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{{trope}}
{{quote|''"Have you ever met someone you don't know, again? Like, you don't actually know them, but they keep popping up, like [[God]] is running out of extras for the movie of your life."''
|'''[[Louis CK]]'''}}
Character(s) with no relation to the main story who keep popping up when the important cast is doing something in the vicinity, usually to their inconvenience or discomfort. They usually have nothing to do with the plot whatsoever, and the cast does not even notice them. For obvious reasons this can become a [[Running Gag|running joke]], although their appearances often culminate in a formal introduction into the cast.
A level or two below [[Those Two Guys]] and the [[Recurring Traveller]]. Also see [[Memetic Bystander]] for when the fans take a shine to these characters. May overlap with [[Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?]].
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* Menko ("Miss Noodle") and Shiruo ("Mr. Soup") in ''[[Urusei Yatsura]]'', a terminally shy couple who are always just about to declare their love for one another at the moment another [[Thundering Herd]] runs over them.
* Similarly, Ushiko ("Miss Cow") and Umao ("Mr. Horse") in ''[[Kimagure Orange Road]]''.
** A similarly named couple showed up in Akane's soaps in ''[[Ranma
* ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'' had a trio of senior citizens who kept popping up all over the ''solar system'', and even appeared in [[The Movie]]. The old men do have names, and [[Theme Naming]] pops up yet
* ''[[
* ''[[Trigun]]'' has Kuroneko-sama ("Lady Black Cat"), a small black cat with giant green eyes. She appears in ''every'' episode; even in the one [[Whole
* ''[[Canaan]]'' has a taxi driver who always ends up driving the cast around, he is a big fan of Nene-chan's songs.
* Throughout [[Satoshi Kon]]'s ''[[Millennium Actress]],'' there are three schoolgirls who appear in her flashbacks, which tend to take place within many different time periods (Edo Japan, for example) and locations, while either sneering at her dreams or trying to pry her secrets. They make a cameo in ''[[Tokyo Godfathers]]''. To some degree, every single character forms a
* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'':
** The Mahora Festival [[Story Arc]] has Haruki and Yuki, the adorable kid couple who randomly popped up in all three days of the festival. They served as one of the background characters Negi saved from Mana's gun, one of Negi and Ako's opponents in the Best Couple in Mahora contest (they won), and some of the cannon fodder in the Mages vs. Martians war game.
** A high school couple also appeared in all three scenes. Don't believe their names were given, though.
* The '90s anime ''YAT: Anshin Uchuu Ryokou'' is about an intergalactic travel agency, where this old couple would be present in the space-tourbus on every single trip no matter where in what galaxy they were going.
* The old men in the ''[[Love Hina]]'' anime.
* The ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' manga has its own couple of
* ''[[Street Fighter]] II V''
* In ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!
* ''[[Infinite Ryvius]]'' features two background characters, a girl wearing a blue mascot costume and a boy wearing only a towel, who appear at least once in every episode.
* ''[[Sailor Moon]]'':
Line 31 ⟶ 32:
** [http://onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Pandaman Pandaman].
** Oda seems to like this trope.
** A door repairman is commonly seen, along with a drunk who tends to get involved with mobs very easily. It doesn't help that his fans tend to egg him on about adding these characters.
** Past THAT, in almost every arc, there are always a handful of nameless characters that will continually keep showing up; for example, the egg-shaped Franky Family guy with tiny glasses. No name, hardly spoke, WAS ALWAYS THERE.
** One of Iva's [[Wholesome Crossdresser|okama]] squad, whose bunny ears and flowing mustache earned him the [[Fan Nickname]] of "Bunnystache."
* The ''[[Pokémon (
* ''[[Drama Con]]'' has a raccoon that first appears plastered to the bumper of the car [[Drives Like Crazy|Brett]] is driving to the convention. The little guy pops up in the background every so often throughout the series, usually scavenging snacks. He even makes [[The Cameo|a cameo appearance]] in ''[[Nightschool]]'', another one of the author's works.
* ''[[Samurai Pizza Cats]]'' has the mother bear and her son that watch the pizza cats be launched from the shop every episode.
* ''[[Desert Punk (
* ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]'' features a [http://i.imgur.com/mRW1A.jpg young redheaded woman with a scarf] involved in the events of just about every episode.
* ''[[Hajime no Ippo]]'' has exactly '''one''' referee and '''two''' commentators. They're the same in absolutely every official match; the only ones that don't show them are unofficial or the ones done [[Flash Back|in the past]].
* For some reason, a group of monks passes by the house in ''[[
== [[Comic Books]] ==
* The French comic ''[[Asterix]]'' features a band of pirates (who themselves are [[Lawyer-Friendly Cameo|caricatures of characters]] from the Belgian comic ''Redbeard'') who kept getting their ship wrecked whenever they ran into Asterix.
* The Belgian comic ''[[De Kiekeboes]]'' has a fat woman in a red sweater who is always being run over by the main character.
* The various helicopter pilots, particularly the French one and his extended family, who encounter main character Shautieh Ley's [[Rushmore Refacement]] everywhere they go in ''[[Bowling King]]''.
* The alien inhabiting the Negative Zone in ''[[Twisted Toyfare Theater]]'', whose life is constantly screwed up by the antics of a rowdy Thing.▼
* The woodcutter couple in ''[[Usagi Yojimbo]]''. They appear in the background of every other issue or so, sometimes interacting with the main cast (unwittingly helping Usagi foil the Neko Ninja's plans, even more unwittingly helping him feed and clothe Princess Kinuko, and very nearly getting killed by Inazuma...) and often telling one another that samurai are crazy.
* In ''[[Watchmen]]'', the Bernards appear repeatedly yet have nothing to do with the plot, save to sell other characters newspapers and be a [[Framing Device]] for the ''Black Freighter'' story arc. The lesbian couple who get into a fight just before {{spoiler|the squid-alien appears}} have even less connection to the main characters. Subverted with {{spoiler|the "End Is Nigh" sign-carrier}}, who looks innocuous until {{spoiler|it turns out he's Rorschach}}.
* In ''[[Kyon
▲== [[Fan Fiction]] ==
▲* In ''[[Kyon Big Damn Hero (Fanfic)|Kyon Big Damn Hero]]'' there's an unnamed underclassman of Kyon who has run him when [[Good Cop Bad Cop|interrogating a member of an illegal photography ring]] and talking how him breaking a yakuza thug's hand was the most impressive display of that fight, between other moments.
== [[Film]] ==
* In ''[[Manos:
* In ''[[Time Bandits]]'', a couple named Vincent and Pansy show up in different time periods throughout history, presumably reincarnated, as they are slightly different each time. Vincent always has an embarrassing personal problem they're trying not to talk about, and they're swamped by the wake of the main characters each time.
* In the [[Widget Series]] (well, movie), ''[[Battlefield Baseball]]'', a group of people, including a girl in old-fashioned school uniform, a guy wearing just a fig leaf, and someone with a broken arm, appear out of nowhere to create a crowd several times during the movie. There's also a drunk and his dog who are seen multiple times, including the end, where it's implied that the dog is the narrator of the movie. Yeah.
* In ''[[Young Frankenstein]]'', there is a couple at the train station when Dr Frankenstein boards the train who are having a strange conversation about some guy named Harry. When he arrives at his destination, the same couple is there, having the ''exact same conversation'', but in German, and the guy is now named Hans.
* In ''[[Trick
* Eric Idle's character in ''[[National Lampoon's European Vacation]]'' just happens to turn up at the same spots all over Europe at the same time as the main characters, [[Designated Victim|suffering increasingly grievous injuries due to their actions]]. He returns for more of the same 18 years later in the [[Made for TV Movie]] ''Christmas Vacation 2.''
* A woman with a large hat shows up multiple times in the background of ''[[The Double Life of Veronique]]'' (''La double vie de Véronique''). As this occurs in scenes taking place in different countries, and the film itself is concerned with the idea of doppelgängers, it seems intended by the filmmaker.
* In ''[[Shaun of the Dead]]'', all of the extras seen over the course of the beginning of the first half of the film appear as zombies in the second half.
* [[Gregorys Girl]] has a character dressed as a penguin who wanders through several of the scenes at the high school. There's never an explanation.
* In the Roger Moore ''[[James Bond (
* Done literally for a scene of ''[[Space Mutiny]]'', with a scene in a corridor with Ryder and Lea having a conversation whilst extras pass them back and forth in the background. Quite plainly, the same two extras again and again.
== [[Literature]] ==
* In ''
* In ''[[Airborn]]'', the Lumiere triplets are mentioned in all three books and Matt sees them at a restaurant in ''Skybreaker.''
* In the [[Discworld]] Watch novels, the dwarf watchman Stronginthearm is mentioned in passing a few times between ''Men At Arms'', when nonhumans first join the police force, and ''Night Watch'', when he is {{spoiler|suddenly and shockingly murdered by a fugitive}}.
== [[Live Action TV]] ==
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[My Family]]'' uses the same actor as receptionist in any hotel the family visit. They never comment on it, but he always has the same personality.
* ''[[
* Jacob Collins in ''[[Trailer Park Boys]]'' is this until the later seasons of the show when he's promoted to a full character. Initially he is the cashier at whatever store Ricky is currently robbing.
* The live-action version of ''[[Moyashimon]]'' has the Four-Eyed Explorer, a bespectacled member of the university's Explorer Club who keeps showing up in the background. When he appears outside of Kawahama and Misato's room in episode 4, Sawaki even asks him who is he and what he's doing here.
* [[Stargate SG
* The actor [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0625372/ Frank Nelson] literally made a career of this, playing essentially the same character (an antagonistic and smarmy shop-clerk) on numerous television and radio shows in the 1950's and 60's.
{{quote|
* In the early going of ''[[Sliders]]'', whenever the group arrived on a new parallel world and ended up taking a taxi anywhere, the same bearded Russian guy was always the driver.
{{quote|
'''Driver:''' What is to enjoy? It is my destiny.
'''Rembrant:''' You don't know the half of it. }}
* Used to unsettling effect in the first episode of ''[[The Prisoner]]'': a mechanic appears and repairs McGoohan's radio; while he does that, McGoohan leaves, and moments later runs into the same, instantly-recognizable guy coming from the opposite direction, except that guy is apparently now a gardener. Although he is an extra only twice, he is very memorable for having a distinct bald, lumpy appearance and visibly unnerving McGoohan.
* In the first two seasons of ''[[Wizards of Waverly Place]]'', Amanda Tepe portrayed various oneshot characters, earning her the [[Fan Nickname]] "The Monotone Lady".
* ''[[
* In ''[[Star Trek:
* Due to its fixed location, ''[[Star Trek
* ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' had a small pool of MACO extras, most of whom became very quickly recognizable. This made it awkward whenever they needed a MACO to have a large speaking role, because they were the only one we had never seen before.
* ''[[
* The late actor [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0669653/ Ed Peck] played five different characters in all five seasons of ''[[That Girl]]'' and three different characters in three different seasons of ''[[The Odd Couple]]''.
* The ''[[Law & Order]]'' franchise frequently reuses actors who play characters outside the main cast, leading to the nickname "repeat offenders", some of whom have made their way into the main cast with a lampshade hanging. Special mention to retired ESU officer Ed Bogdanowicz who was regularly cast in the original and ''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]]'' when the plot [[Spear Carrier|required an ESU officer speak]]. Unlike most recurring background actors, Bogdanowicz always played a single position and remained nameless, leaving open the possibility he was playing the same character.
== Newspaper Comics ==
▲* The alien inhabiting the Negative Zone in ''[[Twisted
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* ''[[Pathfinder]]'''s unnamed horned helmet wearing Antipaladin with solid red eyes frequently appears in art. Despite this he has no name and is ''not'' the "iconic" (example character used as main characters) Antipaladin, having no character sheet. The official iconic antipaladin postdates him and the class by years and barely appears.
== [[Theatre]] ==
* Flossie and her friend in ''[[On the Town]]''.
== [[Video Games]] ==
* ''[[Tony Hawk Pro Skater|Tony Hawk]]'': Ollie the magic bum in the games. He appears in some capacity or another in almost every game (mysteriously; as noted, he's homeless, but appears in diverse locations the world over) and never plays an important role, but Ollie was playable in the third game. He hasn't appeared in a game since the ''Underground'' games, which were the triumphant finale of the original soulful series.
* Stachenscarfen and Pavel in the ''[[Professor Layton]]'' games.
* The Up'n'down from ''[[
* [[Paper Mario:
** Likewise that [[Disco Stu]] who seems to be either a step behind or a step ahead of where you visit.
== [[Web Comics]] ==
* In ''[[
** Another example are the Real Light Warriors, which [[Missed the Call]] that hired Black Mage & Co., and now always one step behind the Light Warriors (or being screwed by them).
* ''[[The Order of the Stick]]'' has a pair of Flumphs, floating, white, tentacled creatures, who wander around and get landed on by (and save the lives of) falling main characters in almost every appearance.
** Lampshaded with a towering side of spoilers [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0444.html here.]
* ''[[Keychain of Creation]]'' has a young man with yellow eyes and brown hair who reappears numerous times in various roles. {{spoiler|He turns out to be a Sidereal [[Exalted]] who knows Ten Winds. Probably a Chosen of Journeys, given his yellow color scheme.}}
* ''[[Real Life Comics|Real Life]]'' has Alan Extra whenever a background character is called for.
* ''[[
* ''[[
** There are also several students that appear many times whenever random bystanders are needed, as well as the boys that hang out at the comic shop.
* [[
* [http://www.zapcomic.com/2004/01/20040906b-4/ This little guy] from ''[[
* There's [http://www.zebragirl.net/?date=2003-09-19 a kid] in [[Zebra Girl]] who used to appear in front of Sandra's house.
* ''[[
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== [[Western Animation]] ==
* ''[[
* ''[[
** The "[[Fan Nickname|Yuppie Couple]]" from have moved out of the background and have become involved in the greater story, making them no longer an example of the trope named for them. In the four-part episode "City of Stone" a pair of statues that looked like them were smashed by Demona, prompting fan outcry from about killing them. [[Word of God]] says that the statues were two other identical people who were not this couple, and the couple has gained larger roles in the
** The couple in question even appeared in another series, W.I.T.C.H., but only as a one time, not recurring.
** There's even another recurrer in ''[[
** ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[Lilo
* ''[[
* ''[[
* The Squeaky-Voiced Teen on ''[[The Simpsons (
** Or Sarcastic Man, who is a taxi driver, store clerck, plumber, etc depending of what the plot needs.
** This applies greatly to the children seen in Bart and Lisa's classes.
*** One-time character of the day students like Allison, Alex, and Francine, who are voiced by celebrities are reduced to this.
*** In fact, due to the severe lack of female students at Springfield Elementary and Lisa's lack of friends, the only girls she is ever seen with are Janey (her fair-weathered "friend") and Sherri & Terri (two bratty twins who aren't even in her class).
* Silkie, from the second season of ''[[Teen Titans (
* ''[[Kappa Mikey]]'' has at least a half-dozen of these, inclusding a pirate, a little old lady, a delivery guy, a biker named Beef, and a janitor. Whether or not Yoshi the cameraman counts is debatable.
* A cabbage merchant in ''[[
** The cabbage merchant even manages to recur (sort of) a ''full 70 years later'' in [[Sequel Series]] ''[[
* ''[[
* Edgar and Chauncey, in the various incarnations of ''[[Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'':
{{quote|
'''Chauncey:''' What's that, Edgar? }}
* Kelly, the hapless and perpetually unlucky woman who inadvertently runs afoul of alien robots who turn into cars in ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise]]''. Her insurance probably didn't cover most of the problems they caused. Her name was never spoken in-series, and comes from a sheet listing the cast.
* In ''[[Megas XLR]]'', frequently when mass devastation is being caused (frequently causing everyone else to scream and run for their lives), we see a particular kid watching it who just watches and says "Cool."
* ''[[Ice Age]]'' and its sequels have Scrat, a disaster-prone prehistoric rodent who wants nothing more than to harvest and bury acorns and who occasionally crosses paths with the main characters.
* ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' has its various appearances of [[Continuity Cameo|the Witwicky Family]].
* ''[[Danny Phantom]]'' consistently has a number of these. Though it makes sense as the main character is going to the same high school for the whole show, they do seem to show up everywhere.
** The boy with the spiky blond hair. (Who only ever got one line: "It's a ridiculously large hornet! Run!")
** The chick with red hair and glasses... and possibly braces. (She does actually get a role as one of the transformed geeks when the trio goes to the San Diego Comic Con. At least, it's the same character design.)
** The black chick with the tall black hair and green sweater.
* ''[[
* ''[[
** Number 9 Man appeared in the background throughout the cartoon series before getting an [[Ascended Extra|important role]] in the fourth film ''Into the Wild Green Yonder''.
** Scruffy the Janitor is often present and makes comments on situations that have nothing to do with him.
** There's also a fat, balding man with an exaggerated Bronx accent, apparently named "Sal", occasionally seen in some sort of blue-collar job. The writers [[Shrug of God|can not decide]] whether they're all clones or just one guy who can't hold down a job.
* [[
* ''[[
* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003
* Bibbo Bibbowski of ''[[Superman: The Animated Series
* Season 1 of ''[[Frisky Dingo]]'' had the ubiquitous Mr. Ford, a character who seemed to work at every menial job in the city from retail clerk to security guard to hospital employee, depending on the plot. Lampshaded in episode 12 when the main cast finally notices, to which his resigned response is "Yeah, my ass is everywhere." He was elevated to a main character actually affecting the plot in season 2 and the spinoff ''[[The Xtacles]].''
* ''[[Harvey Birdman, Attorney
* ''[[Jimmy Two-Shoes]]'' has Mrs. Cheesebreath, an old lady constantly seen in the background. Apparently she used to teach Lucius' third grade class.
* Several of the interns from ''[[Total Drama Action]]'', as well as many of the characters' old designs as a [[Development Gag]]. During the special, Chris even brought back some others (such as the intern with the hat, the serial killer, and the Eskimo dropped on Courtney) to {{spoiler|be the "stars" of a fake reality show called "Total Drama Dirtbags".}}
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** Di Lung, who would often pop up very briefly to utter his catchphrase, "Watch where you're going, you foo'!" He was essentially an extra until about halfway through the series, when he became more active in the plot.
** Jean Bonne also filled this role after [[Demoted to Extra|his demotion]]
* ''[[
** There's also the farmer couple from "Leave The Busting To Us!" et al., who never interact with the main characters, but often have something convenient fall out of the sky on them as a result of Phineas and Ferb's projects or Doofenshmirtz's schemes.
* [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is
* In ''[[The Adventures of Tintin]]'', [[Creator Cameo|Tintin's creator Hergé]] appears at least once in every story.
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== [[Real Life]] ==
* As [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVA047JAQsk Julian Smith] once put it about Facebook: "You know how on 'People You May Know', there's always that ''ONE DUDE'' that ''you know for a fact you don't know and never met him a day in your life'', but he just ''NEVER GOES AWAY?'' I feel we should all just go add that guy."
** To elaborate on that, there are some people who you never talk to (and vice versa), and may not know your name (again, and vice versa), but is always seen all the time. Of course, to [[Hero of Another Story|them]] you might be a
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Characters As Device]]
[[Category:Cast Filler Tropes]]
▲[[Category:Trope]]
|