Wide Eyes and Shrunken Irises: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
[[File:
{{quote|''"You should've seen your eyes! They were as big as dinner plates!"''
A sign that a character is absolutely terrified is if the eyes are wide open and the irises and pupils are shrunken to minimum, or even absent. Gives the impression that the character is screaming inside, even if they are silent with shock. It comes across as striking and, if done well, can even be [[Nightmare Fuel]] or its [[Nightmare Fuel|high octane equivalent.]] Often a warning sign that the character is about to [[Freak-Out]]. May also involve [[Tears of Fear]].
Can also happen if a character is injured. It's a good way of illustrating shock.
Bonus points if the scene cuts away to a [[Scream Discretion Shot]].
It can also happen if a character is [[Unstoppable Rage|very, very angry.]]
If this only happens to one eye, it is a case of [[Mad Eye
See also [[Oh Crap]], and [[Open the Iris]] for the trope's physical opposite.
A
Not to be confused with [[Sphere Eyes]].
{{examples
* Most characters on ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro
▲== [[Anime]] & [[Manga]] ==
▲* Most characters on ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni]]'' do this when they're really scared, but Satoko has a habit of giving particularly haunting moments. One of these is Satoko's reaction to Keichii standing by {{spoiler|her best friend's corpse}} in ''Tatarigoroshi-hen''. Satoko [[Freak-Out|freaks out]], believing that Keichii was responsible, and while doing so, gives a picture perfect demonstration of the trope. Her reaction upon getting out of the river and returning to her school {{spoiler|and finding her friends dead}} elicits this reaction from her as well, and it is also the expression her classmates are wearing. Gives a truly ghoulish impression. Keichii does it a few times as well.
* Happens on a regular basis in the ''[[Bleach]]'' anime, usually when one character is impressed by another character's power/abilities.
** And Arisawa does this in chapter 410 when {{spoiler|Aizen states he intends to kill her and draws his blade}}.
* Inverted by Maka and sometimes Black*star in ''[[Soul Eater]]''; their pupils are invisible unless they're particularly shocked or angry. Everyone else in the series plays this straight.
* Most ''[[Code Geass]]'' characters do this, resulting in some pretty disturbing faces.
* Occurs often in ''[[One Piece]]''- in Oda's art style, the shrunken irises are often split into two half-circles with a tiny dot in between for the pupil.
** Most others get a mix between anger and fear, but Luffy's is almost always rage when this happens.
* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' has some moments with this trope, especially when Shinji freaks out in End of Evangelion, upon seeing {{spoiler|Asuka's dismembered Eva Unit }}. Epic [[Freak-Out]] ensues.
** And again shortly after, upon seeing {{spoiler|the Giant Naked Rei/Lilith}}.
* Simon in ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'' has this kind of eyes by default in the first half of the series, being a sign of his cowardice in the very first episodes.
** [[Beady-Eyed Loser|There's an entire trope for characters like this.]]
* Tista's eyes do this whenever she has a [[Flash Back]].
* [[Shaman King]] characters tend to do this, along with sporting white-colored irises for that instant.
* The [[OEL Manga]] [[My Cat Loki]] features this whenever the titular cat Loki is scared.
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* ''[[Naruto]]''. Since most of Kakashi's face is permanently hidden (usually just the one eye is left clear), this is what allows us to notice he's having an [[Oh Crap]] moment.
** Naruto himself gets a noteworthy set of these when {{spoiler|Hinata gives him her [[Anguished Declaration of Love]] just before almost getting killed by Pain}}. Notable in that they are not momentary; he is so shocked, he has them for the ENTIRE SCENE.
* In ''[[
** Also, Light gets them when he's [http://view.thespectrum.net/series/death-note-volume-01.html?ch=Volume+01&page=42 starting to go insane.]
** Mello also does this all the time.
* [[Dragonball Z]] already has most characters displaying proportionately small irises/pupils, but when they're frightened or under stress, their pupils shrink to pinpricks &/or go white.
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* In the third season of [[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]], we have [[Smug Snake|Quattro]](see the image for [[Oh Crap]]), who has very good reason to be terrified.
* Edward Elric does this a lot in the first and second ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' anime.
* ''[[
* Most ''[[Fairy Tail]]'' characters inverts this for their pupils are usually invisible unless shocked or angry.
* In ''[[
* Saionji does this in ''[[Revolutionary Girl Utena]]'' during a duel, not to indicate fear or shock, but focus on defeating his opponent. The quick shift makes him appear deranged and potentially murderous.
== [[Comic Books]] ==
* Qwackerjack in the ''[[Darkwing Duck]]'' comic, after {{spoiler|the Crimebots mention Negaduck}}.
* Shadowcat busts this expression out for a full four panels in [[X
== [[Film]] ==
* It occurs in ''[[The Three Amigos!]]'' during the duel between Ned Nederlander and that German guy.
* ''Psycho'': Marion Crane's eyes do this, though in a [[You Fail Biology Forever]] moment.
* This happens to Jessica Rabbit in ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit?]]'', in the only scene I can think of where you really get a good look at both her eyes ("Oh my God, it's DIIIIIIP!").
** And, indeed, her face looks more childlike (symbolizing her fundamental fear of Dip), and loses its more mature look, [[Fridge Brilliance|much like how many other toons have done when faced with an instinctual fear]].
* Flik does this in ''[[A Bug's Life
* Scar in ''[[The Lion King]]'' does this shortly before {{spoiler|he is eaten by hyenas}}.
** Simba did it, too.{{spoiler|..just before a stampede rains down on him.}}
* Happened in the American version of [[The Ring]] with a very good close up of Rachel's eyes when viewing the cursed tape for the first time.
* ''[[The Princess and
== [[Video Games]] ==
* In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
* Thane's eyes in ''[[Mass Effect]]'' end up looking a bit like this while he's having a [[Photographic Memory|flashback]] - it likely just has that effect due to the fact that his flashbacks are the only times his irises are easy to make out.
* In ''[[Street Fighter]] IV'', activating a Super Combo or Ultra Combo will make the screen darken and the action slow down. This is not terribly different from conventional 2D [[Fighting Game
* [[Touhou|Kaguya]] does this at [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yer73i66uv0 02:15], but it's [[Ass Shove|not out of fear]].
* ''Epic Mickey'': Splatter the Shadow Blot with paint. No seriously, do it, it's priceless.
* [[Catherine|Vincent]] pulls off a [http://download.gamezone.com/assets/old/screenshots/Catherin_edimage.jpg spectacular example] for one of the promo arts of the game.
* ''[[World of Warcraft]] Cataclysm'': Deathwing gives an [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F3e4eL6JcE absolutely beautiful example] when he sees Thrall holding the [[Artifact of Doom|Dragon Soul]]. Deathwing [[Hoist
== [[Web Comics]] ==
* In ''[[
* The expression ''[[
* In ''[[Blip]]'', Hester's irises are normally [[Open the Iris|the size of saucers]], so [https://web.archive.org/web/20100103082539/http://blipcomic.com/70/ seeing them shrink to pinpricks] really sells that she's in a state of shock.
* Souls in ''[[Jack (
** Corpses' eyes look like this as well.
* In ''[[
* ''[[
* Happens in ''[[Questionable Content]]'', with lampshading by the author at least once.
* Black Mage does this a few times in ''[[8-Bit Theater
* In ''[[Last
* Frequently used in ''[[Everyday Heroes]]''; for example, [http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=191554 here] when Mr. Mighty is scaring off the homeless guy who came to rob a convenience store.
* [[Strays]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20110830132347/http://www.straysonline.com/comic/102.htm here]
* Mark, of [[
* ''[[
** Annie gets her turn on the last page of chapter 36.
* ''[[Ozy and Millie]]'' uses [https://web.archive.org/web/20210827020210/https://ozyandmillie.org/comic/ozy-and-millie-1180/ a somewhat subtle version] when characters are shocked or scared.
* Characters in ''[[Goblins]]'' have this kind of expression in [[Oh Crap]] moments. [[Nervous Wreck|Dies Horribly]] has it almost constantly.
== [[Web Original]] ==
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== [[Western Animation]] ==
* ''[[Kim Possible]]'' does this when {{spoiler|[[Romantic False Lead|her boyfriend]] reveals he's actually an evil synthodrone created by Dr, Drakken and tasers her}} in ''[[The Movie|So the Drama]]''.
* Happens to Jet in ''[[
* ''[[Teen Titans (
* The characters of ''[[Total Drama Island]]'' tend to do this during [[Oh Crap]] moments, the most prominent examples being Tyler and Noah due to their very visible brown irises becoming black circles when horrified.
* Used a lot in ''[[
* Likewise, ''[[Jimmy Two-Shoes]]'' uses this in similar situations.
* Used in ''[[Recess]]'' during a few [[Oh Crap]] moments, mostly in the earlier episodes
* Frequently seen as part of the heavy eye animation of ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
* One of [[Chuck Jones]]' trade mark gags in his [[Looney Tunes]] shorts, some notable examples are in "Rabbit's Feat" before Wile Coyote gets hit by the train and Marc Anthony the bulldog when he fears for Pussyfoot's safety in "Feed The Kitty".
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