History Main / BrokenSmile

* PlayedForLaughs in ''Webcomic/NerfNow''; this is the expression the Trainer controlled by [[LetsPlay/TwitchPlaysPokemon the masses of the internet]] wears in ''[[http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/1230 Twitch Plays Pokemon.]]''

* Menma's mother Irene in ''Anime/AnoHanaTheFlowerWeSawThatDay'', when Jin-Tan, Poppo and Anaru go to talk about [[spoiler: the plan to build a firework in Menma's memory, not knowing that Irene is still mentally broken even after years of Menma's death.]].

* A more comical variant happens in ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'', when [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Osaka]] manages to convince [[TokenMiniMoe Chiyo]] that [[HugeSchoolgirl Sakaki]] somehow stole her height. Chiyo simply stares at Sakaki, [[BrokenRecord repeatedly saying "You took it, didn't you?"]] with a big grin on her face.

* Ryoko Asakura of ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'', if you look closely enough (in the anime, at least) during her fight with Yuki. When Yuki causes her knife to dissolve, she betrays shock and amazement, immediately followed by a leap 5 metres backward. You can see the brief look of shock again when Ryoko has got Yuki seriously injured with those weird tentacle-light thingies and Yuki announces the commencement of Ryoko going bye-bye. Of course, since this is Ryoko we're talking about, she recovers pretty quickly both times with her StepfordSmiler ways, even as she dissolves away the second time.

* Happens to Ranka in ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'', when she [[spoiler: runs to the deck thinking that Alto loves her... and stumbles into Alto hugging Sheryl, [[NotWhatItLooksLike not knowing]] that it's because Sheryl's illness kicked in.]] "It can't be..."
* Arumi of ''Anime/MagicalShoppingArcadeAbenobashi'' usually does this, if only for a second, before attacking Sasshi with her PaperFanOfDoom.
* Seen on Yurika in ''Anime/MartianSuccessorNadesico'' after her first taste of three new pilots, generally behaving even more strangely than the crew she's already gotten used to.

* Shown above is Asuka at age 4 in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' after she walks in on what should be the happiest day of her life so far, with what she believes to be [[WellDoneSonGuy proof she is a worthy daughter]], only to find that [[spoiler:her mother has committed "murder"-suicide, hanging herself with a doll of Asuka]].
* Leo of ''Manga/PandoraHearts'' flashes a lot of these after [[spoiler: Elliot's death]].

* O-Rin in ''Manga/{{Sakuran}}'' sports one of these after she finishes crying upon finding out [[spoiler: O-Some, the closest person she had to a friend, died, likely from suicide.]]

* Not really a StepfordSmiler, but Zilba from ''[[Anime/MujinWakuseiSurvive Uninhabited Planet Survive]]'' only stops smiling when her cheek is bruised.

* The Expression from ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium''. One option you can take if you unveil it is that it is an expression of pain. The narration will step in and agree with The Detective if you do so. [[spoiler:Successfully ridding yourself of The Expression with a difficult Electrochemistry check leaves The Detective a PerpetualFrowner instead.]]
* Caim from ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'' is often seen sporting a SlasherSmile that, while disturbing, just looks... Well, [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/drakengard/images/f/ff/Caim_03.png/revision/latest?cb=20140118153527 have a look]]

* Joo Dee in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', a regular old {{brainwashed}} StepfordSmiler, had one of these when Aang and co got off the leash.

* ''WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpy'': Ren ends up with this smile as the Happy Helmet takes hold...

* Shown above is Asuka at age 4 in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' after she walks in on what should be the happiest day of her life so far, with what she believes to be [[WellDoneSonGuy proof she is a worthy daughter]], only to find that [[spoiler:her mother has committed "murder"-suicide, hanging herself with a doll of Asuka]].
* ''VisualNovel/{{Shuffle}}'': Kaede displays this around episode 19 where her extreme depression and loneliness starts taking a toll on her sanity.
* Arumi of ''Anime/MagicalShoppingArcadeAbenobashi'' usually does this, if only for a second, before attacking Sasshi with her PaperFanOfDoom.
* Seen on Yurika in ''Anime/MartianSuccessorNadesico'' after her first taste of three new pilots, generally behaving even more strangely than the crew she's already gotten used to.

* Not really a StepfordSmiler, but Zilba from ''[[Anime/MujinWakuseiSurvive Uninhabited Planet Survive]]'' only stops smiling when her cheek is bruised.

* Usagi does this in ''Anime/SailorMoon R'' when Mamoru is breaking up with her.
* ''Manga/KarakuridoujiUltimo'': Rune has this after his confession to Yamato and during his fight with him.

* Menma's mother Irene in ''Anime/AnoHanaTheFlowerWeSawThatDay'', when Jin-Tan, Poppo and Anaru go to talk about [[spoiler: the plan to build a firework in Menma's memory, not knowing that Irene is still mentally broken even after years of Menma's death.]].

* ''Manga/BattleRoyale'':
** A young Shuya and Yoshitoki notice that the girl who won that year's Program is smiling, but she doesn't really look happy. She does look very creepy.
** Yoshimi's adorable smile at finding Yoji again quickly becomes very creepy when [[spoiler: he's shot in the head]].
* ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'':

* Ryoko Asakura of ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'', if you look closely enough (in the anime, at least) during her fight with Yuki. When Yuki causes her knife to dissolve, she betrays shock and amazement, immediately followed by a leap 5 metres backward. You can see the brief look of shock again when Ryoko has got Yuki seriously injured with those weird tentacle-light thingies and Yuki announces the commencement of Ryoko going bye-bye. Of course, since this is Ryoko we're talking about, she recovers pretty quickly both times with her StepfordSmiler ways, even as she dissolves away the second time.
* O-Rin in ''Manga/{{Sakuran}}'' sports one of these after she finishes crying upon finding out [[spoiler: O-Some, the closest person she had to a friend, died, likely from suicide.]]
* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'':
** Erwin Smith sports one of these, when it's revealed that [[spoiler: the Titans once were humans]]. He also has a huge reason for that: [[spoiler: his father had already guessed it and [[HeKnowstooMuch was executed for such reasons]]; basically, the recent discovery ''proved Erwin's dad right all along''.]]
** Eren sported a brief one upon learning that Marco was dead.
* In ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', Sayaka has one right before [[spoiler:she becomes a witch.]]
-->'''Sayaka:''' [[spoiler:I was stupid... So stupid...]]
* In ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', after Izuku Midoriya found out that he was quirkless at four years old, the child spent the night on watching videos of heroes on the web, crying, and he tried to say that maybe he could still be like them while wearing this. That smile is actually the image for [[Tearjerker/MyHeroAcademia the tearjerker page of the anime.]]
* ''Manga/HisAndHerCircumstances'': One day, Yukino's two younger sisters are walking home from school. One suggests to the other that they may be being followed. They both turn around at the same time to barely catch a silhouette stop and retreat behind a wall. Cut to the two of them nervously smiling at what they just saw.

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}''
** Sans is a StepfordSmiler who literally [[PerpetualSmiler never stops smiling]], even if you choose to [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential decapitate his little brother in cold blood]]. It's possible that he's sporting one of these during the entire battle with him, as there's [[spoiler:almost nobody left alive that he cares about at that point]], but he ''definitely'' reaches his breaking point when you [[http://56.media.tumblr.com/d36a25ca2df0afba147d84db1314d11f/tumblr_inline_nzbhubMGfa1tepv7x_250.png deal the killing blow]].
** If you get to the point where you can spare Toriel, the first boss of the game, then [[ISurrenderSuckers kill her anyway]], she sports one of these as she dies.
* ''Videogame/DarkestDungeon''

* The Expression from ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium''. One option you can take if you unveil it is that it is an expression of pain. The narration will step in and agree with The Detective if you do so. [[spoiler:Successfully ridding yourself of The Expression with a difficult Electrochemistry check leaves The Detective a PerpetualFrowner instead.]]

* This is pretty much constantly the expression of Billy's Mom of ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy''. The few times she doesn't have it is when she either goes stark raving, or when there isn't any other character in the room to drive her mad.
* Marianne Smith of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998''. Her smile broke when the girls ruined her neighborly dinner, and when her husband got out of jail, (for threatening to [[CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon blow-dry the professor to death]]), she had created a whole supervillain family, kids included.
* [[WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpy Ren]] ends up with this smile as the Happy Helmet takes hold...
* Wilt off ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' is almost always smiling, but if he gets pushed too far, it becomes a broken smile, complete with TwitchyEye.
* [[WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy Eddy]] wore this when [[spoiler:he was savagely beaten up by his own brother in front of everybody else]] in the movie.

** Spongebob gets one after a {{jerkass}} customer--which he and Squidward had spent ''the entire episode'' trying to get to--refused to accept his order [[FelonyMisdemeanor because they forgot his drink]]. Even worse, they didn't forget his drink because he didn't order it. [[InsaneTrollLogic He insisted that they should have brought him a drink he didn't order because he would need something to wash his pizza down with]]. This was [[EveryoneHasStandards too much for even Squidward, who hates Spongebob's guts]], and he promptly settles the score with the ungrateful rude jerk.
** Another episode has Mr. Krabs fire Spongebob for engaging in karate with Sandy against his wishes (he wasn't, and was trying to get her to stop). Just before he breaks down crying, he meekly says "Fired?" with his mouth curled into a small smile.

* ''WesternAnimation/The7D'' has Happy give one of these. The incident occurs when [[AssholeVictim Little]] [[TheThingThatWouldNotLeave Red]] [[BlatantLies Riding]] [[ImplausibleDeniability Hood]] seeks help from the Seven D after allegedly being chased through the woods by three bears "for no reason at all." They allow her to stay and she quickly makes herself at home. She ravenously eats everything at the dinner table, acts reckless and deliberately breaks the things they own. Each time one of the men insists that she leave, its Happy who defends her and pleads with them to give her another chance. This continues until she breaks Happy's guitar. Cue this trope. Happy's smile remains intact [[StepfordSmiler as always]] but his body visibly shakes for a few seconds before deciding that she has to leave. For anyone familiar with the character, it can come off as pretty creepy.

Then there are times when that perpetual and creepy smile... breaks. Maybe the cookies got burnt, a lock of her hair has fallen out of place, or her perfectly manicured family just did something dreadfully embarrassing in public. The point is, it's [[RantInducingSlight the last straw]] and her smile, like her composure, has been [[BreakTheCutie shattered]] into so many pieces archaeologists will be puzzling it out for millennia.

* Marianne Smith of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''. Her smile broke when the girls ruined her neighborly dinner, and when her husband got out of jail, (for threatening to [[CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon blow-dry the professor to death]]), she had created a whole supervillain family, kids included.

** Spongebob gets one after a {{jerkass}} customer--which he and Squidward had spent ''the entire episode'' trying to get to--refused to accept his order [[FelonyMisdemeanor because they forgot his drink]]. Even worse, they didn't forget his drink because he didn't order it. [[InsaneTrollLogic He insisted that they should have brought him a drink he didn't order because he would need something to wash his pizza down with]] (it's possible he ordered the drink when Mr. Krabs hung up the phone). This was [[EveryoneHasStandards too much for even Squidward, who hates Spongebob's guts]].

** Spongebob gets one after a {{jerkass}} customer--which he and Squidward had spent ''the entire episode'' trying to get to--refused to accept his order [[FelonyMisdemeanor because they forgot his drink]]. Even worse, they didn't forget his drink because he didn't order it. [[InsaneTrollLogic He insisted that they should have brought him a drink he didn't order because he would need something to wash his pizza down with.]] This was [[EveryoneHasStandards too much for even Squidward, who hates Spongebob's guts]].

** Sans is a StepfordSmiler who literally [[PerpetualSmiler never stops smiling]], even if you choose to [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential decapitate his little brother in cold blood]]. It's possible that he's sporting one of these during the entire battle with him, as there's [[spoiler:literally nobody left alive that he cares about at that point]], but he ''definitely'' reaches his breaking point when you [[http://56.media.tumblr.com/d36a25ca2df0afba147d84db1314d11f/tumblr_inline_nzbhubMGfa1tepv7x_250.png deal the killing blow]].

* ''Manga/BattleRoyale''

* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan''

* ''Manga/HisAndHerCircumstances'': One day, Yukino’s two younger sisters are walking home from school. One suggests to the other that they may be being followed. They both turn around at the same time to barely catch a silhouette stop and retreat behind a wall. Cut to the two of them nervously smiling at what they just saw.

* ''Manga/TokyoGhoul''

* In "Manga/MyHeroAcademia", after Izuku Midoriya found out that he was quirkless at four years old, the child spent the night on watching videos of heroes on the web, crying, and he tried to say that maybe he could still be like them while wearing this. That smile is actually the image for [[Tearjerker/MyHeroAcademia the tearjerker page of the anime.]]

* WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants

* ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder''

-->''I don't mind spending every day''//
''Out on your corner in the pouring rain''//
''Look for the girl with the broken smile''//
''Ask her if she wants to stay a while''//
''And she will be loved''//

CrossPoppingVeins optional for comedic examples. Usually this is followed either by a HeroicBSOD or something to make those responsible forever BewareTheNiceOnes. Often shown by {{Yandere}}. Compare with TechnicallyASmile and TheUnSmile. [[IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] the StepfordSmiler, which is for a smile that hides depression or insanity.

CrossPoppingVeins optional for comedic examples. Usually this is followed either by a HeroicBSOD or something to make those responsible forever BewareTheNiceOnes. Often shown by {{Yandere}}. Compare with TechnicallyASmile and TheUnSmile. [[ButIThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] the StepfordSmiler, which is for a smile that hides depression or insanity.

CrossPoppingVeins optional for comedic examples. Usually this is followed either by a HeroicBSOD or something to make those responsible forever BewareTheNiceOnes. Often shown by {{Yandere}}. Compare with TechnicallyASmile and TheUnSmile.

* Marianne Smith of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''. Her smile broke when the girls ruined her neighborly dinner, and when her husband got out of jail, (for threatening to [[CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon blow-dry the professor to death,]]) she had created a whole supervillain family, kids included.

* Kaneki of ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' is a NiceGuy who has some [[BreakTheCutie serious]] [[StepfordSmiler psychological]] [[AxCrazy problems]]. He smiles often in a carefree manner, as a way to try to cover up his issues, even when things have gone to hell. Also, in Chapter 59 of the sequel he makes an incredibly sinister smile while talking to Eto's manager. It's especially jarring because it's become increasingly rare to see him smile, and that the way it's drawn and the context makes it increasingly apparent that poor Ken's sanity is going down the toilet.

* Happens to Kenzie on several occasions in Literature/{{Ward}}, when her StepfordSmiler facade and ThinkHappyThoughts attitude fracture in the face of overwhelming trauma. When accompanied by MirthlessLaughter, it generally heralds the sort of breakdown that sends her into a [[TheMadnessPlace Tinker Fugue]].

* The Caretaker in ''Videogame/DarkestDungeon'' is a broken man having gone through the DespairEventHorizon sporting a deranged, pained grin in most screens.

* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'''s normally perky (in [[GagBoobs more ways]] [[{{Gainaxing}} than one]]) April May gets this along with a TwitchyEye periodically during the first game's second trial, usually when confronted with a contradiction in her testimony. [[spoiler: Her full breakdown causes her to lose the smile entirely.]]

* WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants gets one after a {{jerkass}} customer--which he and Squidward had spent ''the entire episode'' trying to get to--refused to accept his order [[FelonyMisdemeanor because they forgot his drink]].
** Even worse, they didn't forget his drink because he didn't order it. [[InsaneTrollLogic He insisted that they should have brought him a drink he didn't order because he would need something to wash his pizza down with.]] This was [[EveryoneHasStandards too much for even Squidward, who hates Spongebob's guts]].

* The Expression from ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium''. One option you can take if you unveil it is that it is an expression of pain. The narration will step in and agree with The Detective if you do so.

[[caption-width-right:350: "Mama...?"]]

* ''Manga/KareKano'': One day, Yukino’s two younger sisters are walking home from school. One suggests to the other that they may be being followed. They both turn around at the same time to barely catch a silhouette stop and retreat behind a wall. Cut to the two of them nervously smiling at what they just saw.

* ''Anime/KareKano'': One day, Yukino’s two younger sisters are walking home from school. One suggests to the other that they may be being followed. They both turn around at the same time to barely catch a silhouette stop and retreat behind a wall. Cut to the two of them nervously smiling at what they just saw.

** In one court section of ''Videogame/ProfessorLaytonVSAceAttorney'', [[spoiler: Kira]] laughs and smiles maniacal when she starts losing it [[spoiler: knowing that Phoenix keeps getting closer and closer to exposing her murder tricks, aibiet without a concrete evidence.]] [[SuddenlyVoiced Her voice acting]] pins it home how broken she's become.