The Un-Reveal/Playing With

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Basic Trope: Something's revealed to the characters, but the viewer is still left in the dark.

  • Straight: The Master reveals his true name to Alice. "My true name is... * whisper whisper* "
  • Exaggerated: Alice has bad hearing and asks the Master to repeat his name several times. He whispers every time.
  • Justified: The Master is very careful about who he reveals his true name to, because it could be used as power against him. The fact that we're as able to hear it only as well as potential witnesses are is just coincidence.
  • Inverted: Only the name is heard, but everything else is in whispers so we have no idea who the name belongs to.
    • The characters leave...and the camera pans to show the viewer the answer.
    • The Reveal
  • Subverted: "My true name is... * whisper whisper* " "It's Marco Brices?!"
  • Double Subverted: "No, you idiot! You misheard me! That's not it at all! I said it's... * whisper whisper* "
  • Zig Zagged: "Mario Brigaldi?!" "No, * whisper whisper* " "Martin Prince?" "NO! * whisper whisper* " "Oh, it's--" "Yes."
  • Parodied: The Master's true name is later revealed to in fact be incomprehensible whispering.
  • Deconstructed: When the master refuses to disclose his name to his students after twenty years, his students feel they can no longer trust him. They leave him, stating that they can't trust someone unwilling to give them their most basic information. Without students, he can no longer teach.
  • Reconstructed: Before dying of sickness, he tracks down his student, saying he wants to tell him his name. He dies seconds before he can say it aloud.
  • Averted: The Master reveals his true name out loud, and the viewer hears it clearly.
  • Enforced: "We don't want to have to stick to one name! It'll take the mystery out of the character."
  • Lampshaded: "Why whisper like that? Who are you concealing it from? Is there anyone out there who you're afraid will hear us?"
  • Invoked: "No one else can hear this...* whisper whisper* "
  • Defied: "Now, and I am going to make sure you all hear this..."
  • Discussed: "Aw, we didn't hear him. This must be one of those deals where the author intentionally leaves the viewer in the dark."
  • Conversed: "...And if I know the director, the Master's name will be in whispers and we won't hear a bit of it."
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