History Main / MysteriousWaif

** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' features the Emerald Herald, the last Fire Keeper in Drangleic, who hangs around at Majula and tells you to seek out King Vendrick for unclear reasons. [[spoiler: Near the end of the game, she reveals that her name is Shanalotte, and she wanted you to prevent [[BigBad Nashandra]] from taking the Throne of Want.]]

* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' features the mysterious Emerald Herald, who awaits you at the central hub that is Majula and gives cryptic advice to visit King Vendrick, the foolish ruler who brought the kingdom of Drangleic to ruin, though it's not initially clear why she's doing this. [[spoiler:She reveals near the end that it was all to guide the PlayerCharacter into stopping the true BigBad, Nashandra, from getting her hands on the Throne of Want.]]

* Kari Kamiya/Yagami Hikari from ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' and ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'', the human lightbulb. Also an IllGirl at times (really, she gets sick twice during the series and twice offscreen as backstory -- a lot compared to the ''zero'' of most of the rest of the cast, but that adds up to a minuscule portion of her screentime -- [[NeverLiveItDown far from the invalid she's remembered as by fans]].), she is the only one to have a Crest (Light) that ''doesn't'' refer to an innate virtue or trait. The powers of this Crest usually manifest themselves in weird ways, and she has been shown as both 1) unusually self-sacrificing and 2) drawn to the Dark Ocean, because of her powers and walled-in emotional problems. She's also empathetic to the point of being borderline psychic, which sends her into two {{Heroic BSOD}}s in 02 (and during the last one, her best friend Miyako even goes and literally [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan slaps her]] back to sanity).

* We might as well include a description for our RealLife Mysterious Waif who's pictured up there. She's the Afghan Girl, real name Sharbat Gula. She was photographed in an Afghan refugee camp. At the time the picture was taken, the photographer didn't know her name, and in 2002, she was successfully located and formally identified. Her photograph is the most recognized in Magazine/NationalGeographic history.[[note]]And in case you're wondering how being moderately famous improved her life... it didn't. At the time the picture was taken, Gula was twelve and had just been driven from her home, so she was understandably pissed off. And when she was found in 2002 and asked how she felt about being famous, she found that it was hard to care when your husband was working for a dollar a day and your asthma made it hard to breathe within your own polluted city.[[/note]]

* Elizabeth from ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'' is the quarry of the Columbian government, ruled by a fiery preacher (and Elizabeth's "father", so to speak), and the private eye sent to smuggle her out of the city. She seems to have an invisible touch ([[Music/{{Genesis}} yeah]]): She can open "tears", or windows to alternate realities and even the future; she is also the root cause of the tears -- or at least, her body's electrical field is somehow generating them without her consent -- hence, her popularity. She is kept under close surveillance in a laboratory tower. [[spoiler:The epilogue reveals that the infant Elizabeth lost her finger when an (artificially-created) tear closed over it. The missing 'piece' was let behind in an alternate reality, which upset the balance of reality and gave her the portal ability.]]

* Doubly subverted in ''Manga/{{Aruosumente}}''. When Legna finally turns his attention to Moeran, Moeran seems quiet, fey and mysterious, and a foreigner, too. Legna even assumes Moeran is writing something mysterious because he cannot read the writing. Turns out Moeran's handwriting is simply terrible, he just prefers to be quiet and never talks to Legna because he hates Oracles. Except he actually ''is'' an important clue to what happened ten years ago, [[spoiler:as he witnessed Oracle Kian's death, saw his own teacher die and was only let free on the promise of never telling anyone what he saw]]. Oh yeah, and he's male but looks suspiciously like a girl with his RapunzelHair and white flowy robes.

* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' features the mysterious Emerald Herald, who awaits you at the central hub that is Majula and gives cryptic advice to visit King Vendrick, the foolish ruler who brought the kingdom of Drangleic to ruin, though it's not initially clear why she's doing this. [[spoiler:She reveals near the end that it was all to guide the PlayerCharacter into stopping the true BigBad, Nashandra, from getting her hands on the Throne of Want.]]

* ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'': Trance Gemini, a recent member of Beka's crew who seems very innocent and naive and whose origins are a complete mystery because no one else is familiar with her species (human-shaped, [[PointyEars pointy-eared]], purple-skinned, blonde, with a forked tail) and increasingly gives hints of being much older and wiser than she looks. [[spoiler:She turns out to actually be the avatar of a sun, one of many - and therefore [[TimeAbyss as old as the universe]] - sent by her people to steer the ''Andromeda'' crew so that they can defeat the Magog swarm, whose "god", the Spirit of the Abyss, is the avatar of black holes]].

** After Serenity, it seems she's getting better. Not 100% better (she still reads minds) but better than before.

* ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'': Trance Gemini, a recent member of Beka's crew who seems very innocent and naive and whose origins are a complete mystery because no one else is familiar with her species (human-shaped, [[PointyEars pointy-eared]], purple-skinned, blonde, with a forked tail) and increasingly gives hints of being much older and wiser than she looks. [[spoiler:She turns out to actually be the avatar of a sun, one of many, sent by her people to steer the ''Andromeda'' crew so that they can defeat the Magog swarm, whose "god", the Spirit of the Abyss, is the avatar of black holes]].

%% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1637631996028827800
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* Franchise/SailorMoon
** Chibi-Usa first appears in this type of role. Convincing her that she can trust the Sailor Senshi is a major plot element.
** Hotaru Tomoe/Sailor Saturn from ''Anime/SailorMoon''. She is mysterious, ready for self-sacrifice, and wears unusually dark clothes; she also has several mysterious powers even outside of her Sailor Senshi identity (although many of the other girls did too). Her situation is somewhat different, as there are [[EvilerThanThou three sides]] involved: Sailor Moon, who wants to save her; the Guardians of the Outer Solar System, who want to get rid of her as she poses a threat to the world; and the evil Death Busters, who want to destroy the world with her help. A couple of seasons later, she joins the main cast, and her powers overlap somewhat with those of the WhiteMagicianGirl CoolBigSis, Sailor Pluto.
%%* Lala-Ru from ''Anime/NowAndThenHereAndThere.'' She may also count as a deconstruction of it.
* Fei Rune from ''[[VideoGame/InazumaEleven Inazuma Eleven GO Chrono Stone]]'' who serves as a male example, at first all we know about Fei is that he came from the same time period as El Dorado, he's gotten his hands on a technology called Mixi-Max which allowed him to fuse his aura with a T-Rex, and he has a clear interest in protecting soccer at all costs from El Dorado.
** Kinako from the same series also fits the bill, [[spoiler: she became a member of Raimon's soccer club after the defeat of Protocol Omega 2.0 in Nobunaga's era with little to no explanation, and she's shown to be wearing Tsurugi's number after she's won a duel against Tsurugi for it]]. She also somehow even knew about [[spoiler: the Keshin that Fei goes through lengths to hide, and the doll that Fei got from [[ParentalAbandonment his father]]]].
* Kari Kamiya/Yagami Hikari from ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' and ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'', the human lightbulb. Also an IllGirl at times (really, she gets sick twice during the series and twice offscreen as backstory - a lot compared to the ''zero'' of most of the rest of the cast, but that adds up to a minuscule portion of her screentime - [[NeverLiveItDown far from the invalid she's remembered as by fans]].), she is the only one to have a Crest (Light) that ''doesn't'' refer to an innate virtue or trait. The powers of this Crest usually manifest themselves in weird ways, and she has been shown as both 1) unusually self-sacrificing and 2) drawn to the Dark Ocean, because of her powers and walled-in emotional problems. She's also empathetic to the point of being borderline psychic, which sends her into two {{Heroic BSOD}}s in 02 (and during the last one, her best friend Miyako even goes and literally [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan slaps her]] back to sanity).
* Kisara of ''Anime/YuGiOh'', the white-haired and blue-eyed Egyptian and homeless, quiet, vaguely psychic, mysterious keeper of the spirit of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon who [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificed herself]] to protect the only person who ever showed her kindness, High Priest Seto... even [[{{Reincarnation}} 3,000 years later]].
** Only present day example would be against losing to Isis during Battle City. Otherwise, Kaiba typically sees Blue-Eyes White Dragon as his personal {{BFG}}.
* Vivio of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'', the main character's adopted 6-year old daughter who has heterochromia and was found trudging through the sewers while chained to a pair of cases containing [[MacGuffin Relics]].
%%* Rei from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''.
* Lucy/Nyuu from ''Manga/ElfenLied'', who Kouta and Yuka discover [[NakedFirstImpression naked]] and standing on a beach, and is being pursued by the BigBad Director Kakuzawa and the unethical research facility he runs. Unlike most examples, however, the audience [[DramaticIrony already knows how she ended up there]], though she still has many mysteries surrounding her. She also has a SplitPersonality and, in her Lucy persona, is a much more violent VillainProtagonist variation of this trope.
%%* Alvis from ''Anime/LastExile'' is a mini-version.
* ''Anime/{{Noir}}'' has Yumura Kirika, a melancholic and very cute protagonist who has no memory of her past. She also happens to be a deadly assassin.
* Tiffa Adil, the Mysterious Waif of ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'' fits the psychic part of this trope to a tee. She is a Newtype with precognition that is used to find the others like her, how does she find them? Through drawing their potential location. In addition, she has been shown to be the most powerful newtype in ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'' and has been mentioned [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWars via crossovers]] to potentially be the most powerful newtype in Gundam, period.

%%* Nia from ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann''.
%%* Clear from ''Anime/FinalFantasyUnlimited''.
* Mytho is a RareMaleExample from ''Anime/PrincessTutu'', at least to Fakir. When Fakir first found him, Mytho was an EmptyShell dressed in rags who couldn't even remember his name, let alone his past ("Mytho" isn't his real name). Turns out he's a prince from a book, but he can't return until he defeats [[SealedEvilInACan the Raven]].
* Ruru of ''Anime/GaikingLegendOfDaikuMaryu'' appeared five years ago to Daiya after he lost his father at sea, saved him from being killed by a {{Kaiju}}, and gave him a small disc made of metal and glass, and then disappeared. In the future, as Daiya's hometown was attacked, she reappeared, bringing with her the titular SuperRobot and calmly teaching Daiya its attacks after his FallingIntoTheCockpit.

* ''Anime/Persona4GoldenTheAnimation'': The mysterious new character Marie becomes the main focus of the overall plot in this adaptation of ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}''.
* CC from ''Franchise/CodeGeass'' can be considered this, as much of her backstory is hidden until later in the Anime. Even her name is never explicitly spoken, except when Lelouch speaks it after a battle which she is injured (of course, his voice is muted before we can hear it). She also is able to grant the power of Geass to people, which is a type of psychic power (Example: Lelouch was granted the power to make people do his bidding).
* Doubly subverted in ''Manga/{{Aruosumente}}''. When Legna finally turns his attention to Moeran, Moeran seems quiet, fey and mysterious, and a foreigner, too. Legna even assumes Moeran is writing something mysterious because he cannot read the writing. Turns out Moeran's handwriting is simply terrible, he just prefers to be quiet and never talks to Legna because he hates Oracles. Except he actually ''is'' an important clue to what happened ten years ago, [[spoiler:as he witnessed Oracle Kian's death, saw his own teacher die and was only let free on the promise of never telling anyone what he saw]]. Oh yeah, and he's male but looks suspiciously like a girl with his RapunzelHair and white flowy robes.
* In ''Manga/Brave10'', from the moment she walks into his life, there are countless questions plaguing Saizo about Isanami. Why is Isanami, a simple {{miko}}, so important she's pursued by ninjas with a LeaveNoWitnesses order? Why was her temple destroyed? What is the source of her DefenceMechanismSuperpower? [[spoiler:The answer's a bit [[ThePowerOfTheVoid dark]].]]
* Eto of ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' is a rare [[TheDarkChick evil example]], a member of [[AntiHumanAlliance Aogiri Tree]] who is [[spoiler:the lost daughter of Kuzen Yoshimura and his human wife, Ukina]], as well as [[spoiler:the [[TheDreaded One-Eyed Owl]] and one of two regents for the semi-mythical One-Eyed King]]. Her small body is loaded with more secrets, power and insight than almost anyone else in the series and [[spoiler:she's the BigBad in control of a ''[[TheChessmaster massive]]'' amount of the plot]]. She also foretells many events and revelations throughout the collection of Tokyo Ghoul works, through [[spoiler:her books written with the pen name Sen Takatsuki]].

* "I'm Layla Miller. I know stuff."

%%%* Leeloo, the female lead of ''Film/TheFifthElement''

* The kid in ''Film/MadMax2TheRoadWarrior'' who never talks, but somehow grows up into the film's articulate narrator.

* ''Literature/{{Neverwhere}}'' has Door, who falls at [[UnluckyEverydude Richard Mayhew]]'s feet on the street one night, bleeding and begging for help. He takes her home to clean her up and let her sleep, and suddenly, he finds himself neck-deep in trouble - being tracked by Croup and Vandemar, being dragged around by [[MagnificentBastard the Marquis de Carabas]], and stumbling upon London Below.
* Crusade in Jeans has Mariecke, who [[spoiler: is at the end of the book hinted to be his ancestor]].
* Errand in the Belgariad starts out as a 'total innocent,' passed from one evil sorcerer to another, until he falls in with the heroes, having learned only one word (that being "Errand".) He turns out to be a [[spoiler: replacement God for Torak]]
* Ivy, the current Archive in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''. The Archive is the repository of all human knowledge. Anything that has been written down, anywhere, she knows. She also happens to be a young girl. When we first see her, she's seven - and unconcernedly tells Harry that if she has to, she'll kill him. We've seen her blasting vampires into oblivion and (at twelve) keeping almost 10 Denarians entertained without much effort. But she's still a kid, and will render official documents in crayon and {{squee}} over a cat.

* ''Literature/ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath'': Kindrie is a {{Gender-Inverted|Trope}} example. With his MysticalWhiteHair, strong Shanir (read: magical) powers, and mysterious origins, Kindrie is definitely a Mysterious Waif in the first few books he appears in. He turns out to be a [[spoiler:Chosen One, and an avatar of the second face of God--the only one of the three of them who was ever really unknown in that regard--and their cousin.]]
* Kah-Poel from Literature/ThePowderMageTrilogy. She's a "savage" from a faraway land, orphaned by invading soldiers. She's also an EthnicMagician who packs enough punch to keep [[spoiler: a god]] in a coma.

* Kes from ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' though her past is well-explained ([[spoiler:if not her subsequent FaceHeelTurn]]) given that she's only lived a couple of years when the crew encounters her.

* Clara from ''Series/DoctorWho'', the [[InSeriesNickname Impossible Girl]] who was [[spoiler: [[SaveThisPersonSaveTheWorld born to save the Doctor]]]]
* Jessie from ''Series/DancingOnTheEdge'', a non-supernatural example, but whose background is shrouded in mystery and who is described by another character as "a mysterious little creature."
* Rebecca from ''Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder'', a girl at the centre of a murder trial, with a mysterious background and waif-like appearance (slender frame, long dark hair, soulful brown eyes).

* Rose Wilson from ''Series/Titans2018''. She more or less starts the plot of season 2. Homeless, after running away from her homicidal father; MysticalWhiteHair; Evoking main hero's desire to protect her; and a lot of mystery about her true motivations, cryptic backstory.
* ''Series/DarkMatter'': Even on a show where the initial premise is that six people awaken on a starship with no memory of who they are or why they're there, the past of teenage girl Five (played by Creator/JodelleFerland) is the most mysterious of them all. While the adult crew (One, Two, Three, Four and Six, named in order of waking) all learn their given names at the end of the pilot episode and that [[spoiler:[[AmnesiacDissonance they were all hardened criminals and lowlife mercenaries]] guilty of mass murder, kidnapping, assault and piracy]], Five has no [[spoiler:wanted file]] in the ship's database, and so although the others [[ThatManIsDead choose not to use their original names]], Five doesn't even know hers. She bemoans to the Android in the second episode that at least the others know they belong on the ship, though she quickly demonstrates a prodigy-level aptitude for mechanics and programming that allows her to [[TagalongKid fill the role]] of TeenGenius and TheSmartGuy. Adding to the mystery are the disturbing non sequitors she sometimes utters that make it clear she has the others' memories buried in her subconscious. The rest of the crew can't even be sure [[spoiler:[[AmbiguousSituation whether]] their original selves kidnapped this girl, or [[LittleStowaway she stowed away]]]], but regardless of their original relationship, they're [[EveryonesBabySister all very protective of her now]]. Five's exact age is unknown even to her, until it's established as sixteen at the beginning of Season Two.

* Elizabeth from ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'' is the quarry of the Columbian government, ruled by a fiery preacher (and Elizabeth's "father", so to speak), and the private eye sent to smuggle her out of the city. She seems to have an invisible touch ([[Music/{{Genesis}} yeah]]): She can open "tears", or windows to alternate realities and even the future; she is also the root cause of the tears -- or at least, her body's electrical field is somehow generating them without her consent--Hence her popularity. She is kept under close surveillance in a laboratory tower. [[spoiler:The epilogue reveals that the infant Elizabeth lost her finger when an (artificially-created) tear closed over it. The missing 'piece' was let behind in an alternate reality, which upset the balance of reality and gave her the portal ability.]]

* Fina from ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'' is a Silvite [[spoiler:(later revealed to be a visitor from an {{arcology}} floating in space)]] sent by her superiors to disengage a number of ancient weapons. The Valuan Empire takes exception to this... The storyline is a pretty shameless homage to ''Star Wars'', complete with Fina's ship being towed by an imperial vessel.
%%* Luna from ''VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar'' and Lucia from ''VideoGame/LunarEternalBlue''.
* Machi Tobaye in ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney''. Blind, can't speak English, and falsely accused of cold-blooded murder. [[spoiler: Only the last's true, although his English is pretty awkward.]]
** TheReveal from Tobaye's part only makes his partner, Lamiroir, even more Mysterious Waif than she already is, [[spoiler: since she's the one who is blind.]] Other than that, the woman hides her face, speaks a foreign language, has amnesia, an angelic singing voice, [[spoiler: dead husbands, a long lost son and daughter, and a stage magician background. She's also recruited as one of the test jurors who literally decide the game's ending.]]
* Isabella/Catleia from ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars: Days of Ruin''. {{Moe}}, LaserGuidedAmnesia, found in wreckage and rescued by the main character, instinctively knows mysterious knowledge she shouldn't without explanation, and the BigBad seems to know who she is and is unusually interested in her.
%%* Dyshana of ''VideoGame/RecordOfAgarestWar'' is so this.
* Princess Yorda of ''VideoGame/{{Ico}}'' definitely qualifies. Though the castle appears to be her home, it's more accurately described as her prison. She's utterly helpless (so much so that she has to be [[BigBrotherInstinct led by the hand by the player character]]) for most of the game, [[TheUnintelligible unintelligible]], acts childlike, glows with an ethereal light, and has some kind of magical power. Oh, and the [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen]] has a particular interest in preventing her from leaving the castle.
%%* ''VideoGame/ArTonelicoMelodyOfElemia'' has Aurica. ''VideoGame/ArTonelicoQogaKnellOfArCiel'' has Saki.
%%* Iris from ''VideoGame/AtelierIris2TheAzothOfDestiny'' is this to the degree.
%%* Fiona from ''VideoGame/{{Nostalgia}}'' is this trope to a T.
* Elh of ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'' fits as well, having a quiet, distant personality, MacGuffin amulet, and [[spoiler:DoomedHometown]], though in this case the waif is a young male [[spoiler:- or rather, is confused for one. Elh is really a girl, much to everyone's surprise. [[YouNeverAsked They just never asked]].]]
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'''s Himi is a wise young ShrineMaiden prone to [[FaintingSeer prophecy-induced seizures]]. However, contrary to the usual use of a Mysterious Waif to begin the hero's quest, she's the EleventhHourRanger whose visions provide the key to saving the day.

* Neither are straight examples, but Kanna and Anderson from ''VideoGame/ThreeTheHardWay'' qualify. They are both enigmatic characters of unknown origins who attract much attention from others due to their cryptic personalities and [[MysteriousPast lack of concrete backstories]]. Both of them are very powerful (albeit in very different ways -- Kanna is an [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld ancient]] [[AlchemyIsMagic alchemist/sorceress]], while Anderson is a gladiator), and they are more knowledgeable about the game's universe than the rest of the cast combined, due to their possible ties with the previous War. To clarify further:
** Kanna is an immortal alchemist belonging to a legendary ancient Order and seem to be know the BigBad quite well. Her first in-game appearance has her ''blow up an entire battle field'', almost killing the heroes, but later joins the heroes' party for dubious reasons. However, Kanna turns out to be more of a subversion, as she is not as cryptic as she initially seems, and is more naive and clueless to her Order's purposes than being actively secretive.
** Anderson seems to be deeply involved with almost every faction known in the game: He frequently hangs out with the Zebulun Cult despite claiming that he's not a member. He is well-acquainted with King and is implied to have met him during the first war. Older Kaibutsu Lords refer to him as their "brother". He knows a lot more about the Govan order than some of the Govan members themselves [[spoiler:and is implied to know its original founder, Candor]]. Despite these vague hints, virtually nothing of his identity have been truly confirmed.
* Nei from ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarII'' is a CuteMonsterGirl. An outcast of the society who is recued by a government agent Rolf. After that, she follows him around trying to aid his quest [[spoiler: including performing a HeroicSacrifice fighting her EvilTwin]].
* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' features the mysterious Emerald Herald, who awaits you at the central hub that is Majula and gives cryptic advice to visit King Vendrick, the foolish ruler who brought the kingdom of Drangleic to ruin, though it's not initially clear why she's doing this. [[spoiler:She reveals near the end that it was all to guide the PlayerCharacter into stopping the true BigBad, Nashandra, from getting her hands on the Throne of Want.]]

* The ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' franchise has several:
** Sophia from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade The Binding Blade]]''; she's [[spoiler:a Really700YearsOld HalfHumanHybrid]] who starts out as a DamselInDistress, so the cast has to free her and then help her save her [[HiddenElfVillage hometown]]. Her past is shrouded in mystery that it's never really uncovered. Aside from that, she can see the future, and she's needed in order to [[spoiler: get a McGuffin that will unlock the game's GoldenEnding.]]
** Siblings Nils and Ninian from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade The Blazing Blade]]''. Mysterious (and traumatic) past, mystical powers, and being hunted by the BigBad. Bonus points for [[spoiler:them being Really700YearsOld HalfHumanHybrids, and said BigBad being their ArchnemesisDad.]]
** Avatar/Robin from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' is a rare case of a PlayerCharacter being a Mysterious Waif themselves, since he/she is an AmnesiacHero who holds great power [[spoiler: and turns out to be the ApocalypseMaiden.]]
** Princess Azura from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' painfully deconstructs the trope. She certainly fits the archetype, being a solemn princess with mysterious powers and a close relationship to the protagonist... But her mysteriousness stems from her being a BrokenBird with trust issues who only keeps people at a distance to protect herself, despite [[IJustWantToBeLoved secretly wanting to be loved]]. Thing is, since she doesn't tell anyone this, the way she conducts herself just intimidates some members of the army (like Keaton, who at first freaks out at her apparent emotionlessness) and causes others to view her with suspicion (like Saizo, who cannot trust her until ''at least'' their B support), [[ViciousCycle making it even harder for her to bond with them]]. And the worst part? [[spoiler: Her mysterious powers ''[[CastFromLifespan are slowly killing her]]'', but [[ChronicHeroSyndrome she's so determined to help the Avatar's cause and save the world]] that she ''can't'' bring herself to stop using them, leading to her death in two of the routes.]] In short, her mysteriousness does not draw people to her, but ''separates'' her from them, and has long-lasting negative consequences upon her.

* In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'', Rosalina has this role as Mario encounters her on a small planet after he was thrown into space by Bowser's forces. It turns out that Bowser had stolen her power stars, which are her energy source for the Comet Observatory. As you play through the game, you unlock her backstory in the form of a storybook.

* [[spoiler:Layla,]] The girl in the Sunset Cage in ''{{VideoGame/Fairune}}'' counts. [[spoiler:Both of them do.]]
* In ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'', Catie and Arianna are heroic and villainous examples of this trope, respectively. Although Catie’s mystique has died down a bit in-universe since the first game.

* Played with in ''Webcomic/{{Shadownova}}''. Iris is actually the main character and we know exactly why she can't go home but she does have some incredible and plot important powers that everyone either wants or wants killed. She's implied to have lost a lot of faith in humanity over some traumatic event in her past that she refuses to elaborate on besides hinting that it involved the death of her father.
* ''Webcomic/RumorsOfWar'' has three in the main cast: [[TheHero Elysia]], [[TheBigGuy Illyra]], and [[TheChick Occela]]. All three have homes they can't return to; one's searching for her Missing Mentor, one pulls a double-shift as TheLadette, and the third's a BrokenBird.

* We might as well include a description for our RealLife Mysterious Waif who's pictured up there. She's the Afghan Girl, real name Sharbat Gula. She was photographed in an Afghan refugee camp. At the time the picture was taken, the photographer didn't know her name, and in 2002, she was successfully located and formally identified. Her photograph is the most recognized in Magazine/NationalGeographic history.[[note]]And in case you're wondering how being moderately famous improved her life...it didn't. At the time the picture was taken, Gula was twelve and had just been driven from her home, so she was understandably pissed off. And when she was found in 2002 and asked how she felt about being famous, she found that it was hard to care when your husband was working for a dollar a day and your asthma made it hard to breathe within your own polluted city.[[/note]]

* A popular practice in [[DidAnastasiaSurvive the classic "Anastasia lives" stories]] is to present "Anna Anderson" (in real life yet another Anastasia impersonator) as this--in these depictions, she'll be Anastasia as an adult with amnesia who finds out that she's fallen royalty.

* ''Series/DarkMatter'': Even on a show where the initial premise is that six people awaken on a starship with no memory of who they are or why they're there, the past of teenage girl Five (played by Creator/JodelleFerland) is the most mysterious of them all. While the adult crew (One, Two, Three, Four and Six, named in order of waking) all learn their given names at the end of the pilot episode and that [[spoiler:[[AmnesiacDissonance they were all hardened criminals and lowlife mercenaries]] guilty of mass murder, kidnapping, assault and piracy]], Five has no [[spoiler:wanted file]] in the ship's database, and so although the others [[ThatManIsDead choose not to use their original names]], Five doesn't even know hers. She bemoans to the Android in the second episode that at least the others know they belong on the ship, though she quickly demonstrates a prodigy-level aptitude for mechanics and programming that allows her to [[TagalongKid fill the role]] of TeenGenius and TheSmartGuy. Adding to the mystery are the disturbing non sequitors she sometimes utters that make it clear she has the others' memories buried in her subconscious. The rest of the crew can't even be sure [[spoiler:[[AmbiguousSituation whether]] their original selves kidnapped this girl, or she stowed away]], but regardless of their original relationship, they're [[EveryonesBabySister all very protective of her now]]. Five's exact age is unknown even to her, until it's established as sixteen at the beginning of Season Two.

%% Image kept on page per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1293699588048937300
%% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.

[[quoteright:290:[[UsefulNotes/SovietInvasionOfAfghanistan https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/afghan_girl.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:290:[-Sharbat Gula aka "Afghan Girl". Photograph by Steve [=McCurry=] (''Magazine/NationalGeographic'', 1985)-] ]]

** Anderson seems to be deeply involved with almost every faction known in the game: He frequently hangs out with the Zebulun Cult despite claiming that he's not a member. He is well-acquainted with King and is implied to have met during the first war. Older Kaibutsu Lords refer to him as their "brother". He knows a lot more about the Govan order than some of the Govan members themselves [[spoiler:and is implied to know its original founder, Candor]]. Despite these vague hints, virtually nothing of his identity have been truly confirmed.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* Blue-Eyed Maiden in the TabletopGame/YuGiOh card. Like Kisara, she can summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon with her effect

* Elizabeth from ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'' is the quarry of the Columbian government, ruled by a fiery preacher (and Elizabeth's "father", so to speak), and the private eye sent to smuggle her out of the city. She seems to have an invisible touch ([[{{Music/Genesis}} yeah]]): She can open "tears", or windows to alternate realities and even the future; she is also the root cause of the tears -- or at least, her body's electrical field is somehow generating them without her consent--Hence her popularity. She is kept under close surveillance in a laboratory tower. [[spoiler:The epilogue reveals that the infant Elizabeth lost her finger when an (artificially-created) tear closed over it. The missing 'piece' was let behind in an alternate reality, which upset the balance of reality and gave her the portal ability.]]

** TheReveal from Tobaye's part only makes his partner, Lamiroir, even more Mysterious Waif than she already is, [[spoiler: since she's the one who is blind.]] Other than that, the woman hides her face, speaks a foreign language, has amnesia, an angelic singing voice, [[spoiler: dead husbands, a long lost son and daughter, and a stage magician background. She's also recruited as one of the test jurists who literally decide the game's ending.]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Webcomics]]

* Elizabeth from ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'' is the quarry of the Columbian government, ruled by a fiery preacher (and Elizabeth's "father", so to speak), and the private eye sent to smuggle her out of the city. She seems to have an invisible touch ([[{{Music/Genesis}} yeah]]): She can open "tears", or windows to alternate realities and even the future; she is also the root cause of the tears -- or at least, her body's electrical field is somehow generating them without her consent--Hence her popularity. She is kept under close surveillance in a laboratory tower. [[spoiler:The epilogue reveals that the infant Elizabeth lost her finger when an (artificially-created) tear closed over it. The missing 'piece' was let behind in an alternate reality]], which upset the balance of reality and gave her the portal ability.

* Nei from ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarII'' is a CuteMonsterGirl. An outcast of the society who is recued by a government agent Rolf. After that, she follows him around trying to aid his quest [[spoiler: including performing a Heroic sacrifice fighting her EvilTwin]].

* Throughout the series ''Animation/LingLongIncarnation there are rumors that a female warrior of great skill with MysticalWhiteHair still lives on the surface armed with a sword. Some characters believe she rescued them once, years ago, during a near-disastrous monster encounter. Most members of the Lighthouse leadership dismiss the legend on principle, since no one is supposed to be able to live there anymore, but we the audience are eventually shown that she is indeed real, and she's not alone, as she is part of a whole group of surface humans.

* In the MagicalGirl CrossOver ''FanFic/ShatteredSkiesTheMorningLights'', [[Franchise/SailorMoon Chibi-Chibi]], [[Franchise/PrettyCure Cure Echo]], [[Franchise/LyricalNanoha Alicia Testarossa]], and [[Franchise/MadokaMagica Nagisa Momoe]] all fit the bill. [[spoiler:They are later revealed to all be the same being taking alternating forms, an embodiment of people [[RetGone erased from the flow of normal time]] as a result of massive disruptions in time and space.]]

* In ''Fanfic/TowardABrightFuture'', the main character Y/N counts, if more cheerful than most, with an [[AmnesiacHero unknown past]], being removed to find herself in unfamiliar surroundings (the U.A. grounds, and strange {{Seer}} powers that kick off the fic's plot.

* Eleven on ''Series/StrangerThings'' is a mysterious, [[YouAreNumberSix nameless]] adolescent girl with a shaved head, PsychicPowers, NoSocialSkills, and a perpetually frightened and vulnerable appearance who one day shows up in the life of a group of middle-school-aged ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons D&D]]'' nerds right after one of their own, Will Byers, goes missing. Turns out both she and Will's disappearance are connected to the government lab just outside of town: she's a [[SuperSoldier living weapon]] raised by a sinister government program, and her powers tore a hole in reality that brought into our world the monsters that kidnapped Will. The "mysterious" part goes away in later seasons as she befriends the protagonists and grows more comfortable around others, though the psychic powers don't.

* El from ''Series/{{Stranger Things}}'', an androgynous-looking adolescent girl who looks perpetually frightened and vulnerable, but is [[spoiler: a psychic living weapon raised by a sinister shadow government programme]].

* Eleven on ''Series/StrangerThings'' is a mysterious, [[YouAreNumberSix nameless]] adolescent girl with a shaved head, PsychicPowers, and NoSocialSkills who one day shows up in the life of a group of middle-school-aged ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons D&D]]'' nerds right after one of their own goes missing. Turns out both she and the disappearance are connected to the government lab just outside of town. The "mysterious" part goes away in later seasons as her backstory is revealed and she befriends the protagonists, though the psychic powers don't.

* ''Series/DarkMatter'': Even on a show where the initial premise is that six people awaken on a starship with no memory of who they are or why they're there, the past of teenage girl Five (played by Creator/JodelleFerland) is the most mysterious of them all. While the adult crew (One, Two, Three, Four and Six, named in order of waking) all learn their given names at the end of the pilot episode and that [[spoiler:[[AmnesiacDissonance they were all hardened criminals and lowlife mercenaries]] guilty of mass murder, kidnapping, assault and piracy]], Five has no [[spoiler:wanted file]] in the ship's database, and so although the others [[ThatManIsDead choose not to use their original names]], Five doesn't even know hers. She bemoans to the Android in the second episode that at least the others know they belong on the ship, though she quickly demonstrates a prodigy-level aptitude for mechanics and programming that allows her to [[TagalongKid fill the role]] of TeenGenius and TheSmartGuy. Adding to the mystery are the disturbing non sequitors she sometimes utters that make it clear she has the others' memories buried in her subconscious. The rest of the crew can't even be sure [[spoiler:[[AmbiguousSituation whether their original selves kidnapped this girl, or she stowed away]]]], but regardless of their original relationship, they're [[EveryonesBabySister all very protective of her now]]. Five's exact age is unknown even to her, until it's established as sixteen at the beginning of Season Two.

* ''Series/DarkMatter'': Even on a show where the initial premise is that six people awaken on a starship with no memory of who they are or why they're there, the past of teenage girl Five (played by Creator/JodelleFerland) is the most mysterious of them all. While the adult crew (One, Two, Three, Four and Six, named in order of waking) all learn their given names at the end of the pilot episode and that [[spoiler:[[AmnesiacDissonance they were all hardened criminals and lowlife mercenaries]] guilty of mass murder, kidnapping, assault and piracy]], Five has no [[spoiler:wanted file]] in the ship's database, and so although the others [[ThatManIsDead choose not to use their original names]], Five doesn't even know hers. She bemoans to the Android in the second episode that at least the others know they belong on the ship, though she quickly demonstrates a prodigy-level aptitude for mechanics and programming that allows her to [[TagalongKid fill the role]] of TeenGenius and TheSmartGuy. Adding to the mystery are the disturbing non sequitors she sometimes utters that make it clear she has the others' memories buried in her subconscious. The rest of the crew can't even be sure [[spoiler:whether their original selves kidnapped this girl, or she stowed away]], but regardless of their original relationship, they're [[EveryonesBabySister all very protective of her now]]. Five's exact age is unknown even to her, until it's established as sixteen at the beginning of Season Two.

* ''Series/DarkMatter'': Even on a show where the initial premise is that six people awaken on a starship with no memory of who they are or why they're there, the past of teenage girl Five (played by Creator/JodelleFerland) is the most mysterious of them all. While the adult crew (One, Two, Three, Four and Six, named in order of waking) all learn their given names at the end of the pilot episode and that [[spoiler:[[AmnesiacDissonance they were all hardened criminals and lowlife mercenaries]] guilty of mass murder, kidnapping, assault and piracy]], Five has no [[spoiler:wanted file]] in the ship's database, and so although the others [[ThatManIsDead choose not to use their original names]], Five doesn't even know hers. She bemoans to the Android in the pilot episode that at least the others know they belong on the ship, though she quickly demonstrates a prodigy-level aptitude for mechanics and programming that allows her to [[TagalongKid fill the role]] of TeenGenius and TheSmartGuy. Adding to the mystery are the disturbing non sequitors she sometimes utters that make it clear she has the others' memories buried in her subconscious. The rest of the crew can't even be sure [[spoiler:whether their original selves kidnapped this girl, or she stowed away]], but regardless of their original relationship, they're [[EveryonesBabySister all very protective of her now]]. Five's exact age is unknown even to her, until it's established as sixteen at the beginning of Season Two.