Manly Tears: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the character is particularly sensitive and so often moved deeply, see [[Tender Tears]].

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{{examples}}

== Advertising ==

* An American anti-littering ad featured a (fake) Native American viewing the littered landscape and finally [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4ozVMxzNAA a single tear escapes him]. Thus creating the trope [[Crying Indian]].

* In ''[[Street Fighter II]]:[[The Animated Movie]],'' Guile doesn't cry when his ass is kicked by Bison, or when Chun-Li is hurt, but he sheds some manly tears of manliness when he thinks Chun-Li is dead.

* Happens a few times in ''[[Kamen Rider Spirits]]''. The most powerful is the one with with [[Kamen Rider V 3|Shiro Kazami]]. Trapped in an illusion showing his departed family inviting him to go with them, he declined at the last moment, letting go of his [[Dead Little Sister]]'s hand and doing his henshin pose. In the middle of it, the reader is shown an image of him shedding a single tear, which carries on to the mask of V3. It was ''awesome''.

* ''[[Naruto]]'':

** Might Guy and, of course, his student and protege Rock Lee manage to be comical parodies ''and'' moving [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwrZatVOO2M straight examples] of this, depending on the circumstances.

** Even ''[[The Stoic|Sasuke]]'' tears up when {{spoiler|Madara tells him about how [[Aloof Big Brother|Itachi]] was actually a good guy, ''right after he killed him''.}}

* Vash the Stampede from ''[[Trigun]]''. He frequently gets like this when donuts are involved.

** Yami Yugi has a mental breakdown after he {{spoiler|loses the duel to Rafael and Yugi's soul is taken by the Orichalcos.}} Later, when he {{spoiler|fights and beats a (seemingly) evil ghost-like Yugi in order to overcome his own darkness,}} he cries again, {{spoiler|[[Tear Jerker|holding onto little Yugi and vowing to save him.]] }}

* Captain Juzo Okita from ''[[Uchuu Senkan Yamato]]'' when see his son picture.

* In ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'' Yusuke cries manly tears when {{spoiler|Genkai dies and Kuwabara fakes his own death,}} and {{spoiler|Kuwabara does it too, when Yusuke dies}}.

** Kamina plays this straight when he finds his father's skeleton in the desert, and for comedic purposes a couple more times.

** Let's not forget that in the beginning of episode 26 when he {{spoiler|crushes one of the faces on the Anti-Spiral ships after Kittan's manly death}} he's [http://randomc.net/image/Gurren%20Lagann/Gurren%20Lagann%20-%2026%20-%20Large%2001.jpg shown] shedding tears of ''blood''.

** Take a look at the final scene of the episode where {{spoiler|Kamina}} dies. The way the rain is flowing down Lagann's face, it looks like as if ''the mecha is mourning too''.

*** Mirrored again when {{spoiler|Kittan dies too}}. The Chouginga Gurren Lagann has spiral energy flowing down it's cheeks as if it's crying.

** The series has several memorable and impacting cases of this trope, including but not limited to {{spoiler|Joseph's reaction to the death of Caesar Zeppeli, Josuke finding out that Okuyasu wasn't killed by Killer Queen's attack and Johnny witnessing the death of Gyro Zeppeli}}

* ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'' is famous for this (especially in the case of Kenshiro, pictured above). However, the main type of tears shed in ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'' is actually ''[[Tender Tears]]'' from soft-hearted, sensitive and kind men rather than this macho variety.

** His previous incarnation, Kenshiro Kasumi of ''[[Fist of the Blue Sky]]'', is also given to shedding these tears.

** Note ''why'' Guy is crying in this manly way: he doesn't know Mamoru is a Replijin. As far as he knows, his friend and sidekick has injured humans and killed two of his allies, and he is [[Tear Jerker|apologizing to Mamoru for having to open up his trademark can of courage and rage.]]

* ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'': Roy sheds a single manly tear at the funeral of {{spoiler|his best friend Maes Hughes}}, insisting that "it's raining" although the sky is clear.

** Armstrong is the definition of this trope, both as a parody and a straight example. He simply cannot hold back his tears at {{spoiler|Hughes'}} funeral.

** And in the previews for the next OAVs, {{spoiler|Oishi is seen screaming and crying his heart out, VERY possibly for Tezuka after the animated version of the Tezuka v/s Sanada match.}}

* In the fifth season of the ''[[Slayers]]'' anime, the normally [[Deadpan Snarker|snarky]] and [[Loners Are Freaks|distant]] chimera Zelgadis breaks down after learning that {{spoiler|he may never be able to revert back to his human state, ever. The fact that his own great-grandfather is telling him this makes it even worse.}} While only a few tears are shown, it's painfully obvious that he's wailing and distressed, and given his nature, it's painful to see.

* Souichi from ''[[The Tyrant Falls in Love]]'' breaks down into tears after a long, impassioned rant to Morinaga on how he ''does'' have feelings and ''was'' hurt by Morinaga's attempt to disappear from his life, and also after saving Morinaga who managed to get himself trapped underneath an altar in a burning house, while berating him on not thinking about how'd he'd feel again (though he makes the excuse of splashing himself with water as a safety precaution).

* ''[[Kaiji]]'': {{spoiler|"He stayed quiet all the way down!"}}

* ''Kaiji 2'': Rousing speeches and dramatically built-up victories and defeats make manly tears a ''Kaiji 2'' staple. As the series goes on and the stakes and emotions boil over, there are episodes where Kaiji is literally crying the whole time because he's so fried out of his mind by what's happening. Considering the circumstances, it's justified: {{spoiler|if Kaiji wins his last gamble, he'll be rich and can save several friends that sacrificed their freedom just so he could have the chance ''to gamble''. If he loses, he'll be imprisoned as a virtual slave in an [[Evil, Inc.|underground work camp]], sentenced to work 16 hours a day in brutal conditions for something like ten dollars a day to pay off his debt. Kaiji's debt (through very little fault of his own) is such that he will be [[Fate Worse Than Death|stuck there for life until his body gives out]].}}

*** Also, when he finds out that {{spoiler|Ace died in Luffy's arms and.}} While he is not openly weeping, you can see that the man is on the verge of tears.

** Of course, Franky deserves special mention, being brought to tears rather easily (and always being in denial of it).

** Luffy and Ace together. Enough said

** Let's not forget the first time we see the Gaon Cannon.

** Don't forget the time when {{spoiler|Guts suffered a breakdown in the midst of consummating his relationship with Casca when he relives his childhood rape.}} Casca was the first member of the Hawks that he openly cried in front of.

** Remember: true [[Testosterone Poisoning|testosterone-poisoned]] badasses aren't afraid to cry.

* {{spoiler|Jeremiah}} cries ''blood'' when he {{spoiler|pulls his [[Heel Face Turn]]}} in ''[[Code Geass]]''. And before that, {{spoiler|he cries when he talks to Viletta in the Picture Dramas.}}

** Lelouch himself does this more than once especially when {{spoiler|a woman important to him, be it Euphie or Shirley, dies}}. He definitely puts the "hero" part back into [[Anti-Hero]]...

** Don't forget {{spoiler|Suzaku crying his heart out when he tragically loses Euphie. And then crying again when he, as Zero, kills Lelouch}}

** He cried in relief after his classmates were saved from the JLF.

** In the second season, [[Shoot the Dog|Setsuna is forced to kill]] [[Manchurian Agent|Anew]]... the same Anew Lockon confessed to an episode earlier. Absolutely nothing in the series trumps [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdzPjR8VFnc#t=2m58s Lockon's reaction after the credits] in terms of sheer emotional impact.

* Manly tears are shed often in ''[[Eyeshield 21]]'', mostly by Sakuraba Haruto. Used much more often, however, are ''pathetic'' tears shed by guys like benchwarmer Yukimitsu (who can't start no matter how much he tries), ace quarterback Harao (who knows he's just an average player who depends entirely on the defensive line), and the hard-boiled Habashira (who put forth a Herculean effort in the Fall tournament, only to find his teammates couldn't muster his level of enthusiasm.) And don't forget Poseidon's towering tough guy lineman Ohira, who is usually seen with streams of tears down his cheeks with no explanation.

* Averted in ''[[Slam Dunk]]'' when {{spoiler|Mitsui breaks down after the gym fight, and when Sakuragi cries after the loss against Kainan.}} Played straight when {{spoiler|Shoyo loses and Fujima calmly but tearfully accepts his loss, and when Sakuragi remembers his [[Disappeared Dad]].}}

* The men of the Kuroda family in ''[[Gokusen]]'' are all very sentimental when it comes to family matters. Of course, this is meant to be humorous, as it doesn't jive with their intense tough-guy image at all.

* In ''[[Hellsing]]'' [[Badass]] vampire Alucard {{spoiler|breaks down after killing Father Alexander Anderson, who had turned himself into a monster to try to stop Alucard.}}

* After coming in fourth in the first Choujin Olympics, Ramenman tearfully begs [[Kinnikuman]] to defeat win the tournament and make the battle they had fought something he could be proud of. In the manga, he cried [[Tears of Blood]].

* Yuki in ''[[Gravitation]]'' does this at one point. Played rather amusingly when he has to lie down afterwords because he hasn't cried in so long that it doing so gives him a headache.

* At several points in ''[[Saikano]]'', multiple male characters, ''especially'' Shuji, are reduced to tears for various reasons.

* After the death of {{spoiler|fellow warrior Nuriko}} in ''[[Fushigi Yuugi]]'', Tasuki is seen slumped by himself with tears pouring silently down his face. Tamahome himself breaks down in tears (and into a [[Heroic BSOD]] for that matter) when {{spoiler|Suboshi avenged his brother's apparent death by killing Tamahome's entire family}}.

* In another ''[[CLAMP]]'' example, Syaoran in ''[[Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle]]'' cries (and then passes out) when he is treated to an extremely vivid replay of {{spoiler|Kurogane's}} tragic past. It's doubly shocking since he's rather [[The Stoic|stoic]] for a [[Kid Hero]].

** Considerably more stoic in the anime version than in the manga, in fact; in the anime he really only seems to have one expression.

** Played for drama when {{spoiler|Akane is thought to be dead.}} You see a single tear slide off Ranma's cheek and onto hers, before he starts crying harder and screams her name out of anguish.

* Skewered brutally (as [[Lighter and Softer]] tropes tend to be) in ''[[Black Lagoon]]'', where the [[Those Wacky Nazis|neo-Nazis]] break down and start blubbering like infants at their leader's [[Stylistic Suck|cheesy]] speech.

** Then played straight later. ''Nobody'' is laughing at Rock for crying over how messed up Gretel is. To elaborate for those of you who don't care about spoilers: {{spoiler|the way she chooses to go about thanking a man who shows her kindness is to proposition herself to him. It's implied (s)he's undergone some kind of horrible genital mutilation. Oh, yeah, and even if that's not the case-- Gretel is around ten, and the fact is the only way the girl can think of thanking him is SEX. Not a nice kiss on the cheek, not a flower s/he picked, not a cherished toy. Sex.}} [[Tear Jerker|No, Rock isn't crying manly tears... those are ''humanly'' tears.]]

* In ''[[Bleach]]'' {{spoiler|Renji}}, when Ichigo beats the crap out of him and breaks his sword in Soul Society ark, and he crying, grabs Ichigo and begs him to save {{spoiler|Rukia}}.

** Basically, the whole manga's about the debate of euthanasia.

* ''[[Ronin Warriors]]'' is ''extremely'' prone to this. Sometimes overlaps [[Tears of Remorse]], particularly in Kento/Shu and Shuten Doji/Anubis' cases. Also present during the final attack against the [[Big Bad]], during which four of the [[Five-Man Band]] {{spoiler|thought they were also killing their leader}}.

* Chapter 279 of ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'': {{spoiler|Negi does this when [[Obi-Wan Moment|Rakan dies]]. Chisame even more so, showing [[Cry Cute|more emotion]] [[Kuudere|she ever did before]].}}

* In ''[[Pokémon Special]]'', it looks like normally stoic Silver is about to burst into tears when saying how Gold performed a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] to take down the [[Big Bad]] and save them all...but it's subverted as Green chooses ''that moment'' to declare that Silver's under arrest for a crime that happened in the beginning of the arc. {{spoiler|Thank god Gold lived and provided the [[Facial Composite Failure]] wanted poster, pointing out that Silver doesn't look anything like the image there. Gold then further kills the mood by rubbing Blue's ass, and enrages Silver enough to slug him.}}

** Subverted? Averted? with N's first appearance, as he looks more like he came out of a shoujo series. Many fans couldn't help giggling.

** Kurono also cried when {{spoiler|he discovered he was the sole survivor of the Buddha mission, mourning for the loss of his friend Katou and love interest Kei Kishimoto.}}

** And the most [[Tear Jerker|heart-wrenching moment]], when Kei Kurono breaks down completely and sobs after {{spoiler|his girlfriend's murder.}}

** Subverted near the end of the series when Hiroki has every reason to cry after {{spoiler|fighting viciously to protect his love interest, only to be mortally wounded and forced to see her shot in front of him}}. Yet his remaining eye is devoid of tears.

** Don't forget that a mere episode before that, Domon was {{spoiler|forced to put both his brother and his other mentor down to stop the Devil Gundam's rampage}}.

** {{spoiler|KYOOOJIIIII}}

* ''[[Crying Freeman]]'' is about a controlled/brainwashed (it becomes unclear which) assassin whose true nature only appears whenever he kills someone, whereupon he sheds tears.

** Episode 57 has [[The Stoic]] Yusei shedding a tear as he confessed his guilt over {{spoiler|his father's research ruining his friends' lives}}.

* Played for comedy, but shed fairly often by Harima Kenji on ''[[School Rumble]]''.

* ''[[Digimon Xros Wars]]'', influenced by the super robot genre as it is, naturally has a very powerful moment of this. In the fight against NeoVamdemon, Shoutmon DX displays this trope. What happened was that the numerous Lopmon the villain had fused to himself in a grab for immortality had willingly sacrificed their existence in order to give Shoutmon and Greymon the power to Xros together and escape, and DX explains that he's going to keep his promise to stop NeoVamdemon from hurting anyone ever again, then beats the hell out of the bastard.

** A few episodes earlier, Taiki was on the verge of this trope when the purified Grademon sacrificed himself to help the heroes in a defiant act against his former master.

 

 

* Happens quite a lot in ''[[Elf Quest]]''. In fact it may hold some kind of record for it.

* The whole team of the [[New Mutants]], even the cybernetic Warlock, broke into tears upon {{spoiler|failing to avoid Cypher's death}}.

** Tony later produces a manly tear at {{spoiler|Cap's}} funeral, and has a full-on sobbing fit over the body in The Confession.

* A recurring trope in the limited series ''Pride and Joy''. The teenage [[Slacker]] son often sheds tears of frustration during arguments with his tough guy father. Tough guy father never cries until the final scene where he's dying and his son has made him proud.

* Gambit during {{spoiler|the last moments of Rogue's life during ''[[X-Men]]: The End''.}}

* The Vision, when he's accepted into [[The Avengers (Comic Book)|The Avengers]]. In a story called "Even An Android Can Cry".

* Johnny in ''[[Strontium Dog]]'' cries a single tear at {{spoiler|Wulf's funeral}}.

* In the first novel of the New Jedi Order series, Chewbacca is killed when a moon crashes into its planet. Not long after, a [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|series of one shot comics was released in tribute to the big walking carpet]]. The gist is that R2-D2 and C-3PO go around to various heroes and ask them for their thoughts on Chewbacca and any stories they have to share. Luke Skywalker talks about feeling Chewie's death through the Force and adds comic panels of what happened to his words. At the very end, [[Tear Jerker|Han Solo is shown standing alone in the Millennium Falcon's cockpit, face in one hand and tears streaming down his cheeks]].

* Roy Harper when he finally sees his daughter's corpse in a morgue. He begins crying as he imagines what she must have gone through as Star City was being destroyed, and wonders if the last words she spoke were "Daddy. Help." as he hugs her dead body on the slab with his remaining arm.

 

 

 

 

* A big [[Tear Jerker]] occurs in ''[[Soylent Green]]'', when Sol is {{spoiler|committing suicide}}, bringing Thorn to tears. The real kicker about the scene? Sol's actor, Edward G. Robinson was dying of cancer. Only [[Charlton Heston]] knew. [[Enforced Method Acting|Those tears aren't good acting, they are '''real.''']]

* ''[[Spartacus]]'': [http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=mOCsNrzlV2k "I'm Spartacus!"]

* Matthew McConaughey's defense summation in ''[[A Time to Kill]]''; [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7f-BgDgpmE done in one take.] The tears were genuine and ''unscripted.''

** Éomer cries desperately when he discovers {{spoiler|Éowyn's}} body on the battle field and then goes on a rampage, making this also an example of [[Berserker Tears]].

** Theoden in front of Theodred's barrow.

** The entire group breaks into manly tears following Gandalf's [[Heroic Sacrifice]] against the Balrog in Moria. He gets better eventually but it takes away none of the emotional power from the [[Tear Jerker]] that follows their desperate escape from the mines.

* John McClane bitterly ''wept'' when he failed to save a plane of innocents from being murdered in ''[[Die Hard 2]]'', [[Tear Jerker|and the audience wept with him.]]

* A kind of sick reference; in ''[[Once Upon a Time In Mexico]]'' Sands after he's been blinded strongly resembles this trope in the silent, still body but with streams flowing down each cheek aspect, only instead of tears, it's [[Tears of Blood|blood]].

* The whole 'manly tears' thing is skillfully averted in ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]''; when we see the wounded Mr Orange and later Mr White in tears, it's decidedly unmacho, undignified and all the more effective for it.

* The title character in ''[[The Big Lebowski]]'' is seen crying in solitude after the ransom note arrives for his wife. {{spoiler|It turns out that it was all a ruse, and he was glad.}}

* John [[Rambo]]'s final breakdown in ''[[First Blood]]'' is perhaps the one moment in movie history that defines this trope.

* ''[[Field of Dreams]]:'' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XS2UtAlmX4 "Hey Dad. You wanna have a catch?"]

* Nathan Algran in ''[[The Last Samurai]]'' does this twice towards the end of the movie. Of course, he was very much justified in doing so (and any members of the audience with at least one functioning tear gland were probably already way ahead of him).

* ''[[Saving Private Ryan]]'': Good lord, the ending {{spoiler|not only had Ryan crying at the Cemetery decades later asking his wife if he was a good and decent man (mindful of the captain's charge to "earn this")}}, but it makes an audience of veterans break down every time.

** The whole movie is a sobfest, and one of the few movies that is okay for men to watch and weep bitterly: Mrs. Ryan finding out that 3 of her sons were killed in action at the same time, Irwin Wade's death where he lays bleeding to death in the arms of his squad mates crying out for his mother, and Private Mellish's death when he is slowly stabbed through the chest by a German soldier that comforts him as he is killing him.... ouch...

*** Not to mention Hanks's character shortly after Wade's death, when he hides from his squad and breaks down crying for a a few moments before he gets control of himself.

** Private Ryan's own restrained tears when he finds out about his brothers' deaths {{spoiler|("Which ones?" "All of them.")}} are just as heartbreaking.

* Gloriously averted in [[Equilibrium]] where upon witnessing {{spoiler|Mary's death}} Preston calmly leaves the building and collapses into a completely undignified heap of sobs on the steps.

* Theo in ''[[Children of Men]]'', a while after {{spoiler|Julian is killed}}. It's really convincing.

* ''[[The Green Mile]]''. Oh, you meant ''in'' the movie: the chief {{spoiler|when John Coffey is healing his wife}} and the three guards {{spoiler|during Coffey's execution}}.

* In ''[[Legend of the Eight Samurai]]'', [[Ninja|Shinbei]] barely holds it together when, after rescuing the orphaned [[The Ojou|Princess]] [[Love Interest|Shizu]] from [[Vain Sorceress|Tamazusa]]'s clutches, he must return her to the care of a neighboring daimyo, knowing that [[Samurai in Ninja Town|he won't be welcome in their company]] and an [[Arranged Marriage]] for her is a foregone conclusion. After he convinces her to go, he turns away with misty eyes and a manly lip quiver.

* In ''[[The Thin Red Line]]'' Sgt. Welsh (played by Sean Penn) {{spoiler|cries over the grave of Pvt. Witt}}.

** This is in contrast to an earlier scene where the Don famously commands singer Johnny Fontane to "act like a man" and stop "crying like a woman".

* One of the best is in the complete [[Tear Jerker]] of a movie ''Brian's Song'' when Gale Sayer reveals to to the entire Chicago Bears locker room that Brian Piccolo is dying of cancer. Every single man in that room (and those watching at home) breaks down in tears that simply will not end all the way through the ending of the movie with Brian Piccolo's death.

* In the historical drama ''Japan's Longest Day'', the Japanese Emperor finally breaks down when he comes the realization that the American forces won't give them the chance to defend their homeland in a final decisive ground battle, and that if he wants to save his people from more nukes he has no choice but to surrender unconditionally. The sight of their Emperor, a symbol of their country's strength and divinity, breaking down causes many generals and leaders in the room - themselves hard and implacable men - to cry, some even falling to their knees in tears.

* In the ridiculously [[Mood Whiplash]]-y ''[[In Bruges]]'', Colin Farrell again cries very convincingly when he confesses {{spoiler|that he accidentally murdered a little boy during a hit, and is distraught to the point of suicide over it.}}

* Ladies, take note: [[Johnny Depp]] hasn't had too many crying scenes to date, but in ''The Man Who Cried'', he weeps as he holds a sleeping Suzie ([[Christina Ricci]]) the night before {{spoiler|they must part forever.}}

* ''The Libertine'': Elizabeth dumps out Rochester's alcohol, and he, sick and dying, dives for it, only to stop and realize that he's hit rock bottom. He bursts into sobs as Elizabeth holds him. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWO_pS-Br5I It's incredibly heartbreaking.]

* ''[[Inglourious Basterds]]'': the opening scene goes from oddly funny to horribly chilling when Landa passively intimidates LaPerdite into admitting that he is {{spoiler|sheltering the Dreyfus family}}, and he begins to cry - out of shame, presumably.

** Hilarious?! It's fucking tragic! But not as much as Amos, Cedric's father, completely breaking down when he sees his son's body. "That's my son! ''That's my boy''!"

** The Potter series being the way it is, each film ending that followed ''Goblet of Fire'' featured this trope: ''Order of the Phoenix'' has {{spoiler|the death of Sirius}}, {{spoiler|Dumbledore's death}} in ''Half-Blood Prince'', and then {{spoiler|Dobby's death}} (and the scene at Harry's parents' graves) in ''Deathly Hallows''.

* At the end of ''[[Donnie Darko]]'', Eddie Darko is holding his youngest daughter Samantha and trying (but failing) to hold back tears {{spoiler|after his son's death}}.

* Crying at the end of ''[[Schindler's List]]'' is acceptable, as Oskar Schindler himself demonstrates. As he frees his factory workers and prepares to go on the run (though his actions were of the highest degree of selflessness, it still appears to the world that he was a war profiteer), he suddenly berates himself for not trading his fancy car to [[Complete Monster|Amon Göth]] for more Jewish workers. He has a catastrophic meltdown over not saving ''more'' people and breaks down in tears. [[Tear Jerker]] and [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]] when the people he did save crowd around him to hold him.

** This scene was actually based on an interview with the real Gene Kranz, who got visibly choked up while describing Apollo 13's homecoming; the interview took place over 20 years after the mission, but the events still had a strong effect on him.

** The beach scene was full of this as well.

* Jason's apology in ''[[Mystery Team]]'' makes him do this. Granted, he WAS drunk.

* In ''[[District 9]]'', Wikus breaks down sobbing when he sees the extend of {{spoiler|his body's transformation after two days of coming in touch with the alien fluid.}}

 

 

== Literature ==

** In ''Deathly Hallows'', Ron breaks down and cries after {{spoiler|defeating the Horcrux in the locket}}, and also after {{spoiler|he watches his brother Fred die}}.

** Surprisingly, Harry also sees Snape break down crying twice while {{spoiler|going through Snape's memories: once when Lily died and once when he found part of a letter she had written}}.

** Hagrid is also prone to this.

*** Hagrid is often described as ''blubbering''.

* Sandor 'the Hound' Clegane has several emotional breakdowns but his crying doesn't seem to affect his status among fans as their favorite [[Badass]] in [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]. In fact the fangirls seem to like it.

** At the end of ''The Armour of Contempt'', when the [[Drill Sergeant Nasty]] salutes the troopers whom he has been abusing to make Guardsmen out of them, Dalin Criid realizes that he's a lot older than he had first thought, and feels himself tearing up. The sergeant pronounces them "proper bloody Guardsman''

** In ''Only In Death'', after Varl describes how {{spoiler|Gaunt}} had cut ropes that were holding him and their enemies to the wall and fallen, he shows them his sword, and tears were running down his face.

** Again in ''Only In Death'', Hark cries {{spoiler|when he finds [[A Fate Worse Than Death|Soric]]}} -- and describes himself as years of sorrow bursting through.

* Invoked in ''[[Flashman]] at the Charge''. Flash [[Water Works|bawls his eyes out with shock, fear and self-pity after the prince he was minding gets killed]]. A brother officer remarks "The most heartbreaking thing I have seen today was Flashman, the bravest of your soldiers, weeping at that dear boy's death. He would have given his own life a thousand times, I know, to bring him back." The moral, according to Flashman, is "It's all right to blubber with funk and self-pity as long as there's a gullible idiot around who'll mistake it for manly grief."

"No, Little Brother. That is only tears such as men use," said Bagheera. "Now I know thou art a man, and a man's cub no longer. The jungle is shut indeed to thee henceforward. Let them fall, Mowgli. They are only tears." So Mowgli sat and cried as though his heart would break; and he had never cried in all his life before.'' }}

* While we don't actually see him cry, Cyrano's tearstains are found by Christian on a letter to Roxane in ''[[Cyrano De Bergerac]]''.

He turned away and stood leaning his head against the mantelpiece, tears forcing themselves into his manly eyes.'' }}

** When Faramir is brought in from the field in ''The Return Of The King'', men weep in the street in distress.

** Gandalf ''encourages'' Merry, Pippin, and Sam to cry when Frodo and Bilbo are leaving Middle-Earth forever.

** All in all, in most Middle-earth societies crying is acceptable, and there are many instances of manly men weeping.

** In [[Graham McNeill]]'s ''Fulgrim'', the dying Solomon foresees what the [[Horus Heresy]] will do and weeps.

Sometimes the Rite was special. Sometimes, you didn't need the flask.'' }}

** In ''[[Dr. No]]'' {{spoiler|when Honey Ryder splashes disinfectant into his cut and bloody back}}.

** And when Blofeld {{spoiler|guns down Tracy only an hour after their wedding}} in ''[[On Her Majesty's Secret Service]]''.

** In fact, Jack weeps several times throughout the series, especially at funerals of his crew. It is established in one book that he sees it as a manly act.

* A 1980 book called ''It Takes A Man To Cry'' by Steve Whalen. In this case, he's crying because six men from his fire company have died fighting a tenement fire.

* In ''[[The Quest for Karla|Smiley's People]]'' by [[John Le Carre]], only the police superintendent who is managing Vladimir's murder investigation notices that George Smiley is crying. The superintendent recognizes it for what it is: not exactly grief, more a general weariness and futility.

 

 

** Dean's speech at the end of Heaven and Hell wasn't exactly pretty either, helped along by the fact that the actor himself found the scene so overwhelming he had to take a walk to stop crying.

** Castiel's vessel, Jimmy, almost loses it a few times when faced with the prospect of losing or endangering his family because of his association with the angel. The scenes [[Hot Dad|with his daughter]] are particularly heartbreaking.

** Jack also breaks down after the deaths of {{spoiler|Teri Bauer, David Palmer, Tony Almeida, Curtis Manning, Bill Buchanan, and Renee Walker}}.

** He was also clearly close to tears at the end of "Journey's End", "Last of the Time Lords" (during a particularly emotional scene between the Doctor and the Master), and {{spoiler|just before his regeneration in}} "The End of Time".

** Wilfred Mott is good for these moments in the fourth season, especially in "Turn Left" and ''especially'' in "Journey's End". He usually accompanies his tears with a manly salute to add that extra kick. Ramped [[Up to Eleven]] in "The End of Time".

** One of the characters in "Family of Blood" is a boy about to serve in World War I. At the end, the Doctor and Martha offer to take him with them, but he declines, saying a war is coming, and that he must take part (he saw the future from a bit of [[Phlebotinum]]). The Doctor and Martha's next stop is in the present day, where the boy is one of the last living soldiers of the Great War, as a memorial is held. Both the speech and the sight of that terrible and wonderful Doctor moves him to some well deserved manly tears.

** The Ninth Doctor goes through a hell of a lot in his one season, from once again [[Not Quite Dead|meeting the enemy he literally gave up everything to defeat]], to getting a [[Hannibal Lecture]] from a prisoner he's about to kill, to seemingly watch Rose die ''twice'', and though his expressions of anguish are heart-wrenching, he doesn't break down crying. In all of his time onscreen, the Doctor cries [[Single Tear|one single tear]]: for the loss of the Time Lords as seen in "The End of the World". [[Tear Jerker|And it is very well deserved.]]

*** Nine definitely came close at the end of "Dalek," just after he lowers the gun. He goes from raging about the Daleks to choking on his words in about five seconds, and it's very well done.

** More recently, and in a particularly [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|heartwarming]] example, "A Good Man Goes To War". Rory breaks down a little when he {{spoiler|first sees his baby daughter, Melody.}}

* Sam Tyler, ''[[Life On Mars]]'', almost every single episode of the first series. So much that you're left wondering what the hell happened if he doesn't burst into tears at least once per episode. In the second series, John Simm put a moratorium on crying until the final episode, at which point it was more effective.

* On ''[[Sliders]]'', the [[Ethnic Scrappy]] Rembrandt used to make a whole career out of being able to cry real tears on command and took pride in the title "Crying Man."

* Dr. Cox from ''[[Scrubs]]''. He loses two patients due to a risky and quickly-made decision to transplant organs that turned out to be infected, but keeps it together. {{spoiler|Then, he loses a third patient who he liked and could have waited a month for an extra kidney. He loses it. Cue the}} manly tears.

** Much more visible in "My Screwup", where he lost his best friend. Cox in tears at the funeral -> [[Tear Jerker|Audience in tears in front of the TV]].

** Also, ironically, while J.D. is often made fun of for being girly and for crying easily, when he's actually seen in tears onscreen, in "My ABCs", it's an example of this trope.

** As if House crying out of all his guilt in ''Wilson's Heart'' wasn't bad enough, we get Wilson breaking down in tears about ten minutes later ''while holding on to Cuddy for dear life''. For the love of God, writers, do you want me to dehydrate myself?

** Taub finally breaks down crying in the hallway after a day of denying his sadness over {{spoiler|Kutner's suicide}}. Or he may have done; I was bawling too hard to really tell.

* Spike wept pretty hard at the season five finale of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''.

** Giles broke down in Buffy's arms after {{spoiler|Angelus killed Jenny. Giles goes to confront Angelus, nearly gets himself killed, and Buffy rescues him and begs him, "Don't leave me. I can't do this alone."}} He's not the only one sobbing by that point.

** Oz cries when leaving behind Willow and Sunnydale.

* Parodied/juxtaposed in the ''[[Seinfeld]]'' season 9 episode "The Serenity Now," when Jerry finds himself surprised at the fact that he is crying over the end of another short-lived relationship.

'''Jerry''': This is horrible! I care! }}

** He also seems quite red-eyed throughout the last quarter of an hour in "Captain Jack Harkness", and he's actually crying when kissing/dancing with the Other Jack.

** Snarky, cranky, bitchy Owen collapses into Jack's arms and sobs his heart out at the end of "End of Days" when Jack {{spoiler|forgives him for almost, you know, ending the world.}} Jack's a little teary-eyed himself at that point.

** Ianto is seen crying {{spoiler|throughout "Cyberwoman" (in which his girlfriend has been partially cyber-converted and thus has a completely perverted conception of "love", and while she goes around trying to kill Torchwood, they go around trying to kill her; oh, and Jack gives Ianto this ultimatum: either Ianto kills Lisa, or Jack kills Ianto), when he thinks Jack is dead and breathes in the scent of his coat, and when he's dying in Jack's arms.}} Yeah, Jack and Ianto have an interesting relationship.

** ''Fire In Space'' - Tears were seen in Apollo's eyes during the aftermath of the fire raging in the Galactica that he and Starbuck had to put out.

** ''War of the Gods'' Part 2 - Starbuck cries {{spoiler|when Apollo takes the hit of Count Iblis' attack meant for Sheba, and again when the Beings of Light resurrect the said warrior.}}

** The normally cantankerous Dr. Cottle looks very close to shedding some manly tears after President Roslin heartfully thanks him for keeping her alive for so many years.

** Helo breaks down terribly after {{spoiler|shooting Sharon so she can resurrect on board the Cylon ship and rescue their daughter}}.

* [[Rescue Me|Tommy Gavin]] is a veritable ''geyser'' of manly tears.

* Oddly enough, the only male character shown crying on ''[[Gossip Girl]]'' is [[Jerkass|Chuck Bass]]. He shows up on Blair's bed crying after {{spoiler|the death of his father}}, which is quite understandable. But he also cries in the season two finale when Blair professes her deep love for him and he shoots her down.

** And then he weeps some more in season three, when confronted with his guilt for running away when they {{spoiler|pulled the plug on his dad}}.

** And again in the fifth season finale. {{spoiler|After his not-so-dead father takes his company away from him and points out that he's risked everything time and time again for Blair even though she's done nothing but toy with him; Blair shows up, gives him a little speech on how she loves him even though she doesn't want to love him and expects him to take her back. Cue angry, manly tears.}}

* Jeremy Clarkson on ''[[Top Gear]]'', of all people, after completing the Britcar 24-hour endurance race.

** The look on Uncle Phil's face indicates that he's very close to bursting into tears himself.

* Jim Halpert of ''[[The Office]]'' is seen to be discreetly wiping away a tear after he is shot down by Pam in "Casino Night." Along with every Jim/Pam fangirl in the world.

** Other highly memorable moments include a suicidal John Locke in "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" {{spoiler|right before he is murdered by Ben}}, Ben's own tears for his {{spoiler|murdered daughter Alex}}, and Desmond's absolute despair and breakdown after reading Penny's letter in "Live Together, Die Alone."

* Ross on ''[[Friends]]'' breaks down when Rachel ends their relationship over his indiscretion with the copy girl, saying "This can't be it." She replies "Then how come it is?" Their fight and breakup was so devastating that the writers purposefully made all of Monica and Chandler's fights funny and not [[Serious Business]].

** He also cried when Rachel got on the plane to Paris despite his profession of love at the gate ("I really thought she'd stay")...but we all know she {{spoiler|got off the plane in the end.}}

* Even self-proclaimed [[Complete Monster]] ''[[Dexter]]'' sheds a tear when he finally kills the Ice Truck Killer...probably because {{spoiler|he's actually his biological brother, and the only person who understands and accepts Dexter for who he is.}}

** This also shows that while he says he's one, he really isn't a [[Complete Monster]]. {{spoiler|Killing his brother was not what he wanted to do. The only reason he did it was to [[Papa Wolf|protect his sister]]. The Ice Truck Killer was the kind of monster Dexter would be without the Code of Harry and certain people supporting him.}}

* In the season 5 episode of ''[[Criminal Minds]]'' entitled "100," the usually-stoic Hotch cries after {{spoiler|hearing his ex-wife die over the phone and also after finding her body}}.

* On ''[[ER]]'', after mishandling a delivery that results in the death of the mother, Dr. Green dissolves into tears while on the train ride home.

* At the end of the ''[[JAG]]'' episode "Critical Condition," Harm breaks into tears of relief after learning that Bud has survived his operation.

* ''[[Castle]]'' is not the [[The Dandy|manliest]] of men, but he doesn't cry {{spoiler|until Beckett gets shot in front of his eyes.}} It's a bit too messy to be a [[Single Tear]], however: his face while the tears are dropping down his nose is [[Tear Jerker|heartbreaking.]]

* ''[[The Rifleman]]'' had a couple memorable ones. Once when Lucas was challenged by a kid that was the son of a man he killed in the war, the first man he ever killed, he went home and broke down in front of Micah as he told the story. It worked well for the scene and really showed off Chuck Connors' acting chops. The situation was completely reversed when Micah heard that a man who was going to kill him a long time ago was only a town away, and he reverted back to his former drunken self. He didn't hold himself together nearly as well as Lucas, though.

'''Clara:''' Men have tears inside 'em, just as you. }}

* The finale of the first series of ''[[Sirens]]'' has Stuart attempting to come to grips with losing a father he never really knew. Stuart believes he is incapable of crying, but by the end he climbs on top of a ambulance, strips down to his boxers, stretches out on the roof and cries in the sun.

 

== Music ==

* "Cry Like A Man" by Dan Penn (covered by Christy Moore):

* "Growing Young" by Rich Mullins

* The title track to the [[Christian Rock|Lost Dogs]] album, ''Real Men Cry''

** The album title is also a [[Double Meaning Title]]; while the song is ostensibly about a romantic relationship, the album ''Real Men Cry'' was the first album released after the death of founding member Gene "Eugene" Andrusco.

* [[Creed]]'s "With Arms Wide Open," about a man welcoming his newborn into the world:

* "I Heard it through the Grapevine", when sung by a man:

* "Boys Don't Cry" by KCAT. The singer states that "it takes a real man to show you what's inside", and that the difference between a boy and a man is that boys are too afraid to show who they are.

 

== [[Professional Wrestling]] ==

** Ric's final match at [[Wrestlemania]] 24 was so [[Tear Jerker|tearjerking]], his ''opponent'' cried. Then again, [[Shawn Michaels]] is one of Ric's [[Intergenerational Friendship|closest friends]] and called it an honor to wrestle Ric in his final match with WWE.

* Paul Heyman at ''ECW One Night Stand 2005'', though he insisted that the reason his eyes were red and watery was because [[Sand in My Eyes|he was smoking a joint with Rob Van Dam]].

** Paul also mentioned in the ''Rise and Fall of ECW'' that ''everybody'' cried after ECW finished their first pay-per-view, ''Barely Legal.''

== Sports ==

* Soccer players, such as John Terry after Chelsea lost the 2008 Champions League Final on penalties and almost the entirety of the England team when they lost to Portugal in the 2006 World Cup. What made it worse for JT (as Chelsea fans call him) was that it was his penalty which would have given Chelsea their first ever UEFA Champions League Trophy in their first ever final...and he slipped as he took it.

* Roger Federer - both after having won and lost grand slam finals (Australian Open). Win or lose, a wrenching experience going five sets for the world championship.

** On a similar note, Andy Murray recently played this trope during the 2009 Wimbledon semi-finals. He was definitely approaching tears when the camera was on him after he lost to Roddick. To be fair, though, he ''did'' pretty much have the hopes and expectations of most of Britain on his shoulders.

== Theater ==

* [[Shakespeare]]'s heroes, when they cry, always apologize for the way their emotions overcame them. (To be sure, the character does have to ''say'' something to let the watchers know he's supposed to be crying.) One of the better-known (if not well-known) of these is the scene in ''[[Macbeth]]'' where MacDuff receives the news of his wife's murder. From one man to another:

Whispers the o'erfraught heart and bids it break." }}

* Cyrano insists in Act I of ''[[Cyrano De Bergerac]]'' that he never cries, but in Act IV, Christian notices a tear drop on his most recent love letter to Roxane.

== Video Games ==

* ''[[Gears of War]] 2'': {{spoiler|When Dom finds what is left of his wife emaciated, tortured, and [[Empty Shell|catatonic]], and is forced to euthanize her, he breaks down in tears.}}

* The ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' series is 100% concentrated manliness (yes, even most of the women qualify). But it also has an almost shockingly high amount of manly tears. All of them completely justified.

** It's rare to have any kind emotions towards a villain. And especially not after fighting a [[Boss Fight|Boss]], who gave you a nerve wrecking sniper chase in the middle of a snow storm, and repeatedly shot your friend while she was lying in the open to lure you out of hiding. But you '''will''' cry for {{spoiler|Sniper Wolf}}, as Snake stays with her during her final moment. [[The Woobie|Otacon does]]. Snake doesn't. Because he [[Tear Jerker|hasn't any tears left]].

*** True to the boss torch being handed down in 4, {{spoiler|Crying Wolf runs through the same vein as well, complete with [[Blatant Lies|what can't possibly be Sniper Wolf]] returning to take the fallen body of her "sister}}.

*** [[Tear Jerker|In memory of a patriot who saved the world.]]

** While he doesn't cry (at least, on camera), ''Snake'''s eyes well up with tears during the finale as {{spoiler|Big Boss is about to die}}.

* ''Warcraft III''.

''* Violin and battle cries* '' }}

* ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' There are plenty of moments, but one of the most gut-wrenching ones has to be the encounter with Deathbringer Saurfang in Icecrown Citadel, ending with [[Memetic Badass]] High Overlord Saurfang weeping over the corpse of his son.

** The short story "Cut Short" reveals [[Emperor Scientist|Gelbin Mekkatorque]], irritatingly-cheerful and unsinkable leader of the gnomes, finding a private location and breaking down over the circumstances of his people.

** Of course, it hurts even more when you remember the guy's gonna die in the future.

*** And the girl.

** Hell, the tagline for the game is 'Men cry not for themselves, but for their comrades.'

* Dan Hibiki from ''[[Street Fighter]] Alpha'' goes to Manly Tears at the thought of his dear, departed father. OYAJI!

** He sheds them most epically in his "Fight Your Rival" section with Sakura.

* Averted in the radio ad for a movie in ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]: Vice City'':

** SANGER ZONVOLT, of all people, has done this at the end of Alpha Gaiden. Considering the circumstances, I cried along with him, because he tried his best to avert the reason for said tears, but he just couldn't. This scene does not detract from his [[Badass]], it merely exemplifies his humanity and possibly his [[Determinator]].

* Dante in ''[[Devil May Cry]]'' 3 does this in the ending claiming it's "just the rain" while the weather is completely fine.

*** The scene itself, yes, but [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8qG4AlK1qk the voice acting] unfortunately brings it into [[Narm]] territory.

* Ayane in ''[[Dead or Alive|Dead Or Alive 3]]'', {{spoiler|at the funeral pyre of her adoptive father Genra}}, seen [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvIgXzUns0I here.]

* There's a few of these in ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]''

** Sora, upon meeting Riku again, breaks down in tears and whispers that he'd looked everywhere for him.

** {{spoiler|Master Eraqus before the boss fight with him as Terra,, along with Terra after the fight.}} ''Definitely'' a tearjerker for the audience as well.

* In ''[[Brutal Legend]]'', there's this one scene. [[It Makes Sense in Context]].

'''Eddie''' (As tears begin to form): You start a revolution, Lars. }}

** Out of the possible ways this attack can be carried out, I think this way inflicts the most damage. Just goes to show how powerful Manly Tears can be.

 

 

== Webcomics ==

** [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0445.html By an opponent, and by Elan],

** And again after an afterlife meeting [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0496.html here].

* Torg from ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'' sheds a few of these after {{spoiler|Alt-Zoe dies}}. Oddly enough, he's not particularly manly most of the time, ''except'' when crying like this.

* In ''[[Girl Genius]]'', Tarvek tears up when he {{spoiler|tells his sister Anveka that she was [[Dead All Along]] and that the clank body she was using as her puppet had taken over her identity completely. He adds that he loved his sister, and having the clank body around was comforting - right before shutting down the puppet body.}}

 

 

== Web Original ==

 

 

* Korgoth from ''[[Korgoth of Barbaria]]'' sheds manly tears when his love/sex interest has her head blown up by an evil wizard. This of course leads to Korgoth [[Badass|impaling the wizard's eyesockets with a two-pronged candle stick holder]].

* Modo, the [[Gentle Giant]] of [[Biker Mice From Mars|the Biker Mice]]. He sheds a few after a child tells him how her orphanage was destroyed.

** This is far from the only instance in this series, which is not remotely shy about permitting male characters to weep in moments of intense emotion. Probably because [[Tear Jerker|most of the male members of the audience are too]].

** When Iroh returns to Ba Sing Se and visits {{spoiler|the grave of his son}}, it actually makes him one of the possibly greatest examples of true manliness.

* Charlie Barkin sheds a manly tear at the end of ''[[All Dogs Go to Heaven]]''.

* In the latest movie ''[[Shrek]] Forever After'', when Shrek was in the alternate reality, he convinces Donkey that he knows him, but it didn't do very well, Donkey freaked out and ran away, then Shrek saw one of the triplets doll, then Shrek sheds a manly tear and he knew that they're not there at all. That is the first time we ever see Shrek cry.

* This happens to the weasel of ''[[I Am Weasel]]'' a few times, most notably in the episode My Friend The Smart Banana.

* Hank Hill of ''[[King of the Hill]]'', who's known for his traditional nature (including the "Boys Don't Cry" belief) cried rather manly tears during a touching movie.

 

* St. Ignatius of Loyola, who founded the [[Badass Preacher|Jesuits]] and whose hobby was ''planning a military campaign to permanently retake the Holy Land'', also cried so often his tear-ducts were damaged, which may have adversely affected his vision in his later years.

* [[Sam Taylor Wood]] created a series of photographs called "Crying Men" depicting Hollywood's leading men crying.

* When Abraham Lincoln's body was lying in state in the White House, General Ulysses Grant, Commander of the Union Army and unequivocal [[Badass]], sat off to one side of the room, weeping unashamedly.

* Speaker of the House John Boehner is well known for this, though how sincere his tears are [[Your Mileage May Vary|depends on your politics]].

 

----

'''[[The Muppet Show|Both]]:''' Do-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-hoh! }}

 

[[Category:Masculinity Tropes]]

[[Category:Tear Tropes]]

[[Category:Sadness Tropes]]