History Main / BlackEyesOfCrazy

* ''Webcomic/LiesWithin'': The [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent Wraith's]] hosts gain black sclerae with gold irises, along with ScaryTeeth, {{Horns|OfVillainy}} that grow and retract in proportion with its level of control over them, and {{Axe Craz|y}}iness shading into {{Meat Puppet}}ry. Lys is mostly unaffected by the spirit, but is [[https://www.lieswithincomic.com/comic/page-67 stuck]] with the eyes until he trains to control it.

* Subverted in ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'', where two members of the Legion, Superman X and Timber Wolf, have eyes like this.
* ComicBook/{{Gambit}} of the ComicBook/XMen has these, and his irises exemplify RedEyesTakeWarning, but he is neither evil nor crazy. Usually.
** It should be noted that, despite the fact that he's usually a good guy, he did have a reputation in his hometown as "Le diable blanc"-- people saw him as a demon because of his red-on-black eyes.

** Similarly, In ''ComicBook/TeenTitansGo'', the Tie-in comic with [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans the TV Show]], the evil version of Aqualad was shown to have black eyes with red irises. Regular Aqualad just had solid black eyes.

** Mimic the {{Shapeshifting}} Octopus from ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW'' has a pair, with black sclerae and white irises. He can show them, along with some [[SkeletonMotif skeletal facial markings]], while disguised as another person, resulting in a NightmareFace. And not for no reason: this guy is [[AxCrazy B.S. psychotic]].
* The ComicBook/RedSkull, DependingOnTheArtist. Carried on to the ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' animated series and the ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' animated series.

* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', Match, who is a {{flawed|Prototype}}, [[PsychoPrototype insane]] {{clon|ingBlues}}e of Superman, has black sclerae and blue irises. Apart from the black sclerae, he looks exactly like Superboy, the second clone of Superman.

** Played completely straight when she undergoes SanitySlippage in [[spoiler: Episode 100]].

* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' has Risotto Nero, although he seems to be the [[OnlySaneMan sanest]] of his group.

* Subverted in ''ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-heroes}}'', where two members of the Legion, Superman X and Timber Wolf, have eyes like this.

* ''Webcomic/LiesWithin'': The [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent Wraith's]] hosts gain black sclerae with gold irises, along with ScaryTeeth, {{Horns|OfVillainy}} that grow and retract in proportion with its level of control over them, and {{Axe Craz|y}}iness shading into {{Meat Puppet}}ry. Lys is mostly unaffected by the spirit, but is [[https://www.lieswithincomic.com/comic/page-67 stuck]] with the eyes all the same.

* daddy dearest and mommy mearest from "VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin" have black sclera with red glowing irises, and it is implied [[spoiler: that girlfriend has these too...]]

Some characters just need a way to show off how [[DarkIsEvil undeniably evil they are]]. Unfortunately, [[BlackEyesOfEvil pure black eyes]] just seem too monochrome and don't allow said character to show off an extra spark of insanity. Cue the Black Eyes Of Crazy. In these cases, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sclera sclerae]] (the whites of the eyes) are black, as are the pupils, but the irises themselves retain their colour, [[TechnicolorEyes which can vary]]. Generally an indication that the character is not above going on a rabid, murderous rampage, and, as such, usually coincides with AxCrazy, though this rule is not [[DarkIsNotEvil absolute]]. It also heavily overlaps with BlackEyesOfEvil, due to AxCrazy being a subtrope of ObviouslyEvil.

* Akuma/Goki from ''VideoGame/StreetFighter'' sometimes has these DependingOnTheArtist, when not being depicted with [[RedEyesTakeWarning fully red eyes]].

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* Shan Yu from ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'' displays these. Add yellow irises and it's clear they were looking for [[AnimalEyes a falcon look]]. It ends up being just about looks even though according to extended material this is more important as he manages through some mystical means to literally see through his [[AnimalEyeSpy falcon's eyes.]]

* Doctor Robotnik/Eggman and Doctor Finitevus from ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics''. Interestingly enough, Robotnik's crazy red-on-black-eyes were first revealed in [[MilestoneCelebration issue #200]], [[VillainousBreakdown when he was]] [[FreakOut defeated by Sonic]] [[VillainousBSOD one too many times]]. The Bride of the Conquering Storm also has black sclerae [[ElectronicEyes with visible circuits]] after being [[{{Cyborg}} legionized]], but she's not really crazy, just [[AmbitionIsEvil power-hungry]].

* The ghouls of ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' have eyes with black sclera and red pupils.

* In ''[[VideoGame/DotHackGU .hack//GU]]'', characters who are possessed by AIDA will often gain these eyes, particularly during AxCrazy moments.

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' uses this quite a lot, along with BlackEyesOfEvil. In fact, Akamatsu notes that Shinmeiryu users can tap into something that's basically the dark side for extra power. While this is [[DarkIsNotEvil not actually evil in itself]], it does appear to cause a great deal of bloodlust along with turning the eyes completely black.

* {{Averted|Trope}} in ''Manga/OnePunchMan'' with Genos, who has black sclerae due to being a cyborg but despite this is one of the most virtuous, self-sacrificing and law-abiding characters in the series.

* ComicBook/{{Gambit}} of the Comicbook/XMen has these, and his irises exemplify RedEyesTakeWarning, but he is neither evil nor crazy. Usually.

* Another counterexample is Jericho of the ''ComicBook/TeenTitans''. When he's about to possess someone, he makes eye contact with the victim and the whites of his eyes go black. (Mind you, he was crazy for a ''little'' while, but hey, that happens to everyone in comics [[strike:sometimes]] at least once.)

* ''FanFic/TheBridge'' uses this as a way to distinguish between [[NobleDemon Monster X]] and his SuperpoweredEvilSide, Kaizer Ghidorah. When turned into a human in the Equestria Girls realm, X has normal white eyes (albeit with a red iris), Kaizer Ghidorah has black sclerae. [[spoiler: Similarly when Aria Blaze copies some of their powers and channels Kaizer Ghidorah's energy, her features shift to resemble Kaizer's. One of which is this trope.]]

* In TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering, [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] hailing from the GothicHorror plane of Innistrad such as Sorin Markov have [[http://www.wizards.com/mtg/images/daily/ftl/ftl78_sorin.jpg black sclerae]], in addition to either SupernaturalGoldEyes or RedEyesTakeWarning depending on the vampire clan. The blackening of the sclera, in this case, is a direct result of the vampirization; pre-vampire humans have normal eyes. Compared to the rest of entries in this trope however, Innistrad vampires are not necessarily AxCrazy; rather, they see themselves as [[AristocratsAreEvil classy aristocrats]] superior to PunyHumans, only turning savage when hungry.

* In ''[[VideoGame/DotHackGU .hack//G.U.]]'' this happens to players that get completely overtaken by AIDA.

* Dr. Schtein from ''Webcomic/StringTheory'' gets prosthetic eyes after an accident. They're [[http://stringtheory.nfshost.com/comics/pagethree black]] with [[RedEyesTakeWarning red iris apertures]].

* In ''WebComic/YokokasQuest'', Mao gets scary black sclerae with [[RedEyesTakeWarning red irises]] at [[https://yokokasquest.com/comic/chapter-2-page-33/ the start of his fight]] [[CainAndAbel with Yokoka]].

* In both ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'', ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'' and ''ComicBook/SonicUnderground'', Dr. Robotnik is shown with black eyes and red pupils.

* Doctor Robotnik/Eggman and Doctor Finitevus from ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehog''. Interestingly enough, Robotnik's crazy red-on-black-eyes were first revealed in [[MilestoneCelebration issue #200]], [[VillainousBreakdown when he was]] [[FreakOut defeated by Sonic]] [[VillainousBSOD one too many times]]. The Bride of the Conquering Storm also has black sclerae [[ElectronicEyes with visible circuits]] after being [[{{Cyborg}} legionized]], but she's not really crazy, just [[AmbitionIsEvil power-hungry]].

* In both ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' and ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'', Dr. Robotnik is shown with black eyes and red pupils (in contrast with the Japanese depictions of the character, whose eyes were almost always hidden by ScaryShinyGlasses).

* Averted by ''WebComic/{{Erma}}''. The title character, black sclerae or otherwise, is absolutely ‘’adorable’’ and not evil in the slightest.

* In both ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' and ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'', Dr. Robotnik is shown with black eyes and red pupils (in contrast with the Japanese depictions of the character, whose eyes were almost always hidden by ScaryShinyGlasses).

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

[[folder: RealLife]]

* ''Discworld/SmallGods'' has Vorbis, who comes from a desert tribe with black sclerae (it's mentioned he looks like he's wearing his sunglasses on the inside). On the Disk, where eyes are very much the window to the soul, he's bad news indeed, though of TheFundamentalist kind of crazy rather than [[InsaneEqualsViolent the loud, multiple-exclamation-points type.]]

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Hollowfication causes a deceased human's higher reasoning to be stripped away as they are reduced to beings that act on pure instinct, driven by insatiable appetites to commit violent, murderous deeds. One of the defining characteristics of the hollow are their black sclera. Other beings that undergo hollowfication, such as shinigami, have to fight to control and master their inner hollow. Whenever these "Vizards" hollowfy, their eyes bleed black to indicate the transformation to their SuperpoweredEvilSide has begun. Even after receiving Vizard training, whenever his eyes bleed black, Ichigo becomes dangerous and violent even by the standards of other hollows.

* In the film version of ''Film/LordOfTheRings'', Frodo gets them after being corrupted by the cursed Nazgûl blade.
* People turned into vampires by the eponymous Count in ''Film/{{Dracula|1979}}'' have black eyes with hellish red pupils.

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo'' has both Polpo and Risotto Nero. While neither is particularly AxCrazy, both are definitely bad news.

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo'' has both Polpo and Risotto Nero. Risotto at least looks mostly human otherwise, but Polpo, not so much.

* ''Manga/VentoAureo'' has both Polpo and Risotto Nero. Risotto at least looks mostly human otherwise, but Polpo, not so much.