History Main / NotNamedInOpeningCredits

* The ''[[Film/Deadpool2016 Deadpool]]'' movie takes this to an extreme [[PlayedForLaughs as a gag]], substituting snarky comments in place of the names of those involved. The only person or group actually named is Twentieth Century Fox.

* In ''Film/KingdomOfHeaven'', Edward Norton, who plays King Baldwin, didn't want his name linked to the film in order to maintain the mystery around his character, whose [[TheFaceless face is never seen]] due to the full-face mask he wears, so his name is excluded from the opening titles at his request. He was actually not credited at all in the version of the movie that was shown in theaters (which was Norton's preference), but his name was added into the closing credits for the film and DVD releases.

* In ''Film/KingdomOfHeaven'', Edward Norton, who plays King Baldwin, didn't want his name linked to the film in order to maintain the mystery around his character, whose [[TheFaceless face is never seen]] due to the full-face mask he wears. He was actually not credited at all in the version of the movie that was shown in theaters, but his name was put back into the closing credits for the film and DVD releases.

* In the anime series ''Literature/{{Baccano}}!'', [[spoiler:the Young Conductor]] is left nameless in the opening sequence. Oh, and [[spoiler:[[RedShirt he]] [[SacrificialLamb dies]] in Episode 2]], which means he's totally ''insignificant'' and ''unimportant'', right? '''WRONG.''' As it turns out, [[spoiler:not only does the Young Conductor live, but he's actually the Claire Stanfield / Vino / Rail Tracer -- an AxCrazy PsychoForHire TortureTechnician who snapped and has basically been responsible for ''doubling'' the dead body count on the train. And, if you're wondering, that body we ''thought'' was his in Episode 3? It was his ''victim's''.]]

* ''VideoGame/MitsumeteKnight'' has two openings, the first showing the main heroines, the second the enemy Generals : only the first has the seiyuu (voice actors) written under each character. The probable reason behind this is [[spoiler: to avoid busting TheReveal about the General Salishuan the Spy being Raizze Haimer, since they obviously have the same seiyuu, Creator/YumiTouma]].

* Busy Philips was always listed as "Also Starring Busy Philips as Kim Kelly" on ''Series/FreaksAndGeeks'', despite the fact that Creator/SethRogen was billed on the opening credits and didn't always appear.
** Also the fourth episode was named "Kim Kelly is my Friend", not bad going for a last minute addition.

* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', [[spoiler: Big Boss is listed in the end credits, despite his only appearance in the game supposedly being as a skinless, comatose, semi-living mess of a human being, who was cremated shortly after his first appearance. The credits fade out to reveal one last (very long and very amazing) cutscene.]]
** Somewhat subverted in that [[spoiler: his voice actor, Richard Doyle, was listed in the opening credits, although it did not say who he was playing.]]

* In the anime series ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}!'', [[spoiler:the Young Conductor]] is left nameless in the opening sequence. Oh, and [[spoiler:[[RedShirt he]] [[SacrificialLamb dies]] in Episode 2]], which means he's totally ''insignificant'' and ''unimportant'', right? '''WRONG.''' As it turns out, [[spoiler:not only does the Young Conductor live, but he's actually the Claire Stanfield / Vino / Rail Tracer -- an AxCrazy PsychoForHire TortureTechnician who snapped and has basically been responsible for ''doubling'' the dead body count on the train. And, if you're wondering, that body we ''thought'' was his in Episode 3? It was his ''victim's''.]]

* In the ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}!''[==]'s SpiritualSuccessor, ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'', [[spoiler:Mika Harima]] is left nameless in the first opening to add to the mystery surrounding her identity. After episode 12 reveals that she is in fact [[spoiler:Mika, and not Celty's head on Mika's body]], her name appears in the subsequent opening sequences just like every other character's.

* Atsuko appears in several episodes of the AnimatedAdaptation of ''LightNovel/MyNextLifeAsAVillainessAllRoutesLeadToDoom'', but she remains uncredited until [=S1E11=], when it is revealed that [[spoiler:[[SignificantDoubleCasting there is a reason why Atsuko and Sophia are voiced by the same person]]--Sophia is Atsuko's [[NextLifeAsAFictionalCharacter reincarnation]].]]

* ''VideoGame/MitsumeteKnight'' has two openings, the first showing the main heroines, the second the enemy Generals : only the first has the seiyuu (voice actors) written under each character. The probable reason behind this is [[spoiler: to avoid busting TheReveal about the General [[AmbiguousGender Salishuan]] [[BonusBoss the Spy]] being [[EmotionlessGirl Raizze]] [[EnsembleDarkhorse Haimer]], since they obviously have the same seiyuu, Creator/YumiTouma]].

* The 1931 film version of ''[[Film/{{Frankenstein 1931}} Frankenstein]]'' famously omitted Creator/BorisKarloff's name in the opening credits. Instead, [[FrankensteinsMonster the Monster]] is billed with a question mark.

* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' omitted a name from the movie's ''closing'' credits, as it was for a character who only made a cameo in TheStinger that hadn't been shown yet. A "created by" line crediting the character's original comic book creators appears ''after'' the Stinger, effectively saying "Yes, that just happened. You really did just see [[spoiler:ComicBook/HowardTheDuck." (Creator/SethGreen)]]

* Closing credits, rather, but straight after the narrator shouts "Who is this mysterious youth who has just cleaved Freeza in half with one strike of his sword?" in ''Anime/DragonballZ'' in his debut two debut episodes in July 2 and 9th of 1991, the credits that follow tactfully lists him as "The Young Man" (Though still listed as ''played by'' Creator/TakeshiKusao), rather than "Trunks" as he will be in all episodes that follows after his identity is revealed in the next episode to Goku.

* Creator/MorganFreeman in ''Literature/TheBonfireOfTheVanities''. After being denied above-title billing (which Creator/TomHanks, Creator/BruceWillis and Creator/MelanieGriffith all had), Freeman chose not to be billed.

* ''Series/TheXFiles'' often did this, at least twice with Creator/NicholasLea (Alex Krycek), who often popped up at surprising points late in episodes, and one notable time with the not-quite dead Cigarette-Smoking Man (William Davis). In one unusual case, it was done with Chris Owen (Spender) who actually appears throughout the episode but his character is horribly scarred to the point of being unrecognisable, with his true identity not revealed until late on.

** Michelle Trachtenberg isn’t credited for the fifth season premiere, so her first appearance as [[spoiler: Buffy’s sister Dawn]] is a surprise to the audience. She is added to the opening credits the following episode onwards.

** Averted in spectacular fashion for [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E13JourneysEnd "Journey's End"]] twice! The ''Magazine/RadioTimes'' (Creator/TheBBC's own Listings Magazine!) published a cast list with Creator/DavidTennant playing the lead for the episode, four days before the episode was set to broadcast. This could have been easily {{handwave}}d by saying that the regeneration cliffhanger of the previous week's episode was so secret the ''Radio Times'' didn't know until it was broadcast and then there was no time to alter the listing before publication. Yet the listing acknowledges the regeneration and still prints Tennant's name under the lead role. Then when the episode airs they recap the last episode, complete with cliffhanger, then show the title sequence, still with Tennant's name in it, then resolve the cliffhanger.
** Creator/PatrickTroughton and Creator/TomBaker do not get credited for their post-regeneration appearances in their predecessors' final episode.

** Much earlier, its [[Series/StargateSG1 parent show]] omitted Peter Williams' name in the opening credits of the episode where Apophis comes BackFromTheDead in the last few minutes.

** Hugely inverted for the finale, where every single former cast member and recurring guest character who appeared in the episode were credited in the same sequence as the main cast, leading to a whopping 28 actors credited as 'starring'.

* Inverted in the closing credits of Part 1 of of the two-part ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'' episode "The Tale of Cutter's Treasure". One mysterious in-story character's face was never shown to add suspense, but his name is revealed in the cast credits. This wouldn't be a problem if the character wasn't one of the two reoccurring ones. Fans of the show would likely recognize his voice, but it ruined the reveal in Part 2 for anyone who watched the credits.

* Not necessarily a case of a surprise character but a series regular: William Devane was left out of the credits of the 1993-94 ABC sitcom ''Phenom'' at his request, after he campaigned to get starring credit in response to his StarMakingRole in ''Knots Landing'' (trying to get either top billing or second billing in the cast, between co-stars Creator/JudithLight and Angela Goethals) but was rebuffed by [[ExecutiveMeddling show producers and ABC]], because they felt that emphasizing Light as its star (although both Light and Geothals' characters were the primary focus of the show) and giving her top billing would draw in female viewers and fans of Light's previous series, ''Series/WhosTheBoss''; Devane eventually told the producers that if he didn't get a billing change, he'd rather not be credited for being on the show at all.

* One episode of ''Series/Batman1966'' features the villain False Face. A MasterOfDisguise who mostly wears a semitransparent plastic mask, but is so good that whenever he disguises himself as other characters, he's played by their actors. And since no one knows what he really looks like, so he's only credited as a question mark in the opening credits. [[spoiler: He was played by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi_Throne Malachi Throne]], who allegedly asked not to be credited because he was dissatisfied with the performance he gave (though he still enjoyed working on the show regardless.)]]

* In ''The Doughgirls'', the last names of Edna, Vivian and Nan were not originally listed in the program. This avoids spoiling the major plot point that none of them are actually married.

** In the penultimate episode of Season 1, Uatu faces off against Infinity Ultron, but is eventually overwhelmed and nearly killed before escaping. The opening credits deliberately exclude [[spoiler:Benedict Cumberbatch's name so that the WhamShot of Uatu retreating to Strange Supreme's pocket dimension in order to forge an alliance is kept intact.]]

* The opening credits of the 1991 film version of ''Film/{{Oscar}}'' with Creator/KirkDouglas in an opening and meaningful cameo role as Eduardo, Snaps Provolone's elderly father, who urges Snaps to go straight and give up his life of crime before he dies.

* The opening credits of the 1991 film version of ''Theatre/{{Oscar}}'' with Creator/KirkDouglas in an opening and meaningful cameo role as Eduardo, Snaps Provolone's elderly father, who urges Snaps to go straight and give up his life of crime before he dies.

* Closing credits, rather, but in straight after the narrator shouts "Who is this mysterious youth who has just cleaved Freeza in half with one strike of his sword?" in ''Anime/DragonballZ'', the credits that follow tactfully lists him as "The Young Man" (Though still listed as ''played by'' Creator/TakeshiKusao), rather than "Trunks" as he will be in all episodes that follows after his identity is revealed in the next to Goku.

[[quoteright:330:[[Film/{{Frankenstein 1931}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dd1cd0a6b962404086f6072c5c5419bf.jpg]]]] [[caption-width-right:330: The monster is played by AlanSmithee]]

This is ''not'' to be confused with actors who aren't listed in the OBB for reasons of space when a show has LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters.

Contrast SpoilerOpening when something in the opening of the show ruins a surprise.

[[quoteright:330:[[Film/{{Frankenstein 1931}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dd1cd0a6b962404086f6072c5c5419bf.jpg]]]]

[[caption-width-right:330:A more blatant use of this trope.]]

* One episode of ''Series/Batman1966'' features the villain False Face. A MasterOfDisguise who mostly wears a semitransparent plastic mask, but is so good that whenever he disguises himself as other characters, he's played by their actors. And since no one knows what he really looks like, so he's only credited as a question mark in the opening credits. [[spoiler: He was played by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi_Throne Malachi Throne]].]]

* ''Series/TheXFiles'' often did this, at least twice with Nicholas Lea (Alex Krycek), who often popped up at surprising points late in episodes, and one notable time with the not-quite dead Cigarette-Smoking Man (William Davis). In one unusual case, it was done with Chris Owen (Spender) who actually appears throughout the episode but his character is horribly scarred to the point of being unrecognisable, with his true identity not revealed until late on.

* Not necessarily a case of a surprise character but a series regular: William Devane was left out of the credits of the 1993-94 ABC sitcom ''Phenom'' at his request, after he campaigned to get starring credit in response to his StarMakingRole in ''Knots Landing'' (trying to get either top billing or second billing in the cast, between co-stars Judith Light and Angela Goethals) but was rebuffed by [[ExecutiveMeddling show producers and ABC]], because they felt that emphasizing Light as its star (although both Light and Geothals' characters were the primary focus of the show) and giving her top billing would draw in female viewers and fans of Light's previous series, ''Series/WhosTheBoss''; Devane eventually told the producers that if he didn't get a billing change, he'd rather not be credited for being on the show at all.