History Main / TheSpeechless

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Neo is unable to speak, although she can make non-verbal sounds, such as [[VideoGame/BlazBlueCrossTagBattle grunting in pain or giggling]]. She communicates through silent gestures, text messages and extremely expressive body language, [[DanceBattler even when fighting]]. When Cinder tries to make a deal with her in Volume 6 and says "Let's talk", an irritated Neo points to her throat. The canon novel ''Literature/RWBYRomanHoliday'' reveals that she has had speech issues since birth, and her parents were extremely intolerant of it. The first person she ever met who was able to communicate with her was Roman.

* ''Webcomic/{{Archipelago}}'' has, as an important character, a sentient book, the Listing of Names. Listy can't speak vocally (maybe rustle), but manages with shapeshifting. [[spoiler: In the final battle Knull is rendered speechless by a throat injury.]]

* '''Website/TaerelSetting:''' The Ja Anarath Kin'toni Clan are a clan that swear a vow of silence by cutting out their own tounges.

* ''Fanfic/ThePokemonSquad'': Red is mute, so he compensates by TalkingWithSigns. Said signs show him to be quite the DisabledSnarker, especially regarding [[FatIdiot Ash]].
* ''{{Series/Firefly}}'' “[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/482833?view_adult=true The Porn in My Head]]'' has Mal losing his ability to speak after his throat is wounded in an explosion.

* Although he [[TheVoiceless rarely spoke before]] anyway, Maine of ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' truly becomes The Speechless after being shot repeatedly in the throat. He can still make grunts and growls that others occasionally are able to interpret, but by and large he can only communicate by way of [[VoiceForTheVoiceless his AI,]] [[TheCorrupter Sigma.]]

* Melony from ''[[Machinima/Supermarioglitchy4sSuperMario64Bloopers SMG4]]'' started out as this. In her first appearances, she was an innanimate watermelon and therefore couldn't speak. Ultimately downplayed after "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.

* ''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 out of her]] and only communicates via text. [[spoiler:After she re-merges with Lumen, she becomes able to speak.]]

* '''Wiki/TaerelSetting:''' The Ja Anarath Kin'toni Clan are a clan that swear a vow of silence by cutting out their own tounges.

* Black Bolt of ''ComicBook/TheInhumans'' is unable to speak because [[MakeMeWannaShout his voice is so powerful]] that a mere whisper is enough to send [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]] at his strongest flying. You know, the Hulk. As king of the Inhumans, Black Bolt tends to let his wife, Medusa, speak for him.

One form of HeWhoMustNotBeHeard. Contrast also TheVoiceless, who can talk, but just does not whenever we are watching. See also HeroicMime and CuteMute. Compare TheUnintelligible and IntelligibleUnintelligible. If they never speak, but they sing during a musical number, then they are TheSingingMute. May use a VoiceForTheVoiceless or MouthOfSauron. Not to be confused with a character who NeverLearnedToTalk; The Speechless is ''physically'' incapable of speech.

* Saoirse from ''WesternAnimation/SongOfTheSea'' is six years old, but still has not spoken a single word. This is because she is half [[SelkiesAndWereseals selkie]] and her father has hidden her selkie coat, and she cannot speak without it. [[spoiler:She can finally speak after she is reunited with her coat, and after her mother Bronagh severs the tie between her and the fairy world, she is able to speak permanently.]]

* Movie critic Creator/RogerEbert of ''Ebert and Siskel / Ebert and Roper'', lost his ability to speak after having surgery for treating oral cancer in 2009. From that point on, he would use text-to-speech technology, which he used until he died.

* ''Film/Silenttongue'': The title character cannot speak because she had her tongue cut out for lying to the headman.

* In ''VideoGame/DigimonSurvive'', [[BigCreepyCrawlies the insectoid]] [[{{mons}} Digimon]] Kunemon is the only party member incapable of human speech, and communicates with his partner Ryo [[NonVerbalMiscommunication through body language]] although other Digimon can understand him just fine.

* In ''Series/TheBoys'' both Kimiko and Black Noir are complete mutes, with the former being unable to speak after enduring atrocities that traumatized her and the latter suffering a SlashedThroat with his HealingFactor keeping him alive but not being strong enough to fully undo the damage. The most we have gotten out of them is a couple of near-inaudible gasps when Kimiko tried to force herself to speak to Frenchie, and a few audible sobs from Black Noir when he learned the truth of the origin of his powers.