Characters Without Names

In some forms of fiction, certain characters have no true names. There are those the have nicknames or other aliases to go as, but sometimes, it’s a bit hard and unusual to address someone as something unusual.

For example, a webcomic called "No Pink Ponies"(yeah, I ,too, question the title) features absolutely no male characters with any form of a name. The creator of the site still refuses to name the male characters. I think the reason is that most viewers tend to focus on the female characters anyway. Maybe, but I am not going to address a character a "Big, Samuel L. Jackson-like Guy." It sounds ridiculious.

The sitcom, "Get Smart" is another example as many viewers wonder what Agent 99’s true name was. They never got their answer, and since the creator( or director, maybe?) feel that the character should not have a name at all, they never will.

And then, there’s the movie, "The Driver" where not one single character had a name. There was another move that didn’t feature names.

I know some of these do have good reasons, and they’re mostly kept hidden until the end, but what about those without justifications? I can understand this applying to unimportant filler characters, but major characters, as well?

So, how do you feel about characters not having names? Do it eat your mind? Because it sure does eat mine.

Huh. Never thought that something like that would irk people. :/ I don’t particularly care if a character has a real name or not, but it’s usually helpful for them to have some sort of nickname for referencing to them.

Take for instance Clint Eastwood as the Man with No Name. What would happen if the makers of the movies he was in caved and gave him a real name? The majority of the audiences would probably go "well that’s a stupid name".

A nameless character adds mystery, making them cooler. I just roll with it.

Also sometimes used to emphasize a theme. The Kid in Blood Meridian doesn’t have a name because
a) the novel is about the alienating power of American imperialism and bloodlust
b) the Kid is representative of a certain mindset more so than an actual character
c) the name emphasizes the extreme disjunct between what he is and what he’s doing

To answer the OP’s question, sometimes nameless characters bother me and sometimes they don’t. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read drafts of stories where the author didn’t even identify a gender for the character, much less a name. Almost inevitably, when you later bring up this problem in class, one of the author’s friends will say, "Well, doesn’t that make the character more universal?" That sounds good, but no.

I’d say if a reader becomes aware during the story that the character doesn’t have a name–either because they’re confused or because the author raised the point somehow–and there’s no satisfactory answer for why not, then it’s a problem.

That first example you gave there Authur reminds of how V is considered an idea instead of a person.

Yeah, that’s another good example.

There are the killers in "The Killers" by Ernest Hemingway, too.

Genre definitely plays into this, too. The OP mentioned webcomics. I’ve looked at several where there are unnamed recurring characters and can’t remember caring. Of course, the reader expectations for what you’re going to get out of a webcomic are much different than what you expect opening a novel. If I’m done in 3 frames, I don’t need a name because I’m looking for a point. If I’m reading a novel, I’m looking to experience the life of another human being through their sensory experience and thoughts. It’s a much more intimate process, making a name more important.

I think.

What do you think?

I can’t really say much from a novel standpoint, I really haven’t read very many in my lifetime. 🙁 But I guess it all depends on the style of how things are described if we’re following more than one person. But from a comic standpoint, to me it depends on the length. For a few panels it doesn’t really matter if anyone has a name, but for a book sized comic they at very least need a nickname.