History Main / ImaginaryEnemy

* In IDW's {{Transformers}} comics, [[TheStarscream Starscream]] has finally achieved his ambition of becoming ruler of Cybertron, but finds himself haunted by a hallucination of the late Bumblebee who tries to force him to do thing he never would...like become a wise and just leader who acts for the greater good. The Annual implies this may not entirely be imaginary.

* Averted in earlier episodes of ''Series/SesameStreet'' with Big Bird's friend Snufalupagus, who was, in fact, not imaginary but was never seen by the adults characters in the show until his reality was revealed episode 2096, which screened in 1985.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ComicStrip/{{Calvin|AndHobbes}} is known for his (sort of) imaginary friend, but his imagination is enormous enough to accommodate other characters as well. The monsters under his bed, while not specific recognisable individuals, are collectively an imaginary enemy to him. They are always trying to eat him, but are harmless in the sense that it's inconceivable to think of them ever succeeding. His mother once suggests to him that they're a case of YourMindMakesItReal (or at least that's how he understands her saying they're imaginary), but just because he tried to stop believing in them didn't mean they stopped believing in him. Said imaginary friend, Hobbes, fights with Calvin a fair amount, including pouncing on him every day when he gets home from school.
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* Peter Quint in Henry James's ''Literature/TheTurnOfTheScrew''.
** He might not be entirely imaginary...

Sometimes, YourMindMakesItReal, and the more you believe in the enemy and the more strongly you fight it, the more dangerous it becomes. See also TheKillerInMe, EnemyWithin and EnemyWithout. This trope [[IThoughtItMeant is not]] related to UnknownRival.

* Comicbook/{{X-Men}}

[[folder:Web Original]]
* [[BigBad Imaginee]] from WebAnimation/TheAutisticWorldOfTheAutist is one of these and, similar to the ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' example below, he can interact with the real world. The HalloweenSpecial reveals he has the ability to MindRape people as well.
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* In the balld "Literature/TheErlKing" by Creator/JohannWolfgangVonGoethe, a boy feels he is pursued by a supernatural entity which his father cannot see, and which wants to take him away to a supernatural realm against his will.

* ''Webcomic/Whomp!'' Ronnie's self-esteem issues manifest as Motivation Dude, who torments him to no end.

* [[Film/TheCabinetOfDrCaligari Dr. Caligari]].

* In Videogame/BatmanArkhamKnight, Batman is tormented by a joker hallucination. He starts off simply bullying batman and making snarky comments, [[spoiler:over time he gets more and more malicious and in-your-face until eventually he begins to take over Batman's mind. Prompting the JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind final level.]]

* ''SomethingPositive'': Kharisma may or may not have one in the form of Fluffmodeus (on both counts: its reality is questionable, and it's just as likely to help her as to offer sociopathic advice).

* [[Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick Haley]] has dozens of these: every aspect of herself from self-doubt to desire-for-comedy to latent-bisexuality. Some of them are benevolent, but they all annoy her.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* The character [[spoiler:John Conrad]] in ''Videogame/SpecOpsTheLine''. He turns out to be a manifestation of [[spoiler:Walker's]] internalized guilt, added to his possibly pre-existing PTSD from Afghanistan.

* In ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', John comes close to being driven crazy by a mental clone of Scorpius (whom he names "{{Harvey}}"), on behalf of a chip in his head. Towards the end of the series the clone becomes more of a confidante and sounding board than anything else, however.

* Series/{{House}}'s hallucinations of Amber turn out to be this when it is revealed that "she" gave him a wrong diagnosis on purpose.

* Gaius' fantasy Six in the new ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'' series. Strangely, Six later begins seeing an imaginary Baltar. And Baltar begins seeing an imaginary ''himself''.