Many anime heroes assume another persona or appearance to keep their real identities secret while they fight crime, start rebellions, or just try to survive. From shojo heroines to shonen protagonists, secret identities and alter egos are a great way for characters to remain safe and anonymous.
Even if the characters aren't on the run from fearsome villains or ominous situations, having a secret identity helps them achieve their goals. However, these identities don't always remain secret. There is always the threat of their secret identities being revealed, leaving them exposed and vulnerable.
10 Zero Was Finally Exposed To Be Lelouch In Code Geass
Lelouch Lamperouge wanted to stop his family's tyranny in Code Geass. He belonged to the Royal Britannian family, which had taken over Japan and ruled with an iron fist. Part of his plan to inspire rebellion included assuming a masked alter ego named Zero. Zero became the face of the rebellion and served to keep Lelouch from being discovered.
Though the audience knew of Lelouch and his secret identity, it takes a while for any clueless main characters to finally catch onto who Zero was. Lelouch even dies as Zero at the hands of his childhood friend, Suzaku Kururugi.
9 All Might Was Revealed To Be A Different Person Without Using One For All In My Hero Academia
When fans first see All Might, no one seems to recognize him, which would typically be unthinkable for My Hero Academia's Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace. However, when he is not using the One For All Quirk, All Might's appearance drastically changes. He goes from a tall, incredibly muscular heroic figure, to a lanky, wiry, average guy.
All Might worked hard to keep this a secret from the world because the role of All Might was so important to the public and their feelings of safety and hope. However, the other heroes and many of the students soon find out about All Might's secret thanks to his fight with All For One.
8 Professor Ursula Was Shiny Chariot The Entire Time In Little Witch Academia
Shiny Chariot was a famous witch in Little Witch Academia who performed magic shows that many children found exciting, but there was a dark secret. The shows were stealing those children's powers. When Chariot found this out, she was devastated and renounced her life as a famous witch to work at an academy as Professor Ursula Callistis.
Professor Ursula did not want to be found out by her students. She wanted to lay low and try her best to atone for her past mistakes after being manipulated into stealing people's magic. However, when her manipulator enters the story once more, Ursula's secret is exposed to the student she wanted to hide from most.
7 Jellal Was Disguised As Mystogan For A Long Time In Fairy Tail
Mystogan was a masked figure that worked within the eponymous Fairy Tail guild. As their name would suggest, they kept an air of mystery around them, and no one knew why. However, after Erza Scarlet and Jellal Fernandes' tumultuous relationship and redemption story, Mystogan's true appearance became less of a mystery.
It turned out that Mystogan was Jellal, though it was not the same Jellal that Erza knew. Still, Mystogan knew Erza and Jellal's tense past since he was a version of Jellal, himself. He tried to keep his identity a secret, which worked for a time, but it was always destined to be revealed.
6 In Maid Sama!, Takumi Discovered Misaki's Double Life As A Maid
Misaki Ayuzawa had a reputation as a cold, man-hating Student Council President in Maid Sama!. She fought for women's place within the school system and thought she would need to maintain a hardened exterior to pull that off. However, she had a secret that no one at school knew about: She had a secret life as a Maid Latte employee.
Misaki was a lot different outside of school and she wanted to keep that life a secret. Unfortunately for her, Takumi Usui found out. Eventually, these two started a romantic relationship, but there were plenty of shenanigans and antics to get through first.
5 Yato's Past As A Destructive God Was A Point Of Shame In Noragami
Yato used to be a god of destruction in Noragami, but he wanted to leave that identity behind and become a new person. He wanted to grant wishes and be a benevolent force on the world. To that end, he tried to keep his past self a secret, especially from his close friends, such as Hiyori Iki and Yukine.
Yato eventually had to share his past, but his friends still accepted him. After all, he had been manipulated by his "father" for a lot of that time.
4 Zuko's Stint As The Blue Spirit Was Not Sneaky Enough In Avatar: The Last Airbender
Zuko started as a villain in Avatar: The Last Airbender, but just because he was originally an antagonistic force does not mean he didn't help the series protagonist, Aang, on occasion. When Aang was captured, Zuko took the persona of the Blue Spirit and broke him out of captivity. He also tried to do the same with Appa after Appa was chained up underneath Lake Laogai.
However, people were wise to his secret identity. His Uncle Iroh followed him under Lake Laogai and questioned him. Eventually, Zuko hung up the mask for good. Later, Zuko even redeems himself and becomes one of the series' heroes.
3 Haku Was The River In Spirited Away
Although Haku, the dragon-like spirit, was more of a deuteragonist in Spirited Away, Haku cared about Chihiro and wanted to help her despite not always knowing how. Everyone at the bathhouse had another identity, but the witch Yubaba stole those identities and created new ones for her employees so she could magically control them.
However, after her experience, Chihiro remembered Haku's real name: He was a real Japanese river. Though Haku did not know his true identity during the movie, Chihiro was able to remember it, in part thanks to Haku's advice for her to remember her name despite being given the name "Sen" by Yubaba.
2 Mikado Ryugamine Was Revealed To Be The Dollars' Leader In Durarara!!
The Dollars were an online gang in Durarara!! that worked differently than traditional groups like Masaomi Kida's gang. Part of their appeal was that no one knew who started the Dollars or who would contact them for activity. Mikado Ryugamine was an unassuming kid who appeared shy, unconfident, and reliant on his friends.
However, toward the end of the series, Mikado reveals his status as the creator of the Dollars to his friends. Due to the Dollars' overwhelming influence in Shibuya, his friends were able to use his reputation to get out of a hairy situation.
1 Usagi Found Out Mamoru Was Tuxedo Mask In Sailor Moon
No one in Sailor Moon has a particularly well-kept or iron-clad secret identity. In fact, they all look much the same in their hero personas as they do in their everyday roles. Since it's a children's show, their identities somehow always remain intact until the characters want to reveal them.
That's why Tuxedo Mask, who was actually Usagi's crush Mamoru, took so long to reveal his identity. The audience knew the truth about Tuxedo Mask due to his and Mamoru's striking resemblance and incredibly convenient timing, but it was a shock to Usagi.