Who Is SCP-096 and What Does He Do?

SCP-096, or Shy Guy, is one of the oldest and most popular SCP anomalies. This creepy humanoid chases anyone who sees his face—and there’s no known way to stop him from reaching his target. In this article, we’re taking a deep dive into the world of SCP-096 to learn what it is, what it looks like, how it’s contained, and more about its personality. Read on if you dare!

SCP-096 Explained

SCP-096, or Shy Guy, is a pale, thin humanoid. Normally docile, he becomes extremely distressed if anyone sees his face, even in a photo or video. He covers his face with his hands, crying and screaming, then relentlessly hunts and kills the person who saw him, traveling hundreds of miles if necessary.

Section 1 of 8:

What is SCP-096?

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SCP-096, or Shy Guy, is considered one of the most dangerous SCPs. SCP-096 is relatively docile most of the time, but if anyone sees his face—even in a photo or video—096 becomes extremely distressed. He covers his face with his hands, then screams, cries, and babbles for 1–2 minutes. Then, he immediately begins pursuing the person who saw him.
- Once someone sees SCP-096’s face, they are designated as SCP-096-1.
- There are no known materials, barriers, or traps that can stop SCP-096 once he starts chasing a victim.
- SCP-096 is a Euclid-class anomaly. That means that he can be contained by the SCP Foundation, but containment is somewhat unpredictable.

Section 2 of 8:

What does SCP-096 look like?

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Shy Guy is a pale humanoid with long arms and a gaping jaw. He’s nearly 8 ft (2.4 m) tall, and his arms are almost 5 ft (1.5 m) long. He’s extremely skinny and pale, and he’s capable of opening his jaw more than 4x wider than a normal person.^{[1]
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- Shy Guy has almost no pigment to his skin and eyes. It’s unknown whether he can see.
- No one living has seen SCP-096’s face. However, the Foundation commissioned a portrait of 096. Apparently, looking at the portrait does not trigger 096’s rage state.
  - To obtain the portrait, the Foundation put a D-class test subject (an expendable person) on a submarine. The test subject, who had a background in tattoo art, was given a photograph of SCP-096. They drew the portrait of 096 and put it in a waterproof box, then destroyed the photograph.^{[2]
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  - The portrait was retrieved after 096 destroyed the submarine. The test subject’s remains were not found.

Section 3 of 8:

How is SCP-096 contained?

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SCP-096 is kept in an airtight steel cell. The cell measures 5 × 5 × 5 m (16 × 16 × 16 ft), and it must be checked every week to be sure there are no cracks or holes. The SCP Foundation uses pressure sensors and lasers to verify that 096 is still in the cell. No one is allowed to look inside, and cameras and other optical tools are not permitted to prevent anyone from accidentally seeing 096’s face.^{[3]
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- Monitoring suggests that SCP-096 spends most of his time pacing along the eastern wall of his cell.
- At the time his original entry was written, SCP-096’s termination had been ordered, although carrying out this order proved challenging due to his nearly indestructible body.

Section 4 of 8:

Personality & Abilities

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1
SCP-096 spends most of its time in a docile state. 096 doesn’t speak or show any signs of higher thought. It simply sits or paces in its cell, seemingly content as long as no one sees its face.^{[4]
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Research source} If SCP-096 escapes, he’ll return to a docile state if a bag is placed over his head to obscure his face (once he’s dispatched his target).^{[5]
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- Because SCP-096 doesn’t talk, no one really understands why he gets so upset when people see his face—it may be because he’s pathologically insecure about his looks, or he may have been relentlessly bullied as a child.
- Viewing parts of SCP-096 other than the face will not trigger a rage reaction. The D-class test subject in the submarine was shown a photograph of 096’s foot, but nothing happened until the subject saw the picture of its face.
- Despite his overall docile nature, 096 has the potential to trigger an XK-Class (world-ending) event if he were to be seen by enough people. And his body—particularly the skeleton—is nearly indestructible. Because of the potential for so much damage to humanity, he’s been ordered to be terminated.
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SCP-096 enters a rage state if anyone sees its face. Once anyone looks at 096’s face, they become the target of his rage—even if they aren’t consciously aware of having seen it. First, SCP-096 will cover his face with his hands and wail for 1–2 minutes. Then, he stands up and starts running in a direct line toward his target. ^{[6]
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- Tests (like the D-class subject in the submarine) have shown that SCP-096 knows the instant someone sees its face.
- Nothing can stop SCP-096 once he locks onto a target.^{[7]
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  Research source} He will break free of his containment cell and cross hundreds or thousands of miles until he reaches them. He will dive into the ocean or climb mountains, and he has even taken down a plane.
- SCP-096 will consistently increase his speed as he chases down his target.^{[8]
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- No one is exactly sure how 096 kills his victims, but he leaves no trace of them afterward. It’s presumed that he eats them.^{[9]
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Section 5 of 8:

Incident 096-1-A

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Incident 096-1-A describes a significant breach by SCP-096. In “Incident 096-1-A,” Foundation researchers Dr. Dan and Dr. Oleksei share that SCP-096 breached his cell, traveling through numerous towns until he found his primary target. Although Foundation agents were able to successfully stop people from seeing 096 in the first several towns, they weren’t able to prevent the massacre of over a hundred civilians, agents, and members of the military at the hands of SCP-096.
- The initial target was a hiker who took a photograph of a mountain range in the 1990s. A four-pixel image of SCP-096 was in the background of the photo. It’s presumed that the man had never closely examined the picture until shortly before this incident.
- During this breach, researchers relied on experimental goggles known as Project SCRAMBLE to protect them from 096. The goggles were supposed to detect 096’s face and scramble the image before the agents saw it. However, the unedited image flashed for about a nanosecond, which was enough to trigger 096’s rage.
- On interrogation, it was revealed that Dan and Oleksei were responsible for intentionally releasing SCP-096 to prove that he needed to be terminated. The order was approved, but Dr. Dan was sentenced to termination, as well.

Section 6 of 8:

SCP-096 Crossovers

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SCP-096 appears in numerous other SCP stories. The main SCP-096 entry can be considered canon, since it’s the original story. But there’s no overarching canon for the SCP canon—crossovers are common, and they don’t necessarily have to agree with other versions. For instance, multiple stories explain SCP-096’s origins in different ways. With that in mind, here are some of the other SCP stories that mention SCP-096:
- “There Is Comfort In Not Seeing. There Is Bliss In Not Knowing.”: The Plague Doctor (SCP-049) comforts SCP-096, who is portrayed as a lonely, traumatized child.
- “Seoulmate.docx”: A lonely office worker meets an unusual intern who transforms him into SCP-096.
- “A Matter of Perception”: In another origin story, SCP-096 starts out as a trans teen who hates the male body she was born with.
- “Fading”: A tragic story of a father who loses his wife and son in an attack by an unnamed SCP that kills you when you look at it.
- “Experiment Log T-98816-OC108/682”: SCP-096 is placed in the cell of SCP-682, the Hard to Destroy Reptile. Both entities are wounded but neither is destroyed.
- “SCP-978 Extended Test Logs”: SCP-096’s photograph is taken by SCP-978, a Polaroid camera that shows the subject’s deepest desires. In the picture, SCP-096 is either missing or invisible.
- “The Engine of A Film / The Fine Game of Nil”: A group of Foundation researchers ive SCP-096 the sentient mask SCP-035; 096 and the researchers prank their coworkers and attend Spring Break.
- “SCP-6170-A Extended Log”: SCP-096 is distressed and ultimately dies as a direct result of the death of SCP-6170-A (Harambe the Gorilla), an entity that stabilized anomalies.
- “In my eyes, indisposed. In disguises no one knows.”: SCP-096 follows a D-class subject into the sun, but after a second test subject views a photo of 096, the sun starts getting closer to the earth.
- “Consequences and Collarbones:” Dr. Daniels (Dr. Dan) terminates SCP-096: First SCP-173 removes 096’s head, then Foundation agents pour hydrofluoric acid into its bones.
- “Picture Perfect”: Foundation researcher Dr. Clef celebrates the SCP-096’s death by hanging a 4 ft × 5 ft (1.2 m × 1.5 m) photograph of it on the wall of his office.
- “Masks, Monsters, and Merchants”: SCP-096 is regenerated in The Hanged King’s realm of Alagadda.
- Who would win in a fight between SCP-096 and your favorite entity? Check it out in wikiHow’s SCP Fight Simulator!

Section 7 of 8:

SCP-096 in Other Media

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SCP-096 has appeared in games, series, and other content. Not only is Shy Guy one of the earliest SCPs to gain internet fame, but he’s also a fun, creepy take on the “you’ll die if you look at this picture” internet trope. It’s no wonder this popular SCP has shown up so many places! Here are a few places you can find him outside of the SCP universe:
- Video Games
  - SCP - Containment Breach (Windows): SCP-096 is an enemy in the game; if players look at him, he chases and kills them.
  - SCP: Secret Laboratory (Steam): SCP-096 is a playable class of SCPs in the game. He’s especially effective against large groups.^{[10]
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  - SCP board game Uncontained: SCP-096 is an anomaly in this card-based game.
  - Mods: SCP-096 is a popular subject of game mods for online platforms like Minecraft and Roblox.
- SCP: Sedition Series: SCP-096 was the subject of a popular video in this YouTube series that reimagined SCP entries.
- 096 | SCP Short Film: This short film about 096 has racked up over 15 million views on YouTube.
- “SCP-096” by Glenn Leroi: This catchy song from Glenn Leroi and Mobius is all about 096.

Section 8 of 8:

Is SCP-096 real?

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He might be a creepy story, but 096 isn’t real. “SCP-096” was written by an SCP author named Dr. Dan, who also penned Incident 096-1-A. In fact, all of the entries on the SCP wiki are clearly labelled as works of fiction.