History TheGhost / AnimeAndManga

* Maka's mother from ''Manga/SoulEater'', until the [[StealthSequel final chapter of]] [[spoiler:Manga/FireForce.]]

* The father of protagonist Izuku Midoriya, of ''Anime/MyHeroAcademia'', exists, is working overseas and can breathe fire. That's about all we know about him.

*** Midler, the User of the [[FightingSpirit Stand]], High Priestess, never makes a physical appearance during the fight against her, with the closest thing to an appearance being [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/jjba/images/d/d4/Midler_Anime.png/revision/latest?cb=20140913142029 her barely seen unconscious body]] found by the Crusaders after they defeat her. However, she would end up receiving [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/villains/images/e/e4/MidlerFull.png/revision/latest/top-crop/width/360/height/450?cb=20200209034358 a more proper design]] in ''[[VideoGame/JojosBizarreAdventureHeritageForTheFuture Heritage for the Future]]''.

* Maka's mother from ''Manga/SoulEater''.

** Jonouchi's father was someone who was never seen, except in one panel in the manga, but he was talked about often. Apparently, he was an alcoholic whose illness had caused his marriage to end in divorce. Jonouchi's mother got a small amount of screen time; she kept custody of his sister Shizuka, and was very reluctant to talk to Jonouchi until Shizuka's surgery.

** Fujiwara's mother is an anime exclusive example of this due to her only on-screen appearance during the sports festival being skipped.

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' has the #6 Level 5 Esper. Known only by process of elimination for most of the story, it's eventually mentioned that they do not appear in public, meaning their gender, appearance and presumably even ability are not known by anyone. Thirty volumes into the story, their name was finally revealed to be the GenderBlenderName Aihana Etsu, but even that wasn't confirmed to be their real name for another half a dozen volumes. Multiple people have impersonated them, a process that Etsu actually encourages for unknown reasons.

** Assuming she ''isn't'' the woman Dario is seen with during the flashback to the Joestar carriage wreckage, Dio's Mother from ''Manga/PhantomBlood'' is never seen, as she died in-between the events of the flashback and the present, and what little is known about her is told to the audience by [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas Dio]].
** ''Manga/StardustCrusaders'':

* Shinou ('The Great One') up to the end of Season 2 of ''LightNovel/KyoKaraMaoh''.

* Mahiro's father in ''LightNovel/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove''; when his mother Yoriko first shows up, she implies that Dad'll be stuck at the office for a while making up the time they took off for [[HappilyMarried their most recent honeymoon]]. As of the end of the series, his only appearance is in the second anime season during a FlashBack to his and Yoriko's courtship, and even then his face is obscured.

* ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' has the General Affairs and Auditing officers in the student council. According to the Volume 4 extras, they're both third year students that aren't on good terms with the rest of the council, so they do their work separately. Following Shirogane's reelection in Volume 7, the Auditing officer was replaced by Miko and the General Affairs position is presumably unfilled (he had offered Osaragi the position, but she wasn't interested).

** The second episode is the only time Ash's dad is mentioned as Mrs. Ketchum says he would have been proud of him.

* Lina's older sister Luna in ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}''. She's mentioned several times (especially in ''TRY''), but we never do see her on screen, or in the novels that the anime was based on. WordOfGod says that she'll never appear in canon outside of the opening sequences, because she's so ''ridiculously powerful'' that she would unbalance the rest of the cast.

* In the first episode of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', Ash winds up with Pikachu because three other trainers beat him to Professor Oak's lab. One was Gary, the other two are never seen or even given names. However, through the start of season one trainers and gym leaders Ash meets tell him he doesn't measure up to the three trainers from Pallet Town ahead of him. Oak eventually tells Ash and Gary that the other two weren't successful in getting the required badges.

** Naota's older brother Tasuku, only appearing as a silhouette in an episode 2 flashback and as a picture with his American girlfriend in a later episode, which is of course obscured by glare.

* Himeko from ''Manga/SKETDance'' will occasionally make a passing reference to "Nakatai-san from Class A". Late in the series, Bossun finally points out that he has no idea who that person is. This leads to an entire chapter where he tries to meet the character, only to keep missing her due to increasingly improbable events. [[spoiler:He does manage to catch a partial glimpse of her at one point.]]

* Leina's parents, Owen and The Head Archangel are only mentioned in all the adaptations of the ''Anime/QueensBlade'' franchise, except in the animated ones when they physically appear for first time, albeit Leina's mother previously appeared in a non-canonical light novel side-story.
* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' has the #6 Level 5 Esper. Known only by process of elimination for most of the story, it's eventually mentioned that they do not appear in public, meaning their gender, appearance and presumably even ability are not known by anyone. Thirty volumes into the story, their name was finally revealed to be the GenderBlenderName Aihana Etsu, but even that wasn't confirmed to be their real name for another half a dozen volumes. Multiple people have impersonated them, a process that Etsu actually encourages for unknown reasons.
* Often, people coming to Fran Madaraki seeking help with a problem in ''Manga/FrankenFran'' are hoping to find her creator, Professor Naomitsu Madaraki, who has been absent for some time. We hear plenty about his reputation, his previous accomplishments, and the company he's kept over the years. But he never makes an appearance throughout the series, despite Fran seeming certain that he might return any time now. [[spoiler: We are ultimately treated to a photograph of him at the end of the final volume.]]
* Mahiro's father in ''LightNovel/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove''; when his mother Yoriko first shows up, she implies that Dad'll be stuck at the office for a while making up the time they took off for [[HappilyMarried their most recent honeymoon]]. As of the end of the series, his only appearance is in the second anime season during a FlashBack to his and Yoriko's courtship, and even then his face is obscured.
* In the first episode of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', Ash winds up with Pikachu because three other trainers beat him to Professor Oak's lab. One was Gary, the other two are never seen or even given names. However, through the start of season one trainers and gym leaders Ash meets tell him he doesn't measure up to the three trainers from Pallet Town ahead of him. Oak eventually tells Ash and Gary that the other two weren't successful in getting the required badges.
** The second episode is the only time Ash's dad is mentioned as Mrs. Ketchum says he would have been proud of him.
* Fittingly for the adaptation version of a faceless PlayerCharacter, the [[ACommanderIsYou Admiral]] in ''Anime/KanColle'' is never shown on-screen. The most the audience gets to see of them is their shadow, and [[HeWhoMustNotBeHeard their voice is never heard]]. [[NumberTwo Secretary Ship Nagato]] tends to be the one relaying their orders to the girls.
* Karel and Liera Harlaown from ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'' are mentioned several times, but the only time the actually appear is in a family photo that their aunt Fate keeps by her bedside.
* ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' has the General Affairs and Auditing officers in the student council. According to the volume 4 extras, they're both third year students that aren't on good terms with the rest of the council, so they do their work separately. Following Shirogane's reelection in volume 7, the Auditing officer was replaced by Miko and the General Affairs position is presumably unfilled (he had offered Osaragi the position, but she wasn't interested).
* The father of protagonist Izuku Midoriya, of ''Anime/MyHeroAcademia'', exists, is working overseas and can breathe fire. That's about all we know about him.
* At one point in the second saga of ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'', that saga's protagonist Dana mentions she has a little brother. While that explains her TeamMom tendencies (she had been his ParentalSubstitute while their parents were in space), he remains unseen ([[JustifiedTrope because Dana can't get a leave to visit the town he lives in and would obviously keep him away from the frontlines]]) and is never mentioned again.
* Aside from a single note left for Yomiko, Nenene is completely absent from the ''Anime/ReadOrDie'' OVA despite playing a major role in every other adaptation.
* The Sunflower Samurai, Fuu's father, of ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'' is obscured and we don't get a good look at him until the very end of the series. Information is very scarce with only subtle hints about his nature and whereabouts until the final third of the series.

* The father of protagonist Izuku Midoriya, of ''Anime/MyHeroAcademia'', exists, is working overseas and can breath fire. That's about all we know about him.

* Fittingly for the adaptation version of a faceless PlayerCharacter, the [[ACommanderIsYou Admiral]] in ''Anime/KantaiCollection'' is never shown on-screen. The most the audience gets to see of them is their shadow, and [[HeWhoMustNotBeHeard their voice is never heard]]. [[NumberTwo Secretary Ship Nagato]] tends to be the one relaying their orders to the girls.

* Mahiro's father in ''LightNovel/HaiyoreNyarkoSan''; when his mother Yoriko first shows up, she implies that Dad'll be stuck at the office for a while making up the time they took off for [[HappilyMarried their most recent honeymoon]]. As of the end of the series, his only appearance is in the second anime season during a FlashBack to his and Yoriko's courtship, and even then his face is obscured.

* ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' has the General Affairs and Auditing officers in the student council. According to the volume 4 extras, they're both third year students that aren't on good terms with the rest of the council, so they do their work separately. Following Shirogane's reelection in volume 7, the Auditing officer was replaced by Miko and the General Affairs position is presumably unfilled.

* Aside from a single note left for Yomiko, Nenene is completely absent from the ''Anime/ReadOrDie'' OVA despite playing a major role in every other adaptation.

* At one point in the second saga of ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'', that saga's protagonist Dana mentions she has a little brother. While that explains her TeamMom tendencies (she had been his ParentalSubstitute while their parents were in space), he remains unseen ([[JustifiedTrope because Dana can't get a leave to visit the town he lives in and would obviously keep him away from the frontlines]]) and is never mentioned again.