There’s the second Mrs. de Winter in Rebecca.
Well, “Kyon” is a name, even if it’s a nickname, though it’s true that you never find out what the narrator’s real name is in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. But he has a younger sister, who only gets referred to as “Kyon no Imoto” (literally, Kyon’s younger sister), so she has even less of a real name.
Frankenstein’s monster.
Marilyn Monroe’s character in The Seven Year Itch.
10 out of Twelve Angry Men
The Virginian
The name of “The Preacher” in “Pale Rider” is never revealed. But the protagonist of “High Plains Drifter” pretty much reveals his identity to the little guy painting the name on the grave of “Marshall Jim Duncan” at the end of the movie (although the credits refer to him as ‘The Drifter’). Totally understandable mistake: they’re very similar characters and plots.
I believe the credits call him “the narrator”, for what it’s worth.
Damn, sorry. I *knew *I should have looked it up. I really like that movie, but I was just drawing a blank on it when I posted. I thought I finally picked the right one. Brain cramp.
In the original story by Hans Christian Andersen, the little mermaid had no name. Or at least, none was mentioned.
Darn you…
This was on my mind because we recently got a new puppy, and our queen bee cat has been hovering about glaring at her from the shadows like Mrs. Danvers…
Oddly enough, the only one who springs to mind is the Man in the Yellow Hat.
The gunfighter played by Charles Bronson in “Once Upon a Time in the West” was never given any name but “Harmonica.”
Janitor in Scrubs. Unless his name really is Dr Jan Itor.
Come to think of it, none of the three little pigs had names either. Presumably, neither did that wolf fella.
For that matter, some major characters in Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs were left unnamed – the queen, the prince, and the huntsman.
Reservoir Dogs - Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Brown, Mr. Orange, etc.
The “mousy agoraphobic Broadway fanatic” who narrates the musical The Drowsy Chaperone is known only as Man In Chair.
In the 18th season, an episode titled “Springfield Up” gave the back-story for this character, and identified her as Eleanor Abernathy.
Thanks for telling me who the heck that was. I think a few of these characters may fail the “random guy on the street has heard of them” test. But if manga is acceptable, I submit Hokuto’s Henchman from Cromartie High School.
In Sandman, Dream has an actual name (Morpheus),
and his successor has a name (Daniel),
but the other Endless are known only by their titles.
Just Khamûl.
The two leads in one of my favorite movies, “Once” aren’t named. They are identified as
Guy and Girl in the credits.