History Main / MysteriousProtector

** In Honest Hearts, you can learn about Randall Dean Clark, a former US Marine turned survivalist who eventually became this for a bunch of children [[spoiler: who would later become the Sorrow]], watching over them and giving them supplies and books while remaining unseen to them. In the end, you find his skeleton on the [[spoiler: Red Gate as he was about to die from a lung disease, so he left a personalized message to each child, telling them he would be silent but still watch over them, and climbed to his resting spot, dying to the elements. His legend lives as the Father in the Caves.]]

* ''DigimonAdventure'': After the Chosen [[WeWereYourTeam fall apart following Taichi's disappearance]], Sora completely disappears and acts in this capacity, working to get everyone (except herself) back together in the face of [=PicoDevimon=]'s trickery tearing the team apart.

* Haji during a good part of ''[[BloodPlus Blood+ ]]''.

** The Moonlight Knight from the Makaiju arc of ''[[Anime/SailorMoon]] R''. [[spoiler: Then again, he ''is'' an expy of Tuxedo Mask himself, whom split up from Mamoru's subconscious desire to help Usagi despite having been afflicted with LaserGuidedAmnesia. Once Mamoru recovers his memories, Moonlight Knight reveals himself as Mamoru's other half and disappears, with Mamoru becoming Tuxedo Mask again from then on.]]

** The Moonlight Knight from the Makaiju arc of ''[[Anime/Sailor Moon]] R''. [[spoiler: Then again, he ''is'' an expy of Tuxedo Mask himself, whom split up from Mamoru's subconscious desire to help Usagi despite having been afflicted with LaserGuidedAmnesia. Once Mamoru recovers his memories, Moonlight Knight reveals himself as Mamoru's other half and disappears, with Mamoru becoming Tuxedo Mask again from then on.]]

* Ferio from ''MagicKnightRayearth''.

* In DragonAge/OriginsAwakening, The Messenger, one of the sapient Darkspawn serving the Architect can become this depending on the player's choices. The epilogue will mention a "mysterious hooded stranger with a lisp" rescuing travelers in danger, albeit accidentally spreading the taint in some cases.

* From the {{Deryni}} works by KatherineKurtz:

** The Moonlight Knight from the Makaiju arc of ''Sailor Moon R''. [[spoiler: Then again, he ''is'' an expy of Tuxedo Mask himself, whom split up from Mamoru's subconscious desire to help Usagi despite having been afflicted with LaserGuidedAmnesia. Once Mamoru recovers his memories, Moonlight Knight reveals himself as Mamoru's other half and disappears, with Mamoru becoming Tuxedo Mask again from then on.]]

* ''Fanfic/CosmicWarriors'' is a ''SailorMoon'' retelling so of course Tuxedo Mask fits this part.

* Tuxedo Mask from ''SailorMoon'' began as 'the guy in the tuxedo that threw roses at monsters' and the reveal of his identity was a big deal. His counterpart from ''PrettyGuardianSailorMoon'' is anything but.

** ''CodenameSailorV'' has Kaitou Ace who on a few occasions appears as Sailor V's Mysterious Protector, but he's also the main character of a ShowWithinAShow and thus is simply an actor who V meets and is aided by a couple of times. Until it turns out he's [[spoiler:the BigBad]].

** Unfortunately, the chances of him appearing in later fights goes down every time he rescues you. If he's saved your ass once or twice, he's unlikely to do it again, possibly because he's becoming too worn out between world-traveling and fighting (though again, it's a gameplay mechanic, so it's possible that the programmers simply didn't want to promote too much laziness as he is rather powerful and it is sometimes better suited to the fight then Sora and Co. He can't actully kill anything however, his move list lacks a finishing move which is required for the final blow on bosses, planting him even further into this troupe.

* Angel from season 1 of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Fitting, considering Joss is a fan of Sailor Moon and the first few seasons of Buffy can be seen as a warped, live-action magical girl show. In season two, he even gets in on Tuxedo Mask's [[spoiler: the "main character has to stab him to save the world"]] bit.

Subtrope of MysteriousWatcher. Compare AloofAlly, his DistaffCounterpart who becomes a member of the team instead of a love interest, the MysteriousBacker, who generally provides support rather than rescues (and typically has more complex goals than a crush), and EnigmaticMinion, the villainous version.

* Tuxedo Mask from ''SailorMoon'' pretty much epitomizes the trope, although his counterpart from ''PrettyGuardianSailorMoon'' is anything but.

* Lo, from ''CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'' plays to this niche admirably in an early fight sequence. He obviously lacks the firepower to stop any of the major fighters of the setting, but he only needs to provide a few seconds of distraction to allow his love, ActionGirl Jen Yu, to escape.

While his true name and nature are usually concealed in the beginning, the heroine eventually finds out who he is about two-thirds of the way through the series. Subsequently, he often becomes her [[BodyguardCrush love interest]]. For some reason, he usually gets [[BrainwashedAndCrazy possessed]] or otherwise has to work against her for a time. As [[DistressedDude his rescue]] is inevitable, he becomes a little prize for the heroine's hard work.

** ''SuitePrettyCure'': Cure Beat. Which is not Hummy.

* ''LibraryWar'': Kasahara was inspired to join the Library Defense Force by her "prince," who came to her rescue when the bookstore she was patronizing was raided. Not knowing his name, he is a mystery to her...although it is revealed early on that he is actually Atashi Dojo, her instructor/teammate with whom she has BelligerentSexualTension.

** In ''The Chronicles of the Deryni', Morgan and Duncan are met a few times by a mysterious man who appears to be Saint Camber. In ''High Deryni'', this person warns them about other Deryni mages who might challenge them to test their powers. In the climax of ''High Deryni'', he reveals himself [[spoiler: to be Stefan Coram, Deryni mage and member of the secretive Camberian Council]].

* In The Chronicles of the {{Deryni}}, Morgan and Duncan are met a few times by a mysterious man who appears to be Saint Camber. In ''High Deryni'', this person warns them about other Deryni mages who might challenge them to test their powers. In the climax of ''High Deryni'', he reveals himself [[spoiler: to be Stefan Coram, Deryni mage and member of the secretive Camberian Council]].
** In the next trilogy, he is replaced by yet another Camber-clone, who implies there's a whole society of them.

* Insofar as it makes any sense whatsoever, ''Hitmen For Destiny'' appears to be a PerspectiveFlip of the trope. HitmenForDestiny

** Somewhat attracted to him? This is Emiya Shirou we're talking about; [[MemeticSexGod EVERY female is attracted to him]].

* Haku in ''SpiritedAway'' certainly counts, although his development happens over the course of a single movie rather than a TV series.
** He helped Chihiro several times throughout the course of the movie, remarking that despite not remembering anything else about his past, he remembers her. It is later revealed that [[spoiler: when Chihiro was a child, she fell into his river and he had rescued her.]]

* Haku in ''SpiritedAway'' certainly counts, although his development happens over the course of a single movie rather than a TV series.
** He helped Chihiro several times throughout the course of the movie, remarking that despite not remembering anything else about his past, he remembers her. It is later revealed that [[spoiler: when Chihiro was a child, she fell into his river and he had rescued her.]]
* In ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha A's'', a mysterious masked man shows up to protect, err, the villains. From Nanoha. [[spoiler:He wasn't actually a man either, he was shapeshifting twin catgirls. But that's a detail.]]

[[folder:Film]]
* Lo, from ''CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'' plays to this niche admirably in an early fight sequence. He obviously lacks the firepower to stop any of the major fighters of the setting, but he only needs to provide a few seconds of distraction to allow his love, ActionGirl Jen Yu, to escape.