History Main / FacePalmOfDoom

* Guts from ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' does this to a scummy knight of the Holy Iron Chain during the "Retribution" arc, actually lifting him off the ground by his face despite his heavy suit of armor. After interrogating him, he then '''throws the knight''' at a horse-riding enemy, still gripping him by the face.

* Ser Gregor Clegane of ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' kills [[spoiler:Oberyn Martell]] this way, described in gory detail. Apparently, he'd killed Elia Martell the same way.

** According to the ''Day of Sigma'' OVA included in ''Maverick Hunter X'', [[spoiler:[[BigBad Sigma]] gets his signature scars on his eyes when [[AllLovingHero X]] pulls off of these off on him]]. It should be noted that [[spoiler:X's attack looks a lot like Shining Finger, due to X being voiced by Creator/MarkGatha (who also voiced Domon Kasshu) at the time]].

** The final move in the Volume 5 "Maiden Fight" was [[spoiler:Spring Maiden Raven using an electrified palm strike to Cinder's face, knocking her into an abyss.]]

* ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'': When Thothogoth happens to call Dabbler "slave" in front of Maxima, she grabs his demonic face in her super-strong hand. When Dabbler tries to clarify that she is indeed his slave, Maxima starts crushing with her fingers and cracks appear over Thothogoth's cheek and horns.

* In ''Manga/Reborn2004'' Tsuna does this to Mukuro at the end of their fight.

-->'''Black Adam:''' "[[BondOneLiner No more silly faces.]]"

** Later on four of them do it again, the resulting head is '''smoldering'''!

Sometimes, you just need to give them the Face Palm of Doom for massive damage.

The Face Palm of Doom, named so because it ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is]]'' a {{Facepalm}}... [[DoomyDoomsOfDoom of Doom]], is basically when you grab someone by the face, or sometimes just by the head, but usually the face, and proceed to unleash the pain by [[PowerPalms releasing some kind of energy]], [[PileBunker activating a weapon contained in the hand]], or in a more [[{{Gorn}} bloody]] series, crushing it. As you can imagine, such a move is probably extremely painful and is usually pretty high up there in terms of power. Due to the [[CombatPragmatism nastiness]] inherent in [[NotInTheFace assaulting someone's visage]], as well as the frightening potential for EyeScream, this trope is generally indicative of TheUnfettered, an {{Anti|hero}}- or UnscrupulousHero, the ObviouslyEvil, or someone who has had their BerserkButton mashed ''extremely hard'' or otherwise reached their RageBreakingPoint. It is essentially the bare-handed equivalent of [[CoupDeGrace shooting an opponent executioner-style,]] and carries many of the same connotations.

** During the Water 7 arc, Blueno attempts this on [[{{Cyborg}} Franky]], unfortunately for him he only succeeds in pissing him off and prompting Franky to give a much more effective Face Palm of Doom ''right back at him''.

* In ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'', [[spoiler: Seras gives one to Zorin Blitz during their fight, intending to crush her face. Zorin retaliates by giving a Face Palm Of Doom of her own, attempting to MindRape Seras. This totally backfires, allowing Seras to move ahead with her previous plan.]]

* Seen in the film ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', see Literature (and it was more gruesome, beside -- [[spoiler: instead of merely burning Quirrel, Harry's touch actually caused him to ''crumble into ash.'']]
* One of the last victims in ''Film/TheThing1982'' is grabbed by his face as the Thing digs its finger into him then starts absorbing his body from there.

* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', Bane ([[GoryDiscretionShot presumably]]) does this to [[spoiler:[[CorruptCorporateExecutive Daggett]]]] after he [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlives his usefulness]].
* The preferred FinishingMove of the Blanks in ''Film/TheWorldsEnd''.
* This is how Norah Astor aka The Black Widow kills her victims in ''Film/TheGrief''.

* In ''[[Film/FridayThe13thTheFinalChapter Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter]]'', Doug and Sara [[ShowerOfLove make out in the shower]]. Once Sara leaves, Jason, who is known to get upset by [[BerserkButton teenagers getting down and dirty in Camp Crystal Lake]], arrives to punish Doug by crushing his head against the wall with his palm.

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'': [[spoiler: [[TheChosenOne Harry Potter]] + {{The Power of Love}} + Face Palm of Doom = [[TheMole Quirrell's]] face blistering and burning.]]

* One of Chuck Greene's special moves in ''VideoGame/DeadRising2'' can involve this. Chuck grabs a zombie's head (whether it's a Face Palm of Doom or not depends on whether the zombie is facing Chuck) and viciously slams its head into a nearby surface, usually resulting in YourHeadAsplode.

** Some monkey-influenced styles of Kung Fu and Silat go one step further by having you continue the Face Palm Of Doom all the way to the floor and bouncing your victim's head off whatever surface happens to be available - such as concrete, tarmac, or your own knee.

The Face Palm of Doom, named so because it ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is]]'' a FacePalm... [[DoomyDoomsOfDoom of Doom]], is basically when you grab someone by the face, or sometimes just by the head, but usually the face, and proceed to unleash the pain by [[PowerPalms releasing some kind of energy]], [[PileBunker activating a weapon contained in the hand]], or in a more [[{{Gorn}} bloody]] series, crushing it. As you can imagine, such a move is probably extremely painful and is usually pretty high up there in terms of power. Due to the [[CombatPragmatism nastiness]] inherent in [[NotInTheFace assaulting someone's visage]], as well as the frightening potential for EyeScream, this trope is generally indicative of TheUnfettered, an {{Anti|hero}}- or UnscrupulousHero, the ObviouslyEvil, or someone who has had their BerserkButton mashed ''extremely hard'' or otherwise reached their RageBreakingPoint. It is essentially the bare-handed equivalent of [[CoupDeGrace shooting an opponent executioner-style,]] and carries many of the same connotations.

[[folder:Film-- Live-Action]]

* In a ''Franchise/StarWars'' novella, a condescending hotel clerk offended a highly intelligent droid working for a powerful Dark Jedi. The droid asked the man to lean closer because he couldn't hear him, then grabbed his face and slowly crushed it.

* In the backstory of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', the elven king Gil-galad met this fate by Sauron, who grabbed him by the head and ''lit him on fire.''

* In ''{{Series/Sherlock}}'', the assassin known as 'The Golem' puts one of his massive hands over a target's face and crushes the life out of them.
* This is the preferred method of the angels of {{Series/Supernatural}} for killing demons. It's usually accompanied by a flash of light.

-->'''The Mountain''': Elia Martell. I killed her children. Then I raped her. ''Then'' I smashed her head, '''''IN LIKE THIS!'''''

* Since his late 2011 return, Wrestling/{{Kane}} has added this to his arsenal, clamping his hand over his foe's nose and mouth to suffocate them into unconsciousness. This even works on Wrestling/JohnCena

* Occurs in ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'', and is one of the first warnings that things are going to get [[CerebusSyndrome serious]]. A cleric grabs a goblin by the face and casts the level 1 spell Inflict Light Wounds. The results are [[http://www.goblinscomic.com/comic/12192005 not pretty...]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''WebVideo/CodeMENT'': "Laser arm!"
** "Laser arm?"
*** "Laser arm."

* In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', this is how the fight between [[spoiler:Weiss and the White Fang Lieutenant]] ends. [[spoiler:He grabs her by the face and slams her head into the ground hard enough to knock her clean out. Then, still holding her face, he throws her up in the air and smashes her through to the next train compartment with his chainsaw. What a brute.]]
** The final move in the Volume 5 'Maiden Fight' was [[spoiler:Spring Maiden Raven using an electrified palm strike to Cinder's face, knocking her into an abyss.]]
* ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'': In "[[ComicBook/BuckyBarnes Winter Soldier]] vs. ComicBook/RedHood", [[spoiler:the former finishes off the latter by using his metal arm to grab his face, then crush it along with his mask]].

* In the GrandFinale of ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'', Superman wins the climactic fight against Darkseid using this move defensively: while Darkseid is charging his [[EyeBeams Omega Effect]], Superman holds his hands to Darkseid's eyes, causing a massive explosion which blackens his eyes and opens up massive, red-glowing wounds on his face. (As his next appearance in the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse would show, [[ScarsAreForever they scarred permanently]].) And Darkseid is ''a god''. Pretty good move, that.
** Interestingly, the exact same thing with the roles reversed happens in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanBatmanApocalypse''. Superman attempts [[EyeBeams heat vision]] at point-blank range only for Darkseid to facepalm him. Cue Disco-Ball-of-Lasery-Doom effect.
* Green Lantern actually gets Vandal Savage to do this to ''himself'' in the Season One finale of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''. When Vandal tried to attack him with an AgonyBeam from his gauntlet, Lantern pushed his hand up, causing Vandal to hit himself in the face with the blast.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "Zuko Alone," when Zuko is fighting the thuggish soldiers. He knocks one of the soldiers' weapon out of the way and then grabs his forehead and knocks him down.
** Also, although there was a GoryDiscretionShot, it's very likely that this is how Ozai gave Zuko his scar. Examine it closely, and the burn is a clear impression of a hand.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', Amon takes people's bending away by grabbing their foreheads [[spoiler:and then bloodbending them]].
* [[WalkingWasteland Blight]] does this against [[AnIcePerson Mr. Freeze]] in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', almost melting through Freeze's glass-dome helmet in the process.
* In ''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'', Sypha kills one of Dracula’s vampire generals by grabbing his face and incinerating him with a fire spell.

* In ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'', [[spoiler: Seras gives one to Zorin Blitz during their fight, intending to crush her face. Zorin retaliates by giving a Face Palm Of Doom of her own, attempting to MindRape Seras. This totally backfires, allowing Seras to move ahead with her previous plan, albeit with the addition of utilising a wall as a kind of makeshift cheese grater.]] Suffice to say the results are quite [[{{Gorn}} messy]].

* In ''[[VideoGame/Guilty Gear Guilty Gear -STRIVE-]]'', one of Sol Badguy's new moves has him go into his [[OneWingedAngel Dragon Install]] form and charge forward with his hand outstretched. If it connects, he'll grab his hapless opponent by the face and slam them into the ground in a fiery explosion.

* While being attacked by a teacher, Tsukune from ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'' does this. The look on the dude's face is [[http://www.mangapanda.com/320-22368-42/rosario-vampire/chapter-19.html priceless]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', Pantha has a move called "Pantha's Claw" that leaves a red burn on the victim's face.

* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': Sachiel, the Third Angel and the first Shinji has to fight against in the Eva Unit-01, grabs the mecha's head and inflicts it what can be described as an hydraulic pump-like pounding with energy from its forearms. It tears a hole in the Eva's head, causing a [[HighPressureBlood geyser of blood]]. Luckily, the Eva goes berserk by itself and destroyed the Angel.

* Franchise/{{Gundam}} works:

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''

* ''Manga/OnePiece''

* In ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn'' Tsuna does this to Mukuro at the end of their fight.

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ''

* Araya Souren from ''LightNovel/KaraNoKyoukai'' absolutely loves this trope. Even losing his arm afterwards won't stop him from subsequent attempts.
* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha''

* In ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' TheMovie , everyone is fighting the mooks: [[BoisterousBruiser America]] is boxing, [[InscrutableOriental Japan]] is wielding a stick [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]], and [[PsychopathicManChild Russia]]....you guessed it.

* ''Manga/FairyTail''

* In ''[[Fanfic/TheHeartTrilogy Heart of Ashes]]'', Smaug uses his recently discovered ability to [[PlayingWithFire emit flames]] from his [[HumanityEnsues human]] palm to grab a dwarf merchant in the face and kill the poor fellow by scorching his face.

* In ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfKorra'', Amon takes people's bending away by grabbing their foreheads [[spoiler:and then bloodbending them]].