Top 15 Unnamed Characters
Some characters have a name that is synonymous as their look. Like Darth Vader. Superman. Guys like that, but there are also some characters whose names are never learned. Some of these characters go by different names throughout their films, or have their names revealed in other films or stories, but have no official name in the films I mention below.
The Man with No Name from ‘The Dollar Trilogy’- Clint Eastwood’s spaghetti western antihero is known by different names in ‘A Fistful of Dollars,’ ‘For a Few Dollars More,’ & ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,’ Joe, Manco, & Blondie, respectively. However, all three of these are revealed to be pseudonyms and we never learn this iconic character’s true name making him the poster boy for this list.
Kid from ‘Monkey Man’- The most recent addition to this list, Kid AKA the titular Monkey Man, is rough, tough, and anonymous. Though he uses the name Bobby, this is only as a cover for his ploy to get a job at Kings. I honestly didn’t realize until the end of the movie that we never learned his real name.
V from ‘V for Vendetta’- We never see V’s face or learn his name, though we do learn his single letter moniker comes from his room number (roman numeral for 5) at Larkhill.
The Narrator from ‘Fight Club’- We do learn that Edward Norton’s character’s alternate personality is Tyler Durden, though the protagonist himself is never named. He uses many different names in the meetings he attends such as Rupert & Cornelius.
The Joker from ‘The Dark Knight’- While Jack Nicholson’s take on the character is named Jack Napier & Joaquin Phoenix’s is Arthur Fleck, but Heath Ledger’s is the truest to the source material, at least in the since of the unknown origin or alter ego.
The Driver from ‘Drive’- I guess when you have Ryan Gosling’s face and can drive like a menace it doesn’t really matter what your name is.
The Stranger from ‘The Big Lebowski’- A more minor character than most on this list, Sam Elliot’s ‘Stranger’ serves as the narrator for this film about ‘The Dude.’
The Girl from ‘The Seven Year Itch’- One of the most famous images from any movie is of Marilyn Monroe getting her white dress blown up by that sewer grate, but what some people may not know is that the character she’s portraying is never named, though her romantic interest jokes ‘maybe she’s Marilyn Monroe!’
Man & Boy from ‘The Road’- In the 2009 film based on the 2006 novel, almost every character is unnamed, including the main father-son duo played by Viggo Mortensen & Kodi Smit-McPhee, respectively.
El Mariachi from ‘The Mexico Trilogy’- It can be assumed that the main character of this film series is not actually named El Mariachi. Though in his titular film ‘El Mariachi’ he is played by Carlos Gallardo, he is played by Antonio Banderas in the latter two films, ‘Desperado’ & ‘Once Upon a Time in Mexico.’
The Killer from ‘The Killer’- Another recent film with an unnamed titular character. David Fincher’s 2023 film stars Michael Fassbender as a vengeful assassin without a name. Similar to ‘The Road,’ most every character in this film is unnamed.
Characters from ‘Zombieland’- The four members of this ensemble all go by pseudonyms based on cities: Columbus, Tallahassee, Little Rock, & Wichita, though Emma Stone’s Wichita is revealed to be named Krista. The other three played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, & Abigail Breslin go unnamed, though we do learn the name of Bill Murray’s character… Bill Murray.
The Jurors in ‘12 Angry Men’- One of the greatest movies ever made, the cast of 12 men (who are angry) are only referred to as their juror numbers, except for 8 (Henry Fonda’s protagonist) and 9 (the elder juror played by Joseph Sweeney) who introduce themselves to each other to close out the film.
Characters in ‘Reservoir Dogs’- Of the 6 Mr. Color characters, we learn the real name of Harvey Keitel’s Mr. White, Tim Roth’s Mr. Orange, & Michael Madsen’s Mr. Blonde, but Steve Buscemi’s Mr. Pink, Edward Bunker’s Mr. Blue, & Quentin Tarantino’s Mr. Brown all just go by their codenames.
The Black Knight in ‘Monty Python & the Holy Grail’- Tis but a scratch.
