Video Games
Everyone knows that a true hero never speaks. His silence becomes his strength and his shield.
— Dem's thoughts, Breath of Death VII
"Evans, you and I will need to get below decks and find the armory before we can cripple the engines. Stick with me, and unless your German's improved, let me handle the talking."
— Captain Price, Call of Duty
"You, neither born with greatness, nor granted it by the fates: what is it that you seek? You cannot even say yourself!"
— Aldia, Scholar of the First Sin, Dark Souls II
"You want to talk? That's not like you."
— Veronica, Dragon Quest XI
"Yer too bleedin' quiet, but yer weapon speaks loud enough, I s'pose."
— Rostnsthal, Final Fantasy XIV
"Man of few words, aren't you?"
"Leave the talking to me, Gordon."
"Leave the talking to me, Gordon."
— Alyx Vance, Half-Life 2
"Still staying silent? I won't lie, these mind games you play do bother me. But I will not reveal any information on my plan, no matter how much you taunt me with your silence! ... No witty comeback? No insults?"
"...Why won't you say anything? Does this mean you're mad at me?"
— Mila, speaking to Link, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
I set out for Goron City today to make some adjustments to Divine Beast Vah Rudania. I still recall feeling [Link's] eyes on me as I walked ahead. The feeling stayed with me so long, I grew anxious and weary. It is the same feeling I've felt before in his company... And still, not a word passes his lips. I never know what he's thinking! It makes my imagination run wild, guessing at what he is thinking but will not say. What does the boy chosen by the sword that seals the darkness think of me? Will I ever truly know? Then, I suppose it's simple. A daughter of Hyrule's royal family yet unable to use sealing magic... He must despise me.
(later entry)
Bit by bit, I've gotten Link to open up to me. It turns out he's quite a glutton. He can't resist a delicious meal! When I finally got around to asking why he's so quiet all the time, I could tell it was difficult for him to say. But he did. With so much at stake, and so many eyes upon him, he feels it necessary to stay strong and silently bear any burden. A feeling I know too well... For him, it has caused him to stop outwardly expressing his thoughts and feelings. I always believed him to be simply a gifted person who had never faced a day of hardship. How wrong I was... Everyone has struggles that go unseen by the world... I was so absorbed in my own problems, I failed to see his. I wish to talk with him more and to see what lies beneath those calm waters, to hear him speak freely and openly... And perhaps I, too, will be able to bare my soul to him and share the demons that have plagued me all these years.
(later entry)
Bit by bit, I've gotten Link to open up to me. It turns out he's quite a glutton. He can't resist a delicious meal! When I finally got around to asking why he's so quiet all the time, I could tell it was difficult for him to say. But he did. With so much at stake, and so many eyes upon him, he feels it necessary to stay strong and silently bear any burden. A feeling I know too well... For him, it has caused him to stop outwardly expressing his thoughts and feelings. I always believed him to be simply a gifted person who had never faced a day of hardship. How wrong I was... Everyone has struggles that go unseen by the world... I was so absorbed in my own problems, I failed to see his. I wish to talk with him more and to see what lies beneath those calm waters, to hear him speak freely and openly... And perhaps I, too, will be able to bare my soul to him and share the demons that have plagued me all these years.
— Zelda's Diary, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
"You have no social skills whatsoever!"
Jimmy, we've got good reason to believe Nijmegen Bridge is rigged to blow. And seeing as you've got no choice but to cross her tonight, how about you go ahead and disarm a few of those detonators for your new pal Tarver, huh? Good. I'll take your silence for a 'yes'.
—Captain Tarver, Medal of Honor: Frontline
Blue: Nice to meet you. And hey, congrats to you on becoming Champion of Alola! We were both Champions of the Kanto region, in our own days. Nice to meet a fellow Champ, yeah? What do you say, Red?
Red: … … …
Blue: Still as silent as ever, eh?
Red: … … …
Blue: Still as silent as ever, eh?
"I was getting so lonely down there. It's so good to hear somebody else's voice. I'm kidding, of course. GOD I hate you."
[...]
"You know what my days used to be like? I just tested. Nobody murdered me, or put me in a potato, or fed me to birds. I had a pretty good life. And then you showed up. You dangerous, mute lunatic."
[...]
"You know what my days used to be like? I just tested. Nobody murdered me, or put me in a potato, or fed me to birds. I had a pretty good life. And then you showed up. You dangerous, mute lunatic."
— GLaDOS, Portal 2
Kyle: So... you're the New Kid everyone is talking about. What's your name?
New Kid: ...
Elf: He doesn't talk, Elf King. He thinks he's hot shit or something.
New Kid: ...
Elf: He doesn't talk, Elf King. He thinks he's hot shit or something.
Annie: If it pleases and sparkles, the New Kid comes with a request from the boys.
Wendy: What request do the boys ask of us?
New Kid: ...
Annie: He... doesn't really talk.
Bebe: That's hot.
Wendy: What request do the boys ask of us?
New Kid: ...
Annie: He... doesn't really talk.
Bebe: That's hot.
Kyle: What do you say, New Kid, are you for this mission?
New Kid: ...
Clyde: Look, if you wanna be a Coon Friend, you have to learn to communicate!
New Kid: ...
Clyde: Look, if you wanna be a Coon Friend, you have to learn to communicate!
Wendy: What do you think New Kid? You think girls are just as good a gamers as you boys?
New Kid: ...
Wendy: You like to remain mysterious, huh? Fine.
New Kid: ...
Wendy: You like to remain mysterious, huh? Fine.
"...You're not much of a talker, are you? Well, you're still here, so I'm going to keep telling you to do stuff. LET'S GO!"
— Marie, Splatoon 2
"Mario, what's with the silent treatment?! You're not telling me something."
— Toad, Super Mario RPGnote
Other
"I mean, by having the voice actor speaking out the main character's opinions and messages, I'm afraid that they are going to narrow down the actual characteristics that people can imagine or apply to each character they are controlling, for example."
Frog:: We must brave the frigid winds and monsters of Death Peak, only then can we revive Crono.
Lucca: Am I the only one that thinks this isn't worth it?
Frog: Surely you jest!
Marle: The guy never said a word, Frog.
Lucca: I forgot he was around half the time.
Frog: B-But he was our leader!
Magus: Oh yeah, great leader, what was it he was always saying to us? Oh right, nothing.
[...]
Man: So, what brings you the afterlife? Got slain by a monster or...?
Crono: (blinks)
Man: Blinking is not a fucking answer!
Lucca: Am I the only one that thinks this isn't worth it?
Frog: Surely you jest!
Marle: The guy never said a word, Frog.
Lucca: I forgot he was around half the time.
Frog: B-But he was our leader!
Magus: Oh yeah, great leader, what was it he was always saying to us? Oh right, nothing.
[...]
Man: So, what brings you the afterlife? Got slain by a monster or...?
Crono: (blinks)
Man: Blinking is not a fucking answer!
— Dorkly Originals parody of Chrono Trigger
zelda was happy and said "hi link!!!!!!" happily and link smiled at her and went "hyah" because that's all link could say.
Matt: "[I/Kenpachi] will probably have to say "ellipses" to this strange-
Kenpachi: "......?!"
Matt and Pat: "YEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Kenpachi: "......?!"
Matt and Pat: "YEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"You know what I'm getting sick of? Silent protagonists. I can see the point in a game like Call of Duty where at all times there's at least two people shouting at you to stop lazing about and commit more war crimes, so another voice would have confused matters. But otherwise it just makes you look like an arsehole who climbs on other people's furniture, pockets the silverware and blankly stares at you when they ask him to stop. It's even weirder when the silent protagonist has a name and an existing reputation with other characters in the world, 'cause he must have spoken at some point to introduce himself. Unless he constantly wears his name emblazoned on his chest. But if that's the case, how do we even know the main character of Half-Life is Gordon Freeman, and not just someone borrowing Gordon Freeman's t-shirt? And how does this work when dialogue choices come up? Are we somehow transmitting the lines telepathically, or putting on different t-shirts accordingly? Yes, I know it's supposed to help us project ourselves onto the protagonist, but I don't find myself terribly engaging as a character; I'm quite the bellend."
When the soldiers you thought were the rescue team start executing scientists, it would only have hurt the game to fade to cut scene and show Gordon Freeman shaking his little bearded fists in rage. There’s a reason why Freeman remains a beloved character despite having no personality, because he is whatever we want him to be. Maybe he’s shocked by the military cover-up and staggered by the implications and his relative smallness against the organizations that now hunt him, or maybe he’s going, "Oh boy! I couldn’t wait for an excuse to return fire on those science-hating jockle cocks! I bet they voted against stem-cell research."
— Conversely, Yahtzee somewhat defends the trope in his Half-Life review
"Why did I give a walkie-talkie to a guy who only talks in text-boxes?"
—Doctor Insano on Squall
