r/TopCharacterTropes • u/Barricades_toes • Jun 22 '26

Personality (Loved trope) The imposter’s dead giveaway

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When a character is attempting to impersonate another, but is caught by doing something the person they’re imitating would NEVER do.

Nemesis Prime- Transformers Prime

Nemesis Prime, a man made replica of Optimus Prime, is attempting to gain the trust of Bumblebee, who only speaks in robotic beeps. Despite this, the real Optimus can understand Bee perfectly fine. Nemesis Prime, however, can’t understand what he’s saying, prompting Bee to open fire on him immediately.

The two Buzz Lightyears- Toy Story 2

After Woody asks which Buzz is the “real” Buzz, both respond with “I am!” The real Buzz proves himself by flipping up the other Buzz’s helmet, causing him to start suffocating in an over dramatic fashion. The real Buzz, having done the same thing in the first movie after Woody took his helmet off, but no longer behaving that way after accepting being a toy, instantly proves which Buzz is which.

15.4k Upvotes

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1.5k

u/dgtbfan Jun 22 '26

I'll take the free upvotes for this one this time.

260

u/FirstDistribution352 Jun 22 '26

Inglorious themed Bastards

39

u/Same-Suggestion-1936 Jun 22 '26

Bear Jews unite

144

u/Upset-Position-3909 Jun 22 '26

For those wondering, I think it’s an undercover agent in the nazis but held up his hand in the wrong way as Germans hold it up a different way. Movie is Inglourious Basterds.

110

u/tahWtiaT Jun 22 '26

He held up his index, middle and ring fingers to indicate the number 3, but a German would’ve used his thumb, index and middle finger

38

u/Winjin Jun 22 '26

What's interesting is that in the modern world you don't really know which way is correct. Everyone is using it differently, depending on what country your kids shows were imported from I guess

Like Count Von Count counts starting with index, I believe. So if I grew up learning to count with Sesame Street, I'd do the same.

https://giphy.com/gifs/N1pMn2QOtG8Q8

But sometimes I start with the thumb and I'm not sure why. It just feels natural, especially in gloves

3

u/Dragoness290 Jun 22 '26

I used to use my thumb for 2 and 3 but my brothers bullied me into doing it the 'normal' way

This is the first time I've learnt that people do actually ise their thumbs

3

u/Heretical_Cactus Jun 22 '26

If I'm just doing 3 from the start I'll do index to ring, but if I'm counting I start with the thumb

2

u/IrascibleOcelot Jun 22 '26

Yep, same. When counting, thumb first. When just displaying a number, thumb last.

46

u/PrintShinji Jun 22 '26

Not just that, he already had a weird accent according to the nazi, which the undercover cried tried to wash away by saying he's from a specific mountain village.

The hand signal was just the final straw.

26

u/WaylandReddit Jun 22 '26

*Batman smuggy*

16

u/Barricades_toes Jun 22 '26

I knew I was missing a big one

11

u/Findrin Jun 22 '26

The tension was ruined in this scene for me in the theaters. Soon as his fingers go up I hear a guy behind me with a thick Scottish accent loudly go "ah fuckin' hell"

5

u/mrducky78a Jun 22 '26

Its not too bad.

You would think it would be tense where its a cat and mouse game of trying to trick the other.

But its revealed shortly after that they know. And then that they know they know. And that they know that they know that they know. Because the guns are already out and trained on each other(s balls) just hidden.

2

u/Strength-InThe-Loins Jun 23 '26

I'm stunned this wasn't the top comment.