Characters who are Sour Outside, Sad Inside in Western Animation.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender:
- Prince Zuko is short-tempered, arrogant, demanding, and selfish (though with enough Pet the Dog moments to make it clear he's not all bad), and even after his eventual Heel–Face Turn, he is noticeably more brooding and serious than the others. He is also deeply hurt inside, and once his backstory is revealed in full, it's very easy to see why.
- Zuko's sister Azula as well. Daddy's favorite little girl is competent, ruthless, savage, and brutal, but then you see some different sides to her at "The Beach" and then repeated "betrayals" and blows to her psyche send her on an epic Villainous Breakdown that can elicit pity and sadness. Unlike Zuko, where it's all spelled out for the viewer, Azula's story requires some homework from the viewer to figure out.
- BoJack Horseman:
- BoJack is a bitter, sarcastic, heavy-drinking old washout who treats even his best friends like crap, but in reality, is experiencing very deep depression (resulting in substance abuse and anxiety attacks). In the first episode, his roommate Todd points out that BoJack must be a good person inside because he still hasn't kicked Todd out despite him living on his couch and not paying rent. As the series develops, it becomes apparent that just because BoJack is deeply depressed, it doesn't justify or excuse his behavior.BoJack: [holding his hand over a lit oven range] Nothing on the outside, nothing on the inside. Nothing on the outside, nothing on the inside.
- Used for Sarah Lynn in the same show. She's presented as an Attention Whore, Hard-Drinking Party Girl, Addled Addict who has little to no respect for others. However, as more of her character is shown, it's presented as though she's what BoJack would be like if he were a human female, somewhere around two decades younger...who'd actually had further success after ''Horsin' Around'' stopped airing. In her very first appearance, she makes some comments that are very telling.BoJack: [in response to her saying she'll just find another place to go on a bender] Well you... should not... do that...
Sarah Lynn: Oh, I know. I know, but I can, so I will. I'm at a point in my life where I never have to "grow as a person" or "rise to any occasions", so I can just keep surrounding myself with sycophants and enablers until I die tragically young.
BoJack: Wh-what?
Sarah Lynn: Yeah, it's pretty much too late for me.
- BoJack is a bitter, sarcastic, heavy-drinking old washout who treats even his best friends like crap, but in reality, is experiencing very deep depression (resulting in substance abuse and anxiety attacks). In the first episode, his roommate Todd points out that BoJack must be a good person inside because he still hasn't kicked Todd out despite him living on his couch and not paying rent. As the series develops, it becomes apparent that just because BoJack is deeply depressed, it doesn't justify or excuse his behavior.
- Codename: Kids Next Door: Numbuh 86 is Jerkass Straw Feminist who seems to enjoy insulting just about every operative unfortunate enough to deal with her. But "Operation: S.L.U.M.B.E.R" reveals that she's firmly The Friend Nobody Likes because of this, even if she does share common interests with some of the other girls and, even if she denies it, she does really want to be friends with other kids, which is best shown through this exchange between her and Numbuh 3.Numbuh 86: I know it's unusual, but my mom is forcing me to throw a slumber party and... I had to invite someone.
Numbuh Three: Why didn't you invite some of your own friends?
(Numbuh 86 hangs her head)
Numbuh Three: Oh. - In Duckman, it's hinted on many occasions that the reason the titular character lashes out so much is that he never got over the death of his wife which he (accidentally) caused. As revealed in the final episode, she was alive the entire time.
- Eddy from Ed, Edd n Eddy is revealed to be this in The Movie. He acts like a total bastard, treating everyone like crap (even his own friends) and doing everything to get as much money as he can. However, it's all a deliberate act and he only behaves like his older brother (who abused him physically and emotionally) to be popular and hiding his own pain and suffering. Everyone in the show found this in horror, and his admission and regret of all his mistakes lead him (and the other Eds) to be accepted by the other kids.
- Gravity Falls: Stan Pines. He acts like a quintessential grumpy old codger who never thinks about anything beyond the next customer he's going to rip off, but his Harsher in Hindsight past and Word of God make it clear that underneath it all, he's a very sad, lonely man.
- Angel Dust from Hazbin Hotel is an unabashed prostitute/porn star/gangster who does drugs and insults people on the regular. However, "Addict" reveals that most of it is to escape from the harsh realities inflicted upon him by Valentino. "Masquerade" spells it out even clearer, with him admitting to Husk that he acts the way he does in hopes that if he becomes broken enough, Valentino will finally free him.
- In Hey Arnold!, Helga G. Pataki is portrayed as this. She is as mean as possible to everyone on the outside, bullying, dictatorial, and unsympathetic, but a flashback to when she was three shows that she is simply putting the act on because she is scared that if she isn't a bully, people will bully her. Therefore, although she frequently shows her personality as a hopeless romantic with a lot of creativity when she's alone and does sometimes make sacrifices for those she cares about, she tries her hardest to keep those parts of herself hidden.
- Kaeloo: Mr. Cat. In one episode, he actually admits to Kaeloo that he's actually hiding his vulnerable side by being a jerk to everyone, and after getting shot with Truth Serum in another episode he's actually on the verge of tears.
- William Murderface of Metalocalypse. This is even lampshaded when a psychologist working for the series' Omniscient Council of Vagueness analyses him.
- My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
- Babs Seed is a particularly nasty example of bully compared to the show's usual duo of Alpha Bitches. Later, Applejack reveals to the Cutie Mark Crusaders (her victims) that Babs herself was picked on back in her hometown because of her mark-less flank. After things are explained among the five of them, everything goes for the better, and Babs starts appearing in a far more positive light.
- Of a sorts, Discord is this. Before befriending the ponies, his more jerkass actions are usually because he feels jealous or left out. It has been theorized that this is a side effect of being raised poorly.
- The Owl House: Hunter acts cocky and sarcastic, but deep down is very insecure about his usefulness to the Emperor, to the point where Luz describes him as "a bad but sad boy". This is further exemplified after he defects from the Emperor's Coven, and hides his terror about being arrested and killed behind snippy comments, Death Glares, and general grumpy demeanor. He becomes significantly nicer after his Heel–Face Turn, but is still prone to picking petty fights when under stress.
- Ready Jet Go!: Mitchell's jerk facade? It's all an act to keep up appearances. Mitchell can be rude, sarcastic, and blunt, not to mention that he constantly pushes others away from him because he "doesn't do friends". But on the inside, he's a lonely kid who has a hard time making friends and fitting in. All he wants is to have friends and to be taken seriously as a detective, but he expresses these desires in rather unhealthy ways. With the help of Jet and his friends, Mitchell slowly but surely breaks out of his shell and becomes a trusted ally and friend of Team Propulsion.
- Yellow Diamond in Steven Universe is the most bitter and impatient of the Diamonds, but deep down truly loved Pink in spite of her cold attitude toward her and on the inside is grieving over her just as much as Blue Diamond.
- Thomas & Friends: In "Hector the Horrid", Hector was acting aggressive because he was scared to be filled with coal.
