He Who Must Not Be Seen: Difference between revisions

 

See also [[Ultimate Evil]]. Compare with [[He Who Must Not Be Heard]].

 

* The Dancing Giant ghost in ''[[Haunted Junction]]'' is only seen from the knee down, and generally only one leg at a time. He's that big.

* In ''Taro Kid''/''Skyers 5'' (name varies depending on jurisdiction) the [[Big Bad]] (head of a SPECTRE-like criminal organization) is only ever seen from behind his chair.

* The Sacred Ancestor, the Vampire King [[Dracula]] remains unseen save for flashbacks where he receives no physical description save for his [[Red Eyes, Take Warning|eyes]] in all mediums of ''[[Vampire Hunter D]]''.

 

* Ben Grimm often speaks fondly of his dear Aunt Petunia, but she's never been seen.

 

== Films ==

* In the 1980 Claymation educational film ''Dinosaurs!'', neither the main character Phillip nor his classmates are ever actually shown, and his teacher is only briefly seen from behind. When this film was released to home video in 1987, new scenes were added with Phillip being played by Fred Savage. The new footage featured Phillip's unseen mother, as well as a mysterious female voice who educates him on dinosaurs.

* The Soviet premier in ''[[Dr. Strangelove]]''.

* Roxy Carmichael from the 1990 movie ''Welcome Home Roxy Carmichael''.

** Mainly because he's in Russia, which is only shown in the movie as a background-shot.

* [[James Bond|Blofeld]] ([[The Blofeld Ploy|yeah, him]]) actually started out this way.

* Sir Not Appearing in the Film from ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]''.

* The title character in ''Edward, My Son'' is never seen onscreen. Everything we know about him we hear from other people.

* Much like Dr. Claw Mr. Feather's boss "The Man" from ''[[Undercover Brother]]'' only the back of his head and his hands are seen.

 

== Literature ==

* Bod from ''[[The Graveyard Book]]'' never sees the Sleer {{spoiler|until the end of the book}}.

* Matai Shang, [[Priest King|Holy Hekkador]] of the [[Path of Inspiration|Holy Therns]] in [[John Carter of Mars]] hovers around the edges of the second book, ''The Gods of Mars'' without ever putting in a direct appearance. He finally shows up in the next book, ''The Warlord of Mars'', where he's half of the [[Big Bad Duumvirate]].

 

* This trope fits the grossly oversized Stan ([[Take Our Word for It|or so we are told]]) from ''[[Will and Grace]]'' to a tee.

** His hand is seen in one episode, grabbing at Karen's breast.

** Sarah, the town telephone operator.

** Then, of course, there was "Juanita," the waitress that Barney sometimes flirted with on the telephone.

** The camp's P.A. announcer was both this and [[The Voice]].

** The characters' loved ones back in the States, obviously...although some of them did "appear" via home movie, including Henry's wife Larraine, Frank's wife Louise, B.J.'s wife Peg, and Radar's mother (played by [[Uncanny Family Resemblance|Gary Burghoff in drag]]).

** B.J.'s wife Peg appears again in the surreal episode "Dreams", in a depressing [[Nightmare Sequence]] that is meant to show how much he misses her and how he believes the war has pulled him away from her. Naturally, everyone else is suffering a case of this throughout this particular episode.

** Colonel Potter's wife in the states, Mildred, does not appear in the main series (save as a photograph on his desk), but is a regular character (played by [[The Other Darrin|two different actresses]]) in the short-lived spin-off ''[[AfterMASH]]''.

** Also, Al's mother.

*** Wilson's mother.

* Bernie "the bolt" on ''[[The Golden Shot]]''.

* Nils' mother Elna in the first season of Norwegian sitcom ''Mot I Brøstet'', only referred to and heard through one-sided phone calls for the first 7 episodes. The sequel series ''Karl&Co'' did the same with Ulf's wife Magda, who stayed unrevealed throughout the entire series.

* Howard Wolowitz's mother on ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'' is never seen, but her voice is constantly ringing out around his home.

* Peggy's mother in ''[[Married... with Children]]''. She is implied to be ''amazingly'' obese, so perhaps the idea is that the camera couldn't have fit her in?

* In ''[[Keeping Up Appearances]]'', Violet ''was'' this for the earlier series. She eventually made her full-time appearance as a character later in the run.

* ''[[The Cosby Show]]'': Kenny's chauvinist older brother.

* The Inquizitor on [[Inquizition]].

* Angela Valentine was a girl in Beaver's class at Grant Avenue Elementary School in ''[[Leave It to Beaver]]''. She was mentioned in no fewer than 16 episodes throughout the series' run. Usually concerning her sixth toe or getting sick in class, having a real gold filling, the eating of library paste, winning a tool chest at the local theater, suggesting (and then winning) a class beauty contest, losing her bike plate on the playground, bringing a "baked Alaskan" to the cake sale, getting her extra toe cut off, calling Beaver a "dirty, rotten, smelly old apple," having a birthday party, getting sick in the back of the school bus and wearing a Jackie Kennedy wig to school. (She is shown very briefly in 2 episodes but only from behind and later running or walking by. No one seems to know who played the part.)

** The only time "Ugly Naked Guy" appeared on-screen, he was shot from the back (and thankfully above the waist).

* First boss Mr. Bell in ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]''. His voice is frequently heard over intercom, but he doesn't appear on-screen until the end of the first season (in which he's been fired).

* ''[[The Royle Family]]'', which rarely leaves the confines of one house, creates a whole community of characters only ever described by the core cast. Chiefly; Jim and Barbara's neighbour 'Leggings' Lorraine, the housebound Elsie (who lives in the same flats as 'Nana' Norma and whose eventual death provides the background to an episode in the third series) and Dave's best friends Tony Macca and Gary. Most memorable though is Tony's supposedly tarty - and well-endowed - younger sister, Beverley.

** Some characters are talked about in several episodes before we do eventually get a glimpse of them, including Anthony's best friend Darren and girlfriend Emma (plus her parents). Dave's parents were also regularly mentioned but didn't appear onscreen until the 2008 Christmas special. In addition, crucial aspects of Norma's character are introduced in the very first episode, when she makes a phone call to the Royle household, but it's not until later in the series that we see and hear her.

* Kimmy Gibbler's parents from ''[[Full House]]'' is regularly mentioned by Kimmy, but is never shown onscreen.

* Felix’s ex-wife Gloria did not appear until the second season of ''[[The Odd Couple]]''.

* John Bracken, studio head and title character of ''[[Brackens World]]'', was not seen until season two.

* Caroline's father, Martin, in ''[[Two Broke Girls]]''. Justified since he's in jail, but both she and Max have been shown talking to him on her phone.

* Until the last season Morty Fine, Fran's father, from ''[[The Nanny]]''.

 

== [[Newspaper Comics]] ==

* The title characters in George Herriman's early 20th century strip ''[[The Family Upstairs]]''. They live on the top floor of an apartment building and cause endless problems for the poor souls situated below them.

** This also applied to the title characters in another early strip, Pom Momand's ''Keeping Up with the Joneses''.

 

== Pro Wrestling ==

* ''[[WWE Raw]]'' has an anonymous general manager who only communicates to whomever's in the arena via e-mails sent to [[Michael Cole]].

* [[Vince Russo]] was this at the beginning of his WCW tenure as "The Powers That Be," and vowed never to show his face. After he was fired and re-hired, he showed his face for the first time in WCW.

 

== Puppet Shows ==

* Scooter's uncle, the theater owner, was supposed to be this on ''[[The Muppet Show]]''. He actually ''did'' appear in a couple of season 2 episodes, but the writers decided he was better kept unseen for the force of the gag.

 

* One who really defies categorization is the character of Vern from any of the late comedian Jim Varney's ''Ernest'' routines since the action was always told in first-person fashion from Vern's perspective, allowing the audience to essentially be that character.

** Sometimes Vern's hands were seen, such as when Ernest got his hands caught in the window and asks for help, and the audience sees Vern's hands simply closing the blinds.

** "George...don't do that."

 

 

== Theater ==

* In the games [[Betrayal at Krondor]] and [[Return to Krondor]], there is a character called the Crawler. The Crawler is never seen or heard, only mentioned through conversations and letters. What is known for certain is that the Crawler is some sort of crime boss, and is assumed to be male. He has an agent named Bear, who is very dangerous on his own. He also has powerful connections (one letter from a powerful man in a land called Kesh warns his niece to "Beware the master of Durbin. The Crawler's plot is a web within a web."). It is too bad a game has not made where you actually get to fight this guy.

* The protagonist in the game [[In the 1st Degree]] is prosecutor Sterling Granger. The character is male, and you can hear his voice. However, he is never seen in the game.

 

== Web Comics ==

* By the time Gordon Freeman arrives in ''[[Concerned]]'', you only get to see his arm (and weapon he's holding.) Sometimes he is in full view, but so far away you can't make out any detail.

* In ''[[Blip]]'', K's roommate is only shown in silhouette, and never named.

* ''[[Erfworld]]'s'' Charlie, much like [[Charlie's Angels|his real-world namesake,]] is never seen by ''anyone'' except a select few of his highest Archons. If he needs to send a [[Telepathy|Thinkagram]] to someone, he'll appear to them as a variety of whimsical symbols that either [http://www.erfworld.com/book-2-archive/?px=%2F2010-08-19.jpg reflect how the conversation is going or what he thinks of whom he's speaking to.]

 

== Western Animation ==

* Eddy in ''[[Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy]]'' often spoke highly of his brother, who never appeared {{spoiler|until the [[Grand Finale|finale]] [[The Movie|movie]].}}

** Also adults in general they sometimes mention their parents and talk to them but we never see them except in one episode where we see Ed and Eddy's parents' hands drag them away over bad report cards, in the episodes where they're in school the teachers and faculty are also unseen.

* Mickey's father the King, from Mickey's ''[[The Prince and the Pauper (Disney film)|The Prince and the Pauper]]'', is never fully shown; even during his death scene only his hands and silhouette are seen.

* [[Beavis and Butthead]]'s moms—they occasionally mention them and sometimes call to them but they are never seen.

** Also Al

* The Nightmare Prince's mother in ''[[Potsworth and Company]]''.

 

== Real Life ==

* [[Anonymous]]

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:That Which Must Not Be Indexed]]

[[Category:Invisibility Index]]