History CaptainObvious / Literature

* ''Many'' characters in ''Literature/TheSuperdictionary'' become this, given that they are supposed to be adults, yet talk in a way meant to teach grammar to first-graders.

* In ''The {{ComicStrip/Dilbert}} Principle'', Creator/ScottAdams lists Master of the Obvious as one of the roles to take in a meeting. The Master of the Obvious gets lines such as "You need customers in order to have revenue!" and "We want a win-win solution."

** Done by [[BrainyBrunette Tiffany]] of all people in ''Literature/TheWeeFreeMen'': [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment "And then there was the headless horseman! He had no head!"]]

* ''Literature/{{Twilight}}''.

--->''(after getting shot by a crossbow bolt)'' You shot me.\\
You were always quick to grasp a situation, my lord, that must be why you're [[spoiler:Hand of the King]].

** Harry saying "Ghosts are transparent." (What makes this obvious is that he says it in the sixth book, long after ghosts had been introduced; why he said it made sense in context but still got him told "Ah, I see six years of magical education have not been wasted on you.")
--->'''Cedric''': ''The cup is a portkey.''

* ''Literature/TheWitchOfKnightcharm'': Rosa Montaldo, a student witch who is nice enough but has trouble with social interactions, winds up in this territory on occasion. For instance, during a race through a lethal obstacle course, she reminds a competitor named Emily that it's a bad idea to stop in the middle. (Emily had almost been killed by a competitor and was trying to recover her energy).

* THE Detective, ''Franchise/SherlockHolmes'', would consider himself an example of this trope (no shit, indeed), while being the ultimate literary inversion in character and method. In the books he constantly make incredibly obvious observations, admitting that they were "elementary" and "simplicity itself", though of course they were only obvious to Holmes due to his broadness and depth of study - it was still necessary to explain it all to his allies.

** Tyrion Lannister gets a memorable moment of this when he meets (and plays cyvasse with) a very suspiciously [[PrettyBoy pretty lad]] with Tyroshi-blue hair he finds associated with the Golden Company. [[spoiler: Prince Aegon Targaryen needed it spelling out that it's been ''months'' since the plan he had been following was drawn up (and revised several times), that Daenerys has a claim to the throne ''in her own right'' as his aunt, that she has three very real dragons proving her status as a bone fide dragonlord while he... doesn't, that she has a blooded army of her very own, that she has taken over city states (in the plural) and, therefore, that she doesn't especially need him when she does try her bid for the Iron Throne, that she doesn't even know about his existence (because he's supposed to be dead) and that she is, therefore, going to be unlikely to be willing to simply step aside for him when she does find out that he 1) apparently exists and is 2) backed by what amounts to [[SuccessionCrisis Team Blackfyre]].]] It had apparently escaped the entire Golden Company that all this was the case and that they'd have to do something ''a little'' more proactive than wait for [[spoiler: their possibly-Targaryen lad to somehow dazzle her with being family, then sweep her off her feet, marry her and claim the throne from under this somehow meek, inexperienced, sheltered little girl with no backing and few resources... a thing she has by now adequately proven that she very definitely isn't, even when people try to make her that.]]

* In ''Literature/IfItHadHappenedOtherwise'', J.C. Squires, "If It Had Been Discovered in 1930 That Bacon Really Did Write Shakespeare": Mr. Creator/GKChesterton... as usual, seeing the obvious long before anyone else..."

* ''Literature/{{Neverwhere}}'': Richard Mayhew. "Oh, you're awake", he tells Door, who is awake.

** Tyrion Lannister gets a memorable moment of this when he meets (and plays cyvasse with) a very suspiciously [[PrettyBoy pretty lad]] with [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair Tyroshi-blue hair]] he finds associated with the Golden Company. [[spoiler: Prince Aegon Targaryen needed it spelling out that it's been ''months'' since the plan he had been following was drawn up (and revised several times), that Daenerys has a claim to the throne ''in her own right'' as his aunt, that she has three very real dragons proving her status as a bone fide dragonlord while he... doesn't, that she has a blooded army of her very own, that she has taken over city states (in the plural) and, therefore, that she doesn't especially need him when she does try her bid for the Iron Throne, that she doesn't even know about his existence (because he's supposed to be dead) and that she is, therefore, going to be unlikely to be willing to simply step aside for him when she does find out that he 1) apparently exists and is 2) backed by what amounts to [[SuccessionCrisis Team Blackfyre]].]] It had apparently escaped the entire Golden Company that all this was the case and that they'd have to do something ''a little'' more proactive than wait for [[spoiler: their possibly-Targaryen lad to somehow dazzle her with being family, then sweep her off her feet, marry her and claim the throne from under this somehow meek, inexperienced, sheltered little girl with no backing and few resources... a thing she has by now adequately proven that she very definitely isn't, even when people try to make her that.]]

* In ''Literature/TheFirstLaw'' trilogy, Grim is TheQuietOne and a TerseTalker. Dogman notes that when Grim ''does'' make an observation, it's usually something that didn't need saying.

* The heads of the FeudingFamilies Selachii and Venturi have to be this whenever they speak to each other due to an edict that they speak only on subjects they couldn't possibly disagree on. Leading to their conversations including phrases like "I see we are standing up."

* In ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', the heads of the FeudingFamilies Selachii and Venturi have to be this whenever they speak to each other due to an edict that they speak only on subjects they couldn't possibly disagree on. Leading to their conversations including phrases like "I see we are standing up."

* The ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books have a few (most are lampshaded in-universe however):

* John Flanagan's ''Literature/RangersApprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan'', first in a series. There's a BigBad monster out there, which is nigh-unstoppable (partly because its eyes could hypnotise). However, it's been established that not only was its mate killed, but that the same natural oil that worked as armour on the beast also made it [[ChekhovsGun highly flammable]]. When the main character, who is being [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment trained in archery by the world's best archer until he can arch with the best]], sees his master and other main characters facing the creature, he finally comes up with the [[CaptainObvious ingenious]] idea to fire a flaming arrow at it. He's hailed as a genius hero, instead of people wondering why nobody had done that right from the beginning.
** They didn't ''know'' that originally.

** For some reason, dwarves tend to be {{Phrase Catcher}}s for people pointing out that they're dwarves. In ''Discworld/FeetOfClay'', Vetinari shows he's not feeling especially clever:

* ''Literature/{{Neverwhere}}'' : Richard Mayhew. "Oh, you're awake", he tells Door, who is awake.

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--> All examples found in books not of the comic or manga persuasion are here!

* Mulenz, a supporting character in the Literature/CiaphasCain short story ''The Beguiling'', was like this, to Cain's mild annoyance. "No wonder they made him an observer, I thought, nothing gets past this guy."

** For some reason, dwarfs tend to be {{Phrase Catcher}}s for people pointing out that they're dwarfs. In ''Discworld/FeetOfClay'', Vetinari shows he's not feeling especially clever:
-->The Patrician stirred, and looked at Cheery through watery red eyes. 'Tell me, young man, are you a policeman?'\\

* Creator/HansChristianAndersen:
** In "Literature/TheEmperorsNewClothes," the kid who points out that the emperor is nekkid plays this role. Apparently, Andersen took inspiration from his own childhood, where as part of a poor family he saw the procession of the King of Denmark and loudly, indignantly exclaimed "Why, he's nothing more than a human being!".
** In "Literature/TheNightingale", Andersen opens the story by explaining that "In China, you know, the emperor is a Chinese, and all those about him are Chinamen also."
* In ''Literature/TheFirstLaw'' trilogy, Grim is TheQuietOne and a TerseTalker. Dogman notes that when Grim ''does'' make an observation, it's usually something that didn't need saying.

* The ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books have a few (most are lampshaded in-universe however)

* ''Literature/TheHitchHikersGuideToTheGalaxy''
** In ''Literature/TheHitchHikersGuideToTheGalaxy1'', this is humanity's [[PlanetOfHats hat]].

* In ''[[Literature/TheHollows A Fistful of Charms]]'', after Rachel meets Rex:

* Colette disses Ethan for being this trope in ''[[Literature/HumanxCommonwealth Icerigger]]'', for such brilliant demonstrations as remarking "Stuck" after trying and failing to open a jammed door.

* The great Creator/WilliamShakespeare brings us this line uttered by Macduff's son in ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'': "He has killed me, mother!" Partially explained by the nature of stagecraft in those days, when it was often necessary to make such statements to let the audience know what was going on or what they were supposed to be aware of or understand.
* In the second ''Midnighters'' book, Madeleine accuses Dess of being one.

* John Flanagan's ''Ranger's Apprentice: the Ruins of Gorlan'', first in a series. There's a BigBad monster out there, which is nigh-unstoppable (partly because its eyes could hypnotise). However, it's been established that not only was its mate killed, but that the same natural oil that worked as armour on the beast also made it [[ChekhovsGun highly flammable]]. When the main character, who is being [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment trained in archery by the world's best archer until he can arch with the best]], sees his master and other main characters facing the creature, he finally comes up with the [[CaptainObvious ingenious]] idea to fire a flaming arrow at it. He's hailed as a genius hero, instead of people wondering why nobody had done that right from the beginning.

* ''Literature/ShadowsOfTheEmpire''; during a BigDamnHeroes moment.
-->'''Enemy Commander:''' There seems to be a slight problem, my prince.\\
'''[[BigBad Prince Xizor]]:''' So I noticed. Why are your ships blowing up, Commander?

* In Creator/CSLewis' ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'', the entire race of Dufflepuds are prone to this, with such astute observations as water is powerfully wet. Especially the Chief, with things like, "Getting dark now; always does at night." And all the others encourage him constantly.
-->'''The Chief:''' That's a spear, that is.\\
'''The Others:''' That it is, Chief, that it is. You couldn't have put it better.\\\
'''The Chief:''' Visible we are. And what I say is, when chaps are visible, why, they can see one another.\\
'''The Others:''' Ah, there it is, Chief. There's the point. No one's go a clearer head than you. You couldn't have made it plainer.

* A book called ''100 Things You Aren't Supposed To Know'' is, well, a list of information that is apparently suppressed from the public knowledge. #37 was "Work kills more people than war," which, if you consider basic mathematics, is like saying "time kills more people than sharks" since there is always, always, always work going on somewhere in the world and war isn't usually happening and nowadays, won't claim explosive numbers of casualties.
* The ''{{Literature/Redwall}}'' installment ''Salamandastron'' features a scene with ThePigpen begging not to be given a bath; "That stuff's water - it's all wet!"
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/VictoryUnintentional": The robots are very young, and their naivete makes it difficult to read the intentions of the Jovians, so they take turns reaching minor [[EurekaMoment epiphanies]] and explaining the obvious conclusion to the other two. The last epiphany they have is that nobody remembered to explain to the Jovians that the ZZ were robots, not humans.

** Tyrion Lannister gets a memorable moment of this when he meets (and plays cyvasse with) a very suspiciously [[PrettyBoy pretty lad]] with [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair Tyroshi-blue hair]] he finds associated with the Golden Company. [[spoiler: Prince Aegon Targaryen needed it spelling out that it's been ''months'' since the plan he had been following was drawn up (and revised several times), that Daenerys has a claim to the throne ''in her own right'' as his aunt, that she has three very real dragons proving her status as a bone fide dragonlord while he... doesn't, that she has a blooded army of her very own, that she has taken over city states (in the plural) and, therefore, that she doesn't especially need him when she does try her bid for the Iron Throne, that she doesn't even know about his existence (because he's supposed to be dead) and that she is, therefore, going to be unlikely to be willing to simply step aside for him when she does find out that he 1) apparently exists and is 2) backed by what amounts to [[SuccessionCrisis Team Blackfyre]].]] It had apparently escaped the entire Golden Company that all this was the case and that they'd have to do something ''a little'' more proactive than wait for [[spoiler: their possibly-Targaryen lad to somehow dazzle her with being family, then sweep her off her feet, marry her and claim the throne from under this somehow meek, inexperienced, sheltered little girl... a thing she has by now adequately proven that she isn't.]]

** Tyrion Lannister gets a memorable moment of this when he meets (and plays cyvasse with) a very suspiciously [[PrettyBoy pretty lad]] with [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair Tyroshi-blue hair]] he finds associated with the Golden Company. [[spoiler: Prince Aegon Targaryen needed it spelling out that it's been ''months'' since the plan he had been following was drawn up (and revised several times), that Daenerys has a claim to the throne ''in her own right'' as his aunt, that she has three very real dragons proving her status as a bone fide Dragon Lord, that she has a blooded army of her very own, that she has taken over city states (in the plural) and, therefore, that she doesn't especially need him when she does try her bid for the Iron Throne, that she doesn't even know about his existence (because he's supposed to be dead) and that she is therefore going to be unlikely to be willing to simply step aside for him when she does find out that he 1) apparently exists and is 2) backed by what amounts to [[SuccessionCrisis Team Blackfyre]].]] It had apparently escaped the entire Golden Company that all this was the case and that they'd have to do something ''a little'' more proactive than wait for [[spoiler: their possibly-Targaryen lad to somehow dazzle her with being family, then sweep her off her feet, marry her and claim the throne from under this somehow meek, inexperienced, sheltered little girl... a thing she has by now adequately proven that she isn't.]]

** Tyrion Lannister gets a memorable moment of this when he meets (and plays cyvasse with) a very suspiciously [[PrettyBoy pretty lad]] with [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair Tyroshi-blue hair]]. [[spoiler: Aegon Targaryen needed it spelling out that it's been ''months'' since the plan he was following was drawn up (and revised several times), that Daenerys has a claim to the throne in her own right, that she has three dragons, that she has a blooded army of her own, that she has taken over city states and, therefore, that she doesn't especially need him, that she doesn't know about him and that she is therefore going to be unlikely to be willing to step aside for him when she does find out that he 1) even exists and is 2) backed by what amounts to Team Blackfyre.]] It had apparently escaped the entire Golden Company that all this was the case and that they'd have to do something ''a little'' more proactive than wait for [[spoiler: their possibly-Targaryen lad to somehow sweep her off her feet, marry her and claim the throne from under the somehow meek little girl she has adequately proved she isn't.]]

** Tyrion Lannister gets a memorable moment of this when he meets (and plays cyvasse with) a very suspiciously [[PrettyBoy pretty lad]] with [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair Tyroshi-blue hair]]. [[spoiler: Aegon Targaryen needed it spelling out that it's been ''months'' since the plan he was following was drawn up and revised several times, that Daenerys has a claim to the throne in her own right, that she has three dragons, that she has a blooded army, that she has taken over city states and, therefore, that she doesn't especially need him, she doesn't know about him and is therefore going to be unlikely to be willing to step aside for him when she does find out that he 1) exists and is 2) backed by Team Blackfyre.]] It had apparently escaped the entire Golden Company that all this was the case and that they'd have to do something ''a little'' more proactive than wait for [[spoiler: their possibly-Targaryen lad to somehow sweep her off her feet, marry her and claim the throne.]]
You were always quick to grasp a situation, my lord, that must be why you're [[spoiler:Hand of the King]].