History Main / FaceYourFears

* In ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'', Puss gains an extreme case of MortalityPhobia after losing to The Wolf in single combat at the beginning on the film. This develops to such a point that the thought of The Wolf even being near [[spoiler: causes him to have a panic attack.]] This made even worse after The Wolf reveals himself to be [[spoiler: the physical incarnation of Death itself, who has come to claim Puss’ last life.]] [[spoiler: Puss’ realisation that life being impermanent makes it worth cherishing and fighting for eventually gives him the strength to drive back Death in the climax.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'', Puss gains an extreme case of MortalityPhobia after losing to The Wolf in single combat at the beginning on the film. This develops to such a point that the thought of The Wolf even being near [[spoiler: causes him to have a panic attack.]] This made even worse after The Wolf reveals himself to be [[spoiler: the physical incarnation of Death itself, who has come to claim Puss’ last life.]] [[spoiler: Puss’ realisation that life being impermanent makes it special eventually gives him the strength to drive back Death in the climax.]]

* One of the most defining examples is WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog whose entire role revolves around overcoming his cowardice in every episode in order to fight some truly horrifying villains and save his family. He shows that real courage come from the inner fighting of the fears first.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'': When TJ develops a fear of "The Box" (which is basically solitary confinement), Gretchen suggests framing TJ for a crime so he'll have to face his fear. However, she does lampshade the fact that this would either force him to face his fear or just make things worse.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'':
** In "Dream a Lily Dream", baby Lily has been having nightmares of her sister/roommate [[ChildProdigy Lisa's]] experiments, including Lisa's studies of [[HonestJohnsDealerShip Flip]], forcing Lisa and a few of their siblings to enter her dreams to take them on. They vanquish two of her nightmares, but it's not until the Flip nightmare has Lisa in his clutches that Lily finally stands up to her fears and fights him herself, even telling Lisa immediately after his defeat that she's not afraid anymore.

* Kevin has to face his fear of his basement furnace in the first ''Film/HomeAlone'' movie. He manages to overcome this fear and incorporates the basement into his battle with Harry and Marv at the end of the movie.

This is a Subtrope of a WhatDoTheyFearEpisode, and a SuperTrope of CowardlyLion, who deals with this often. See also NotAfraidOfYouAnymore which is a verbal [[InvokedTrope invoking of this trope]]. Something similar, with an ability rather than courage, is CrisisMakesPerfect. See also FearSong, when someone sings about their fears, which they may do to cope with said fears. Compare MotivatedByFear.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''

** "Power-Noia" has Him manifesting the girls' greatest fears into nightmares. Bubbles' is her stuffed toys attacking her, Buttercup's is spiders, and Blossom's is not doing well in school. Once Blossom discovers that Him is behind things, she puts her game face on and starts making things right again.

This is a Subtrope of a WhatDoTheyFearEpisode, and a SuperTrope of CowardlyLion, who deals with this often. See also NotAfraidOfYouAnymore which is a verbal [[InvokedTrope invoking of this trope]]. Something similar, with an ability rather than courage, is CrisisMakesPerfect. See also FearSong, when someone sings about their fears, which they may do to cope with said fears.

* ''Series/ForeverKnight''. In "For I Have Sinned", the VillainOfTheWeek is a religious maniac and VampireDetective Nick Knight has to confront his fear of religious icons to hunt him, culminating in Nick leaping over a fire (also fatal to vampires) to save a woman strapped to a cross.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' had Xander punch [[MonsterClown an evil knife-wielding clown]] right in its evil knife-wielding clown face during the season 1 episode "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E10Nightmares Nightmares]]". In fact all the characters had to face their fears - even the BigBad, who laid his hand on a cross to make a point - but he was the only one who literally knocked his out.
* ''Series/ForeverKnight''. In "For I Have Sinned", the VillainOfTheWeek is a religious maniac and VampireDetective Nick Knight--after spending the episode trying to face his fears of religious icons--has to leap over a fire (also fatal to vampires) to save a woman strapped to a cross.

* Invoked in ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear'' when the characters go to a theme park and find the Nightmare Machine, a new attraction in which people are [[IKnowWhatYouFear scanned and presented]] with excruciatingly realistic simulations of their worst fears, and 'win' by making it through to their last fear. They're a little appalled at the idea that anyone would try this attraction out and are told that basically it's just another continuation of theme park attractions in general - people ''like'' being scared in a safe setting. Of course, the two mains end up trapped in a dire simulation, the [[FailsafeFailure bailout phrase doesn't work]], and they have to WinToExit - and as soon as they realize this is the case, they stop running. [[spoiler: The greatest fear of both siblings is [[AdultFear losing the other one]].]] It works.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': In "Dream a Lily Dream", baby Lily has been having nightmares of her sister/roommate [[ChildProdigy Lisa's]] experiments, including Lisa's studies of [[HonestJohnsDealerShip Flip]], forcing Lisa and a few of their siblings to enter her dreams to take them on. They vanquish two of her nightmares, but it's not until the Flip nightmare has Lisa in his clutches that Lily finally stands up to her fears and fights him herself, even telling Lisa immediately after his defeat that she's not afraid anymore.

* This is attempted twice on the ''LetsPlay/DreamSMP'', but both times are {{subverted|Trope}} as the fears in question stem from traumatic triggers (both times, yeah, the DSMP is [[CrapsackWorld that sort]] [[DysfunctionJunction of world]]) and ThereAreNoTherapists to oversee the "exposure therapy".

** In Season 3, Tommy also attempts this with help from Tubbo and Ranboo. In preparation for trying to kill Dream in [[TheAlcatraz Pandora's Vault]], he revisits several places that have caused him trauma[[labelnote:Spoiler alert!]]Those places were Logstedshire (the place where he spent his Exile, where he was horribly abused by Dream and almost killed himself as a result), a replica of the Final Control Room (where he was a victim of a massacre along with his BigBrotherMentor Wilbur, Tubbo and Fundy), and a replica of the main cell in Pandora's Vault (where he was ''beat to death by Dream'' when he last visited the place... for ''closure'', no less)[[/labelnote]] to try to overcome it. Considering that exposure therapy only works in a very carefully controlled environment and with the help of a professional, and all three of the characters involved were clearly unqualified and traumatized ''teenagers'', it's no wonder that it doesn't help much in the end, and might have even ''worsened'' the trauma.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': In "Dream a Lily Dream", baby Lily has been having nightmares of her sister/roommate [[ChildProdigy Lisa's]] experiments, including Lisa's studies of [[HonestJohnsDealerShip Flip]], forcing [[TheAtoner Lisa]] and a few of their siblings to enter her dreams to take them on. They vanquish two of her nightmares, but it's not until the Flip nightmare has Lisa in his clutches that Lily finally stands up to her fears and fights him herself, even telling Lisa immediately after his defeat that she's not afraid anymore.

* Kevin has to face his fear of his basement furnace in the first ''Film/HomeAlone'' movie. He manages to overcome this fear, and incorporates the basement into his battle with Harry and Marv at the end of the movie.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'': In "I had an Accident", Spongebob becomes terrified of going outside after his accident. Patrick an Sandy resort to faking a gorilla attack to convince Spongebob to come out and rescue them. Then a ''real'' gorilla (played by a live actor in a gorilla costume) shows up and starts beating the tar out of them. Spongebob then musters up the courage to go outside again. After a few seconds outside Spongebob wonders why he was ever worried in the first place, forgetting about the rampaging gorilla until it grabs him and tears him in half. He apologizes to Sandy and Patrick for the trouble he caused, and assures them that he's not afraid of going outside anymore. Though he's terrified of gorillas now.

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* What ISN'T Truth In Television is when well-meaning friends attempt to force another friend to "get over their fear" by throwing them smack dab in the middle of the thing that scares them. This usually does not work and can make the problem ''worse'' due to the person now having anxiety attacks or may trigger a condition they already have, such as asthma, and makes them fear the thing that scares them even more.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': In the episode "Enchanting Grom Fright", it's shown that every year, a student at Hexside has to fight a shapeshifting monster known as Grometheus the Fear Bringer, a monster which takes the form of its opponent's worst fears. Amity is chosen as the annual Grom Queen and she doesn't want to fight Grom because she says her fear is really embarrassing. Luz offers to take her place, because [[TemptingFate she's not afraid to face her fears]]. Of course it turns out her deepest fear was something she didn't anticipate, [[spoiler:her mother finding out she was never at summer camp]], catching her off guard. Amity comes to rescue Luz, forcing Amity to face the fear she had been trying to avoid, [[spoiler:being rejected by her crush, ''Luz'' herself]]. In a one-off gag at the end, Grom also turns into an insect for Willow and a clown for Gus.