History Main / ForgettableCharacter

* Not surprising that this would eventually happen in ''Webcomic/LookingForGroup'' given that it is a LongRunner with LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters. Old foe [[UnfortunateNames Assaracus]] reappears and the cast literally spends ''two pages'' trying to remember who he was.

* The main character of ''The Sudden Appearance of Hope'', by [[Creator/CatherineWebb Claire North]].

* ''Literature/{{Worm}}'':
** Imp of the Undersiders has this as a literal superpower. Her power is always "on," but she normally suppresses it in order to interact with people. When she ''stops'' suppressing her power, people are literally unable to recall her, or even perceive her. Even if she's standing right in front of them. She uses her power to troll, gaslight, and terrify her enemies. Or people who annoy her.
** Nice Guy of the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Slaughterhouse 9]] has this with a twist. His power is that people cannot identify him as an enemy. Even if he has a gun to your head, you would be unable to remember that he's an enemy, or even think of him as such.

** In the Season One episode "Out of Mind, Out of Sight" the villain of the week is a girl named Marcie Ross who literally turned invisible (with the help of the Hellmouth) due to people not noticing or remembering her.

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'': Some of [[ShrinkingViolet Canada's]] interactions with other characters often involve them forgetting who he is or that he exists and/or mistaking him for his more outgoing brother America. At least until one of the ''Hetaween'' specials, where he's the main host and the nations not only recognize him, but tell him how good of a job he does.

* ''WelcomeToDemonSchoolIrumaKun'': Soi Purson went completely unnoticed by both the readers and his classmates up until the Cultural Festival arc. It turns out that being unnoticed and forgettable is actually his family's power, to the extent of even turning invisible if anybody actually does manage to notice him. His forgettable nature presents a serious problem, because the Misfit Class needs to get everybody [[RankUp promoted to at least Rank 4]] via the Cultural Festival in order to keep possession of the Royal One classroom. And Soi, due to being unnoticed by the teachers as well, is only Rank 2.[[note]]Most of the class reached Rank 3 going into the festival, and two of them have already gotten to Rank 4.[[/note]] Thus, they have to somehow make the guy who ''literally cannot stand out'' into the centerpiece of their performance.

* Copper of the ComicBook/MetalMen was introduced as a brand new member to the team post-''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' and was featured as a main character in their spinoff miniseries from ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo''. However, when the Metal Men received a back-up feature in ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'', Copper was downgraded into a running gag where the team would regularly forget she was there (especially the egotistical Gold).

* Lyra Heartstrings in ''FanFic/BackgroundPony'' is under a curse that makes anyone that interacted with her forget they met her after a few minutes of absence. breaking that curse is the driving point of the story, though eventually [[spoiler: Lyra gives up as breaking the curse would undo her massive contributions to defeating Discord, thereby dooming Equestria]].

* In Jennifer Lynn Barnes' YA novel ''Nobody'', this is the "[[BlessedWithSuck power]]" of Nobodies. They are ''so'' forgettable that when they go rogue the group that controls them has to set a timer to periodically remind them who they're looking for.
* Kragar from the ''[[Literature/{{Dragaera}} Vlad Taltos]]'' series is so utterly forgettable that he can be standing in the room and no-one will notice him, and will forget he's there minutes after speaking to him, even if he hasn't moved.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Peter Pettigrew a.k.a. Wormtail is only known as the quiet, unassuming guy in James Potter's Marauders, and the fact that he was supposedly killed by his friend Sirius, but nothing behind that. This trait is what makes him trusted with the Potter family secrets by Sirius, and [[spoiler:it also makes nobody suspecting him when there's a rumor about a Death Eater spy in the Order of the Phoenix.]]

* In ''Literature/{{Zeroes}}'', Anonymous's power causes him to be quickly forgotten by anyone not directly looking at him. The terrible downsides of this are explored: his own family forgot he existed, and he nearly died while bedridden in a hospital because the nurses kept forgetting to bring him food and water.

* ''Literature/{{Worm}}'':
** Imp of the Undersiders has this as a literal superpower. Her power is always "on," but she normally suppresses it in order to interact with people. When she ''stops'' suppressing her power, people are literally unable to recall her, or even perceive her. Even if she's standing right in front of them. She uses her power to troll, gaslight, and terrify her enemies. Or people who annoy her.
** Nice Guy of the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Slaughterhouse 9]] has this with a twist. His power is that people cannot identify him as an enemy. Even if he has a gun to your head, you would be unable to remember that he's an enemy, or even think of him as such.

* ''Literature/TheTruth'': William De Worde [[InvokedTrope went out of his way to become one of these]] as a child, considering it safer than [[TallPoppySyndrome standing out as smart]] in a rather grim boarding school.
* The Forgotten Gods in ''Literature/TheGoblinQuestSeries'' are cursed for their rebellion against the divine hierarchy by becoming this. It is literally impossible for any civilized being to remember who they are. If a person so much as hears their names, they will forget them within seconds. ''Uncivilized'' beings, on the other hand...

* On ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' none of the Bluth family (except her sometimes-boyfriend George-Michael) can remember Ann Veal's name; usually referring to her as "Bland," "Egg," "Annabell," "Yam," or "her?". Not out of malice, just because she's so forgettable.
* ''{{Series/Friends}}'':

* The Silents of ''Series/DoctorWho'' are the type with a power to invoke this. The moment a person looks away from one of them, their existence is completely forgotten. It's promptly remembered the next time the person lays eyes on them. While in the series they're seen using this for infiltration, their original purpose was [[spoiler:as confessors for an intergalactic church]].

* Luigi suffers from this problem in some ''[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]]'' games. In the DS remake of ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'', for example, the Toads openly admit in front of him that he's nowhere near as memorable as his brother Mario is.

* Cole from ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' is an unusual example; this appears to be an effect of his status as a spirit who mysteriously manifested in human form. Everyone except the player character keeps forgetting things about him or not noticing that he's there at all. (He's definitely not a RidiculouslyAverageGuy; he's TheEmpath and a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}.) Unlike most examples he deliberately employs this, intentionally causing people to forget him after he's helped them out or whenever he makes a mistake with them. You can either encourage this behavior or try to talk him out of it. [[spoiler:If he is made more human in his personal quest, he begins to lose the ability to do this.]]

->'''Sarge:''' Doc? Nah, he's been with us! I think, or wait. Was he with you?\\

* Not surprising that this would eventually happen in ''Webcomic/LookingForGroup'' given that it is a LongRunner with LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters. Old foe [[UnfortunateNames Assaracus]] reappears and the cast literally spends ''two pages'' trying to remember who he was.

* Wiki/SCPFoundation: [[http://scp-wiki.net/scp-055 SCP-055.]] It is ''utterly impossible'' to remember any data about what it is or what it has done, and any writing on its characteristics won't survive; it's Keter precisely because of that, the SCP could have well killed thousands and they would never know. The most the Foundation has managed to learn is that the effect doesn't apply to remembering what it ''isn't'', and that it isn't a sphere. That's about it.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': In the episode "The Last of the Meheecans", the boys play a Border Control role play game, and eventually the Mexican side claim victory. It takes a long while until Cartman realizes they forgot about Butters (and even then only because he can now still win as the Texan side). As the others wonder how this happened, Craig Lampshades that Butters is a rather easy to forget person.

* The Creator/MarvelComics character [=ForgetMeNot=].

* In Season 6 of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', a TerribleTrio is formed consisting of minor recurring characters Jonathan and Warren, and new character Andrew. The creators wanted another minor antagonist, Tucker, to be the third member, but his actor could not be contacted. Thus Andrew was created as his younger brother with similar powers in demon summoning, and a HandWave is given that he once summoned flying monkeys to attack the school. The incident is so [[ButForMeItWasTuesday comparatively mundane]] by ''Buffy'' standards that none of the cast remembers it or Andrew, and it becomes a RunningGag to refer to him as "Tucker's brother" or "the other guy".

* Copper of the ComicBook/MetalMen was introduced as a brand new member to the team post-''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' and was featured as a main character in their spinoff miniseries from ''ComicBook/52''. However, when the Metal Men received a back-up feature in ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'', Copper was downgraded into a running gag where the team would regularly forget she was there.

* Copper of the ComicBook/MetalMen was introduced as a brand new member to the team post-''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' and was featured as a main character in their spinoff miniseries from ''ComicBook/{{52}}''. However, when the Metal Men received a back-up feature in ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'', Copper was downgraded into a running gag where the team would regularly forget she was there.

* Wiki/SCPFoundation: [[http://scp-wiki.net/scp-055 SCP-055]]. It is ''utterly impossible'' to remember any data about what it is or what it has done, and any writing on its characteristics won't survive; it's Keter precisely because of that, the SCP could have well killed thousands and they would never know. The most the Foundation has managed to learn is that the effect doesn't apply to remembering what it ''isn't'', and that it isn't a sphere. That's about it.

* Wallflower Blush from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsForgottenFriendship''. She's so socially invisible that even students who've been in the same class for years don't remember her. There are moments when everyone forgets all about her while she's in the same room as them, or even right after talking to her. And it gets worse once she gets her hands on an Equestrian artifact that can erase memories, and she uses it to remove minor awkward moments. Unlike comedic examples of the trope, though, she brews some serious resentment over this.

* ''Discworld/TheTruth'': William De Worde [[InvokedTrope went out of his way to become one of these]] as a child, considering it safer than [[TallPoppySyndrome standing out as smart]] in a rather grim boarding school.

Please note that this trope is for in-universe only. Meta examples would go in HufflepuffHouse and OutOfFocus.

[[folder:Fan Fics]]

[[folder:Theater]]
* Alexander Throttlebottom in ''Theater/OfTheeISing'' is the Vice Presidential nominee running with John P. Wintergreen. He's so forgettable that he has to sneak into the White House with a tour group because no one remembers who he is. (Back in the 1930s when the play was written, the VP position was notorious for its lack of notability.) He does get remembered in the grand finale, as he's needed for a PairTheSpares moment.

->'''Sarge''': Doc? Nah, he's been with us! I think, or wait. Was he with you?\\
'''Tucker''': (over radio) We found him in a cave! Says he was in another dimension.\\
'''Sarge''': That doesn't sound right at all. (turns to Simmons and Grif) Grif! Simmons! You remember sending Doc to another dimension?\\
'''Simmons''': Who?\\
'''Sarge''': Doc! The purple guy!\\
'''Grif''': Doc... (swaps looks with Simmons) ...Oh, yeah! I guess we did do that!\\
'''Tucker''': Yeah, I totally forgot too.\\
'''Simmons''': Huh, I guess he's just got one of those faces, you know? Like really forgettable.

* Not surprising that this would eventually happen in ''Webcomic/LookingForGroup'' given that it is a LongRunner with LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters. Old foe [[UnfortunateNames Assaracus]] reappeared and the cast literally spent ''two pages'' trying to remember who he was.

* ''WebVideo/VinesauceTomodachiLife'' has several islanders that Vinny tends to overlook (not surprising, since the series has LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters). Most notable are [[VideoGame/PunchOut Little Mac]] (who suffers from being a regular-looking human on an island populated primarily by "creeps and weirdos") and [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossing Lolly]] (who gets close to ''no'' attention until her birthday rolls around [[spoiler:and then gets assimilated immediately afterwards]]).

Please note that this trope is for in-universe only. Meta examples would go in OutOfFocus.

* The main character of ''The Sudden Appearance of Hope'', by [[Creators/CatherineWebb Claire North]].

* On ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' none of the Bluth family (except her sometimes-boyfriend George-Michal) can remember Ann Veal's name; usually referring to her as "Bland," "Egg," "Annabell," "Yam," or "her?". Not out of malice, just because she's so forgettable.

A character who is often forgotten by other characters, sometimes to the point that they forget the character even existed. The character might be a RidiculouslyAverageGuy who's [[TheNondescript so unremarkable and ordinary]] that they seem to blend in the background. The character could be a minor villain or mook that the heroes defeat early on in story who returns to find out everyone forgot who they are. A character that has a low-key job or role in the cast might also be easily forgotten. Some characters even have a type of power that causes everyone to forgot who they are.