History Main / FaceYourFears

* In ''{{Batman}}'' comics, one wiff of The Scarecrow's [[PsychoSerum Fear gas]] and you can expect anyone with enough will power (Cough-'''Batman'''-Cough) to have to do this. It's been a theme whenever the two face off in the comics, [[BatmanTheAnimatedSeries the animated series]], and [[ArkhamAsylum Video games]].

** Freddy, of course, customizes his victims' dreams to exploit their individual fears and hang-ups, starting with [[ANightmareOnElmStreet3DreamWarriors his third film]]. Usually subverted, as even those who initially overcome their personal anxieties tend to get killed anyway.

* This is basically a major theme of GreenLantern and its adaptations (especially the LiveActionAdaptation). Basically, there's a warning to the worshipers of Evil's might: when a Green Lantern learns to do that, Beware his power!

* {{DevilMayCry}} 3 invokes this trope, among others, with the Shadow boss battle. The Shadow, as is often the case in psychology and heroic tales is meant to invoke Dante's doubts and fears (giving the boss fight distinct shades of BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind), but when confronted by it, Dante simply responds

* {{DevilMayCry}} 3 invokes this trope, among others, with the shadow boss battle. The Shadow is meant to invoke Dante's doubts and fears, but when confronted by it, Dante simply responds

* {{DevilMayCry}}3 invokes this trope, among others, with the shadow boss battle. The Shadow is meant to invoke Dante's doubts and fears, but when confronted by it, Dante simply responds

* Obviously, this can work, (it's anxiety exposure and response reduction) although normally it is done carefully by psychologists as therapy.

* This is a major theme in ''BatmanBegins'', where [[KnightTemplar Henri Ducard]] tells Bruce Wanye to breathe in his fears, to become fear so as to conquer it, makes him open a case of bats during training, etc... but after Bruce leaves the League of Shadows he decides to walk into a cave where he surrounds himself with bats, and he learns to not let fear get in his way... hence his later courage in confronting crime.

-->-- '''[[CynicalMentor Henri Ducard]]''', ''BatmanBegins''

* Jason Voorhees ends up facing his fear of water in FreddyVSJason, and Freddy has to face his fear of fire... sort of. It should be noted that Jason apparently faced that same fear in FridayThe13th Part 4, with better results.
** Freddy, of course, customizes his victims' dreams to exploit their individual fears and hang-ups, starting with his third film. Usually subverted, as even those who initially overcome their personal anxieties tend to get killed anyway.

* ''StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': The only way to escape a Dominion internment camp is for Garak to rewire an old computer system hidden inside a narrow gap inside the walls. Eventually, he experiences a full catatonic breakdown because he suffers from acute claustrophobia (which he'd been trying to keep secret). As the other debate a new plan, Martok contemplates getting a poem written about about Worf's fighting prowess and Bashir's medical skill. Garak suddenly reveals his presence by quipping that a verse about the Cardassian who panicked in the face of danger would ruin Martok's song before promptly returning to the computer system to [[{{Determinator}} finish the job he started]]. For this, he earns the respect of the Klingons who believe facing one's personal fears is the greatest enemy anyone can ever fight.

* In DeepSpaceNine when held in a Dominion dungeon Garek is found to have claustrophobia. None the less he goes into a tight space to work on the escape. After all when songs were sung of the deeds of Worf and Martok, a verse about the tailor who proved to be a wuss might have ruined the song.

* [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra Korra]] is terrified of [[BigBad Amon]] and spends an entire episode in fear of potentially facing him. Once she starts to gain her confidence back, she decides to face him. Unlike most instances of this trope, this actually makes it WORSE! Amon and his Equalists easily subdue her and Amon proceeds her to psychologically rip her to pieces leading to a HeroicBSOD right afterwards.

* ''RaidersOfTheLostArk''. When Indiana Jones finds the Well of Souls, he discovers that it's full of snakes, which is a problem because he has a severe phobia of snakes. He decides to go in anyway because it's the only way he can get the Ark of the Covenant.
* ''HarryPotter'' averts this: Ron has a fear of spiders, which he doesn't lose even after being tied up by giant spiders and nearly eaten. If anything, that probably enhances it.

* In GeneStrattonPorter's ''Freckles'', Freckles's nerves are much restored when he lives to collect his first paycheck, and then when he first kills a rattlesnake.

* In LMMontgomery's ''JaneOfLanterHill'', Jane is afraid of cows until one day, as she is going about their pasture rather than face them, she realizes that she is wrong to scorn her mother for being afraid to face down her own mother when she's afraid of cows. So she faces them and is so cured that later, when her cousin is afraid of cows, Jane doesn't even remember it.

* Rikku has a major FearOfThunder in ''FinalFantasyX''. We're told in ''{{Final Fantasy X-2}}'' that she camped out for a week in the Thunder Plains and got over it, though we never actually got to see this.

* This is basically a major theme of GreenLantern and its adaptations (especially the LiveActionAdaptation).

* Pinkie Pie's "giggle at the ghostly" song from ''MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':

[[PrimalFear Everybody has something that scares the ever-loving crap out of them]] [[FearOfThunder Thunder,]] [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes Reptiles,]] or maybe [[KilledOffForReal bloody painful death.]] Rest assured that in fiction land, if it scares you, you will either end up somewhere were said fear is everywhere, or be [[SternChase relentlessly pursed by said fear.]] Reactions will not vary, with said character wanting nothing to due with this terrifying thing in any way, shape or form.

And then something changes.

[[FacingTheBulletsOneLiner Maybe they've run as far as they can and are now trapped, so they say something cool then face it head on.]] Maybe in order to accomplish a goal, they have to go through MonsterClown blocking their path. Or maybe their friends are in danger, and only by [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu knocking Cthulhu the hell out]] can you rescue them. So they do it.

[[CowardlyLion Said scared person for whatever reason mans up,]] bitch-slaps his fears into submission, and saves the day. Maybe he or she hasn't totally conquered his fear, but at least you know they can overcome it when it matters. Often a CrowningMomentOfAwesome.