Category:Perpetual Expression

Expressions convey what a person feels, so—logically—if a character has an expression permanently glued to her face, she must be feelin' it all the time. A Perpetual Expression, then, is a characterization device used to cue the audience of someone's nature. Very rarely do others remark upon their apparent facial paralysis, even if one's visage is stuck with a rather unsettling look.

As a side effect, when the character's expression does change, it is always important, and marks a big change to the character's normal demeanor.

Many Perpetual Expressions mix and match various Smile Tropes and Eye Tropes.

Contrast with Expressive Mask. Compare with Frozen Face, which is an actual face paralysis.

Mostly an Animation Trope, but it has occasionally been pulled off in Live-Action TV as well. Very common in Video Games, especially in older ones due to their nature.