roommate's adventures which became a best-selling series.
Sherlock Holmes himself: e.g. in "Three Garridebs", he shows a vulnerable side that despite the usual veneer of an exacting, calculating mind does care for Watson very deeply. And despite his famous initial claims in "Study in Scarlet" that he only remembers things he needs which the solar system and other topics like that aren't, he for example often quotes classic literature and probably knows much more about history than strictly necessary for his profession (a typical example being him calling Watson his Boswell). He also later expressly admits to having a bit of an artistic mind as well, and is known to enjoy and actively seek out good music.
In A Song of Ice and Fire, every character has Hidden Depths. However, with some characters, the surface is removed and you find out that underneath, they're worse.
Probably the best example of the first would be Jaime Lannister. For the first two books he comes across like a completely solid jackass and remorseless villain, who more than lives up to his nickname "Kingslayer" and reputation for lack of honor. Once we start getting P.O.V. chapters with him, we see that deep down he's quite honorable, has many noble and redeeming qualities, is highly aware of the horrible things he's done, and eventually desires to try to redeem himself. Finally, the act that gave him his nickname and made him so despised, is in reality possibly one of the more heroic acts brought up in the story.
Joffrey, in spite of his general horribleness, is shown to share some of his uncle Tyrion's intellectual inclinations and has a keen interest in history. Tyrion is shown trying to nurture this aspect of his character, but it sadly doesn't pan out.
The Southern Reach Trilogy: The members of the 12th expedition aren't solely the roles of psychologist, biologist, surveyor and anthropologist. The anthropologist is also an architect, the surveyor is an ex-soldier and takes the role of the team's military expert, and the psychologist is the director of the Southern Reach, while the biologist is purposely intended to be the Spanner in the Works.
Star Wars: Honor Among Thieves: Leia and Scarlet are surprised when Han, who has been having trouble articulating why he's supporting the Rebel cause even after he got his payday in A New Hope, prevents Scarlet from shooting a large swamp monster because he can tell it's not dangerous. Leia is surprised that Han would care, and he explains that partnering with a Wookiee has given him an appreciation for the rights of scary-looking creatures to live. Later, after he implodes the entire planet they're on to keep the No Warping Zone device out of the Empire's hands, he expresses regret at having to kill all the innocent creatures on the planet.
Leia: You keep doing that. Surprising me. Han: I'm a complicated man. Many layers to me.
Jedi Academy Trilogy: The companion sourcebook reveals a lot of interesting tidbits about some of the Maw Installation soldiers and scientists who aren't fleshed out much in the books.
Spear Carrier stormtrooper General Odosk only planned to stay at the base for a year or two to cap off his career before retiring to live with his daughter and grandchildren, but having to stay there for over a decade and go through repetitive and empty training exercises has robbed him of his ability to enjoy imagining a peaceful retirement.
The bureaucratic Yemm, head of the administrative division, is bored by his duties and tries to mitigate this by organizing clubs like a saabac league or musical groups. He also changes his office every few months so he can have a different view, something which often inconveniences his subordinates (with Yemm making this up to them by keeping Sivron from riding them too hard).
Snarky and grumpy artillery engineer Golanda's bitterness is because she was forced to come to the Maw Installation in the first place after being happy at a university think tank, and because the black hole's effect on gravity makes most of the experiments she was brought there to do pointless anyway. She is also the only high-ranking scientist to mingle much with the military personnel, and plays cards with them during her free time .
One scene in Way of Kings has her counting to ten heartbeats, which "means what you think it means". A shardblade takes ten of the owner's heartbeats to summon. The scene means she has one, each of which are considered priceless and rare. Given her culture's sharply defined gender roles, it's practically unheard of for a woman to have one, much less someone with the image she tries to present in public.
Due to her flighty and friendly nature, a lot of people (especially Kaladin) assume she lived an easy and pampered life. Ha.
Shallan: You don't realize it, but you just said something very very funny. Kaladin: Then why aren't you laughing? Shallan: It's not that kind of funny.
Normally, she's cheerfully shy and demure, but when a true life or death situation comes up, she turns into a stone cold killer. She killed her mother as a child with the Shardblade said mother was trying to take from her, strangled her father with the necklace he bought her, and stabbed Tyn (her conwoman mentor) through the heart after a short fight.
Tyn: Sometimes, we must do things we don't like, kid. Difficult things. [Shallan summons her Shardblade and kills Tyn] Shallan: Difficult things. Yes. I believe I told you. I've learned that lesson already. Thank you.
Temeraire: Prince Yongxing, the antagonist of Throne of Jade, is deliberately rude, underhanded, and eventually outright murderous towards the protagonist and his comrades. This leaves Will quite surprised to learn that Yongxing had willingly forfeited his place as Crown Prince to become companion to an albino dragon, who would otherwise have been exiled as a bad omen.
The reason Lilac and Tarver aren't killed with everyone else is that they end up in an escape pod together, and Lilac has the expertise with electrical systems to realise that the pod hasn't deployed, and hotwire things to trigger it herself.
Major Tarver Merendson, field-promoted war hero from a backwater planet. Also the son of a famous poet whose book Lilac owns, and seems to be quite a poet himself.
In The Tillerman Family Series by Cynthia Voigt, it's quicker and easier to count the characters who do not have Hidden Depths than it is to count the ones who do. Nobody is exactly who or what they seem at first, and reputations and early judgments frequently turn out to be unfair, flawed or flat-out wrong.
Book 3 reveals that Detective Mike Turner is just as familiar with the classic Universal monsters as the teens, to the point of reminding them that Henry Frankenstein was just a student and therefore Herr Frankenstein in the movie, not Doctor Frankenstein.
Likewise, Captain Bob thinks of high school senior Oscar Morales as just a dumb jock, but his biology teacher reveals that Oscar's actually very smart and a natural for surgery.
In Black Legion, Telemachon Lyras is at first considered to be little more than one of hedonistic, sensation-seeking, Slaanesh-worshiping psychopaths of the Emperor's Children. However, it's revealed he does seek a purpose beyond hedonism and is, most prominently, the first character to get the Anamnesis to show human emotions by giving a surprisingly heartfelt account of Chemos's legends.
In First & Only, Dorden, The Medic, improvises an explanation for a wounded Naval man that not only shifts the blame from them but puts it on their opponents. When the troopers with him comment, he reveals he had been an amateur actor.
In Traitor General, Mkvenner reveals that he knows Old Gothic. Better than Gaunt does, even.
In Honour Guard, although Hark has been assigned to the Ghosts to bring down Gaunt, he capably assists Gaunt's mission, even after Gaunt decides to defy orders (although he does try to arrest him immediately, until it is clearly impracticable.
Horus Heresy: Perturabo has, before "Angel Exterminatus", either been ignored entirely or portrayed as the bitter siege specialist his Legion is known for being. In that book, however, it turns out that he has a solid grounding in his homeworld's classical mythology, and his greatest dream is to build cities, universities and monuments, rather than grey slabs encrusted in guns and barbed wire. A lot of his bitterness came about because nobody, including his father the Emperor, actually cared enough about him to learn this.
Wax and Wayne: Steris initially comes off as a stoic, fussy, and small-minded woman obsessed with paperwork. Over the course of the books, it becomes clear that she's both more fragile and more empathic than she seems, plus a teeny tiny adrenaline fetish. In Bands of Mourning, she is extremely nervous before the wedding, and reveals that while she knows she can't plan for everything, she at least feels better for trying.
The Women's Room: Clarissa may be sheltered and from a nice middle-class family, but one thing she keeps quiet is that when she was a student, she worked with a neighbourhood programme in Roxbury, teaching ghetto children to read, and eventually had to leave when funding was cut off under the Nixon government. In-universe, Val sees Mira as having Hidden Depths on learning about Mira's suicide attempt., saying that she found her shallow at first, but that Mira had deepened over the past few years and, to quote Val, "the fact you tried to knock yourself off tells me you always had strong feelings."
A darker version occurs with Natalie's husband Hamp earlier in the novel. He's a mild, lazy, unassuming sort of guy…who writes pornographic torture fiction about women, including his wife and mother, and love letters to Mira.
B's father in the Zom-B series. At first, he seems like nothing more than a wife-beater and a violent racist. But at the end of the first book he storms B's school and saves as many of the kids as he can. And later he expresses that he really does love his wife, by choosing to die with her.
