History Main / NoMouth

* Many of the original ''Franchise/{{Transformers|Generation1}}'' lacked mouths, but as robots this doesn't seem to pose a problem. All those that don't have mouths would have some substitute speech animation, like a moving faceplate, or flashing lights. Spoofed in, of all places, Takara's Masterpiece Convoy (aka 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime) while the face plate isn't meant to be removed (and doing so may damage the toy) removing it will reveal [[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=2070&mode=flat WHY Optimus keeps his mouth covered]]. In the Henkei! Henkei! comics, Optimus loses his mouthplate and he turns out to be rather {{Bishonen}}-ish. Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' where Optimus has a mouth. He also has a mouth in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated''. Really, it's more common for Optimus to have a retractable faceplate with a mouth beneath. The evolution of it is simple enough: G1 Optimus didn't have a mouth but his lower faceplate moved as if a mouth were ''under'' it. Then came Optimus Primal from ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'': the original Optimus Primal toy had a faceplate, but his animation model didn't; making the faceplate an accessory to activate was a HandWave. The dramatic visual of the faceplate coming in as a HarbingerOfAsskicking (with a metal-against-metal sound as it comes down and a dramatic clank once in place) has stuck ever since; it's his GameFace. By now he's not the only one who can do it.

* This is a distinguishing feature of Ax and the other Andalites from ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}''. Also a major source of comic relief, given their natural inability to taste. Technically they have four mouths; they eat by absorbing sustenance through their hooves as they walk around (it's never clear whether their legs are hollow and they have an actual orifice there, or if they just sort of osmose nutrients out of whatever they're walking in). So you could say they're anti-this trope.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', a recurring trait of the kids' guardians is that they only have one facial feature, and it's never the same -- Dad has a nose, Mom has a mouth, Bro has eyes (under the shades) and Bec has a snout. Dad also sports a traditional pipe hovering where a mouth would be. (It is hypothesised that they have normal appearances but their kids envision them like this.)
** The number of times WV's mouth has been seen can be counted on one hand. Likewise, the rest of the Exiles.

** Dave and Dirk, bot of whom wear sunglasses, are often drawn without a mouth.

* Downplayed with King from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse''. While he does have a mouth, it doesn't move when he speaks, and is usually hidden by the edge of his skull. The only times his mouth becomes visible is when he's eating, yawning, or [[spoiler:using his SuperScream ability.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Five seconds earlier, she's was ''eating'' something.]]

* Downplayed with King from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse''. While he does have a mouth, it doesn't move when he speaks, and is usually hidden by the edge of his skull. The only times his mouth becomes visible is when he's eating, yawning, or [[spoiler:using his [[MakeMeWannaShout super scream ability]].]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Five seconds earlier, she's ''eating'' something.]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy_8nnOmMHw: A short film on YouTube.]](Not available in the US) [[FridgeLogic How'd she eat/drink enough to survive?]]
[[/folder]]

* When finally met, Lev in ''VideoGame/VoidStranger'' doesn't have a mouth and every time they talk, their dialogue box is empty. They then realize you can't understand them and take another character's helmet to be able to communicate with you.

** [[FairyCompanion Elfilin]] from ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand''. Like the entries above, he is able to eat and speak just fine. [[spoiler:The lack of a mouth is a trait shared by his EvilCounterpart Fecto Forgo and their combined true form [[FinalBoss Fecto Elfilis]].]]

** [[FairyCompanion Elfilin]] from ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand''. Like the entries above, he is able to eat and speak just fine. [[spoiler:The lack of a mouth is a shared trait by his EvilCounterpart Fecto Forgo and their combined true form [[FinalBoss Fecto Elfilis]].]]

** [[FairyCompanion Elfilin]] from ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand''. Like the entries above, he is able to eat and speak just fine. [[spoiler:He shares this trait with his EvilCounterpart Fecto Forgo and their combined true form [[FinalBoss Fecto Elfilis]].]]

* ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'''s character Arf, (a slightly goofy [[LittleBitBeastly dog girl familiar]]), talked in dog form without moving her lips. When a similar but more serious familiar was introduced in [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs the second season]], they stopped doing this.

* ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'': The Waddle Dees and Waddle Doo all have no mouths. Dedede puzzles over why they cost so much to feed, and he and Escargoon approach a guard, and put a cookie to where its mouth should be. The Cookie goes through the skin, and the face moves and makes noises as if something is being chewed. They're weirded out by this revelation.

* In ''VideoGame/BarrowHill : The Dark Path'', Mia's mouth isn't visible when she video-phones you in a panic, only her nose and her terrified eyes as she hears the voice of Baibin chanting nearby. [[spoiler: Later developments imply that, if we ''had'' seen her mouth, we'd have observed that ''Mia is the one doing the singing'', as Baibin is beginning to possess the girl.]]

* In ''Anime/YuGiOhZEXAL'' this is true of most natives of the Barian World in their true forms.