History Main / StealthyColossus

* ''VideoGame/Dota2'': Rooftrellen the Treant Protector is huge, fairly tanky, has the game's highest base attack damage, and his steps are accompanied by a very loud thumping sound... yet one of his skills makes him completely invisible and somewhat ''faster'' as long as he stands near trees.

* [[TheDreaded Infamous]] [[ProfessionalKiller mob hitman]] Richard Kuklinski better known as [[RedBaron "The Iceman"]] was 6'5, 270lbs. and his own family [[HarsherInHindsight described him]] as cat-like in how easily he could sneak up on people, though they only knew him as a prank-playing GentleGiant at the time.

* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E5TheAngelsTakeManhattan The Angels Take Manhattan]]" reveals that the Statue of Liberty itself is a Weeping Angel, and for all the millions of people living in New York city, all the people working or out and about even at night, all those keeping a watch on the Statue of Liberty as part of their jobs, it found one brief moment where nobody was looking at it, giving it the chance to move off Ellis Island and right up to the hotel located across the street from Battery Park.

** Imperial Guard special character General Ursakar E. Creed has the ability to give units the Scouts rule, allowing them to move onto the table from reserve and outflank the enemy. Even if these reserves are Baneblade super-heavy battle tanks, or Reaver [[AMechByAnyOtherName Titans]]. MemeticMutation has taken [[http://1d4chan.org/wiki/File:1242252825237.jpg this to]] [[http://1d4chan.org/wiki/File:1242253576880.jpg hilarious]] [[http://1d4chan.org/wiki/File:Creeeeeeeed.jpg extremes,]] as evidence of Creed's incredible "Tactical Genius."
** Grey Knights special character Kaldor Draigo has a similar ability, though his only applies to infantry squads. In this case, psychic powers help explain how three units of Space Marine Terminators suddenly appeared on the enemy's flank.

A Stealthy Colossus is a character or machine that is ginormously huge (relative to their size category, anyway) yet somehow manages to [[StealthExpert stay undetected whenever they want]]. While a BarbarianHero might still conceivably sneak up on someone, these guys go even further. If the setting is comical, they will tiptoe behind their prey. Otherwise, they will enter the scene in a fittingly dramatic fashion, possibly with a SurprisinglySuddenDeath. This can either be used to establish the character as a GeniusBruiser or merely for RuleOfScary.

** 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 but then again, [[FridgeBrilliance how else would it catch its prey]]?

* The Zaibach Stealth Guymelefs in ''Anime/VisionOfEscaflowne'' are HumongousMecha with equally humongous {{Magitek}} {{Invisibility Cloak}}s. Since they tend to be quite noisy when moving and leave huge footprints behind them, once you know they're there they're not hard to keep track of, although in the heat of battle they can still often get behind you while you're focused on fighting the one you ''can'' see. [[FridgeLogic Amusingly]], several {{Mook}}s act as though [[ConcealmentEqualsCover their imperfect stealth were an invincible trump card]].

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', the biggest character in the series is [[RedBaron named]] Colossal Battleship and was somehow able to hide from a gigantic battle without anyone noticing him until he was pointed out.
** The Yeti Cool Brothers, two giant yetis who manage to sneak around undetected in the arctic half of Punk Hazard, partly because of their white coloration and their knowledge of the environment. Their stealthiness is represented by them appearing to FlashStep around the environment. In fact, they're so stealthy, the audience never gets a clear look at their faces.

** ''Film/Godzilla2014'': The 399-foot Godzilla pulls this twice; the second time is how he finally [[spoiler:kills the female MUTO]]. Meanwhile, the [[Characters/MonsterVerseKaiju MUTOs]] pull this off at least twice themselves, once when the male is eating the submarine and once when the female left a ''hole in the side of a mountain and was marching on Vegas in broad daylight'' and no one noticed until looking from the inside of the mountain.

* A mechanized example: aerial fortress ''Gleipnir'' from ''VideoGame/AceCombatXSkiesOfDeception'' is enormously huge yet its cloaking system allows it to make stealth incursions into enemy territory with impunity.
* 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 fact, [[SpeakOfTheDevil they were about to send you out to go look for it]] before they realized that ''it'' was coming for ''them''). 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 the ''VideoGame/BloonsTowerDefense'' series, the Dark Dirigible Titan (D.D.T.) is huge, being a blimp, but is also invisible to monkeys that can't detect camo, despite being many times their size.
* The roadies in ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'' haul enormous piles of amps on their backs to battle... but are completely invisible unless they attack. Why? Because they're roadies and [[BeneathSuspicion nobody ever notices roadies]]. Eddie, being a roadie himself, can also become invisible by jumping on top of said amps.
* ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar 2: Retribution'':

* Rooftrellen the Treant Protector from ''VideoGame/{{Dota 2}}'' is huge, fairly tanky, has the game's highest base attack damage, and his steps are accompanied by a very loud thumping sound... Yet one of his skills makes him completely invisible and somewhat ''faster'' as long as he stands near trees.
* This is a surprisingly easy build to pull off in ''Franchise/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.
* The ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series has the Nightkin, a StealthyMook variant of the hulking Super Mutants who are surprisingly sneaky, even accounting for their [[InvisibilityCloak Stealth Boys.]] Unfortunately they've also become addicted to those Stealth Boys, hate being looked at, and most have developed schizophrenia. So they're not just sneaky brutes who can ambush you with [[{{BFS}} swords fashioned from helicopter props,]] they're ''crazy'', sneaky brutes who can ambush you with swords fashioned from helicopter props.

* 20 to 100 ton [[WalkingTank bipedal tanks]] in the ''VideoGame/MechWarrior'' series can become absurdly good at stealth when equipped with electronic counter-measures, despite the ground shaking under the force of their footsteps. One StealthBasedMission in ''[=MW4=]: Mercenaries'' has the plow running from cover to cover (the cover being occupied enemy buildings) inside a densely patrolled enemy base; the people inside the buildings seem to not notice the walls shaking or the oddly painted and armed mech running around outside. In ''Living Legends'', it's possible to become ''completely'' invisible to sensors by hiding inside an Angel ECM bubble with your sensors disabled. Apparently, sensors in the future cannot detect nuclear fusion reactors, seismic vibrations, or the solid wall of armor and weapons that make up a battlemech.
** A hilarious ''VideoGame/MechWarriorOnline'' example where pilots FailedASpotCheck: content creator [=TheB33F=] and his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK8yeF16VkE Spooky Atlas]] build, which equips electronic countermeasures equipment. This allows the tallest, heaviest 'Mech in the game to hide in quiet corners or sneak up on people and surprise them with the ballistic equivalent of a sucker punch to the jaw.

* In ''VideoGame/TangleTower'', Fitz Fellow is a massive gardener who is introduced lurking in the shadows of the back of the greenhouse, and it is surprisingly easy for the player to gloss right over him, even with his linework in SquiggleVision against the stationary painted backgrounds. When you first click on him, Grimoire will realize with horror that they're being watched, while Sally simply points out that Fitz is gigantic and has been standing in plain sight the whole time.
* 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 make victims laugh uncontrollably]], leaving them helpless as the Heavy readies his minigun.
* ''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).

* Quirks of the game engine, and the camouflage skill, means that some particularly large tanks can be surprisingly sneaky in ''VideoGame/WorldOfTanks''. This also means that the barn-sized KV-2 can be invisible to you if it's outside the maximum view range of your vehicle (which is not the same as the maximum render range). This can allow for some unrealistically sneaky tanks, such as the 80-ton TOG II* making its way undetected through cities despite being the size of a modest coastal patrol vessel.

** During the Battle of Cape Matapan, excellent light and noise discipline by the Royal Navy combined with the Italian lack of radar allowed three British battleships (and [[LeeroyJenkins an aircraft carrier]], ''Furious'', which was immediately ordered to withdraw) to close to within 3500 yards of an Italian cruiser squadron in the dark and open fire, which is the naval equivalent of this trope. [[CurbStompBattle The results were predictable.]]

** During the Battle of Cape Matapan, excellent light and noise discipline by the Royal Navy combined with the Italian lack of radar allowed three British battleships (and [[LeeroyJenkins an aircraft carrier]], which was immediately ordered to withdraw) to close to within 3500 yards of an Italian cruiser squadron in the dark and open fire, which is the naval equivalent of this trope. [[CurbStompBattle The results were predictable.]]

** The most triumphant example would have to be the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T28_Super_Heavy_Tank T28 Super Heavy Tank]], whose sole surviving prototype was lost for 27 years before being found in the middle of a field behind some bushes on a fairly major military base[[note]]One that, ironically, acts as the headquarters for a fair number of military intelligence units[[/note]]. Nobody is entirely certain how it got there, as the base has never been used for vehicle testing.

* Hilariously, [[https://youtu.be/2juH9RQSp0M?t=316 revealed in this interview]] for the promotion of ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar by'' Creator/DaveBautista, of all people, who is tall and a [[HeroicBuild mountain of muscle]] that he has a weird ability to blend in with people, to the point that he went to the theatres to watch ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' and ''{{Film/Deadpool|2016}}'' '''''[[SawStarWarsTwentySevenTimes six times]]''''' and was recognized '''''only once!''''' [[HilariousInHindsight Hilariously]], his character Drax does and says something very similar in ''Infinity War'' as well, which has become [[Memes/AvengersInfinityWar a meme]].

* 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 still able to execute infiltration missions and in one instance was able to sneak up right behind a target without being noticed.

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* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' has the unintentionally stealthy Kellam. Kellam is a knight who wears massive armour and wields a huge shield and a lance, however his naturally quiet personality and near supernatural plain looks mean that most people never notice that he's even in the room.

* Season 11 of ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' has a moment where Agent Washington is startled by the sudden appearance of [[MiniMecha Freckles]]. He's more astonished that such a large mech was able to sneak up on him than concerned for his safety.

* ''Film/TheHobbitTheDesolationOfSmaug'': For a dragon the size of a large plane, [[Characters/MiddleEarthFilmIndependentVillains Smaug]] can be real quiet and stealthy when he is not shaking the earth with his rage. At one point, he is even able to go unnoticed by the dwarves while climbing above them until a loose coin falls off his scales, drawing their notice.

** The ''Literature/HorusHeresy'' novels describe Mortarion and Corax's ability to appear out of nowhere, despite being to Space Marines what Space Marines are to normal humans.

** In 5th Edition, whether or not a character can hide is based on Stealth, a sub-form of the Dexterity ability score (Commonly rendered as "Dexterity (Stealth)"), which is independent of the individual abilities of a character's race or class. Meaning that a 7'10", 440lb Goliath Barbarian, one of the ''least'' stealthiest [=race/class=] combos in the game, can potentially ''vanish'' if their player passes their stealth check, while a 2'9", 37lb Halfling Rogue, one of the ''most'' stealthiest, can fail said check, and stick out like a sore thumb as a result, even if they're standing right next to each other.

* Despite being as tall as a house, Sentinels from the ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' would occasionally manage to be stealthy when tracking their targets.

** During the Battle of Cape Matapan, excellent light and noise discipline by the Royal Navy combined with the Italian lack of radar allowed three British battleships (and [[LeeroyJenkins an aircraft carrier]], which was immediately ordered to withdraw) to close to within 3500 yards of an Italian cruiser squadron and open fire, which is the naval equivalent of this trope. [[CurbStompBattle The results were predictable.]]

* 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.