History Main / StealthyColossus

* Believe it or not, UsefulNotes/Tornadoes can fit this trope, and terrifyingly well at that. You'd think that they'd be easy to spot and hear and see coming due to them being these giant, tall pieces of spinning cloud that make loud sounds, right? Well, that's not always the case. See, while tornadoes can be big and noisy, there are a few things that can make them hard (or impossible) to see or hear coming. See, sometimes, they may be obscured by heavy rainfall, which makes them look and (to a lesser extent) sound [[TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse like just another rain shaft]] from afar. Othertimes, given that they can happen any time of day, it might just be that a tornado happens [[DarknessEqualsDeath in the late evening or early morning]], which can make them very hard to see altogether, with only [[LightningReveal occasional lightning strikes or power flashes revealing their existence and location]]. Not to mention that nighttime is also the time when people are asleep, which, alongside the fact that tornadoes that happen at this time of day are more than twice as likely to be lethal as they are at any other time of day, gives them a very [[ThingsThatGoBumpInTheNight "bump in the night" feel]]. Two notable (and [[NightmareFuel quite horrifying]]) examples of nighttime tornadoes in particular are [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoYyeXybTnw the 2007 Greensburg, KS EF5 tornado]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5OqgeB7bvo the 2015 Garland-Rowlett Tornado]], and the more recent [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hwi6Ma09sA 2021 Western Kentucky Tornado]]. All three were large, powerful tornadoes which respectively took 11, 10, and 57 lives thanks to not only their high intensity (EF5, EF4, and EF4-5, respectively), but also the fact that people who weren't reached by warnings (and even those who were) couldn't see them coming in time.

* Believe it or not, [[UsefulNotes/Tornadoes Tornadoes]] can fit this trope, and terrifyingly well at that. You'd think that they'd be easy to spot and hear and see coming due to them being these giant, tall pieces of spinning cloud that make loud sounds, right? Well, that's not always the case. See, while tornadoes can be big and noisy, there are a few things that can make them hard (or impossible) to see or hear coming. See, sometimes, they may be obscured by heavy rainfall, which makes them look and (to a lesser extent) sound [[TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse like just another rain shaft]] from afar. Othertimes, given that they can happen any time of day, it might just be that a tornado happens [[DarknessEqualsDeath in the late evening or early morning]], which can make them very hard to see altogether, with only [[LightningReveal occasional lightning strikes or power flashes revealing their existence and location]]. Two notable examples of the latter are [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoYyeXybTnw the 2007 Greensburg, KS EF5 tornado]] and the more recent [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hwi6Ma09sA 2021 Western Kentucky Tornado]]. Both were large, powerful tornadoes which respectively took 11 and 57 lives thanks to not only their high intensity, but also the fact that people who weren't reached by warnings (and even those who were) couldn't see them coming in time.

** Bugbears have a natural affinity for moving quietly, despite being the bulkiest of the goblinoids.

** During the Battle of Cape Matapan, excellent light and noise discipline by the Royal Navy combined with the Italian lack of radar allowed two British battleships to close to within two kilometers of an Italian cruiser squadron and open fire, which is the naval equivalent of this trope. [[CurbStompBattle The results were predictable.]]

* In the debate of which is superior between the two most common pistol calibers, 9 mm rounds have quite a few advantages, most notably in that they are lighter, faster, and are easier to implement MoreDakka with; however, their speed also makes them somewhat louder. .45 ACP on the other hand is larger, and a MightyGlacier by comparison, but its slower speed reportedly makes it quieter, especially when used with a silencer.
** 45ACP is easier to suppress being subsonic to begin with but subsonic 9mm ammo also exists by using a heavier than standard bullet with a lighter powder charge. A suppressor only reduces the sound at the muzzle, it's not breaking the sound barrier that makes the bullet relatively silent as well.

* The Heavy in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' is a MightyGlacier HuskyRusskie with a 300-pound minigun that has to spin-up with a distinct whirring sound before it can fire, but some of his weapon options can help him surprise his opponents. The Tomislav machine gun is completely silent when readied, allowing a Heavy to bushwhack foes rounding a blind corner, while the Gloves of Running Urgently give the Heavy a tremendous speed boost at the cost of draining health, allowing him to quickly reposition or even out-flank opponents. And some veteran Heavy players use their knowledge of maps to find back routes to sneak up on enemies and even hit them with the Holiday Punch, [[LethalJokeWeapon mittens that victims laugh uncontrollably]], leaving them helpless as the Heavy readies his minigun.

* ''VideoGame/{{Subnautica}}'' has the Reaper Leviathans, which manage to qualify for this trope despite being 55-meter-long {{Sea Monster}}s that [[HellIsThatNoise roar constantly]] (which is a form of echolocation - if you can hear a Reaper, it can "see" you). They tend to lurk in the murky waters around the ''Aurora'' crash zone, the Mountains, and the Dunes biomes, and unlike nearly everything else in the game avert the BioluminescenceIsCool trope, making them practically invisible at night. They're also smart enough to circle around potential prey, preferably to attack it from behind. So even if you hear their roars coming closer, Reapers are still likely to give you a JumpScare by lunging at you out of nowhere, grabbing your submersible in its MonstrousMandibles, and [[RoarBeforeBeating screaming in your face]] before crushing your vehicle.

* Player example in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': One'd never think a HuskyRusskie with a 300 pound minigun could be sneaky. Getting punched in the back with [[LethalJokeWeapon mittens that make you laugh uncontrollably]] and gunned down while you're laughing helplessly will change your mind in a hurry.

* ''VideoGame/{{Subnautica}}'' has the Reaper Leviathans, which manage to qualify for this trope despite being 55-meter-long {{Sea Monster}}s that [[HellIsThatNoise roar constantly]] (which is a form of echolocation - if you can hear a Reaper, it can "see" you). They tend to lurk in the murky waters around the ''Aurora'' crash zone, the Mountains and the Dunes biomes, and unlike nearly everything else in the game avert the BioluminescenceIsCool trope, making them practically invisible at night. They're also smart enough to circle around potential prey, preferably to attack it from behind. So even if you hear their roars coming closer, Reapers are still likely to give you a JumpScare by lunging at you out of nowhere, grabbing your submersible in its MonstrousMandibles, and [[RoarBeforeBeating screaming in your face]] before crushing you vehicle.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Munchkin}}'''s "Need for Steed" expansion introduced a Ninja Giant, while the ''Munchkin Fu'' game has a {{mecha}} ninja called the "Fifty Ton Master of Stealth".

** Anyone attempting to use the Hide skill receives a bonus or penalty based on their size category, which can be offset by sinking enough points into it. Oddly enough (or not, see Real Life below) the Move Silently skill has no such size-based penalties, meaning you can have a red great wyrm (Klauth in ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms''), that despite a Colossal size has a very respectable bonus there --and this without factoring magic in.

** Hide is also considered a class skill for certain types of dragons, and even if it isn't, as natural sorcerers they have access to spells to make up for it -- this is probably how the Gold Dragon depicted in the ''Monster Manual'' is sneaking up on two tiptoeing Orcs.

* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'':
** Various powerful ECM systems exist, most of which are [[LostTechnology LosTech]]. The Chameleon Light Polarization Shield and the Null Signature System make a [[HumongousMecha BattleMech]] completely invisible to visual detection and sensors, respectively. The [[ChurchMilitant Word of Blake]] combined the two (otherwise mutually exclusive) systems in their Void Signature System and put it to good use in their ''Raptor II'' battlemech, which could fade in and out of combat. However, excessive production costs, heat and accuracy penalties made the Void system very rare.
** The "Phantom mech" ability seen in the ''Franchise/BattleTechExpandedUniverse'' made Morgan Kell and Yorinaga Kurita's battlemechs completely invisible to any sensors when in combat; radar, infrared, and magnetic sensors wouldn't pick them up, targeting computers couldn't establish a lock, and dumbfired weapons would miss entirely. [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane It's never made clear what the Phantom Mech ability i]]s; destiny, or an extremely potent [[LostTechnology LosTech]] ECM system.
* ''TabletopGame/TheSpoils'' go to combat evasion ability is called "Covert." The flavor is that a Covert character knows how to get secret access to the enemy Faction, and thus a fully Covert party can only be stopped by another party of Covert characters. Of course, some Covert characters get very large. This being ''The Spoils,'' lampshades are hung on the increasingly unlikely size of Covert characters, culminating in the 12/12/3 Sneaky Mansion, a literal house that can kill most players in two hits.

* ''VideoGame/{{Subnautica}}'' has the Reaper Leviathan, which manage to qualify for this trope despite being a 55-meter-long SeaMonster that [[HellIsThatNoise roars constantly]]. They tend to lurk in the murky waters around the ''Aurora'' crash zone, the Mountains and the Dunes biomes, and unlike nearly everything else in the game avert the BioluminescenceIsCool trope, making them practically invisible at night. So even if you hear their roars coming closer, Reapers are still likely to give you a JumpScare by lunging at you out of nowhere, grabbing your submersible in its MonstrousMandibles, and [[RoarBeforeBeating screaming in your face]] before crushing you vehicle.

* ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerII'' has the "Stalk" trait (unit possessing it will not be detected until they're very close to an enemy unit) that is either ingrained or can be gained by your units (by defeating Snikch in battle for your Lord, some skills for heroes, specific items or skill for units, etc...). The Lord with his trait will always be hidden until they're practically in charge range of the enemy, even if they're on a enormous chariot (Hellbron or Volkmar), mounting a hippogriph (Bretonnian Lords), or riding one of the biggest dragons in the setting (Imrik).

* Under certain conditions, trains can easily sneak up on people. Electric trains and especially [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push-pull_train trains operating with the locomotive at the rear]] can be extremely quiet, and even freight trains can be stealthy if downwind of the listener. This has resulted in numerous tragedies with a person walking along the tracks, often compounded by[[HeadphonesEqualIsolation listening to music or talking on the phone]].

* In ''FanFic/TheWeaverOption'' the Venerable Ancient Pierre is a Dreadnought, a war walker that can stand 4 meters tall and weighs in excess of 10 tons. Despite this Pierre is stil able to execute infiltration missions and in one instance was able to sneak up right behind a target without being noticed.

** The ''T. rex'' from the original ''Film/JurassicPark'' somehow pulls this off at the film's climax, sneaking into a building and attacking before either the humans or the raptors notice its presence. Sort of unusual considering its footsteps were shown to cause BadVibrations beforehand.

* Under certain conditions, trains can easily sneak up on people. Electric trains and especially [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push-pull_train trains operating with the locomotive at the rear]] can be extremely quiet, and even freight trains can be stealthy if downwind of the listener. This has resulted in numerous tragedies, with a person walking along the tracks ([[HeadphonesEqualIsolation sometimes listening to music or on the phone]]), with tragic results.

* This is a surprisingly easy build to pull off in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrolls'' games, as heavy armor only hurts your sneaking ability by slowing your movement rate and increasing how noisy your footfalls are, and the latter can be greatly if not completely mitigated with enchantments (or perks in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]''). There's even a Daedric artifact called the Ebony Mail which encourages this build, as it's a Heavy Armor chestpiece with a built-in Muffle effect and a poisonous cloaking effect that activates when sneaking.

* This is pretty much how a lot of [[LightningBruiser large predators]] hunt, particularly predatory fish; mostly due to camouflage that enables them to sneak up on prey, or lie in wait before attacking. The Giant Pacific Octopus is one such colossus...albeit at a smaller scale.
* It's indicated that large predatory dinosaurs such as ''UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex'' would have had fleshy foot pads that greatly softened their tread, enabling them to sneak up on prey despite being the size of elephants. After all, [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome it'd be pretty hard to get close to prey]] if one [[BadVibrations shook the ground as they walked]].

* It's indicated that large predatory dinosaurs such as ''UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex'' would have had fleshy foot pads that greatly softened their tread, enabling them to sneak up on prey despite being the size of elephants. After all, [[RealityEnsues it'd be pretty hard to get close to prey]] if one [[BadVibrations shook the ground as they walked]].

** Godzilla from 2014 ''Film/{{Godzilla|2014}}'' pulls this twice; the second time is how he finally [[spoiler:kills the female MUTO.]]
* ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' (almost) makes a joke of how easily massive robots can hide.
* In ''Film/{{Cloverfield}}'', the eponymous multi-ton, many-legged, several stories-high monster sneaks up on the protagonists [[spoiler:and bites the cameraman in half]].
* ''Film/PacificRim'' has the {{kaiju}} Leatherback being completely undetected until it makes its DynamicEntry from underwater.

* Happens continuously in ''Film/KongSkullIsland'', from the smaller monsters all the way up to Kong himself.

** The [[RoamingEnemy Devilsaurs]] of Un'Goro Crater are notorious for being able to sneak up on players despite being the setting's equivalent of ''TyrannosaurusRex''.

* It's indicated that large predatory dinosaurs such as ''TyrannosaurusRex'' would have had fleshy foot pads that greatly softened their tread, enabling them to sneak up on prey despite being the size of elephants. After all, [[RealityEnsues it'd be pretty hard to get close to prey]] if one [[BadVibrations shook the ground as they walked]].

** Though it's technically Huge instead of Colossal, the Fog Giant gets a respectable Hide bonus in sufficiently foggy conditions.

** Finally, this is the schtick of Bugbears in ''D&D'' and derivative works like ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', which have a natural affinity for moving quietly despite being the bulkiest of the goblinoids.

* ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerII'' has the "Stalk" trait (unit possessing it will not be detected until they're very close to an enemy unit) that can be gained by your Lords (by defeating Snikch in battle). The Lord with his trait will always be hidden until they're practically in charge range of the enemy, even if they're on a enormous chariot (Hellbron or Volkar), mounting a hippogriph (Bretonnian Lords), or riding one of the biggest dragons in the setting (Imrik).

* In ''ComicBook/TheMiddleman (comic and series), El Comelon ("the Glutton") is a Mexican Wrestler-Assassin who weighs 400 pounds, but has been known to "squeeze through spaces the diameter of a tennis racket."

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'' has the villain in a multi-storey mech at one point, sneakily hiding around corners while the FaceHeelTurn hero he created flies by at top speed.

* ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}''

* Happens continuously in ''Film/KongSkullIsland'': from the smaller monsters all the way up to Kong himself.

* During the Battle of Cape Matapan in WWII, excellent light and noise discipline by the Royal Navy combined with the Italian lack of radar allowed two British battleships to close to within two kilometers of an Italian cruiser squadron and open fire, which is the naval equivalent of this trope. [[CurbStompBattle The results were predictable.]]

* Before the ''Gleipnir'' came the ''Hresvelgr'' from ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar''. While it doesn't contain any stealth capabilities, your base didn't know of it's approach until mere moments before it starts its bombing run. In the cutscene to scramble all jets before the runway was destroyed, you're left waiting for a few minutes before you're cleared to taxi, [[ControlledHelplessness helpless to do nothing but watch]] while the ship flies overhead.

** In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', this is initially the whole point of building [[HumongousMech mobile suits]], as they have reactors whose byproducts mess with radars so they can sneak on battleships and hit them with nuclear weapons (this is how Zeon won in the Battle of Loum in spite of the enemy fleet outnumbering them three-to-one and having more powerful warships to boot: Zeon's mobile suits snuck on them during the battleships' shootout and let loose with nukes). In theory this could be applied to normal {{Space Fighter}}s, but in practice Zeon's experiments found that a humanoid vehicle is better in the necessary close range manouvers.