History Main / ThirdPersonperson

A Third-Person Person is a character who always refers to themself in the third person. [[CultureClash Folks from different cultures actually do this for wildly different reasons.]]

A Third-Person Person is a character who always refers to themself in the third person. [[CultureClash Folks from different cultures might actually do this for wildly different reasons.]]

A Third-Person Person is a character who always refers to themself in the third person.

In Japanese media, this is a standard tic of very young children. As a result, girls who are childish or [[TheCutie cutesy]] may be seen referring to themselves in this manner by their own name and their loved ones' names rather than using pronouns like ''(w)atashi''. Due to the proliferation of UsefulNotes/{{Kawaisa}}, which conflates childishness and youth with femininity, it's roughly as feminine as referring to oneself with ''atashi'', and males who refer to themselves in third-person are almost certainly implicated to be CampGay. In older characters, however, it may be a sign of [[HollywoodPsych psychological issues]], such as a very traumatic event in their past. It also may be a sign of humility, so {{samurai}} and noblewomen usually refer to themselves in the third person when talking to their lords, or just that the adult is a ManChild. If a character ''transitions'' into a Third-Person Person over the course of the series, watch out for signs of {{Yandere}} and/or TheMentallyDisturbed, and keep tabs on all [[KnifeNut pointy]] [[AxCrazy objects]].

* In the novelization of ''VideoGame/{{Arknights}}'' event story 'Mansfield Break', Jayston falls into this time to time. In his version, it is how Robin picks out that [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/32174944/chapters/79951219 he is her employer]]. It seems that it is mostly used to add creepiness, as it makes the line where [[spoiler: he goes OneWingedAngel]] ''very'' creepy:

-->'''Jayston''': Jayston's just so happy, Anthony!

* In the novelization of ''VideoGame/{{Arknights}}'' event story 'Mansfield Break', Jayston falls into this time to time. In his version, it is how Robin picks out that [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/32174944/chapters/79951219 he is her employer]].

On the other hand, Western characters who referred to themselves in the third person were traditionally seen as vain, unintelligent, egotistical or self-absorbed -- the implication being that he is so in awe of himself that even ''he'' views himself objectively. Or the character is a {{Hulk Speak}}ing primitive. Or the character could be just a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} with a [[VerbalTic weird speech mannerism]]. An [[ItsAllAboutMe egotistical villain]] will especially refer to himself in this fashion if he has a [[TheMagnificent cool or impressive-sounding name or title]]. Sometimes a character with AcquiredSituationalNarcissism will temporarily become a Third-Person Person as a sign of his suddenly expanded ego. There are examples of this trope used in the Japanese way, though, such as Elmo from ''Series/SesameStreet'', just as there are pompous egomaniacs who use the third person out of pure self-importance in Japanese works (a particularly famous example is Dio Brando from ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'').

It should be noted that third-person speak is about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illeism illeism]] (literally "that-ism" or "he-ism"; the Latin pronoun ''ille'' largely evolved into words for "the", "he", or the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dummy_pronoun dummy]] "it"). In other words, you would refer to yourself not only by name, but also by a third-person pronoun (he, she or [[GenderNeutralWriting they]]) as if you were talking about someone else. If the speaker does this for only for a story in which they are revealed as the central character, it's AndThatLittleGirlWasMe or NarratorAllAlong.

It should be noted that third-person speak is about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illeism illeism]] (literally "that-ism" or "he-ism"; the Latin pronoun ''ille'' largely evolved into words for "the", "he", or the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dummy_pronoun]] "it"). In other words, you would refer to yourself not only by name, but also by a third-person pronoun (he, she or [[GenderNeutralWriting they]]) as if you were talking about someone else. If the speaker does this for only for a story in which they are revealed as the central character, it's AndThatLittleGirlWasMe or NarratorAllAlong.

It should be noted that third-person speak is about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illeism illeism]] (literally "he-ism"). In other words, you would refer to yourself not only by name, but also by a third-person pronoun (he, she or [[GenderNeutralWriting they]]) as if you were talking about someone else.

The technical term for this is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illeism "illeism,"]] from the Latin word for "that" (sometimes also used like "he") with "-ism" attached. If the speaker does this for only for a story in which they are revealed as the central character, it's AndThatLittleGirlWasMe or NarratorAllAlong.

The so-called "third person" in a Japanese (or East Asian for that matter) sense isn't the same as using "he" or "she" to talk about oneself, however. In fact, the "third person" for Japanese people only stops at using one's own name to substitute [[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns first-person pronouns]] (''watashi'', ''ore'', ''boku'', etc.). This may sound strange to Western ears, but anyone who does this still very much speaks in some sort of playful, childlike ''first person'', '''not''' the actual third person that Westerners would think of. Nobody actually refers to themself as ''kare'' ("he"), ''kanojo'' ("she"), ''koitsu''/''soitsu''/''aitsu'' / ''kono''/''sono''/''ano hito'' ("[[GenderNeutralWriting they]]") (in fact, the so-called third-person pronouns in general aren't even commonly used to begin with, given Japanese people's value on people's names which makes it rude and crass to overuse these words). A misunderstanding of this phenomenon may cause some amateur [[FanTranslation fan translators]] to jump all over the place, using Western-style third-person speak in some places, while going back to first-person speak in others. The only feasible solutions to this translation predicament is to simply substitute every instant of "I" and "me" with the character's name and try to conform to European grammars with "is", "was", "has" and whatnot (which is of course actually infeasible because it will make the translation awkward to read and give the reader a false impression of a culture they're ignorant about), or just stick with "I" and "me", because at the end of the day, some things just gotta be LostInTranslation.

It should be noted that third-person speak is about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illeism illeism]] (literally "he-ism"). In other words, you would refer to yourself not only by name, but also by a third-person pronoun (he, she or GenderNeutralWriting) as if you were talking about someone else.

It should be noted that third-person speak is about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illeism illeism]] (literally "he-ism"). In other words, you would refer to yourself not only by name, but also by a third-person pronoun (he, she or [[GenderNeutralWriting]]) as if you were talking about someone else.

It should be noted that third-person speak is about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illeism]] (literally "he-ism"). In other words, you would refer to yourself not only by name, but also by a third-person pronoun (he, she or [[GenderNeutralWriting]]) as if you were talking about someone else.

It should be noted that the "third person" in a Japanese (or East Asian for that matter) sense isn't the same as using "he" or "she" to talk about oneself. In fact, the "third person" for Japanese people only stops at using one's own name to substitute [[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns first-person pronouns]] (''watashi'', ''ore'', ''boku'', etc.). This may sound strange to Western ears, but anyone who does this still very much speaks in some sort of playful, childlike ''first person'', '''not''' the actual third person that Westerners would think of. Nobody actually refers to themself as ''kare'' ("he"), ''kanojo'' ("she"), ''koitsu''/''soitsu''/''aitsu'' / ''kono''/''sono''/''ano hito'' ("[[GenderNeutralWriting they]]") (in fact, the so-called third-person pronouns in general aren't even commonly used to begin with, given Japanese people's value on people's names which makes it rude and crass to overuse these words). A misunderstanding of this phenomenon may cause some amateur [[FanTranslation fan translators]] to jump all over the place, using Western-style third-person speak in some places, while going back to first-person speak in others. The only feasible solutions to this translation predicament is to simply substitute every instant of "I" and "me" with the character's name and try to conform to European grammars with "is", "was", "has" and whatnot (which is of course actually infeasible because it will make the translation awkward to read and give the reader a false impression of a culture they're ignorant about), or just stick with "I" and "me", because at the end of the day, some things just gotta be LostInTranslation.

In Japanese media, this is a standard tic of very young children. As a result, girls who are childish or [[TheCutie cutesy]] may be seen referring to themselves in this manner by their own name and their loved ones' names rather than using pronouns like ''(w)atashi''. Due to the proliferation of UsefulNotes/{{Kawaisa}}, which conflates childishness and youth with femininity, males who refer to themselves in third-person are almost certainly implicated to be CampGay. In older characters, however, it may be a sign of [[HollywoodPsych psychological issues]], such as a very traumatic event in their past. It also may be a sign of humility, so {{samurai}} and noblewomen usually refer to themselves in the third person when talking to their lords, or just that the adult is a ManChild. If a character ''transitions'' into a Third-Person Person over the course of the series, watch out for signs of {{Yandere}} and/or TheMentallyDisturbed, and keep tabs on all [[KnifeNut pointy]] [[AxCrazy objects]].

In Japanese media, this is a standard tic of very young children. As a result, girls who are childish or [[TheCutie cutesy]] may be seen referring to themselves in this manner by their own name and their loved ones' names rather than using pronouns like ''(w)atashi''. In older characters, however, it may be a sign of [[HollywoodPsych psychological issues]], such as a very traumatic event in their past. It also may be a sign of humility, so {{samurai}} and noblewomen usually refer to themselves in the third person when talking to their lords. If a character ''transitions'' into a Third-Person Person over the course of the series, watch out for signs of {{Yandere}}, and keep tabs on all [[KnifeNut pointy]] [[AxCrazy objects]].

It should be noted that the "third person" in a Japanese (or East Asian for that matter) sense isn't the same as using "he" or "she" to talk about oneself. In fact, the "third person" for Japanese people only stops at using one's own name to substitute [[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns first-person pronouns]] (''watashi'', ''ore'', ''boku'', etc.). This may sound strange to Western ears, but anyone who does this still very much speaks in some sort of playful, childlike ''first person'', '''not''' the actual third person that Westerners would think of. Nobody actually refers to themself as ''kare'' ("he"), ''kanojo'' ("she"), ''ko''-/''so''-/''aitsu'' / ''ko''-/''so''-/''ano hito'' ("[[GenderNeutralWriting they]]") (in fact, the so-called third-person pronouns in general aren't even commonly used to begin with, given Japanese people's value on people's names which makes it rude and crass to overuse these words). A misunderstanding of this phenomenon may cause some amateur [[FanTranslation fan translators]] to jump all over the place, using Western-style third-person speak in some places, while going back to first-person speak in others. The only feasible solutions to this translation predicament is to simply substitute every instant of "I" and "me" with the character's name and try to conform to European grammars with "is", "was", "has" and whatnot (which is of course actually infeasible because it will make the translation awkward to read and give the reader a false impression of a culture they're ignorant about), or just stick with "I" and "me", because at the end of the day, some things just gotta be LostInTranslation.

It should be noted that the "third person" in a Japanese (or East Asian for that matter) sense isn't the same as using "he" or "she" to talk about oneself. In fact, the "third person" for Japanese people only stops at using one's own name to substitute [[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns first-person pronouns]] (''watashi'', ''ore'', ''boku'', etc.). This may sound strange to Western ears, but anyone who does this still very much speaks in some sort of playful, childlike ''first person'', '''not''' the actual third person that Westerners would think of. Nobody actually refers to themself as ''kare'' ("he"), ''kanojo'' ("she"), ''ko''-/''so''-/''aitsu'' / ''ko''-/''so''-/''ano hito'' ("[[GenderNeutralWriting they]]") (in fact, the so-called third-person pronouns in general aren't even commonly used to begin with, given Japanese people's value on people's names which makes it rude and crass to overuse these words). A misunderstanding of this phenomenon may cause some amateur [[FanTranslation fan translators]] to jump all over the place, using Western-style third-person speak in some places, while going back to first-person speak in others. The only feasible solutions to this translation predicament is to simply substitute every instant of "I" and "me" with the character's name and try to massage the grammar with "is", "was", "has" and whatnot (which is of course actually infeasible because it will make the translation awkward to read and give the reader a false impression of a culture they're ignorant about), or just stick with "I" and "me", because at the end of the day, some things just gotta be LostInTranslation.

It should be noted that the "third person" in a Japanese (or East Asian for that matter) sense isn't the same as using "he" or "she" to talk about oneself. In fact, the "third person" for Japanese people only stops at using one's own name to substitute [[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns first-person pronouns]] (''watashi'', ''ore'', ''boku'', etc.). This may sound strange to Western ears, but anyone who does this still very much speaks in some sort of playful, childlike ''first person'', '''not''' the actual third person that Westerners would think of. Nobody actually refers to themself as ''kare'' ("he"), ''kanojo'' ("she"), ''ko''-/''so''-/''aitsu'' / ''ko''-/''so''-/''ano hito'' ("[[GenderNeutralWriting they]]") (in fact, the so-called third-person pronouns in general aren't even commonly used to begin with, given Japanese people's value on people's names which makes it rude and crass to overuse these words). A misunderstanding of this phenomenon may cause some amateur [[FanTranslation fan translators]] to jump all over the place, using Western-style third-person speak in some places, while going back to first-person speak in others. The only feasible solutions to this translation predicament is to simply substitute every instant of "I" and "me" with the character's name and try to massage the grammar with "is" and "was" (which is of course actually infeasible because it will make the translation awkward to read and give the reader a false impression of a culture they're ignorant about), or just stick with "I" and "me", because at the end of the day, some things just gotta be LostInTranslation.

It should be noted that the "third person" in a Japanese (or East Asian for that matter) sense isn't the same as using "he" or "she" to talk about oneself. In fact, the "third person" for Japanese people only stops at using one's own name to substitute [[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns first-person pronouns]] (''watashi'', ''ore'', ''boku'', etc.). This may sound strange to Western ears, but anyone who does this still very much speaks in some sort of playful, childlike ''first person'', '''not''' the actual third person that Westerners would think of. Nobody actually refers to themself as ''kare'' ("he"), ''kanojo'' ("she"), ''ko''-/''so''-/''aitsu'' / ''ko''-/''so''-/''ano hito'' ("[[GenderNeutralWriting they]]") (in fact, the so-called third-person pronouns in general aren't even commonly used to begin with, given Japanese people's value on people's names which makes it rude and crass to overuse these words). A misunderstanding of this phenomenon may cause some amateur [[FanTranslation fan translators]] to jump all over the place, using Western-style third-person speak in some places, while going back to first-person speak in others. The only feasible solutions to this translation predicament is to simply substitute every instant of "I" and "me" with the character's name (which is of course actually infeasible), or just stick with "I" and "me", because at the end of the day, some things just gotta be LostInTranslation.

In Japanese media, this is a standard tic of very young children. As a result, girls who are childish or [[TheCutie cutesy]] may be seen referring to themselves in this manner by their own name and their loved ones' names rather than using pronouns like ''(w)atashi''. In older characters, however, it may be a sign of [[HollywoodPsych psychological issues]], such as a very traumatic event in their past. It also may be a sign of humility, so {{samurai}} and noblewomen usually refer to themselves in the third person when talking to their lords. If a character ''transitions'' into a Third-Person Person over the course of the series, watch out for signs of {{Yandere}}, and keep tabs on all [[KnifeNut pointy]] [[AxCrazy objects]]. [[labelnote:(hidden linguistic note)]] Note also that in the Japanese language there is no ''grammatical'' distinction between first-, second-, and third-person (verb endings do not depend on person or singular/plural as in Indo-European languages like English), and the subject often gets omitted. Therefore, the difference between first and third-person is not as ''sharply'' obvious in original Japanese texts as it is in English texts where the subject ''always'' has to be mentioned (except in the rare cases where it's inferred from context). This can be a headache for the translators, and so translations are, consequently, often inconsistent.[[/labelnote]]

In Japanese media, this is a standard tic of very young children. As a result, girls who are childish or [[TheCutie cutesy]] may be seen referring to themselves in this manner by their own name and their loved ones' names rather than using pronouns like ''(w)atashi'' or ''an(a)ta''. In older characters, however, it may be a sign of [[HollywoodPsych psychological issues]], such as a very traumatic event in their past. It also may be a sign of humility, so {{samurai}} and noblewomen usually refer to themselves in the third person when talking to their lords. If a character ''transitions'' into a Third-Person Person over the course of the series, watch out for signs of {{Yandere}}, and keep tabs on all [[KnifeNut pointy]] [[AxCrazy objects]]. [[labelnote:(hidden linguistic note)]] Note also that in the Japanese language there is no ''grammatical'' distinction between first-, second-, and third-person (verb endings do not depend on person or singular/plural as in Indo-European languages like English), and the subject often gets omitted. Therefore, the difference between first and third-person is not as ''sharply'' obvious in original Japanese texts as it is in English texts where the subject ''always'' has to be mentioned (except in the rare cases where it's inferred from context). This can be a headache for the translators, and so translations are, consequently, often inconsistent.[[/labelnote]]

!!Examples

On the other hand, Western characters who referred to themselves in the third person were traditionally seen as vain, unintelligent, egotistical, or self-absorbed -- the implication being that he is so in awe of himself that even ''he'' views himself objectively. Or the character is a {{Hulk Speak}}ing primitive. Or the character could be just a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} with a [[VerbalTic weird speech mannerism]]. An [[ItsAllAboutMe egotistical villain]] will especially refer to himself in this fashion if he has a [[TheMagnificent cool or impressive-sounding name or title]]. Sometimes a character with AcquiredSituationalNarcissism will temporarily become a Third-Person Person as a sign of his suddenly expanded ego. There are examples of this trope used in the Japanese way, though, such as Elmo from ''Series/SesameStreet'', just as there are pompous egomaniacs who use the third person out of pure self-importance in Japanese works (a particularly famous example is Dio Brando from ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'').