Line #68 Main/NoOneSeesTheBoss


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9	[[quoteright:350:[[Film/{{Thunderball}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ernststavroblofeldemiliolargojamesbondthunderballnooneseestheboss.png]]]]
10	[[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/TheGuyFromHarlem "No one ever SEES him!"]]]]
11
12
13	->''"No one sees Gold, but Gold sees ''everything''."''
14	-->-- ''Film/Revolver2005''
15
16	Hello, Troper. I see you've come to learn more about the No One Sees The Boss trope. Don't worry, I can take care of that for you. While [[BlatantLies I'm not the trope you're asking about]], you can deal with me just as you would him. You see, [[SelfDemonstratingArticle no one sees that particular trope]], ''ever''.
17
18	This trope [[RunningGag (that is, the trope that is not me)]] is often used in conjunction with MysteriousEmployer, TheDon, the BigBad, the GreaterScopeVillain, the GodOfEvil, the HiddenVillain, and villains which are MadeOfEvil, when the bad guy in question is TheGhost. Supposedly, the guy exists, and [[WeAreEverywhere almost every person you see acts as his eyes and ears]]. At the same time, [[ShadowDictator no one has any idea who they are or what they look like]], or even if "they" really are a [[PowersThatBe "they"]]. There are also the examples where [[{{Masquerade}} the Boss may want people to think they don't exist at all]]. They might employ [[MouthOfSauron one trusted servant whose job is to relay the Boss's words]].
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20	[[TheChessmaster Almost every ordeal the characters suffer through was caused, known, or controlled by them.]] Often, it's as simple as it sounds: The Boss exists, but is simply reclusive. But sometimes, the person in charge only exists as a [[LegacyCharacter title, rather than a name]] and [[LegacyImmortality is simply replaced by a successor]] if they die, [[YouAreInCommandNow step down]] or [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt are killed by said successor]]. Other times, the Boss spends most of their time as a faceless mook and is HiddenInPlainSight the whole time. And lastly, there's the version where there actually IS no Boss, and it's actually been the DragonInChief, TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness or a {{Cult}} that's been running the show by pretending to follow TheMaster's orders.
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22	This can sometimes be used by the forces of good as well, but it's not very common. Some heroic cases where this may apply are MissionControl, TheChosenOne, The BigGood or The FakeUltimateHero.
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24	This trope [[OverlyLongGag (which is certainly not speaking to you now)]] is a SubTrope of TheGhost, The PowersThatBe, and The {{Masquerade}} in combination. Like the first two, the character never makes an appearance with enough weight to establish whether they’re real or not, but this is done ''deliberately'' either by the {{Mooks}} or the ManipulativeBastard themself. Sometimes, the ExactWords "no one sees the boss" are used, or some variation thereof like "no one knows what they look like" or "they may or may not exist". Any information given will usually be ShroudedInMyth like, "I heard the boss was born after Cthulhu raped Beelzebub and the baby clawed their way out of the womb and ate both parents' souls". Before TheReveal (if there is one), any origin will be MultipleChoicePast.
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26	The point is, if it's not being done in-universe, it's not this trope. Usually, the audience doesn't even know themselves, but this tends to vary depending on its importance as a PlotTwist. See also ShadowDictator. If the Boss's shadowy image is more ominous than their actual character, they may also be TheManBehindTheCurtain.
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28	Now, please write your examples below, my Troper friend. I am sure that the real No One Sees The Boss trope will put them on display so fast that it'll almost seem as though they were on this page the whole time...
29
30	----
31	!!Examples:
32
33	[[foldercontrol]]
34
35	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
36	* ''Manga/{{Arachnid}}'' has this secret international organization of bug-themed assassins which is managed by front man Suzumebachi. Its members believe he is in fact the boss, but he states the real boss is already overseeing the Arachnid Hunt contest inside the Ouran High School. We soon learn that the boss is the local StudentCouncilPresident, a creepy young girl named Sara. However, [[spoiler:it turns out neither she nor the one she is revealed to be a servant of are really the boss. The actual boss is Yoriko, the heroine's supposed first friend. She has been in control of Japan for the past century thanks to a condition that makes her ageless for as long as she is able to mantain absolute mental control over somebody]].
37	* L from ''Manga/DeathNote'' counts in the first volume. For all intents and purposes he fits as a BigGood version, but his character is fully introduced in only the second of twelve volumes (his name remains a mystery).
38	* Goth, the big boss of the syndicate in ''Manga/EtCetera'', due to highly-secretive and indirect contact being enforced among the higher-ranks in order to keep the drug operations running. As such, he isn't seen at all until the final book.
39	* The BigBad of the fifth part of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind'', [[spoiler:Diavolo]], is this trope embodied, to the point where he uses the name 'the Boss' [[TheParanoiac and is absolutely obsessed with remaining unseen]]. This trope is basically what the character is based around. [[spoiler:This is deconstructed in the non-canon ''Literature/PurpleHazeFeedback'' after he's killed. [[TheHero Giorno]] takes over as boss, and pretends that he was the boss all along. [[ElCidPloy Turns out that if no one knows what you look like, anyone can impersonate you...]]]]
40	* ''Manga/OnePiece'' has a few examples:
41	** Crocodile, [[VillainWithGoodPublicity Hero of Alabasta]], turns out to be Mr. 0, leader of the Baroque Works organization, fomenting revolt. We, the audience, know this right away, but InUniverse agents of his organization are kept in the dark, only receiving orders through TheDragon, Miss All-Sunday. The fact that Vivi, an infiltrator to Baroque Works, learned this information (which she relays to the Straw Hats and the audience) is why she's marked for death by the organization.
42	** The World Government runs on this trope. Few have ever seen the Five Elder Stars and interacted with them, and [[spoiler:only they know Imu, their only superior, exists at all.]] The former is outright enforced by law: Marines that aren't at ''least'' a Rear Admiral are strictly forbidden from laying eyes on the Elder Stars, and there's no indication what happens to civilians who do the same (but considering how fond the World Nobles the Elders lead are of having people MadeASlave, it's likely not good). [[spoiler:In the Egghead arc, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn arrives on Egghead, and is seen by a low-ranking Marine - the Elder in question blows off his head with a glance for his insolence]].
43	** More than once, we're told that the Four Emperors hold such an iron grip on the New World and have so many territories and powerful subordinates under their control, a lone pirate group attempting to challenge one of them would be unlikely to even see the Emperor, never mind get a chance to fight them.
44	[[/folder]]
45
46	[[folder:Audio Plays]]
47	* ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho:'' In "[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho034SpareParts Spare Parts]]", no-one on Mondas sees The Committee anymore. Because the Committee no longer exist as individuals. When the Doctor goes investigating the palace they reside in, their room is empty. [[spoiler:They've become the first Cyber-Planner.]]
48
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Comic Books]]
52	* In ''ComicBook/TheGoon'' no one sees Labrazio, as he conducts all his business through the Goon. [[spoiler:Because the Goon killed him years ago.]]
53	* In ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', the 1900's gang called the Sinners were run by a mysterious pair whom only the Maneater ever saw. This is because the bosses were [[spoiler:Dale and Stacey Yorkes, Gert's time-travelling criminal parents]]. This creates some serious problems when Chase and Xavin try to join the Sinners.
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
57	* There was a story arc in ''ComicStrip/ThePhantom'' newspaper comic where the Phantom busted a gang whose leader spoke to his underlings via radio from a secret location and had never been seen. He turned out to be the mousy-looking accountant type who collected the gang's takings.
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
61	* ''Fanfic/RainbowDoubleDashsLunaverse:'' In the non-canon ''Nightmares Yet to Come'', the shadowy group of ponies responsible for the plot operate like this when dealing with victims (with the hint that there's some MouthOfSauron action going on when the head honcho wants to speak to someone). When they rough up [[spoiler:Greengrass]], he demands to speak to the one in charge. They show up, and it becomes clear that it's stopped being a conversation [[spoiler:Greengrass]] is going to walk away from.
62	* ''Fanfic/TriptychContinuum'': Murdocks, the head of the eponymous anti-Diarchy news group, conspicuously ''never'' appears in public, sending underlings on his behalf to all negotiations and interactions, and when someone starts asking one of those underlings questions about Murdocks, the underling ''freaks out''.
63	[[/folder]]
64
65	[[folder:Film]]
66	* ''Film/TheAppleDumplingGang:'' In the sequel, Big Mac is the unofficial boss of Bridger Military Prison and never comes out to the exercise yard.
67	* ''Film/JamesBond''
68	** The unseen head of SPECTRE in ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'' and ''Film/{{Thunderball}}'', whose identity is concealed even from his own criminal executives (but not his RightHandCat). The following film ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'' had Blofeld's identity revealed to the audience, and he works among hundreds of mooks who see his face without a care.
69	** Used for a BaitAndSwitch in ''Film/{{Octopussy}}''. The title character's face is not revealed to the audience until Bond meets her face-to-face, making it look like she's a Blofeld-type villain. However while she is the leader of a criminal organisation, she turns out to have no hostile intent towards Bond.
70	* Dr Vulcan in the 1949 Republic FilmSerial ''Film/KingOfTheRocketMen'', seen only as a voice and a shadow on the wall. He's suspected of being one of the scientists our hero is working with, but finding out which one takes up most of the serial.
71	* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides'': (Captain) Jack believes this to be the case when no one has seen the captain or heard him, instead taking orders from the first mate (his purported daughter), and starts a mutiny by getting the crew to realize it. Unfortunately, this backfires when it turns out Blackbeard [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szUEkiRPQwQ is in fact very much present and in command.]]
72	* Sam Gold in ''Film/Revolver2005''. He ''does'' exist. Kinda. [[spoiler:But he's all in your head. Sorta. He's in ''everybody's'' heads. MetaphoricallyTrue. And he's also {{Satan}}. Maybe. [[MindScrew This movie is weird like that.]]]]
73	* ''Film/RioLobo'': Ever since first establishing his hold over the area, sinister land baron Ketcham rarely ventures off his well-guarded ranch, leaving Sheriff Hendricks to oversee his interests, and rule over the townspeople. This is implied to be motivated by cowardice, given the number of enemies he has.
74	* In ''Film/TheSleepingCardinal'', Holmes explains that none of Moriarty's underlings know what he looks like, meaning none of them can implicate him if they are caught. He is shown delivering his threats to Roland Adair from behind a portrait of "[[TitleDrop The Sleeping Cardinal]]" and giving orders to the forger Godfrey through a speaker in the ventilator.
75	* ''Film/{{Snowpiercer}}'': Mr. Wilford, the head of the train, never leaves the engine room and passes up most to all opportunities to speak to the train over the intercom. Until the last twenty minutes of the movie the audience could be forgiven for wondering whether or not he's an InventedIndividual.
76	* Prophet Fumein, the leader of [[LegionOfDoom Genmakuu]] and GreaterScopeVillain of the ''Film/SpaceSquad'' series, has yet to make an appearance. When Benikiba has to report to him, she does so to a projection of the Genmakuu logo.
77	* The mysterious boss in ''Film/TheTestamentOfDrMabuse'' who gives out his orders from behind a curtain.
78	* Keyser Soze from ''Film/TheUsualSuspects'' is the "HiddenInPlainSight" variant.
79	* ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'': "But nobody can see the Great Oz! Nobody's ever ''seen'' the Great Oz! Even ''I've'' never seen him!" Turns out [[TheManBehindTheCurtain there's a good reason for that]].
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:Literature]]
83	* {{Big Brother\|IsWatching}}, the GreaterScopeVillain of ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'', operates like this. We don't even know if he's a single person, a LegacyCharacter, or just the Party's fictional mascot.
84	* ''Literature/AccidentalDetectives'': In ''Sunrise at The Mayan Temple'', Señor Castillo, the owner of the archeological site, is constantly away on business while his assistant Roderick Kay manages things. Many of the locals believe Castillo to to be the embodiment of a god demanding HumanSacrifice, while Kay claims that there are rumors that Castillo is dead; having been sacrificed to that very God, and the local police consider him a person of interest in smuggling operations. [[spoiler:It eventually turns turns out that Castillo is an InventedIndividual and [[ApparentlyPowerlessPuppetMaster Kay is the real boss]]]].
85	* ''Literature/BoysLife'': Moorwood Thaxter owns most of the big businesses and mortgages in town, and his word can dictate town policy. Moorwood hasn't been seen in public in years, though, and his CrazySane son Vernon announces his wishes to the town, with Tom suspecting that Vernon frequently lies about whether his dad actually wants something done due to how much nicer and community-minded Moorwood's supposed orders have gotten since Vernon began delivering them.
86	* In ''Literature/BridgeOfBirds'', nobody communicates with the current Duke of Qin except through his assistant, a timid little man called the Key Rabbit, who serves as an intermediary and holds the keys, as the name suggests. [[spoiler:This is because he is in fact the Duke, UsefulNotes/QinShihuangdi himself, having become immortal and apparently less recognizable than the portraits would suggest.]]
87	* ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'': Major Major Major Major has left explicit orders that no one is to be let in to his office while he is occupying it.
88	** Major Major Major Major has left; you can go in now.
89	* In the ''Literature/DeptfordMice'' trilogy, no one has ever seen the BigBad living GodOfEvil Jupiter, not even the rats who worship him. He can see things anywhere through an extension of himself in [[FortuneTeller Madame Akkikuyu's]] CrystalBall. It turns out the reason he never lets his rat minions see him because [[spoiler:he's actually a monstrous ''[[CatsAreMean cat]]''.]]
90	* ''Literature/DontCareHigh'': The Principal has abandoned any effort to exert authority over the school, and the students don't even know his ''name''. He just spends all day in his office, working on PA announcements which emphasize the SuckySchool nature of the place and which he reads off like comedy sketches while doing his best to avoid dealing with anyone or anything else.
91	* ''Literature/FoundationAndEmpire'', by ''Creator/IsaacAsimov'', revolves around the enigmatic Mule- a galactic conqueror who orchestrates a takeover of the entire galaxy. Despite the Mule's description being revealed in the very first words of the book, this is later discounted. Throughout the story, the Mule himself, his appearance, and the equally mysterious power that enabled him to overthrow the galactic authorities so quickly, are kept under absolute secrecy by his forces. And then, at the end, [[spoiler:It turns out he was with the main characters the whole time.]]
92	* In ''Literature/GarrettPI'', crime boss Chodo Contague has a stroke and his daughter Belinda takes over his organization, claiming to relay his orders.
93	* ''Literature/TheInvisibleDetective'': PrivateDetective Brandon Lake only ever talks to people besides his {{Baker Street Regular}}s from behind a silhouette-outlining curtain and [[MouthOfSauron recruits Charles, the Earl of Frotherington to be his representative in meeting people who want regular updates from a respectable adult about his cases.]] Lake is an InventedIndividual, with one of "his" regulars (Art) providing the silhouette and voice while wearing oversized clothes, while another (Jonny) uses a fishing rod to send messages from the others down to Art whenever he doesn't know what to say to Lake's visitors.
94	* In Creator/EEDocSmith's ''Literature/{{Lensman}}'' series, Helmuth, speaking for Boskone, plays to this trope with his own lower-ranked underlings - until Lensman Kim Kinnison so provokes and enrages him that he chooses to reveal himself (via video screen). A Boskonian mook who later does a HeelFaceTurn tells Kinnison outright that until that moment, nobody in the lower echelons had ever seen Helmuth's face.
95	* In ''Literature/TheManWhoWasThursday'', the BigGood who hired all the policemen to infiltrate the anarchists has never actually been seen, allowing each policeman only one brief conversation in a darkened room. Meanwhile, no one seems to have met the BigBad Sunday at all. [[spoiler:They're the same person.]]
96	* ''Literature/MaulLockdown:'' Radique is a powerful intergalactic arms dealer operating within the prison. Many (including the warden) believe that he's an InventedIndividual. Maul begins to suspect he's HiddenInPlainSight, posing as another prisoner. [[spoiler:Neither is true. Radique is hiding in the prison's tunnel system.]]
97	* ''Literature/TheMoonIsAHarshMistress'': Adam Selene, leader of the Revolution. Plenty of people see him on video screens, but no one gets to meet him in person, because he doesn't actually exist. He's a figurehead invented by the ''real'' mastermind of the Revolution, whose true identity is concealed from almost everyone because he's a sentient computer. When Adam Selene addresses the citizens of Free Luna, the video and audio are entirely computer-generated.
98	* ''Literature/Nightfall1990'', by Creator/IsaacAsimov and Creator/RobertSilverberg: Mondior, leader of the Apostles of the Flame cult, turns out to be fictitious (seen only in [[VirtualCelebrity video simulations]]). His "spokesman", Folimun, is the real leader of the group.
99	* Near the end of ''Literature/ParadoxBound'', [[spoiler:after the death of Archibald Truss, one of his BodyguardBabes (the other one was killed too) plans to run his banking empire in this manner, acting as his errand girl, while actually making all the decisions herself]].
100	* ''Literature/RoguePlanet:'' The mysterious planet of Zonama Sekot is ruled by "The Magistrate", who very few people ever get to see, who lives off in an isolated palace far from the inhabited parts of the planet. Anakin and Obi-Wan get a rare invitation to meet him, but Obi-Wan feels something's subtly ''off'' about the affair. [[spoiler:Actually, the real Magistrate's been dead for several years, and the palace destroyed. Sekot [[GeniusLoci herself]] has been filling in with a hologram to try and avoid suspicion.]]
101	* ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'':
102	** Sir from the fourth book constantly has his face surrounded by a cloud of cigar smoke, so even though he frequently occupies the same room as the protagonists, they never actually see him, at one point making them wonder if he is Count Olaf in disguise.
103	** Babs in the eighth book has the belief that "Children should be seen and not heard", [[InsaneTrollLogic therefore as she is an adult, she should be heard and not seen]]. Because of this, she communicates with all of her employees of an intercom system, even going as far as to never enter her own office, and instead places a intercom on her desk to speak to whomever enters.
104	* In the ''Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse Section 31'' novels, the eponymous organisation is run by a figure called Control, who only appears to the Directors, and even then only as a {{Sinister Silhouette\|s}} generically-humanoid hologram with a disguised voice. It's generally believed by the Directors that one of them could eventually succeed to the position, but further research suggests that this has ''never'' happened. [[spoiler:Control is actually a three-hundred-year-old AI data monitoring program that decided "report any suspicious activity to appropriate authorities" wasn't enough of a response.]]
105	* The Creator in ''Literature/SwordOfTruth''. While the earlier books almost flat out show that he exists, later books start to imply that he's a figurative entity that has no actual consciousness, but is the essence of all good and righteousness. The same is ''NOT'' true of his [[GodOfEvil opposite]], [[DevilButNoGod the Keeper of the Underworld.]]
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
109	* ''Series/AgentsOfShield'': The mysterious mastermind behind Project Centipede, known only as The Clairvoyant. He seems to live up to the name, staying several steps ahead of the SHIELD agents as if he can read their minds and foresee their actions. The Clairvoyant never meets anyone in person, giving orders to Centipede operatives only by telephone or text message. [[spoiler:In reality, he is a turncoat SHIELD agent with high-level security clearance, which he uses to read SHIELD's files (including the psychological profiles, mission reports, and planning documents of other agents).]]
110	* ''Series/{{Carnivale}}'' gave us Management, who never emerges from his caravan and has his orders relayed by Samson. Once Jonesy works up the courage to enter the caravan only to find it empty. Samson claims that Management has the power to make himself incorporeal, but Jonesy naturally thinks Samson is just pulling the fake boss trick on them. At the end of the episode however, Samson enters the caravan and gets spoken to by Management directly. He still remains TheFaceless until Season 2, where it's revealed that his self-isolation is mainly because [[spoiler:he lost an arm and both legs during World War One.]]
111	* In ''Series/ColdCase'', a circus is ostensibly run by "Management". When pressed, the little person, who manages the carnies, replies that it's a group of investors from various parts of the world. [[spoiler:It actually turns out to be the circus's resident giant, who is actually smarter than he lets on and is the real killer]].
112	* ''Series/CowboyBebop2021''. The Syndicate is run by three Elders who keep their faces hidden behind masks. After Vicious launches TheCoup to kill them and take over the Syndicate himself, [[spoiler:his wife Julia deposes him in turn, chaining Vicious up in her basement. She tells him that given this tradition no-one will think it strange if she ostensibly [[MouthOfSauron relays his orders]] while secretly running the Syndicate herself.]]
113	* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': Wilson Fisk keeps himself very insulated from the criminal activity he is overseeing, and that extends to having the majority of his henchmen get their orders from an intermediary rather than from Fisk directly.
114	** In the first season, Fisk has almost all of his orders relayed to his underlings by James Wesley, up until Wesley is murdered by Karen Page. His downfall ends up happening when Nelson & Murdock get their hands on Carl Hoffman, a corrupt cop that Fisk had personally intimidated into killing his hospitalized partner to keep from talking.
115	** In the third season, Fisk is under [[MightAsWellNotBeInPrisonAtAll "house arrest"]], which means that he's able to give direct orders to the corrupt FBI agents ostensibly "guarding" him. For other henchmen, he has [[EvilBrit Felix Manning]] act as an intermediary to relay his orders.
116	* ''Series/InPlainSight'', the US Marshals transport a man who is the go-between for a mysterious female assassin known as "Lola", who agreed to inform on her after being caught in a sting. It turns out [[spoiler:There is no "Lola", he is the assassin, and he let himself be caught just so he could get at a target in the jail he was being held at, confident his lieutenants would free him from the marshals.]]
117	* The [[BigBad Great Leader]] in ''Series/KamenRider'' rarely appears in person, instead he gives commands as a disembodied voice speaking through the emblem of whatever NebulousEvilOrganisation he's running.
118	* Played with in ''Series/KeepingUpAppearances''. When Hyacinth travels on the [=QE2=] cruise ship, she is desperate to meet the captain, and to dine at his table. When all her efforts to meet him fail, she then wonders if the crew have lost the captain.
119	--> '''Hyacinth:''' You don't suppose they've ''lost'' the captain? Have they left him on the dockside at Southampton?
120	--> '''Richard:''' I don't think they'd leave the captain behind.
121	--> '''Hyacinth:''' They left ''me!''
122	* One ''Series/KeyAndPeele'' sketch had Peele as an office worker who was constantly being given bad news by Key's character allegedly from a boss he's never seen. Suspicious, he eventually barged into his office and saw a broom puppet.... which then got up and started yelling at him.
123	* ''Series/Loki2021'': The [[TimePolice Time Variance Authority]] is run by "The Time-Keepers", three mysterious beings who oversee the proper flow of time. While they appear in artwork throughout the TVA's offices and orientation videos, the only person allowed to meet with them in person is Judge Ravonna Renslayer. After being captured Loki and Sylvie are finally granted an audience with the mysterious beings. The Time-Keepers turn out to be [[RoboticReveal elaborate animatronics]] acting as a front for [[spoiler:"He Who Remains", a Variant of [[Characters/KangTheConqueror Kang the Conqueror]]]] who's the [[TheManBehindTheCurtain real creator]] of the TVA.
124	* Up until the very end of Season 5, Jacob in ''Series/{{Lost}}'' appears to give some sort of orders but is never seen. When Locke demands in Season 3 that Ben take him to see Jacob, it turns out that Jacob apparently doesn't exist at all... or does he?
125	* Robin Masters from ''Series/MagnumPI'', with Higgins as his front man. The last episode seemed to clear it up, but then...
126	* In one episode of ''Series/MissionImpossible'', the IMF infiltrate a conspiracy of former Nazi leaders intent on establishing a Fourth Reich, allegedly lead by a bedridden official from Hitler's original Third Reich, whose bed is obscured by a curtain and who always gives orders through his [[TheDragon Dragon]]. [[spoiler:When it turns out the leader is just a dummy and a series of tape recordings, Rollin poses as the official (claiming to be recovering from his illness) in order to drive a wedge between the dragon, who knows the man doesn't exist and that Rollin can only be an impostor, and the rest of the conspiracy, who do not, and believe that the dragon is irrationally attacking their beloved leader.]]
127	* On the Apprentice-spoof ''Series/MyBigFatObnoxiousBoss'', the apparent boss "Mr Todd" would refer the elimination decisions to "the real boss". In the final episode, the real boss is revealed to be [[spoiler:a monkey]].
128	* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'': In one episode, [[spoiler:the errand boy]] is actually the boss, but nobody realises because the real boss was around, but is now [[spoiler:in a coma]]. Another episode centers around a street gang whose leader only communicates with one lieutenant via email, [[spoiler:because the lieutenant murdered him and has been emailing himself to become the gang's de facto leader.]]
129	* Number One in ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'', until the final episode anyway. [[spoiler:[[MindScrew Except not]]. [[GainaxEnding Maybe]].]]
130	* ''Series/RemingtonSteele'': Miss Holt named the eponymous agency because she didn't think she'd be hired if people didn't believe there was a man at the helm, sending her on her assignments. This trope starts out being placed perfectly straight, but then a man actually did show up to take on the role and name.
131	* In the first half or so season of ''Series/{{Soap}}'', the head of the Mafia was like this. (He later appeared, negating his [[BuffySpeak this-trope-ness.]])
132	--> "Nobody sees Mr. Lefkowitz. Not even ''Mrs.'' Lefkowitz."
133	* In ''Series/SquidGame'', the host of the DeadlyGame is unseen for most of the series, and only the Front Man, the overseer of the games, communicates with him directly, even when the [=VIPs=] arrive to watch the games. At the end of the series, it turns out that the host is [[spoiler:Oh Il-nam, the old man who competed in the games as Player #001, and supposedly died during the fourth game.]]
134	* In ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', this trope is the reason that Heaven is so screwed up. Apparently only four angels have ever actually seen God, which doesn't include Joshua, the only angel He seems to really ''talk'' to. As a result, half of the angels don't even believe God exists and some of them have decided that there's no point trying to obey their [[ParentalAbandonment errant father]] and that they might as well do [[TheHedonist whatever they want]]. The few who do believe in their Father and are loyal to Him express it [[WellDoneSonGuy in]] [[TheDutifulSon different]] [[OnlySaneEmployee ways]], and the whole situation eventually degenerates into an outright civil war.
135	* In ''Series/TheWire'', an international crime [[TheSyndicate syndicate]] is headed by a mysterious man known as "The Greek" who nobody outside the organization ever sees, regardless of how important their connection to the syndicate is. Instead, outsiders meet with The Greek's NumberTwo, a man called Spiros, usually at a run down little Greek diner with just a couple of booths and a little bar area. Everyone wonders who The Greek is, and no one ever realizes that he's [[HiddenInPlainSight the little old man with a kindly appearance who sips coffee and reads the newspaper at the bar]], sitting just close enough to listen to Spiros and the people he talks with.
136	[[/folder]]
137
138	[[folder:Religion & Mythology]]
139	%%
140	%%
141	%% We are aware that this trope may or may not be true with every deity in every religion ever. Please only put examples in this folder where it applies in story or adage.
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143	%%
144	* There's a popular adage: "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he doesn't exist." That specific phrasing was popularised by ''Film/TheUsualSuspects'', but [[https://quoteinvestigator.com/2018/03/20/devil/ it's actually]] a [[OlderThanTheyThink much older idea]].
145	[[/folder]]
146
147	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
148	* Another ''Pyramid'' article, [[http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=2177 "A Fistful of Tunes You Can Whistle"]] for ''TabletopGame/DiscworldRoleplayingGame'', is set in a SpaghettiWestern style town run by the barking mad Varozag family. The head of the family is never seen, but "Don Dominguo orders it!" is the standard justification for their odder demands. The article suggests that an actual encounter with the Don could serve as the climax of a scenario -- live or stuffed.
149	* [[http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=4661 "Supporting Cast: The Man,"]] a ''Pyramid Magazine'' article for ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} Voodoo''. "The Man" is a powerful crimeboss who nobody ever sees, but who controls all the gangs in the city. In fact he's a powerful spirit who manifests because people ''[[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve believe]]'' there's a hidden figure controlling crime.
150	* In ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'', no one ever sees the members of the Technocracy's inner council, though you may be promoted to join the inner circle if you prove yourself competent enough. The problem is that the image of unseen leaders is so ingrained in the organization, and since the Technocracy are [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve Mages]] despite their insistence otherwise, anyone who gets promoted in the inner council [[DoomAsTestPrize will cease to exist and become part of the]] HiveMind [[DoomAsTestPrize haunting the council room.]]
151	[[/folder]]
152
153	[[folder:Video Games]]
154	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
155	** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]''
156	*** By the time of the game, the [[PhysicalGod Tribunal]] were forced into this after [[BigBad Dagoth Ur]] cut them off from their [[CosmicKeystone source of power]]. Previously, Vivec and Almalexia walked and worked among their people, offering guidance and performing miracles. Now, they remain almost exclusively in their temples, communicating with only a few high ranking Temple officials and personal guards. The third Tribunal god, Sotha Sil, was reclusive to begin with and has gone so far into seclusion that even Temple officials can admit they don't actually have any contact with him (they don't even know ''where'' he is, as his Clockwork City is hidden).
157	*** While most of the ThievesGuild hideouts are [[OpenSecret Open Secrets]], the actual Guild Master stays well hidden. You'll only find out where he hides out once you've risen to a high rank in the Guild. Justified, since he is a high priority target for the rival [[TheSyndicate Cammona]] [[TheMafia Tong]].
158	** Count Hassildor of Skingrad in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' is famously reclusive, unusually LongLived, rumoured to be a [[BenevolentMageRuler powerful sorcerer]], and [[UniversallyBelovedLeader well-loved by his subjects]] despite his isolation. His affairs are managed by his stewards, who are quick to remind people that he doesn't take visitors. When the player persists in requesting a meeting, it's revealed that the Count is actually [[spoiler:a vampire, but a good guy and a conscientious ruler nonetheless]].
159	* In the ''VideoGame/FallFromHeaven II'' mod for ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} IV'', Sabathiel is never seen except by a few high priests. [[spoiler:He actually left and the priests are ruling in his name]]
160	* President Eden, leader of the Enclave in ''VideoGame/Fallout3'', is unseen, with [[TheDragon Dragon]] Colonel Autumn, being the only one who knows his true identity. He seems to spend his time broadcasting messages about the glory of pre-nuclear holocaust America that they will restore on the Enclave's radio station. [[spoiler:Eden is later revealed to be an ArtificialIntelligence on a mainframe computer which runs for Raven Rock, who took over the Enclave after the previous leader was killed.]]
161	* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': Mr House runs New Vegas with a force of Securitron robots and the three tribes brought in to run the casinos, following his edicts from the sealed tower of the Lucky 38 casino. Even when the Courier becomes the first person to enter the Lucky 38 in memory, House communicates with them through a computer console. This leads to some of House's disgruntled underlings to refer to him as "Mr. Not-At-Home." [[spoiler:If the player decides to break in to his chamber and kill him, the Courier discovers a withered husk of a man who has been in suspended animation for 200 years.]]
162	* In ''VideoGame/{{Grandia II}}'', [[spoiler:The God of Light, Granas, has been dead for centuries and the pope of the church that supposedly worships him is actually devoted to Valmar, ''the God of Darkness''.]]
163	* ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' has a rare heroic example in Master Radiant, head of the Black Leopard School. None of the students see him personally, save for the most senior student and his assistant, First Brother. This is because [[spoiler:Master Smiling Hawk drained Master Radiant's energy, killing Radiant and resulting in him becoming a ghost.]] Depending on how you complete the quest, Radiant will either [[spoiler:die at your hands or leave First Brother in charge of the school.]]
164	* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
165	** The Illusive Man is a version of this. He's a ControlFreak who likes to keep tabs on his operatives, but face-to-face interaction with anyone outside them is apparently quite rare. Shepard is a unique case, which early in ''Mass Effect 2'' Miranda is a little sore about.
166	** The Shadow Broker has never been seen by anyone--not even his closest operatives. [[spoiler:Turns out that the Broker is a LegacyCharacter, the current iteration being a yahg, a primitive species that are pretty much good at ''anything'' they care to try. He's later killed by Shepard and Liara, and to cement how good he was at his job, [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt Liara takes his place without anyone knowing there was a change.]] In fact, this is exactly how the yahg took control from the previous Broker.]]
167	* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda:'' [[spoiler:The mysterious benefactor behind the Initiative only acts via intermediaries, and in a flashback we do get to ''hear'' them speaking to Alec Ryder through a screen, which shifts from species to species every few seconds.]]
168	* "The Colonel" in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty''. Specifically, at one point you're directly asked if you've ever met him in person or know any name for him besides "The Colonel". Raiden can't give a good answer, and it's because [[spoiler:The Colonel is essentially an AI construct who was never a real person]].
169	* None of the Elder Powers from ''VideoGame/NexusClash'' have been seen or heard from in person since the final chapter of the first game. The [[ChurchMilitant Guilds]] dedicated to them that players can join aren't even run by the Powers directly, but by intermediaries. Some of those intermediaries hold to pretty [[WordOfDante narrow]] interpretations of their patron Power's goals, and there's a lot of disagreement both among player characters and backstory characters as to what each Power actually wants.
170	* In ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaWarriorWithin'', the Empress Of Time fits this trope, since [[spoiler:her real identity is Kaileena, and her own underlings actually attempt to kill her at some points of the story.]]
171	* In ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'''s [[MultiMookMelee Salmon Run]] mode, [[MysteriousEmployer Mr. Grizz]] is portrayed as just a bear statue with an antenna on it, and the player never gets to see who is ''really'' speaking through said statue. [[spoiler:''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' reveals that this is because [[ApocalypseHow he has bigger fish to fry]]...]]
172	* The Shadowy Figure of ''VideoGame/Stinkoman20X6'' is always shown as a silhouette, even during Level 10 when he becomes a recurring enemy. He finally subverts this in his boss fight, where he reveals himself as [[spoiler:Z Sabre, the 20X6 version of Coach Z]].
173	[[/folder]]
174
175	[[folder:Webcomics]]
176	* Talzo's boss in ''Webcomic/KirbyAdventure'' stays hidden in the shadows for most of the comic and makes very few appearances, with our heroes not even becoming aware of his existence until much later on. He is eventually revealed to be [[spoiler:Miracle Matter.]]
177	* In ''Webcomic/{{Vexxarr}}'', Vexxarr is arrested by some kind of AIs who unquestioningly obey the "Master", who they never disturb in case he might be in deep meditation. When Vexxarr finally talks his way into a private audience, it turns out that the Master is a skeleton sixty years dead, having died when the ship's life support was ruined in a long-ago battle.
178	* Australian parody site ''Sev Trek'' had a cartoon of Blofeld's minions asking why they never see his face. The winning punchline is: "It's not a pleasant sight. I'm [[RightHandCat allergic to cats]]."
179	[[/folder]]
180
181	[[folder:Western Animation]]
182	* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': Although he's supposedly "all-powerful", Prismo answers to an unseen and unnamed superior who is heavily implied to be the TopGod of the setting. We never see or hear this boss, at best they communicate to subordinates via a golden handset that has one angel wing and one devil wing that descends from some unknown location (seen in ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTimeFionnaAndCake'').
183	* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' has a variant, with a twist: The Dai Li do this with the Earth King, in order to enforce their chief Long Feng's monopoly on his ear and control of his authority. The Gaang eventually had to fight their way into his throne room, and then found out that he didn't even ''know'' of the ForeverWar with the Fire Nation.
184	* The monsters of ''WesternAnimation/BigMouth'' and ''WesternAnimation/HumanResources'' get their assignments from a tube and seem to know nothing about the person in charge, in the season 5 finale Nick after reaching a RageBreakingPoint insists on seeing him to complain about the monsters he's gotten so far and after pushing his way into his office, finds out it a fully live-action Creator/NickKroll the creator of the show.
185	* ''WesternAnimation/CoolMcCool'': Always obscured by his huge chair, the only part of Cool's boss Number One ever shown are his arms, hands and a cigar.
186	* ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'' tries to talk to the U.S. President in "The Statue Of Liberty Caper," but the Commander-In-Chief is surrounded by Secret Service agents.
187	-->'''Danger Mouse:''' Uh...nice to have almost met you!
188	* From ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'', Doctor Claw.
189	* The head honchos of ''[[Creator/{{Terrytoons}} James Hound]]'' is heard but never seen.
190	* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' two-part episode "The Great Phatsby". Homer and Mr. Burns gate-crash a party at a mansion and desperately want to know who's it is. After getting answers like "No one's ever seen him" and "There are rumors' he doesn't exist" from a bunch of people one person just calmly points them to his office.
191	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', no one but [[TheDragon Hammerhead]] ever gets to meet the Big Man, New York's [[BigBad premier gang lord]]. His organization either take their orders from [[MouthOfSauron Hammerhead]] or more rarely get to talk to the Big Man over speakerphone (overseen by Hammerhead). This is because the Big Man is [[VillainWithGoodPublicity a well-known and respected philanthropist]] who can't risk ''anyone'' being able to connect him to the underworld. Subverted in Season 2, when the Big Man starts losing faith in Hammerhead's competence and begins meeting with his henchmen in person, causing Hammerhead to turn [[TheStarscream Starscream]] against him.
192	[[/folder]]
193

Context Main / NoOneSeesTheBoss