hide/remove icons from desktop mac book pro

Where exactly on the desktop?

If it's in the dock, they are an alias and you can remove them.

If you have the app on the desktop, you will delete it if you drag it to the trash.

There must be a reason since there exists guidance on the subject.

Not necessarily. There is guidance for everything online - whether it is useful or not (the guidance or the subject being discussed, LOL).

Right now we have no idea what the icons are of or where they are located except in the Desktop view. They could be apps in the Dock or apps on the Desktop itself or aliases to apps.

If the OP wants our help they will post back with some more info so we can try to assist them.

Are these app icons alias files pointing to the actual app in the Applications folder?

Or are these, as babowa asked, in the Dock?

Please read the following user tip and restate your question/problem in detail: 

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I can't for the life of me figure what an invisible icon is good for. There must be a reason since there exists guidance on the subject. But if I go to the trouble of creating the Alias or moving and icon I want to see it.

Drag the ones you don't want to the trash Bin.

https://www.geekdashboard.com/show-hide-desktop-icons-on-mac/

Oh true! But somebody somewhere thought it was important enough to take the time to write down how to do it. Maybe misguided but still ... time and effort.