| 1 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1452266899092104700 |
| 2 | %% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 3 | %% |
| 4 | [[quoteright:183:[[Webcomic/{{XKCD}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/xkcd_555_edit.png]]]] |
| 5 | |
| 6 | ->''"...and he shall appear."'' |
| 7 | -->-- '''Traditional proverb, origin unknown''' |
| 8 | |
| 9 | You know how when you're in a crowd, you can tell whenever someone says your name? Some people (usually villains) can do that anywhere. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | OlderThanFeudalism, the core trope is that [[BeCarefulWhatYouSay saying the name of the person]] summons them. Rarely are they [[InconvenientSummons summoned surprised and vulnerable]]; be assured that saying the name of this guy is a bad thing. Though probably just for you; they'll usually disappear afterward.[[note]]The question of [[FridgeLogic why everyone in the world often knows this name, despite the taboo against it]], is rarely addressed.[[/note]] |
| 12 | |
| 13 | This makes talking about the villain problematic, as they have to be referred to as "The Enemy" or [[TheScottishTrope "He Who Must Not Be Named" or "You Know Who"]], or just by a nickname, as with {{Satan}}, who may be called "Old Nick" or "Mister Scratch" (or LouisCypher). Sometimes these nicknames are conspicuously positive, just in case they're listening anyway, as with TheFairFolk, because you do ''not'' want to face down a pissed-off faerie. If referring to them by any name summons them, then you're screwed. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | If attempting to talk to someone not in the know, this can easily lead to PoorCommunicationKills. There also remains the possibility of someone slipping up (especially when surprised or caught off-guard), or someone not in the know saying it. If you have another enemy you want to deal with, perhaps you can trick them into saying the name. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | Another variation is that the villain's name must be said multiple times to summon them. In these cases, saying the name once is safe, so you probably don't need to worry about summoning them accidentally, or being tricked into doing so (unless you have no idea what's going on and just come across a piece of paper saying "[[SchmuckBait Say Hastur 3 times]].") ([[ExactWords Okay. "Hastur three times."]]) Instead, the villain is essentially SealedEvilInACan, and they'll be summoned either by someone who has no idea what's going on, or by someone who got their [[DeathByGenreSavviness tropes mixed up]] and thinks they'll be able to control the villain this way (perhaps through IKnowYourTrueName), or [[DealWithTheDevil bargain with them]]. [[EvilIsNotAToy Expect this guy to die horribly.]] Also expect this villain not to disappear. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | Note that the phrase "Speak of the devil and he shall appear" is often used for a more mundane situation: people are talking about some guy, and that guy suddenly shows up, usually having heard the things said about them. That trope is AndHereHeComesNow. Compare and contrast TemptingFate, which refers to more general invited misfortune and can just as easily be a ContrivedCoincidence in-universe. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | If saying the villain's name doesn't necessarily summon them, but may simply cause something bad, that's TheScottishTrope. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | If knowing someone's true name instead gives ''you'' power over ''them'', that's IKnowYourTrueName. If summoning them is a good thing, see CallOnMe. See also InadvertentEntranceCue. When this is done for humor rather than being a supernatural ability, it's RightBehindMe. Related to the SneezeCut. When this is invoked for a murder, a TroubleMagnetGambit is very likely the method used. Works using this trope will often discuss ThePowerOfLanguage. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | !!Example subpages |
| 26 | [[index]] |
| 27 | * SpeakOfTheDevil/{{Literature}} |
| 28 | [[/index]] |
| 29 | |
| 30 | !!Other examples: |
| 31 | [[noreallife]] |
| 32 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 33 | |
| 34 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 35 | * The Rail Tracer in ''Literature/{{Baccano}}'' is something of a [[spoiler:''triple'']] subversion. At first, it's pretty obvious that it's a relatively harmless {{Urban Legend|s}} delivered by two {{Cloudcuckoolander}}s and a chirpy train conductor that had the misfortune of coinciding with a train hijack. Then episode 6 rolls along and shows the aforementioned hijackers getting picked off by this... ''thing'', proving that it just might be RealAfterAll. And then comes the WhamEpisode (let's just say that [[spoiler:it's a ''really'' bad idea to give the aforementioned chirpy train conductor/part-time PsychoForHire a reason for a RoaringRampageOfRevenge]])... |
| 36 | * In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', the series main villain, Muzan Kibutsuji, is the progenitor of all demons in the series, he rules his creations with absolute terror to such an effect that he actually curses them with a spell that renders any demon utterly incapable of ever uttering his name, or trying to merely hint at his location; being absolutely terrified of Muzan prevents a regular demon from even trying to challenge this curse, but one demon is tricked via demonic spell to do so, and accordingly the demon is immediately killed on the spot by Muzan's will. Muzan's strongest and loyal demons never call him by name, always referring him as "that person", "sir" or "my lord"; [[spoiler:being able to voice disgust at Muzan is the first thing that Tamayo did once his spell on her was broken, after the legendary fight against Yoriichi]]. However, there’s one specific exception where [[spoiler:Muzan allows for demons, at least those part of the Upper Ranks in the Twelve Kizuki, to say his name: when being in the same room as him, without a single human in sight, while showing utmost reverence; Akaza, Daki and Kokushibo had one stance each where they could call Muzan by name]]. |
| 37 | * A downplayed version serves as a RunningGag on ''VideoGame/DinosaurKing'': Ursula always knows when someone calls her an "old lady" no matter where they are in the world and immediately, and loudly, takes exception. She won't know ''where'' you are, much less be teleported there, but she will be pretty P.O.'ed when she meets up with you. This was once used to determine if the [[TerribleTrio Alpha Gang]] was in the area. |
| 38 | * ''Anime/GodzillaThePlanetEater'': The Exif believe that their god [[spoiler:Characters/{{G|odzillaTheGhidorahs}}hidorah]] is invoked whenever his name is spoken, and as such they rarely ever speak it except in a whisper. Chanting [[spoiler:Ghidorah]]'s name is part of the ritual to summon him to Earth. |
| 39 | [[/folder]] |
| 40 | |
| 41 | [[folder:Asian Animation]] |
| 42 | * In ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'', one of Jonie's characteristics is that whenever she mentions some kind of mishap happening, [[TemptingFate it usually happens right after she mentions it]]. In a few cases, this mishap has been the series' main villain Wolffy appearing after she mentions him. |
| 43 | [[/folder]] |
| 44 | |
| 45 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 46 | * ''ComicBook/EdgeOfSpiderVerse2023:'' Norma the Fairy Gob-Mother reveals simply saying "I wish" is enough to summon her, even through magical wards that would otherwise stop her from getting somewhere. |
| 47 | %%* AxCrazy Superman {{Expy}} [[ComicBook/{{Irredeemable}} The Plutonian]] achieves this with a combination of superhuman [[SuperSenses hearing]] and [[SuperSpeed speed]]. %%Missing context: What the Plutionian achieves. |
| 48 | %%-->'''Plutonian:''' They can't call me a "monster" in earshot [[IResembleThatRemark and not expect retribution.]] |
| 49 | %%* This is one of the reasons the demons and devils of the Franchise/{{Marvel|Universe}} verse will not sit on Satan's throne. They all covet it but they fear the wrath of their peers and worse, the possibility that stealing Satan's chair might convince him to return. %%Missing context: The reason. |
| 50 | * ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'': The Disir is an undead army that has menaced Thor. When an Asgardian named Hakon, thinking them to be a myth, mentions their name he is ''instantly'' torn to pieces by invisible blades. |
| 51 | * In Brazilian comic ''ComicBook/MonicasGang'', [[GrimReaper Lady]] [[DontFearTheReaper McDeath]] appears whenever someone says "death" or something related to the verb "die"; and whenever something absurd occurs and someone asks "who would be nutty enough..." Nutty Ned appears. |
| 52 | * ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'': |
| 53 | ** Characters refer to the Furies as "The Kindly Ones", as the ancient Greeks did; in this case, it's also to avoid attracting their attention. |
| 54 | ** There is one instance of summoning the title character by saying his preferred name (Morpheus). The character Rose Walker is given a piece of paper by her protector, Gilbert, and told that she must read the word aloud if she finds herself in grave danger. She reads it when another character attempts to rape and murder her, causing Dream to appear in the room and come to her rescue. It's not made clear why this works, however; it may be [[spoiler:because Gilbert is actually a resident of Dream's kingdom, who has wandered off to do his own thing in the waking world, and is using his own connection to Dream on her behalf. It is equally possible that it worked because Rose herself is the granddaughter of Dream's younger sibling Desire, and thus a blood relative of the Endless, although it's not clear how Gilbert would know that (it isn't revealed until later in the series).]] |
| 55 | ** Glob warns Brute not to say the name "Morpheus" because that could give him immediate entry to their sanctuary. Otherwise, Morpheus needs to take the long way around. Again, we have dream creatures involved, so it is hard to say what would happen if a mortal said it under normal circumstances. |
| 56 | ** In the story "Ramadan", the Kalif of Bagdhad gets Dream's attention by addressing him by name and then threatening to release a horde of demons if he doesn't show. It seems that he knows where anyone is talking about him but doesn't have to take an interest, which suggests that Gilbert, [[spoiler:as one of the Major Arcana, the greatest dreams,]] knew a name for Dream most mortals don't and that made him take an interest. |
| 57 | ** In the spinoff series ''Lucifer'', the eponymous protagonist threatens the queen of the Japanese afterlife [[spoiler:who has been using the souls of living dreamers to punish the ignoble dead, which is apparently seen as "poaching" with Dream as the gamekeeper]] with calling on the Dream King by merely saying his name. Since we know Lucifer doesn't lie but [[spoiler:Morpheus died, and Daniel is now King of the Dreaming]], we know that it's probably true, but not how it works, since Dream claims to no longer be [[spoiler:Daniel Hall]]. |
| 58 | * ''ComicBook/ScoobyDooTeamUp'': In "[[Recap/ScoobyDooTeamUpTruthJusticeAndScoobySnacks Truth, Justice, and Scooby Snacks]]", the story starts with Perry White apparently summoning Caesar's ghost due to his habit of yelling, "Great Caesar's Ghost!" ([[MythologyGag itself a reference to an old Superman storyline]]). |
| 59 | * In an issue of ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'', it is revealed that perennial ComicBook/XMen villain Spiral is aware (or alerted) whenever anyone anywhere mentions her. She uses this to track Wolverine and Mystique, the latter of whom could not spit out the warning in time. Wolverine actually is dismissive of this at first, pointing out that it's a common word, spoken hundreds, if not thousands, of times per day, so how would Spiral know? Cue her showing up, telling him it's all about context and tone of voice to indicate to her whether someone is referring to her or not. |
| 60 | %%* In ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'', Kang the Conqueror references this trope, and sort of uses it. %%Missing context: The trope Kang uses. |
| 61 | * In ''ComicBook/{{Zot}}'' the [[PsychoForHire assassin-for-hire]] 9-Jack-9 can be summoned by typing his name (actually spelled [=J9AC9K=]) into any computer terminal. Every single reader has tried it at least once... or considered it and then [[NightmareFuel chickened out]]. |
| 62 | [[/folder]] |
| 63 | |
| 64 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 65 | * In ''FanFic/ChildrenOfAnElderGod'', a fanfic that replaces the Angels of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' with Lovecraftian horrors, the [=EVAs=], and Children, acquire the properties of the Elder Gods they kill. Misato uses this to escape kidnappers by repeating Rei's name over and over; as Rei helped kill the Elder God, this allows Rei to possess one of the kidnappers. |
| 66 | * ''Fanfic/ADiplomaticVisit'': |
| 67 | ** In chapter 13, Spike wonders if Discord is responsible for Twilight's old potions turning into the creature living in the refrigerator, behind the mayonnaise, next to the ketchup, and to the left of the coleslaw. A letter from him, not necessarily denying it, promptly pops into Spike's claws. |
| 68 | ** In chapter 25, when Discord is being discussed, he again sends a letter to the group, this time one that reads itself aloud to them. The wolves are a little freaked out by this, especially given he bypassed their alarms in doing so. |
| 69 | ** In chapter 3 of the second sequel, ''Diplomacy Through Schooling'', characters in both Ponyville and Canterlot are wary of mentioning Discord or the word "draconequus", lest he suddenly show up. In the Ponyville case, he does make a voice-only appearance but does not show up when Celestia and Velvet mention him in Canterlot. |
| 70 | ** In chapter 4, they don't even have to say his or his species' ''name'' to get a reaction from him, a letter in which he politely declines Twilight's invite to be Head of Security for her school. |
| 71 | * In ''FanFic/EgyptOnAnurKhufos'', Pharaoh Rehk'Set suddenly appears after his name is spoken by one of his underlings. |
| 72 | -->'''Rehk'Set:''' Whosoever mentions my name is either in need of my presence, or is my enemy. |
| 73 | * In ''Fanfic/TheGoodHunter'', Hansel and Gretel want to seek out [[TheDreaded the Hunter]], but they eventually find themselves surrounded by a noble's son and his thugs. The noble's son mocks them for foolishly believing that someone so important like the Hunter would speak to the two {{street urchin}}s. The Hunter, hearing this and wondering what the hell this idiot child is talking about, steps in. |
| 74 | -->'''The Hunter:''' ''*raises voice*'' Who is speaking for me? Who dares speak for a Hunter? Who assumes that my blade is his to command? |
| 75 | * ''Fanfic/KwamiMagiHomuraMagica'' plays this for both comedy and a bit of drama. As [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Marinette]] is freaking out, Alya tries to reassure her that it is not the end of world because [[TimePolice Bunnyx]] has not shown up. Just as Alya gets Marinette to calm down however, Bunnyx ''does'' in fact show up, though she confirms that the above logic is sound in most situations where Marinette freaks out, but right now it is actually 'that' bad. |
| 76 | * The WWE story ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1568557/1/The-Legend-Of-Bloody-Molly The Legend Of Bloody Molly]]'' has Wrestling/TrishStratus and Wrestling/{{Lita}} forcing Wrestling/MollyHolly to do the Bloody Mary ritual and kill her. Molly then becomes "Bloody Molly", appearing when they try to make Wrestling/GailKim do the same thing. |
| 77 | * In Chapter 24 of ''Fanfic/LuzBelosPrincessOfTheBoilingIsles'', Boscha reacts to Luz's cry of boredom that someone isn't just gonna walk through the door with a magical adventure for them... only for a metal worker named Burner to walk in and ask for their help in a project that will change everyone's lives. |
| 78 | %%* In the Pokemon fanfic ''FanFic/NaturalLiberated'', the characters can't say N's name in any form save pronouns because they do not want to invoke this trope. %%Missing context: The trope they don't want to invoke. |
| 79 | * At the end of FanFic/OldManHenderson's ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu'' game, he calls Hastur into a hockey stadium [[StuffBlowingUp rigged with enough explosives to make Michael Bay blush]], thereby [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu permanently killing him.]] |
| 80 | %%* In Chapter 25 of ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11689576/1/Raptor Raptor]]'', a crossover between ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' and ''Franchise/JurassicPark'', this is done to the name Voldemort, but downplayed because only [[{{Mooks}} Death Eaters]] show up. This is still exploited by Harry and Owen, who managed to [[spoiler: get rid of at least 50 Death Eaters]] by playing "Bloody Mary: Magical Moron Edition". %%Missing context: The thing they do to Voldemort's name. |
| 81 | [[/folder]] |
| 82 | |
| 83 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 84 | * ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'': Betelgeuse is summoned by saying his name three times. He's also sent back whence he came by saying his name three times. |
| 85 | * The ''Film/{{Candyman}}'' horror films: A tortured murderous spirit is summoned by saying "Candyman" five times in front of a mirror. This hearkens back to the urban legend of [[http://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/bloodymary.asp Bloody Mary]]. |
| 86 | * ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'': Daggett ends up the victim of this in his own penthouse as he rants to Stryver about Bane. |
| 87 | -->'''Daggett:''' Ah, clearly you don't know much of anything, do you?! Where is Bane? |
| 88 | -->'''Stryver:''' Well, we told him it was urgent. |
| 89 | -->'''Daggett:''' Oh, where is the masked…? |
| 90 | -->''[suddenly Bane appears behind them]'' |
| 91 | -->'''Bane:''' Speak of the devil...and he shall appear! |
| 92 | * In ''Film/FreddyVsJason'', the adults of Springwood have systematically suppressed all knowledge of Freddy to deny him the power he gains from his potential victims' fear, so he ''can't'' return. The sheriff states outright that they don't say his name; however, this defense mechanism breaks down when Jason's rampage is misinterpreted and stories of Freddy resume circulating. |
| 93 | * At the climax of ''Film/TheHauntedMansion2003'', when the unrepentant villain's crime which caused the mansion's curse is exposed to everyone, he goes on a MotiveRant and finishes by shouting "Damn you all to Hell!" [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Somebody must have heard him]], because a portal to Hell immediately opens up in the floor nearby and [[DraggedOffToHell a demonic beast emerges to take him away]]. |
| 94 | [[/folder]] |
| 95 | |
| 96 | [[folder:History]] |
| 97 | * The Warlord Cao Cao serves as the equivalent of the saying, "Speak of Cao Cao and he appears", owing to his villainous portrayal throughout Chinese history and, while he was alive, well known for his faster-than-average deployment speed. |
| 98 | [[/folder]] |
| 99 | |
| 100 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 101 | * In a BrickJoke from ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'', the word ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'' is said three times in the show, and on the third utterance, he walks through the background. |
| 102 | * On ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'', calling Dr. Bombay requires a simple rhyme: "Calling Dr. Bombay, emergency, come right away." He is sure to come (maybe not right that minute, but eventually), but is usually grouchy, having been called away from something else he was doing. |
| 103 | * In one episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', Leonard and Howard are at Raj's place to have dinner with him and his sister Priya. Sheldon is notably absent, as he prefers not to go to Raj's and has instead arranged a party of his own. The others find themselves missing him, much to their surprise, and tell Priya a few Sheldon stories. Suddenly, they're interrupted by Sheldon knocking on the door. |
| 104 | -->'''Howard:''' ...[[LampshadeHanging it's like]] ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'', [[LampshadeHanging we said his name too many times]]. |
| 105 | * ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Seen with Glory, the BigBad of Season 5. In her introductory episode, Giles warns Buffy that anything that goes unnamed is either an object of deep worship or great fear. Or both. Glory turns out to be a physical God who's literally worshiped by her minions and is the most powerful foe Buffy has faced at the time. |
| 106 | %%** The SpeakOfTheDevil trope is also used [[TemptingFate tongue-in-cheek]] in a scene where they encounter Ben, unaware that the BigBad is actually SharingABody with him. %%Missing context. |
| 107 | %%-->'''Tara:''' Let's just call She Who Cannot Be Named another name. Let's call her--\ |
| 108 | %%'''Buffy:''' ''[seeing a familiar face]'' Ben! |
| 109 | %%* ''Series/{{Community}}'' also used ''Beetlejuice'' for a [[http://youtu.be/19FMU3M7Jtk stealth gag]] that [[BrickJoke ran over the course of three years.]] Watch behind Annie at the end of the clip. %%Weblinks are not examples. |
| 110 | * In "[[Recap/FriendsS1E1ThePilot The Pilot]]" of ''Series/{{Friends}}'', when a woman in a wedding dress walks into the coffee shop right when Ross says "I just want to be married", Chandler adds "And I just want a million dollars!" |
| 111 | %%* ''Series/GoodEats''; not a villain but a RunningGag: %%Missing context: What the running gag involves. |
| 112 | %%-->'''Alton:''' All right, which one of you at home said "Nutritional Anthropologist"?\ |
| 113 | %%'''Deb Duchon, Nutritional Anthropologist:''' That guy, there... naugahyde chair, green pants.\ |
| 114 | %%'''Alton:''' Yeah, well, (through megaphone) thanks a lot, Mr. Talks-to-his-television! |
| 115 | * Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse: |
| 116 | ** ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}'': |
| 117 | *** Wilson Fisk insists that his fellow criminals not mention him by name as he is obsessed with his own secrecy. Vladimir sneers that the only reason he does this is that if they do use his name it would take away some of the mystique and intrigue about who he is. |
| 118 | *** In Season 3, Ray Nadeem is blackmailed into working for Fisk, and discovers to his shock that all his fellow FBI agents had been blackmailed by Fisk earlier on. When he tries to discuss the situation with them, he's told by Dex to shut up as they do not use their new boss's name, only referring to him by [[MythologyGag his]] [[CodeName code name]]: "[[ComicBook/TheKingpin Kingpin]]". |
| 119 | ** ''Series/{{Jessica Jones|2015}}'': |
| 120 | *** Kilgrave has commanded Hope Schlottman into shooting her parents in an elevator in Jessica's building. Trish tries to use her radio show to raise sympathy for Hope, but when Jeri is doubtful, Trish, who knows very well Kilgrave is real as well as what he did to Hope and Jessica, starts a tirade which devolves into bashing Kilgrave. Jessica immediately enters the booth to cut Trish's mike, realizing Kilgrave is likely listening in. Sure enough, Kilgrave himself calls in to the show a few moments later. |
| 121 | ---->'''Kilgrave:''' First time caller, long time listener. Trish, I want to applaud your courage. You've always been a hero to the downtrodden. Self-preservation be damned. It's admirable. [[ShameIfSomethingHappened But my question is, if there really is a man with the abilities you've described, someone who could make anyone, anywhere, do whatever he wanted them to do, seems to me that insulting him would be wildly dangerous. Or, let's just say it, stupid in the extreme. Everyone has feelings, even, um, how did you put it? Sadistic, corrosive men?]] [[ImpliedDeathThreat Are you worried he might, I don't know, make you kill yourself? Or worse?]] I'll take my answer off the air. |
| 122 | *** In the first episode of season 2, Trish is trying to get her boss at the radio station to be more supportive of her efforts to expose IGH through ''Trish Talk''. She gets annoyed at his hesitancy to use IGH's name, saying "You can say 'IGH', Ian, they're not Voldemort." |
| 123 | * ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'': The immortal sketch "[[InadvertentEntranceCue I didn't expect some kind of Spanish Inquisition!]]" "''NOBODY'' expects the Spanish Inquisition!" Which turns into a new joke in the final scene of the episode, where the Inquisition somehow knows that someone said the words, but they're across town, so they have to rush to catch a bus to get to the person in question and say their lines before the episode ends. |
| 124 | * In ''Series/{{Nikita}}'', [[TechnoWizard Birkhoff]] gets an alert whenever anybody online runs a search on his name. |
| 125 | * In Season 4 of ''Series/PersonOfInterest'', Harold Finch doesn't want to say the name Samaritan, for fear the all-seeing ArtificialIntelligence will pick up the word on some microphone and zero in on their position. Finch is being ProperlyParanoid as Samaritan was [[BigBrotherIsWatchingYou specifically designed to do this]]. |
| 126 | * ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': "Say my name and I appear. Why have you summoned Quagmire here?" Quagmire is an ''enemy'' of the villain. |
| 127 | * In ''Series/RaisingHope'', the Dog-Head Man knows when people are talking about him. At least, according to Jimmy. |
| 128 | * In ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' mentioning "Johnny the tackling Alzheimer's patient" will result in JD being tackled by Johnny at least once in that episode. |
| 129 | -->'''Johnny:''' Who am I?! ''[tackle]'' |
| 130 | * ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': |
| 131 | ** In an early episode, the boys fight Bloody Mary. [[spoiler: The boys finish her off by getting her to look into a mirror and letting her own reflection turn her powers on her and destroy her]]. |
| 132 | ** Angels can hear people praying to them, but they don't always listen. In Season 6, Sam and Dean have both tried praying to Castiel with no luck. Sam begins to rant about how their friend is ignoring him before he recognizes a look in Dean's eyes and realizes "He's right behind me, isn't he?" |
| 133 | * The ''Series/TalesFromTheDarkside'' episode "Seasons of Belief" has a couple on Christmas Eve telling their kids the story of a monster who's so full of himself, if he hears anyone say his name, his ears will transform into wings and he'll hunt them down and squeeze the life from them, (often while singing a song about himself). Supposedly, the only way to get rid of him is to finish telling the story about him. [[spoiler:The parents stop to assure their kids that it's just a story and that there's nothing to be afraid of. The monster takes this moment to reach inside the house and crush the skulls of the parents, (though curiously leaves the children alone, despite them all having said his name). In the short story the episode was based on, the monster was implied to have killed everyone.]] |
| 134 | * In Brazilian sitcom ''Toma Lá, Dá Cá'', whenever the apartment manager's name is mentioned, she knocks at the door and comes in. At a certain point of the show, the savvy characters would try to stop whenever someone started saying her name. |
| 135 | * ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'' Played for laughs in a RunningGag. Wherever Charlie may be, he knows his stalker Rose, is always within earshot. So he just has to say her name and she'll say "Yeah?" usually from an unseen location. |
| 136 | * ''Series/WandaVision'': By the fifth episode, Vision is starting to become more and more aware of the inner workings of the false reality inside the Hex. One is catching onto Agatha's DropInCharacter act right after Billy and Tommy take in a stray dog. |
| 137 | -->'''Wanda:''' ''[noticing Vision walking around the house in his human disguise]'' Why so formal, honey? |
| 138 | -->'''Vision:''' Oh, it's just a precaution, really. [[LeaningOntheFourthWall I had a hunch someone might pop over...]] |
| 139 | -->''[Cue "Agnes" turning up with a doghouse]'' |
| 140 | -->'''Agnes:''' Hi kiddos! |
| 141 | -->'''Vision:''' [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall ...with exactly the item we require.]] |
| 142 | * In the ''Series/Warehouse13'' episode "13.1", Claudia and Fargo hide from attacking robots in an artifact crate, and the artifact starts to activate. Fargo starts to ask if the artifact is what he thinks it is. Claudia stops him, as things will get ugly if he says its name. |
| 143 | * Neil on ''Series/TheYoungOnes'' once summoned the demon Futumsch to Neil's shared flat by saying his name, which was due to him wondering what Mike was talking about. Not that any of the guys ever noticed Futumsch was there, mind. (Futumsch complains about his name being an obstacle to being summoned.) |
| 144 | [[/folder]] |
| 145 | |
| 146 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 147 | * In the song "Black Fox" whose artist varies, some bored foxhunters mention that if the devil himself showed up, they'd "run him such a race." Out of nowhere appears a black fox with red eyes, which the exited hunters chase all over the countryside. Eventually, the fox swims a river, and upon reaching the other side, reveals itself to be Satan, who more or less exclaims "Surprise, ***!" The terrified hunters flee back to town. |
| 148 | * For some odd reason, in Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool", whenever The Game is mentioned, someone dies (unintentional. Maybe.). You don't even hear him say it in his own song due to this reason: |
| 149 | -->''If you die, tell 'em that you played my game\ |
| 150 | I hope your bullet holes become mouths that say my name,\ |
| 151 | cuz I'm the''--*GUNSHOT* |
| 152 | [[/folder]] |
| 153 | |
| 154 | [[folder:Myths & Religion]] |
| 155 | %%* {{Satan}} is the TropeNamer. %%Missing context: How. |
| 156 | * Depending on how strict their adherence to the 3rd Commandment (reformed enumeration) is, some people refrain from saying God's name, though that's less out of fear of summoning Him (seeing as He's already omnipresent) and more because to do otherwise is seen as blasphemous. |
| 157 | * Various old folklore: |
| 158 | ** Not only the Devil, but [[Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms Cao Cao]] in Chinese folklore, wolves in France, and various predators in various places. An especially interesting case is {{bears|AreBadNews}}. "Bear" is itself a euphemism for the creature, a word (meaning "the brown one") used instead of their name to avoid drawing their attention. The substitution happened so long ago that we have little idea what the real name was. Based on reconstructed Indo-European, the old Germanic word for bear would be "''urþaz''" (or something similar, from Proto-Indo-European ''hrtkós''); given that the current word in English has cognates in the other Germanic languages (for instance, the German "Bär"), the change probably occurred at the proto-Germanic stage, and the ancestors of the original English speakers stopped using the old word. |
| 159 | ** The Latin expression "lupus in fabula" literally means "the wolf in the conversation" and is the exact equivalent of the English "speak of the devil". You should be careful when talking of the wolf, as it might appear. |
| 160 | ** The Slavic term for a bear is ''medved'', meaning "one who eats honey." Which itself has been known to get substituted with euphemisms like "furry one". It's in fact a ''double-decker'' euphemism, since the Slavs also were originally using the word very similar to "bear" (that survives as a stem in the Russian word ''berloga'' "bear's lair"), making further euphemisms like "furry one" or "mishka" (Russian for "Mikey", as in, little Michael) ''three-storied'' euphemisms. Finnish has roughly fifty different terms for a bear, the euphemisms ranging from "dew palm" to "the apple of the forest". |
| 161 | *** [[https://xkcd.com/2381/ The original English word for bears was too abandoned in favor of the present one.]] |
| 162 | ** In Central America, Mayans will never refer to the [[PantheraAwesome jaguar]] by its name ("balam") for fear of invoking its presence. They refer to it as "chac mool", which means "red paw" |
| 163 | ** This was so prevalent when it came to wolves in Sweden that the most common euphemism ("varg", meaning killer or strangler) became the ''proper'' name -- starting the process ''again'' (the only thing that saved "varg" was that wolves ''became extinct in Sweden''[[note]]the modern Swedish wolf population is descended from wolves that wandered in from neighbouring countries, possibly supplemented by a few wolves that survived in the very fringes of Sweden[[/note]], making the fear fall out of favour before a single euphemism became the new dominant one). The actual ''phrase'' 'Speak of the devil' has a counterpart that uses trolls ("When you speak about the trolls, they'll stand in the porch"). |
| 164 | * The fairy Puck will appear if you say his name, in folklore and in Creator/WilliamShakespeare's works. Unlike in the Bard's play, encountering jolly old Robin Goodfellow in the older folklore tended to get you far worse fates than growing some donkey ears. |
| 165 | * One old wives' tale is that of Bloody Mary, who supposedly appears and very violently murders anyone who says her name three times while looking in a mirror. Or seven times, and maybe you have to do it by candlelight, or maybe you have to taunt her that you killed her baby. Myths are like that. |
| 166 | * [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek Mythology]]: |
| 167 | ** The Greeks believed saying [[EverybodyHatesHades Hades]]' name will draw his attention, so they called him by all sorts of nicknames and titles, like "The Wealthy One" or "The Host of Many." His wife, Persephone, was equally feared for being his queen, and was called things like "The Dread Queen." |
| 168 | ** The Erinyes (or "Furies"), goddesses of vengeance and punishment, were usually referred to as "Eumenides", or "Kindly Ones", due to the belief that speaking their true name would attract their attention. [[ImplacableMan Given how they were feared for hounding wrongdoers to the ends of the earth for the rest of their lives]] and were even older than the Olympians, the taboo is understandable. |
| 169 | * In [[Myth/CelticMythology Celtic folklore]], the Sluagh are a horde of soul-devouring ghosts in the form of crows, who can be summoned by saying their name or falling into a state of depression. They may have been the inspiration for ''Literature/TheRaven''. |
| 170 | * In Guatuso mythology, it is believed that saying the Devils' names outside of narrations and sorcery formulas summons them, and saying [[IKnowYourTrueName the God's proper names]] outside of certain narrations is disrespectful and, therefore, must be avoided at all costs and are generally kept secret. |
| 171 | * Myth/NativeAmericanMythology is known for this. |
| 172 | ** The Stikini: sinister, heart-eating witches that are able to transform into owls at night by ''[[BodyHorror throwing up their organs.]]'' While some communities speak of them as one would speak of the bogeyman, others consider their stories so taboo that only medicine men can safely tell them. |
| 173 | ** The {{Wendigo}} of Algonquin folklore follows this principle as well. And for good reason, as anyone familiar with a cannibalistic revenant born from greed and starvation can attest to. Some believe that even ''thinking'' about the creature is enough to put a person at risk for becoming one. |
| 174 | ** The Navajo don't openly speak of {{Skinwalker}}s, considering even acknowledging them as inviting them in. This is among the many reasons why Skinwalker depictions in media generally don't amuse Navajo audiences. |
| 175 | [[/folder]] |
| 176 | |
| 177 | [[folder:Pro Wrestling]] |
| 178 | * Mentioning Wrestling/{{Boogeyman}} in Ohio Valley Wrestling likely resulted in him showing up and {{squash|Match}}ing you, especially if you mentioned him while in the ring. |
| 179 | * If the name of WWF/E wrestler Wrestling/TheUndertaker is brought up in an offensive way while he's around (or even if he isn't), a gong will sound, and the lights will go off. Then he will appear behind the offender and usually chokeslam or Tombstone Piledrive them to the mat. Sometimes, Taker's name doesn't even need to be spoken -- as heel manager Paul Heyman learned at the end of a Smackdown match, just telling someone that "[[TemptingFate there's not a man alive who's going to stand in my way]]" [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KfOIr1HGtc can be enough to bring the Deadman's wrath down on you]]. |
| 180 | [[/folder]] |
| 181 | |
| 182 | [[folder:Puppet Shows]] |
| 183 | * ''Series/TheMuppetShow'': |
| 184 | ** Mentioning any term for explosions or bombs and [[MadBomber Crazy Harry]] will appear, detonation plunger in hand, and BOOM! Kermit once has the misfortune of causing this ''three times in a row'' on the Creator/BenVereen episode. |
| 185 | ** In one episode the [[ButtMonkey Newcaster]] reports that the temple of an ancient Egyptian crocodile god named Rezal-evad-gib (the name of which he actually says twice for emphasis) has been discovered, and that said god would "wreak a terrible vengeance" upon anyone entering the tomb or even saying his name aloud. Well, [[DeadlineNews you can probably guess what happens.]] He gets an excuse ''that'' time, but in the ''very next scene'', where Beauregard tries to warn [[SpecialGuest Lynda Carter]] that they've discovered a dangerous word, but can't remember the hard-to-pronounce name, the Newscaster runs in and says it ''[[TooDumbToLive again]]''. |
| 186 | [[/folder]] |
| 187 | |
| 188 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 189 | * In the ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu'' supplement ''Terror Australis'', adventure "Old Fella That Bunyip", the investigators are forced to say the phrase "Eleanba Wunda" to drive Bunyip upstream. Unfortunately for them, it's the name of a spirit ''worse'' than Bunyip, which will appear if its name is chanted too often. The second time the investigators do so they feel a cold wind, and the third (and final) time Eleanba Wunda ''almost'' appears. |
| 190 | * ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' |
| 191 | ** In early editions, saying the name of a demon could cause it to turn its attention to the speaker and attack him if possible, and speaking the name of a devil (which was inscribed on its talisman) would call forth that devil. |
| 192 | ** ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'': Saying the name of a Chosen of Mystra (such as Seven Sisters) outside of dead magic areas alerts them and allows them to hear the next nine words uttered by the speaker. This was used a few times both for startling folk by quoting their previous statements and more important things -- e.g. in ''[[Literature/TheElminsterSeries Elminster's Daughter]]'' some Red Wizards with a hostage made Elminster swear he will not act against them, and then he began to mumble something repetitive. If you know who [[TheDreaded The Simbul]] is, the rest of this scene is [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill as obvious as it is messy]]. |
| 193 | ** 3.5 has Truenaming, which at level 20 gives a feat that lets a character choose a use-name which, when spoken afterward, allows the character to know where you are, what the general situation is, and lets them decide whether or not to be teleported into the area. Depending on the character in question, this can also be an example of CallOnMe. |
| 194 | ** Any good or neutral creature that speaks the demon lord Pazuzu's name three times will catch his attention. He sometimes offers to aid such a creature if they're in trouble... but accepting a boon from a demon lord [[TheDarkSide is guaranteed to pull you into evil]]. |
| 195 | ** The 3.X Deities and Demigods Handbook states that Deities are generally aware if anyone says their name, anywhere or any of their common titles. This generally won't summon the deity to you but that does make it hard to mount an assault on the gods... This is why a few of TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms novels got "Psst! No names!" scenes from avatars and other canny characters. |
| 196 | ** ''The Book of Vile Darkness'' relates the story of a particularly huge prick of a merchant who would sell a parrot to rich-looking individuals. When they got out of town and onto a deserted stretch of road, their new pet would fly away and start shrieking the name of Orcus -- a freaking [[EvilOverlord demon lord]] -- who would appear and murder the poor saps. After Orcus had teleported back to the Abyss, the merchant would then gather up his dead victims' gear. That he would pull this trick repeatedly says something horrible about the merchant and a little pathetic about Orcus, who apparently has a lot of free time on his hands. |
| 197 | ** Cerlic, the Ferryman of the Styx (known as Charon to most mortals) is a unique yugoloth and one of the safest ways to travel through the Lower Planes, and simply saying his name on the shores of the River Styx will summon him in at most, a half-hour. ''However'', he requires payment up front (which is astronomical) and anyone who summons him and refuses to pay is attacked; he's ''incredibly'' powerful, on par with a minor demon lord. |
| 198 | ** The DemonLord Fraz-Urb'luu is notorious for using a unique talent to use the names of other Demon Lords to trick them into thinking they have been summoned. His usual strategy is to do this, and then teleport away right before the victim appears, assuring that the angry demon will take out his anger on whoever Fraz-Urb'luu had been fighting. (This strategy naturally has made Fraz-Urb'luu universally hated among other Demon Lords.) |
| 199 | ** Although it's been referenced in several other tropes, the legend of the Serpent's Coil still (sort of) counts. A 2nd edition myth that made it into 3.0 before being retconned out at the end of 3.5, the myth went that Asmodeus, the king of Hell, was actually a very advanced illusion or perhaps an avatar of some sort; his ''true'' shape was a [[EldritchAbomination miles-long monstrosity of utter, incomprehensible evil]]. When he was hurled from the celestial planes into Hell, this form crashed through the dimension's reality -- creating the nine levels of Hell -- and came to rest in a deep, spiraling crater at the very bottom of The Pit. However, telling someone this story didn't summon Asmodeus: it simply caused the storyteller to die within 24 hours (by unspecified means). Which is about on par for drawing the attention of overwhelmingly powerful evil uberdeities. |
| 200 | ** A [[EmissaryFromTheDivine God-Blooded]] creature of Vecna, god of secrets, is not only immune to any divination spell that would reveal any information about it, but automatically knows the name, appearance, and location of the spellcaster. |
| 201 | ** The TabletopGame/NentirVale has an interesting reversal. The god that Asmodeus rebelled against in this setting is known only as "He Who Was". This is because Asmodeus literally [[UnPerson erased all record and memory]] of the deity's name from history, fearing that if it was spoken just once, the slain god would regain his powers. |
| 202 | ** ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'': |
| 203 | *** On some evil planes, divination spells alert the target and they soon come to find you. Now, bear in mind you usually need to know some name or other means to identify the target of a divination spell. |
| 204 | *** Revering the Lady of Pain will result in you either being Mazed or Flayed, depending on her whim. Because of this, even though nobody knows her actual name, they don't even like to use her ''title'', instead using respectful nicknames like "Her Dread Serenity". |
| 205 | ** The 1980 ''Deities and Demigods Cyclopedia'' states that naming Hastur aloud could result in his sending some Byakhee to kill you. If they failed, he might appear himself to finish the job. Tricking a player into doing so has long been a favorite means of [[RocksFallEveryoneDies ending a game that has gone sour]]. |
| 206 | ** A regional effect from ''Fizban's Treasury of Dragons'' lets a dragon know when and where something speaks the dragon's name within a mile of its lair. It also lets the dragon eavesdrop on the spot where its name was spoken for the next few minutes, so hopefully you weren't discussing your plans to slay the dragon or plunder its hoard at the time. |
| 207 | %%** ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'': The fan-made PrestigeClass called the Folkloric Warlock gains the ability to do this at a high level. %%Missing context: The Folkloric Warlock's ability. |
| 208 | * ''TabletopGame/EmpireOfThePetalThrone'' supplement ''Book of Ebon Bindings''. Calling out a being's Name of Power (IKnowYourTrueName) draws its attention. Doing so with a demon's Name of Power can allow it to leave its place in the Planes Beyond and enter the world of Tékumel. |
| 209 | * ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'': In the digital web, Creator/{{Kibo}} set up magic tracers so whenever anyone says his name, he will instantly be able to appear, as a real person, in front of them. |
| 210 | * At various points in ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'', it comes up that the names we have for the Antediluvians aren't their real names, just pseudonyms that are used to refer to them without the possibility of drawing their attention. It also shows up in ''TabletopGame/DemonTheFallen''. Using a demon's Celestial Name automatically opens a remote channel of communication with them; use it unaware of that connection, and they'll be listening to everything you say... |
| 211 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' 3rd Edition supplement ''Magic in the Shadows''. If a free spirit's [[IKnowYourTrueName true name]] is spoken [[RuleOfThree three times in succession]], the spirit has to appear before the speaker. |
| 212 | * The [[SpaceElves Eldar]] of ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' are being hunted down by the evil [[EldritchAbomination Chaos God]] Slaanesh, and naturally, [[TheDreaded they are so shit scared of the menacing god that they won't even use that name]] to refer to [[AmbiguousGender hir]]. The Craftworld Eldar refer to Slaanesh as "The Great Enemy" and the Dark Eldar refer to Slaanesh as "She Who Thirsts". Only a few especially badass Eldar have the balls to refer to Slaanesh by hir actual name, such as [[VideoGame/DawnOfWar Ronahn]]. Solitaires, the most badass of the Eldar Harlequins, take it even further. When re-enacting the Fall of the Eldar, the Solitaires are the ones who play the role of Slaanesh. And while speaking hir name ''might'' draw the dark god's attention, anyone who isn't a Solitaire pretending to be Slaanesh ''will'' go insane. The Solitaires pay a high price for their dedication though: their souls are forfeit to Slaanesh and there is nothing they can do about it. |
| 213 | [[/folder]] |
| 214 | |
| 215 | [[folder:Theater]] |
| 216 | * ''Theatre/DamnYankees'': "I'd sell my soul for one long ball hitter." Cue eerie music and [[LouisCypher Applegate]]'s entrance. |
| 217 | [[/folder]] |
| 218 | |
| 219 | [[folder:Theme Parks]] |
| 220 | * In the former ''Theatre/GhostbustersSpooktacular'' show at Ride/UniversalStudios Florida, Louis Tully specifically tells Walter Peck not to say Gozer's name, which he ignores and does multiple times, causing the villain to eventually appear. |
| 221 | [[/folder]] |
| 222 | |
| 223 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 224 | * In ''VideoGame/BarrowHill: The Dark Path'', other characters who say Baibin's name aloud tend to be attacked by her soon afterward. The ones in-the-know about the local legends are usually frightened and horror-struck when they realize they've said her name. |
| 225 | * ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'': While patrolling the city, it is possible to overhear some particular EnemyChatter. One thug will deliberately say "Batman" and then mockingly ask his buddy if he really thinks that will cause Batman to appear and beat them both up. Naturally, you can choose to then swoop down on them and beat them both up. |
| 226 | * In ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIV'', General Yohm hunts down [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Fou-lu]]--even at one point explicitly commenting that ''the mere act of uttering Fou-lu's '''name''' is sufficient to send ripples in the world that can lead someone sensitive to those ripples to find him''. In a part of the game, Fou-lu refrains from revealing his name to [[SacrificialLamb Mami]] explicitly to keep this from happening, and merely goes by his nickname "Ryong"--this eventually gets blown to hell when he tells her his story via a historical legend (and has to use his [[IKnowYourTrueName real name]] in it). |
| 227 | * In ''VideoGame/CrimsonGlaiveSigma'', the professor avoids calling the warden of Crimson Glaive by his name in the holographic messages to Aimes because the warden's name would draw his attention way before Aimes gets ready to confront him. [[spoiler:At the very bottom of the station you can find one message that glitches out, displaying you instead an old recording where the professor calls the warden by his name, which gets cut short at warden's request because he claims someone is watching. If you haven't defeated him by that point, then sure enough, the warden will teleport in to destroy the drone --denying you any more messages from your creator-- and give you a warning not to meddle in his plans.]] |
| 228 | * Mundus is the ruler of the underworld and the BigBad of the first ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry1'' game. When Griffon is defeated by Dante for the third time, Griffon [[InvokedTrope shouts his master's name]] to request for a boost of power. Mundus immediately appears in the scene, as indicated by his signature three red eyes, and followed by ominous dark clouds. Unfortunately, Mundus instead [[YouHaveFailedMe deems Griffon unworthy and kills him for his failure in defeating Dante]], and then leaves right after doing that. |
| 229 | * In the ''VideoGame/{{Discworld}}'' adventure game, saying the word "monkey" will cause the Librarian to appear and punch you, because he is an ''ape'' and does ''not'' like the M-word. This is occasionally mentioned in the books, but the game turns it into a RunningGag instead. |
| 230 | * In ''[[VideoGame/DynastyWarriors Dynasty Warriors 8]]'', [=NPCs=] in the Wei faction Story Mode note that Cao Cao comes whenever he's spoken of--and promptly lampshade this by commenting "Cao Cao must have a ''really'' good information network!" |
| 231 | * ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' |
| 232 | ** In the series' lore, the [[CatFolk Khajiit]] religion is heavily based around Nirn's [[WeirdMoon two moons]], Masser and Secunda. The moons even dictate which of 17 different sub-species a Khajiit cub will grow up to be, depending on which phases of the moons it was born under. However, the Khajiit recognize "dark spirits" known as "dro-m'Athra," who are represented by the ''inverse'' phases of the moons. The Khajiit refuse to speak of them. |
| 233 | ** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', it's revealed that providing one knows the [[IKnowYourTrueName true name]] of a Dragon, if you invoke it via [[LanguageOfMagic the Thu'um]] it will hear you and may cause the Dragon to immediately fly to your location out of curiosity as it can be considered a challenge. It is not however guaranteed, as invoking the dragon's name gives you no power over it. The Greybeards summon the Dragonborn to High Hrothgar for training in a similar manner, calling forth the Dovahkiin so loudly the whole of Skyrim trembles. Notably, [[ButThouMust it works on you]] the same way it does on dragons, [[ImmuneToFate except when]] [[SidetrackedByTheGoldSaucer it doesn't]]. |
| 234 | * During a perfect PacifistRun in ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'', [[GeneralRipper Elite Krotera]] will mention [[PunchClockVillain Vateilika]] and how he'll deal with her after you're dead. He really should have spent the time saying goodbye to Mr. [[{{BFG}} MPFB Devastator]], as his flight off this mortal coil just arrived. |
| 235 | * Parodied (and used) in ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'': if you select 'Say "Guy Made Of Bees"' five times as a choice when you encounter a bathroom mirror, you will encounter the Guy Made Of Bees. And unless you have a certain in-game item and use it in the first round of combat, the Guy Made Of Bees will hit you with as much force as the Incredible Hulk's weight in bees. |
| 236 | * In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'', when questioned about the Sith [[EvilMentor Kreia]] states that so much as "a stray thought" is enough to draw [[HumanoidAbomination Darth Nihilus']] attention. Over the entire course of the game Nihilus' name is never spoken, only ever being displayed above his LifeMeter during the BossFight. |
| 237 | * In ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'', when The Bros. meet Dr. Toadley for the first time, he diagnoses them with a deadly disease called 'Bowseritis'. Right as he does this, guess who shows up? |
| 238 | -->'''Bowser''': Did someone page the King of Awesome? |
| 239 | * In ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', an AffablyEvil devil willingly tells you [[IKnowYourTrueName his true name]] so you can banish him back to Hell. Later, knowing his true name from your previous meeting with him lets you summon him for a DealWithTheDevil. |
| 240 | * ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'': When Issun says [[EldritchAbomination Orochi]]'s name out loud, the wind eerily begins to pick up. Waka warns him not to throw around the monster's name casually, as apparently just that is enough to curse someone with a weak will. |
| 241 | * ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'': In Moleville, a group of moles are talking about how a couple of kids are trapped in a mine, and that the mine entrance is too high for them to reach, commenting that if Mario were here, he could make the jump. They then realize that Mario is standing right there, even commenting "Speak o' the devil!" |
| 242 | * The Lady of Pain from ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment''. Simply saying her name once doesn't attract her attention, but repeated mentions or worship (which she forbids) will. Many people simply call her "The Lady" to avoid summoning her by mistake. This is inherited from her tabletop game incarnation above. |
| 243 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Runescape}}'', saying [[spoiler:Zaros]]'s name gives him power. He's weakened that much -- in fact, most [=NPCs=] (and other Gods) refer to him as "The Nameless God". |
| 244 | * In ''VideoGame/UltimaV'', the Shadowlords can be summoned to your location by yelling their name (Eg, Yell Astaroth). |
| 245 | * In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'', after Shulk, Reyn, and Sharla make it out of the Ether Mine, Shulk remarks that they still haven't found the faced mechon who [[spoiler:attacked Colony 9 and killed Fiora]] earlier. Cue Metal Face floating up behind them and surprising them with a taunt. |
| 246 | --> '''Metal Face:''' Hope I'm not interrupting! |
| 247 | [[/folder]] |
| 248 | |
| 249 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 250 | * In ''WebAnimation/TheDementedCartoonMovie'', Fooby the Kamikaze Watermelon appears every time someone says "kamikaze watermelon." |
| 251 | * ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'': |
| 252 | ** One need only to speak of Genestealers to summon Inquisitor Adrielle Quist from the Warp. |
| 253 | --->'''Adrielle''': Did someone say GENESTEALERS? ''[decimates an entire Genestealer Cult]'' |
| 254 | ** Magnus once accidentally summons a daemon into the throne room itself just by speaking its name. Fortunately, it was a minor daemon, so the Emperor banishes it with little difficulty. |
| 255 | [[/folder]] |
| 256 | |
| 257 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 258 | * In ''Webcomic/ChasingTheSunset'', speaking the name of the evil wizard Malvenicus causes lightning and a crack of [''Kra-ka-tow!''] thunder. Just like that. Malvenicus [''kra-ka-tow!''], as it turns out, is not all that evil; he just put an enchantment on his own name back when he was younger because he thought it would be funny. |
| 259 | * In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', the Demonic Duck can be summoned by pointing somewhere and saying [[LookBehindYou "Hey, is that a demonic duck of some sort?"]] |
| 260 | * At one point in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', Lucrezia (in Anevka's frame) and Zola (who has a copy of Lucrezia trapped inside her mindscape) discuss whether Barry Heterodyne might have something to do with current events. Zola says, "He's no threat," and a moment later they have a sudden look of horrified realization, wildly looking around in case he was hiding behind a curtain or something. |
| 261 | * In ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'', the "Guide within the Well of Darkness" appears whenever someone says his name and answers a yes/no question. The catch? At the fourth summoning, he kills everyone. Incidentally, his name is Noe. Pronounced as "no". K'seliss invokes this trope and rips Noe's throat out right as he appears. It's just as cool as it sounds. |
| 262 | * ''Webcomic/MierukoChan'': Miko takes a [[SpookyPhotographs photograph]] that accidentally includes a dangerous spirit in the background. For a [[ISeeDeadPeople medium]], just looking at the photo risks attracting the spirit -- Romm narrowly survives when it manifests in his room, and he says that if he ever sees the photo again, he'll most likely die. |
| 263 | * In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', saying "mind flayer" or "illithid" will bring down copyright lawyers upon the speaker. Actually, pointing out ''any'' copyrighted material can do this, as Vaarsuvius realizes to their advantage when confronting [[OverusedCopyCatcharacter a (supposedly good-aligned) drow wizard armed with two swords.]] |
| 264 | * Don't say Ironman in Austin, TX as shown why in Creator/{{roosterteeth}}'s webcomics, Michael "Burnie" Burns will be groundpounded. |
| 265 | %%* The [[http://toonhole.com/comic/urban-legend/ comic]] in ''Toon Hole'' where there is a literal [[StealthPun Bloody Mary]]. %%Weblinks are not examples. |
| 266 | %%* [[http://www.wanderingchaos.com/uc/110707.html This creature]] (well, the creature this demon is shapeshifted into) in ''WebComic/{{UC}}: Deviating from Normality''. %%Weblinks are not examples. |
| 267 | * In ''Webcomic/UserFriendly'', Sid deals with an annoying intern by tricking him into saying "Hastur" three times. And Stef manages to avoid being shredded by an angry Indian god by calling upon Hastur and letting the two duke it out. In another strip, the name is only spoken twice, but he still heard it since he happened to be in the next room. |
| 268 | * ''Webcomic/{{Wondermark}}'''s strip from [[http://wondermark.com/1k62/ 19 September 2014]] features a lady complaining about sea lions to her husband, only for one to show up and pursue the couple with a string of outwardly polite questions about what problem they have with sea lions. This gave rise to the term "sealioning" to describe that sort of harassment. |
| 269 | * ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'': |
| 270 | ** In [[http://xkcd.com/555/ "Two Mirrors"]], Megan summons Bloody Mary by calling her name three times. [[DrosteImage Between two mirrors, facing each other]]. |
| 271 | ** In [[https://xkcd.com/2364/ "Parity Conservation"]], Cueball summons Bloody Mary for the more serious purpose of co-authoring a paper with her. |
| 272 | ** [[https://xkcd.com/2381/ "The True Name of the Bear]] references the old superstition that saying the true name of a {{bear|sAreBadNews}} will summon it, which is why the original English word for it was abandoned in favor of the present one. When [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretchen_McCulloch Gretchen McCulloch]] is asked about this, she hazards a guess as to what the original word was... and is promptly proven right. Cue OhCrap moment... |
| 273 | [[/folder]] |
| 274 | |
| 275 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 276 | * The Literature/BinderOfShame; El Disgusto's character is caught stealing from the other characters and killed. His last words are "You'll pay for this! You'll all pay for this! Hastur! Hastur! Hastur! Hastur! Hastur!" Fortunately (or unfortunately as it turns out), the wizard NPC resurrects the group. |
| 277 | * During his ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' Chaos Mod streams, WebVideo/CallMeKevin will sometimes cut himself off in the middle of saying "Jesus!" or "Jesus Christ!" for fear that saying it will summon [[ArchEnemy Griefer Jesus]] (or worse, ''Extreme'' Griefer Jesus). |
| 278 | * According to [[http://www.cracked.com/video_18545_the-horrifying-true-story-st.-patricks-day.html this]] ''Website/{{Cracked}}'' video, if you say Saint Patrick three times on his feast day he will appear and offer spiritual guidance. If you let slip that you're celebrating it as a secular holiday you only vaguely understand, he will just yell at you. |
| 279 | * The Makeover Fairy from ''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick'' appears in a puff of sparkles whenever somebody says her name. Either it's a new ability or the others didn't know about it yet, since at one point Chick comments that she wasn't sure if it would work. Earlier in the show's run, WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic appeared to bitch her out for reviewing ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' when she said the word "manchild". |
| 280 | %%* The TV Tropes podcast ''On the Tropes'' Episode #61 has a discussion on this trope, that ultimately becomes an example of the trope itself. %%Missing context. Saying "this trope" could mean *anything*. |
| 281 | * In ''WebVideo/SandersSides'', mention anxiety or something that could ''cause'' anxiety, and Virgil, Thomas' personification of his anxiety, will appear. Whether he wants to or not. (And [[PunchClockVillain he usually doesn't]].) |
| 282 | * ''Website/SCPFoundation'': |
| 283 | ** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2056 SCP-2056 ("Tsiatko")]]. SCP-2056 is a humanoid creature. According to Native American elders speaking their name is dangerous, as it knows when someone is talking about it and hunts them down. |
| 284 | ** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2521 SCP-2521]] is some sort of HumanoidAbomination the Foundation cannot quite contain properly. It can go through walls, and practically teleport, but the ''real'' danger about it is that it apparently covets any sort of word-based information about itself, and will steal it away the moment it's made. It might be a document. It might be a recording. It might be ''the person who spoke it'', if they said it out loud. [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou And it might just take this page at some point]]. As a result [[PaintingTheMedium the entire article on it must be done in pictograms]], and even the database must label it "●●|●●●●●|●●|●" instead of "2521" to avoid having it be summoned at the location of the database computer. |
| 285 | ** A variation with [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-4885 SCP-4885 ("Find Him")]], a horror version of Literature/WheresWally. You can physically describe him and remain untouched, but the moment you say or even know Waldo's location, he forcibly crawls out of your mouth and kills you. The Foundation believes they have contained Waldo by placing a D-class in one random moving containment cell then exposing that D-class (as well as all the empty containment cells) to Waldo's current GPS coordinates. |
| 286 | ** [[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/taboo The anomaly that isn't 4000 despite coming after 3999 and before 4001]]. It's '''[[green: a forest where nothing has a name]]''', and for the sake of humanity as a whole, it needs to stay that way. When referring to anything within (including oneself, if one is visiting the forest), using anything that could be considered a name or title (including descriptive phrases, if used multiple times for the same object) results in various Bad Things, including summoning elements of '''[[green: the place outside the named world]]''' onto Earth, BodyHorror, and [[spoiler: '''[[red: those who call the wood their home]]''' stealing your identity and trapping you in their place.]] |
| 287 | * During ''WebVideo/VampireReviews'', WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic appears when the Maven of the Eventide says Nostalgia three times like he was Film/{{Beetlejuice}}. The two ask loudly how she even did that. |
| 288 | [[/folder]] |
| 289 | |
| 290 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 291 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': |
| 292 | ** Saying a ghost's name five times in quick succession will summon them. In "The Mirror", Gumball tries this with a ghost with a long, difficult-to-pronounce name and gets literally tongue-tied, so he has to settle with a nickname to summon him. |
| 293 | ** A variant: Saying the words "alternative medicine" will nearly instantly summon Mr. Small to the speaker's location, as demonstrated in "The Allergy" and "The Silence". |
| 294 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'': The full rhymes (from the cartoon, at least), though rarely used, are as follows: |
| 295 | ** For bringing him into our world: |
| 296 | -->''Even though I should be wary\ |
| 297 | Still I conjure something scary\ |
| 298 | Ghostly hauntings I turn loose,\ |
| 299 | Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! |
| 300 | ** For traveling to the Netherworld: |
| 301 | -->''Knowing that I should be wary\ |
| 302 | Still I venture someplace scary\ |
| 303 | Ghostly hauntings now turn loose\ |
| 304 | Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!'' |
| 305 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}'': |
| 306 | ** The villain JustForFun/CandleJack will appear randomly and kidnap whoever says his name. JustForFun/CandleJack himself says, "[[SchmuckBait Not a very bright group, are you?]]" |
| 307 | ** A CreditsGag provides an "Interesting Fact: If you spin around while saying '[[InherentlyFunnyWords Huggbees]]' three times real quick, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Salinger Pierre Salinger]] will appear. Only he'll have... a beard!" |
| 308 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' presents Lord Moldybutt, a clear spoof of [[Literature/HarryPotter Lord Voldemort]]. Just saying his name causes nearby objects to break. [[TheDitz Billy]] is usually the one to say it, though Nigel (the Harry for Moldybutt) is also prone to saying it. Even [[spoiler:Moldybutt himself]] isn't immune. |
| 309 | * ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': |
| 310 | ** In "Weirdmageddon", Bill Cipher refers to Xanthar as "The Being Whose Name Must Never Be Said", but then realizes that TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt is a special enough occasion to warrant saying the name. |
| 311 | ** Earlier, in "Northwest Mansion Mystery", Dipper calls Pacifica Northwest the worst, and that he'd say it to her face: |
| 312 | --> ''Knock knock knock'' |
| 313 | -->'''Pacifica''': "I need your help." |
| 314 | -->'''Dipper''': "[[NotHyperbole You're the worst.]]" |
| 315 | * In ''WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'', saying Mentok the Mind Taker's real name, Mufti, summons powerful magical winds. |
| 316 | * ''WesternAnimation/HarveyStreetKids'' takes the Bloody Mary parody to a lesser extent called "Muddy Barry" in "Harveyween". |
| 317 | * In ''WesternAnimation/PeterPanAndThePirates'', speaking the name of King Kyros, a powerful winter spirit, summons him to you. Unfortunately, Peter Pan forgets this little fact whilst he's showing off a gem that he boastfully admits to ''stealing'' from Kyros' home. |
| 318 | * A few ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' sketches use this as their central gag: |
| 319 | ** A Christmas special has a kid say "Ho, ho, ho" into the mirror and recurring character Composite Santa Claus appears behind him. |
| 320 | ** One has a girl summon Bloody Mary, who is amazed that it actually worked and summons Film/{{Candyman}}, who gets in on it as well by summoning Film/{{Beetlejuice}}. |
| 321 | * In a ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode, saying Biggie Smalls' name three times while looking into a mirror will summon his ghost, which really pisses him off when he's got places to be. |
| 322 | * ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'': In "Hungry Larry", the ritual to summon the eponymous monster involves writing his name in mustard on a take-out menu, licking it off, and then saying his name three times. |
| 323 | * ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' had a parody of Bloody Mary but more kid-friendly and a little [[DefangedHorrors scary]] called Scary Teri. Cyborg has a childhood fear of the dark due to being forced to play a game called "Scary Teri". When he says it three times, he screams in fear. When he says "Scary Teri is not scary" three times, she will disappear. |
| 324 | * In the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/ThundercatsRoar'', the Berbils warn that lightning will strike anyone who says Mumm-ra's name. They use this against him near the end. |
| 325 | [[/folder]] |
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