History Main / VisibleSilence

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' uses this once, when Juuhachigou (#18) throws a fight against Mr. Satan (Hercule). It's used to show just how underwhelming the attack is before she throws herself out of the ring.

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->'''Zetta:''' ...
->'''Alexander:''' What's with the silent treatment? Ellipses are for chumps—say something!

* Possibly first introduced to the West by ''Manga/{{Golgo 13}}''; Duke Togo/Golgo 13 is quite fond of this.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''

-->... You can't ignore them any more. What do you think, Silence?

-->

-->Oh, sorry. I was forgetting.

--> '''Dad''': "It's supposed to be soup."
--> '''Me''':
--> '''Dad''': "It tasted a bit watery, so I kept adding thickener. I put in some corn and peas."
--> '''Me''':
--> '''Dad''': "Call for pizza. I'll get rid of this."

--> I cause eclipses with a wave of the hand,
--> Let 'em hang in ellipses and do it all again.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* Poncho has done this a couple of times in ''ComicStrip/PoochCafe''.
[[/folder]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' you can have a conversation with one NPC consisting mostly of him saying "..." and you saying "[Say nothing]" He will comment at the end that you two understand each other perfectly.

* The ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' games use these as the ReactionShot for those assembled in the courtroom after the {{Courtroom Antic}}s.
--> '''Phoenix:''' ...
--> '''Maya:''' Don't "..." me!
* Miles does this in ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'' whenever Ernest Amano waxes nostalgic about Manfred von Karma, evidently too restrained to point out Manfred's corrupt and murderous ways. This is also his response in the flashback case when he asks to continue investigating and Manfred unexpectedly berates him as worthless.

* Used quite a bit in ''VisualNovel/BrassRestoration''. There are upwards of six alternating dialogs of two characters conversing in varying lengths of ellipses.
* Ren of ''[[VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}} Kagetsu Tohya]]'' and ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood'' almost exclusively speaks in ellipses. People who speak with her must be telepathic.

* All of Shizune's dialogue in ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'' is either "…" or "…!" because she's deaf and mute, and serves to indicate that she is signing something, and Misha's following statement is translating it rather than speaking for herself. Until you learn sign language, that is, at which point it's generally rendered in brackets unless Hisao is for some reason unable to understand it.

* The {{Hentai}} games by [=ClockUp=] (such as ''VisualNovel/NoThankYou'') just love to use these as their ''scene transitions''.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

'''ROSE:''' ,,. ..
-->'''ROSE:''' . .
-->'''ROSE:''' ,....
* ''Webcomic/ImpureBlood'' [[http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Chapter003/ib016.html Good help is hard to find.]]

* Happens occasionally in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', for instance in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0546.html this one]].

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'',

[[folder:Web Original]]

* Ivan Kuznetsov from ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'' is quite fond of these.

->''"Dot dot dot!"''
-->-- '''Stinkoman''', ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner''

-->'''Deuce:''' I have to duel ''you''? But you'll totally annihilate my ass.
-->'''Mare:''' Your ass, luckily, is irrelevant.
-->'''Deuce:''' Is that a joke I just heard from the great Mare?
-->'''Mare:''' ...

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In ''Webcomic/AvasDemon'',

* Frequently in Webcomic/BandVsBand

-->'''ROSE:''' .. .
-->'''ROSE:''' ...
-->'''ROSE:''' ,,. ..

* In ''WebComic/YokokasQuest'', many characters use ellipses in speech bubbles to indicate silence. Tomo uses a circle of dashed marks to indicate being mute. In both cases, the speech bubbles are still colour-coded according to the language.

Compare DramaticEllipsis, MelodramaticPause, and SweatDrop. A SilentProtagonist may sometimes speak only in this. Compare also ChirpingCrickets, if the whole cast of characters is too stunned or embarrassed to speak. Turns up in comics as the word [=*crickets*=] in place of a speech bubble.

* ''VideoGame/{{Okage}}: Shadow King'' almost revolves around this premise. The main character Ari almost has all his dialogue options include a "...". There is even a point in the game where you will be relatively punished if you use that option.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_10260.png]]

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[[quoteright:210:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ellipsis_2.png]]
[[caption-width-right:210:So little can say so much.]]

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]

[[folder: Comic Books]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Music]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Web Animation]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

** [[http://www.avasdemon.com/pages.php?page=0258 Wraitha gives her a blurred line of these while thinking.]]
** [[http://www.avasdemon.com/pages.php?page=0260 When she does tell, Ava gets a clearer one.]]

-->ROSE: .. .
-->ROSE: ...
-->ROSE: ,,. ..
-->ROSE: . .
-->ROSE: ,....

[[folder: Web Original]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

[[folder: Real Life]]

* In ''FanFic/TotalDramaRevolution'', a character named PJ is known to say nothing but "...", making up her whole personality.

* ''Webcomic/TerrorIsland'' [[http://terrorisland.net/strips/028.html theorem 028.]]
* Jyu Viole Grace from ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'' only really talks when directly addressed, resorting to this otherwise.

* Happens occasionally in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', for instance in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0546.html this one]].
** There are also [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0138.html empty speech bubbles]] to show that one character cannot hear the other.

* Lampshaded in ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}'' [[https://web.archive.org/web/20150906195105/http://adventurers.keenspot.com/d/20021113.html strip #692]], where the villains practice conversing in ellipses.
-->'''Khrima''': My, aren't we being stoic and mysterious. Good work.
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': Othar's response when the Baron is complaining that Agatha could be accepted [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090202 here.]]
** [[OhCrap More disturbingly]], in [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20061206 this earlier page,]] Klaus [[spoiler: is told to shut up in a newly CompellingVoice]].
** ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' also occasionally uses a [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080418 completely blank speech bubble.]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'' has a particularly effective example in the last panel [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5456 here.]]
* Employed [[http://corneralley.comicgenesis.com/d/20040827.html here]] in ''Webcomic/CornerAlley13''.

* Used in [[http://eheroes.smackjeeves.com/comics/1991196/how-it-feels/ this]] ''Webcomic/EverydayHeroes'' strip.
* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive''. Principal Verrückt of Moperville North High School is [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2007-09-21 temporarily rendered speechless]] by Sarah's PuppyDogEyes. Also, [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2013-04-17 Elliot is reduced to silence, then a "loud, angry silence".]]
* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'' [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/031031c Poor Nate]]

* ''Webcomic/GameDestroyers'' makes use of it quite frequently.
* ''Webcomic/EvilDiva'': [[http://www.evildivacomics.com/?p=93 Schoolgirl turns down a powerful magic artifact for not matching her dress -- naturally this ensues.]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Strays}}'' Feral's TheSpeechless. Meela's ConstantlyCurious. He does this ''a lot''.
* ''Webcomic/SquidRow'' [[http://squidrowcomics.com/?p=1343 here.]]
* ''Webcomic/ThePhoenixRequiem'' [[http://requiem.seraph-inn.com/viewcomic.php?page=37 Jonas]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Tamuran}}'' [[http://www.tamurancomic.com/?p=685 when wounded.]]
* ''Webcomic/ImpureBlood'' [[http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Chapter003/ib016.html Good help is hard to find.]]
** [[http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Issue4PAGES/ib094.html Some questions are hard to answer.]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Roza}}'' [[http://www.junglestudio.com/roza/?date=2007-12-03 When dealing with a goat.]]
* ''Webcomic/ThistilMistilKistil'' [[http://tmkcomic.depleti.com/comic/ch02-pg05/ Our hero does this a lot.]]
* In ''Webcomic/NipAndTuck'', Tuck's response to [[http://www.rhjunior.com/NT/00585.html Nip's homage to Neo.]]
* In ''Webcomic/RustyAndCo'', [[http://rustyandco.com/comic/2/ the disadvantage of needing directions when you're a monster.]]
* In ''Webcomic/WakeTheSleepers'', [[http://wakethesleepers.com/comics/56 grief at a departure.]]
* In ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfShanShan'', [[http://shanshan.upperrealms.com/view.php?pageid=038&chapterid=1 Shan Shan's reaction to being told he can help preserve the universal balance.]]
* In ''Webcomic/VoldemortsChildren'', an ellipsis appears where Snape has erased some of his own lines from a memory before showing it to Harry.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'',
** [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2623 the giant wave does this when God decides to call off the end of the world.]]
** [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=3008 Slick promises to carry off Monique to somewhere pure. On arriving at his home, he realizes a few complications and does this when she asks if they were there.]]
* In ''Webcomic/ThreeJaguars'', [[http://threejaguarscomic.net/?comic=good-marketing-3 Artist, when Business Manager surprises her with a comparison.]]
* Frequently in Webcomic/BandVsBand
* In ''Webcomic/AvasDemon'',
** [[http://www.avasdemon.com/pages.php?page=0258 Wraitha gives her a blurred line of these while thinking.]]
** [[http://www.avasdemon.com/pages.php?page=0260 When she does tell, Ava gets a clearer one.]]
* In ''Webcomic/ErrantStory'', this is [[TheStoic Sara]]'s main form of communication.
* At one point in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', Rose does this while drunk. As with everything else a drunk character types, the ellipses are misspelled. ''Even though they were talking in person.''
-->ROSE: .. .
-->ROSE: ...
-->ROSE: ,,. ..
-->ROSE: . .
-->ROSE: ,....
* In ''Webcomic/LeifAndThorn'' it makes regular appearances. Consider [[http://leifandthorn.com/comic/the-calling-17/ guards giving Sigrún meaningfully-unimpressed silences]] or [[http://leifandthorn.com/comic/only-900s-kids-will-get-this-15-17/ Duke Andsvarr wordlessly realizing how boned he is]].
* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' shows Kevyn [[https://www.schlockmercenary.com/2007-02-19 having some fun with his captor, Shufgar.]]

** Krile will simply respond with "..." if the player tries to have Bartz talk to her immediately after [[spoiler:Galuf's body vanishes]].

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', Celes, upset over Locke thinking that she betrayed him and the rest of the group, gives him this when they meet up again in Albrook. Terra also gets a few, mostly having to do with her own identity and the nature of love, and then there's Shadow.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' had a few of these, notably in Mysidia, where they were usually followed by someone attempting a BalefulPolymorph-ing on you. [[DisneyDeath Injured cast members,]] once you tracked them down, also responded to actions with ellipses.

* in Creator/AAPesimal's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''=themed tale ''Hear Them Chatter On The Tide'', the disc's Eight Graces convene to discuss strategy in a turf war with the [[SevenDeadlySins Eight Deadly Sins]]. One of the Graces is at a disadvantage here.

* The ''Franchise/{{Wild ARMs}}'' games make heavy use of this, to the point where very often characters will have nine, twelve or more dots before they say anything. They make it a bit easier by treating each set of three dots as a separate character.

** In c0da, Jubal cuts Numidium's head off [[BreakingTheFourthWall with an empty speech bubble]].

** In C0DA, Jubal cuts Numidium's head off [[BreakingTheFourthWall with an empty speech bubble]].

* Amazingly enough, Creator/WilliamShakespeare used [[TheZerothLawOfTropeExamples a variant of this]] in Sonnet 126 - the last two lines of the sonnet consist of empty parentheses. Not necessarily Shakespeare himself, since there are questions whether he had a hand in publishing them. There is a good chance they're just an editor's indication that the sonnet is unfinished.