History Main / InvisibleWriting

* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', the Uchiha tablet on first glance gives the basic informations regarding secrets of the Uchihas. But use your Mangekyou Sharingan or Rinnegan and you will see even more details regarding the history of the ninja world. Such as the history of Senju and Uchiha war and the origin of the Ten-tails.

* Two short stories by Creator/AgathaChristie (one featuring Literature/HerculePoirot and one Literature/MissMarple), involve rich eccentrics writing their {{will|AndInheritenceTropes}} in Invisible Ink, and challenging the heirs to find it.

--->'''[[spoiler: (Maybe we were born... only to fight.)]]'''
-->[[spoiler: BeAt]]

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', when you slowly make your way towards [[spoiler: the blue pillar holding Bahamut,]] who tells you to turn back... If one manages to successfully make it [[spoiler: to said glowing pillar]], you have to fight '''two''' [[EliteMooks Red Dragons]] and give the proper answers after defeating each one before he/she angrily asks why they're fighting against him. [[spoiler: The true answer to the third and final question is completely invisible, the resultant answer shown is soul-chilling to first-timers, to say the least...]]

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', when you slowly make your way towards [[spoiler: the blue pillar holding Bahamut,]] who tells you to turn back... If one manages to successfully make it [[spoiler: to said glowing pillar]], you have to fight '''two''' [[EliteMooks Red Dragons]] and give the proper answers after defeating each one before he/she angrily asks why they're fighting against him. [[spoiler: The true answer to the third and final question is completely invisible, the resultant answer shown is chilling to first-timers, to say the least...]]
-->Damned imbeciles. Why do you wish to fight?
For the sake of protecting something
None of your business
'''[[spoiler: (It's our nature...)]]'''
'''[[spoiler: There is no real reason...]]'''
'''[[Maybe we were born... only to fight.]]'''
[[spoiler: BeAt]]
'''[[spoiler: I see... interesting...]]'''

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Zara uses invisible ink to write on her victims without their knowledge which is then activated later in dramatic fashion to better convince them that her cult is legitimate.

** One episode has the names of Starling City's most corrupt criminals written in a handbook owned by Oliver's father. He only realized it wasn't blank when he was about to burn it as kindling while marooned on the island and the names appeared from the heat. The ink can also be revealed by way of a special pair of glasses.
** The team finds some notes written the same way in [[spoiler:Sara's]] boot in "[[Recap/ArrowS3E4TheMagician The Magician]]" episode. Nyssa calls it "Ghost Ink" and says it is one of the standard methods that the League of Assassins employ for concealing secrets.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', when you slowly make your way towards [[spoiler: the blue pillar holding Bahamut,]] who tells you to turn back... If one manages to successfully make it [[spoiler: to said glowing pillar]], you have to fight '''two''' [[EliteMooks Red Dragons]] and give the proper answers after defeating each one before angrily asks why they're fighting against him. [[spoiler: The true answer to the third and final question is completely invisible, the resultant answer shown is chilling to first-timers, to say the least...]]

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', when you slowly make your way towards [[spoiler: the blue pillar holding Bahamut,]] who tells you to turn back... If one manages to successfully make it [[spoiler: to said glowing pillar]], you have to fight '''two''' [[EliteMooks Red Dragons]] and giving the proper answers after defeating each one before angrily asks why they're fighting against him. [[spoiler: The true answer to the third and final question is completely invisible, the resultant answer shown is chilling to first-timers, to say the least...]]

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', when you slowly make your way towards [[spoiler: the blue pillar holding Bahamut,]] who tells you to turn back... If one manages to successfully make it [[spoiler: to said glowing pillar]], you have to fight '''two''' [[DemonicSpiders Red Dragons]] and giving the proper answers after defeating each one before angrily asks why they're fighting against him. [[spoiler: The true answer to the third and final question is completely invisible, the resultant answer shown is chilling to first-timers, to say the least...]]

* In ''Manga/AkagamiNoShirayukihime'' Shirayuki and Ryuu are searching for an old book that describes a rare quickly spreading illness that has started appearing in Lyrias. When they finally track it down most of the writing has faded to the point of being illegible so they work with a botanist and another researcher to come up with a way to get the writing to show again.

** One episode has the names of Starling City's most corrupt criminals written in a handbook owned by Oliver's father. He only realized it wasn't blank when he put it near a flame and the names came up. The ink can also be revealed by way of a special pair of glasses.

* Similar to the ''Film/GoneInSixtySeconds2000'' example above, an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Filmore}}'' involving a bike thief ring that used the same 'special chalk' trick, albeit replacing blacklight exposure with special lenses. [[spoiler:This ends up helping to catch the secret leader of thief ring, who had gotten some of said chalk on their shirt]].

** Parodied in the book ''Discworld/WitchesAbroad''. The witches come upon a dwarf mine, identified by invisible runes. Magrat states she can't see them, which Nanny Ogg points out is how you know you got your money's worth with invisible runes.
** Also, the Unseen University faculty includes the Reader in Invisible Writings.

** Saliva does the job, too, so you don't have to be male to improvise InvisibleWriting.

* In the ''VideoGame/NancyDrew'' game ''The Haunted Carousal''; she helps out the bookkeeper with some puzzles that would reconnect her childhood (long story). One puzzle involved a piece of lemon scented paper that showed a message when ironed.
* ''VideoGame/AloneInTheDark3'': At one point, while exploring the town hall, you find an apparently blank book. Another tips you of its true nature and what to do with it: reading in while standing near a light candle will reveal it's actually a book written by Pregtz, the BigBad from the first game.

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
* In ''Series/RaumschiffGamestar'', the employee contract clause that forces all crew members (except TheCaptain and the medical officer) to wear bright orange overalls is printed in ink that is only visible if you hold the paper against the light of a full moon on a certain date and day of the week.

* On the BackDoorPilot for ''Series/TheFinder'' on ''Series/{{Bones}}'', the treasure map has writing that can only be revealed with blood.
* One of the things Abraham Woodhull does as part of his spy work for George Washington in ''Series/{{Turn}}'' is transmit messages via invisible ink that requires the application of a coat of "reagent" for the message to be visible.

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'':
** One episode has the names of Starling City's most corrupt criminals written in a handbook owned by Oliver's father. He only realized it wasn't blank when he put it near a flame and the names came up. The ink can also be revealed by way of a special pair of glasses.
** The team finds some notes written the same way in [[spoiler:Sara's]] boot in "[[Recap/ArrowS3E4TheMagician The Magician]]" episode. Nyssa calls it "Ghost Ink" and says it is one of the standard methods that the League of Assassins employ for concealing secrets.
* In one episode of ''Series/TheOfficeUS'', Dwight attempts to pass a secret message to the other salespeople by handing them letters with a second message written beneath the main text in invisible ink, hinting to them to expose the letters to heat to make the secret message visible. Of course, none of them bothers to do so. Dwight also cheerfully admits that the "invisible ink" in question is in fact [[{{Squick}} his own urine]].

* ''Series/ThreeTwoOneContact'''s "Bloodhound Gang" has a story called "The Case of the Secret Message" in which they find an old lady's stolen purse and finds that it only has a seemingly blank piece of paper. The Gang suspects invisible ink, but have to go through various methods to find out like heating it to expose lemon juice writing, which doesn't work. Eventually, the way to expose the writing is it to rub pencil graphite on the paper to expose the secret writing that was written in salt water.
* ''Series/{{Elementary}}'': When Sherlock and Joan retrieve the BodyOfTheWeek of the "Art in the Blood" episode for an autopsy, they are more than a little surprised to find that his apparently ordinary arms had been stolen and nothing else. After some investigation they find out that his ex-wife is a tattoo artist and he had her cover his arms with tattoos that only show up under UV light.
* ''Series/{{Blindspot}}'': Jane Doe's body is already [[HumanNotepad covered in tattoos that contain hidden meanings]] but in the "Bone May Rot" episode, it is discovered that she also has tattoos that are only appear under the exact frequency of UV light that used for decontamination at the CDC.

* Two short stories by Creator/AgathaChristie (one featuring Literature/HerculePoirot and one Literature/MissMarple), involve rich eccentrics writing their {{will}} in Invisible Ink, and challenging the heirs to find it.

* One poor unfortunate decided to rob a bank and his "disguise" was lemon juice on his face, thinking that per its use as invisible ink it would keep the security cameras from recording him. He was wrong.

* A really {{Squick}}y example: Fresh semen may be used as an invisible ink much as lemon juice may be applied. Apparently, all men can access a stock even if in a place where no lemons are available.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' Zuko received a note with a secret message written in invisible ink which was revealed with heat.

* In Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium, there are several kinds of magical invisible writing. First is called "moon letters" and is written with silver pens and unknown ink that is only visible in moonlight. In ''TheHobbit'', Thorin's map to Erebor has such invisible script. Second (not quite an ink but similar) is ''ithildin'', a metal alloy that only reflects starlight and moonlight when certain magical spells are recited, and is normally transparent, used to decorate the Gates of Moria which blend seamlessly with rock. Revealing ithildin is the only way to see these gates.