History ChuckCunninghamSyndrome / Literature

* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': Hey, remember Gafinilan and Mertil, the Andalites that had also survived Elfangor's ship's crash and had been living on Earth for the entire war? Remember how he was found by the kids and decided to remain in hiding? Or maybe you don't, because they were only in one book. Having more Andalites on board would've been very useful for the kids. ''Even if'' those two didn't join the kids for their own reasons- [[spoiler:Gafinilan has a genetic disease that is slowly killing him, and Mertil lost his tail and is allergic to the morphing technology]]- it would've been nice for them to get another mention, seeing as Andalite war heroes living on Earth is kind of a big deal.

* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl''
** Doodah Day. At the end of ''Lost Colony'', he is mentioned as having started working as a private detective along with Mulch Diggums. ''The Time Paradox'' takes place mostly in the past, so it's understandable that he wouldn't appear, but Mulch is actively involved in ''The Atlantis Complex'' and not only does he not seem to be working as a detective, there is absolutely ''no mention'' of what Doodah is doing.
** Minerva Paradizo. At the end of book 5, she is stated to have spent 3 years obsessing over Artemis, waiting for him to return, and she was set up as a very obvious LoveInterest. Three books later, and she hasn't been mentioned once since then.

* Happens to the wizard Radagast the Brown in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. Among the many scouts sent out from Rivendell before the Fellowship starts out, a party goes to Radagast's house, but he is not there; his absence is never explained, and he is never mentioned again. When asked about this in a letter, Tolkien said that even he [[ShrugOfGod wasn't sure of Radagast's fate]].

** Why is [[TheDarkChick Bellatrix]]'s last name "Lestrange" if she's from the Black family? Oh, right--she's married. Easy to forget, since her husband Rodolphus and brother-in-law Rabastan are mentioned twice but not at all in the last two books, when they could reasonably appear. (Rodolphus ''does'' come up in ''Theatre/HarryPotterAndTheCursedChild'', though.)

** It was mentioned in the first book that a certain Sally-Ann Perks was sorted directly before Harry. Then in the fifth book, when they take their O.W.L.s, the roll call skips straight from Patil to Potter. Where did Sally-Ann go?

** In the early novels the Unseen University had a [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder different Archchancellor every book]], with the previous Archchancellor never getting a mention. As the position appears to be held for life and the KlingonPromotion nature of [[Characters/DiscworldWizards Discworld wizardry]] was established early on it can be safely assumed [[KillEmAll why they are missing]], but it is still a little strange and irritating that a major character like Cutangle (from ''Literature/EqualRites'') vanishes without a word. This ceases to be an issue after the appointment of Mustrum Ridcully in ''Literature/MovingPictures'', as he proves henceforth to be unremovable.

* In the ''[[Literature/{{Redwall}} Redwall]]'' series, a few minor characters who appeared in [[

* In the ''[[Literature/{{Redwall}} Redwall]] series, a few minor characters who appeared in [[

* In the ''[[Literature/Redwall Redwall]] series, a few minor characters who appeared in [[

* Tobias Gregson, the only member of the main cast from the first Franchise/SherlockHolmes story, ''A Study in Scarlet'', to never become a regular. There are mentions of "Gregsons" in later stories, but they are very few, only sharp eyes will catch them, and there is no indication that any of them refer to Tobias.

* Most characters in ''Literature/WildCards'' leave the story by dying, being PutOnABus, or at least wrapping up their personal narratives and retiring but Hiram Worchester is a major exception. A major secondary character for the first seven books, he almost entirely vanishes after [[spoiler: being sentenced to probation for killing Chrysalis]]. He appears only once after that point, is mentioned twice as not being in when people come to his restaurant, and then disappears for good.

** Cornelius Fudge plays a big role in the middle three books but he’s never mentioned again after his brief appearance at Dumbledore's funeral. Its entirely possible he was a another casualty of Voldemort's regime but this only speculation.

** Ludo Bagman plays a significant supporting role in the fourth book but goes on the run due to his gambling debt and is only briefly mentioned once again in bonus material confirming he was alive in 2014.

* In Theatre/KingLear by WilliamShakespeare, the Fool, one of the only characters who can tell Lear the truth, disappears in Act 3, Scene 6. Lear later says, “And my poor fool is hanged,” but he's referring to another character at the end of the play—we don't really know what happens to his court jester, and no one speaks of it again.

* In King Lear by William Shakespeare, the Fool, one of the only characters who can tell Lear the truth, disappears in Act 3, Scene 6. Lear later says, “And my poor fool is hanged,” but he's referring to another character at the end of the play—we don't really know what happens to his court jester, and no one speaks of it again.

** Ludo Bagman plays a significant supporting role in the fourth book but goes on the run due to his gambling debt and is only briefly mentioned once again.
** Cornelius Fudge plays a big role in the middle three books but he’s never mentioned again after catching up the Muggle PM on the situation in the Wizarding world at the beginning of the sixth book.

** For that matter, the two other wizards, deduced from a mention of there being five in total, were Chucked before the story begins, vanishing off the face of (Middle-) Earth somewhere between the wizards' arrival two thousand years previous and the beginning of Frodo's story. (The discussion of them is vague and uncertain even in the wide-ranging unpublished essays and notes on wizards that made it into ''[[Literature/UnfinishedTalesOfNumenorAndMiddleEarth Unfinished Tales]]''.)

* Happens a lot in Robert Jordan's ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', even to major characters. Characters like Lan and Thom disappear for whole books at a time, or come back for no real purpose and don't get much page-time. Of course, with a series that has [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters so many characters]], this is not entirely unexpected.

* Happens to the wizard Radagast the Brown in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. Messengers are sent to his house mid-way through the first book, but find it deserted. His absence is never explained, and he is never mentioned again. When asked about this in a letter, Tolkien said that even he [[ShrugOfGod wasn't sure of Radagast's fate]].

** For that matter, the two other wizards, deduced from a mention of there being five in total, were Chucked before the story begins, vanishing off the face of (Middle-) Earth somewhere between the wizards' arrival two thousand years previous and the beginning of Frodo's story. (The discussion of them is vague and uncertain even in the wide-ranging unpublished essays and notes on wizards that made it into ''Unfinished Tales''.)

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', it was mentioned in the first book that a certain Sally-Ann Perks was sorted directly before Harry. Then in the fifth book, when they take their O.W.L.s, the roll call skips straight from Patil to Potter. Where did Sally-Ann go?

** In the early novels the Unseen University had a [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder different Archchancellor every book]], with the previous Archchancellor never getting a mention. As the position appears to be held for life and the KlingonPromotion nature of [[Characters/DiscworldWizards Discworld wizardry]] was established early on it can be safely assumed [[KillEmAll why they are missing]], but it is still a little strange and irritating that a major character like Cutangle (from ''Discworld/EqualRites'') vanishes without a word. This ceases to be an issue after the appointment of Mustrum Ridcully in ''Discworld/MovingPictures'', as he proves henceforth to be unremovable.
** Agnes Nitt disappears after ''Discworld/CarpeJugulum''. When the Lancre coven appears at the end of ''Discworld/TheWeeFreeMen'', it's just Granny and Nanny, and even when later Tiffany books feature ''all the witches'' (the Trials in ''Discworld/AHatFullOfSky'', the Going Away Party in ''Discworld/{{Wintersmith}}'') she doesn't get a mention. ''Discworld/TheShepherdsCrown'' finally establishes that she returned to her musical career.

** Why is [[TheDarkChick Bellatrix]]'s last name "Lestrange" if she's from the Black family? Oh, right--she's married. Easy to forget, since her husband Rodolphus and brother-in-law Rabastan are mentioned twice but not at all in the last two books, when they could reasonably appear. (Rodolphus ''does'' come up in ''Theatre/HarryPotterAndTheCursedChild, though.)

* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': Hey, remember Gafinilan and Mertil, the Andalites that had also survived Elfangor's ship's crash and had been living on Earth for the entire war? Remember how he was found by the kids and decided to remain in hiding? Or maybe you don't, because they were only in one book. Having more Andalites on board would've been very useful for the kids. ''Even if'' those two didn't join the kids for their own reasons [[spoiler:Gafinilan has a genetic disease that is slowly killing him, and Mertil lost his tail and is allergic to the morphing technology]], it would've been nice for them to get another mention, seeing as Andalite war heroes living on Earth is kind of a big deal.

* In ''[[Literature/TheNight'sDawnTrilogy The Night's Dawn Trilogy]]'' the character of Kelven Solanki plays a major role in the first book in the series, almost rising to the rank of a major protagonist. He abruptly vanishes after the first book and is not mentioned again in the two sequels or spin-off material. According to the author, it was simply one too many character and subplot in an enormous trilogy where he already had more than enough to keep track off.