| 1 | ->''"He kept giving these line readings with all this inflection in them. I kept telling them that it had to be less, a lot less -- like a robot. He kept saying it sounded so flat. Everybody else was looking at me too and was asking me if I was sure. To them, it sounded flat. I think it really sells it."'' |
| 2 | -->-- '''Creator/BruceTimm''' on Creator/MichaelAnsara playing Mr. Freeze in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' |
| 3 | |
| 4 | Normally, people who are calm tend to speak in a clear, even voice that doesn't vary too much from word to word and is immensely reassuring to the listener. This isn't always a good thing, however. A perfectly monotone voice usually means just the opposite of sanity, safety, and cause for reassurance; usually, it means the speaker is mind-controlled, crazy, an impostor, or is being threatened with death. In these cases, the creepy monotone is a sort of GlamourFailure to clue in the hero that any of a dozen things may have just gone wrong. |
| 5 | |
| 6 | Usually, the creepy monotone varies from a calm monotone in that no word or syllable is stressed ''at all'', even when they should be. This is the difference between saying "Oh hello!" and "Oh, hello." Even SpockSpeak sounds more natural and less unsettling by comparison. Contractions are often omitted, as are specific or explicit mentions of names and facts, depending on the cause of the monotone. Here are some common scenarios for the Creepy Monotone. |
| 7 | |
| 8 | * ''"Yes, I am fine. I'll be even better once I load my gun, though."'' The character has just suffered a HeroicBSOD or one too many rounds of BreakTheCutie and/[[TranquilFury or]] is about to go completely [[BewareTheNiceOnes homicidally]] [[UnstoppableRage berserk]]. Usually paired with jittery motions, [[TwitchyEye twitching]], or a BrokenSmile. |
| 9 | * ''"Hello, do you have some raw meat?"'' One of the hero's friends or family has been [[DemonicPossession Demonically Possessed]], {{Brainwashed}}, or mind controlled via TheVirus and are exhibiting VirusVictimSymptoms. Usually, they're normal, except for odd behavior. |
| 10 | * ''"Good morning annoying sibling, I am your sister Melanie."'' An evil duplicate ([[ReplicantSnatching Robot]], Clone, ShapeShifter, [[EvilKnockoff Doppleganger]], or what have you, even zombie/ghost possession/mind control) has replaced the character. Their tell will usually be not knowing names and facts about their host and friends, knowing ''too much'' about their host, assuring everyone that they are MostDefinitelyNotAVillain, or a [[NotHimself radically different personality.]] May be TooDumbToLive at things the real one -- or even anyone without too much FishOutOfTemporalWater and minimal GenreBlindness -- could do perfectly fine. A ''protagonist'' doing this, impersonating the ''hero'' while the hero is doing something else, is almost inevitably going to be the one that will be the most idiotic and provide either Fanservice or tons of Squick and FanDisservice. |
| 11 | * ''"Yes, dear. I'm fine. Please bring the MacGuffin to the HauntedCastle, won't you?"'' Hubby is being coerced by force to trick the hero into a trap, often includes an OutOfCharacterAlert to try cluing the hero in to their being kidnapped. "How is our [[BluffTheImpostor pet poodle Muffin]]?" |
| 12 | * ''"I am sorry. If it's any consolation, this likely won't hurt much."'' If a character is ''[[EstablishingCharacterMoment introduced]]'' speaking like this, [[DevilInPlainSight then all bets are off]]. If you're lucky, they're just an EmotionlessGirl or TheStoic, but odds are they're an [[AIIsACrapshoot Evil A.I.]], [[TheSociopath Sociopath]], AxCrazy, or some other seriously dangerous character. |
| 13 | * ''"Hello! My name is Sally! It is very nice to meet you!"'' A case of VocalDissonance leads people to think her naturally frigid, emotionless, unfriendly voice means she's evil or at least an EmotionlessGirl but she's actually a very warm-hearted, friendly, and kind person. She just happens to have a voice that can turn your blood to icewater instantly. People's first perceptions become a running gag. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | MachineMonotone is a SubTrope. You may wish to compare DissonantSerenity. Can make a very effective DeadpanSnarker. Compare TranquilFury, AlternateCatchphraseInflection, and VoiceOfTheLegion. |
| 16 | ---- |
| 17 | !!Example subpages: |
| 18 | [[index]] |
| 19 | * CreepyMonotone/VideoGames |
| 20 | [[/index]] |
| 21 | |
| 22 | !!Other examples: |
| 23 | |
| 24 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 25 | |
| 26 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 27 | * Morgana in ''[[Anime/DotHackSign .hack//SIGN]].'' |
| 28 | * R. Dorothy Wayneright from ''Anime/TheBigO'' is monotone because she's an android (well, gynoid, technically). However, she is ''not'' {{emotionless|Girl}}, making it hilarious when she verbally abuses Roger in a calm, soothing voice. |
| 29 | -->"You're a ''louse'', Roger Smith." |
| 30 | * Sawyer from ''Manga/BlackLagoon'' talks like this because she uses an artificial voice box to speak as her voice box was damaged. |
| 31 | ** Revy's a classic example: The moment she stops acting maniacal during a gunfight and acts suddenly calm, '''run'''. |
| 32 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0jHmaoH_r8 Sosuke Aizen's English]] voice from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}''; [[Creator/KyleHebert his VA, Kyle Hebert]] used HAL as an a inspiration. |
| 33 | * When Lilika in ''Anime/BurnUp Scramble'' uses her PsychicPowers, she gets MindControlEyes and speaks like this. Usually, she blurts out something embarrassing about Rio. |
| 34 | * Clare from ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' speaks like this to emphasize her [[TheStoic stoic badassery]]. |
| 35 | ** Priscilla, rather more creepily, after she becomes [[OneWingedAngel an Awakened One]]. |
| 36 | * ''Anime/CowboyBebop'': |
| 37 | ** [[BigBad Vincent Volaju]] of ''Anime/CowboyBebopKnockinOnHeavensDoor''. |
| 38 | ** [[BigBad Vicious]]. |
| 39 | * In ''Anime/DeathNote'', L speaks with a low, expressionless tone that matches his [[TheSpock cold, logical personality]]. It also goes well with his [[LooksLikeCesare odd appearance]]. While not exactly ''evil'' per se, he is pretty creepy. [[spoiler: L's successor, Near, has a similar, albeit much higher-pitched, voice]]. |
| 40 | * [[BigBad Muzan Kibutsuji]] from ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba''. He almost always speaks in a soft-sounding monotone, which makes him pretty unsettling whenever he's butchering someone. |
| 41 | * ''Anime/DigimonFrontier's'' Dark Trailmon. He's actually very HAL-inspired, in design and in voice. (Ironically, he's not ''evil,'' just creepy: you expect the Dark Trailmon that you meet in the Dark Terminal during a hallucination caused by Duskmon, the Warrior of Darkness, after he ambushed you and kicked your butt on the Dark Continent to be a little... dark.) |
| 42 | ** Prior to that, ''[[Anime/DigimonAdventure Adventure]]'' had Machinedramon, who ''was'' dark. |
| 43 | ** Many Nightmares from ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' came from J-Reaper, who was even darker. |
| 44 | * The Androids from ''Manga/DragonBall'' are supposed to be a MachineMonotone variety, although Android 8 uses a ''little'' more inflection than most, and (in English), 17 and 18 can get pretty emotive depending on [[NotSoStoic situational]] [[VillainousBreakdown context]]. 13 is an aversion, because he’s [[HillbillyHorrors outrageously boisterous]] to ''begin with''. |
| 45 | * Yuki Nagato from the ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'' speaks in a monotone, though she's not really that creepy, especially when compared to [[UncannyValleyGirl Ryoko Asakura]]. |
| 46 | * Given that she's an EmotionlessGirl that drags people down to hell, Ai of ''Anime/HellGirl'' always speaks like this. The times when she doesn't is normally a time that you're REALLY screwed. |
| 47 | * In ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'', speaking in this tends to show up in the main cast whenever things about the TownWithADarkSecret or Oyashiro-sama's curse start getting unearthed. [[spoiler:More specifically, those under the influence of [[HatePlague Hinamizawa Syndrome]] start ''imagining'' the people around them doing this, compounding their paranoia.]] |
| 48 | * Shigure of ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'' has NoSocialSkills due to a really awful upbringing (her own father ''never bothered to name her''; a friend of his finally did so when she was around 10), and what little dialogue she delivers is typically extremely flat. She, however, is distinctly not TheStoic; she just expresses her feelings with her body language and her actions. |
| 49 | * Paul von Oberstein from ''Literature/LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'' has a trademark monotone and is one of the grey characters of the series. While he has thrown his lot in with Reinhard, he also has his own goals and apparently has little need for the fellowship of the other admirals. [[spoiler:His actions lead to the death of Siegfried Kircheis, Reinhard's closest friend in an assassination targeting Reinhard.]] He is also a participant in the events that lead to [[spoiler:Oscar von Reuental's rebellion]], although he later exhibits something, not unlike sympathy. |
| 50 | * Sucy Manbavaran in ''Franchise/LittleWitchAcademia'' speaks in a morose and raspy monotone, which adds to her generally unsettling nature. |
| 51 | * Precia Testarossa from ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' is a monotone speaker and just a [[PsychoElectro wee bit nuts]] on top of it. |
| 52 | * Johan Liebert from ''Manga/{{Monster}}'' constantly speaks in a calm, quiet monotone as part of his DissonantSerenity. Anyone who hears it will likely end up dead. |
| 53 | * ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' |
| 54 | ** Shino Aburame. ([[TheQuietOne when he talks, anyway.]]) Somehow, this makes him even creepier than being a living hive for 4 million insects would by itself. |
| 55 | ** Gaara would fit this. Even after his HeelFaceTurn, he still retains his gruff-yet-emotionless monotone way of speaking. Old habits die hard, it seems. |
| 56 | ** And Itachi Uchiha, whose voice, though not quite a monotone, stays very even whether he's chatting with his partner or predicting your death. |
| 57 | * Rei Ayanami from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. She's practically the poster child for this trope when she does talk. Though she still has noticed subtle changes in tone if you pay attention. So it's not completely monotonic, actually. The Creepiness is up to the viewer to behold. |
| 58 | * In the last {{OVA}}, after being possessed by an evil doll spirit, Akane from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' starts talking in a low monotone voice, even while ShowingOffTheNewBody. |
| 59 | %%* Karasuma from ''Manga/SchoolRumble''. |
| 60 | * ''Manga/SgtFrog'': Kululu, who gets inexplicably high pitched when he gets particularly excited about something (usually terrible or destructive), which actually makes him even creepier. |
| 61 | ** There's also the Keronian resonance ritual, which acts as a bonding ritual of camaraderie between fellow countrymen far from home, but to anyone else [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T_CVXG0iyA it sounds like a satanic cult initiation...]] |
| 62 | * Dr. Stein the MadScientist in ''Manga/SoulEater'' speaks in this in the English dub. He keeps on doing it even after turning out to be a StealthMentor. |
| 63 | ** Crona does this using this as a normal tone of voice. His/her voice becomes sing-song and [[AxCrazy insane]] [[spoiler:when his mind is snapped by Medusa]], complete with a SlasherSmile and {{Laughing Mad}}ness. |
| 64 | * [[HeroKiller Death Gun/Sterben]] from ''Literature/SwordArtOnline''. Due to his mask filtering out his voice, it appears almost completely drained of emotion. His icy tone gives a haunting quality to all his lines promising to kill someone. |
| 65 | * The Anti-Spiral leader in ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', [[spoiler:and Nia when she's changed into an Anti-Spiral.]] Once the protagonists get the better of him, he snaps and starts getting HotBlooded. |
| 66 | * Legato Bluesummers of ''Anime/{{Trigun}}'' almost always spoke with a monotone (or simply very calm) voice. |
| 67 | ** And then you find out that his English voice is ''[[Anime/RurouniKenshin Kenshin Himura]]'' of all people... |
| 68 | ** Subverted in the manga: after being crippled by Knives for trying to kill Vash, he turns AxeCrazy, but still talks with the creepy monotone. |
| 69 | * [[MalevolentMaskedWoman Nerabu]] in ''Anime/TweenyWitches'' maintains a level tone in all situations. |
| 70 | * ''Literature/{{Vamp}}'' has the character of Shizune, who is notorious for speaking with one of these. |
| 71 | * Both of Aiko's parents in ''Manga/VampirePrincessMiyu'' speak in very flat, unemotional voices and have very slow speech patterns; this makes them sound ''horribly'' creepy, even when they seem to be very kind persons aside of this "detail". [[spoiler: This ''very'' subtly hints that they are actually DeadAllAlong.]] |
| 72 | ** [[spoiler: Miyu]]'s father also speaks similarly in the flashbacks, which complements [[TheStoic his totally emotionless personality]] quite well. [[spoiler: This is because, after Miyu's mother bit him, he became an EmptyShell.]] |
| 73 | * From ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', Judai does this when he is [[spoiler:taken over by the [[SuperPoweredEvilSide Supreme King/Haou]].]] Well, in the Japanese version at least. The English Dub puts a reverberation in his voice. |
| 74 | * ''Anime/YuGiOhArcV'' gives us Yuya's "Awakening". Half of the time he's screaming in rage. The other half is a monotone that says "die". |
| 75 | [[/folder]] |
| 76 | |
| 77 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 78 | * ''ComicBook/TheAvengers:'' In his early days, the Vision was noted to speak with no emotional inflection regardless of what he was saying, even when it should've been typically bombastic Silver Age dialogue, and even the other Avengers acknowledge it's a little unsettling (represented by his speaking in ''italicised'' fonts). |
| 79 | * Rorschach from ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' speaks in a low, growly monotone (other characters remark on its unsettling quality) with odd, near-{{Hulkspeak}} [[TerseTalker clipped sentences]]. "Yes. Good night. Remember it often." He has flashes of eloquence, too, which are unnervingly at odds with this style of delivery. |
| 80 | ** His mode of speaking is shown by his unique speech bubbles, with no words ever '''bolded''' or ''italicised'' for emphasis like the other characters'. By contrast, his speech bubbles in flashbacks to before the [[DespairEventHorizon Blaire Roche case]] indicate a totally normal voice. |
| 81 | [[/folder]] |
| 82 | |
| 83 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 84 | * ''Fanfic/{{Bird}}'' features Charnel, who talks very calmly and evenly, and whom Taylor tends to find soothing. Then there is [[PowerIncontinence Mimi]] who can default to thus when under the influence of her power, described by Taylor as 'robotic'. |
| 85 | * The robotic clones in ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries''. |
| 86 | * In ''Ghosts of the Past'', sequel of ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', [[spoiler: Maddie]] seems to have this, as part of her EmotionlessGirl and LivingWeapon shtick. She picked it up from her boss, Nathaniel Essex, who is described as very rarely showing emotion. Notably, as her HeelFaceTurn progresses, she starts doing this less and less. |
| 87 | ** Her cousin, [[spoiler: Harry]], also starts doing this when he's on the far side of TranquilFury. It's generally a sign that things are getting very, very bad. |
| 88 | * [[CreepyChild Fiona]] from ''Fanfic/KiraIsJustice''. |
| 89 | * ''Fanfic/TalesOfTheUndiscoveredSwords'': Sasanoyuki, in keeping with his EmotionlessBoy personality. |
| 90 | * In ''Fanfic/TheVerySecretDiary'', based on Ginny's story in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', Ginny has this voice while possessed, and it starts to bleed into her conscious voice. |
| 91 | * Rarity in ''Fanfic/PagesOfHarmony'' after Twilight [[MindRape Mind Rapes]] her into [[EmotionlessGirl being devoid of emotion to take Generosity]]. |
| 92 | * ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'': Rei's monotone voice is the result of being drugged to the gills on tranquilizers and mood suppressors. When she starts talking like this again after a long stretch of being more emotionally demonstrative than usual, Shinji and Asuka immediately realize that something is very wrong. |
| 93 | * ''Fanfic/NeonGenesisEvangelionGenocide'': Rei's voice is this. Her monotone voice unnerves Shinji because it reminds him of the death of the former Rei. |
| 94 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/TheNightmareHouse'', Lori's nightmare involves her siblings saying, "We don't need you" in a monotone voice similar to Lucy's. |
| 95 | * [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys2 The Puppet]] speaks like in ''Fanfic/SomethingAlwaysRemains''. |
| 96 | ** Later on, [[spoiler: Vesper Belrose]] does as well. Considering she [[spoiler: merged with the Puppet after her death, she adopted its robotic speak and speech patterns]]. |
| 97 | * Downplayed with Carlos in ''Fanfic/AllMixedUp'', whose voice is noted to sound like a haunting and depressed version of Lord Rectangle's voice. It's fitting for him though, since he thinks he's been long forgotten by Odd Squad. |
| 98 | [[/folder]] |
| 99 | |
| 100 | [[folder:Films -- Animated]] |
| 101 | * In ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2'', Agnes is working on a speech to give to her future Mommy whenever Gru finally finds someone to marry, and when she recites it she speaks in absolutely flat monotone almost like a text-to-speech program. |
| 102 | -->'''Gru:''' [''Trying to look impressed, instead of horrified''] Wow! That--was...something ''else''! I ''really'' liked the way you ''smiled'' at the end--? Let's try this ''one'' more time, but a ''teensy bit'' less...like--a ''zombie'', o-''kay''...? |
| 103 | * In ''WesternAnimation/HappyFeet'', there is a minor penguin character who sounds like a dead ringer for Hal 9000. He even calls main character Mumble "Dave". |
| 104 | * Owlman in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueCrisisOnTwoEarths'' (voiced by James Woods) speaks in a calm, collected, and calculating manner which makes him quite creepy. Frequently a source of horror given what [[OmnicidalManiac his character is like]]. |
| 105 | * Andy gives us this lovely line in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'': "I don't want to play with you anymore." It causes Woody to wake up screaming from the nightmare. |
| 106 | * AUTO from ''WesternAnimation/WallE'', who was based on HAL 9000. (Helps that, at least in English, [[SyntheticVoiceActor it's actually spoken by a computer]].) |
| 107 | [[/folder]] |
| 108 | |
| 109 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 110 | * In ''Film/MenInBlack'', the bug in the Edgar suit demands sugar water from Edgar's wife. OK, so his creepy monotone is very gruff and hostile-sounding, but that basically matches Edgar's pre-bug personality as well. |
| 111 | * Any and all characters in ''Film/SinCity'', including the heroes, have an extremely dry and calm manner of speaking, bordering on creepy monotone. This is exemplified with Marv, who always speaks in a soft, calm manner, bordering on the nonchalant, even when brutally torturing and murdering somebody. Roark Jr, before his run-in with Hartigan, speaks almost like HAL. After that, though, he's a lot more expressive. |
| 112 | * [=HAL 9000=] of ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'' speaks in an eerily calm and soothing voice, though he occasionally displays some emotions: prideful and even apologetic and, at the last, fearful, making him the most developed character in the film. |
| 113 | * Uncle Charlie from ''Film/ShadowOfADoubt'' |
| 114 | * Bruno Anthony from ''Film/StrangersOnATrain'' |
| 115 | * Hannibal Lecter from the ''Franchise/HannibalLecter'' film series (''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', ''Film/{{Hannibal}}'', and ''Film/RedDragon''). Creator/AnthonyHopkins based his performance on HAL 9000. |
| 116 | * Travis Bickle from ''Film/TaxiDriver'' often does this, especially when narrating. |
| 117 | * Reverend Harry Powell from ''Film/TheNightOfTheHunter''. |
| 118 | * Patrick Bateman from ''Film/AmericanPsycho''. |
| 119 | * Jonathan Crane in ''Film/BatmanBegins'' is this after he's been given a massive dose of his own fear toxin and Batman, who's already kind of intimidating, is interrogating him. |
| 120 | * After Selina Kyle is almost killed by her boss Max Shreck in ''Film/BatmanReturns'' for [[HeKnowsTooMuch knowing too much]], she repeats the same words that she said upon entering her apartment in a previous scene, only in a creepy monotone of the first variety: "Honey, I'm home. Oh, I forgot. I'm not married." This turns out to be a prelude to Selina's impending FreakOut and [[StartOfDarkness transformation into Catwoman]] later in the scene. |
| 121 | * Bart, a rogue cop in ''Film/SouthlandTales'' flatly insists on tagging along to a (fake) domestic disturbance with Taverner and Santaros and executes the couple on arrival. A creepy monotone delivered by Creator/JonLovitz is surprisingly unnerving. |
| 122 | * ''Film/ItCameFromOuterSpace'' (1953). The aliens who've [[VoluntaryShapeshifting copied human forms]] talk this way, severely flipping out the real humans who don't believe their repeated claims that they don't mean any harm. |
| 123 | ** Not just monotone; these voices are like someone speaking inside a box; unnerving in the street or at home. |
| 124 | * ''Film/TwentyEightDaysLater'' has a variation, where a drugged Hannah is monotonously scaring the soldiers by telling them how Jim is killing them all. |
| 125 | * ''Film/FullMetalJacket'': "Seven. Six. Two. Millimeter... Full... metal... jacket..." |
| 126 | * ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen'': Anton Chigurh speaks in a flat, emotionless manner, making him all the more scarier. |
| 127 | * Dr. Manhattan in ''Film/{{Watchmen}}''. In one scene, Ozymandias remarks that he knew that Manhattan still had feelings; they were just too subtle for others to notice. [[spoiler:[[ManipulativeBastard He uses this to his advantage.]]]] |
| 128 | * John Malkovich's character in the 2000 TV miniseries of ''Literature/LesMiserables'', perhaps as a result of trying to avoid any accent as he is not talking in his mother language. |
| 129 | * The citizens of Sandford in ''Film/HotFuzz'' do this after Nick Angel exposes their [[TownWithADarkSecret dark secret.]] |
| 130 | * The evil townspeople of "Nilbog" also do this in ''Film/{{Troll 2}}'' while trying to force the protagonist to eat a poisoned bowl of ice cream and, in the process, prove that even a creepy synchronized monotone can turn into hilarious {{narm}} (or maybe even disturbing kink) with the right line: |
| 131 | -->"Open your mouth, my little friend! Please, open it!" |
| 132 | * Raven in ''Film/CecilBDemented'' somehow manages to combine this with PerkyGoth to great effect. |
| 133 | * The robot GERTY in ''Film/{{Moon}}'' is voiced by a very monotone-sounding Kevin Spacey. In the end, [[spoiler:the trope is subverted as GERTY turns out to be mostly benevolent, going so far as to perform a HeroicSacrifice]]. |
| 134 | * Cameron Vale in ''Film/{{Scanners}}''. |
| 135 | * "Max", the AI of the spaceship from ''Film/FlightOfTheNavigator'', speaks in a dull, robotic monotone at first. Then, after doing a scan of David's brain, abandons this trope when he accidentally picks up some human personality traits and starts sounding like a robotic Pee-Wee Herman (naturally, as Max is voiced by Creator/PaulReubens). |
| 136 | * Would-be presidential assassin Mitch Leary from ''Film/InTheLineOfFire''. |
| 137 | * Sy Parrish in ''Film/OneHourPhoto'' spends the majority of the film talking in a very soft-spoken, almost robotic monotone, reflecting his disturbing lack of a personality, although he does show emotion at times, especially near the end of the film when he starts to lose it. |
| 138 | * The aliens in the first ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers1956'', when no real humans were around to fool. Such as "I put the pod in the baby's crib. Soon there will be no more crying." |
| 139 | * The nameless narrator in ''Film/FightClub'' sometimes slips into this, both in his narration and his dialogue in the film. |
| 140 | * Interestingly, Darth Vader talks like this in the first Hungarian dubbing of ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', even keeping up the emotionless tone during his dramatic confrontation with Luke. Nostalgic fans often cite this as their favorite Vader voice, but others claim it came off more as "reading a script" than "acting". |
| 141 | ** Much later, Supreme Leader Snoke from ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' is introduced with a low and malevolent voice, coupled with a deep echo for extra chills. Physically his appearance looks ancient with a tone that can go from sinister calm to bellowing frustration within a split second. |
| 142 | * ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'' has the subdued [[Creator/BenedictCumberbatch John Harrison]] as its villain, employing a monotone which barely shows any emotion (other than anger). It's a contrast with the hammy Nero from [[Film/StarTrek2009 the previous movie]], [[spoiler: and Ricardo Montalban's [[Recap/StarTrekS1E22SpaceSeed original incarnation]] of [[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan the character]].]] |
| 143 | * ''Film/XMenApocalypse'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvXxwUiZ3yQ This is how Apocalypse sounds]] when he informs Professor X, "I'm here for you, Charles." The voice is quite chilling, and it forebodes that Xavier will soon be in ''really deep trouble''. |
| 144 | * J. Robert Oppenheimer's "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds" dialogue concerning the creation of the atom bomb comes off as this partly because he was saying it for the non-dramatic documentary ''The Decision to Drop the Bomb'' and partly because of the grim subject matter. |
| 145 | ** The voice of J. Robert Oppenheimer plays over the [[http://www.metacafe.com/w/11070179/ SDCC teaser trailer]] for ''Film/{{Godzilla 2014}}'', citing a partial quote after the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Robert_Oppenheimer#Trinity Trinity]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_test test]]. It's also used to great effect in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO4FCc15Ek8 this]] modified version of the official teaser trailer. |
| 146 | * [[BigBad The]] [[Creator/WernerHerzog Zec]] from ''Film/JackReacher''. |
| 147 | * The titular protagonist in ''Film/{{Lucy}}'', after gaining superhuman mental abilities, speaks in a matter-of-fact monotone, whether discussing human biology with Creator/MorganFreeman or torturing a drug kingpin. |
| 148 | * The Caller in ''Film/PhoneBooth'' rarely speaks in anything but a casual, matter-of-fact voice while he holds a man hostage with a sniper rifle. The fact that it's [[spoiler: Kiefer Sutherland]] speaking adds to the effect. |
| 149 | * The [[LittlePeopleAreSurreal Oompa-Loompas]] sing like this in ''Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory''. |
| 150 | * [[BigBad Dr. Phillip Decker]] from ''Film/{{Nightbreed}}''. Decker speaks in a calm, low, monotone register. He makes it seem like he does it because he wants to [[SoftSpokenSadist soothe]] his [[PsychoPsychologist patients]]. He's in fact an [[LackOfEmpathy unempathetic]], [[SerialKiller murderous]] [[TheSociopath psychopath]]. |
| 151 | %%* ''Film/{{Shrooms}}'': [[spoiler:''(Axe to the head)'' "I love you, Jake".]] -- Needs context. |
| 152 | [[/folder]] |
| 153 | |
| 154 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 155 | * Literature/TheCosmere |
| 156 | ** ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': "Darkness" has a calm, flat voice to match his completely [[TheStoic emotionless demeanour]], even while he's trying to [[DisproportionateRetribution lynch a young child]]. He turns out to be [[spoiler:Nale, the Herald of Justice, a TimeAbyss who's spent the last 4500 years WalkingTheEarth slowly going [[SanitySlippage insane]] because it was ''better'' than the hellish duties of the Heralds]]. No wonder Lift doesn't think he's even human. |
| 157 | ** ''Literature/TheSunlitMan'': The spirit Auxiliary speaks in a completely flat, toneless voice due to an incident that [[DamagedSoul badly damaged his soul]]. He's self-conscious about it and peppers his speech with dialogue tags to describe his feelings. |
| 158 | * In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}'', Mr. Jonathan Teatime -- a rogue, [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] PsychoForHire -- unnerves people with his creepy monotone. It's one of the signs that he doesn't really see people as ''people'' worth communicating with, another being his habit of gratuitously murdering them. |
| 159 | * In ''[[Literature/TheFamousFive Five Go to Smuggler's Top]]'', the allegedly deaf servant Block speaks in a monotone, and also has an expressionless face. |
| 160 | * ''Literature/HarryPotter'': |
| 161 | ** The BigBad Lord Voldemort speaks in a calm, flat tone of voice; this, perhaps even more than his use of {{Soul Jar}}s and his utter lack of compassion, makes him terrifying. Except for when he gets agitated. It comes across more like him trying to achieve this trope but failing every now and again. |
| 162 | ** As Crouch Jr. proves, people who have drunk Veritaserum (Truth Serum) also speak like this. |
| 163 | * The demon from the Creator/NeilGaiman short story "Other People" speaks in "a voice that carried with it no sorrow, no relish, only a dreadful flat resignation." It is utterly expressionless for the whole story. |
| 164 | -->'''Narrator:''' That's inhuman.\ |
| 165 | '''Demon:''' [[BluntYes Yes]]. |
| 166 | %%* Shane Drinion in ''Literature/ThePaleKing''. |
| 167 | * ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': |
| 168 | ** [[HumanoidAbomination Myrddraal]] have voices that sound like crumbling bone and are utterly devoid of emotion or inflection. Not only is this incredibly creepy, but it makes Shaidar Haran, the MouthOfSauron for the [[TheAntiGod Dark One]], even ''more'' disturbing by comparison. |
| 169 | ** In the last book, the [[TheEmpire Sharan]] accent is described in this vein; a Sharan [[EvilSorcerer Ayyad]] [[spoiler:who is part of Demandred's army]] is described as sounding like "all the music was gone from her voice." |
| 170 | ** Rand lapses into this in ''The Gathering Storm'' after he [[spoiler:crosses the DespairEventHorizon]]. Before he recovers, his voice is flat, mild, and skin-crawlingly terrifying to everyone around him. |
| 171 | * AxCrazy valet Brinkley from Creator/PGWodehouse's ''Thank You, Jeeves'', though, like everything in the book, it's PlayedForLaughs. |
| 172 | --> ''Brinkley was at the door, begging me to come out and let him ascertain the colour of my insides; and by Jove, what seemed to me to add the final touch to the whole unpleasantness was that he spoke in the same respectful voice he always used. Kept calling me 'Sir,' too, which struck me as dashed silly. I mean, if you're asking a fellow to come out of a room so that you can dismember him with a carving knife, it's absurd to tack a 'Sir' on to every sentence. The two things don't go together.'' |
| 173 | * In ''Literature/{{Murderess}}'', James, the boy from Chopped Tree Inn, talks like this when ''welcoming'' Lu. His mother quickly sends him away when he scares Lu too much. |
| 174 | * In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', Lord Roose Bolton, being a devoutly [[TheStoic stoic]] SoftSpokenSadist, always speaks in whispers so faint that people have to lean close to hear him. His tone is constantly described as unsettling, emotionless and cold, as he believes that avoiding passion is the key to staying young. |
| 175 | * ''Literature/{{Temeraire}}'': When Temeraire meets his old enemy Lien in ''Black Powder War'', she delivers an eloquent, chilling description of everything he's cost her and how utterly she plans to destroy him in {{Revenge}}, all in a flat, emotionless monotone. Temeraire is badly shaken when she finally leaves. |
| 176 | [[/folder]] |
| 177 | |
| 178 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 179 | * ''Series/BreakingBad'' and ''Series/BetterCallSaul'': Gustavo Fring is a lethal guy to lock horns with, but he talks with the most creepy yoga-like serenity. Gus becomes more menacing whenever he ''does'' raise his voice. |
| 180 | * ''Series/BlackBird'': Larry Hall is a serial killer and pedophile who constantly speaks in a flat, emotionless affect. |
| 181 | * In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', [[spoiler:Dark Willow]], when she snaps at the end of season 6 and goes on her RoaringRampageOfRevenge (or would it be "Creepy Monotonous" Rampage of Revenge?): "Bored now." |
| 182 | ** What makes it even creepier is that the monotonous "Bored now" is the exact line used by an alternate version of [[spoiler:Willow]] wherein she was an evil badass vampire chick. [[spoiler:Dark Willow was basically her vampire double sans the vampire.]] |
| 183 | * ''Series/Daredevil2015'': |
| 184 | ** James Wesley speaks in a very flat monotonous tone, which combined with his glasses makes him very intimidating as a mouthpiece for Fisk. |
| 185 | ** Wilson Fisk is no sloucher either in this department when he's giving long-winded soliloquys. |
| 186 | ** Dex whenever he attempts to feign empathy with some sort of variation of "It's hard, it's really hard". |
| 187 | * ''Series/DeadliestWarrior'' gives us Brahm Galligher, who seems to be incapable of speaking in anything ''but'' a creepy monotone. Unless he's swinging a halberd around. |
| 188 | * Subverted in ''Series/{{Dexter}}''. Half the fun of most dialogues the [[Characters/DexterDexterMorgan title character]] takes part in resides in the way Creator/MichaelCHall delivers his lines, in an emotionless creepy monotone that should trigger the "serial killer alarm" in the minds of even the most oblivious of the other characters... except, of course, it never does. "Why, in a building full of cops -- all supposedly with a keen insight into the human soul -- is Doakes the only one that gets the creeps from me?" Inverted when he snaps and kills the used car salesman for insulting Rita. Cue scared "he's freaking crazy!" reaction. |
| 189 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': |
| 190 | ** The Daleks use a mechanical, staccato voice delivery, but they tend to increase both speed and volume for emphasis. Also, there's quite a bit of variation of individual voices. Creepy, yes; intensely emotional, and very [[LiteralMinded monotone]] -- only the single tone used isn't flat apathy, but rather a consistent bent of shrieking hysterical rage. When they're not grating out staccato bursts of antipathy, it usually means something's very, very wrong. |
| 191 | ** The Cybermen from "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E6TheMoonbase The Moonbase]]" onwards speak in a flat, mechanical tone of voice in the 1960s, the '70s (i.e. "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E5RevengeOfTheCybermen Revenge of the Cybermen]]"), and the revival series. In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet The Tenth Planet]]", they speak in a creepy emotionless [[AccentUponTheWrongSyllable sing-song]] modelled on early 'singing computers' like IBM 7094, while in the '80s, they speak in a projected shout similar to that of the Daleks (though deeper and more drawn out). |
| 192 | ** The sociopathic and terrifying Himmler-{{Expy}} Nyder in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks Genesis of the Daleks]]" has this as his affect. He's remembered as one of the scariest supporting characters in the story because of this, even next to [[EvilIsHammy Davros and the Daleks]]. |
| 193 | ** The robots in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E5TheRobotsOfDeath The Robots of Death]]" -- one of the many reasons why they invoke the UncannyValley InUniverse. The sequel ''Corpse Marker'' establishes that this monotone has become fashionable for humans to affect, especially those of upper classes. |
| 194 | ** The creepiness in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E8TheImpossiblePlanet The Impossible Planet]]" consists mostly of the creepy monotone of the Ood and the computer system being [[DemonicPossession possessed]] by {{Satan}}. |
| 195 | ** The Family of Blood from "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E8HumanNature Human Nature]]"/"[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E9TheFamilyOfBlood The Family of Blood]]" sport eerie monotones for a little while after [[PuppeteerParasite they start inhabiting human bodies]]... and then all four of them go [[LargeHam stark raving mad]]. |
| 196 | ** Used to great effect in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E8SilenceInTheLibrary Silence in the Library]]", where an AI retelling cries of panic and pain in utterly emotionless creepy monotone makes the situation seem scarier than it would be if they were reproduced verbatim. |
| 197 | ** When controlled by [[spoiler:the Dalek]] in "[[Recap/DoctorWho2019NYSResolution Resolution]]", Lin speaks like this. |
| 198 | * In the ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' episode "[[Recap/FireflyE14ObjectsInSpace Objects in Space]]", River announces to the bounty hunter Jubal Early that she has "melted away" into the ship ''Serenity'', becoming part of it, in a creepy monotone. It becomes even more chilling when she alters her tone just a tiny bit for the line: |
| 199 | -->''"Not talking to River. You're talking to ''Serenity''. And Early? ''Serenity'' is ''very unhappy.''"'' |
| 200 | * [[TheMenInBlack The Observer]] in ''Series/{{Fringe}}''. On first seeing him, this trope leads the viewer to believe that he's got something devious going on, but he turns out to be more ambiguous than that. |
| 201 | * ''Series/GameOfThrones'': |
| 202 | ** Peter Baelish always speaks in a smarmy, wry half-whisper. Not too creepy and even somewhat [[AffablyEvil affable]] when he simply converses with his peers, but he uses the same tone when describing [[FateWorseThanDeath the things he did]] to poor women [[YouHaveFailedMe who displeased him]], or telling a helpless girl, that she's [[FalseReassurance totally safe]] [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty with him]]. |
| 203 | ** One of the prisoners at Harrenhal speaks this way in "Garden of Bones" when explaining that her entire family has recently been tortured to death. |
| 204 | ** Styr the Magnar pairs this with a guttural voice and a SoftspokenSadist to breed a great ObviouslyEvil voice. |
| 205 | * Sylar from ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' could ''possibly'' pass for a perfectly ordinary, non SerialKiller type, except that he seems capable only of a creepy monotone or murderous rage. No middle ground. |
| 206 | -->'''Sylar:''' This is usually the part where people start screaming. |
| 207 | * ''Series/TheLateShowWithStephenColbert'' had a segment where Stephen started talking in clipped, unsettling tones about [[AC:The Formula]] (Which was, in fact, baby formula but he thought it sounded weirdly sinister), and it's becoming a running gag when stories lend themselves to demanding [[AC:The Elixir]] from an emperor's tomb or a self-described [[AC:Unstoppable Apparatus]]. |
| 208 | * ''Series/{{Lost}}'' gives us Benjamin Linus. "Of course, if I was one of them, these people that you just assume are your enemies, what would I do? There would be no balloon so I would draw them out to a really secluded place, like a cave or some underbrush, a good place for a trap... an ambush. And when your friends got there a bunch of my people would be waiting for them. Then they would use them to trade for me. I guess it's a good thing I'm not one of them, huh? ...You guys got any milk?" |
| 209 | %%* Robert California of ''Series/{{The Office|US}}''. |
| 210 | * ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'': In "Family Values", Gideon typically speaks in one, though he does occasionally vary his tone when expressing anger. |
| 211 | * This is one of the reasons Mesogog, from ''Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder'', is one of the scariest villains in the ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' franchise. He never raises his voice at all. Even when expressing extreme anger, frustration or threats, he stays completely calm. Since he is a half human/half dinosaur hybrid, he combines this trope with SnakeTalk, which makes him even more creepy. |
| 212 | * ''Series/RedDwarf:'' In the episode "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonVQuarantine Quarantine]]", Rimmer maintains an entirely level monotone while asking the others if they think there might perhaps be something... amiss with his behaviour. After he's mentioned he's been watching them argue, entirely silent, for two (maybe three) hours. |
| 213 | -->'''Rimmer:''' I'm sitting here in a red and white-striped gingham dress... and army boots. You think there's nothing amiss? |
| 214 | * Lucius Vorenus from ''Series/{{Rome}}'', while in the middle of a HeroicBSOD. Even for a man who is normally [[TheStoic quite reserved]] and [[ValuesDissonance has little problem with legally sanctioning killing]], uttering the same line over and over while covered in blood can get rather creepy. |
| 215 | -->'''Lucius:''' Where are my children? |
| 216 | * One ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' sketch featured [[BlatantLies sincere and heartfelt testimonials]] for [[http://www.hulu.com/watch/279562 The Amazing Alexander]], a Broadway hypnotist act. |
| 217 | * The Borg from ''Franchise/StarTrek'' speak like this, along with VoiceOfTheLegion. Individual Borg that have been separated from the HiveMind also start off with a creepy monotone, though as they develop their own personalities, they usually segue into DeadpanSnarker or SpockSpeak. |
| 218 | ** Award for creepiest borg monotone goes to Locutus' line: "Your resistance is hopeless... Number One." |
| 219 | *** Almost everything Locutus said was terrifying. |
| 220 | *** It's worth noting that Picard used the Locutus monotone while interrogating the liberated drone Hugh, who recognized Picard as Locutus. |
| 221 | ** Lt. Commander Data also qualifies for this trope. There are situations where, combined with his natural DissonantSerenity, Data's calm demeanor can be downright nightmarish. |
| 222 | *** Data spends most of "Masks" being a LargeHam after a number of alien personalities take over his body. Before Data or anyone else understands what is happening to him, however, he calmly asks [=LaForge=] a chilling question in a haunting monotone: |
| 223 | ---->'''Data''': Geordi? What does it feel like when a person is losing his mind? |
| 224 | * Creator/SummerGlau is good at creepy in general. In ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'', [[RobotGirl Cameron]] regularly speaks in a constant, soft-yet-creepy monotone. However, the show also plays its ''absence'' to excellent effect. The absence of the creepy monotone we're used to is what made the scene where Cameron recites not only word for word, but also inflection for inflection a "classmate's" emotional bathroom rant for the principal creepy. |
| 225 | * ''Franchise/UltraSeries'': |
| 226 | ** ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'': Ultraman himself when he and Hayata first met - he has an odd echo to his voice, and this appears to be his speaking voice rather than telepathic inter-alien communication.[[note]]This was because his voice actor in that scene was a TemporarySubstitute with no voice-acting experience.[[/note]] |
| 227 | ** ''Series/UltramanZ'': Kaburagi speaks like this when possessed by Celebro, with an added [[VoiceOfTheLegion reverb]] effect to his voice for maximum creepiness. He slowly loses this trait as the series goes on and Celebro's MaskOfSanity starts cracking, revealing the raving psychopath beneath. |
| 228 | --> '''Kaburagi''': ''Kiete karekareta.'' (I'm feeling good.) |
| 229 | ** Fitting for a modern retelling of ''Ultraman'', every Extraterrestrial in ''Film/ShinUltraman'' speaks this way, including Ultraman himself. This serves mainly to emphasise how mysterious and far beyond humanity they are. |
| 230 | * Robert Stack would often host his segments on ''Series/UnsolvedMysteries'' in what was supposed to probably be a very flat, newscaster-type voice. However, the tone of his voice and the creepy nature of the show sent it careening into this pretty quickly. |
| 231 | * ''Series/TheXFiles'': |
| 232 | ** Eugene Victor Tooms from "[[Recap/TheXFilesS01E03Squeeze Squeeze]]" and "[[Recap/TheXFilesS01E21Tooms Tooms]]" bare-ly has an-y in-to-na-tion at all and talks real-ly slow-ly. It's ser-i-ous-ly freak-y. |
| 233 | ** Donnie Phaster, the SerialKiller in "[[Recap/TheXFilesS02E13Irresistible Irresistible]]" with a fetish for dead women's hair, has a creepy, calm, flat voice and almost never blinks. Somehow, he can get strangers to see him as [[DevilInPlainSight charming and affable]] for a short while. [[spoiler:He turns out much later to have [[DemonOfHumanOrigin become]] or always been a demon.]] |
| 234 | [[/folder]] |
| 235 | |
| 236 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 237 | * Some musicians, like Music/DavidByrne and Music/PeterMurphy, are known for frequently employing an affectionless creepy monotone singing voice. |
| 238 | * "I Want My Innocence Back" by Music/EmilieAutumn has plenty of this. |
| 239 | * Music/{{Radiohead}}: |
| 240 | ** "Fitter Happier" uses this trope ([[SyntheticVoiceActor perfectly monotone]] [[MachineMonotone as only a computer can be]]) in addition to ''insanely'' creepy lyrics. |
| 241 | ** ''Music/KidA'' and ''Music/{{Amnesiac}}'' feature Thom Yorke giving a dry, monotone performance on a number of tracks in order to produce a decidedly detached mood. |
| 242 | * "Hide and Seek" by Music/ImogenHeap. |
| 243 | * Nu-Italo (eg. Eiffel 65) songs often used vocoders to this effect. |
| 244 | * "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto". |
| 245 | * "I Tried So Hard to be Good" by The pAper chAse. |
| 246 | * Music/OKGo's cover of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' theme song. |
| 247 | * [[Music/{{OFWGKTA}} Tyler the Creator]] does this in his song "Fish," which details the thoughts of a man who is either [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Fish Albert Fish]], a cannibalistic, pedophilic, necrophilic SerialKiller and rapist, or someone with an incredibly unhealthy obsession with fish. |
| 248 | * The female lead singer's vocal performance in The Flying Lizards' cover of Music/TheBeatles' "Money (That's What I Want)." |
| 249 | * Music/EvelynEvelyn speak like this and often sing like this. Despite being ConjoinedTwins they aren't presented as evil or creepy because of it. They, however, had a ''very'' horrible childhood and have poor social skills, which likely resulted in them speaking in monotone. |
| 250 | * Music/TheProtomen feature this in Act II's "Give Us The Rope," where the crowd's vocals are toneless shouting, in contrast to the emotional, dramatic music backing them. |
| 251 | [[/folder]] |
| 252 | |
| 253 | [[folder:Pinball]] |
| 254 | * Although Creator/{{Zaccaria}}'s ''[[Pinball/TimeMachineZaccaria Time Machine]]'' avoids the MachineMonotone of earlier talking pinball tables, the Scientist's speech is decidedly monotonic and somewhat disturbing. |
| 255 | [[/folder]] |
| 256 | |
| 257 | [[folder:Radio]] |
| 258 | * A panel segment on ''Radio/WaitWaitDontTellMe'' involved a study purporting that women found men speaking in a monotone to be sexy, leading to a hilarious attempt to invoke this from announcer and scorekeeper Carl Kasell: |
| 259 | -->'''Carl Kasell:''' [[Film/JerryMaguire You - had - me - at -]] ''[[Film/JerryMaguire hello]]'' |
| 260 | ** They also discussed how the inverse of a creepy monotone can be just as off-putting: |
| 261 | -->'''Peter Sagal:''' ''(in a Creator/DonKnotts voice)'' [[Film/BrokebackMountain I wish I knew how to]] ''[[Film/BrokebackMountain quit]]'' [[Film/BrokebackMountain you!]] |
| 262 | [[/folder]] |
| 263 | |
| 264 | [[folder:Roleplay]] |
| 265 | * In ''Roleplay/YuGiOhEastAcademy'', Marcus uses this during his BreakingSpeech to Gretel. |
| 266 | [[/folder]] |
| 267 | |
| 268 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 269 | * This is one of the suggested options for the voice of Friend Computer in ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}''. |
| 270 | * On the few occasions in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' that Necron Lords have spoken, they have been unusually polite and cultured speakers possessed of a truly chilling calm, which may make some sense, given that they are the still-sentient leaders of a race that now exists as, for all intents and purposes, undead robots. |
| 271 | ** "Lucky creatures... At long last... you have found... the tranquillity... of death..." |
| 272 | [[/folder]] |
| 273 | |
| 274 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 275 | * In ''VisualNovel/DanganRonpa2GoodbyeDespair'', [[spoiler:Mikan Tsukimi dips into this when she's fingered as the killer of chapter 3. This is a ''stark'' contrast to her normal method of speaking, meek and full of stuttering]]. |
| 276 | * ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'': |
| 277 | ** In [[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations Trials and Tribulations]], Viola Cadaverini is said to speak with a creepy monotone, laced with subtle ''death threats''. |
| 278 | ** In [[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]], a particular, usually-emotional character has a line with his face turning completely stern, [[spoiler:and part of his forehead '''torn''', not bleeding. He's [[BigBad The Phantom]], a master spy who was just impersonating a [[DeadAllAlong deceased detective]], whom he had murdered]]. |
| 279 | ---> [[spoiler:Fulbright]]: "Aw. Look at what you did to my mask." |
| 280 | * In ''VisualNovel/SpiritHunterNG'', what makes Yakumo's [[spoiler:dissection of living girls]] all the more unsettling is how calm he is when doing it, his voice perfectly level and measured. |
| 281 | [[/folder]] |
| 282 | |
| 283 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 284 | * ''WebAnimation/TheMusicFreaks'': Combined with her being an EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette, most of Rosemeadow High is afraid of Sadie. |
| 285 | * In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' the [[CreepyTwins Albain Brothers]] talk very calmly, with soft, purring voices that give off a sinister vibe. Throughout a tense conversation with Blake and Ghira, their tone and modulation barely rise, and they keep the same flat voice while casually discussing informing [[FantasticTerrorists Adam]] about Blake's whereabouts. It's one of several reasons Sun finds them creepy. AvertedTrope as they attack the Belladonna estate, where they yell like one would expect in the tense situation of a fight. |
| 286 | [[/folder]] |
| 287 | |
| 288 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 289 | * ''Webcomic/AwfulHospital:'' The AmbiguouslyHuman Dr. Man's voice is described as "cheerfully emotionless", with the particularly eerie quirk that it ''never'' changes tone, only volume. |
| 290 | * ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'''s [[spoiler:Gamzee]] ''possibly'' speaks in monotone; it's hard to be certain exactly how his text quirk would be vocalised. At any rate, [[spoiler:he later [[AxCrazy goes off the deep end]], and upscales his wHiMsIcAl [=CaSe AlTeRnAtIoN=] to whole lines of text, meaning that he alternates between barely audible and screaming in rage]]. Aradia also speaks like this. |
| 291 | * ''Webcomic/{{Kagerou}}'''s Kano speaks like this, according to [[WordOfGod the author]]. |
| 292 | * Likewise, ''Webcomic/{{Remus}}'''s [[TortureTechnician Seth Williams]] [[WordOfGod apparently]] speaks like this. even when he's about to carve someone up like a Thanksgiving turkey. |
| 293 | * In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', based on Magus reaction to Ashley's comment and the lighting [[http://www.egscomics.com/comic/2017-11-22 here]], it seems she delivered the line in this voice. |
| 294 | [[/folder]] |
| 295 | |
| 296 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 297 | * ''El Anticristo'' and ''Andale Ramiro'', two Hispanic dudes from Youtube who say the most aggressive things about anything via a by-definition-monotonous speech synthesizer, are famous for doing that. |
| 298 | * [=SSJ2=] Gohan [[SoftSpokenSadist speaks like this]] in ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged''. [[NightmareFuel It's downright terrifying.]] |
| 299 | * Gary from ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue''. Voiced by ''Microsoft Sam.'' |
| 300 | * Nacht from the Literature/WhateleyUniverse. A number of other students at [[SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy]] are utterly terrified of her. |
| 301 | * The [[CatsAreMean hovercat]] from ''WebAnimation/WaterHuman''. Like Gary above, he's voiced by Microsoft Sam. |
| 302 | * There are various internet CGI cartoons featuring anthropomorphic pig-things speaking with monotone voices. |
| 303 | * In ''Series/{{Noob}}'', Ystos sometimes speaks like this when using his assassin avatar. |
| 304 | * Creator/MelissaHunter's portrayal of Wednesday Addams in ''WebVideo/AdultWednesdayAddams'' is based on the Creator/ChristinaRicci version and speaks in the same kind of monotone that Ricci did in the films. |
| 305 | [[/folder]] |
| 306 | |
| 307 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 308 | * ''Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse'': |
| 309 | ** In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', Mr. Freeze never really deviates from his cold, chilling (no {{pun}} intended) monotone, providing juxtaposition to [[AntiVillain the emotional depth of the character]]. It's quite effective. WordOfGod has it that his voice actor, Creator/MichaelAnsara, struggled with this element of the role -- his instinct was to ''act'', and he had to be constantly reminded to be flat and robotic. Especially creepy in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' episode "[[Recap/BatmanBeyondS1E7Meltdown Meltdown]]", in which he stops being simply apathetic and starts being straight up merciless. |
| 310 | --->''"[[IronicEcho Remember]], [[FalseReassurance there may be some momentary discomfort]]."'' |
| 311 | ** Terminal, a one-shot ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' villain, is another good one. This from the man (Creator/MichaelRosenbaum) who went on to play [[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague the Flash]]. It's especially creepy considering how Terminal is the leader of a gang of Jokerz. "You're not laughing. He's not laughing." |
| 312 | ** The Joker ''himself'' in much of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker''. Less laughing, more menacing. |
| 313 | ** Jeffrey Combs as both the Scarecrow in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' and the Question in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''. The difference being that Scarecrow's is creepy and Question's was hilarious. |
| 314 | --->'''Question:''' ''[singing]'' Fell in love again. What am I gonna tell my friends? |
| 315 | ** Question's speech to Luthor in "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E9QuestionAuthority Question Authority]]" falls right into this trope, however, being disturbingly calm. |
| 316 | ** Braniac in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''. |
| 317 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Dilbert}}'': The smartest garbageman in the world. [[AlmightyJanitor He also has access to all kinds of equipment no garbageman should possess.]] |
| 318 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': |
| 319 | ** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E5TreehouseOfHorrorIV Treehouse of Horror IV]]", Bart is turned into a vampire. He rejoins the family and monotones, "Hello, mother. Hello, father. I missed you during my uneventful absence." |
| 320 | ** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E6TreehouseOfHorrorV Treehouse of Horror V]]" has anyone who's been "re-Neducated", the final phase of which consists of people getting a total frontal {{lobotomy}}. |
| 321 | --->'''Bart & Lisa:''' [[JoinUsDrone Joiiin us]], fatheeer.\ |
| 322 | '''Marge:''' It's ''bliiiiiiiis''. |
| 323 | ** Also used in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E21ThePTADisbands The PTA Disbands]]", coupled with TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior. |
| 324 | --->'''Marge:''' There's just something about flying a kite at night that's so... unwholesome!\ |
| 325 | '''Bart:''' ''[looks up to his parent's window over his shoulder]'' Hello, mother dear... |
| 326 | ** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E20BartOnTheRoad Bart on the Road]]", Lisa has to tell Homer that Bart had rented a car with a fake ID and was trapped in Tennessee. Homer's face goes red and he says [[TranquilFury calmly]], "Yes. That's a real pickle. Would you excuse me?" He puts on a radiation helmet and screams incoherently for a while, causing the faceplate of the helmet to fog up. He then takes it off and says, now using the monotone again, "Alright, I have thought this through. I will send Bart the money to fly home. Then I will murder him." |
| 327 | * Raven from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003''. |
| 328 | ** The Brain also speaks in a rather creepy, electronic one. |
| 329 | ** Slade also speaks in an eerily calm voice. |
| 330 | *** Slade is played by Creator/RonPerlman, who used the exact same monotone when narrating as Fire Lord Sozin from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' in "The Avatar and the Fire Lord". |
| 331 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'': Yakko and Dot slip in and out of this after getting whisked off to the middle of nowhere by the GrimReaper. |
| 332 | -->'''Yakko:''' We accept.\ |
| 333 | '''Dot:''' To accept is to yield.\ |
| 334 | '''Yakko:''' To yield is to allow oncoming traffic the right of way.\ |
| 335 | '''Dot:''' Your breath is like the breeze of a landfill.\ |
| 336 | '''Yakko:''' Food particles are wedged between your teeth. |
| 337 | * Ignignokt, the green mooninite from ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce''. |
| 338 | * [[KillerRobot Ultron]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes''. Not helping is that he can't change his expressions, and his head is designed to look like an ant. Even worse, before he turns evil, he speaks in a much more emotional and upbeat fashion, meaning this is most likely intentional on his part. |
| 339 | * ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'': |
| 340 | ** [[CreepyChild The Delightful Children from Down the Lane]] play with this trope - while sometimes, they speak in monotone, they also can have emotional responses, such as anger and frustration, etc. However, they all speak at the same time. |
| 341 | ** Lampshaded and subverted with ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'''s Billy in the crossover special, in which he can't seem to keep up with them. |
| 342 | ** The episode "Operation: D.A.T.E" has the Delightful Children using a MindControlDevice on a lot of kids they invited to a party in their mansion. As a result, they get MindControlEyes and keep saying "Join us..." in a monotone sounding voice. |
| 343 | ** The Interesting Twins From Beneath The Lane also speak in monotones, but they behave much more individually although they are FinishingEachOthersSentences. |
| 344 | ** Minor villains Mr. Wink and Mr. Fibb speak in monotone. Though they do show emotion sometimes. |
| 345 | * Her flat-tone delivery is most likely one of the reasons why ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'' is so unpopular in school. The audience usually finds it endearing, but to most other people, she's "the freaky quiet girl". |
| 346 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', HP and Sanderson speak in such boring monotones that their voices are very low and deep. Even their EvilLaugh is dull and without affect. |
| 347 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': |
| 348 | ** PlayedForLaughs with the Hypnotoad. Anyone it hypnotizes speaks with no inflection, simply praising glory to the Hypnotoad. |
| 349 | ** Parodied in "Raging Bender", when Hermes comes back from vacation with a green slug on his head and explains in a creepy monotone that they had to make an emergency stop on the Brain Slug Planet. Throughout the episode, he tries to trick the others into wearing brain slugs. |
| 350 | %%* Mandy, Nergal Jr., and many others from ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy''. |
| 351 | * [[BigBad Amon]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''. Scary enough on his own, but combine his creepy monotone with voice actor Creator/SteveBlum using his scariest voice... |
| 352 | ** Even worse when you throw the mask into the equation and never know what he looks like [[spoiler:until the season 1 finale.]] |
| 353 | * [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant Dr. Barber]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheMarvelousMisadventuresOfFlapjack'' speaks in a monotone all the time, [[VerbalTic mmmmmm, yes]]. |
| 354 | * While everyone [[FanonDiscontinuity might want to forget]] ''WesternAnimation/MegaManRubySpears'''s "Curse of the Lion Men", it does fit here. After Tar flash-reprograms Wily's robots and Roll, Protoman ''very flatly'' tells him that he's now their leader. Made even more unsettling since no one else being mind-controlled during that episode invoked this trope (except perhaps Roll). |
| 355 | ** Earlier than that, Mega Man's voice becomes flat (along with a BriefAccentImitation) when he was under Wily's control. |
| 356 | * The Regis Mark V in ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR'' speaks exclusively with a rapidly-delivered but completely neutral tone of voice. It makes sense as it's a robot, but the way it says it makes it sound like assimilating everything non-organic into itself is as natural to it as breathing is to a human. |
| 357 | * Baudelaire says that Maxwell Madison Jr. from ''WesternAnimation/{{Phantom 2040}}'' speaks this way as well. |
| 358 | * The Twins from ''WesternAnimation/{{Superjail}}'' speak in a low, quiet, gentle monotone voice - a stark contrast to the Warden's loud, flamboyant, inflected way of speaking. |
| 359 | * Shockwave of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated.'' He even gives a ShoutOut to [[Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey HAL 9000]], saying "I'm afraid I can't let you do that" to Ratchet. [[spoiler:Though in his disguise as Longarm, he talks normally.]] |
| 360 | ** The same show's version of Megatron has this to a lesser degree. Amusingly, he once modified his voice to impersonate [[TheBigGuy Bulkhead]], [[MostDefinitelyNotAVillain but kept the monotone.]] |
| 361 | * The ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' incarnation of Shockwave also very rarely emotes, which fits into his [[TortureTechnician occupation]] quite well. Even on the rare occasions he's angry it barely rises above the monotone, which combined with his [[CyberCyclops face]] just makes him even ''creepier''. |
| 362 | * In ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'', Rushu is normally a [[EvilIsHammy hammy villain]]. [[spoiler:When he is forced to revert to his true form while fighting Goultard]], he briefly slips into a cold monotone, the implication being that he's not really having fun anymore. |
| 363 | * Tino from ''WesternAnimation/TheWeekenders'' started talking like this when he was made fun of for crying during a showing of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', so he decided to become emotionless. |
| 364 | * The Emily clone in ''WesternAnimation/WorldOfTomorrow'' speaks in a monotone voice, claiming to have almost no emotions due to CloneDegeneration. |
| 365 | * [[NephariousPharaoh King]] [[{{Mummy}} Ramses]] talks [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKnC674-ZDU like this]] on ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog''. |
| 366 | * ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'': [[Characters/StarVsTheForcesOfEvilToffee Toffee of Septarsis]] usually speaks in a deadpan, emotionless tone of voice. In Season 2, he more frequently sounds sadistically sinister as opposed to just stoic. |
| 367 | [[/folder]] |
| 368 | |
| 369 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 370 | * Not all languages have the same range of inflection, resulting in speakers of a language with a lower range when learning a new language with a bigger range (for example Dutch speakers learning English), tend to sound monotone. |
| 371 | * A bit of TruthInTelevision: behold [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_affect flat affect]], a common symptom of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the psychotic disorders (which includes schizophrenia). Some autistic people and people with aphasia also don't display emotion "appropriately" -- that is, in ways similar to the majority -- despite feeling it deeply, because they simply don't know how or it doesn't feel natural to them. |
| 372 | %%* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Stein Ben Stein]]. |
| 373 | * Creator/StephenHawking spoke like this, though it was because of the synthesizer he had to use to speak ''at all''. He was actually quite personable. His lectures certainly drew crowds. |
| 374 | ** It's not just Hawking. Anyone who speaks using an artificial voicebox has no choice but to use a monotone, as the mechanism doesn't allow for inflection and tone. (For reference see Ned Gerblansky on ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', or any number of laryngectomy patients in anti-smoking {{public service announcement}}s.) Later, Hawking was offered improved software that could affect tone better and use a more appropriate accent; he turned it down because the synthesiser is recognised as being his voice. |
| 375 | * Creator/ChristopherWalken may be the best example of this trope, so much that even Website/{{Wikipedia}} [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Walken acknowledges it!]] |
| 376 | %%* Creator/JohnMalkovich |
| 377 | %%* Creator/ChristopherHitchens. |
| 378 | * Music/DavidTanny uses a voice for his songs and podcasts that is basically a cheerful monotone. Especially unsettling when what he sings about contains Squick, as it frequently does. |
| 379 | * Creator/CarlSagan [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0WjV6MmCyM sounded like Agent Smith]] before sounding like Agent Smith was cool. |
| 380 | * Used by Creator/RobinWilliams to show one of the ways you can find out if your neighbors have been taken over by aliens. |
| 381 | * In an interview, Creator/AlfredHitchcock explained that raving lunatics are not scary. He said it was the dead calm voice you can't reason with. He made a finger gun gesture and said in a deadly calm voice "I don't want to do this, because my mother always said you shouldn't hurt people." Very creepy. |
| 382 | %%* Creator/WilliamSBurroughs. |
| 383 | %%* Creator/KevinSpacey |
| 384 | * For some reason, Japanese PA announcers, regardless of who they are, seemed to be trained to be as monotone as possible. |
| 385 | %%* Creator/JamesSpader |
| 386 | * Creator/AlanRickman was fond of this, often playing sinister characters who combined such a delivery style with ColdHam, DramaticPause, and EvilSoundsDeep. |
| 387 | [[/folder]] |
| 388 |
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