History Main / NominalImportance

* The names of planets in ''Videogame/{{Elite}}'' avert this because they're [[ProceduralGeneration procedurally generated]].
* Averted in ''SurvivalCrisisZ'' where every NPC is randomly generated, but all building owners have names, and your party members also get a randomly generated {{backstory}} (consisting of a name, job and hometown) that they will talk about if they survive long enough.

* ''{{Okami}}'' gives names to most of the characters, as well as a small introduction sequence and their name on a briefly appearing scroll. Even some of the monsters have personal names and titles, and there's also "Newly Dubbed: Sleepy", a bear who is, you guessed it, sleepy.

* Played straight in many other LegendOfZelda games, where the people with unique names and character designs usually have a good chance of being one of the sages you need to rescue/assist later in the story. It's most noticeable in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'', where literally every uniquely named/designed character you meet in your travels turns out to be a sage in the second half of the game.

* This editor figured out that Ms. Toriumi, your homeroom teacher in ''{{Persona 3}}'', [[spoiler: is actually Maya, the Hermit Social Link]] by virtue of the fact that she's the only female teacher with a character portrait.

** In ''Persona 3 Portable'' you can have a strange conversation with a man who, while lacking a name (he's called "Man Drinking Alone", has his own CharacterPortrait. It was immediately assumed this man was an EarlyBirdCameo for an upcoming Atlus title. Cue cries of IKnewIt when the game ''{{Catherine}}'' was revealed, starring the aforementioned man (whose real name is Vincent).
** In ''{{Persona 4}}'', a rather strange looking kid hits on Yukiko rather early in the game, and judging from his character portrait, you get the distinct impression that he becomes important later (and he does; he's a [[spoiler:minor villain by the name of Mitsuo Kubo]]). The same could be said for Taro Nametame, who is introduced early on and, aside from having an affair with one of the victims, has nothing to do with the story until you find out [[spoiler: he's the one who's been throwing people into the Midnight Channel]]. On the other hand, [[spoiler: the gas station attendant]] lacks both a name and character portrait until after the big reveal in the [[spoiler: true]] ending.
* ''PlanescapeTorment'' partially averts this at early stages of the game, as several [=NPCs=] in the Hive with generic descriptive names have nongeneric dialogue. For example, one gives you a ring she promised you for killing her husband, while another gives you a minor quest. However, they still have no bearing on the plot, for understandable reasons. There are also a few named ones that still don't do anything - no quests, no information, can't get anything from them. And, of course, the most important character, i.e. the protagonist, does not have a name [[spoiler:at least, until the very end.]]

* As demonstrated in LetsPlay/{{Slowbeef}}'s LetsPlay, ''Amazon: Guardians of Eden'' consistently inverts this trope in a very odd manner: after the third chapter or so, it is almost guaranteed that important, speaking characters will go unnamed, but non-speaking [=NPCs=] and unimportant background characters will be given names ''and'' strangely elaborate backstories that the player character really has no way of knowing in the first place. This comes to a head with the shopkeeper that sells you items you need to finish the game - since they gave him a name, they go out of their way to ThirdPersonPerson all of his interactions with you.

* As demonstrated in LetsPlay/{{Slowbeef}}'s LetsPlay, ''Amazon: Guardians of Eden'' consistently inverts this trope in a very odd manner: after the third chapter or so, it is almost guaranteed that important, speaking characters will go unnamed, but unimportant, non-speaking background [=NPCs=] will be given names ''and'' strangely elaborate backstories that the player character really has no way of knowing in the first place.

* Largely averted in the Creator/GilbertAndSullivan operas, in which every character gets a name (even some extremely minor ones, e.g. Fleta and Salata)--except for "First Yeoman", "Second Yeoman", "First Citizen", and "Second Citizen" in ''Theatre/YeomenOfTheGuard''. Also, the chorus never get names, because they have no solo work (though some directors change that).

* Largely averted in GilbertAndSullivan, in which every character gets a name (even some extremely minor ones, eg Fleta and Salata) - except for "First Yeomen", "Second Yeomen", "First Citizen", and "Second Citizen" in Yeomen of the Guard. Also, the chorus never get names, because they have no solo work (though some directors change that).

** However, ''Franchise/DragonAge'' still has generic [=NPCs=] - 'Bandit', 'King's Guard', etc. Notably, the two unnamed NPCs who can help you reach the top of the Tower of Ishal are forgotten about the moment the PC is overwhelmed by darkspawn.

** There's extra aversion in the ''Wrath of the Lich King'' expansion. In Dalaran, the Town Guards placed specifically to tell people where the Inn/Flightmaster/Trainers are are replaced by named archmages.

[[caption-width-right:266:[-Okay, Hobgoblin Mom Appearing In This One Panel.-] ]]

* {{DMFA}}: 'Don't you get it? I'm a nameless henchman! [[GenreSavvy It means that once I say three lines, I'll be killed off!']]
* DarthsandDroids does this with Anakin, the GM clearly not having named this minor NPC. This is an inversion since Anakin will become the central character as time goes on.

** {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in ''DragonQuestMonsters: Joker'', where someone in the main town claims he is your rival, but then muses that you probably think of him as "some random blue-haired NPC."

* Invoked in ASongOfFireAndIce. While arguing whether or not to sacrifice [[spoiler: Edric Storm]] the pro-sacrifice side refers to him as "the boy" or "the bastard." Davos, who opposes the idea, resolves to use his name as frequently as possible.

* As mentioned above, ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' character portraits: with a note to the strange case of the Element shop owner in Termina who has a portrait and name but no real significance. In addition, Leena's portraited sister Una isn't important to the plot. On the flip side, [[GoldfishPoopGang Solt and Peppor]], who ''are'' reasonably significant (certainly moreso than Lisa or Una), inexplicably lack portraits.

** ''{{Portal 2}}'': At the end of the co-operative campaign, Atlas and P-Body discover [[spoiler: a vault containing ten thousand more human subjects in suspended animation]]. But in the "Peer Review" DLC [[spoiler: GLaDOS says she killed them all trying to make them as indestructible as Chell. Clearly, they weren't important to the plot.]]

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'':
** Averted to some extent in . The best example is with temporary party members - many people you can get in your party only for about ten minutes in one of the {{backstory}}/tutorial quests have tons of unique dialogue, their own battlecries/snarky lines they say when killing things, and in some cases well-developed backstories and personalities, making it impossible for you to tell who is in line for a PlotlineDeath. Of particular note are the other trainee Grey Wardens - there really is nothing that will give away the fact that Daveth and Ser Jory are [[spoiler:{{sacrificial lamb}}s]] while Alistair can be around for the entire rest of the game. Also Jowan, who you can very briefly have in your party, comes with not only his own battlecry, but several, many of which are funny. He's also one of the most three dimensional characters in the game. You can have him in your party for ten minutes, tops. There was an AbortedArc in which he could join you, so that's probably why.
** However, ''Franchise/DragonAge'' still has generic [=NPCs=] -- 'Bandit', 'King's Guard' etc.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', removing the [[PowerLimiter Limiter]] of a character who has a name and portrait unlocks their ability to use top-tier attacks. But when the Limiters get removed on all of humanity...it turns out that nameless, no-portrait NPCs have an alarming tendency to transform into hideously mutated beasts. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Good job, Heroes]].

* Oh so VERY {{averted|Trope}} in Literature/TheWheelOfTime. LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, a large chunk are not important to the plot at all, others are relevant only to their connections to a more plot-important character, and everyone else is a ChekhovsGunman waiting to fire.