History Main / NonPOVProtagonist

* ''LightNovel/HarukaNogizakasSecret'' is about the secret of a character named Haruka Nogizaka. However, the story isn't told from her P.O.V., but the one of OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Ayase Yuuto and is about how his life changed after learning the secret.

* As one its ''many'' subversions of video game conventions, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'' places characters in the shoes of Solid Snake for the prologue tanker chapter only. The main story follows new character Raiden, and its through his eyes that we see the events of Big Shell and Arsenal Gear. But when you examine the story and its movers and shakers it becomes clear that Raiden was being manipulated by everyone...including Snake, who used him to gain access to Arsenal Gear. Raiden may be the player character, but it's the Solid Snake Show (with special guest star Otacon) throughout ''Metal Gear Solid 2.''

* As one its ''many'' subversions of video game conventions, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'' places characters in the shoes of Solid Snake for the prologue tanker chapter only. The main story follows new character Raiden, and its through his eyes that we see the events of Big Shell and Arsenal Gear. But when you examine the story and its movers and shakers it becomes clear that Raiden was being manipulated by everyone...including Snake, who used him to gain access to Arsenal Gear. Raiden may be the player character, but it's the Solid Snake Show throughout ''Metal Gear Solid 2.''

* For ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', the writers/developers originally wanted to have the story focus on a character with a DarkAndTroubledPast who had to grow up and accept his responsibility as [[HiddenBackupPrince the heir of the Septim line]] in order to save Tamriel from [[DestroyerDeity Mehrunes Dagon]]. This being ''The Elder Scrolls'' series, with it's propensity for {{Featureless Protagonist}}s in a WideOpenSandbox world, this sort of linear storytelling simply didn't fit. Instead, they transferred this role onto the NPC Martin Septim, who from a wider perspective, is really TheHero and TheChosenOne of the main storyline. The PlayerCharacter, meanwhile, serves as Martin's HypercompetentSidekick and [[TheLancer Lancer]], doing much of the heavy lifting in the plot so that Martin can save the world. (Most [[SidequestSidestory Guild and Faction questlines]] as well as both major expansions, ''Knights of the Nine'' and ''The Shivering Isles'', make the PC the undisputed hero of their storylines instead.)

* ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'': While the author almost zealously ensures that most named characters are given a point of view section regularly -- not a mean feat, considering that there are [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters usually hundreds of characters]] that qualify -- Adjunct Tavore Paran is a notable exception. Throughout the series we are given only a single paragraph from her point of view, and a vague one at that. This is deliberate; she is one of the series' greatest mysteries.

** Grand Admiral Thrawn in Creator/TimothyZahn's stories, including ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'', the ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'' duology, and ''Literature/OutboundFlight''. He's an AntiVillain antagonist, to be precise, but we have narration from the POV of Imperial characters — except him. Never from his point.

* While Will is TheNarrator and viewpoint character of ''Series/TheInbetweeners'', it's his friend Simon whose romantic endeavors tend to take precedence when it comes to the plot. Simon also fulfills the "[[TheEveryman relatable everyman protagonist]]" niche often associated with coming of age teen comedies much better than the stuck-up and studious Will does. Notably, the final episode of the series focuses primarily on Simon and the possibility of him moving away and leaving his friends.

[[folder:Manga]]
* ''Manga/MedakaBox'': Bar perhaps one instance in an arc [[spoiler: where her mind was reverted to her original cynical self]], the reader almost never sees things through Medaka's eyes. Instead, we usually see things through SupportingProtagonist Zenkichi. This seems to emphasize Medaka's sheer inhuman nature beyond many normal and extraordinary humans despite being TheHero of the series.
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[[folder:Manga]]
* ''Manga/MedakaBox'': Bar perhaps one instance in an arc [[spoiler: where her mind was reverted to her original cynical self]], the reader almost never sees things through Medaka's eyes. Instead, we usually see things through SupportingProtagonist Zenkichi. This seems to emphasize Medaka's sheer inhuman nature beyond many normal and extraordinary humans despite being TheHero of the series.

* Roque Alva is arguably the central character of the ''Literature/ReflectionsOfEterna'' cycle, yet there has never been a single chapter describing what exactly is going on in his CrazyAwesome head. Likewise, Valentine Pridd has never held the POV so far -- probably because he knows too much about the MythArc (e.g. one short sequence from Mellit's POV shows that he is no stranger to magic, despite his young age).

* In ''Videogame/{{Okami}}'', the central character is the Sun goddess Amaterasu in the form of a white wolf. You seldom get even a glimpse of her true thoughts even though you play as her the entire game; the main story is told by her [[FirstPersonPeripheralNarrator Celestial Envoy, Issun]].

* ''LightNovel/NogizakaHarukaNoHimitsu'' is, as those who read Japanese must have figured out from reading the title, about the secret of a character named Nogizaka Haruka. However, the story isn't told from her P.O.V., but the one of OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Ayase Yuuto and is about how his life changed after learning the secret.

* ''Franchise/{{Touhou}}'': Reimu Hakurei, main character of the series, has plenty of dialogue but conspicuously has never been a narrator. This is deliberate, and the actual viewpoint characters tend to describe her in very different ways depending on the context they usually meet her in. It's been noted that Reimu is [[MrViceGuy lazy but dutiful]], and [[MoodSwinger displays her emotions strongly]] yet seems [[TrueNeutral incapable of lasting love or hate]].

* The main character of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' are Steven, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. However, the show is exclusively told from Steven's perspective, meaning we never get to see the Crystal Gems on their own without Steven around, except as stories told to Steven by another character.

** Played straight 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.
** Aegon VI Targaryen, AKA Young Griff, is a character with massive plot significance, but his story is narrated from the POVs of Tyrion, Jon Connington and later Arianne Martell.

** Interestingly, no character in any real, permanent position of power or understanding is ever given a POV chapter, which are handed out easily from AFFC. Thus the reader can never get into their head and quickly and easily understand the whole situation, which would reveal plot elements early. The two exceptions are the two [[spoiler: (technically one and a RedHerring)]] archetypical fantasy heroes, Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, who grow into their power [[spoiler: until Jon dies, potentially forever]].

** Aegon VI Targaryen, AKA Young Griff, is set up as a character with massive plot significance [[spoiler: potentially going to be what Jon Snow was in the TV series]], though his story is narrated from the POVs of Tyrion, Jon Connington and later Arianne Martell.

** Interestingly, no character in any real, permanent position of power or understanding is ever given a POV chapter, which are handed out easily from AFFC. Thus the reader can never get into their head and quickly and easily understand the whole situation, which would reveal plot elements early. The two exceptions are the two archetypical fantasy heroes, Jon Snow and Danaerys, who grow into their power.

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 Non-POV Protagonist of the book.

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.

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

* The protagonists of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' are Steven, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. However, the show is exclusively told from Steven's perspective, meaning we never get to see the Crystal Gems on their own without Steven around, except as stories told to Steven by another character.

* Carrot Ironfoundersson from Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/{{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 does get 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.]]

* Roque Alva is arguably the central character of the ''Literature/ReflectionsOfEterna'' cycle, yet there has never been a single chapter describing what exactly is going on in his CrazyAwesome head. Likewise, Valentine Pridd has never held the POV so far--probably because he knows too much about the MythArc (e.g. one short sequence from Mellit's POV shows that he is no stranger to magic, despite his young age).

[[folder:Manga]]
* ''Manga/MedakaBox'': Bar perhaps one instance in an arc [[spoiler: where her mind was reverted to her original cynical self]], the reader almost never sees things through Medaka's eyes. Instead, we usually see things through SupportingProtagonist Zenkichi. This seems to emphasize Medaka's sheer inhuman nature beyond many normal and extraordinary humans despite being TheHero of the series.
[[/folder]]

* ''Literature/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. Most of the chapters involving Robb are told from the P.O.V. of his mother.
** Interestingly, no character in any real, permanent position of power or understanding is ever given a POV chapter, which are handed out easily from AFFC. Thus the reader can never get into their head and quickly and easily understand the whole situation, which would reveal plot elements early. The two exceptions are the two archetypical fantasy heroes, Jon Snow and Danaerys, who grow into their power.
** Played straight 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 ''Literature/ReflectionsOfEterna'' cycle, yet there has never been a single chapter describing what exactly is going on in his CrazyAwesome head. Likewise, Valentine Pridd has never held the POV so far--probably because he knows too much about the MythArc (e.g. one short sequence from Mellit's POV shows that he is no stranger to magic, despite his young age).
* The Sister of ''Literature/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.

* Addie Bunsen, the mother, in ''Literature/AsILayDying'' narrates only one chapter while the rest are narrated by her family or other folks.
* 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.

* Similarly, Literature/ErastFandorin has only been the POV character in five out of thirteen books about him.

* Carrot Ironfoundersson from Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/{{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 does get 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.]]
* Franchise/StarWarsLegends:
** Grand Admiral Thrawn in Creator/TimothyZahn's stories, including Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy, the ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'' duology, and ''Literature/OutboundFlight''. He's an AntiVillain antagonist, to be precise, but we have narration from the POV of Imperial characters--except him. Never from his point.
** Ben Kenobi is the central character of ''Literature/StarWarsKenobi'', and though the conflicts of the book are not his, his arrival and actions catalyze them, bringing long-running tensions to the surface. However, except for his [[CaptainsLog meditations to Qui-Gon]], the novel never shows his point of view, instead showing his actions through the eyes of others (typically Annileen, Orrin, and A'Yark), preserving his character role as the mysterious [[TheDrifter Drifter]]. While ''Star Wars'' fans know that when mysterious things happen around him,[[note]]such as when he and the Calwells spot Owen and Beru Lars in Mos Eisley, but their speeder suddenly flies away on its own before they can say hello[[/note]] he is using the Force to protect his secret, a neophyte reading the book (and skipping the meditations) would be just as confused as the other characters.

* Many important characters in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' are narrated by hobbits. (Not that the hobbits are unimportant, but since a SupportingLeader is often a Non-POV Protagonist and Aragorn son of Arathorn is ''the'' [[TropeNamer original Supporting Leader]], it bears mentioning.)
* Miranda Sharifi in ''Beggars and Choosers'', second book of the ''Literature/BeggarsInSpain'' trilogy.
* The character Kitai in ''Literature/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.
* ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'': While the author almost zealously ensures that most named characters are given a point of view section regularly -- not a mean feat, considering that there are [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters usually hundreds of characters]] that qualify -- Adjunct Tavore Paran is a notable exception. Throughout the series we are given only a single paragraph from her point of view, and a vague one at that. This is deliberate; she is one of the series' greatest mysteries.
* Devin, the title character of ''Literature/DevinAndTheTeacher'', has his story narrated by an [[NoNameGiven acquaintance]].
* This is frequently done with the Doctor in the ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'' novels, with the POV character being, of course, the companion. For the ''Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures'', there was an official rule that you don't show what the Doctor is thinking (well, hardly ever), and the novel ''Conundrum'' [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this, as what starts out as Omniscient Third Person Narration is [[NarratorAllAlong actually]] the Master of the Land of Fiction, and the fact his omniscience stops at the Doctor's mind (and only the Doctor's) frustrates him.
* In the first book of ''Literature/TheShatteredKingdoms'', the [[IHaveManyNames Mongrel/Meiran/Lahlil]] is probably the most important character (and is central to the trilogy), but there's almost nothing from her point of view, and we instead see her mainly through the eyes of other characters. This helps preserve the uncertainty as to what she actually wants (and before it's revealed, what her origins are). In the second book, though, we start to get substantial sections from her point of view.
* Dr. Abraham Van Helsing is the BigGood who leads the manhunt for the title villain of ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'', but we never get to see his POV, except for brief glimpses of it from the narrators' accounts and his sparse letters.
* ''Literature/ThePoisonwoodBible'' alternates POV between all the members of the Price family ''except'' the patriarch, Nathan. Given that Nathan's impenetrability and single-mindedness are the catalyst for most of the book's drama and conflict, it makes sense that the reader is alienated from him just like everyone else.
* In the ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' novels, a SwitchingPOV is used and the audience sees from the perspective of multiple characters...except for [[TheProtagonist Marcus Fenix]], the central and main playable character in the video games. This likely serves to highlight his nature as TheStoic and the way in which he constantly suppresses his feelings and emotions from others, even the audience.

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

* The Protagonists in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' are Steven, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. However, the show is exclusively told from Steven's perspective, meaning we never get to see the Crystal Gems on their own without Steven around, except as stories told to Steven by another character.

* We never get Literature/SherlockHolmes's point-of-view in all but two of his mysteries, only [[TheWatson Watson's]]. Consensus is that it's for the best--apparently Holmes was a crap writer.

* Carrot Ironfoundersson from Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/{{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 does get 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.]]

* Devin, the title charater of ''Literature/DevinAndTheTeacher'', has his story narrated by an [[NoNameGiven acquaintance]].

* Dr. Abraham Van Helsing is the BigGood who leads the manhunt for the title villain of ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'', but we never get to see his POV, except from brief glimpses of it from the narrators' accounts and his sparse letters.

* The Protagonists in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' are Steven, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl, however the show is exclusively told from Steven's perspective, meaning we never get to see the Crystal Gems on their own without Steven around, except as stories told to Steven by another character.

* In the VideoGame/GearsOfWar novels, a SwitchingPOV is used and the audience sees from the perspective of multiple characters...except for [[TheProtagonist Marcus Fenix]], the central and main playable character in the video games. This likely serves to highlight his nature as TheStoic and the way in which he constantly suppresses his feelings and emotions from others, even the audience.