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[JJShadow]

Please use spoilers when needed

So I finished Zero Escape: 999 (a superb visual novel) today and I was thinking that one of the things that contribute to the creation of that creepy atmosphere the game has is the fact that Zero, the main villain, wears a mask and its identity it's not revealed until the very end of the game

I was curious about which other villains (or characters in general) hide their identity during most of the game by using a mask, hood, etc

 

[AAK]

Infamous was pretty good about this.

Kessler's identity was a pretty good plot twist:

EDIT: Also really liked Infamous 2 where you find out who the true identity of the beast right before the final mission

 

[Astral Dog]

Virtue Last Reward and Zero Time Dilemma

 

[the_sun_king]

Persona 4 did this.

Spoiler

Only at the very end do you discover that Izanami is the conductor.

 

[Astral Dog]

Who knew

Spoiler

Jill Valentine

was alive after all?

 

[PSqueak]

Final boss of the neutral run of Undertale is incredibly unexpected because at first

Spoiler

You assume flowey was just an early area one time exposition character

but then comes back in the end to reveal their plan, at first it feels a little out of the left field but as you unlock the true ending, it all fits into place.

 

[The Silver]

Who knew

Spoiler

Jill Valentine

was alive after all?

why the heck did you spoiler tag that when it says its Jill in the pic

 

[Bergerac]

why the heck did you spoiler tag that when it says its Jill in the pic

LOL

Also, Kessler? Telegraphed the first time you even see him.

 

[daxy]

Deadly Premonition did this thing pretty well. Really great payoff.

Persona 4 did this.

Spoiler

Only at the very end do you discover that Izanami is the conductor.

Spoiler

My main issue with that reveal is that you don't even know that this person was relevant at all until the very end.

 

[Green Mamba]

Persona 4 did this.

Not exactly. No villain in Persona 4 directly disguises their identity by way of mask or hood or anything. Most hide in plain sight, and the one who does actually disguise themselves just wears a hat and uniform and counts on you simply not knowing they exist.
Edit: missed your edit.

 

[Rellik]

Persona 4 did this.

Spoiler

Only at the very end do you discover that Izanami is the conductor.

And that's if you get the good ending. If not, you don't even find out.

 

[Astral Dog]

why the heck did you spoiler tag that when it says its Jill in the pic

thats as obvious as Capcom made it

 

[Strangelove77]

why the heck did you spoiler tag that when it says its Jill in the pic

Hahahaha that's messed up.

 

[kc44135]

Well,

Spoiler

Albert Wesker

isn't revealed to be the bad guy until near the end of the original Resident Evil. Of course, he doesn't hide his true identity with a hood or cloak or anything like that, just a killer pair of

Spoiler

sunglasses

.

 

[Dryk]

Spec Ops: The Line

Spoiler

The "villain" died a long time ago but you hallucinate that they still exist so you don't have to face up to what you've done in the name of finding/stopping them

 

[the_sun_king]

Spoiler

My main issue with that reveal is that you don't even know that this person was relevant at all until the very end.

Spoiler

True, but if you know your Japanese creation myth/pay attention to the big exposition dump that also serves as foreshadowing when the party visits Gekkoukan, you can possibly deduce that Izanami is involved in some way. Possibly.

 

[bachikarn]

Viewtiful Joe iirc

 

[Falchion]

The Arkham Knight does even though some would argue they saw the identity coming from the beginning.

 

[hydruxo]

Comstock in Bioshock Infinite

 

[Dryk]

Comstock in Bioshock Infinite

That's actually a really good one. Burial at Sea Part 1 may also count depending on your point of view.

 

[antitrop]

Spec Ops: The Line

Spoiler

The "villain" died a long time ago but you hallucinate that they still exist so you don't have to face up to what you've done in the name of finding/stopping them

And here that scene is recreated in Source Filmmaker with Team Fortress 2 characters, because why not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjdDyvGE8gE

 

[Nikodemos]

Anachronox.

Spoiler

Why, Grumpos, why?!?

 

[jroc74]

Infamous was pretty good about this.

Kessler's identity was a pretty good plot twist:

EDIT: Also really liked Infamous 2 where you find out who the true identity of the beast right before the final mission

This is the first thing I thought of.

Spec OPs is a good one too.

 

[hobozero]

Silent hill 2

Spoiler

 

[NegroNinja]

The reveal of who Revan was at the end of Knights of the Old Republic still sticks with me.

 

[PSqueak]

Viewtiful Joe iirc

Funnily enough, on replays

Spoiler

You can see clearly Six Majin is fighting King Blue on the very first cut scene, basically setting up that the spirit of justice inside Captain Blue was defeated by his resentment.

 

[Blablurn]

Silent hill 2

Spoiler

Good example

 

[bobawesome]

Virtue Last Reward and Zero Time Dilemma

Spoiler

In the case of Zero Time Dilemma it's extremely obvious who the villain is going in.

 

[SOR5]

Spoiler

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

Spoiler

In the case of Zero Time Dilemma it's extremely obvious who the villain is going in.

WAT?

I figured out who it was in Virtue's Last Reward, but I had no clue when it came to 999 and ZTD.

 

[Kinsei]

Spoiler

In the case of Zero Time Dilemma it's extremely obvious who the villain is going in.

Spoiler

The blind deaf man that you have no clue is even in the room? How is that obvious?

 

[Taruranto]

Yakuza 2 comes to mind.

 

[daxy]

Spoiler

In the case of Zero Time Dilemma it's extremely obvious who the villain is going in.

This character's presence is so contrived that it soured the entire ending for me tbh.

 

[Dr. Black Jack]

Deadly Premonition is GOAT for this.

 

[Layell]

Sort of in The World Ends With You with the fact that

Spoiler

Joshua is the composer, and was planning on destroying Shibuya, the conductor while looking like he was destroying Shibuya was trying to save it in his own way. Of course in the end Neku convinces Joshua not to be an evil dick, so that helped.

 

[Pancake Mix]

Not a pure example, but Final Fantasy IX does this in a way by throwing a final boss that comes out of absolutely NOWHERE at the last possible minute:

Spoiler

Necron

 

[Killer Queen]

Darksiders 1 where

Spoiler

The head angel dude really turns out to be working with/one of the demons and he's the one that orchestrated the apocalypse, framing you in the process.

 

[Bizzquik]

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence

 

[ItIsOkBro]

Jet Force Gemini

Spoiler

fuck that bear

 

[RecRoulette]

Spec Ops: The Line

Spoiler

The "villain" died a long time ago but you hallucinate that they still exist so you don't have to face up to what you've done in the name of finding/stopping them

This is what I was going to post

 

[ScherzoPrime]

Danganronpa 1 Spoiler:

Spoiler

JUNKO MOTHERFUCKING ENOSHIMA

 

[Brine]

Spoiler

In the case of Zero Time Dilemma it's extremely obvious who the villain is going in.

How'd you figure it out in the beginning

Spoiler

when the character hardly even existed at that point, unless we're talking very broad here

 

[epmode]

stuff

Maybe you should remove the picture and text and just say the name of the game.

I would have been annoyed if I hadn't already played it.

 

[jesu]

Lost Odyssey
Or was that telegraphed from the very beginning?

 

[Simply Sami]

Does Arkham Knight count?

 

[old]

I hate this. A few final fantasies did this and I'm still bummed by it.

 

[Smirfu]

MGS

Spoiler

Liquid Snake posing as Master Miller

. A great plot twist too.

 

[Saven]

Syphon Filter 2

Spoiler

Well I guess technically Chance wasn't the main villain, but that had to be mentioned and was the final boss.

 

[selo]

Spoiler for tits

Spoiler

for got his name, archaeologist guy youb stumble upon on each dungeon

 

[Dermee]

Does Arkham Knight count?

Nah... they advertised the villain throughout, and most that have any familiarity with Batman likely had an idea and knew fairly early in.