History Main / GlowingEyelightsofUndeath

* Seems to be a sign of intelligent undead in ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure'': creatures like the [[http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/ep0126.html farmstead wights]], the [[http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/ep0275.html forest wraith]], and [[http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/ep0641.html the Bone]] have them, but mindless skeletons and zombies [[http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/ep0640.html don't.]]

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'''s Death, only with blue lights. They turned red once in ''Discworld/{{Mort}}'' when he was enraged.

* Lord Ains of ''LightNovel/{{Overlord}}'' has glowing red pinpoints in his eye sockets, which occasionally flare into full red flames for dramatic effect.

* Eddie, the undead mascot of british heavy metal band Music/IronMaiden, has semi-skeletal facial features and empty eye sockets with this trope in full display. Sometimes his eyelights are flames, sometimes lightning, occasionally something else, but they're present in almost every appearance of the character from album art to merchandise to the huge animatronic stage puppets appearing on tour.

[[folder:Pinball]]

** A subversion with ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}'''s "dusanu": this monster looks like a typical rotting skeleton... but in fact it isn't undead but a ''fungal colony'' that had taken over a corpse. The haunting blue lights coming from its eyes sockets are in fact caused by the waste fumes of the fungus.

* Disneyland's ''Franchise/TheHauntedMansion'' used to have "[[FanNickname Emily]]", the ghost bride. Until somewhere in the 80's, all the versions of the character had glowing light-yellow eyes blazing through the darkness of the haunted attic, paired with a glowing, beating red heart. The 70's Bride's face was actually pitch black with only the two glowing eyes. However, the later, more realistic design had more normal-looking eyes (except in Tokyo Disneyland, where the Bride's eyes, though with a visible pupil, still glow a bit). The current bride ghost, [[TheScrappy Constance]], who replaced Emily, does not glow at all.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002'': Although he isn't undead, Skeletor has no soft tissues above his collarbones. He pulled off the glowing eyes whenever he was really angry.
* The [[NonHumanUndead Terrorcons]] of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' have both this ''and'' GlowingMechanicalEyes, being undead MechanicalLifeforms. Some (like the one that used to be Cliffjumper) also get [[ThroatLight Throat Lights]].

* In the defunct Website/TGChan adventure ''Bug Castle: The Broken Slumber'', RevenantZombie bugs have empty eye sockets with lights in the color of their spirit. By contrast, living moth priest Shatiki has eyes with grey sclerae, black pupils and specular highlights.

* In ''VideoGame/ZackAndWikiQuestForBarbarosTreasure'', Bonelich von Skeleski, when wearing the red or blue powdered wigs, gets [[CurtainsMatchTheWindows matching-colored glowing eyes]].

* In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'', Alphonse is a character whose soul has been bonded to an empty suit of armor, yet the eye holes in the suit glow a pinkish color. Later the brothers encounter others of the same condition who also have glowing eyes. This seems to only be visible to the audience, as if they are "asleep", the characters don't notice.
* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Both the Skull Knight and his ghastly horse are creatures of the undead, with dark, cavernous eye sockets lit by glowing eyes. The skeletons animated by the evil spirits attracted to Guts' Brand in volume 1 are the same way.
* In ''Manga/SoulEater'', Sid, who is a zombie, has these.
* [[BigBad Wise Man]] of the "Chronicles of Nemesis" arc, R season from the ''Manga/SailorMoon'' manga and anime respectively.

* ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'': Swarm, the [[BeeBeeGun Nazi Made of Bees]], is a borderline example, being a human skeleton moved around by a colony of telepathic bees with Nazi sympathies. His eye sockets glow brightly.

* ''Raise the Dead'' has zombies whose eyes glow red.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLastUnicorn'' has a talking skull that's usually quite silly and playful... [[MoodWhiplash until he]] [[ByTheEyesOfTheBlind recognizes]] [[OneSceneWonder a]] '''''"UUUUU-NICOOOOOOORN!"'''''
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'', the spirits have yellow ones.

* Pretty much every ghost in ''Film/Ghostbusters2016''.
* ''Film/ThorRagnarok'': Fenris and the Berserkers have green-glowing eyes [[spoiler:after Hela revives them with the Eternal Flame.]]

* In Stephen King's ''Literature/{{It}}'', the eponymous monster's true form glows with "the deadlights", which can be a deadly BrownNote when viewed directly.
* Ghost dogs with glowing eyes attack a gangster's former home every other night in the ''Literature/NancyDrew'' novel ''Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake''.
* In the ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' book ''The Ghost Next Door'', Danny's ghost in the Shadow World chases Hannah, red eyes glowing.

* The Greater Dead in Creator/GarthNix's ''Literature/OldKingdom'' trilogy have fiery pits for eyes; some of the more powerful Lesser Dead demonstrate this as well. Necromancers have a lesser version of this (physical eyes are still there, but they're described as burning), depending on how long they've been using Free Magic.
* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'':
** The Ringwraiths are sometimes depicted with eyelights, which "glow with a hellish fire" when they're angry.
** The Barrow-wights had the same effect. Rather chilling, since it's the only feature Frodo's actually able to make out.

* In Creator/SimonRGreen's ''Literature/{{Nightside}}'' series, Merlin Satanspawn has empty eye sockets filled with flames. He's the Devil's son, and every time these eyes are mentioned it's commented that "he has his father's eyes". He's first met as an undead, but when his live version is encountered (while time traveling to the era of Myth/ArthurianLegend in ''Paths Not Taken'') he already has the freaky flaming eye-sockets.

* The title Jedi ghost of ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear: Ghost of the Jedi'' first appears, when Tash can see him clearly, with empty eyes. As she talks to him and needs his help a flicker of light comes to them, strengthening to a steady glow.

[[folder:Pinballs]]

* Trauma Towers, a funhouse based at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in England, contains vampire children with glowing eyes.

* All the infected in ''VideoGame/Left4Dead''. This is clearest in the case of the Witch.
** The Witch is the only one to technically have glowing eyes. All the others simply have untextured eyes, leaving blank and white.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros''
** Dry Bones, the skeletal undead versions of Koopas. Dry Bowser also applies.
** Kingfin in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'', although surprisingly not the standard undead enemies. Said boss also has an even more extreme case of this, because the eyes seem to shoot light beams in the direction it's looking.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''
** Most of the Forsaken undead have this, though there are some Forsaken facial textures that don't include glowing eyes. They have empty eyesockets instead.
** Also undead of the Scourge and the [[EvilOverlord Lich King]] as shown in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMRhnC4-QGQ trailer/opening cinematic]] for ''Wrath of the Lich King''. The blue glow isn't limited to their eyes, but also appears elsewhere inside the skeletal undead.
** And as former members of the Scourge, Death Knights of all races. If the regular members of the race already have glowing eyes (such as night elves), then it's more visibly pronounced for death knights. Also the color will change, as the night elves' normal yellow and blood elves' normal green will be switched to the same blue as all others.
* The hollow men in ''VideoGame/FableII'' have them. They're corpses animated by [[WillOTheWisp glowing sprites called wisps]] that dive into the ground and pull up the corpses.

* ''VideoGame/DeadRising'' zombies have eyes that glow red at night, when their strength drastically increases.
* The reaper man in ''VideoGame/{{Shadowgate}}'' is an otherwise unremarkable example, but his position in the Game Over screen means that players will spend a significant fraction of their time looking at him.
* Many demons in ''VideoGame/{{Doom}} 3'' have eyes that glow red, orange or blue that is, if they have [[EyelessFace eyes..]]
* Both Skeleton T and Oshare Bones from ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' have this. However, with Oshare, it only occurs in his left eye; his right eye is a case of TheDeadHaveEyes.
* Jericho Cross of ''VideoGame/DarkWatch'' has only one eye, the other marred by a nasty scar. The scar begins to glow red when he is turned into a vampire.

* [[FanNickname Mr. Tall]] of ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent'' has green eyelights, if you look closely enough.
* All of the zombies in ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty: Zombies'' have yellow-orange lights in their eye sockets. Zombie!George Romero eyes glow when he's in berserk mode.
* All ways of becoming a husk involved dying, or at least ceasing to be a living human, in ''Franchise/MassEffect'', so they probably qualify.
* ''VideoGame/Fallout4'''s feral ghouls, though more TechnicallyLivingZombie than truly undead, have glowing yellow eyes that make them especially creepy in dimly lit areas and the first strain of their species with this particular trait in the entire ''Fallout'' universe.
* All zombie-esques with intelligence in ''VideoGame/{{Sonny}}'', the free online Flash RPG series.
* Most Undead characters in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' [[OurZombiesAreDifferent look perfectly normal]], but those that have given up their humanity and turned Hollow have emaciated faces and glowing red eyes.
* The [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Draugr]] from ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' have this, and [[EyeLightsOut they go out when they die]].
* Zombies have red, glowing eyes in ''[[VideoGame/SniperEliteV2 Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army]]''. From a gameplay perspective, this is likely to increase their visibility in the game's dark, dreary, and ''extremely'' foggy environments. Hell, it even helps you pick out their heads, which is handy for RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain purposes.

* ''VideoGame/TheWitchsHouse'': The Witch [[JumpScare displays these if she catches you]], due to having no eyes. What makes it worse is that she also has no legs -- making a loud '''SQUELCH''' noise every time she drags herself closer -- and she's only ''13''.
* The indie horror game ''VideoGame/BlackRose'' has a ghost that stalks you at three different points throughout the game. A note found in the cellar tells the player not to look into the eyes. [[spoiler: Looking into the ghost's eyes for too long will get you killed.]]
* In ''VideoGame/ZackAndWikiQuestForBarbarosTreasure'', Bonelich von Skeleski, when wearing the red or blue powdered wigs, gets [[CurtainsMatchTheWindows matching-colored glowing eyes]].
* The Broken Lords of ''Videogame/EndlessLegend'' mix the glowing eyes of undeath with GlowingMechanicalEyes. Their society was forced to bind their souls to suits of AnimatedArmor, which glows with an inner blue [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum Dust]] light, causing their eyes holes and mouths to glow.
* As an [[DemBones ambulatory skeleton]], Sans of ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' has these. This actually gives him a more friendly and cheerful appearance, because [[GameFace he looks downright unsettling without them]]. Oddly, his brother Papyrus does not have these, mostly having empty but [[ExpressiveSkull very expressive]] eye sockets with the occasional expression revealing he has eyeballs ([[http://peregrinethegryphon.tumblr.com/post/134231727657/hip-new-undertale-au he'd look somewhat creepy]] if he did). The morose ghost Napstablook also has these.

* ''VideoGame/NarutoShippudenUltimateNinjaStorm3'': when Kabuto Yakushi summons the resurrected Kakuzu, Itachi and Deidara, [[https://youtu.be/EK3k73LpjXA?t=3m40s their eyes are glowing.]]
* ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'' has the Collector, whose collected heads have a ghastly blue glow in their eyes. [[YourSoulIsMine Which can't be good]] for [[AndIMustScream said victims]].
* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'':
** Dying creates a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Shade]] of the Knight at the location they were slain. In contrast to the Knight's white head with empty-looking black eyes, the Shade has a black body with round, solid white eyes. The [[spoiler:Siblings]] at the bottom of the Abyss have the same kind of look, but with a more pronounced glow.
** Bugs who have become [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Husks (i.e. zombies)]] as a result of the infection have glowing yellow-orange eyes.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Webcomic/AntiHeroes'', another ''D&D''-inspired StickFigureComic, has Finx the lich. His design is quite similar to Xykon, but he's a lot less scary.
* In ''Webcomic/TheZombieHunters'', [[OurZombiesAreDifferent all classes]] of TheUndead have [[BlackEyesOfCrazy black sclerae]] with glowing white irises, excepting the [[SuperpoweredMooks Basilisk]], a class with a [[DeadlyGaze paralyzing gaze]] and bioluminescent [[RedEyesTakeWarning red irises]]. Charlie, a [[HalfHumanHybrid partially]] [[HumanityEnsues revived]] zombie restored to sentience, has one undead eye, which he [[RedRightHand hides]] with a contact lens.
* {{Justified|Trope}} in ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'': the undead Duane sees with enchanted glass eyes; the [[http://www.casualvillain.com/Unsounded/comic/ch11/ch11_29.html glow]] in their sockets is a side effect of the spellwork that links them to his sense of vision.

* In the defunct Website/TGChan adventure ''Bug Castle: The Broken Slumber'', RevenantZombie bugs have empty eye sockets with lights in the color of their spirit. By contrast, living moth priest Shatiki has eyes with grey sclerae, black pupils and specular highlights.
* Zombies in ''Webcomic/UndeadFriend'', have large empty black sockets and red glowing pupils.

* [[BigBad The Lich]] from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' has a very, ''very'' faint pair of these, as does anyone else under his control.

** Dying creates a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Shade]] of the Knight at the location they were slain. In contrast to the Knight's white head with empty-looking black eyes, the Shade has a black body with round, solid white eyes. The Sibling Shades at the bottom of the Abyss have the same kind of look, but with a more pronounced glow.
** Bugs who have become [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Husks (i.e. zombies)]] as a result of the Radiance's Infection have glowing yellow-orange eyes.

* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', people killed by the Others have their eyes turned bright blue, which then glow when they're active in undeath. People resurrected by the magic of R'hllor, though not conventionally undead, have a red glow in their eyes at times.

* Dying in ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' creates a ghost of the Knight at the location they were slain. In contrast to the Knight's white head with empty-looking black eyes, the ghost has a black body with round, solid white eyes. The ghosts at the bottom of the Abyss have the same kind of look, but with a more pronounced glow. Likewise, bug-folk who have become [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Husks (i.e. zombies)]] as a result of the Radiance's Infection have glowing yellow-orange eyes.

* Dying in ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' creates a ghost of the Knight at the location they were slain. In contrast to the Knight's white head with empty-looking black eyes, the ghost has a black body with round, solid white eyes. The ghosts at the bottom of the Abyss have the same kind of look, but with a more pronounced glow. Likewise, bug-folk who have been rendered Husks (i.e. zombies) as a result of the Radiance's Infection have glowing yellow-orange eyes.

* Dying in ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' creates a ghost of the Knight at the location they were slain. In contrast to the Knight's white head with empty-looking black eyes, the ghost has a black body with round, solid white eyes. The ghosts at the bottom of the Abyss have the same kind of look, but with a more pronounced glow.

* In the defunct Website/TGChan adventure ''Bug Castle: The Broken Slumber'', undead bugs have empty eye sockets with lights in the color of their spirit. By contrast, living moth priest Shatiki has eyes with grey sclerae, black pupils and specular highlights.

[[caption-width-right:185:[-You find yourself staring into the glowing eyes of a [[VideoGame/{{Killzone}} Helghast]].-] ]]

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''

* The undead soldiers [[spoiler:Hela has risen]] in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' have glowing green eyes.

* In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'', Alphonse is a character whose soul has been bonded to an empty suit of armor, yet the eye holes in the suit glow a pinkish color. Later the brothers encounter others of the same condition who also have glowing eyes.
** This seems to be for the audience's benefit, as if they are "asleep", the characters don't notice.

* As an [[DemBones ambulatory skeleton]], Sans of ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' has these. This actually gives him a more friendly and cheerful appearance, because [[GameFace he looks downright unsettling without them]]. Oddly, his brother Papyrus does not have these, mostly having empty but very expressive eye sockets with the occasional expression revealing he has eyeballs. The morose ghost Napstablook also has these.
** ''Undertale'' fans have tried giving Papyrus eyes like Sans. It seems he doesn't have them [[http://peregrinethegryphon.tumblr.com/post/134231727657/hip-new-undertale-au because he ends up looking needlessly creepy with them.]]

[[TheUndead Undead]] creatures will often be depicted as having glowing eyes, usually without any explanation. Then again, in magic-based undead this might either be the glow of the animating magic or magical eyes, created specifically [[TheDeadHaveEyes to allow undead to see posthumously.]] Ones that do not actually have eyes, like reanimated skeletons and incorporeal ghosts, will often have glowing lights where the eyes would be. Occasionally, it will be twin ghost-fires burning in the sockets. It is by no means a universal trait of undead. Should {{Undeath|AlwaysEnds}} end and the glow fade, it's EyeLightsOut.

* Seems to be a sign of intelligent undead in ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure'': creatures like the [[http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/ep0126.html farmstead wights]], the [[http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/ep0275.html forest wraith]], and [[http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/ep0641.html the Bone]] have them, but mindless skeletons and zombies [[http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/ep0640.html don't]].

** Kingfin in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'', although surprisingly not the standard undead enemies. Said boss also has an even more extreme case of this, because the eyes seem to shoot light beams in the direction it's looking or [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Image:Kingfin.jpg something.]]

* In Creator/SimonRGreen's ''Literature/{{Nightside}}'' series, Merlin Satanspawn has empty eye sockets filled with flames. He's the Devil's son, and every time these eyes are mentioned it's commented that "he has his father's eyes". He's first met as an undead, but when his live version is encountered (while time traveling to the era of ArthurianLegend in ''Paths Not Taken'') he already has the freaky flaming eye-sockets.

* The vampires in the SoBadItsGood vampire movie ''Film/InnocentBlood''. In [[KaleidoscopeEyes several different colors]], too.

** ''Undertale'' fans have tried giving Papyrus eyes like Sans. It seems he doesn't have them [[http://peregrinethegryphon.tumblr.com/post/134231727657/hip-new-undertale-au because he ends up looking needlessly creepy with them]].

* ''VideoGame/NarutoShippudenUltimateNinjaStorm3'': when Kabuto Yakushi summons the resurrected Kakuzu, Itachi and Deidara, their eyes are glowing. [[https://youtu.be/EK3k73LpjXA?t=3m40s]]

* The Witch-King of Angmar, from the [[SoBadItsGood Animated Adaptation]] of ''WesternAnimation/TheReturnOfTheKing''. He also [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWjt6LGhHsI talks like Skeletor.]] [[AdaptationDisplacement Ironically]], the Witch-King's Glowing Eyelights of Undeath are accurate to [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings the book]]. They are the only thing visible except his crown.