History Main / SecretCharacter

* In ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood'' ''Act Cadenza Version B'', you can unlock Neko-Arc Chaos (A SuperDeformed version of Nrvnqsr Chaos) after completing the arcade mode at least once with any character; he also has a special arcade route where the FinalBoss is a giant version of him called Neko Chaos Black G666, created by Kohaku of all people. However, although the giant Neko does not become playable, you can unlock "Giant Mode" that allows you to challenge him with any character.

* ''VideoGame/DragonballFighterz'' has three secret characters: Android 21, who can be unlocked by completing Story Mode; and SSGSS Goku and SSGSS Vegeta, who can be earned by getting an S Rank in the Hard Mode version of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber arcade ladder (or purchased from the DLC storefront).

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' has no secret characters per se, but it does have three hidden aeons that are worth obtaining:

*** Anima can be fought in the temple of Baaj, after obtaining the secret items in the different Cloisters of Trials must be obtained (Though Bevelle's Cloister is a OneTimeDungeon, its item thanfully cannot be missed) and defeating Geosgaeno (The giant underwater fiend that attacked Tidus in the beginning of the game).
*** The Magus Sisters are found in Remiem Temple, with their chamber unlocked with two key items: the Blossom Crown (Obtained after capturing one of each fiend in Mt. Gagazet) and the Flower Sceptre (Obtained by defeating Belgemine's Bahamut).

** ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroesVsStreetFighter'': Several, such as Armored Franchise/SpiderMan (increased defense but lowered speed), [[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Evil Sakura]] (Sakura with an Akuma/Evil Ryu-inspired movelist), [[VideoGame/XMenVsStreetFighter Shadow]] (a powerful PaletteSwap of Charlie/Nash), Cyborg Zangief (very enhanced defense), U.S. Agent and Mephisto (PaletteSwap characters of Captain America and Blackheart), in addition to boss characters Apocalypse and Cyber Akuma.

** ''VideoGame/MarioPartyIslandTour'': Bowser Jr. is unlocked as a playable character after the player clears the Bowser Tower mode for the first time.

** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1'''s 2013 mobile port unlocks Tails upon beating the game once, and Knuckles after [[HundredPercentCompletion beating the game with all of the Chaos Emeralds]].

* An odd example in ''VideoGame/WaltDisneyWorldQuestMagicalRacingTour''. There are three of them; original characters Ned Shredbetter and X.U.D. 71, and longtime Disney favorite (and game narrator) Jiminy Cricket. Their faces and character models are blacked out until you unlock them...but not only do they regularly appear on loading screens and as CPU racers beforehand, the manual flat out tells you they're the secret characters, making it nigh-impossible to be surpised by their inclusion.

* In ''VideoGame/NetHack'', certain demon-lords have no "fixed" lair and only turn up when/if summoned. It is entirely possible to finish the game and never meet them.

* ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight'' has a Secret Ship alongside a Secret ''Race'': The Crystals. Crystal crew have 125 HP instead of the standard 100, have a similar movement speed penalty to Rockmen, lose HP in airless rooms at a slower rate than other races, and have the unique Crystal Lockdown ability that prevents anyone else from entering or exiting the room they're in for a period of time. Their ships come in two different configurations: One can fire crystal weaponry that [[ArmorPiercingAttack ignore one layer of shields]], and the other packs a four-person teleporter allowing the player to more easily defeat enemy ships by way of killing their crew rather than blowing the ship up; both layouts also have a special augment that can randomly fire back crystals at the enemy ship when hit. To reveal the fact that they even ''exist'', one needs to go through a sidequest chain that involves [[LuckBasedMission randomly finding a particular item, then coming across another random event, then randomly getting the chance to visit a specific sector]] in order to reach the Crystal Homeworld sector.

* ''VideoGame/CryingSuns'' has thirteen special officers which the player can recruit during their runs. These special officers are distinguished from generic ones by having more health and an extra skill. Recruiting a special officer unlocks that officer for all future runs, though if they die, you will need to wait five runs before you can use them again. You can only have one special officer in your crew at the start of a run, no matter how many have been unlocked.

*** Generation II brought [[TimeTravel Celebi]] onboard, which was only available through a GS Ball-related event in Japan. The games' remakes made it a downloadable worldwide event (which unlocked a SecretBoss fight with Giovanni), while also adding a Spiky-Eared Pichu.

** In ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', Quan Chi is unlocked after the story mode is fully cleared.

*** You can play as [[spoiler:Cyber Sub-Zero by selecting Triborg and quickly pressing up up Triangle/Y]].
** Beating Scorpion and Sub-Zero's chapter in the story mode of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' unlocks Frost.

* There are a few secret characters in the ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' series.

** Many secret mechs in the Super Robot Wars series. The methods for getting them vary from the simple (kill X number of enemies with character Y, especially easy when character Y is a walking engine of death) to the GuideDangIt, (beating a certain enemy with a single character, not attacking a particular unit in a fight, or reassigning a character to an incredibly weak robot before a certain mission, or ''winning'' a HopelessBossFight).

** In the Game Boy (and only the Game Boy) version of the first ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'', you could play as Goro by beating the game and entering a code. While that sounds like fun, the Game Boy version is virtually unplayable, and you can't save your Goro unlock, meaning you have to play through the game every time.

* ''VisualNovel/TogainuNoChi'' has [[spoiler:Nano]], the final love interest, that can only be pursued once you've played everyone else's routes.
* ''VisualNovel/DramaticalMurder'' lets you play [[spoiler:Ren]]'s route only after you've completed all other characters' routes. The UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita port adds one more, accessible after every ending in the original has been acheived.
* ''VisualNovel/DracuRiot'', you cannot pursue [[spoiler:Nicola's route]] unless you finished at least one other route.
* In ''VisualNovel/{{Machi}}'', you unlock [[spoiler: Norio's]] route after completing the game with every other character. Despite this, the route still takes place at the same time as everyone else's, meaning that some of the other characters' seemingly irrelevant multiple-choice questions, which one might have previously assumed to be just flavor text, suddenly become relevant again.

* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' is outright vicious about unlocking characters. In ''XX'', to unlock Robo-Ky, Kliff, and Justice, you must do one of the following: complete forty of the game's fifty (insanely hard) missions; complete all the story paths (some of which are GuideDangIt, some of which are outright painful, and some of which are ''both'') for all characters; or complete over 200 levels of Survival Mode (which amounts to seventy or so battles - including twenty much harder "Daredevils"). Or just leave the game running for several days. Then, there are the alternate movesets for most of the characters, which are practically characters unto themselves...

* ''VideoGame/MarioKart'': Most racing games often have [[UnlockableContent secret vehicles]] rather than secret [[CharacterizationTropes characters]], but those of this series are character driven enough to have actual unlockable characters from ''VideoGame/MarioKartDoubleDash'' onwards. In the case of ''VideoGame/MarioKartWii'', not only you can unlock characters by acing the Grand Prix Cups, but also by unlocking ghost racers (not playable, they're simply leftovers of previous races) in Time Trial, for which your times have to be exceptionally good.

* ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacing'' has seven of them to unlock; specifically, the first four bosses (Ripper Roo, Papu Papu, Komodo Joe and Pinstripe) are unlocked by clearing the first four Gem cups, Fake Crash is unlocked by clearing the Purple Gem cup, Dr. N. Tropy is unlocked by beating all of his ghosts in Time Trial mode and Penta Penguin is unlocked via a cheat code on the main menu. Despite popular opinion, Nitros Oxide is '''''NOT''''' [[UrbanLegend unlockable by any means whatsoever]][[note]][[WhatCouldHaveBeen he was going to be playable]], but circumstances got in the way[[/note]]. Its [[VideoGame/CrashTeamRacingNitroFueled remake]] has all of the above as well as making Oxide PromotedToPlayable, though with some changes (the bosses are now unlocked by beating them in their boss races as opposed to clearing the Gem Cups). Updates also added in two more secret characters: King Chicken (unlocked by grabbing all five golden eggs on the Adventure map and taking them to a chicken mural in the Lost Ruins hub) and the Iron Checkpoint Crate (unlocked by finding and breaking all of the Beenox crates on every track).
* The sequel to the above, ''VideoGame/CrashNitroKart'', also has its own fair share of secret characters to unlock: Dingodile, Polar, Zem and Zam are unlocked by clearing their respective Gem Cups, Pura and Fake Crash are both unlocked by doing fifty consecutive boosts with Teams Bandicoot & Cortex respectively in Adventure mode, N. Tropy like before is unlocked by beating his Time Trial ghosts and Real Velo is unlocked by getting 100% in Adventure mode with both teams. Its handheld counterpart however has different unlockables in comparison. To wit: the bosses are unlocked by beating them in their respective races, Oxide is unlocked by getting all gold relics or better in Adventure mode, and Spyro and N. Tropy are both unlocked by beating Adventure mode with Teams Bandicoot and Cortex respectively. And then there's [[GuideDangIt Fake Crash]]...

* ''LightNovel/MyMentalChoicesAre'': The DatingSim in the OVA has a secret route (accessed through impressions amassed on the other love interests' routes) where the "male best friend" character comes out as a trans girl.

* In ''VideoGame/AstalonTearsOfTheEarth'', in addition to the three main protagonists, two unlockable characters can be recruited: Bram the HunterOfMonsters and Zeek the IntrepidMerchant.
* Since ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'', ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' has featured unlockable characters, usually the secondary characters. ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow'' 's Julius Mode, besides being a tribute to ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse'', is also a rare example of a BadEnd Plus: the reason you're playing as Julius is to [[spoiler: kill Soma, who's become Dracula.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry2'', you unlock Trish as a playable character after clearing Dante's campaign on Hard mode, although she can be used on both campaigns.
* In ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition]]'', Vergil is playable after beating the game once.

* ''VideoGame/BountyOfOne'': Most of the characters on the select screen must be unlocked and their unlock requirements are displayed on their stat sheet. Roger the vulture shopkeeper doesn't even ''appear'' on the selection screen until he is unlocked after the player spends 100 gold or more on the [[{{Macrogame}} black market's]] items.

* In ''LightNovel/MyNextLifeAsAVillainessAllRoutesLeadToDoom'', the {{fictional|VideoGame}} {{otome game}} ''Fortune Lover'', which is where the story is set, has four men for the heroine to romance -- Geordo, Keith, Alan and Nicol. However, "the monkey girl", who later reincarnated as the villainess Catarina, heard about the existence of a fifth capture target from her friend, but insisted that her friend not spoil the plot. The name of the fifth possible suitor is [[spoiler:student council president Sirius Dieke]], and Catarina realizes, much to her horror, that [[spoiler:he's actually a dark magic user who kills Maria and all her friends in the bad ending of his route]].

* In the ''VideoGame/LegoAdaptationGame'' series, most characters are unlocked by simply completing story missions (story-playable characters normally, antagonists and side-characters through the DoubleUnlock of buying them), and beginning with the introduction of {{Hub Level}}s sometimes completing side-quests. But there are times where various characters are only accessible through extra effort or special circumstances, including only being available through the "Extra Toggle" cheat on specific levels, needing to complete minikits to unlock and buy, specifically requiring inputted cheat codes that are otherwise unneeded for other characters, and other game-specific methods for letting you use them.

* In the ''VideoGame/LegoAdaptationGame'' series, most characters are unlocked by simply completing story missions (story-playable characters normally, antagonists and side-characters through the DoubleUnlock of buying them), and beginning with the introduction of {{Hub Level}}s sometimes completing side-quests. But there are times where various characters are only accessible through extra effort or special circumstances, including only being available through the "Extra Toggle" cheat on specific levels, needing to complete minikits to unlock and buy, and other game-specific methods for letting you use them.

* ''VideoGame/LightningLegendDaigoNoDaibouken'' has four unlockable characters. DefeatMeansPlayable is the way to get them; it's not a problem for two of them, who are [[spoiler: the MidBoss and the FinalBoss]], but the other two are [[spoiler: {{Bonus Boss}}es]] requiring near-completion of the game and [[NoContinueRun no continues in a playthrough]] in addition.

** ''[[VideoGame/WildArms1 Alter Code]]'', the remake of the first game. lets you recruit Zed after a BonusBoss fight and after you give him an item acquired in the last dungeon.

* In ''VideoGame/CthulhuSavesTheWorld'', there is [[spoiler:Dem, the PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo from ''VideoGame/BreathOfDeathVII'']], unlocked after [[spoiler:defeating him as BonusBoss]]. In "Cthulhu's Angels" campaign, he's replaced with [[spoiler:his partner Sara, both as a boss and a party member]].

** Beating the story mode for ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'' unlocks Shinnok.

* ''VideoGame/LuckyRabbitReflex'', a DatingSim heavily inspired by the aforementioned ''Tokimeki Memorial'', has Perth (who can be met only by attending a certain club and picking specific choices) and Mardi (who, like many ''Tokimeki Memorial'' secret characters, requires a lot of shopping trips to unlock his route).

** The 3DS version of ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsDreamDropDistance Dream Drop Distance]]'' had a few secret Dream Eaters, which were mainly variants of existing ones. They could only be obtained via AR Cards. The HD version removed the AR Card function and instead gave the secret Dream Eaters recipes of their own. There are also rare Dream Eaters in both versions that require the player to beat specific Special Portals to obtain their recipes and create them, and were missable otherwise, mainly Flowbermeow and Meowjesty.