History Main / DreamPeople

Ghosts are [[OurGhostsAreDifferent a separate trope]], while virtual entities are covered by InsideAComputerSystem, ProjectedMan and DigitalAvatar. Compare ImaginaryFriend, IntangibleMan. See also DreamLand and DreamApocalypse.

* In ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut,'' the main characters are {{Anthropomorphic Personification}}s of a girl's emotions who live in her MentalWorld. Others also exist there, most notably Bing-Bong, her old ImaginaryFriend. ([[spoiler:He gets a {{Tear Jerker}}y death]].

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

Characters in fiction are imaginary. Now extend the fact that characters that are imaginary within a work of fiction, and you get Dream People. They might be inhabitants of Dreamland or hallucinations, but that doesn't mean they don't have hopes and fears. If the real characters know about the imaginary nature of the Dream People, [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman they may or may not stop caring about their well-being.]]

[[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghosts are a separate trope.]]

[[InsideAComputerSystem Virtual entities]] are covered by ProjectedMan and DigitalAvatar.

Compare ImaginaryFriend, IntangibleMan.

See also DreamLand, DreamApocalypse.

* Zimmy's mental constructs in ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt''.
** Disconcertingly, they're ''not quite'' people; their faces are scribbles that vaguely resemble QR codes, [[{{Dissimile}} except not]].

* In the WesternAnimation/PoetAndersonTheDreamWalker short film, the coal shovelers on the train are the only characters who show up that aren't defined in some way as Dreamers.

* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', [[spoiler:the entire Cait Shelter guild]] ends up being an illusion caused by Roubaul.

* [[spoiler:The inhabitants of Magicant, excluding Queen Mary]] from ''[[VideoGame/{{Mother1}} Earthbound Zero]]''.

* This trope is EVERYWHERE in "VideoGame/YumeNikki". The whole game takes place in the dreams of a young girl, so you should expect some interesting characters. Things like walking clocks, faceless technicolor people, walking whistles, deformed bird witches, pixel sculptures, mouths in wigs, ghosts, candle people, and even some unique characters in between, all haunt the regions of the game.

* Most of the [[spoiler:inhabitants of Mars]] in ''MahouSenseiNegima''. Revealed when they start getting erased.
* The inhabitants of the DreamLand in ''{{Paprika}}''.

* In ''TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'', it turns out that [[spoiler:everyone except]] Link is just a dream of the Wind Fish.

* ''NinthElsewhere'': Carmen's dreamscape is inhabited by figments, each of which represents a different aspect of her personality.

* In ''Comicbook/TheAvengers'', [[TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]] falls in love with a woman named Taylor Madison. It is eventually revealed to be an illusionary construct created by Zeus as part of a BatmanGambit to expose his wife Hera's plans to harm his son, knowing that she would [[StuffedInTheFridge target the person Hercules holds most dear]]. Despite his son's pleas, Zeus erases Madison from existence once she has served her purpose, leading to a [[IHaveNoSon violent falling out]] between Hercules and Zeus and the latter revoking his son's immortality.

* ''AnElegyForTheStillLiving'': The entire cast, even including Francis.
* Tommy Hazzard in TheBoyfriendList.

* In ''Comicbook/TheAvengers'', [[TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]] falls in love with a woman named Taylor Madison, who is eventually revealed to be a construct created by Zeus as part of a BatmanGambit to expose his wife Hera's plans to harm his son, knowing that she would target the person Hercules holds most dear. Despite his son's pleas, Zeus erases Madison from existence once she has served her purpose, leading to a violent [[IHaveNoSon falling out]] between Hercules and Zeus.

* In ''Comicbooks/TheAvengers'', [[TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]] falls in love with a woman named Taylor Madison, who is eventually revealed to be a construct created by Zeus as part of a BatmanGambit to expose his wife Hera's plans to harm his son, knowing that she would target the person Hercules holds most dear. Despite his son's pleas, Zeus erases Madison from existence once she has served her purpose, leading to a violent [[IHaveNoSon falling out]] between Hercules and Zeus.

* In ''Comics/TheAvengers'', [[TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]] falls in love with a woman named Taylor Madison, who is eventually revealed to be a construct created by Zeus as part of a BatmanGambit to expose his wife Hera's plans to harm his son, knowing that she would target the person Hercules holds most dear. Despite his son's pleas, Zeus erases Madison from existence once she has served her purpose, leading to a violent [[IHaveNoSon falling out]] between Hercules and Zeus.

* In ''Comics/TheAvengers'', [[TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]] falls in love with a woman named Taylor Madison, who is eventually revealed to be a construct created by Zeus as part of a BatmanGambit to expose his wife Hera's plans to attack Hercules, knowing that she would target the person Hercules holds most dear. Despite his son's pleas, Zeus erases Madison from existence once she has served her purpose, leading to a violent [[IHaveNoSon falling out]] between Hercules and Zeus.

* Agent Francis York Morgan from ''DeadlyPremonition'' has an invisible friend named Zach. Zach acts as a stand-in for the player; whenever York addresses Zach, York is speaking through the FourthWall. The in-game explanation is a bit more [[MindScrew complicated]].

* Ninja Ninja in ''Anime/AfroSamurai''.

* Harry Morgan [[spoiler:and Brian Moser]] in later seasons of ''{{Dexter}}'', since the resulting {{Dead Person Conversation}}s are more to different aspects of his subconscious than the actual people themselves.