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10[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/AvasDemon https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_10260.png]]]]
11[[caption-width-right:350:[[UhOhEyes Um, I don't think she's processing it very well...]]]]
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13%% Quote replaced per thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1327331003042025100&page=237#5904
14
15->'''Zetta:''' ...\
16'''Alexander:''' What's with the silent treatment? Ellipses are for chumps — say something!
17-->-- ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom''
18
19A character, for whatever reason, doesn't speak. However, it's a matter of importance to emphasize that they aren't speaking. How do you show it?
20
21Simple: use an ellipsis. This is better known as "…", and is usually used to represent either where part of a paragraph/sentence was removed or a break in the thought. Thus, when a character is either mute or choosing not to speak, their dialogue box/speech bubble/subtitle becomes an ellipsis to show that is the case. Sometimes appears as an exclamation mark or [[ConfusedQuestionMark question mark]], which also imply the silence while carrying a message of their own (and usually with a situation-appropriate shift in facial expression). Often used for a BeatPanel or when a character has [[IHaveNothingToSayToThat nothing to say]].
22
23Japanese uses a dedicated UnsoundEffect for silence, "shiiin" (シーン or し~ん), encountered frequently in {{Manga}} with size and form indicating magnitude, from a light "shi~n" in the corner of a panel to a giant '''shiiin''' stamped over a scene. For ''even more pronounced'' silence, look for "jiiin".
24
25Another representation uses an extended onomotopia for wind winding through a scene, like "woosh" with many "o"s in English or a chain of "うううう"s (uuuu...) in Japanese.
26
27Occasionally this shows up for added emphasis in animation as a form of PaintingTheMedium.
28
29Compare DramaticEllipsis, MelodramaticPause, and SweatDrop. A SilentProtagonist may sometimes speak only in this, and such a character may or may not be TheUnintelligible. Compare also ChirpingCrickets, if the whole cast of characters is too stunned or embarrassed to speak. Turns up in comics as the word [=*crickets*=] in place of a speech bubble.
30
31----
32!!Examples:
33
34[[foldercontrol]]
35
36[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
37* In ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'', for whatever reason, the ellipsis appears behind Mr. Tadakichi, signifying his silence. But Mr. Tadakichi is a dog, and a fairly quiet one, at that, so...?
38* [[TheStoic Killy]] from ''Manga/{{Blame}}'' has more ellipses in his vocabulary than words.
39%%* Used on the melancholic Nemu Kurotsuchi in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' while displaying the members of Shinigami Women's Association during the very first meeting shown in the Shinigami Cup clip. In the anime, Apache gets one while waiting for Allon to respond to her commands. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
40* In ''Manga/DeathNote'', one conversation between Light and Near consists half of [[IKnowYouKnowIKnow intense pauses]], which the NPA members think is just freaking weird, causing them to emit the occasional ellipsis of their own. The stand-alone "...!" also puts in an appearance. It's internal monologue, which does at least keep you from wondering how you'd pronounce that.
41%%* Used almost excessively in ''Manga/DokiDokiSchoolHours''. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
42* In ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', when King Kai tells a corny joke and Goku doesn't get it, King Kai's initial response is ellipses in a speech bubble, as he stares in disbelief (and disappointment) at Goku.
43* ''Anime/ExcelSaga'': Daimaru Subiyoshi, the obese OnlySaneMan. He has no spoken dialogue -- all of his lines are written across the screen, and most of them ''do'' end in ellipses. He's also probably the most articulate and vocally eloquent among the cast. He speaks in the manga, though, albeit with a Kansai/English accent.
44* The credits sequence of ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'' is a sequence of still photos following around a scooter, interspersed with some animation of Haruko riding the scooter. When it breaks down she kicks it over. A thought bubble with a vertical ellipse pops up over the scooter before it scoots off on its own.
45* When Ed and Ling from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' are inside Gluttony's stomach, Ed transmutes a giant hole into the sea of blood, and they drop a torch into it to see where it hits the bottom. While they're waiting, and waiting, and waiting, we see an ellipsis over their heads.
46%%* In ''[[Literature/FullMetalPanic Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu]]'', Kaname has this reaction when she sees the school rugby team finding a miniscule pebble on the pitch and treating it as if it were a major safety hazard. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
47%%* Possibly first introduced to the West by ''Manga/Golgo13''; Duke Togo/Golgo 13 is quite fond of this. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
48%%* ''Manga/HanaukyoMaidTeam''. Ryuuka stands in silence when she first learns Taro is the new head of the Hanaukyo family. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
49%%* About 80% of [[TheStoic Yuki Nagato's]] "dialog" in the ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'' novellas (it'd be a higher proportion, but her SpockSpeak takes up a ''lot'' of space). The anime, having a fairly "realistic" style, forgoes the visible ellipses. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
50* Used in the ''[[VideoGame/HarukanaruTokiNoNakaDe Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - Hachiyou Shou]]'' OAV, for comedic purposes (e.g. two characters [[PoorCommunicationKills being unable to start a conversation]] and just standing there in [[SuperDeformed "chibi"]] forms as the dots appear in the background one by one). On one occasion, the ellipsis ends with a SweatDrop that falls to the bottom of the screen.
51%%* ''Manga/HidamariSketch'' has a lot of variations on this one, often throttled to pretty surreal levels. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
52* In the ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' series, speech bubbles with ellipses appear fairly often; typically they feature much more than three dots, arranged vertically, often in two or three columns. [[https://jojowiki.com/File:GiornoPrisonGuardPickpocket.png This manga panel shows an example]].
53* In an episode of ''Manga/LuckyStar'', there is one of these when Konata asks Yui if she remembers her childhood, which the absent-minded adult most certainly does not. Not only that, but after the first four dots appear, Konata starts chorusing them as they appear with a mumbled "Dot, Dot, Dot, Dot!", in what is probably a little lampshading of this trope - Konata is, after all, very GenreSavvy.
54%%* In ''Manga/MarchComesInLikeALion'', Rei is frequently guilty of this due to his meek personality and his tendency to contemplate on his own problems. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
55* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
56** Sasuke was already a ninja of few words, but when he recruited his own team, he went dead silent for a few chapters while they argued amongst each other. ''Thankfully'', the author was considerate enough to feature a cel of Sasuke saying "..." after ''every joke and insult'', [[TheComicallySerious with the same blank look on his face]]. If he hadn't, we would have ''never'' known Sasuke was ignoring them and it would have seemed like he just suddenly disappeared. They seem to have a stock of Sasukes with this, for all the times the manga cuts to him just to have him say nothing.
57** Naruto himself after he learns of Sasuke [[FaceHeelTurn becoming an international criminal]]. For a long time his speech bubbles are mostly full of dots as he hears one person after another elaborate to him what kind of person his former friend really is.
58%%** Hinata says one while witnessing Sakura hugging Naruto after punching him for his recklessness upon his return to the village after [[spoiler:defeating Pain]], for unknown reasons. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
59%%** Karin herself gets in on it when she observes the [[spoiler:Danzo/Sasuke]] fight from the sidelines, during which her speech balloons were about 60% punctuation, including three consecutive examples ''all on one page''. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
60%%** Probably 75% of [[AntiVillain Itachi's]] dialogue consists of this. [[spoiler:He's a bit more talkative when he's revived as a zombie. Probably because he doesn't have to [[FakeDefector pretend to be evil]] anymore.]]
61%%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
62* Zazie Rainyday in ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi''; any time she's on-screen, a bubble of ellipsis appears next to her head to emphasize her [[TheQuietOne quietness]]. [[SilentBob She somehow manages to hold conversations this way]]. [[RuleOfFunny Over the phone, no less.]]
63* In ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'', where the title character Kenshin witnesses an attack occurring in an alleyway, in his atoning state he does not want to fight, and simply says "...", and is then immediately kicked in the head by Sanosuke who demands "What do you mean, '...'!?"
64* A large ellipsis appears dot by dot in the background in ''Manga/SchoolRumble'' while Eri 'connects the dots' regarding Harima and Yakumo. Yakumo is in the tea room, fixing Harima's jacket. Harima often comes by the tea room you say? "..."
65%%* The author of ''Manga/SoulEater'' is in love with this. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
66%%* In the anime of ''Manga/TheWorldGodOnlyKnows'', ShrinkingViolet librarian Shiori takes this trope to its [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjafuChw3bI logical extreme]]. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
67* ''Manga/{{Yotsuba}}'' has extended ellipses and question-mark dialog balloons galore. In one conversation, Yotsuba and her father have an exchange of just question-marks, as he wonders what she's wondering about.
68* In ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'', some of the characters are sitting silently in a room next to the one with an important meeting in it. They're having a conversation in written form. One of them holds up a piece of paper with an ellipsis on it, and immediately gets reprimanded with another piece of paper that says "You don't have to write the dramatic pauses!" in Japanese. In the manga, it's the same, with Chu writing "Idiot! Don't waste paper on silence!"
69[[/folder]]
70
71[[folder:Comic Books]]
72* In one issue of ''[[Comicbook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]]'', it is implied that "..." made by Spidey is some kind of an inarticulate sound, as another character asked about it.
73* ''ComicBook/BatmanBlackAndWhite'': In "Bent Twigs", a motor-mouthed character is shocked speechless, represented by a speech bubble with nothing in it but a group of radiating lines like the common representation of a balloon popping.
74* In the ''Comicbook/{{Exiles}}'' comic, Psylocke had just won a battle with a villainous alter-ego, and asked Sabretooth whether he would have killed her if the other one had won. ". . ." She assures him that she's grateful and would do the same for him.
75%%* ''[[ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel G.I. Joe]]'' would occasionally give [[TheSpeechless Snake-Eyes]] one of these, usually to indicate his dissatisfaction with a situation. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
76%%* In ''Comicbook/NewAvengers'', when ComicBook/LukeCage and Comicbook/JessicaJones are [[TerribleIntervieweesMontage interviewing for a babysitter]], ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} [[MotorMouth of all people]] [[http://sketchcardsaloon.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/squirrel-girl-new-avengers-7.jpg is doing it.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
77%%* Volume 4 of ''Comicbook/ScottPilgrim'' features this a few times. It's also the most cartoony / manga-ey of the bunch. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
78[[/folder]]
79
80%%[[folder:Comic Strips]]
81%%* Poncho has done this a couple of times in ''ComicStrip/PoochCafe''. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
82%%[[/folder]]
83
84[[folder:Fan Works]]
85* In Creator/AAPessimal's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''-themed tale ''Hear Them Chatter On The Tide'', the Disc's [[SevenHeavenlyVirtues Eight Graces]] convene to discuss strategy in a turf war with the [[SevenDeadlySins Eight Deadly Sins]]. One of the Graces is at a disadvantage here.
86-->... You can't ignore them any more. What do you think, Silence?\
87Oh, sorry. I was forgetting.
88* In ''Batman: Melody for a Mockingbird'', ellipses may as well be Mr. Freeze's VerbalTic. It's to illustrate a sluggish and detached speech that shows he couldn't care less about socializing. The only times he doesn't talk with them is when he's having "{{convers|eWithTheUnconscious}}ations" with his HumanPopsicle wife, or [[NotSoStoic shouting in rage]].
89%%* Used a lot in ''Fanfic/KiraIsJustice''. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
90%%* In ''Fanfic/{{Reconciliation}}'', this is [[VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo Hanako's]] immediate reaction to [[spoiler:hearing about Hisao's death]]. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
91* ''Fanfic/TantabusMarkII'': ''How the Tantabus Parses Sleep'': [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/428991/27/how-the-tantabus-parses-sleep/baby-dont-hurt-me "Baby Don't Hurt Me"]]: After a lot of awkwardness:
92-->All that freaking out for nothing. Moondog rubbed the back of her neck and cringed.\
93"...Yeah..."\
94"..."\
95"..."\
96"..."\
97"...I'm new at this, okay?!"
98* In ''Fanfic/TotalDramaSuperstarShowdown'', a character named PJ is known to say nothing but "...", making up her whole personality.
99%%* ''WebAnimation/TurnaboutStorm'' both plays this [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]], like [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Pinkie's]] reaction to [[Franchise/AceAttorney Phoenix's]] [[CannotTellAJoke awful jokes]], and [[PlayedForDrama for drama]], [[spoiler:like Phoenix's only reactions after Trixie [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame agrees with his questionable]] but necessary ShootTheDog move]]. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
100[[/folder]]
101
102[[folder:Literature]]
103%%* Creator/DavidFosterWallace, in his "The Broom of the System", makes extensive use of this. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
104* In Creator/WilliamShakespeare's Sonnet 126, the last two lines of the sonnet consist of empty parentheses. Not necessarily Shakespeare himself, since there are questions whether he had a hand in publishing them. There is a good chance they're just an editor's indication that the sonnet is unfinished.
105* In ''Speak'', the main character says very little for most of the book. Conversations are written a little like dialogue in a play, and the main character's silence is emphasized like this:
106-->'''Dad:''' It's supposed to be soup.\
107'''Me:'''\
108'''Dad:''' It tasted a bit watery, so I kept adding thickener. I put in some corn and peas.\
109'''Me:'''\
110'''Dad:''' Call for pizza. I'll get rid of this.
111[[/folder]]
112
113[[folder:Music]]
114* Music/{{Clutch}}'s ''Subtle Hustle'':
115-->''I cause eclipses with a wave of the hand,\
116Let 'em hang in ellipses and do it all again.''
117* In the chorus of Richard Hell's song "Blank Generation", he sometimes sings "I belong to the... generation." The official lyric sheet renders this as a TitleDrop with, "I belong to the ______ generation."
118[[/folder]]
119
120%%[[folder:Roleplay]]
121%%* Used frequency in ''Roleplay/DestroyTheGodmodder' during player conversations or cutscenes involving [=NPCs=]. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
122%%* Ivan Kuznetsov from ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'' is quite fond of these. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
123%%[[/folder]]
124
125[[folder:Video Games]]
126* In ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent'', if Daniel's sanity drops to a certain point, the status just reads "..."
127%%* EVERYONE in Ko-Koro does this in the ''VideoGame/{{Bionicle}}'' online games. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
128%%* Alucard from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' does this on one occasion. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
129%%* Crono in the game ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' embodies the role of the [[HeroicMime Silent Protagonist]]. In fact, his ability to communicate through silence is so well developed that the player can only wonder if Crono regularly practices giving meaningful looks in the mirror. The player can do this by using the mirror in his house, making this evidently the case. [[MultipleEndings In one ending]] he ''actually'' talks. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
130* In ''VideoGame/TheDarksideDetective'', "..." is [=McQueen=]'s response when he's rendered speechless by one of Dooley's leaps of illogic. Also what Dooley says if you try to initiate a conversation with him while he's unconscious.
131* ''VideoGame/{{Daxter}}'': At one point, the subtitles will say "..." while Daxter is talking to another character. Said character actually makes a kind of "uhhhh...." sound, but it still counts.
132* in ''VideoGame/DontStarve'' all of Wes's quotes consist of "..." as well as him pantomiming something. Granted, Wes is a mime.
133%%* Sten of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' is fond of this response, given that he's TheStoic and thinks himself SurroundedByIdiots. His unusual values occasionally elicit this response from others as well. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
134* In ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'', the protagonist, Caim, is rendered mute quite early in the game; although he does have a few visible silence moments, his muteness is usually shown by a completely empty text box. In the sequel, wherein Caim plays a supporting/villain role, he has been "upgraded" to regular visible silence, likely for the benefit of players unaware of his mute condition.
135* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSL9jaDdyFE Parodied]] in ''VideoGame/EatLeadTheReturnOfMattHazard'', where the main character encounters Altos Tratus, a stereotypical [=JRPG=] hero who talks through textboxes that Matt needs to press a big green A button in front of him to get him to continue dialogue. Matt lampshades this, particularly his use of ellipses.
136-->'''Matt''': An ellipsis? What the hell is that supposed to mean? My god, I have never understood you guys. How much time do players waste in their lifetimes clicking past stupid ellipses? {{S|ayingSoundEffectsOutLoud}}igh...
137* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', you can go through the whole Dark Brotherhood quest line without saying anything by selecting (Remain silent).
138** In ''Script/{{C0DA}}'', Jubal cuts Numidium's head off [[BreakingTheFourthWall with an empty speech bubble]].
139* ''VideoGame/EternalSeniaHydrangeaAfterTheRain'': Aphinor has "......" as one of the things she says when tapped if she's the character on the StartScreen.
140* In ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' you can have a conversation with one NPC consisting mostly of him saying "..." and you saying "[Say nothing]" He will comment at the end that you two understand each other perfectly.
141* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' and other Squaresoft {{R|olePlayingGame}}PGs often have this, when the characters aren't outright {{Heroic Mime}}s. In fact, such a speech bubble is used in combat to indicate the "Mute" status effect.
142** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'', Krile will simply respond with "..." if the player tries to have Bartz talk to her immediately after [[spoiler:Galuf's body vanishes]].
143** Tifa from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' gets ellipses every time she misses an opportunity to talk about crucial plot details. There's even one part (when Cloud is currently comatose) that Tifa says "..." and everyone else ''turns around as if they heard her say something''. Maybe it's meant to indicate she whimpered?
144** There's one point in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyCrystalChroniclesRingOfFates'' where Meeth and Gnash have a conversation that is made up of ellipses. What the conversation was about could probably be guessed from their facial expressions in the text box.
145%%** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' had a few of these, notably in Mysidia, where they were usually followed by someone attempting a ForcedTransformation on you. [[DisneyDeath Injured cast members,]] once you tracked them down, also responded to actions with ellipses. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
146%%** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', Celes, upset over Locke thinking that she betrayed him and the rest of the group, gives him this when they meet up again in Albrook. Terra also gets a few, mostly having to do with her own identity and the nature of love, and then there's Shadow. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
147%%** Squall from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', described by [[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment one reviewer]] as "Master of the ellipsis", in one instance using ''over a dozen''. Ward does this [[spoiler:throughout the second half of the game, after a throat injury renders him truly mute.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
148%%* Happens very often in ''Franchise/FireEmblem''. Taken to extremes by Jaffar in 7, who does this so often that people actually are surprised when he has to say something different than "...". %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
149* The eponymous ''VideoGame/{{Gish}}'' has "..." to say to every boss, except the final one.
150* ''VideoGame/GoingUnder'': Used for {{beat}}s, such as when the clear plot is to do the opposite of what's being advised, with both sides of the conversation going "...".
151* Speech bubbles to this effect are used in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'', above all characters heads. There are also a few points in the game when HeroicMime Isaac (and in the second game Felix) show up in the regular dialog boxes. It's particularly shocking when it does happen, because there are only two or three points in the game where it happens, so you know some really bad stuff is about to go down.
152** For instance, in the first Golden Sun game Isaac's face never appears in a dialogue window except for one jarring and hilarious piece of visible silence: "!!!" So silent he couldn't even 'gasp!'
153** And Isaac's son, Matthew, in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'' continues the tradition of visible silence, but he also displays "..?", "...", "...!" and "!?". At one point, Matthew even swears, but it's only shown as "!@&*" and it only appears in the American version.
154* Beyond the Grave of both of the ''VideoGame/{{Gungrave}}'' games only "speaks" in ellipses, with one and only one exception. Such a SilentProtagonist is Grave, he doesn't even yell or grunt when he attacks or takes damage.
155%%* Jacket's speech ([[HeroicMime or lack thereof]]) in ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'' is represented this way whenever seen through another character's POV. This is reversed in one scene in [[VideoGame/HotlineMiami2WrongNumber the second game]], with Beard being visibly silent to show he's listening to Jacket talk on the other end of the line; [[HeWhoMustNotBeHeard we just can't see Jacket's dialogue]]. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
156* Since the comic-book-inspired ''VideoGame/ImmortalSouls'' uses a combination of static {{Character Portrait}}s and SpeechBubbles for the dialogue, Visible Silence frequently gets used whenever someone would ordinarily react with a facial expression of some kind.
157* Moments of silence in ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'' conversations are frequently accentuated with ellipses. Parodied with the Scrambler, which causes Iji to say "Dot dot dot" when she would normally say nothing (...).
158* ''VideoGame/KatamariDamacy'': Whenever [[AbusiveParents The High King]] "speaks" in ''We ♥ Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie'', it's presented as "[[DramaticEllipsis ...!!]]", followed by whatever he's actually saying in parenthesis. This provides [[{{Foil}} a sharp contrast]] to his son's various {{Verbal Tic}}s once he grows up into the KingOfAllCosmos, emphasizing the High King's far more serious and no-nonsense personality.
159* The Quiet Healer monster in ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' occasionally has attack messages like "..., but misses."
160* ''VideoGame/LastWord'': Sometimes, characters' speech boxes are just an ellipsis, like when Holden [=McCall=] is defeated in the final part of the game.
161%%* Used on occasion by Link in the various ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' games. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
162* ''VideoGame/LiEat'': First game: Levin Bloom has only "..." to say at the beginning of the game.
163* Alex, in ''VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar'' for the Platform/SegaCD, has two lines: visible silence and "[[SayMyName LUNA!]]" He gets more regular dialog in the UpdatedRerelease for the Platform/PlayStation, but still uses this a lot. In the English release of the game, he will utter actual sentences when introducing Luna to Ghaleon. It's a missable piece of dialogue that was not present in the original Japanese.
164* ''VideoGame/MegaManZero1'' features ellipses that had to be scrolled past, with more dots being added for each dialogue box. Later games stuck to the regular three dots.
165%%* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' uses this occasionally. If ''you'' want to assign words to all of Snake's various grumblings and exasperated grumbles and fed-up grumbles and happy grumbles...''go ahead''. We'll wait. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
166* In her penultimate conversation with Adam in ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'', Samus alternates between "..............." (long pause), "...?" (confused pause), "...!" (stunned pause) and "...?!". She actually ''speaks'' during this conversation, as well.
167* In ''VideoGame/MitadakeHigh'', players will usually express silence, either when listening to someone else or when they are left speechless with "..."
168* In ''VideoGame/Mother3'', [[spoiler:The Masked Man]] speaks in ellipses, except in two cases: [[spoiler:at the sixth needle, most likely giving commands to his army, as what he said wasn't even written onscreen]], and [[spoiler:During the final battle, after regaining his memory of being Claus, Lucas's brother, and then suffering mortal damage due to consciously reflecting a highly-powerful lightning bolt he fired off of Lucas's Franklin Badge, apologizing to his family before dying]].
169* At one point in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', namely in Ammon Jerro's Haven, Qara says "..." if you're playing a male character and offer Baalbisan to reveal your private parts to prove this.
170%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample * ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden''.
171* In ''VideoGame/OkageShadowKing'', the main character Ari almost has all his dialogue options include a "...". There is even a point in the game where you will be relatively punished if you use that option.
172%%* Issun does this a few times in ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' when a situation is making him uncomfortable. This can partially be blamed on the fact that Ammy is [[HeroicMime no help whatsoever]]. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
173* ''VideoGame/PaperMario'':
174** If you visit Luigi as soon as you get to Toad Town in ''VideoGame/PaperMario64'' (or at least before you trigger his ''other'' scenes), Goombario and Luigi throw ellipses at each other, but Luigi's ellipsis has ''four'' dots. In addition, when Merlon and his ancestor tell their stories, much of what they say is ellipses, obscuring any point to the stories. Later in the game, an NPC who suspects Mario of wrongdoing elaborates on this line: "..." "I said, '...'! I don't talk to penguin killers!"
175** ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'':
176*** Mario uses an ellipsis during his first conversation with Grubba. Also, TEC's last words have heavy ellipses between each letter.
177*** One mouse in Podley's bar always begins conversations with "..." before explaining what it means and why he's saying it. Usually unrequited love.
178** Ridiculous overuse of ellipsis is used for humor many times throughout the ''Paper Mario'' series. Like when Don Pianta is awakening from his illness in ''The Thousand-Year Door''.
179** Ellipses are also played for humor in the ''Mario & Luigi'' series.
180* A large chunk of ''VideoGame/Persona3''[='=]s script is a barrage of "...", "...." and ".....".
181* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
182** In ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'', you can visit Red atop Mt. Silver. He only says "..." when you talk to him, before and after the battle. Even in his appearance in ''VideoGame/PokemonStadium 2'', he only says "...", when something important happens in the battles, even though every other trainer has selected phrases that they say. The tradition continues in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', where, once again, he says nothing but "..." The one exception is his appearance in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Brawl'', although he's quite talkative in [[Anime/PokemonOrigins the anime adaptation]].
183** In ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl''/''Platinum'', if you refuse to be Professor Rowan's deputy for the Pokédex, he ''threatens you with unending ellipses'' until you comply.
184--->'''Rowan''': [[ButThouMust I can do this all day, you know]].
185** ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon Rescue Team]]'' has two points where the only options are ellipses. First time it's when [[spoiler:Gengar publicly exclaims you're the Pokémon from Ninetales legend, which turns out to be a lie]] and then when you reach Mt. Freeze entrance [[spoiler:as fugitives]].
186%%** In ''VideoGame/PokemonConquest'', everything the [[HeroicMime player character]] 'says' during the story consists of this, with a question mark or exclamation point stuck on the end if they are especially confused/surprised. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
187* ''VideoGame/PrayerOfTheFaithless'': Sometimes, characters voluntarily say nothing, leading to a text box of "...", like when the final battle is won.
188%%* In ''VideoGame/RPGShooterStarwish'', [[SamusIsAGirl Mare's]] dialogue consists of this. [[spoiler:Until the post- Earthwall-battle cutscene, that is.]] And even then, [[spoiler:s]]he only speaks when it is necessary. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
189%%-->'''Deuce:''' I have to duel ''you''? But you'll totally annihilate my ass.\
190%%'''Mare:''' Your ass, luckily, is irrelevant.\
191%%'''Deuce:''' Is that a joke I just heard from the great Mare?\
192%%'''Mare:''' ...
193* Toona/Raven in ''VideoGame/RuneFactory3'' responds to nearly everything you or even other [=NPCs=] say with "..." for the majority of the game.
194* In a quest in ''VideoGame/{{Runescape}}'', you meet a monk who has taken a vow of silence. He says "...". If you then answer "...", he replies "...". If you then again reply with "...", the monk will again say "...". But then another monk nearby suddenly says "Will you stop that noise?!"
195* ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'': Every one of [[TheVoiceless Fuuma Kotaro]]'s dialogue boxes consists of ".....", if only to show that he is listening to whoever is talking at the time. Other characters sometimes do this when they're thinking or hiding something.
196* ''VideoGame/ShantaeRiskysRevenge'': Shantae often responds with "...".
197* The protagonist in ''VideoGame/ShiningForceIII'' only ever talks in ellipsis, but everyone around him acts like he's actually speaking. Example: WhiteMage - "What do we do about the refugees?" Protagonist - "......." Knight - "He's right. We have to save them!" This is doubly annoying because ''Shining Force III'' was made up of three parts with three different mains characters. In each part the main hero would only ever say "..." but the other heroes would talk. This is also the case in all Shining Force games.
198* A significant amount of ''Videogame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'' is spent waiting for ellipses to appear over characters' heads in cutscenes.
199* ''VideoGame/SuikodenI'' and ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'' uses the ellipses, ranging from 3 to 20 dots -- usually to convey how long a piece of information takes to sink into a character, usually followed by a "!!!!!" One character, the aptly nicknamed "Silent Humphrey," speaks almost exclusively this way.
200* It's a surreal enough game as it is, but ''Superman'' on the NES has [=NPCs=] who will 'say' the expression, "...........!?" to him when talked to. Maybe they're still reeling from shock at seeing the one and only Superman? Except that they say it to Clark Kent, too...
201%%* PlayedForLaughs in the cell phone game ''Surviving High School '08''. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
202%%-->'''[[CanonName Jenny]]:''' Don't you "..." at me, mister!
203* In ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'', characters just standing silently are accentuated with speech bubbles showing an ellipsis.
204** In ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' everybody, Lloyd especially, does this during dialog. There's one point where you have eight characters, they're all standing around chatting to somebody else, and the someone else says something and all eight of your characters get the "..." above their heads. This Visible Silence happens so much that you can count on every conversation in the game to have at least one, usually more.
205** Volt only communicates in ellipses. Apparently he actually ''is'' saying something, though, as the characters register that he's speaking, but nobody (except Raine) [[TheUnintelligible can understand what he's saying.]]
206** In several Tales games, any time a character says nothing and an emoticon showing an ellipsis appears usually means that they know something about any question or statement brought up in the conversation beforehand that they have decided not to tell the rest of the group. Seems especially prevalent in ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss''.
207%%* Used at various points in ''VideoGame/TelepathTactics''. Most notably, this is Tarion's only reaction when Emma taunts him about [[TheDragon Pathos]]' death. Given that he's usually [[EvilGloating quite talkative]], this implies he is legitimately shaken by it. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
208* In a (rather silly) scene from the game ''VideoGame/ThreadsOfFate'', the main character's only response to the appearance of another character is ''seventy-six periods'', followed by the query, "Am I dreaming?" Seventy-six.
209* ''VideoGame/TreasureHunterMan2'': Dorothy says "..." before trying to talk "The Hugest Pig" down from attacking her, which fails, and they fight.
210* ''VideoGame/TriangleStrategy'': Whenever someone says "...", it is said slowly and with a sound effect for each dot.
211* ''VideoGame/AVeryLongRopeToTheTopOfTheSky'': Multiple:
212** A PictorialSpeechBubble of "..." comes from Gainer when sneaking into his house and is confused by the lack of servants. The ellipses are presumably to represent him thinking, perplexed about what could have happened.
213** Used by Mort in Nox's sermon on TheQuietOne and {{Terse Talker}}s, to people that are quiet and Mort's the quietest of all, just ''saying'' "..." a lot:
214---> '''Nox''': I see among us men of the land, men of the earth.\
215'''Pullman''': Mhm.\
216'''Olson''': Yep.\
217'''Mort''': ...\
218'''Nox''': You have no doubt been called men of few words, and perhaps you have even been chided for this.\
219'''Nox''': However, a tree does not speak, yet it shares its wisdom with us through its roots and trunk and branches--and the many circles of its trunk.\
220'''Pullman''': Mhm.\
221'''Olson''': Yep.\
222'''Mort''': ...
223* Banshee from ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'', the [[MakeSomeNoise sound manipulating warframe]], has an ability "Silence" whose icon consists simply of an ellipsis. It stuns and deafens enemies close to Banshee, making them oblivious to sounds that would normally alert them.
224* Very often the characters in ''VideoGame/WildArms'' have nine, twelve or more dots before they say anything. They make it a bit easier by treating each set of three dots as a separate character.
225* In ''VideoGame/TheWitcher'' you encounter a man who has taken a vow of silence and only says "..." when clicked. You can choose to reply "...". Or you can [[spoiler:get him drunk so he forgets his vow]].
226* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': One of the quests you can get in your weekly run of Icecrown Citadel gives you 30 minutes to save an NPC, by killing two bosses. If you run out of time, the second of these will taunt you, and the NPC will ''yell'' "..." before dying. Also, if a character is speaking [Zombie], all dialogue is translated as ... ....... ... (except for the word "brains.")
227[[/folder]]
228
229[[folder:Visual Novels]]
230%%* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'':
231%%** The ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' games use these as the ReactionShot for those assembled in the courtroom after the CourtroomAntics. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
232%%--->'''Phoenix:''' ...\
233%%'''Maya:''' Don't "..." me!
234%%** Miles does this in ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'' whenever Ernest Amano waxes nostalgic about Manfred von Karma, evidently too restrained to point out Manfred's corrupt and murderous ways. This is also his response in the flashback case when he asks to continue investigating and Manfred unexpectedly berates him as worthless. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
235* In ''VisualNovel/BrassRestoration'', there are upwards of six alternating dialogs of two characters conversing in varying lengths of ellipses.
236%%* The {{Hentai}} games by [=ClockUp=] (such as ''VisualNovel/NoThankYou'') just love to use these as their ''scene transitions''. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
237%%* Used frequently in ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'' when a character is lost for words, or declines to speak for whatever reason. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
238* All of Shizune's dialogue in ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'' is either "…" or "…!" because she's deaf and mute, and serves to indicate that she is signing something, and Misha's following statement is translating it rather than speaking for herself. Until you learn sign language, that is, at which point it's generally rendered in brackets unless Hisao is for some reason unable to understand it.
239%%* In ''VisualNovel/{{Melody}}'', this is used mainly when a character is having an orgasm, but occasionally used in other contexts as well. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
240* Ren of ''[[VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}} Kagetsu Tohya]]'' and ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood'' almost exclusively speaks in ellipses. People who speak with her must be telepathic.
241[[/folder]]
242
243[[folder:Web Animation]]
244* In the ''Platform/GoAnimate'' video [[https://youtu.be/WgZdiGyBHoM Dora Argues With Her Dad/Belted And Grounded]], after Dora yells at and insults Cole, the camera zooms into Cole's face to emphasize his angered silence, before proceeding to ground Dora and belt her.
245* In ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'', Strong Bad's anime alter-ego Stinkoman actually pronounces the ellipsis as "Dot dot dot!", appropriately enough during an homage to/parody of the opening cutscene of the original NES ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' game.
246* ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'' turns visible silence into audible silence when the Emperor verbally says "ellipsis" in episode 16.
247[[/folder]]
248
249[[folder:Webcomics]]
250* In ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}'' [[https://web.archive.org/web/20150906195105/http://adventurers.keenspot.com/d/20021113.html strip #692]], the villains practice conversing in ellipses.
251-->'''Khrima''': My, aren't we being stoic and mysterious. Good work.
252%%* ''Webcomic/TheArtistIsDead!'' uses it frequently. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
253%%* ''Webcomic/AvasDemon'': Multiple times:
254%%** [[https://www.avasdemon.com/pages.html#0258 Wraitha gives her a blurred line of these while thinking.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
255%%** [[https://www.avasdemon.com/pages.html#0260 When she does tell, Ava gets a clearer one.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
256%%* ''Webcomic/BandVsBand'': Multple times. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
257* ''Webcomic/BeyondTheEnd'': Multiple times, but most prominently with Hal after he [[spoiler: returns from Hell, having temporarily gained the ability to talk. When he becomes mute again,]] he keeps trying to speak, only for it to show as crossed out speech bubbles.
258%%* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'' [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/031031c Poor Nate]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
259* ''Webcomic/CityOfTrees'': When Emil finds Ophidian standing in the hallway of their apartment with a stranger and a bleeding leg, floating ellipses emphasize the shocked silence.
260%%* Employed [[http://corneralley.comicgenesis.com/d/20040827.html here]] in ''Webcomic/CornerAlley13''. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
261%%* ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'' has a particularly effective example in the last panel [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5456 here.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
262* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive''. Principal Verrückt of Moperville North High School is [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2007-09-21 temporarily rendered speechless]] by Sarah's PuppyDogEyes. Also, [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2013-04-17 Elliot is reduced to silence, then a "loud, angry silence".]]
263%%* In ''Webcomic/ErrantStory'', this is [[TheStoic Sara]]'s main form of communication. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
264%%* ''Webcomic/EvilDiva'': [[http://www.evildivacomics.com/?p=93 Schoolgirl turns down a powerful magic artifact for not matching her dress -- naturally this ensues.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
265%%* ''Webcomic/GameDestroyers'' makes use of it quite frequently. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
266%%* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': Othar's response when the Baron is complaining that Agatha could be accepted [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090202 here.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
267%%** [[OhCrap More disturbingly]], in [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20061206 this earlier page,]] Klaus [[spoiler: is told to shut up in a newly CompellingVoice]]. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
268* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' occasionally uses a [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080418 completely blank speech bubble.]]
269%%* Used in [[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=414 this]] ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' strip. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
270%%** As well as [[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=533 here.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
271%%* At one point in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', Rose does this while drunk. As with everything else a drunk character types, the ellipses are misspelled. ''Even though they were talking in person.'' %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
272%%-->'''ROSE:''' .. .\
273%%'''ROSE:''' ...\
274%%'''ROSE:''' ,,. ..\
275%%'''ROSE:''' . .\
276%%'''ROSE:''' ,....
277* ''Webcomic/KevinAndKell'' includes a storm cloud of [[http://www.kevinandkell.com/2005/kk0905.html UNCOMFORTABLE SILENCE]].
278%%* In ''Webcomic/LeifAndThorn'' it makes regular appearances. Consider [[http://leifandthorn.com/comic/the-calling-17/ guards giving Sigrún meaningfully-unimpressed silences]] or [[http://leifandthorn.com/comic/only-900s-kids-will-get-this-15-17/ Duke Andsvarr wordlessly realizing how boned he is]]. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
279%%* ''Webcomic/LotusCobraIsEvil'': For a BeatPanel in [[https://i.imgur.com/NbfiL1f.jpeg "Favorite Zendikar Card"]], as said by Cobra Commander. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
280%%* ''Webcomic/NoRestForTheWicked'': [[http://www.forthewicked.net/archive/03-22.html Clare's response]] to November, when she points out that they intend to [[BurnTheWitch burn her alive.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
281* ''Webcomic/MedicPics'': When Student calls Artist over to watch a lecture, he's met with one of these.
282* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' uses [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0138.html empty speech bubbles]] to show that one character cannot hear the other.
283%%** Happens occasionally in , for instance in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0546.html this one]]. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
284%%* ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' calls out ''Grandia III'''s use of the trope [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/2/22/ here,]] with characteristic bluntness. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
285%%-->I don't know what that means. Maybe if you used words.
286%%* In ''Webcomic/RustyAndCo'', [[http://rustyandco.com/comic/2/ the disadvantage of needing directions when you're a monster.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
287%%* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' shows Kevyn [[https://www.schlockmercenary.com/2007-02-19 having some fun with his captor, Shufgar.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
288%%* ''Webcomic/SquidRow'' [[http://squidrowcomics.com/?p=1343 here.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
289%%* ''Webcomic/StarPower'': Im [[https://starpowercomic.com/comic/an-emerging-pattern An Emerging Pattern]], Danica does this when coming to an unpleasant conclusion. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
290%%* ''Webcomic/{{Strays}}'' Feral's TheSpeechless. Meela's ConstantlyCurious. He does this ''a lot''. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
291%%* Lampshaded... Subverted... Something in [[http://suburbanjungleclassic.com/?p=2586 this strip]] in ''Webcomic/TheSuburbanJungle'' %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
292%%* ''Webcomic/TalesFromSomewhere'': In ''The Legend'', [[https://www.talesfromsomewhere.com/comic/chapter-1-the-legend/ch1p12-scream-for-me/ "Scream For Me"]], both Nandiel and Morten are stunned into silence. Brem takes this as his cue to explain why they shouldn't be yelling so loudly. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
293%%* ''Webcomic/{{Tamuran}}'' [[http://www.tamurancomic.com/?p=685 when wounded.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
294%%* ''Webcomic/TerrorIsland'' [[http://terrorisland.net/strips/028.html theorem 028.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
295%%* ''Webcomic/ThistilMistilKistil'' [[http://tmkcomic.depleti.com/comic/ch02-pg05/ Our hero does this a lot.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
296%%* Jue Viole Grace from ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'' only really talks when directly addressed, resorting to this otherwise. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
297* ''Webcomic/VoldemortsChildren'': An ellipsis appears where Snape has erased some of his own lines from a memory before showing it to Harry.
298%%* In ''Webcomic/WakeTheSleepers'', [[http://wakethesleepers.com/comics/56 grief at a departure.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
299%%* ''Webcomic/WapsiSquare'': [[http://wapsisquare.com/comic/08022002/ off on the wrong foot -- maybe]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
300%%** [[http://wapsisquare.com/comic/hernameisjill/ And here.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
301%%** [[http://wapsisquare.com/comic/transfer-of-the-address/ On seeing Phix.]] %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
302* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'':
303** The [[AltText mouse-over text]] for "[[http://www.xkcd.com/412/ Startled]]" is nothing but an ellipsis.
304** In "[[https://xkcd.com/852/ Local g]]", Cueball asks how did angry pole vaulters manage to get up to a balcony. Cue two {{beat panel}}s, one showing Megan with "..." hovering above her head, before she shows incredulity at Cueball [[YouAnsweredYourOwnQuestion missing the answer he just gave]].
305* In ''Webcomic/YokokasQuest'', many characters use ellipses in speech bubbles to indicate silence. Tomo uses a circle of dashed marks to indicate being mute. In both cases, the speech bubbles are still colour-coded according to the language.
306[[/folder]]
307
308[[folder:Web Videos]]
309* There's a ''WebVideo/KateModern'' episode entitled simply "...". The descriptions of "Precious Blood: 5PM" and "Precious Blood: 10:30PM" also each consist of a single ellipsis.
310[[/folder]]
311
312%%[[folder:Western Animation]]
313%%* Appears once in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' during the BeachEpisode. Naturally it was with Princess Azula talking to a boy she didn't know. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
314%%* Once on ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBeavers'', where Daggett yells "what the dot dot dot question mark?" %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.
315%%[[/folder]]
316
317[[folder:Real Life]]
318* Some chat programs use an ellipsis to indicate that the other person in the conversation is presently typing a response.
319* After the release of ''Literature/LesMiserables'', Creator/VictorHugo was wondering how the novel was selling. He contacted his publisher via a telegram that contained a single character: "?" His publisher's response: "!" This is also the world record for the shortest correspondence in history.
320[[/folder]]
321----

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