History Main / CuteMute

* Downplayed in ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' where Newt refuses to speak at first, until [[PromotedToParent Ripley]] get her to open up. In the novelisation it's explained that she's learnt not to make noises that attract the xenomorphs.

* In ''Film/{{Aliens}}'', Newt spends a most of the movie silent until she starts to warm up to [[PromotedToParent Ripley]].

* Christine Royce from ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas: Dead Money'' not only had her vocal cords cut by an AutoDoc, but prior to that was lobotomized leaving her unable to read or write, and is reduced to communicating with {{hand signals}}. While she is not [[ButchLesbian conventionally]] [[BaldWomen cute]], she is still easily the most moral character of the DLC's cast (barring a Very Good Karma Courier), and if the Courier [[PetTheDog treats her right]] they can exchange very sweet and touching friendship/ambiguously romantic moments. [[spoiler: She gets her voice back at the end, though it's not ''her'' voice per se; the AutoDoc gave her a copy of the vocal cords belonging to the long-dead Vera Keyes.]]

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* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Poor Casca went insane after [[spoiler: Griffith raped her]] during the Eclipse and was reduced to the mental capacities of a two-year-old. Interestingly, "mental capacities of a two-year-old" extends to more than just her speech; she had a tendency to put things in her mouth, like pearls and [[SidekickCreatureNuisance Puck]]. She also has a bad tendency to wander after anything that catches her eye, making her former lover's task of protecting her much more difficult, though as Guts learns in the Millennium Falcon arc, [[spoiler:she's still capable of defending herself to some degree if she needs to, as a group of bandits that tried to rape her learned the hard way]]. It might depend on what translation but she seemed to be able to say only one coherent word: "no" [[spoiler: whenever someone [[AttemptedRape tries to have his way with her]] like during the trauma of the Eclipse]].

* Celty from ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' is an interesting take on this one. Because she [[HeadlessHorseman doesn't have a head]], she can't speak or communicate using facial expressions, but she ''can'' communicate well enough by [[TalkingWithSigns typing things out on a cellphone or computer]]. (Her roommate [[spoiler:and later fiancé]] Shinra can tell what she's thinking or trying to say from her body language, though — as Celty puts it, he "can read the expressions on the face I don't have.") Celty also averts the "clueless or childlike" stereotype; she's very intelligent and fully understands what's going on around her, and her twenty-odd years spent in Japan have given her a thorough understanding of Japanese social norms. She is very cute just not in the innocent, childish way you would normally expect.

* The titular character of ''Manga/HelenESP''. A young girl who's mute (and blind ''and'' deaf), but cute as a button, and whose kindness and innoncence sometimes causes her to trust people too easily for her own good. Fortunately, she always pulls through.

* [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Oshino Shinobu]], the tiny ruined vampire from ''LightNovel/{{Bakemonogatari}}'' is supposed to be voiced by Creator/AyaHirano. Whether or not this is true we have no idea, as she hasn't uttered a sound. She spends most of her time sitting in a corner, apparently sulking. She's ''adorable,'' especially when [[KissOfTheVampire drinking blood]]. In episode 4 of ''Nisemonogatari'', she broke her silence and revealed herself to be talkative. [[TheOtherDarrin She was voiced by]] Creator/MaayaSakamoto.
* ''Manga/KomiCantCommunicate'', as you [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin might guess from the title]], has this as the premise, with the main character Komi--a kind, beautiful girl with HundredPercentAdorationRating everywhere she goes... but with a crippling communication disorder that leaves her nigh-incapable of speaking or interacting.

* In ''Manga/RentAGirlfriend'', Sumi is ''able'' to talk, but rarely does so. It doesn't make her any less adorable.

* ComicBook/EmilkaSza (Emily Hush) Polish character created by Maciej Kur and Magdalena "Meago" Kania. Emilka is a cute (if not a bit tomboyish) girl who was born literaly a mime - she has pale white skin, can see invisible objects and is mute.

* Artie Maddicks, mostly seen in ''ComicBook/GenerationX'' and other X books in the 90s is telepathic, but functionally mute. Even with telepathy, he's unable to use words or language, but instead speaks in mental pictograms.

* WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}} is a mute ''protagonist''. It works since he's particularly expressive and he has talkative friends. It also helps that the little guy is essentially an infant/toddler, so it makes sense for him to be TheVoiceless.

* WesternAnimation/WallE can manage only a few sounds and words, and is indisputably cute! He used to be the page image for TheWoobie.

* In ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'', Tinker Bell doesn't speak, but only jingles like, well, bells. It is later revealed in her own movies, Tinker Bell does speak, but to humans it sounds like the jingling of bells. It's quite clever if you think about it - we don't know her language, that and there is a lot of comedic potential for her miming as well. It's a RunningGag in Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson's adaptations.
* ''WesternAnimation/AMonsterInParis'' has Francœur, who is a giant flea and therefore only speaks in chirps and bleeps. It's adorable.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'', identical triplet princes Harris, Hubert and Hamish for some bizarre reason never speak.
* Kristoff's reindeer Sven in ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'' is silly, snarky, lovable, and yet he does not say a single word the entire movie. Any time he "speaks" is Kristoff speaking in a goofy voice.
* In ''Anime/ChildrenWhoChaseLostVoices'', Mana is a little girl who Shin and Asuna rescue and is incapable of speech.
* Cri-Kee is WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'s cute, lovable lucky cricket, who is completely mute . He still manages to provide some comic relief, although not as much as Mushu.
* Saoirse from ''WesternAnimation/SongOfTheSea'' is an adorable six-year-old girl who can't speak. This is because she is half-[[SelkiesAndWereseals selkie]] and cannot talk without her white coat, which her father keeps hidden since he doesn't want to lose her like he lost her selkie mother. [[spoiler:She becomes able to speak after she's reunited with her coat, and after her mother severs the tie between her and the fairy world, she's able to speak permanently.]]
* Zoe in ''WesternAnimation/ACatInParis'' is one for most of the film. It's implied this started [[spoiler: after her father's death.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheProphet'': {{Deconstruction}}. Almitra's muteness was caused by her father's passing, but it only serves to strain her relationship with Kamila. And while Almitra may be a cute child, her thievery isn't.

* Adorable little Max from ''Film/{{Orphan}}'', [[JustifiedTrope justified by the fact that she is born stone deaf.]]

* Calvin from the movie ''Film/{{Scrooged}}'' fits. He hasn't spoken since he saw his father killed. But at the end of the movie he reminds the [[HeelFaceTurn reformed Frank Cross]] to say "God bless us, every one."
%%* Madeline/Frigga of ''Film/ThrillerACruelPicture'', AKA "They Call Her One-Eye".
%%* Fon, Creator/NicolasCage's love interest in the 2008 version of ''Film/BangkokDangerous''.
%%* ''Film/TheGunsOfNavarone''. Anna, the Resistance fighter who's also [[spoiler:TheMole]].
* Burt Lancaster had a childhood friend, Nick Cravat, who appeared in several of Lancaster's movies. Cravat was never able to get rid of his thick Brooklyn accent, so he communicated by mime when in a movie where the accent would be inappropriate. He often seemed on the verge of stealing the show -- one review described him as miming his way into the audience's hearts.

%%* Edward in ''Film/VeronikaDecidesToDie''.
* Rebecca from the British BlackComedy movie, ''Film/{{Skeletons}}'', is certainly this, being a young woman who never speaks [[spoiler: after coming back from University and learning the mysterious circumstances under which her father disappeared]]. She [[SuddenlySpeaking gets better]]. It's also justified, though it's one massive MindScrew, with some WidgetSeries for good measure. She ends up becoming the {{Tritagonist}}.
* ''Film/TheSpiralStaircase'': Protagonist Helen is mute and this is a plot point. There's a SerialKiller on the loose who targets disabled women. Thus the inability to speak is combined with DamselInDistress appeal.

* The little monkey in ''Film/BabePigInTheCity''. Comes off as particularly cute because he's the only animal who doesn't talk.

%%* L'il Snake Eyes from ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra''.

* Sawako in Takeshi Kitano's ''Film/{{Dolls}}'' ends in a regressive, childish state after attempting suicide. She does not speak, focus her attention in toys and little pink objects and tends to aimlessly wander around until her former boyfriend ties her to his own waist. Not that this system saves her to be raped for extra drama.
* Misaki Nadeshiko, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Nadeshiko, from ''Film/KamenRiderXKamenRiderFourzeAndOOOMovieWarMegaMax''. She's not completely mute, but she can only repeat what other people say, and is very cute and childlike. It's later revealed that [[spoiler:she's not actually human, but the human form of a substance known as SOLU, a non-sentient life form from space which is full of Cosmic Energy, and which instinctively replicates anything it finds useful (hence her repeating others' words).]]
* Played with by Laura in ''Film/{{Logan}}''. She's an 11 year-old girl who is an odd blend of WiseBeyondTheirYears and showing signs of significantly stunted emotional development, and for much of the first half of the film is apparently unable to speak. The twist, revealed late in the film, is that she actually ''can'' talk, for whatever reason (trauma, wariness, etc.) she chose not to. However even once she ''does'' begin to speak, aside from a heated argument with Logan she doesn't do so at length.
* In ''Film/{{Aliens}}'', Newt spends a most of the movie silent until she starts to warm up to [[PromotedToParent Ripley]].
* ''Film/TheShapeOfWater'' gets two: the cute and romantic cleaning lady Elisa Esposito and the ''Asset'', a mysterious [[FishPeople fish-like creature from Amazonia]]. Both overlooked, mistreated outcasts, they end up bonding together in a society oppressing them.
* Tiffany of ''Film/HellboundHellraiserII'' is an orphaned teenager obsessed with solving puzzles. Her muteness mainly stems from the "treatment" of psychiatrist [[DeadlyDoctor Dr. Channard]] [[spoiler:who murdered her mother in front of her and then experimented on her to increase her obsession with puzzles. Towards the end of the film she starts speaking again.]]
* Carl in ''Film/BlackZoo''. Audrey certainly thinks he is cute and spends some time EatingTheEyeCandy before attempting to chat him up.
* Thana, the VillainProtagonist of ''Film/Ms45'', is very cute in a TheGirlNextDoor kind of way, although shy and socially awkward. When she glams herself to go trolling for men, she is absolutely stunning.
* ''Film/{{Dobermann}}'': Nat the Gypsy is a deaf-mute played by Creator/MonicaBellucci. You do the maths.
* ''Film/TheDarkestMinds'': Zu, a pretty little girl who never speaks in the film. It's unclear if she can't, or simply won't.
* ''Film/DateWithAnAngel'': The Angel (played by ''Creator/EmmanuelleBeart'') is adorable and doesn't speak until the end of the movie.
* ''Film/TheEigerSanction'': George is a gorgeous woman, and she never speaks in the film.

* Subverted with Marta from ''Literature/TheHardestRide'' by Gordon Rottman. She's a beautiful 16-year old Mexican girl who's mute from a brain trauma, but she's very intelligent, strong-willed and prickly.

* In Ben Hennessy's ''Literature/QueenOfTheWorld'' series, the protagonist Sarene is a lovely 16 year old who is mute from birth.

* Raj isn't mute in the early years of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', but he can't talk to women unless he's drunk. Women seem to think this is endearing. Later, Howard and Penny decide to hook him up with Emily, a non-verbal deaf-mute friend of Penny, with Howard acting a TranslatorBuddy. They both reason that Emily is cute enough to be endearing and likeable, and being a pre-verbal deaf girl wouldn't be bothered by Raj's own condition. This doesn't work because [[spoiler:Emily ended up being a BitchInSheepsClothing, a really talented GoldDigger knowing that Raj is the richest guy in Penny's social circle and hoping to siphon a whole lot of his fortune, turning against him as soon as his family threatens to strip them both of his cospicuous allowance]].

* ''Theatre/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'' has Gymnasia, a beautiful and quick-witted slave from the Island of Silent Women. (She's pretty handy with weapons, too.) Pseudolus knows her sign language because his childhood nanny was a Silent Woman.

* Len from ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' speaks a grand total of twice (one of those a single ''word'') in the 2 games she's been in.

* Haile from the german Play-by-Post game ''{{Roleplay/ZOOOOOmmxBIES}}'' is a cute, mute young woman, who only speaks 83 words in the whole game - which is almost as long as the entire Harry Potter series.
* [[Blog/AskFlufflePuff Fluffle Puff]] only "speaks" in raspberries, gasps, and other assorted noises- she occasionally converses with characters via raspberries somehow. One post had her and Chryssi undergoing a FreakyFridayFlip- Chryssi could speak in Fluffle's body, but FP didn't in Chryssi's, so we're not sure if VoicesAreMental or if she ''can'', but just doesn't. She can write though, albeit in a very child-esque way.

* GadgeteerGenius (and GeniusCripple) Bernardo from ''WesternAnimation/ZorroGenerationZ'', named for a character by the same name in old-school Franchise/{{Zorro}}, like [[GenerationXerox many characters]]. He communicates via ''actual'' sign language, though he rarely uses it with Diego - they know each other so well it's not needed, and it takes a couple of episodes to realize that Bernardo ''can't'' talk, as opposed to there simply being a RunningGag of Diego answering his own questions and not letting Bernardo get a word in.

* Chibi Chibi from ''Franchise/SailorMoon'', named for the only sound she could produce. She literally ''was'' otherwordly in the sense of NotOfThisEarth. In the [[Anime/SailorMoon anime]] she was a child but in the [[Manga/SailorMoon manga]] she was [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld older than she seemed]].
* [[AntiMagic Suzuho Hasegawa]] from ''LightNovel/MagiciansAcademy'' is mute when her Midnight Blue Vampire personality is dormant. This makes her appear even shyer than she normally would be and forces her to use signs to communicate.
* Rin from ''Manga/InuYasha'' had been mute since the trauma of losing her parents, but she grew out of this quickly when she became Sesshoumaru's MoralityPet.
* [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Oshino Shinobu]], the tiny ruined vampire from ''LightNovel/{{Bakemonogatari}}'' is supposed to be voiced by Creator/AyaHirano. Whether or not this is true we have no idea, as she hasn't uttered a sound. She spends most of her time sitting in a corner, apparently sulking. She's ''adorable,'' especially when [[KissOfTheVampire drinking blood]]. In episode 4 of ''Nisemonogatari'', she broke her silence and revealed herself to be talkative. [[TheOtherDarrin She was voiced by]] Creator/MaayaSakamoto.
* ''Manga/KomiCantCommunicate'', as you [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin might guess from the title]], has this as the premise, with the main character Komi--a kind, beautiful girl with HundredPercentAdorationRating everywhere she goes... but with a crippling communication disorder that leaves her nigh-incapable of speaking or interacting.

* Hatsumi from ''VisualNovel/YamiToBoushiToHonNoTabibito'' is a subversion; she can talk at times, and is nowhere near as innocent or cute as she first appears.
* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Poor Casca went insane after [[spoiler: Griffith raped her]] during the Eclipse and was reduced to the mental capacities of a two-year-old. Interestingly, "mental capacities of a two-year-old" extends to more than just her speech; she had a tendency to put things in her mouth, like pearls and [[SidekickCreatureNuisance Puck]]. She also has a bad tendency to wander after anything that catches her eye, making her former lover's task of protecting her much more difficult, though as Guts learns in the Millennium Falcon arc, [[spoiler:she's still capable of defending herself to some degree if she needs to, as a group of bandits that tried to rape her learned the hard way]]. It might depend on what translation but she seemed to be able to say only one coherent word: "no" [[spoiler: whenever someone [[AttemptedRape tries to have his way with her]] like during the trauma of the Eclipse]].
* Subverted by Meru Otonashi from ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei''. Innocent-looking and too shy to talk, she communicates by using her cellphone to send people horribly abusive text messages. On one occasion when her phone lost its signal, she began jabbering in a way that another character interpreted (from personal experience with just such jabbering) as a sign of DemonicPossession.
* Shion, the lead character of ''Manga/ShionNoOu'', lost her voice after her parents were killed in front of her, communicating via a notepad and pen she carries around with her. [[spoiler:She regains her voice after she defeats the murderer in the finals of the shogi tournament Hani-meijin.]]
* Rita Rossi from ''Anime/AshitaNoNadja''. [[spoiler: She lost her voice after seeing her parents' death in an horrendous fire that consumed their circus, which also left her with [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes a phobia of anything fiery, even stoves]]. Halfway in the series, Rita recovers her will to speak when Nadja was trapped in a fire and Rita is the only one able to tell her how to get out of the burning place. From then on, she becomes a GenkiGirl MotorMouth.]]
* Lirio from ''Anime/ElCazadorDeLaBruja''. She only talked in one scene, and in that she was possessed by a witch so that the witch could communicate with the heroes.
* Elaine from ''Anime/{{Genocyber}}'' was the mind of a feral animal and therefore can't speak. She is very friendly and protective towards those who show her kindness, at least in her human form.
* Mizuna Kuraki from ''VisualNovel/MoonlightLady'' apparently cannot speak, although she tries mouthing her name.
* {{Moe}}ka from ''VisualNovel/SteinsGate''. She is uncomfortable speaking to people directly, and prefers to use her cell phone to communicate. [[spoiler: Turns out she's TheMole, and is killed for it.]]
* ''Anime/PokemonHeroes'': Latias in human form fits this trope much better than any other Pokemon. She's very pretty, acts strange and childlike, and doesn't speak at all (not even Pokemon Speech), Though she does make crooning and trilling noises and occasionally says "la" in Pokemon form.

* ''Anime/{{Potemayo}}'''s vocabulary mainly consists of "Honi, honi", but she picks up a few words as the series progresses. This is better than Guchuko, who can't form words.
* Nill from ''Manga/DogsBulletsAndCarnage''. Her being mute is the result of being genetically engineered to have features that appeal to certain fetishes and make it easier for her to be sold into prostitution (in this case, a pair of tiny wings), but the method is inexact and often leaves the subjects missing something (in her case, her voice).
* Flandre of ''Manga/PrincessResurrection'' only says "Huga", but Hime understands what she is saying. Likewise with the rest of Flandre's "siblings". Played straight wither a "Mermaid" character (No name given, she simply called that) who lost her voice and got stuck on a ship until she turned into a [[EmergencyTransformation Blood Warrior]] after saving one of the characters (she could only use her voice once and would've dies afterward).
* Double Subverted in ''Manga/{{Cyborg 009}}''. 0013 is a chubby but still kinda cute-looking boy with HiddenEyes who speaks through telepathy and acts [[GentleGiant cheerful and innocent]]... [[TragicMonster until he has to fight 009]] and reveals himself as a KidWithTheLeash of a HUGE robot. [[spoiler: He still remains kind (saves an InnocentBystander, punishes a bunch of assassins, releases the DistressedDude professor) and ultimately commits suicide.]]
* Chane Laforet from ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}''. Her fiancé, [[spoiler:Claire Stanfield]], lists her muteness as one of her {{Charm Point}}s -- though he carries on impressively long conversations with her regardless, thanks to the frequent use of yes/no questions and an apparent ability to read her mind.

* [[spoiler:Tomoyo Daidouji]] temporarily becomes one in the ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' anime, [[spoiler: when she has her adorable voice ''stolen'' by a Clow Card that liked her singing a little ''too'' much. While everyone else thinks she's just sick to the throat, Syaoran and Sakura have to team-work to seal the card and dispel its effects.]].
* Ren from ''Manga/DearS'' is on the same approximate wavelength as Chi from ''Chobits'', above.
* Celty from ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' is an interesting take on this one. Because she [[HeadlessHorseman doesn't have a head]], she can't speak or communicate using facial expressions, but she ''can'' communicate well enough by [[TalkingWithSigns typing things out on a cellphone or computer]]. (Her roommate [[spoiler:and later fiancé]] Shinra can tell what she's thinking or trying to say from her body language, though — as Celty puts it, he "can read the expressions on the face I don't have.") Celty also averts the "clueless or childlike" stereotype; she's very intelligent and fully understands what's going on around her, and her twenty-odd years spent in Japan have given her a thorough understanding of Japanese social norms. She is very cute just not in the innocent, childish way you would normally expect.
%%* Lycoris from the Franchise/DotHack novel ''[[LightNovel/DotHackAIBuster AI Buster]]'' is mute when she first appears.
* Anna Mouri from ''Manga/ADevilAndHerLoveSong'' is a subversion because, as commented by the main character, [[ManipulativeBastard she's bold enough to use her inability to speak as a weapon]].
* Mayu Morita from ''Manga/MoritaSanWaMukuchi'' rarely speaks. She's also cute and has some ditzy moments.
* Ohri from ''Manga/{{Gestalt}}''. A [[ManicPixieDreamGirl manic slave girl]], she's cute, ditsy and unable to speak: instead, she lampshades her fantasy origins by making a text box appear straight under her bust and making some [[VoiceGrunting accompanying noises to catch the main character's attention]]. She also plays on her condition to get enrolled in the main cast, convincing Oliver (the protagonist) that [[TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth she's too cute and helpless to survive on her own]], and likely to be sold to a less caring individual. However [[spoiler: Ohri's muteness is a byproduct of having her sorceress powers sealed away, and she gains access to a cockier SuperpoweredAlterEgo fully capable of speech and sorcery]].

* PlayedForDrama in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', when [[spoiler:[[CreepyChild Yukio]] was rejected by his parents because he couldn't speak.]] As years pass he begins to talk normally, but the psychological consequences have completely screwed him up... [[spoiler:enough to both [[SelfMadeOrphan drive his parents to suicide]] and accept Ginjou's offer to become a Fullbringer.]]
%%* "[[NoNameGiven Assistant]]" in ''LightNovel/HumanityHasDeclined''. A rare male example.
* Deaf-mute Sasaki Kojiro from ''Manga/{{Vagabond}}'' has that child-like innocence... which turns from cute to a bit unsettling once he gets into combat. While he's not AxCrazy or evil, she is a BloodKnight who will sport his best SlasherSmile in the midst of dismemberment and death.

* It's implied that Ran Mao from ''Manga/BlackButler'' doesn't know much English (she's only spoken about four words thus far). She usually just stays silent and lets Lau do all the talking.

* [[spoiler: Genki Saotome]] from ''Manga/GetterRobo'': Armaggedon didn't start as such, but [[BreakTheCutie became one]] after [[spoiler: being horribly traumatised via witnessing Michiru's death.]] Also mixed with being a very, ''very'' unsettling CreepyChild.
* The titular character of ''Manga/HelenESP''. A young girl who's mute (and blind ''and'' deaf), but cute as a button, and whose kindness and innoncence sometimes causes her to trust people too easily for her own good. Fortunately, she always pulls through.
* Akira Oono of ''Manga/HighScoreGirl'' is [[TheSilentBob a variation]]; she is never shown talking on-panel and is [[ShrinkingViolet incredibly shy]] to the point that she would rather prefer to communicate with her best friend and fellow gamer [[IdiotHero Haruo]] via [[FacialDialogue body language]], her actions in video games or through ''[[ComedicSociopathy wanton violence]]''. Thankfully for her, Haruo is not only MadeOfIron but is also perceptive enough to easily read her physical expressions most of the time. [[spoiler: It's implied to be a form of social anxiety disorder stemming from [[TrainingFromHell her incredibly Spartan homeschooling.]]]].
* Koyori from ''Anime/HandShakers''. [[spoiler: In [[WhamEpisode Episode 9]], she [[SuddenlySpeaking finally speaks]].]]
* Sawyer from ''Anime/BlackLagoon'' is a PerkyGoth, true, but ultimately she's a downplayed example. First of all, her profession is [[GirlWithPsychoWeapon cutting up bodies for disposal]] with a [[ChainsawGood chainsaw]], something she enjoys doing whether or not the said body is dead yet. Also, she can be pretty mouthy when she's got her electrolarynx.
* In ''Manga/TheComiq'', supposed murderer Baba cannot speak, his appearance is highly childlike and innocent, and the protagonist eventually deduces he couldn't have committed the murders.
* Shizuka of ''Manga/The100GirlfriendsWhoReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyLoveYou'' is so shy that she doesn't speak at all, instead pointing to passages in books in order to communicate. Rentarou helps her out by making a special app that does the speaking for her.
* In ''Manga/RentAGirlfriend'', Sumi is ''able'' to talk, but rarely does so. It doesn't make her any less adorable.

* Errand, the little boy in the ''Literature/{{Belgariad}}'', is initially capable of only saying the word "Errand", [[VerbalTicName which is why the party takes to calling him that.]] It's explained that when Zedar found him, all he said was "I have an errand for you, boy"; Errand repeated the one word and followed him. Over the next two books, he learns more words, but he can only say one-word sentences. After the TimeSkip between the ''Belgariad'' and the ''Malloreon'', he learns how to speak properly. In the ''Malloreon'' his real name is revealed to be [[spoiler:Eriond; he explains that he picked up the word 'Errand' from Zedar because it sounded familiar to him.]]
* Subverted by Flute in ''Literature/TheElenium'' trilogy by Creator/DavidEddings; she appears to be one of these at first but is really [[spoiler:the goddess Aphrael, and perfectly capable of talking (at great length) when it suits her.]]
* Subverted with Marta from ''Literature/TheHardestRide'' by Gordon Rottman. She's a beautiful 16-year old Mexican girl who's mute from a brain trauma, but she's very intelligent, strong-willed and prickly.
* Lise Acquin in the French novel ''Literature/SansFamille'' by Hector Malot (and the media coming from it, like the movies and the two anime series). Remi, the vagabond child protagonist, who becomes close to her, learns that it's not permanent and she'll eventually recover if she's, for example, faced by a violent emotion. They get separated a few months later as the Acquins is scattered after her father is put in a debt prison, and Remi going back to wandering as none of Lise's uncles and aunt can take him with them. [[spoiler: And near the end, Lise recovers her voice when hearing Remi, whom she thought she'll never see him again, singing his trademark Napolitan song. Years later, [[ChildhoodFriendRomance she and Remi get married]].]]
%%* The title character of Creator/GeorgeMacdonald's novel ''Wee Sir Gibbie of the Highlands''.
* Miette from ''{{Literature/Malevil}}''. A birth defect made her mute and she is young, beautiful, and exceptionally kind. She doesn't know any sign language so all of her communication comes from pantomime.

* The eponymous humanoid alien woman in ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', "The Empath." She has a pixie haircut, gives a lot of startled expressions, and makes no sound even when she's weeping.

* Cassie Chan, the Pink Ranger from ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace''. Usually your average ActionGirl and AsianAirhead, she turns into that in the aptly named "SilenceIsGolden" episode, because she's forewarned that her enemies and trope namers PsychoRangers are pursuing her by tracking the sound of her voice. A weird and long series of unfortunate events force her to keep communicating by pantomimes and cutish expressions, until a falling BabyCarriage forces her to break her self-imposed vow of silence.
* A brief example in Cassandra from ''Series/StargateSG1'', who first appears as the only survivor of a plague unleashed by the Goa'uld Niirti. Her inability to talk combined with her age and situation made Samantha Carter [[ImTakingHerHomeWithMe dote on and want to adopt her]]. Once she gets over the trauma enough to start talking again she's been able to talk just fine.

* In Disney's 1957 Zorro TV Show, Don Diego's manservant Bernado, played by Gene Sheldon, counts as this, mostly keeping a cheerful and innocent demeanor and using his own style of signing when interacting with people.
* ''Series/KingdomAdventure'': Gigag is a childlike character who is on the heroes' side and always seems to be smiling, but he's both mute and deaf.
* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'': Tali in "[[Recap/TheOuterLimits1995S4E21PromisedLand Promised Land]]", who is pretty, sweet and mute.
* ''Series/TheBoys2019'': Kimiko's deadly, yet cute as a button, and hasn't said a word since the start of her dark and troubled existence.
* ''Series/{{Gotham}}'': Martin, the adorable mop-headed kid that Penguin [[EvilMentor takes under]] [[ParentalSubstitute his wing]], never utters a word and communicates by TalkingWithSigns. Played with in that he's also sort of a CreepyChild, but his darker tendencies are played for laughs and he's still cute as a button.

* ''VideoGame/ShadowHeartsFromTheNewWorld'': 'Lady'. She never speaks, is an EmotionlessGirl, can inspire love in the heart of a sociopathic psycho named 'Killer', and was not so much RaisedByWolves, as [[WildChild not raised at all]]. She can also kill you with a flick of her wrist just because you happen to be there. [[spoiler:She's like this because she was originally the sister of Johnny Garland and during a ritual to bring them back from the dead, she gave up her "will" (life force) to save her brother, which turned her into a "pure mass of malice" -- a being with no memories or humanity.]]

* Keria from ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonDS (and DS [[DistaffCounterpart Cute]])'' is mute due to [[spoiler:a curse]]. She communicates by writing messages on a sign (in the English version, she writes in YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe). However, one event between her and the [[CuteWitch Witch Princess]] lets her speak briefly; in his InternalMonologue, the hero remarks, "It's nice to know Keira talks like that."
* While most previously voiceless ''VideoGame/BrawlStars'' characters received a voice at some point, WordOfGod confirmed that Spike would stay mute.
* Klaymen from ''VideoGame/TheNeverhood'' is a goofy, ditzy creature made out of clay. Aside from grunts and screams, he never speaks [[spoiler: until the final cutscene, when he introduces himself to Hoborg]].

%%* ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'': MeaningfulName Meute the mermaid.

%%* In ''VideoGame/AlphaProtocol'', Sis, who is Albatross' personal bodyguard.

* ''Claudia'', from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow''. Cute and innocent as the trope allows. She can't speak, but she can use telepathy to express herself. And she does. A lot.

* Christine Royce from ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas: Dead Money'' not only had her vocal cords cut by an AutoDoc, but prior to that was lobotomized leaving her unable to read or write, and is reduced to communicating with {{hand signals}}. While she is not [[ButchLesbian conventionally]] [[BaldWomen cute]], she is still easily the most moral character of the DLC's cast (barring a Very Good Karma Courier), and if the Courier [[PetTheDog treats her right]] they can exchange very sweet and touching friendship/ambiguously romantic moments. [[spoiler: She gets her voice back at the end, though it's not ''her'' voice per se; the AutoDoc gave her a copy of the vocal cords belonging to the long-dead Vera Keyes.]]
* Chelinka in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyCrystalChroniclesRingOfFates'' loses her voice after an uncontrolled use of her power and communicates by telepathy instead. [[spoiler:She eventually gets it back when her vocal chords heal.]]
* Sona Buvelle, the Maven of Strings of ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends''. A cute [[Music/{{Vocaloid}} Hatsune Miku-lookalike]] with a [[Main/ImpossiblyLowNeckline gor]][[Main/ImpossibleHourglassFigure ge]][[Main/TrueBlueFemininity ous]] appearance that can only "speak" via telepathy (though her 2020 lore and dialogue update made them more akin to "internal monologues", in written material she uses sign language) and plays melodies that can [[Main/TheMedic support]] [[Main/BarrierMaiden her allies]] or [[Main/MusicalAssassin disrupt]] [[Main/InvoluntaryDance her enemies]] with her [[Main/HarpOfFemininity etwalh]].
* The main protagonist of ''VideoGame/ChibiRobo''.
* Linear Cannon of ''VideoGame/EvolutionTheWorldOfSacredDevice'' is completely mute, often showing her approval or disapproval of situations with nods, head shakes, backing away in disgust, and tilting her head to indicate she's thinking or confused. She doesn't actually say a word, and apparently only makes very quiet noises that don't have any sentence structure or sound like any words. [[spoiler: This actually does lead to a relatively serious moment when she notices that Euegene Luitipold is creeping up behind Mag Launcher and co. in a large robo suit, but cannot speak and thus they cannot somehow hear the massive metal monster come towards them.]] By the second game she has begun talking, apparently knowing how and just choosing not to, but her timid nature still has her speaking only one or two words at a time, and often not involving herself in conversation at all, still preferring to let everyone else speak and just nod in agreement or shake her head in disagreement.
* Yggdrasil, one of the many Primal Beasts from ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'', never speaks, only using a sound similar to wind chimes to communicate. Only Lyria and Rosetta can actually understand what she says and the rest of the cast has become adept at figuring out what she's communicating.

* Shizune from ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'' plays with this trope: she is cute and mute, but has has a ''very'' forceful personality and is even the MsFanservice of her game. Evidence seems contradictory on whether or not Shizune is physically mute (as the developers claim) or would rather avoid speaking since it'd make her sound bad (being deaf), as some scenes seem to hint at her being able to vocalize after all. [[MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces During a sexual encounter in the student council room]], it's revealed that Shizune can audibly groan. So her vocal cords are fine, it's just that, being deaf since birth, she has no concept of spoken language, and thus "mute".

* [[http://dawnoftimecomics.com/ Dawn of Time]]: The titular Dawn is a slight variant, in that we rarely ''understand'' what she's saying when she does speak. Her SpeechBubbles are simply filled with ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}-like tick marks.
* Emm from ''TheWisdomOfMoo''. The title "character" is the cow hand puppet she uses to do all her talking.
* LittleDee from the eponymous comic. She's young, but not ''that'' young.

* [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Zombie children]] Bridget and Alphonse in ''Webcomic/FarOutThere'' are [[http://faroutthere.smackjeeves.com/comics/1072501/page-254-do-radios-broadcast-expressive-eyes/ incapable of speech]], but otherwise intelligent. And definitely cute. [[http://faroutthere.smackjeeves.com/comics/1636000/how-the-calgaris-stole-christmas-page-8/ So]] [[http://faroutthere.smackjeeves.com/comics/1688179/page-517-smooch/ very]] [[http://faroutthere.smackjeeves.com/comics/1707369/page-526-get-to-the-important-part/ cute.]]
* The Mongrelfolk of ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'' are apparently a race of them; the only two that we come across are Bort - a peaceful, NonActionGuy farmer who communicates by crudely carving words onto stone slabs and wooden signs - and a mongrelfolk girl with NoNameGiven who has a crush on him. [[spoiler: Bort does have a scene where he speaks, but it's implied that it's the nature of the EldritchLocation he's in that's allowing him to do so]].
* Canta from ''{{Webcomic/Sire}}'' is the lineage child of Christine Daae and was born without the ability to speak. She communicates via sign language and is often depicted smiling sweetly, optimistically ignoring tales of caution or stalking on the Erik-Child, Leif.
* Yvette from Webcomic/{{Precocious}} is the go to girl for jokes that are essentially mime routines.

* GadgeteerGenius (and GeniusCripple) Bernardo from ''WesternAnimation/ZorroGenerationZ'', named for a character by the same name in old-school Franchise/{{Zorro}}, like [[GenerationXerox many characters]]. He communicates via ''actual'' sign language, though he rarely uses it with Diego - they know each other so well it's not needed, and it takes a couple of episodes to realize that Bernardo ''can't'' talk, as opposed to there simply being a RunningGag of Diego answering his own questions and not letting Bernardo get a word in.

* Jericho from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' is [[SlashedThroat physically unable]] to speak, but he sure is [[{{Bishonen}} cute]].
* A very obscure cartoon that Jerry Beck has featured in his Worst Cartoons Ever festivals at San Diego's Comic-Con International was ''Sam Basset, Hound For Hire.'' Sam's assistant was a mute, guitar-playing chihuahua named Chapultapec.
* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Nibbler ''appears'' to be this, but it eventually turns out he can talk and is intelligent. The Planet Express crew remains oblivious to this because he erases their memories every time he reveals the truth.
** In the Bender's Game movie, it was revealed that Nibbler had actually forgotten to mind wipe them the last time that they heard him speak, and thus as of the sixth season has realized it no longer serves a purpose to pretend to be silent and actively talks.
* Gus, the adorable new kid in the gang from ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' becomes this in the episode "Jinxed" after the Ashleys jinx him into not being able to talk for most of the episode.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'' has Laconia the woodelf, who appears in various episodes to communicate with the Smurfs in sign language.
* ''WesternAnimation/BooBoomTheLongWayHome'': the main character, Boo-Boom, is rendered mute due to the shock of losing his parents in an air attack.
* In ''WesternAnimation/KittyIsNotACat'', the titular Kitty speaks only in meows and various cat-like sounds, while the actual cats converse in perfect English.
* In ''WesternAnimation/JellyJamm'', Ongo only communicates through random sounds and incoherent babbling. He ''does'' occasionally spout a real word, i.e "Oh no!" in one episode.

* Saoirse from ''WesternAnimation/SongOfTheSea'' is an adorable six-year-old girl who can't speak. [[spoiler:This is because she is half-Selkie and cannot talk without her white coat, which is thrown into the sea.]]

* Tommy from the rock opera ''Music/{{Tommy}}'', who after witnessing the death of his father, goes deaf, dumb (mute) and blind. His "cuteness" is due to the fact he is played by ''Music/RogerDaltrey''.

* PlayedForDrama in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', when [[spoiler:[[CreepyChild Yukio]] was [[http://www.mangareader.net/bleach/471/3 rejected by his parents]] because he couldn't speak.]] As years pass he begins to talk normally, but the psychological consequences have completely screwed him up... [[spoiler:enough to both [[SelfMadeOrphan drive his parents to suicide]] and accept Ginjou's offer to become a Fullbringer.]]

The Cute Mute has an appearance that's innocent to a fault. Whatever situation that causes their inability to speak also gives them that clueless, childlike demeanor. Unlikely to know or grasp social conventions, they will often be found innocently doing awkward things that spell trouble for the other characters. This convention could also be enforced by the disproportionate number of Oscar nominees and winners who play mute characters in films like Ryan's Daughter, The Piano, Johnny Belinda, The Shape of Water, etc.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' has Laconia the woodelf, who appears in various episodes to communicate with the Smurfs in sign language.

* Sona Buvelle, the Maven of Strings of ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends''. A cute [[Music/{{Vocaloid}} Hatsune Miku-lookalike]] with big boobs that can only speak via telepathy (only for the summoner, allegedly) and otherwise plays a melody that supports her allies or disrupts her enemy.

* ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}'': The titular [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries Transformer]] gets his speech synthesizer ripped out early on. Throughout the entire rest of the movie, he tries to establish ways to non-verbally communicate with Charlie in the most adorable fashion.

The Cute Mute has an appearance that's innocent to a fault. Whatever situation that causes their inability to speak also gives them that clueless, childlike demeanor. Unlikely to know or grasp social conventions, they will often be found innocently doing awkward things that spell trouble for the other characters.

* ''[[WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'': Ariel is mute for much of the film because she traded her voice to Ursula to become human. Ursula meant this to impede her romance with Eric, because the prince fell in love with Ariel's singing voice, but it doesn't really stop it. In [[Literature/TheLittleMermaid Andersen's original story]], the loss of her voice was permanent. In the Creator/GoldenFilms version of the story, Lena ultimately gets to marry Stefan, like their Disney counterparts, but unlike that version, Lena seemingly doesn't regain her voice, implying that she is a mute for life.

* The title character of ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'' is mute for much of the story and film because she traded her voice to Ursula to become human. Ursula meant this to impede her romance with Eric, because the prince fell in love with Ariel's singing voice, but it doesn't really stop it. In [[Literature/TheLittleMermaid Andersen's original story]], the loss of her voice was permanent. In the Creator/GoldenFilms version of the story, Lena ultimately gets to marry Stefan, like their Disney counterparts, but unlike that version, Lena seemingly doesn't regain her voice, implying that she is a mute for life.
* [[TastesLikeDiabetes Boo]] in Disney and Pixar's ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'' is a toddler and so has learned few words. Otherwise, she's small, adorable and adoring of Sully.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}'', the eponymous character from the Disney movie, is a mute ''protagonist''. It works since he's particularly expressive and he has talkative friends. It also helps that the little guy is essentially an infant/toddler, so it makes sense for him to be TheVoiceless.

'''Happy:''' He don't know -- he never tried!

* Tack and the Thief from ''WesternAnimation/TheThiefAndTheCobbler'' was this in the original story. When the film was purchased by another company before the original creator could finish it, it was turned into a musical and Tack along with the Thief were given voices.
* In Disney's ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'', Tinker Bell doesn't speak, but only jingles like, well, bells. It is later revealed in her own movies, Tinker Bell does speak, but to humans it sounds like the jingling of bells. It's quite clever if you think about it - we don't know her language, that and there is a lot of comedic potential for her miming as well. It's a RunningGag in Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson's adaptations.

* Cri-Kee in ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'' is Mulan's cute, lovable cricket companion who is completely mute . He still manages to provide some comic relief although not as much as Mushu.

* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Poor Casca went insane after [[spoiler: Griffith raped her]] during the Eclipse and was reduced to the mental capacities of a two-year-old. Interestingly, "mental capacities of a two-year-old" extends to more than just her speech; she had a tendency to put things in her mouth, like pearls and [[SmallAnnoyingCreature Puck]]. She also has a bad tendency to wander after anything that catches her eye, making her former lover's task of protecting her much more difficult, though as Guts learns in the Millennium Falcon arc, [[spoiler:she's still capable of defending herself to some degree if she needs to, as a group of bandits that tried to rape her learned the hard way]]. It might depend on what translation but she seemed to be able to say only one coherent word: "no" [[spoiler: whenever someone [[AttemptedRape tries to have his way with her]] like during the trauma of the Eclipse]].

* [[{{Webcomic/Homestuck}} Fefetasprite]], aka "dear, sweet, precious Fefeta", is cute and is never depicted talking, although Roxy and Jane have spoken to her at some point. They seem to see her as a combination gal pal and [[CutenessProximity super-cute pet]].

* ''Anime/MasterOfMartialHearts'': Natsume's mother. Your average MILF, [[StepfordSmiler caring and lovely]]. Mute due to an unspecified accident in the past, she communicates by UsefulNotes/SignLanguage, using her kids as a proxy. Subverted as [[spoiler:her unspecified accident gets [[TheReveal revealed]]. She's a former ActionGirl, who after losing a Franchise/StreetFighter expy tournament got [[DisproportionateRetribution her voice box torn out, her personality mindraped into total obedience, AND was sold into sexual slavery]]. Since then, her whole life had been an attempt to regain a semblance of normality and hatch a complicated RevengeByProxy involving her offspring and protagonist Aya Iseshima, who is the daughter of her captors]].

* Ohri from ''Gestalt''. A [[ManicPixieDreamGirl manic slave girl]], she's cute, ditsy and unable to speak: instead, she lampshades her fantasy origins by making a text box appear straight under her bust and making some [[VoiceGrunting accompanying noises to catch the main character's attention]]. She also plays on her condition to get enrolled in the main cast, convincing Oliver (the protagonist) that [[TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth she's too cute and helpless to survive on her own]], and likely to be sold to a less caring individual. However [[spoiler: Ohri's muteness is a byproduct of having her sorceress powers sealed away, and she gains access to a cockier SuperpoweredAlterEgo fully capable of speech and sorcery]].

* Shizune from ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'' plays with this trope: she is cute and mute,but has has a ''very'' forceful personality and is even the MsFanservice of her game. Evidence seems contradictory on whether or not Shizune is physically mute (as the developers claim) or would rather avoid speaking since it'd make her sound bad (being deaf), as some scenes seem to hint at her being able to vocalize after all. [[MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces During a sexual encounter in the student council room]], it's revealed that Shizune can audibly groan. So her vocal cords are fine, it's just that, being deaf since birth, she has no concept of spoken language, and thus "mute".

* Manga/KomiCantCommunicate, as you [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin might guess from the title]], has this as the premise, with the main character Komi--a kind, beautiful girl with HundredPercentAdorationRating everywhere she goes... but with a crippling communication disorder that leaves her nigh-incapable of speaking or interacting.

* Egypt from ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' is often mistaken as one by other nations, since he's very quiet. This is strange considering the country's real life history but ''Hetalia'' has never been about historical accuracy.

%%* Comicbook/{{Batgirl|2000}} Cassandra Cain.

* Artie Maddicks, mostly seen in ''Comicbook/GenerationX'' and other X books in the 90s is telepathic, but functionally mute. Even with telepathy, he's unable to use words or language, but instead speaks in mental pictograms.
* ''Comicbook/TeenTitans'': Joseph "Jericho" Wilson is "cute" in the {{Bishonen}} sense, the WhiteSheep of his mercenary family, and communicates in ASL unless he's possessing someone. The reason for this is that his father, Deathstroke, let Joey's throat be cut (severing his vocal cords) rather than betray a client.

* ''FanFic/DontKeepYourDistance'', a ''Anime/SonicX'' fanfic, has Star, a robot created by Dr. Eggman who turns good after being rescued by the heroes. Star cannot speak, although it understands spoken language, so it communicates entirely through gestures and expressive noises.
* An obvious reference to his namesake, Harpo, a harp-playing pony in [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/19731/Room-213 Room 213]], though it's stated he ''can'' talk. Also, Chirp from Fanfic/SilentKnight. Possibly a first as HIE fics go.
* ''[[FanFic/PoniesOfOlympus Rolling in Beaches]]'': Wavedancer is this when Spike and the Mane Six first meet her, due to the Rainbow Pearl -- which transformed her from hippcampus to Earth pony -- being stuck in her throat.
* In ''FanFic/ASnowflakeInSpring'', Elsa hasn't said a word - or even acknowledged anybody's existence - for ten years, the result of an unknown trauma. Around Anna, however, the so-called IceQueen becomes an adorable, shy girl.
* [[WebComic/{{Homestuck}} Dave Strider]] is depicted as this early on in ''FanFic/{{Brainbent}}''. He ''can'' speak, but [[ElectiveMute he chooses not to]] because his situation has left him somewhat despondent. He starts getting better a little bit later.

%%* Edward in Film/VeronikaDecidesToDie.
* Rebecca from the British BlackComedy movie, Film/{{Skeletons}}, is certainly this, being a young woman who never speaks [[spoiler: after coming back from University and learning the mysterious circumstances under which her father disappeared]]. She [[SuddenlySpeaking gets better]]. It's also justified, though it's one massive MindScrew, with some WidgetSeries for good measure. She ends up becoming the {{Tritagonist}}.

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}} Onmyōji]]'': If we set aside Kurodōji's CreepyChild personality, he is an adorable little DumbStruck boy whose friend and LivingEmotionalCrutch Shirodōji is helping him recover his speech. [[spoiler: At the end of their episode, Kurodōji finally shows signs of regaining his speech again, barely breathing out "Shiro… dō… ji…"]]

* Cynthia from ''Anime/HanaukyoMaidTai'' is an adorable, innocent little girl who is completely incapable of any sort of vocalization, due to psychological stress. Her split personality Grace is quite talkative however.

* ''Film/TheShapeOfWater'' gets two: the cute and romantic cleaning Lady Elisa Esposito and the ''Asset'', a mysterious [[FishPeople fish like creature from Amazonia]]. Both overlooked, mistreated outcast, they end up bonding together in a society oppressing them.

* ''Film/TheShapeOfWater'': Elisa a very innocent-looking, sweet woman who is mute due to a childhood injury.