History Main / InvisibleMonsters

* ''Literature/MissPeregrinesHomeForPecularChildren'': The Hollowghasts, peculiars who were turned into horrific monsters in a botched attempt to control time. They're totally invisible all the way up until they attack, at which point it's typically too late to avoid them. The main character is special because he shares his grandfather's peculiarity (power) to be able to see through the things' invisibility, thereby allowing him to actively hunt them.

->''"Oh look, they were too cheap to hire villains!"''

* The film ''Captain Sinbad'' has the title character face an invisible monster that leaves dinosaur-like tracks in the ground (that form from an explosion as its feet land). Considering all of the SpecialEffectsFailure monsters that appear, it's rather startling.

* There's a movie called ''The Sound of Horror'' about invisible dinosaurs. ''That'' is a low budget.

See the SuperTrope, {{Invisibility}}, or the sister trope InvisibityWithDrawbacks. Take note that NothingIsScarier, which is why this can work at all.

See also {{Invisibility}}. Take note that NothingIsScarier, which is why this can work at all.

-->"And what about the potion YOU invented — the one that was supposed to turn me into a terrifying Invisible Monster? (* see 'Attack of the No-Budget Special Effect')."
-->"That worked!"
-->"Yes you bungling brainiac, the light passed through my entire body--including my retinas! I couldn't see a blasted thing!"

* Videogame/DeadlyRoomsOfDeath has spiders that camoflauge like HollywoodChameleons. Unless you [[AntiFrustrationFeature activate a vision token or turn on puzzle mode]], you can only see them when they move, or you get close.

See also {{Invisibility}}. Take note of [[NothingIsScarier Nothing Being Scarier]], which is why this can work at all.

* There is a type of invisible robo-coptor in ''VideoGame/MegaManZXAdvent''. Siarnaq's/Model P's radar can see them though, and shoot them. They also do an InvisibilityFlicker when they shoot.

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' gives us the Stealth Sneak, first as a BossBattle, then reappearing later on in the Hades Cup. The icing on the cake is one of the latter seeds, consisting of not one but ''two'' Stealth Sneaks to carve up. Mind you, locking onto and hitting one is not affected by whether they are visible or not. They can be detected by sight alone if you look very carefully. Their camouflage produces a "heat ripple" effect, though this is easier to see during the boss fight than during the seed match.

* Lampshaded during an argument between MadScientist Dr Zarkendorf and the alien monster D'Ork in ''Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space''.

-->"Yes you bungling brainiac, the light passed through my entire body — including my retinas! I couldn't see a blasted thing!"

* In ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean'', the Stand Music/LimpBizkit revives the user right after death as an [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Invisible Zombie.]] [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext Yeah.]] It also resurrects nearby corpses (such as a recently-dead [[RaisingTheSteaks crocodile]]) that relentlessly attack living things in search for [[BrainFood brains.]]

* In ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'' part 6, the Stand ''Music/LimpBizkit'' revives the user right after death as an [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Invisible Zombie.]] [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext Yeah.]] It also resurrects nearby corpses (such as a recently-dead [[RaisingTheSteaks crocodile]]) that relentlessly attack living things in search for [[BrainFood brains.]]

* ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin'' features Haunted after a few chapters that are invisible, although they can be seen temporarily when injured. Sebastian has to pay attention the environment, looking out for ripples in puddles or objects being mysteriously bumped, to notice their presence.

* The ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' have quite a bunch of these, including Neronga from the original ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'', Sartan and Eldertordoise from ''Series/ReturnOfUltraman'', Miegon from ''SeriesUltramanTaro'', Mechagiras from ''Series/UltramanEighty'', amongst others. Maquette Miclas from ''Series/UltramanMebius'' can do this as well, but only through using remodified data of Neronga and Eldertordoise from previous shows in the series.

* The ''Series/UltraSeries'' have quite a bunch of these, including Neronga from the original ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'', Sartan and Eldertordoise from ''Series/ReturnOfUltraman'', Mechagiras from ''Series/UltramanEighty'', amongst others. Maquette Miclas from ''Series/UltramanMebius'' can do this as well, but only through using remodified data of Neronga and Eldertordoise from previous shows in the series.

%% This is not a YMMV page. Please do not link to any YMMV tropes such as Goddamned Bats or Demonic Spiders, no matter how annoying or
%% dangerous the enemies are.

[[quoteright:324:[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Invisible_Stalker.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:324:[[LiteralMetaphor The textbook example]].]]

** [[spoiler: Cloaks of invisibility. Monsters that can wear armor will pick them up and don them.]]
** [[spoiler: Every sufficiently high-level spellcasting monster can cast an invisibility spell on themselves. Every sufficiently high-level spellcasting monster usually does the moment they see you.]]

** However, stealth-capable enemies got more powerful in subsequent games; ''Halo 2''[='s=] Mausoleum MultiMookMelee has invisible [[EliteMooks Ultra Elites]], and by the time you get to ''VideoGame/{{Halo 4}}'', you're fighting invisible Zealots holding invisible one-hit-kill swords.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' addon "Operation: Anchorage" includes Chinese snipers, who start off cloaked as though using a Stealth Boy power-up. Until they become visible, the player can't target them with the auto-aiming [[FunWithAcronyms Vault-tec Assisted Targeting System (VATS)]]. And to add to the tension, both this and the proximity compass on the HUD identify them as friendlies, until you walk past them just enough to get a critical potshot.

** ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' makes deathclaws even worse by introducing the chameleon variant. The new assaultron robot can also cloak and some boss enemies in the main story make use of Stealth Boys.

* ''Series/{{Batman}}'' had such an episode in its cheap 3rd season and it took the concept even further in the climatic fight when the heroes kill the lights to even the odds fighting against multiple invisible enemies and the fight concludes in total darkness.

Not to be confused with [[Literature/InvisibleMonsters the Palahniuk book.]]

[[folder:Film]]

* {{Hell Hound}}s in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' are invisible to everyone but their target. They can also be seen with glasses that were burned by holy fire.

--> '''Garth:''' Right. So... Whoa. Monster you got to be drunk to see. Cool! Also... hard to fight.
* Mirror Monsters in ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki'' (and its American adaptation ''Series/KamenRiderDragonKnight'') can only be seen by those who've been to the mirror world; to everyone else, they're this.
* Parodied in ''Series/RedDwarf'', with a B movie titled 'Attack of the Giant, Savage, Completely Invisible Aliens'', which consists of [[BadBadActing Bad Bad Actors]] pointing at the sky and saying "It's the giant, savage, completely invisible aliens!"

* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** The Krafayis from episode "Vincent and the Doctor", although it shows up in mirrors.
** Played with during ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E4TheFaceOfEvil The Face of Evil]]''. When some of these start chasing the Doctor and Leela, the Doctor deduces that the creatures can't be following them by sight, since light would just pass through their eyes if they even had them. He uses the vibrations of an alarm clock to distract them.
** In "Midnight", the monster was more or less invisible, only 'showing' itself when it inhabited other people's bodies. We never did find out what it looked like.
** The Visians of planet Mira in "The Daleks' Master Plan" are this played straight.
** The Spiridons in "Planet of the Daleks," whose powers of invisibility the Daleks are attempting to learn and imitate.
* ''Series/StargateSG1'' has featured the Re'tu, big spider aliens which are invisible because they are "180 degrees out of phase from normal space-time". Fortunately, it doesn't take long to come up with a special kind of "flashlight" that can make them visible (which comes in very handy against later invisible foes in the series).
* ''Series/{{Batman}}'' had such an episode in its cheap 3rd season and it took the concept even further in the climatic fight when the heroes kill the lights to even the odds fighting against multiple invisible enemies and the fight concludes in total darkness.
* Much like the ''Batman'' example, ''Series/{{MANTIS}}'' sees its hero and his allies fighting an invisible T-Rex due to budget reasons. [[spoiler:Unlike the ''Batman'' example, [[TheHeroDies this didn't end well for Miles and his love interest, Leora]].]]

[[folder:Videogames]]

[[folder:Web Originals]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode "Island Adventure" has a invisible gem monster, being covered in mud showed what it looks like.
* Parodied to hell and back in ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}'' with Invisibo, who is invisible pharaoh who can only be seen via his scepter. However, when we first see him, his scepter is being held by string, prompting a WeInterruptThisProgram to declare the Network is embarrassed by this and gives the show extra money to make it ''believable.''

* ''ComicBook/BeastsOfBurden'' sees the gang taking on one in "Hunters and Gatherers".