History Main / TheSpeechless

* Although her parents Mr. and Mrs. C can talk, Chica from ''Series/TheChicaShow'' only communicates through squeaking, so she definitely fits this trope.

* Melony from ''Machinima/Supermarioglitchy4sSuperMario64Bloopers'' started out as this. In her first appearances, she was an innanimate watermelon and therefore couldn't speak. Ultimately downplayed after [[Recap/Supermarioglitchy4sSuperMario64BloopersMariosMaskOfMadness Mario's Mask of Madness]], where she ends up gaining a humanoid body after the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Fierce Deity Mask]] is put on her, to which she then becomes TheVoiceless since she only makes various voice grunts.
** The T-Pose Zombies from the Waluigi Arc are completly mute.

* Doomguy/The Doomslayer in all of the Franchise/Doom games save for some grunting in Doom and Doom II.

* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'', like all others of its kind, is this [[spoiler:by the design of the Pale King]]. While the game's art style rarely depicts characters with mouths, it's probable that in the protagonist's case [[NoMouth this isn't just stylistic.]]

* Eyes from ''VideoGame/NuclearThrone'' can only make unintelligible muffles because, well, his head only has room for [[MeaningfulName eyes]].

* Doomguy/The Doomslayer in all of the Franchise/Doom games save for some grunting in [[VideoGame/Doom Doom]] and VideoGame/DoomII.

* Doomguy/The Doomslayer in all of the Franchise/Doom games save for some grunting in VideoGame/Doom and VideoGame/DoomII.

* Doomguy/The Doomslayer in all of the Franchise/DOOM games save for some grunting in VideoGame/DOOM and VideoGame/DOOM2.

* ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt2'': Copen's sister, [[IllGirl Mythl]], was mute from a very early age [[spoiler:as a result of a life-saving operation that separated the [[MagicMusic Lumen]] Septima separate out of her]] and only communicates via text. [[spoiler:After she re-merges with Lumen, her voice is properly restored.]]

* Eyes from ''VideoGame/NuclearThrone'' can only make unintelligible muffles because, well, his head only has room for [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin eyes]].

* In ''Webcomic/FairyDust'', [[spoiler:Ellen]] is not only mute, but also illiterate, and has no immediate alternate mode of expression other than shoving people the way she wants them to go. Since she makes it obvious she doesn't want to let the loss of her tongue stop her from bossing people around, a lot of shoving happens.

Do not confuse with PantomimeAnimal.

For the similarly-named Creator/{{ABC}} sitcom, see ''Series/{{Speechless}}''.

* Neo from ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' has never spoken a word ever since her debut, and is implied to be mute. It tends to make her menacing, despite the fact that she’s [[PintSizedPowerhouse 4’11’’. In heels.]] When Cinder tries to make a deal with her in Volume 6 and asks for her response, Neo points to her throat in exasperation to remind Cinder that she cannot verbally respond.

One form of HeWhoMustNotBeHeard. The opposite is TheUnintelligible, whom the characters understand, but we don't. Contrast also TheVoiceless, who can talk, but just doesn't whenever we're watching. See also HeroicMime and CuteMute. If they never speak, but they sing during a musical number, then they are TheSingingMute. May utilize a VoiceForTheVoiceless or MouthOfSauron.

* ''Anime/ZombieLandSaga'' gives us [[MemeticMutation THE LEGENDARY YAMADA TAE!]] She's the only zombie to remain unawakened, sticking to the growls and groans of the shambling undead, which makes her interactions with the other zombies a little awkward. Especially when she keeps trying to eat them.

* Pip, the Chipmunk from ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'', can't talk in New York because... well, in the real world, animals can't talk. He actually knows what's going on from the beginning of the movie, but despite his very creative charades, is never able to convey it to the air-headed Prince Edward. Ironically in [[MagicalLand Andelasia]] he has a Noo Yawk accent.

* ''Film/JamesBond'' examples:
** Oddjob from ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'' doesn't speak English, so he never talks. At one point he says "Ah, Ah!" when notifying Goldfinger during their golf game. The only other time he makes a when he screams as he's electrocuted while trying to retrieve his hat from metal bars, at the same time Bond electrifies said metal bars. In [[Literature/{{Goldfinger}} the novel]], the reason that Oddjob cannot speak is because he has a cleft palate.
** Blofeld's henchman Hans in ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice''. (Hans never speaks and, unlike Jaws in [[Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe later]] [[Film/{{Moonraker}} movies]], he is killed before we can find out if he can or not.)

* Dramatically subverted at the very end of the children's book ''Cheltingham's Party''. The title character is a cat who throws the feline equivalent of a WildTeenParty while his master is away. When the master returns, she sees the mess everywhere and teasingly tells Cheltingham, "You have a lot of explaining to do!" Without any hesitation, Cheltingham looks right at her and says, "Cats don't talk."

* Michael, narrator and protagonist of ''The Lock Artist'', has been silent since the age of 8 because of psychological trauma.

* John Singer, the central character of Carson [=McCullers=]' ''The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter'', is a deaf-mute. Much of the novel involves his relationship with another deaf-mute, Spiros Antonapoulos.

* Daelyn Rice, the lead character of ''By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead'' by Julie Anne Peters, has been rendered temporarily mute due to the damage caused to her vocal cords when she drank ammonia and bleach in a failed suicide attempt. She also must wear a neck brace and needs to have all her meals liquefied in a blender. By the end of the story, however, she tries speaking a few words.

* ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt2'': Copen's sister, [[IllGirl Mythl]], was mute from a very early age [[spoiler:as a result of a life-saving operation to have the Lumen Septima separate out of her]] and only communicates via text. [[spoiler:After she re-merges with Lumen, her voice is properly restored.]]

* Eyes from ''VideoGame/NuclearThrone'' can't speak beyond unintelligible muffles because, well, his head only has room for his eyes.

* Traditionally, Franchise/{{Zorro}}'s manservant Bernardo, who pretends to be deaf as well in order to gather intelligence for his master. In the iconic 1950's Disney series, he's the sprightly, middle-aged CuteMute comedy relief; in the 1990 "New World Zorro" revival series, he was retooled as an attractive teenage boy named Felipe, whose tragic backstory (his mutism is explained as the result of a traumatic accident as a toddler that also left him an orphan) was played for all possible {{Wangst}}.