Secret NPCs Most Players Will Never Meet

Even after hundreds of hours, most players never meet every character a game has to offer. Some NPCs are locked behind absurdly specific triggers. Others exist only in the code, cut from the game but still lurking in the files. And a few are famous precisely because nobody can find them. This guide covers the secret NPCs most players will never meet, from Skyrim's wandering M'aiq the Liar to the Bigfoot of Red Dead Redemption's Undead Nightmare. Bring a checklist, because you're about to discover whole characters you never knew existed.

Quick answer: M'aiq the Liar wanders Skyrim's roads spouting nonsense and mockery. Minecraft's Illusioner and Giant exist in the code but cannot spawn in normal gameplay. Undertale hides Gaster's followers, strange NPCs who whisper about a forgotten character. Red Dead Redemption's Undead Nightmare lets you talk to a real Bigfoot, and RDR2's Gavin is a friend everyone looks for but no one finds. Pokemon's MissingNo. remains the original secret encounter.

Skyrim's Wandering Liar

If you love hunting hidden characters, check out our guide to secret characters and how to unlock them, because M'aiq is the original.

M'aiq the Liar

M'aiq the Liar appears in every modern Elder Scrolls game, wandering the roads to deliver jokes, false lore, and mild insults. There's no quest, no marker, and no reason to be there. Players report he can appear anywhere and leaves as soon as you stop talking. Meeting him feels like running into a developer's in-joke wearing a trench coat.

Minecraft's Mobs You'll Never See

Minecraft's code contains characters that almost no one will ever meet in normal play.

The Illusioner

The Illusioner is a full mob in Minecraft's code: it fires blinding arrows and can go invisible. But it never spawns in normal gameplay, appearing only through commands or mods. Players report it was added for a specific encounter and then shelved. The Giant is similar, a huge zombie model that can't appear without commands. Both are technically in your game right now, just out of reach.

Undertale's Forgotten Followers

Undertale rewards players who chase rare encounters with pieces of a character who no longer exists.

Gaster's Followers

In Undertale, rare random encounters can summon strange NPCs who speak of a man 'shattered across time and space.' They're called Gaster's followers, and they appear only under very specific conditions. Players report that meeting them feels like catching a ghost mid-conversation. They hint at a character most players will never knowingly meet.

Red Dead Redemption's Hidden Bigfoot

Rockstar hides some of its strangest characters in the most out-of-the-way places. These rare finds sit alongside the strangest unlockable content in gaming, which we covered in our look at unlockable game modes most players never find.

Bigfoot's Dialogue in Undead Nightmare

Red Dead Redemption's Undead Nightmare expansion hides a genuine Bigfoot encounter. In a cave, a voice calls out, and you find a talking Bigfoot who asks you a surprisingly philosophical question. Players report the game gives you a choice that says a lot about the character. It's a secret so well hidden that many players finished the whole expansion without meeting him.

The Mystery of Gavin in RDR2

Some secret NPCs are famous for never showing up at all.

The Friend Nobody Finds

Throughout Red Dead Redemption 2, you keep meeting Nigel, a man desperately searching for his friend Gavin. Gavin himself never appears. Players report dataminers have searched for him, and the game never offers a definitive answer. He's a secret NPC in the sense that everyone talks about him and nobody ever meets him.

Glitches That Became Legends

A few 'secret NPCs' were never meant to exist at all, which makes them even more famous. They belong on the same shelf as the hidden easter eggs you probably missed in popular games.

Pokemon's MissingNo.

MissingNo. is the original glitch character, an error that appeared when players performed a specific item trick on the Old Man in Pokemon Red and Blue. It looked like broken pixels, it let you duplicate items, and it became one of the most famous 'secret NPCs' in history. Players report that fans still name their Pokemon after it.

Breath of the Wild's Lord of the Mountain

Breath of the Wild hides the Lord of the Mountain on Satori Mountain, a glowing spirit-like mount that only appears at certain hours. It doesn't speak, but it behaves like a character with a story. Players report it's the closest the game comes to hiding a proper secret NPC in plain sight.

Key Takeaways

• Secret NPCs hide behind wandering spawns, code entries, and extremely specific triggers.
• M'aiq the Liar is the perfect example of a character who exists only to be found.
• Minecraft's Illusioner and Giant prove some NPCs never make it into the real game.
• RDR2's Gavin is a legend because he's a friend nobody can ever meet.
• Even glitches like MissingNo. can become beloved secret characters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does M'aiq the Liar spawn in Skyrim?

He doesn't have a set location. M'aiq wanders the roads randomly, so players report finding him in different places on different playthroughs.

Can you spawn the Illusioner in Minecraft?

Yes, with commands or in certain modded and Bedrock edition setups. In vanilla survival, the Illusioner never spawns naturally.

Is there really a Bigfoot in Red Dead Redemption?

Yes, in the Undead Nightmare expansion there's a hidden cave encounter with a talking Bigfoot. It's optional and easy to miss.

What is MissingNo. in Pokemon Red and Blue?

It's a glitch Pokemon that appears when you use a specific trick involving the Old Man and the Trainer Fly. It's broken, it can duplicate items, and it became a piece of gaming history.

Conclusion

Secret NPCs are the game industry's version of urban legends: characters that exist just out of frame, waiting for someone curious enough to look. Some are coded, some are hidden in caves, and some are barely more than rumors. Either way, they make every playthrough a little more mysterious. Go find one, and you'll understand why the hunt matters.

Who's the strangest secret character you've ever met in a game? Tell us in the comments and share this with your squad.