History Main / TheFaceless

* TheFaceless/{{Theater}}

* Shot or drawn using an UnrevealAngle
** Shown from behind
** Shown behind something else
** Shown with the frame cropping out their face
* Shot or drawn with POVCam, where we can only see what they see
* Standing in shadow, have their FaceFramedInShadow, or are [[SinisterSilhouettes silhouetted]]
* Wearing a [[CoolMask mask]], OneWayVisor, [[InTheHood hood]], or otherwise NeverBareheaded

* Those with EyesAlwaysShut or always HiddenEyes
* Those who always wear ScaryShinyGlasses or SunglassesAtNight
* TheGhost, who is never seen ''at all''
* TheBlank, who ''literally'' doesn't have a face
* TheVoice, who is not seen but only heard

Occasionally, a faceless character will be dramatically [[TheReveal revealed]]. This generally happens at the end of the story, or at least the character's tenure in it. The reveal may try to surprise the audience by showing a NerdInEvilsHelmet, TheMole, or even [[NoFaceUnderTheMask no face at all]]. Perhaps we will see a NightmareFace -- common for [[EvilMakesYouUgly villains]] -- or perhaps they were BeautifulAllAlong.

* shot or drawn using an UnrevealAngle
** shown from behind
** shown behind something else
** shown with the frame cropping out their face
* shot or drawn with POVCam, where we can only see what they see
* standing in shadow, have their FaceFramedInShadow, or are [[SinisterSilhouettes silhouetted]]
* wearing a [[CoolMask mask]], OneWayVisor, [[InTheHood hood]], or otherwise NeverBareheaded

* those with EyesAlwaysShut or always HiddenEyes
* those who always wear ScaryShinyGlasses or SunglassesAtNight

[[caption-width-right:300:[-There's a reason Anubis doesn't let you see his face. [[EnergyBeings He doesn't]] [[NoFaceBehindTheMask have one]].-] ]]

[[caption-width-right:300:[-There's a reason Anubis doesn't let you see his face. [[EnergyBeings He doesn't]] [[TheBlank have one]].-] ]]

* standing in shadow, have their FaceFramedInShadow, or be [[SinisterSilhouettes silhouetted]]

* those who always wear ScaryShinyGlasses

The Faceless exist to increase [[RuleOfDrama dramatic]] or [[RuleOfCool impress]] people. Contrast this with the FacelessMasses, which is done for [[LazyArtist the artist's convenience]], while the SceneryCensor hides ''other'' body parts, to please MoralGuardians.

Closely related are those who always wear ScaryShinyGlasses, or always have their eyes [[HiddenEyes hidden]] or [[EyesAlwaysShut closed]], TheGhost, who is never seen at all, and TheBlank, who ''literally'' doesn't have a face.

A variant of HeWhoMustNotBeSeen. The audience never gets a good look at this character's face. Specific variants include:
* Characters who are only ever shown from behind.
* Characters who are only ever shown while standing behind something.
* Characters who are only ever shown from the neck down or lower.
* Characters who always stand in shadow or have their FaceFramedInShadow.
* Characters who wear a [[CoolMask mask]] or a OneWayVisor.
* Characters whose eyes are [[HiddenEyes hidden]] or [[EyesAlwaysShut always closed]], but their face is otherwise visible. This is more frequent in {{anime}}, which relies strongly on eyes to express emotion and intent.
* Characters whose first-person perspective is revealed via POVCam, without ever showing their face.

There are several reasons for writing a faceless character, depending on their role in the plot. For a recurring character, hiding their face lends an air of ambiguity to the character and their motives. If said character is a villain, often of the DiabolicalMastermind variety, this additionally serves to make them seem more threatening.

Occasionally, the recurring faceless character will be revealed in an especially poignant scene, typically just before the series (or the character's tenure on it) ends. Villainous characters tend to be hideously disfigured when their masks are removed, though the subversion has become just about as common, where the villain is revealed to be a perfectly ordinary guy. The faceless villain could also be a [[TheMole Mole]] in the good guys' team the audience doesn't know about yet.

Non-recurring faceless characters tend to be either CannonFodder FacelessGoons (whose facelessness removes their individuality, their humanity, and -- [[MoralDissonance hopefully]] -- the audience's squeamishness about their deaths), or an InvisiblePresident (whose face is hidden to prevent the episode from being dated by the next election).

May involve being NeverBareheaded. For other parts of the body, see SceneryCensor. If you don't see ''anything'' at all from a villain, watch your step; you're up against an UltimateEvil. For ''literally'' faceless characters, see TheBlank. ScaryShinyGlasses is related. The hidden-by-shadow version combined with ChekhovsGunman results in SinisterSilhouettes. If a character never appears ''at all'', they're TheGhost. Sometimes there may be scenes teasing the unmasking, but it often ends up with UnrevealAngle. Unrelated to FacelessMasses, which is more for the [[LazyArtist artist's convenience]] than anything.

The mask-wearing kind of TheFaceless often end with TheReveal. Sometimes this is [[NerdInEvilsHelmet a big anticlimax]]...but then sometimes it just [[NoFaceUnderTheMask makes things creepier]].

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* Characters whose ''first person perspective'' is revealed, without ever showing their face.

-->-- '''Orual''', ''TillWeHaveFaces''

* TheFaceless/{{Advertisements}}

There are several reasons for writing a faceless character, depending on their role in the plot. For a recurring character, hiding their face lends an air of ambiguity to the character and their motives[[SecretOrganizationCravingIntelligentEnigmaticTropersYonder .]] If said character is a villain, often of the DiabolicalMastermind variety, this additionally serves to make them seem more threatening.

[[caption-width-right:300:[-There's a reason Anubis doesn't let you see his face. [[spoiler:[[EnergyBeings He doesn't]] [[TheBlank have one]].-] ]]]]

Non-recurring faceless characters tend to be either Cannon Fodder FacelessGoons (whose facelessness removes their individuality, their humanity, and -- [[MoralDissonance hopefully]] -- the audience's squeamishness about their deaths), or an InvisiblePresident (whose face is hidden to prevent the episode from being dated by the next election).

May involve being NeverBareheaded. For other parts of the body, see SceneryCensor. If you don't see ''anything'' at all from a villain, watch your step; you're up against an UltimateEvil. For ''literally'' faceless characters see TheBlank. ScaryShinyGlasses is related. The hidden-by-shadow version combined with ChekhovsGunman results in SinisterSilhouettes. If a character never appears ''at all'', they're TheGhost. Sometimes there may be scenes teasing the unmasking, but it often ends up with UnrevealAngle. Unrelated to FacelessMasses, which is more for the [[LazyArtist artist's convenience]] than anything.

May involve being NeverBareheaded. For other parts of the body, see SceneryCensor. If you don't see ''anything'' at all from a villain, watch your step; you're up against an UltimateEvil. For ''literally'' faceless characters see TheBlank. ScaryShinyGlasses is related. The hidden-by-shadow version combined with ChekhovsGunman results in SinisterSilhouettes. If a character never appears ''at all'', they're TheGhost. Sometimes there may be scenes teasing the unmasking, but it often ends up with UnrevealAngle.

[[caption-width-right:300:[-There's a reason Anubis doesn't let you see his face. [[spoiler:[[EnergyBeings He doesn't have one]].-] ]]]]

May involve being NeverBareheaded. For other parts of the body, see SceneryCensor. If you don't see ''anything'' at all from a villain, watch your step; you're up against an UltimateEvil. For ''literally'' faceless characters see TheBlank. ScaryShinyGlasses is related. The hidden-by-shadow version combined with ChekhovsGunman results in SinisterSilhouettes. If a character never appears ''at all'', they're TheGhost.

* TheFaceless/RealLife

[[quoteright:300:[[Series/StargateSG1 http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Anubis.jpg]]]]