Forum:SH Archive/What is the difference between appearance and mentioned only in novels?

A novel doesn't have any pictures, so no character, animal or vehicle really makes an "appearance" in a novel. They are all "mentioned only". And yet, every appearance section in every novel article on Wookieepedia has names that have and names that don't have the "mentioned only" label.

So what is the difference between mentioned only and a real appearance in a novel? For characters this is an easier question. Characters that make an appearance usually have spoken lines, characters that are mentioned don't. But animals and vehicles don't speak at all. So how much detail does there need to be? Is there really any difference between the two concepts since all narration is in past tense? NetSpiker 09:44, April 19, 2010 (UTC)