Unseen character

An unseen character or invisible character is a fictional character referred to but never directly observed by the audience. They are characters that are "heard of, but never heard from". They are continuing characters—characters who frequently interact with the other characters and who influence current story events.

The significance in the plot excludes from this definition various occasional barely mentioned characters, such as Laurent (Lawrence), Tartuffe's unseen valet, whose sole function is merely to introduce the pompousness of Tartuffe, as seen from his very first words of the play; see Scene II.

Unseen characters are a common device in drama. Books can feature characters who are referenced by others, but whose actions and dialogue are never directly described. The work of Voltaire, for example, included the "unseen character".