History Main / NonPOVProtagonist

Rachel from ''TowerOfGod'': large impact, [[HeroOfAnotherStory "Heroine" Of Another Story]] that constantly intertwines with the one we follow... gets her word in edgeways once. Maybe twice.

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[[AC: {{Literature}}]]

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[[AC: VisualNovels]]

* We never get SherlockHolmes's point-of-view in all but two of his mysteries, only [[TheWatson Watson's]].

* Caddy from ''TheSoundAndTheFury'' is the only one of the Compson children without her own chapter.

* Princess Ashe is the real hero of FinalFantasyXII, but the game's story is told through the eyes of Vaan, a street rat who stole the right MacGuffin.
* ''FinalFantasyTactics'': Delita, despite being the {{deuteragonist}} and having plenty of screen time, is largely left a mystery as most of his scenes are seemingly seen from the perspective of other people present, most prominently the Princess Ovelia. There are a handful of exceptions, and he does have a few scenes which focus on his personal affairs, but even then very little is revealed about his true self.

* The character Kitai in CodexAlera is arguably one of the most important characters in the series (let's count the number of times she saves Tavi's life...) and faces many important and interesting decisions throughout the series. However, the reader always sees her actions through Tavi's and once, Isana's eyes. Bernard is like this as well.

** Played strait in books 2 and 3 but subverted in book 5 with Melisandre. Her lack of narration in 2 and 3 contributes to the overall mysteriousness of the character.

* Roque Alva is arguably the central character of the ''ReflectionsOfEterna'' cycle, yet there has never been a single chapter describing what exactly is going on in his head.

* Due to the fact that she's dead, the mother in ''AsILayDying'' never narrates a chapter. Again, given the fact that she's dead, this isn't unusual until you consider the title.

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** Robb? Heck! All four Baratheon kings ([[BoisterousBruiser Robert]], [[PrinciplesZealot Stannis]], [[SleazyPolitician Renly]] and [[RoyalBrat Joffrey]]), [[PragmaticVillainy Tywin Lannister]], [[TheChessmaster Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish]], [[WildCard Varys the Spider]]... Wildly important characters, and not a damn one of them narrates.

Related tropes (that often accompany this) include SupportingProtagonist, a POV-character who is a protagonist, just not the "main-main" one; and FirstPersonPeripheralNarrator, a narrator character who isn't a protagonist. In those terms, this trope describes a "main-main" protagonist who isn't a POV-character.
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!!Examples:

[[AC: {{Literature}}]]

** A similar thing happens in ''HandleWithCare'', when, until the last chapter, everyone but Willow (the main reason for the plot) narrates.
* Due to the fact that she's dead, the mother in ''AsILayDying'' never narrates a chapter. Again, given the fact that she's dead, this isn't unusual until you consider the title.
* Andrew Jackson is treated like this in ''Literature/TrailOfGlory''. It might be argued that he is the most important character in the story, but we always see him from the outside.
* We never get SherlockHolmes's point-of-view in all but two of his mysteries, only [[TheWatson Watson]]'s.
* Similarly, ErastFandorin has only been the POV character in five out of thirteen books about him.
* Caddy from ''TheSoundAndTheFury'' is the only one of the Compson children without her own chapter.
* Carrot Ironfoundersson from TerryPratchett's ''{{Discworld}}'' books. He's an important character, yet we never see what he thinks. Other main characters' POV are frequently presented. There's a theory that this might be due to the fact that he's not exactly as innocent and simple - minded as he appears to be, and Pratchett doesn't want to show it.
** Carrot gets occasional POV sequences - the first little bit of ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'' and the odd page or two in other books are through his eyes. [[EnsembleDarkhorse Vimes is just a much more interesting character.]]

[[AC: VideoGames]]
* Thanks to some LeaningOnTheFourthWall in the ''BatenKaitos'' series, the ''player him/herself'' is the point of view character, being cast as the "Guardian Spirit" of Kalas ([=EWatLO=]) and Sagi (Orgins). While the two are the main characters of their game, they are not the POV characters, a distinction that has some very interesting effects in ''Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean'' as [[spoiler: it allows Kalas to be TheMole and betray the party, you included]].

[[AC: VisualNovels]]

The main purpose of the trope is to create dramatic tension. When a character narrates, readers become very familiar with him or her, and can make some predictions as to their feelings and reactions. When a character ''doesn't'' narrate, readers are left peering in, wondering just what is going through that person's head. And that can be quite a tense experience if said character is TheChosenOne, the BigBad, or even just a SupportingLeader who will nonetheless be making decisions that the narrator characters have to live with.

Related tropes (that often accompany this) include SupportingProtagonist, a POV-character who is a protagonist, just not the "main-main" one; and TheIshmael, a POV-character who isn't a protagonist. In those terms, this trope describes a "main-main" protagonist who isn't a POV-character.

* Miranda Sharifi in ''Literature/Beggars and Choosers'', second book of the ''BeggarsInSpain'' trilogy.

* Miranda Sharifi in ''Beggars and Choosers'', second book of the ''BeggarsInSpain'' trilogy.

* FinalFantasyTactics: Delita, despite being the {{deuteragonist}} and having plenty of screen time, is largely left a mystery as most of his scenes are seemingly seen from the perspective of other people present, most prominently the Princess Ovelia. There are a handful of exceptions, and he does have a few scenes which focus on his personal affairs, but even then very little is revealed about his true self.

Some written works feature a consistent PointOfView: namely, through the eyes of TheProtagonist. Other works throw in [[{{Deuteragonist}} additional protagonists]] and [[SwitchingPOV pass the POV around]] to present each of their respective views on the transpiring events. Sometimes, however, a single main character (usually the one with the most ambiguous/mysterious motivation) is conspicuously ''denied'' POV and their impact upon the plot is only ever seen through the eyes of co-protagonists. This character is the NonPOVProtagonist of the book.

* Roque Alva is arguably the central character of the ''ReflectionsOfEterna'' cycle, yet there has never been a single chapter describing what exactly is going on in his head.

* In ASongOfIceAndFire, Robb is the only Stark child besides 4-year-old Rickon to never have his own narrative, despite having major events in ''A Clash of Kings'' and ''A Storm of Swords'' revolve around him.

* The Sister of ''MySistersKeeper'' is, until the very last chapter, the only main character that doesn't narrate a chapter. The book only has a few characters, and asides from Kate, the only characters who don't get to narrate are the Judge, a bartender named Seven, and a dog.