Characters known only by their title

[Walter Knight]

It's not mentioned in OFAH but is in the prequel, Rock and Chips

That would explain it, thanks. I've seen the former a lot more than the latter but can't remember him being anything other than Trigger/Trig in that.

[Various Artist]

The Master (Dr. Who)

Renegade Time Lords seem to live by this trope. Other than the Doctor and the Master, both already mentioned, there's a clutch of others from across Doctor Who. The first other member of the Doctor's people met in the classic series was the character known (in the 1965 William Hartnell story 'The Time Meddler') as the Monk or the Meddling Monk, and then in the 1969 story that ended Patrick Troughton's tenure 'The War Games' we are finally introduced to the Time Lords as a race and meet another renegade one known only as the War Chief – himself in league with the similarly-(un)named alien the War Lord. Much later meanwhile the Doctor acquired in the mid-'80s a renegade Time Lady archenemy in the shape of the Rani.

[Satchmo Distel]

The Fool (King Lear)
The Black Knight (Monty Python & The Holy Grail)
The Wicked Witch Of The West (Wizard Of Oz)
The White Lady (Ghosts Of Motley Hall)
The Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute)
Red Queen and Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland)

[Janik]

M. And Q. Which are both actually multiple iterations only known by their job title.
Similarly in the Le Carre canon - Control

One in the opening post that isn’t only known by his title is The Dude - he is Jeff Lebowski, and plenty of characters refer to him as simply Lebowski.

[Patrick Thistle]

The Matrix franchise has a few. The Oracle, The Keymaster, The Architect.

[Patrick Thistle]

Also any film with "God" as a character, given that God isn't actually the name of God.

[DCI Harry Batt]

What is the name of god then?

[Hot Pepsi]

M. And Q. Which are both actually multiple iterations only known by their job title.
Similarly in the Le Carre canon - Control

One in the opening post that isn’t only known by his title is The Dude - he is Jeff Lebowski, and plenty of characters refer to him as simply Lebowski.

But he rejected that.

[Patrick Thistle]

What is the name of god then?

Depends which god or God you mean. (Pick a religion and there will be a different name or different names.)

The explanation of the Trinity is that "one God in three persons" makes sense because "God" is a class of being rather than a proper name.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Yeah, it's different for different gods, for sure. I don't think the christians' god has a name, though, do they?

[Guy Profumo]

M. And Q. Which are both actually multiple iterations only known by their job title.
Similarly in the Le Carre canon - Control

One in the opening post that isn’t only known by his title is The Dude - he is Jeff Lebowski, and plenty of characters refer to him as simply Lebowski.

Hunter in Callan

[Janik]

But he rejected that.

Only some of the time. He was quite content to let Maude call him Mr Lebowski, and then as they got more familiar with each other "Jeffrey"...

[Eggchaser]

What is the name of god then?

Whatever it is, be sure to spell it right or into the depths you go.

[Patrick Thistle]

Yeah, it's different for different gods, for sure. I don't think the christians' god has a name, though, do they?

Er, yes. Yahweh/Jehovah got co-opted in. Technically the Godhead is referred to as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father = Yahweh as revealed in the Old Testament (along with several other "names" for the same being). The Son is usually referred to as Jesus Christ following his incarnation.

[Hot Pepsi]

The New Testament, especially John, suggests God isn’t like the other gods. That’s kind of the whole point. But it was widely missed.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

The Emperor

if you mean in star wars, he's often referred to as Emperor Palpatine isn't he?

[Guy Profumo]

And inspired by the surnames thread, the Mayor of Trumpton

[Patrick Thistle]

if you mean in star wars, he's often referred to as Emperor Palpatine isn't he?

Not in the Original Trilogy of films.

[Patrick Thistle]

The Soup Dragon who lives on the same little planet as the Clangers.

[Patrick Thistle]

"Nanny" from Count Duckula

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Not in the Original Trilogy of films.

It appears so. But apparently that's only because they never found the opportunity to say it. He was apparently called palpatine in the novelization, which sold 4 million fucking copies before the film was released. That's a hell of a lot of books

By the way you could find out all about the twist in empire strikes back in the novelization of that film

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

"Nanny" from Count Duckula

what if her name is "I'll get it" and she's basically shouting "my ball"

[Patrick Thistle]

It appears so. But apparently that's only because they never found the opportunity to say it. He was apparently called palpatine in the novelization, which sold 4 million fucking copies before the film was released. That's a hell of a lot of books

By the way you could find out all about the twist in empire strikes back in the novelization of that film

Presumably you mean the novelisation of Empire Strikes Back? I don't think the Emperor gets mentioned in Star Wars.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

There's apparently loads about him in the first book. Which contains a vague outline of the prequels. The darth vader bit Is in the second book

I'm still struggling to get my head around four million copies being sold before the first film came out. Is that a lot for six months in 1977?

[Various Artist]

I'd blinkin' imagine so, yes.


I think I've read about that book. Wasn't it (in common with many other novelisations of films) written based on an earlier version of the script than the movie eventually went with, and therefore included a fair amount of mythos detail that turned out to be non-canon?