Confused Question Mark: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

The question mark is a common, handy visual representation of confusion, surprise, or just being plain weirded out. It can manifest as several question marks floating around the nonplussed character's head, a single such symbol hovering over the character, or pop up as the contents of a thought bubble (or a regular [[Speech Bubble]], in which case it seems to represent the "huh?" sound. Compare [[Visible Silence]].)

 

See also [[My Name Is ???]], where it is used as a symbol of the unknown. Compare [[Alertness Blink]].

 

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* In the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' episode where Joey is [[Wager Slave|forced to wear a dog suit]], he actually [[Talking with Signs|holds a sign with a question mark on it]] when he's confused about Dungeon Dice Monster's rules.

** Episode 15. Taro has a question mark appear above his head several times when he's puzzled.

* ''[[One Piece]]'': Used by the Gorgon sisters and [[Idiot Hero|Luffy]] when they find out the latter is immune to [[Defrosting Ice Queen|Hancock]]'s [[Taken for Granite|petrification powers]].

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* Very common in ''[[Tintin]]''. The page picture is from the end of ''The Secret of the [[Cool Boat|Unicorn]]''.

 

* In ''[[Aladdin (Disney film)|Aladdin]]'', the Genie's ponytail forms a question mark as he wonders what riding animal to turn Abu into.

 

== [[Literature]] ==

 

* Not sure if the scene from ''[[Lost]]'' where Eko goes to the other hatch counts. There's a giant "?" on the ground.

 

* Nospikes from ''[[Commander Keen]] 6'' like to charge at you, but if they run off a ledge, they stand in mid-air for a while and a question mark appears above their head before they fall.

* In ''[[Cave Story]]'', trying to examine an object without something to examine will cause a questionmark to pop up.

* When a soldier in ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' sees something unusual a question mark appears above their head (followed by an exclamation mark if they see you).

* In ''[[Ōkamiden|Okamiden]]'', since Chibiterasu relies on his [[Exposition Fairy|partners for exposition]], any time you try to examine something without your partner, all you get is a whimper and a ? above Chibi's head.

** Also, [[Sonic Adventure|the Chao]] sometimes turn the floating balls atop their heads into question-marks.

 

* [http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=1&p=000060 This] ''[[Jail Break]]'' page (and several others like it.)

* In ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'', the Goo has a single question mark over one of its heads [http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-11-18 here].

* In the [[Classic Disney Short]] ''A Gentleman's Gentleman'', as [[Pluto the Pup]] wonders how to get a gumball from a gumball machine, one of his ears forms a question mark.

 

* Chess notation marks bad moves with one question mark, blunders (very bad moves) with two.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Sequential Art]]

[[Category:Stock Visual Metaphors]]