History Main / FaceofAThug

Please note that it doesn't necessarily mean "ugly", even though most of the examples below are. It's more about looking threatening than actually looking bad, and it's possible to look both handsome and fearsome. Indeed, there are situations where the scary-looking character is found attractive as a ''result'' of being scary-looking (e.g. AllGirlsWantBadBoys]]), which can in turn lead to the infatuated party [[LovingAShadow being disappointed by how non-scary the crush really is underneath]]. In modern-day usage, especially on the internet, the phrase "resting bitch face" has become a popular term for this phenomenon.

Please note that it doesn't necessarily mean "ugly", even though most of the examples below are. It's more about looking threatening than actually looking bad, and it's possible to look both handsome and fearsome. In modern-day usage, especially on the internet, the phrase "resting bitch face" has become a popular term for this phenomenon.

* The ''Carol & Company'' episode "Myna and the Messenger" has Myna, a devout Christian woman, approached by an angel (Howie Mandel) who urges her to get to Vegas to win money to save her church. Myna is soon hooked on the gambling as she ignores a rough and tumble biker. She puts all her money on a huge bet...which loses. When she moans on what went wrong, her "angel" smirks "Oh, I think everything went great" and removes his hat to [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon reveal a pair of horns.]] A downcast Myna is approached by that biker and gives him her last quarter out of pity. He uses it to win a huge slot jackpot which he says belongs to Myna as it was her coin. When she thanks him, he just smiles he's "doing my job" as he lifts his biker cap to show a halo over his head.

* Vulcans in ''Franchise/StarTrek''. The first alien species to appear on the show (and, as later movies confirmed, the one to initiate FirstContact with Earth), and one of the most popular. With pointed ears, upswept eyebrows and an overall cold demeanor,not to mention the ability to read minds, they have a genuinely demonic appearance (which was a problem -initially - for the producers of the Original Series worried about audience response and in-universe for the crew due to his more than once getting mistaken for a demon by one humanoid alien race or the other). Turns out that these guys are supersmart, logical, vegetarian pacifists who have completely forsworn violence and are quite willing to play the protective big brother to younger species.

* ''The Day My Kid Went Punk'' is an 80s film about a guy who gets into punk music and fashion. His peers are skeptical about this massive change. When he applies to work as a daycare worker over the summer he is almost denied due to his unconventional looks, and he later gets a mother mad that they're allowing someone dressed like him to take care of little kids.

* Lampshaded and played with in ''Six Degrees of Celebration''. A police officer tells a recently-caught thief that just from looking at his face, one can tell he’s a thug. Later on, the officer himself gets mistaken for a bandit – and a [[NeverMessWithGranny fierce-looking granny]] tells him ''he'' clearly has the face of a thief.

* Thanks to his powers turning his body into living iridium Mettle from ''ComicBook/AvengersAcademy'' has a metallic red skull for a face. Yes, in the same universe as [[that other chap Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull]] prominently known for the same. He's not very comfortable with it, especially given that he's Jewish.

* Vulcans in ''Franchise/StarTrek.'' The first alien species to appear on the show (and, as later movies confirmed, the one to initiate FirstContact with Earth), and one of the most popular. With pointed ears, upswept eyebrows and an overall cold demeanor,not to mention the ability to read minds, they have a genuinely demonic appearance (which was a problem -initially - for the producers of the Original Series worried about audience response and in-universe for the crew due to his more than once getting mistaken for a demon by one humanoid alien race or the other). Turns out that these guys are supersmart, logical, vegetarian pacifists who have completely forsworn violence and are quite willing to play the protective big brother to younger species.

* In the Prologue of Grisaia in ''VisualNovel/TheEdenOfGrisaia'' Amane shows up riding a custom low rider motorcycle, a leather jacket and towering over the students and teachers alike. Chizuru is terrified until realizing that Amane hasn't the faintest idea what kind of impression she gives off and is actually very friendly and domestic.

* WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} is an ogre whom humans are scared of because of his monstrous appearance, but in reality he's a JerkWithAHeartOfGold who doesn't hurt people without provocation, and at one point he laments to Donkey that people judge him before they get to know him.

* Glen from ''Film/SeedOfChucky''. Despite being depicted as an ugly doll, and at the beginning of the film, being seen killing a girl's parents, we find out that Glen was having a nightmare and that he's really sensitive and despises violence, unlike [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon the rest of his family]].

* ''Film/LittleMissSunshine'': At the pageant Richard ends up sitting near an intimidating-looking man in biker clothes who brushes off Richard's attempt to introduce himself. After Olive's big dance number the biker ends up being one of the few people in the crowd who actually cheers for her. WordOfGod is that the man is the father of one of the other contestants who got dragged to the pageant and cheered for Olive because she did something new and interesting.

* Vulcans in ''Franchise/StarTrek.'' The first alien species to appear on the show (and, as later movies confirmed, the one to initiate FirstContact with Earth), and one of the most popular. With pointed ears, upswept eyebrows and an overall cold demeanor,not to mention the ability to read minds, they have a genuinely demonic appearance (which was a problem -initially - for the producers of the Original Series worried about audience response and in-universe for the crew due to his more than once getting mistaken for a demon by one humanoid alien race or the other). Turns out that these guys are supersmart, logical, vegetarian pacifists who have completely forsworn violence and are quite willing to play the protective big brother to younger species.

* The MonsterOfTheWeek in the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode "Yellow Fever" is the ghost of a man who was murdered as a result of this trope.

* ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' has the infamous "Theater Thug" episode.

* ''Series/BreakingBad'': Jesse's assumptions about this regarding a random stranger causes his relationship with Walt to permanently sour in season 5. They've both retired from the drug business at this point but Jesse is working with the DEA to bring Walt down, whom he suspects is trying to have him killed to tie up loose ends. They agree to meet in a public space, but Jesse notices a man dressed like a Neo-Nazi skinhead standing close to Walt. He assumes this man to be a hitman and calls off the meeting, but it turns out the guy was just there to pick up his daughter.
* The ''Carol & Company'' episode "Myna and the Messenger" has Myna, a devout Christian woman, approached by an angel (Howie Mandel) who urges her to get to Vegas to win money to save her church. Myna is soon hooked on the gambling as she ignores a rough and tumble biker. She puts all her money on a huge bet...which loses. When she moans on what went wrong, her "angel" smirks "Oh, I think everything went great" and removes his hat to [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon reveal a pair of horns.]] A downcast Myna is approached by that biker and gives him her last quarter out of pity. He uses it to win a huge slot jackpot which he says belongs to Myna as it was her coin. When she thanks him, he just smiles he's "doing my job" as he lifts his biker cap to show a halo over his head.
* Morso from ''Aasi, Morso ja Mouru''. Morso is a mouse who [[CreepyDoll looks like he came out of a puppet hater's worst nightmare]], and Aasi the donkey is known for being scared to death of mice. However, Morso serves to be TheHeart of the trio in comparison to Aasi's CowardlyLion and Mouru's JerkWithAHeartOfGold, and he's determined to help Aasi get over his fear of mice.

* Moe Mortelli ''VisualNovel/DaughterForDessert'' has a scary, often creepy-looking face, but he's a cop who (at least mostly) follows the laws that he is paid to enforce.
* In ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'', Morgan's uncle, Tommy, has an intimidating appearance, but is a caring father figure toward his niece, at once trying to keep her on the straight and narrow and looking after her happiness.
* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'':
** Berserker [[ZigzaggedTrope zigzags]] this trope, as while he IS a terrifying juggernaut of pure physical power to anyone even remotely threatening towards [[MoralityPet his master Illya]], around her and when not burdened by absolute batshit insanity, he is a very compassionate and heroic individual. Most of his most impressive moments are his going above and beyond the limit to keep Illya safe.
** In the Heaven’s Feel route, it is revealed that [[spoiler: Rider bears this trope, as pretty much all of her actions are designed to protect her real master, Sakura]].
* In the Prologue of Grisaia in ''VisualNovel/TheEdenOfGrisaia'' Amane shows up riding a custom low rider motorcycle, a leather jacket and towering over the students and teachers alike. Chizuru is terrified until realizing that Amane hasn't the faintest idea what kind of impression she gives off and is actually very friendly and domestic.
* Kazuichi Souda in ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'' sports a pretty outrageous {{Slasher Smile}} accentuated even further by his filed down shark-like teeth. He is actually quite timidly and cowardly, and gets called on it within the game.
* ''VisualNovel/MinotaurHotel'': Robert, considering how he scared the unsuspecting delivery man when his charm briefly malfunctioned. Storm is also this before he gets his charm while Asterion says most people find him scary.

* Rocko Sasquatch in ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob.''

* ''Webcomic/{{Alfie}}'': Downplayed with Ozge. While Voch'khari features tend to be more inhuman than those of [[OurElvesAreDifferent Elves]] or [[{{Hobbits}} Havlin]] (the horns do not help), and they do not have the [[BarbarianTribe best reputation]] among settled peoples outside [[DontGoIntoTheWoods the Red Wood]]; her usual shyness would likely come off as more taciturn than menacing if she were [[GentleGiant a couple of feet shorter]].[[/folder]]

* ''{{WesternAnimation/Popeye}}'' has a face that could perhaps be best characterised as ugly, odd and cartoony and fits with his rough around the edges attitude but also has a rather altruistic and chivalrous personality treating everyone especially kids fairly.
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': The Topazes, a pair of big hulking minions with intimidating builds and scary faces, turn out to be [[GentleGiant Gentle Giants]].

* ‘’VisualNovel/FateStayNight''

* Vulcans in ''Franchise/StarTrek.'' The first alien species to appear on the show (and, as later movies confirmed, the one to initiate FirstContact with Earth), and one of the most popular. With pointed ears, upswept eyebrows and an overall cold demeanor,not to mention the ability to read minds, they have a genuinely demonic appearance (which was a problem -initially - for the producers of the Original Series worried about audience response and in-universe for the crew due to his more than once getting mistaken for a demon by one humanoid alien race or the other). Turns out that these guys are supersmart, logical, vegetarian pacifists who have completely forsworn violence and is quite willing to play the protective big brother to younger species.

** That being said, in the [[StarWarsLegends Legends Continuity]], there was at least one Sith Lord among that race, Darth Desolous from ''VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed''.

* Gentaro Kisaragi, the protagonist of ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'', dresses as a {{Delinquent}} with [[DelinquentHair slicked-back hair]]. However, he's actually an affable goof who quite literally wants to be FriendToAllLivingThings ([[BewareTheNiceOnes who can still kick ass if need be]]).

* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' has, of course, the ever-lovable and normally harmless Abby.
** It's not so much that Abby's really all that scary-looking, so much as it is that she dresses in a Goth fashion (even at work).

* In the Prologue of Grisaia in ''VisualNovel/GrisaiaNoRakuen'' Amane shows up riding a custom low rider motorcycle, a leather jacket and towering over the students and teachers alike. Chizuru is terrified until realizing that Amane hasn't the faintest idea what kind of impression she gives off and is actually very friendly and domestic.
* Kazuichi Souda in ''VisualNovel/SuperDanganronpa2'' sports a pretty outrageous {{Slasher Smile}} accentuated even further by his filed down shark-like teeth. He is actually quite timidly and cowardly, and gets called on it within the game.