Red Eyes, Take Warning: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

An easy way to tell a villainous (or sinister) character apart from the protagonists, other than giving him/her a [[Red Right Hand]], seems to be making their eyes red. If they don't start out evil, there's a chance they may get [[Darker and Edgier]] over time or perform full-blown [[Face Heel Turn]]. It's not the same thing as the "red eye" phenomenon in photos, but if cameras could [[Evil-Detecting Dog|detect evil]], these would probably be the first people they'd catch.

In the progressive algorithm of "[[Oh Crap]]" [[Uh-Oh Eyes|with eyes]], we have:

 

 

The title is derived from an old saying among seafaring travelers: "Red sky at morning, sailors take warning", which means that if the sky is red at sunrise, there's bound to be tumultuous weather ahead. The saying ends with: "Red sky at night, sailor's delight."

 

{{examples}}

== Anime and Manga ==

* Sumire from ''[[Venus Versus Virus]]'' has red eyes and [[Hellish Pupils]] while in her Berserker state.

** Misa gets these after she receives the [[Deadly Upgrade|Shinigami eyes]]. The red eyes also show up for other characters who make this "trade", like {{spoiler|Kyosuke Higuchi, Teru Mikami, and Soichiro Yagami}}. In these cases, the red eyes are a stylistic representation of the power for the audience, but it's implied that there's no visual change in-universe. The [[Live Action Adaptation]] instead uses [[Eyes of Gold]].

** Red eyes are also used metaphorically for Light when his Kira persona shines through (i.e. when he's acting particularly diabolical).

** [[Robot Girl]] Miyu, from the same series, {{spoiler|isn't genuinely nice to anyone but the young [[Artificial Human]] Alyssa}}. In the [[Elseworld]] sequel ''[[Mai-Otome]]'', she's more of [[The Obi-Wan]], but still has the red eyes.

* The Red-Eyes Black Dragon from ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]!'' is a ''literal'' red-eyed monster. And sure enough, it starts out owned by a minor antagonist...but it later is won by one of the good guys and becomes his signature card. Also, in ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]'', it's the signature card of someone's [[Super-Powered Evil Side]].

** In the Toei-produced "Season Zero" of ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'', Yami's eyes were red. And bad guys really ''should'' take warning, because not only was Yami completely psychotic originally, but anyone who messed with his friends either ended up dead or even crazier than he was.

** In ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's]]'', {{spoiler|Bruno}}'s eyes turn red when {{spoiler|Sherry tries to taser him.}}

** Placido/Primo has red eyes as well, as does {{spoiler|Aporia}}.

* In the first ''[[Galaxy Angel (video game)|Galaxy Angel]]'' game, one member of the [[Quirky Miniboss Squad]] is actually named Red Eye. Noah [[The Real Remington Steele|(or so we think)]] also [[Evil Eye|gets these]] once she performs the [[Villain Override]]. And, of course, as a non-villainous example, there's Vanilla, due to her being a [[Neon Genesis Evangelion|Rei Ayanami]] [[Expy]].

* While not all of them are evil (plenty of them are vicious, though), red eyes are the key to identifying who's a dragon in ''[[Dragonaut: The Resonance]]''.

* ''[[Inuyasha]]''

** Inuyasha's sclera turn red when his [[Super-Powered Evil Side]] takes over. They even glow when he's being possessed by Magatsuhi at the same time.

* [[media:054.jpg|Fuuma's]] eyes in the ''[[X 1999]]'' anime series are dark red, in contrast to his manga counterpart, whose eyes can best be described as [[Eyes of Gold|gold-hazel]] (giving him something of a cat-like appearance). The change in eye color probably has to do with the taken-for-granted aspect of his true nature in the anime series, while the manga builds up much more subtly towards the [[Wham! Episode]] and his [[Face Heel Turn]].

* Dilandau in ''[[Vision of Escaflowne]]'' has garnet-colored eyes and platinum hair, and he's totally crazy and bloodthirsty. Turns out, his true form {{spoiler|is a blond haired and blue eyed ''girl''}}, so the hair and eyes are a side effect of the experiments performed on him.

* [[Ojou|Rue]]/[[Dark Magical Girl|Princess Kraehe]] from ''[[Princess Tutu]]'', though she's more of a [[Tyke Bomb]] [[Tragic Hero|tragic heroine]] than a straight villain.

** Also, {{spoiler|Mytho}}, when he's possessed by Raven's blood in the second season...although they're almost more of a pink than a red. Considering the [[Big Bad|Monster Raven]] and his servants also have red eyes, it's probably a sign of Raven's blood.

* In the ''[[Hellsing]]'' OAV, when Seras Victoria's eyes shift from blue to red (often [[Glowing Eyes of Doom|glowing]]), expect bodies to hit the floor in numerous pieces. The first [[Hellsing (anime)|Hellsing anime]] had Victoria's eyes change from blue to red permanently when she first became a vampire.

* Sastre, a one-episode (but still formidable) ''[[Witch Hunter Robin]]'' villain, has red eyes.

* Ralph Werec from ''[[Soukou no Strain]]'' takes a different approach: he may not have red pupils, but the whites of his eyes turn pink when he [[Freak-Out|goes crazier than he usually is.]] The result is very creepy.

* In ''[[Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind]]'', the gargantuan, pillbug-like Ohmu's rows and rows and rows of blue eyes shine bright red when they're [[Unstoppable Rage|enraged]]. Everything in their path is devastated afterwards, and the spores that collect on their bodies expand the Sea of Corruption a little bit more with each stampede.

* In [[Crepuscle]], having red eyes automatically makes you a vampire (though not all vampires are violent). The main character Lark proves an exception to the rule.

* In ''[[Vampire Knight]]'', the vampires' eyes turn red when they are suffering from blood lust. And Kaname's eyes are just red in general, and he's not exactly the most benign person...

* ''[[Fresh Pretty Cure]]'' plays this straight intially and subverts it later. [[Dark Magical Girl|Setsuna Higashi/Eas]], a member of the evil organization of Labyrinth, has dark crimson eyes in human form and bright red eyes when transformed. {{spoiler|Then she undergoes a [[Heel Face Turn]] thanks to [[The Power of Friendship]] and becomes the decidedly not antagonistic [[Sixth Ranger|Cure Passion]].}}

* Horo of ''[[Spice and Wolf]]'' has red eyes, but is usually good-natured. One should tread lightly when her eyes begin to glow in the dark, but [[Break the Cutie|not for the usual reasons]].

** Still, this is a girl you [[Beware the Nice Ones|shouldn't make angry under any conditions.]]

* ''[[Bleach]]'':

** In anime episodes 2 and 3, the Hollow form of Orihime's brother had red eyes.

** In anime episode 9, the hollow Grand Fisher had glowing red eyes.

** In the anime, Gin's [[Eyes Always Shut|eyes]] were revealed as red during his fight with Hitsugaya. However, once the manga revealed them to be blue, the anime corrected this, and Gin's eyes were blue ever after.

** In anime episode 210, after Captain Kensei Muguruma underwent hollowfication, he had glowing red eyes under his mask.

** Anime episode 214: the hollow that attacks Don Kanonji and Kisuke Urahara and the giant hollow fortress have red eyes.

* In ''[[Magical Record Lyrical Nanoha Force]]'', this is played straight (so far?) with Arnage of Huckebein, although it's not very clear if hers are red-red or more pinkish. She combines this with being an [[Evil Redhead]] to get [[Curtains Match the Window]]. Earlier on, in [[Sound Stage X]], this is also played straight with {{spoiler|Runessa Magnus}}.

** Subverted in the original ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (anime)|Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]''. Fate Testarossa is introduced as an adversary and an apparent villain, but it quickly becomes apparent that she's the enemy more by circumstance than choice, and she does a [[Heel Face Turn]] near the end.

* Played straight with [[White-Haired Pretty Boy|Ardi]] from ''[[Magical X Miracle]]'' (YMMV on whether he's a [[Complete Monster]] or a [[Tragic Monster]]), but partially subverted with Yue, whose [[Mismatched Eyes|one red eye]] doesn't seem to mark him as any more evil or dangerous than any other high-caliber [[Renaissance Man|wizard/politician/scientist]] (although his [[Sleazy Politician]] enemies may beg to differ). {{spoiler|In the doujinshi the author made of her own series (this particular one was Yue's very [[Belated Backstory]]), however, it is revealed a person with red eyes is, by default, a [[Sociopath]] [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity|with powerful magic]]. Because of his other ([[Silver Bullet|silver]]) eye, Yue dodges the insanity bullet, but the resulting [[Honor-Related Abuse]] from his family because of his "[[Bad Powers, Good People|evil]]" magic does a number on his psyche, giving a [[Freudian Excuse]] for his antisocial behaviour and radical political views}}. And to those of you interested in characters' backstories, [[It Got Worse]], but that's an [[Crying Little Kid|entirely]] [[I Just Want to Have Friends|different]] [[Defeat Means Friendship|trope]].

** If Tsukune EVER gains these, ''run''. No if and/or buts about it. It either means he's angry or [[Super-Powered Evil Side|wo]][[Our Ghouls Are Creepier|rse]]...

* ''[[FLCL]]'':

* Subverted with [[Psychic Detective Yakumo]]. The hero has one red eye, which means he can see the dead. However, it's normally hidden with a contact lens. His father is the inverse: he wears a red contact lens, in sympathy of Yakumo's red eye. However, the main villain {{spoiler|and Yakumo's blood father}} has two red eyes.

* Diarmuid ua Duibne in [[Fate/Zero]]. When {{spoiler|he was forced by his Master to commit suicide and he [[A Plague on Both Your Houses|curses Kiritsugu, Saber, Kayneth, and the Holy Grail]] in his anguish and rage over his sad fate in mythology being repeated}}, his [[Eyes of Gold]] didn't turn red per se, but they did turn all bloodshot to achieve the frightening effect of making his eyes seem to burn like the flames of hell.

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* It depends on the artist, but [[The Joker]] sometimes has red eyes.

* [[Superman]], big time. Granted, his eyes nearly always glow red just before he uses his heat vision in any context, but Superman with BIG glowy red eyes and an angry expression fits this trope and means that someone's about to get seriously hurt. Notable examples include ''[[For the Man Who Has Everything]]'' (to Mongul: "Burn"), "JLA/Avengers" (in his fight against Thor), and "Kingdom Come", where he had to be talked down from murdering the entire UN Assembly in the final chapter. But perhaps his best display is when Darkseid ''apparently'' killed Supergirl in the Superman/Batman arc, and Superman, after shedding some tears for his cousin, donned his red eyes of doom and gave Darkseid the beatdown of a lifetime.

** Subverted in ''[[Lex Luthor: Man of Steel]]''. Superman is ''always'' presented with red eyes, but it's due to Luther's [[Unreliable Narrator]] perspective. And the fact that whenever Superman and Lex Luthor are face-to-face with each other, the reason ''behind'' Superman's glowing, angry red eyes is usually because Luthor's just done something utterly monstrous and gotten away with it.

* When [[Artificial Intelligence|Nicole]] is brainwashed and turned against the protagonists in ''[[Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', her eyes change from [[Green Eyes|green]] to red. Cue major [[Oh Crap]] moment for the good guys and a [[Hero with Bad Publicity]] moment that continues to torment her long after she was returned to normal.

* The original version of the [[Marvel Universe]] supervillain The Basilisk.

* [[Irredeemable|The Plutonian]]. Dear god, the Plutonian.

* The [[Evil Twin|Copy Robot]] in ''[[Mega Man (comics)|Mega Man]]'' issue 4.

 

* The ''[[Kung Fu Panda]]'' fic ''A Different Lesson'' uses this to signify a character falling under [[More Than Mind Control]]...assuming the reader hasn't figured it out by the time the eyes show up.

* In Warcraft fanfic [http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4599507/1/Tales_of_a_Warrior Tales of a Warrior], the lead, Keleria, who is already a [[Berserker]], developes these whenever she slips into blood rages.

* In the webcomic adaptation of [[Christian Humber Reloaded]], the sociopathic mass-murdering protagonist has red eyes.

* Averted and played straight in ''[[My Immortal]]''. Vampires Ebony and Draco either have red eyes or wear red contacts, and are ([[Designated Hero|supposedly]]) good guys. Played straight in that Vloxemort, the [[Big Bad]] of the story, is frequently described as having red eyes.

 

== Films -- Animated ==

* AUTO from ''[[WALL-E]]''.

* Spoofed in ''[[Monsters vs. Aliens]]''. After being imprisoned by the military merely for being a [[Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever|49 foot 11 inch monster woman]], Susan starts banging on the walls of her prison. The other monsters warn her not to do that, whereupon a huge door opens to reveal a dark interior with two [[Glowing Eyes of Doom|glowing red eyes]] within...which merely turn out to be the lights on General Monger's [[Jet Pack]].

* The Fabrication Machine and all its robot minions in ''[[9|Nine]]''.

* When the titular [[The Iron Giant|Iron Giant]]'s eyes turn red, it's a good idea to remove yourself from the area.

* Disney's ''[[Aladdin (Disney film)|Aladdin]]''. While Aladdin and the Genie are in the cave, Aladdin taunts the Genie about the limitations on his wish granting abilities to trick him into getting everyone out of the cave without using up a wish. When the Genie gets angry and starts giving a speech, his eyes turn red momentarily.

* Mrs. Jumbo from ''[[Dumbo]]'' normally has [[Blue Eyes]] like her son, but they turn red during the scene where she goes crazy as a result of several children making fun of Dumbo, resulting in her being tied up by several circus workers and subsequently being dragged away to be locked up in solitary confinement as punishment for being a "mad elephant".

* In ''[[The Thief and the Cobbler]]'', all of the One-Eyes (an evil race that plans to destroy an idyllic Golden Land) have a single, big red eye.

* In ''[[Treasure Planet]]'', Silver's cybernetic eye is usually a yellowy-amber-orange-ish colour, but it changes to red when he gets angry/displeased.

* [[Evil Albino|Lord Shen]], the [[Big Bad]] of ''[[Kung Fu Panda 2]]'', has red eyes, due to him being an albino peacock.

* [[Dragon Ascendant|Zira]] from ''[[The Lion King|The Lion King II]]''.

* [[Kraken and Leviathan|The Leviathan]] from ''[[Atlantis: The Lost Empire|Atlantis the Lost Empire]]''.

* Red, even in his dog form, of [[All Dogs Go to Heaven]].

* ''[[The Penguins of Madagascar]]: Operation Blowhole'' provides a [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] example when the Julian doll's eyes start glowing red.

 

== Films -- Live Action ==

* As well as [[Big Bad|Sauron]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film)|The Lord of the Rings]]'', being a flaming red eyeball himself, the black horses of the Ringwraiths have glowing red eyes.

* In ''[[Dreamscape]]'', the wolves chasing the heroes in the final dream sequence.

* ''[[Black Swan]]'': Natalie Portman's [[Baleful Polymorph]].

* ''[[Ghostbusters]]''. After Tully is possessed by one of the dog demons, his eyes flash red when he becomes angry. Dana Barrett's eyes also become red after she is possessed.

* Freddy had them in the second ''[[Nightmare On Elm Street]]'', and they were actually pretty cool looking. Subsequent films gave him normal looking ones, though.

* The Hood, the villain of the live action ''[[Thunderbirds]]'' film, has these when he uses his psychic powers. His heroic niece, Tintin, has [[Eyes of Gold]] in contrast, when she uses her powers.

* ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (film)|The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]''. Mina Harker gains red eyes when she lets her inner vampire out.

* One of the villains from Madeline L'engle's ''[[A Wrinkle in Time]]'' is called simply...The Man With Red Eyes.

* Lord Voldemort from the ''[[Harry Potter]]'' books (although not in [[The Film of the Book|The Films of the Books]]).

* [[Peter Pan|Captain Hook]] had light blue eyes, but when he was angry, they would flash red.

* In the ''[[Twilight (novel)|Twilight]]'' novel series, the vampires who drink only human blood have red eyes.

* The villainous Steerpike of Mervyn Peake's ''[[Gormenghast]]'' series has dark red eyes.

* ''[[Bored of the Rings]]'', a parody of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': the Black Riders have "perfectly normal red glowing fires" where their eyes should have been.

* [[H.P. Lovecraft]]'s [[Cthulhu Mythos]] story ''The Haunter of the Dark''. The titular monster has a red, three-lobed, burning eye.

* Ares from the ''[[Percy Jackson and The Olympians]]'' books actually has ''[[Nightmare Fuel|fire where his eyes should be]]''. Hestia is an aversion (as mentioned below).

* [[Michael Moorcock]]'s ''The Queen of the Swords''. Prince Gaynor the Damned, an evil champion of Chaos, has dead red eyes that blaze in terror and agony.

* In ''The Price'' by [[Neil Gaiman]], the main character realizes that the creature coming for them is the Devil because it has red eyes. While he's looking through night vision goggles.

* Michael Stackpole's ''Wolf & Raven'' short story "Fair Game". The cyberdog that Selene Reece sends after Wolfgang Kies has eyes that look like red starbursts.

 

 

* ''[[Star Trek]]'':

** In ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'', the Na'kuhl (or, as they are better known, the "Red Eye Aliens" or "Evil Alien Nazis") all have red eyes, clinching them as candidates for the most evil-looking aliens in the history of fiction.

* In ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', after Tara is killed, Willow looks up, and her eyes are glowing red. It's even lampshaded/foreshadowed by the episode's title, "Seeing Red".

* The second Vorlon Ambassador in ''[[Babylon 5]]'' has a red light in the "head" of his encounter suit, compared to the original Kosh's green. He's a [[Domestic Abuser|much]], [[Knight Templar|much]] nastier person.

* The Furies in ''[[Lost Girl]]''.

* ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'': Goldar's eyes are red and kinda glowy, Lord Zedd's visor is red, and the occasional monster has had red eyes.

== Music ==

* [[David Bowie]]'s "[[Cat People]] (Putting Out Fire)", written for the 1982 film, has a lovelorn man singing to an object of desire, warning her of the intensity of his need. The first verse establishes that his eyes are usually green, but they become red in the second verse:

''Pull the blinds and change their minds'' }}

 

 

== Tabletop Games ==

*** Interestingly, the original incarnation of drow as presented in the modules in which they made their first appearance were described as having amber or yellow eyes. It was only in later developments that they were described as red-eyed, possible a case of [[Fanon]] due to the misconception that the heat radiance of thermal imaging organs (or ultraviolet imaging organs) appear red to normal vision.

** Some 1st/2nd Edition monsters with red eyes: babau demon, cloaker, cockatrice, guardian daemon, ildriss grue, medusa, nightmare, night hag, tasked slayer genie, yeth hound, the demon lord Juiblex, and the Nehwon god called Hate.

*** ''Creature Collection'': Ratmen/Slitheren (all types have red, beady eyes)

*** '"Relics and Rituals''. The Assassin's Senses spell changes the eyes of the character it's cast on to a deep crimson.

** OA6 ''Ronin Challenge''. The powerful [[Lawful Evil]] Earth Spider and its minions (goblin spiders, giant spiders, and bakemono) all have red eyes.

** OA7 ''Test of the Samurai''. Bokika Hokio, the [[Lawful Evil]] 16th level samurai daimyo of Fochu province, has fiery red eyes and an explosive temper. The krakentua monster also has red eyes.

** Basic D&D module O2 ''Blade of Vengeance''. Gorkalk, the great grandfather of the red dragon Khordarg. It may be that all red dragons in Basic D&D had them.

** Module RA1 ''Feast of Goblyns''

*** A giant skeleton had pinpoints of red light in its eyes.

*** After Radaga's body was possessed by Daglan, she had cold, red light burning in her eyes.

*** Greater wolfweres. In all forms except human, their eyes glowed red in the dark.

** [[Dark Sun]] boxed set DSE1 ''Dragon's Crown''.

** [[Dark Sun]] ''Monstrous Compendium Appendix: Terrors of the Desert''.

*** The dwarven banshee. The pupils of their eyes flicker red as if a flame burns them from within.

*** The Obsidian Retriever has six red eyes.

** Dragon magazine #51 story "A Part of the Game''. A monster that used its [[Your Heart's Desire]] ability to lure 12 men to their deaths has "two red eyes burning like coals in a brazier in the Hall of Pain."

** Or unless it's dark. The 3rd edition Ork Codex featured cover art of a greenskin mob charging a trench during a thunderstorm. The Orks in the foreground were well-lit, while all the ones beyond were just hulking shadows with tiny glimmers of red glaring out at you.

* ''[[Stormbringer]]'':

*** The Kludde is a shapeshifter that uses its powers to weaken and terrify its prey (including humans) before killing them. It has red corneas in all of its forms.

*** The spirit horses ridden by members of the Wild Hunt have red eyes. They can breathe fire and expel a noxious breath that can render an opponent unconscious.

** ''Native American Nations Volume 1'':

*** When the (evil and insane) toxic Rat shaman Jesse Johns uses magic, his eyes take on a red tinge.

*** The chupacabras has large red eyes. It feeds on blood and Essence, attacking metahumans in remote areas with its paralyzing touch.

** ''Denver: The City of Shadows'' boxed set. The decker named Bash has a Matrix icon with gleaming red eyes. He exists in a permanent state of barely suppressed rage.

** Deities: Atlach-Nacha (Great Old One), the Haunter of the Dark (avatar of Nyarlathotep), Ithaqua.

** Monsters: Black Unicorn of Averoigne (Worlds of Cthulhu #3, "Dark Ages Averoigne"), Bunyip (''Terror Australis''), Necromantic Skeleton (''The Asylum and Other Tales'' - "Black Devil Mountain"), Proto-Shoggoth (''The Asylum and Other Tales'', "The Asylum"), rats (''Masks of Nyarlathotep'' - Kenya section), Spectral Hunters, The Thing from Between the Planes (''The Fungi from Yuggoth''), Werewolves (''Worlds of Cthulhu'' magazine #3, adventure "Malevolence").

** ''Shadow World'' campaign setting: Wraiths, Wild Hunt hounds, Zephyr Hound - Fire (glowing red), Demons of the Sixth Pale (glowing red), the Dragonlord Oran Jatar, Black Unicorns, the Heralds of Night and the Dark Gods Orgiana (glowing red), Z'taar (luminous red), and Scalar (luminous red).

* ''[[Star Trek]] The RPG'' (FASA) adventure ''Orion Ruse'':

** Alien animals called Slethi have teeth that inject a venom that causes intense, immobilizing pain and ultimately leads to death. They also have bright red eyes.

* ''[[Knights of the Dinner Table]]'' #168 "Bait & Tackle" section (adventure seeds). In "Puppetmasters", the inhabitants of a small village develop red eyes when they're possessed by demons.

** Article "Villains Finish First!". The super villain Gloom has blood-red eyes.

** Article "Barony - A Tale for a Bored Court". In Barony, dwarves are base, evil creatures which have strange red eyes.

* ''[[Dangerous Journeys]]/Mythus'', ''Journeys'' magazine issue #2. In the adventure "It's Never a Good Day to Die", the evil necromancer Horace Quintell has eyes that burn with an intense redness.

* ''[[Villains and Vigilantes]]'' adventure ''Devil's Domain'':

** The monstrous black hounds that roam the English countryside and attack travelers have glowing red eyes.

** The vampires known as Apotamkin have blood red eyes.

 

== Toys ==

** In ''[[Resident Evil]] 4'', village leader Bitores Mendez has extremely bloodshot eyes that appear red. One of his eyes is a prosthetic, in fact. A straighter example is the cutscene where a Ganado's eyes glow red before the Plaga bursts out of its head.

* Yurka from ''[[Evolution Worlds]]''.

* Most of the protagonists in ''[[Disgaea]]''. Lest you think this should be in the Counter-examples section, they're all demons. {{spoiler|Angel trainee Flonne even gets red eyes when she [[Fallen Hero|falls]] from the ranks of the angels at the end.}}

** The exception to this is Adell in the sequel, who is blue-eyed. Amusingly enough, his actual character model in-game is red-eyed as well -- {{spoiler|which would be more appropriate, seeing how he is also a demon. Then again, [[Clap Your Hands If You Believe|his belief in his own humanity is apparently so powerful that no-one else can tell anyway.]]}}

** [[Super Paper Mario|Count Bleck]] also has red eyes. {{spoiler|They turn blue after his [[Heel Face Turn]].}}

* [[The Evil Army]] in ''[[Drakengard]]'' initially seems to have these, but, later on, cutscenes demonstrate that they are really [[Mind Control Eyes]]. The trope is played straight with Manah, the [[Big Bad]]. There's a bit of [[Fridge Logic]] here in that her identical twin brother has green eyes.

** It's worth noting that, in all his forms, as well as his Mirror Land counterpart Dark Mind, Dark Matter is ''nothing but'' a giant red eye.

** Soma gets the red eyes in ''Dawn of Sorrow'' if he loses himself to his [[Super-Powered Evil Side]].

* In ''[[Half Life]]'', the [[Boss in Mook Clothing|Gargantuan's]] eyes would turn from yellow to red when they saw an enemy.

** In several cases, ''Touhou'' actually subverts this trope. Of note are the [[Petting Zoo People|rabbits]] Reisen Udongein Inaba, often portrayed as a mother figure to the other rabbits, and Tewi Inaba, [[Karmic Trickster|who can be kinda mean but is far from evil and not really dangerous]]. Although, Reisen's power is an [[Evil Eye]]....

*** Heck, even Reimu, the ''main character'', has red eyes. [[Epileptic Trees|Though there is some controversy as to how she 'deals' with the incidents]].

* Lieselotte Achenbach, the [[Enfant Terrible]] from ''[[Arcana Heart]]'', has red eyes and is nicknamed "The Crimson-Eyed Criminal", as she's an emotionally scarred assassin. She also has [[White-Haired Pretty Girl|white hair]]. She'd fall under [[Evil Albino]] if she were just a bit more pale.

** Also, the [[Big Bad]] Mildred when she absorbs the [[All Your Powers Combined|power of the Elementals]] and [[A God Am I|becomes an Archangel]].

* In ''[[Fable]]'', you can get glowing red eyes if you're evil enough.

* For the [[Our Orcs Are Different|orcs]] in ''[[Warcraft]]'', it's one of their defining traits. Drinking the blood of Mannoroth gave them red eyes that glow fiery red when they descend into [[Unstoppable Rage|demonic bloodlust]].

* Forte from ''[[Mega Man (video game)|Mega Man]]'' (Bass in the English version) has these.

** In ''[[Mega Man Zero]]'', Copy X has these as [[Knight Templar|just one more sign that he's not quite...right]].

** In ''[[Mega Man ZX]]'', this is a common side effect of being under the influence of [[Artifact of Doom|Model W]]. Master Albert takes it to the next level by combining it with [[Black Eyes of Evil]].

* Silver, your ''[[Pokémon]] GSC'' [[The Rival|rival]], gets these in the sequel [[Curtains Match the Window|to match his hair.]] Nevertheless, he's a [[Jerkass]] before his [[Heel Face Turn]].

** On the subject of ''Pokémon'', we have Cipher Admin Nascour, who happens to be Master Albert's predecessor with the whole black sclera red iris schtick. He just happens to be [[Obviously Evil|the face of the most evil Pokemon crime syndicate]].

** Cofagrigus is said to turn people into mummies.

** Genesect. A prehistoric Pokemon. In its time, it was feared as the strongest of hunters. Apparently, Team Plasma makes it even stronger.

** [[Piranha Problem|Red Basculin.]]

** Carvanha is a vicious [[Piranha Problem|Piranha]] that evolves into a still vicious, sly shark that can swim over 75 miles per hour and thoroughly tear apart a supertanker.

* ''[[Video Game]]/Doom''. The Spider Mastermind (AKA Spiderdemon) has glowing red eyes. It also has a chaingun that will chop you to pieces if you give it a clear shot at you.

* {{spoiler|Alex Mercer}} in the final boss fight in ''[[Prototype 2]]''.

 

== Visual Novels ==

* [http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y67/AthenAltena/Gate_of_Babylon.jpg Gilgamesh] from ''[[Fate/stay night]]'' is blond with red eyes, but considering that Gilgamesh is supposed to be from Mesopotamia, it speaks more of a [[Phenotype Stereotype]] and this trope than anything else. Also, in the "Heaven's Feel" route of the game, {{spoiler|Sakura}}'s [[Super-Powered Evil Side]] has red eyes.

** Not to mention Ilya, who uses Mystic Eyes to immobilize and kidnap the hero (ultimately, though, she's not evil).

** Lancer has red eyes too, but he isn't evil in most of the storylines, although he initially appears as such.

*** Likewise, his master, Bazett Fraga McRemitz from ''Fate/Hollow Ataraxia'', has naturally red eyes, and she's one of the good guys.

 

== Web Comics ==

* Otherworlders in [[Miamaska]] have red eyes and purple sclera. Citizens see this as a threat to their town and [http://miamaska.tidalcomics.com/index.php?strip_id=49 take action accordingly].

** Amity poses no threat, however, so this trope is similarly averted.

* The yellow salamander/lizard-thing from ''[[Gunnerkrigg Court]]''. It may not have been evil, per se, but it was certainly dangerous. {{spoiler|The lizard was a house fire that killed a small child and his family.}}

* The "tainted" or Ver'drowendar from ''[[Drowtales]]'' have red irises; they "have been seeded by a demonic entity".

* ''[[The Order of the Stick]]'':

** Sabine's eyes glow red in her true form. There is an early warning of her true nature in [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0053.html this strip], which is before she's revealed to be a fiend. Later, the glowing-red eyes are a [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0356.html hint for the reader] that she's shapechanged.

** Also, [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0079.html Loki], god of Flames and Chaos.

* Abbey, the [[Badass]] [[Anti-Hero]] protaganist of ''[[Gnoph]]'', has red eyes, due to being an [[Heroic Albino|albino]]. She's not evil, but she's definitely dangerous.

* ''[[Chess Piece]]'' has a number of them, Clockwork being the exception that proves the rule.

* Played for laughs in ''[[Ctrl+Alt+Del]]'', usually; a recent example being when Buckley got ''[[Street Fighter]] IV'' and grew increasingly frustrated over [[The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard|the computer AI being cheap]].

* ''[[Kagerou]]'': when (the aptly-named) Red takes over Kano's body, his eyes turn red. And Red is a psychopathic rapist and murderer.

* All the vampires in ''[[Hanna Is Not a Boy's Name]]'' have red or reddish eyes, although some are more evil than others and the least evil of the four we've seen so far isn't drawn with visible irises at all.

* Dr. Schtein of ''[[String Theory (webcomic)|String Theory]]'' has prosthetic eyes that glow a sinister red, having lost his original eyes in a lab explosion. Thus far, they seem to be foreshadowing his eventual rise to supervillany.

** They even glow in the dark, much to the horror of his prison roommate.

** Dyonus, an android, has red optics, though whether or not he is evil is debatable.

* In ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'', the first time Grace is seen to shapeshift [http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-03-10 her eyes go red during the transformation]. This was dropped during all subsequent transformations.

* ''[[Pibgorn]]'': [http://www.gocomics.com/pibgorn/2002/06/26/ Dru, when he asks after Pib].

* In ''[[Roza]]'', [http://www.junglestudio.com/roza/?date=2007-05-23 the monstrous guard].

* [[Gaia Online|Johnny K. Gambino]].

** And, ironically, his opposite number, Vladimir Von Helson, via [[Mismatched Eyes]] (one gray as is standard for [[Our Vampires Are Different|Gaian vampires]], one red apparently just for the sake of this trope).

* In ''[[Comic Shorts]]'', Leko the Robot's normally green eyes turn red when he gets very angry.

* ''[[Girl Genius]]'': while subtle, it is seen well [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120102 in this strip] that Mama Gkika has red eyes. Possibly other Jägers, too.

 

 

== Western Animation ==

** Silverbolt from [[Beast Wars]]' optics are normally [[Eyes of Gold|gold]], but when Blackarachnia was killed and he uttered Tarantula's name in a vengeful manner, [[Beware the Nice Ones|they]] [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge|turned]] [[Nightmare Fuel|red]].

** [[Demonic Possession|False Convoy]] in ''[[Transformers Return of Convoy]]'' is distinguished from Optimus Prime by having red eyes instead of blue.

* The [[Affably Evil]] Emperor Zurg from ''[[Buzz Lightyear of Star Command]]''.

** Also, XR had red eyes during his brief stint as villain NOS-4-A2's vampire slave.

* When Thing is brainwashed in an episode of ''[[Fantastic Four]]'', his eyes actually turn from blue to red until the effect is reversed.

* Originally used in ''[[Gargoyles]]'' for Demona, until the creators decided it would be too obvious and established that it was a feature for all female gargoyles, averting the trope; male eyes, on the other hand, glow white. The scheme is reversed for Gargoyle clones, with males' eyes glowing red and females' glowing white.

* Joker in ''[[The Batman]]'' has nearly completely red eyes (but yellow pupils). His ''[[Justice League]]'' design (also used for ''[[Batman Beyond]]'' and ''[[Static Shock]]'') also has red pupils sometimes, if you look closely.

** The red eyes on the latter-day DCAU design, along with the slicked-back hair sported by the Future Joker design in ''[[Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker]]'', were inspired by the novel's descriptions of Hannibal Lecter.

* Several of ''[[Danny Phantom]]'s'' enemies have red eyes, including his arch-rival, Vlad Plasmius (whose eyes are blue in human form and completely red and pupil-less in ghost-form), and his [[Future Me Scares Me|sociopathic alternate-future self]], Dark Danny (AKA Dan Phantom). Red-eyed [[Dungeon Master]] Clockwork, on the other hand, despite being originally portrayed as a villain, is good-hearted but on the neutral side.

** Let's not forget Danny's red eyes when under the control of Freakshow in "Control Freaks".

* Trigon in ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'', [[Satan|very bad dude]] indeed.

** Brother Blood, [[Big Bad]] of the third season, has eyes that glow red when he uses his [[Psychic Powers]]; in the fifth season, the mechanical eyes on the skull-"face" on the Brain's life-support pod also glow red when the Brain is interfacing with his computers or is just angry.

* Discord from ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]''.

* Dr. Julian Robotnik from ''[[Sonic Sat AM]]'' has a pair of red cybernetic optics that shine like hellish spotlights in the dark.

* On ''[[Jimmy Two-Shoes]]'', when [[Creepy Child|Heloise]] is accused of something in court, she flashes these while asking if anyone thinks she's guilty. Wisely, everyone backs down.

 

** You have nausea and vomiting.

* Call your health care provider if:

** You have eye pain or vision changes.

** You take blood thinning medication, like warfarin.

* Having blood pooling in the front of the eyes, a disorder called hyphema, may, in rare cases, cause the person's iris to turn into an [[Your Mileage May Vary|arguably beautiful]], deep, blood-red color. Hyphema is commonly caused by injury or trauma. It may partially or completely block vision. Hyphema may resolve itself, require medical attention, or it may cause permanent visual impairment. Long term hyphema may cause heterochromia or hemosiderosis, accumulation of iron in the body. However, most of the time, the trauma that caused the hyphema in the first place would also damage the sclera (eye white), causing squick and [[Eye Scream]]. Even if the sclera has no visible damage and the blood only pools in the anterior chamber, it can still look extremely unnatural (opaque), causing squick.

* ''Vipera berus'', the European adder, has red eyes. While they're far from being the most venomous snake, they're the only ones who got all the way to Britain and the Nordic countries.

 

 

== Anime and Manga ==

** Also, Saya from Blood-C, however, unlike her predecessors, has [[Gray Eyes]] at first.

* Lina Inverse of the ''[[Slayers]]'' series is another good-natured, red-eyed protagonist, but she's not above blasting villages to smithereens to save the day. {{spoiler|Of course, her red eyes are a clue that Shabranigdo (see above) is the root source of her power.}}

** The creepy factor on Rei [[Misaimed Fandom|backfired]] so dramatically that there was a significant trend in later anime to have quiet, mysterious girls with red eyes and [[You Gotta Have Blue Hair|blue hair]].

* The Kuruta tribe, including the [[Last of His Kind]] character Kurapika, from ''[[Hunter X Hunter]]'', have these - but only when they get emotionally aroused. The Kurutas were decimated because the color of the "scarlet eyes" was so prized. Kurapika is one of the ''protagonists'', though, and, while occasionally a bit cranky, he's very solidly one of the good guys.

* Kirika from ''[[Noir]]'' has these, and she's relatively friendly...even when she's putting a cap in a mark's ass. When they ''upgrade'' to [[Hellish Pupils]], though...watch out!

* Every member of the Royal family in ''Princess Resurrection'' has red eyes and blonde hair. They're not exactly evil, per se, but with the family-wide [[There Can Be Only One|elimination game]] going on...sometimes, things get hectic.

** This is actually because ''his blood was in her eye''.

* Red-eyed Kurogane of ''[[Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle]]'' is introduced as having little regard for human life (slaughtering several guards when they try to attack his princess), but over the course of the story, he ends up being the ''only'' main character who hasn't been utilized as some sort of [[Tyke Bomb]] with [[Cloning Blues]] by the [[Big Bad]] (though there was an attempt to get him that failed).

* In [[Hellsing]] TV, Seras's eyes remain red after Alucard changes her into a vampire, but she remains a nice person...or at least tries to. {{spoiler|Same goes for the OVA after she drinks Pip's blood and becomes a full vampire. She did play the trope straight during her [[Curb Stomp Battle]] against Zorin, but after Zorin died, Seras went back to being a cheerful, [[Friendly Neighborhood Vampire]]. She wasn't in a bloodthirsty rage during her duel with [[The Dragon|THE CAPTAIN]]!}}

* Mew Ichigo from ''[[Tokyo Mew Mew]]'' has red eyes, but she's the furthest thing from evil. In the anime, her human form has brown eyes, but her [[Catgirl]] form always has red.

* Rin from ''[[Yes! Pretty Cure 5|Yes! Precure 5]]'' is perhaps the one character in the series for whom a [[Face Heel Turn]] seems least plausible.

* Yukari-sensei from ''[[Azumanga Daioh]]'' isn't evil, but if you {{spoiler|hit her in the face with a tray, as Tomo accidentally did in her pursuit of Yomi}}, she might get very angry. And {{spoiler|thwack you repeatedly with two.}} [[You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry|You wouldn't like her when she's angry]].

* Chrono from ''[[Chrono Crusade]]'' has red eyes in his child-like default form, but he's not evil, despite being a demon. In fact, he's actually one of the sweeter characters in the series (despite his fierce temper). Azmaria also has red eyes, but she also has white hair, which might mean she's albino.

** However, Chrono's eyes ''do'' glow red when he's particularly angry...and that's when you really should start running.

* Kurenai from ''[[Naruto]]''.

* Izumo and Shura from ''[[Blue Exorcist]]''.

 

== Comics ==

 

== Fan Works ==

* ''Lusnati Style'': the titular character, but ([[Common Mary Sue Traits|don't worry]], it's his last one) has these, [[Genre Savvy|which he is sensitive about because they intimidate people]]. While he is a [[Badass]] in the extreme, he's actually an [[Iron Woobie]] who's rather nice [[Deadpan Snarker|(unless sarcasm is dangerous to you)]].

 

* ''[[The Last Starfighter]]''. When Centauri appears in his true form at the end of the movie, his eyes are glowing red. Although he's a [[Con Artist]] and thus isn't completely a good guy, he is definitely on the good guys' side. By helping Alex Rogan become the titular Last Starfighter, he was directly responsible for the victory over the Ko-Dan Armada and saving the Star league (and indirectly, the Earth as well).

* In ''[[Blade Runner]]'', artificial lifeforms have a red glow to their eyes under certain lights. Depending on who you think the heroes are, this is either a counter example or a subversion.

 

== Literature ==

* [[The Elric Saga|Elric of Melnibone]] has crimson eyes, a feature that is simply part of his [[Evil Albino|albinism]]. Not entirely a counter-example, as he is a violent [[Anti-Hero]].

* The Bloodwrath sufferers in ''[[Redwall]]'' are good guys. When in the throes of [[Unstoppable Rage]], the whites of their eyes turn red. [[Lady of War|Lady Cregga Rose Eyes]] Bloodwraths so much that she has pink eyes all the time.

* In [[Terry Pratchett]]'s ''[[Discworld]]'' stories, the eyes of golems (who aren't particularly villainous) glow an unnerving red.

* Nuklear Man of ''[[Nuklear Age]]'''s eyes were said to "glowed with the fury of hell's flames" in a moment of extreme anger; however, he is a relatively good character at the time, making this a subversion. However, watching out is definitely a good idea at this point. Given his backstory, though, this could indeed be a sort of warning.

* The Gnalish race in the [[Star Trek Novel Verse]]. Grumpy, but definitely not malicious.

 

== Live Action TV ==

** In ''[[Power Rangers Samurai]],'' a brainwashed Blue Ranger had blue eyes instead of his normal brown.

* The Narn race in [[Babylon 5]] have red eyes. All of them, all the time. So, in their case, it's nothing to do with the individual's morals or mood. That said, given that Narn start the series with their default role being "hypocritical, super-angry bullies", there might yet be something symbolic, if not evil.

 

== Tabletop Games ==

* In indie RPG ''Cthulhu Tech'', the Migou engineered their humanoid Nazzadi servitors with red eyes ''specifically'' so they'd freak out the humans. Of course, it turns out that they're [[Defector From Decadence|pretty nice guys]] when out from under the Migou's thumb, and they're living and fighting alongside the humans by the time the game is set.

** The Salamanders chapter of Space Marines all have red eyes as a result of a genetic quirk, but they're one of the few unambiguously nice guys in the setting. Likewise, the Tau's eyes are red, and they're among the least offensive of the bad guys, if not good guys outright.

 

== Video Games ==

*** To say nothing of a potential Private Action moment quite past his [[Heel Face Turn]] where, while walking around in a serene and peaceful city of sorts, he expresses the barely restrained desire to just snap and start killing left and right so much the city's atmosphere's disturbing him.

* ''[[Final Fantasy]]'':

** Lulu from ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'', too. Although, for a heroic character, she's certainly dark, spooky, and lethal. I guess it's not that uncommon in Spira.

** ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'':

** Also, [[Team Pet]] [[Hachiko|Koromaru]]'s eyes are violently red. He's a total cutie, though (unless you're an enemy or a Shadow. ''Then'', [[Big Badass Wolf|Cerberus]] comes out...)

** The Female Main Character from [[Updated Release|Persona 3 Portable]] is also another example, even being more cheerful and open than her male counterpart.

** Generally speaking, most if not all of Medli's people, the half-human half-bird Rito, have red eyes.

** Tetra's second conceptual artwork had her with red eyes, but she was eventually given dark blue (borderline black) ones instead.

* {{spoiler|Mir}} in ''[[Ar tonelico]]'', who's also a pseudo-[[Evil Albino]].

* Ashley, sinister [[Cute Witch]], in ''[[Wario Ware]]''.

** Also, Ragna the Blood Edge. Subverted for two reasons: only one eye is red and, although he is a good guy, he's still pretty dangerous anyway.

** Also, Rachel Alucard. Yet another subversion; sure, she's extremely powerful, both in-game and in-story, {{spoiler|and is actually one of the most powerful beings around}}, a vampire, a bit of a [[Jerkass]], and rather manipulative, but she really does mean well. Interestingly enough, she's the reason {{spoiler|Ragna has that one red eye}}.

* In [[Mega Man Zero]], Fefnir has red eyes. Sure, he's an antagonist and a powerful long range reploid with [[Blood Knight]] tendencies, but he's not really malicious. His eye color (like his siblings) is a marker to represent his [[Playing with Fire|fire powers]].

 

** In the universe of ''[[Tsukihime]]'', red eyes are more of an indication of vampirism than anything. Satsuki gets them when she's vampirized, so do Roa, Wallachia, {{spoiler|Sion Eltnam Atlasia when turned Tatari}}, and {{spoiler|SHIKI Tohno (the original one)}}. Arcueid has them naturally...the only exception seems to be Nrvnqsr, and even then, a lot of his familiars ''do'' have the red eyes anyway, and he shows them, too, on some particular occasions.

* In ''[[Umineko no Naku Koro ni]]'', Sakutarou, {{spoiler|the spirit that Maria puts into her lion plushie}}, has red eyes, but he's actually just an [[Petting Zoo People|adorable]] [[The Woobie|little]] [[The Cutie|thing]].

* In ''[[My Girlfriend is the President]]'' Irina may have red eyes but isn't any more threatening than your standard [[Tsundere]]. {{spoiler|It is however played somewhat straight at the end of her route there where she beats the tar out of [[Ninja Maid|Kuon]] and starts using her [[Shock and Awe|newly augmented lighting abilities]] to try and kill Jun. To be fair the [[Big Bad]] had her [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] at the time.}}

 

== Web Comics ==

** Terezi also has [[Eye Scream|red eyes]] which she hides behind [[Cool Shades]]. They aren't revealed until long after she is established as being a friend and ally to the kids.

** Karkat and Aradia's pupils will be red when they grow up, Karkat's being bright red and Aradia's being more of a dull crimson. Assuming they reach maturity. {{spoiler|In the past, the Sufferer had red pupils, but the Handmaid did not, due to Doc Scratch and Lord English changing her and teaching her magic}}.

* ''[[Wapsi Square]]'': Shelly's conscience, shown [http://wapsisquare.com/comic/knowing/ here,] has red eyes to go with her generally creepy appearance, but she is much friendlier than her appearance would suggest.

* [[Slightly Damned]]. Buwaro has red eyes and is just the nicest guy you could ever meet. Rhea said that her best friend used to be Ramirez Bloodeyes, [[Captain Obvious|who was named after his red eyes.]]

* In ''[[Rusty and Co.|Rusty and Co]]'', [http://rustyandco.com/comic/4/ the wight].

 

== Web Original ==

* ''[[The Angry Video Game Nerd]]'': the Nerd, at 1:20 in [http://www.gametrailers.com/video/angry-video-screwattack//29488 this video], courtesy of fan art.

* [[Gaia Online|Gino Gambino]]. Justified, too, as his father was Gaia's original [[Big Bad]] and played the trope straight.

 

== Western Animation ==

* Many ''[[Transformers]]'' series between ''G1'' and ''Animated'' have red eyes split equally between good and bad guys. Examples include [[Beast Wars|most of]] [[Beast Machines|the Maximals]] and [[Robot Girl|Sari Sumdac]].

* In ''[[Exo Squad]]'', many Neosapiens have red eyes, most notably (and possibly as a subversion), [[Defector From Decadence|Marsala]].

* ''The Atom'': this 1960's [[Filmation]] featured evil Beetle-Men with red eyes, in "Invasion of the Beetle-Men".

* In ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'', one and a half out of five core Titans have this: Cyborg has one cybernetic red eye, and Raven has red eyes when she's [[You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry|pissed]]. Actually, sometimes, she has four of them, so the statistics all depend on how you count eyes...[[Half-Human Hybrid|Raven]] got those eyes from her [[God of Evil|dad]], so, as with ''[[Inuyasha]]'', it's a sign of her demonic half taking control.

 

== Real Life ==

** Sadly, a lot of people still avoid taking rodents with red eyes as pets, no matter how docile and sweet they may be. Some animals will get passed over for weeks or months on account of having red eyes.

** Guinea pig fans have a name for this coloring: PEW or Pink-Eyed White. However, PEW can also refer to the Hartman breed of guinea pigs, a very uniform shorthaired albino breed created specifically for laboratory research.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Evil Tropes]]

[[Category:Paint the Index Red]]

[[Category:Obviously Evil]]

[[Category:Just for Pun]]

[[Category:Uh-Oh Eyes]]