History Main / HouseOfBrokenMirrors

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' episode "Hats Off To Smurfs", Vanity turns his own house into this when he sees how disfigured his face becomes after he started wearing a magical yellow hat created by Gargamel.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' Terra's betrayal is accompanied by a bunch of broken mirrors in a carnival. This scene is revisited in "Things Change" the series finale when [[spoiler:Beast Boy sees Slade who claims that Terra chose to disassociate herself from him.]]

** ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}'' compares [[PsychopathicManchild Mr. Teatime]]'s mind to a fractured mirror- "all marvelous facets and rainbows, but, ultimately, also something that was [[TheSociopath broken]]."

* In ''VideoGame/LittleNightmares'', all the mirrors in the Lady's Quarters are broken. [[spoiler: It's a hint that you need to use the one unbroken mirror, hidden away in a boarded-up room, to defeat her by shining light at her.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Turns out, getting turned into a monster causes many RageAgainstTheReflection moments.]]

Mirrors are traditionally seen as symbols of [[SevenDeadlySins Vanity]], since the beautiful and narcissistic (or just [[MilesGloriosus plain]] {{narcissist}}ic) constantly stare at their reflection and adjust their hair, clothes and makeup. A broken mirror isn't a simple [[{{Antonyms}} reversal]] however, a symbol of ugliness and [[GoodSamaritan selflessness]]...but of ugliness and '''''insanity'''''. The mirror casts a jumbled and distorted reflection, with missing pieces and dozens of small, fractured copies (and probably a little blood on it) and is oddly ''silenced''. It can't reflect back a true image, and anyone normal looking at their reflection will feel a little diminished doing so.

So what does it say about a person when all the mirrors in their home are broken, and all the pictures have their face clawed or blacked or cut out? Quite simply, that they are not well.

* In the movie ''Film/TheSkeletonKey'', all the mirrors in the house are covered up. The reason for this is that [[spoiler:the mirrors reveal the true form of the owner of the house, who is really a voodoo priestess possessing the owner's body. It also causes the old man to be even more stressed, since the mirrors remind him of the body he is trapped in.]]

* In ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo15thAnniversary'', Dapper Bones mentions having thrown away every picture of depicting himself when he was alive into the ocean. When Lemres considers recovering these photographs via magic, Dapper begs him not to.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' Terra's betrayal is accompanied with a bunch of broken mirrors in a carnival. This scene is revisited in "Things Change" the series finale when [[spoiler:Beast Boy sees Slade who claims that Terra chose to disassociate herself from him.]]

* Interesting variation in ''Series/TheTenthKingdom'': the mirror in question was not smashed by the person looking into it, or in order to keep from seeing something terrible (it was a simple accident), and because of this it is [[MagicMirror no longer magical]]. However, considering the point this happens in the narrative (the smashing of the mirror itself keeps the characters from [[PortalNetwork getting back to our world]], their princely companion is [[TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody losing his mind in the dog body]] [[FreakyFridayFlip he's been trapped in]], and Virginia just learned (she thinks) that Wolf didn't love her and so she has left him), having the heroine see her shattered reflection in the pieces they've managed to gather is still extremely symbolic.

Friends or loved ones may have to use {{Cooldown Hug}}s, and other methods to get the resident to accept IAmWhatIAm and move on, though that's no guarantee.

* In ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo15thAnniversary'', Oshare Bones mentions having thrown away every picture of depicting himself when he was alive into the ocean. When Lemres considers recovering these photographs via magic, Oshare begs him not to.

Generally, whoever goes to the trouble of [[RageAgainstTheReflection smashing all the mirrors in their home]] and removing or defacing all their likenesses has had some [[MirrorReveal disfiguring accident]] or [[TomatoInTheMirror ego-destroying]] revelation. The destruction is a kind of "defense" against being reminded how "ugly" they've become, or how far they've fallen. Typical examples include: BeautyToBeast, [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] [[GlamourFailure without reflections,]] and victims of a BalefulPolymorph. Where this can be especially terrifying is if the resident is normal, or even ''beautiful'' save for one ''[[MinorInjuryOverreaction tiny]]'' scar or flaw, and just thinks they're ugly due to [[FreudianExcuse decades of emotional abuse]].

* ''Literature/ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath''. James thinks that [[RoyalBrat Lady Kallystine]] is TantrumThrowing when she hears her smashing all her mirrors, but it later turns out she's the victim of a MagicMisfire (plus she's also throwing a tantrum).

Generally, whoever goes to the trouble of [[RageAgainstTheReflection smashing all the mirrors in their home]] and removing or defacing all their likenesses has had some [[MirrorReveal disfiguring accident]] or [[TomatoInTheMirror ego-destroying]] revelation. The destruction is a kind of "defense" against being reminded how "ugly" they've become, or how far they've fallen. Typical examples include: BeautyToBeast, [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] [[GlamourFailure without reflections,]] and victims of a BalefulPolymorph. Where this can be especially terrifying is if the resident is normal, or even ''beautiful'' save for one ''[[MinorInjuryOverreaction tiny]]'' scar or flaw, and just thinks they're ugly due to decades of emotional abuse.

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batb_mirror_resized_2481.jpg]]]]

* In ''[[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary]]'', Oshare Bones mentions having thrown away every picture of depicting himself when he was alive into the ocean. When Lemures considers recovering these photographs via magic, Oshare begs him not to.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Comics]]
* In at least one appearance, Doctor Doom looks at his marred face in a gilt-framed mirror only to smash it. He then muses that once the world is his, he might decree to have all mirrors destroyed.

* From a short in the French animation anthology ''Fears Of The Dark'', there's a house where all the photos from more recent years have their heads cut out. But there is a mirror.

* ''Literature/RedDragon:'' The fact that all the mirrors in the victim's house were smashed up leads the investigators to think the killer might be disfigured.
** The killer's own home has the mirrors smashed, except for a large one he keeps in his weight room which he doesn't break the mirror because he gets off on seeing himself pumped up (he wears a mask so he doesn't see his face).
* In the novel Literature/Peeps by Creator/ScottWesterfeld, the Peeps in question will do then when they first get the virus.
* Granny Weatherwax in ''Literature/WitchesAbroad'' has a sort-of subversion of this- she goes around destroying or hiding every mirror she comes across, however, this is because [[spoiler:her sister is watching them through the mirrors.]]

* The later Discworld book ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}'' compares [[PsychopathicManchild Mr. Teatime]]'s mind to a fractured mirror- "all marvelous facets and rainbows, but, ultimately, also something that was [[TheSociopath broken]]."
* In Alexey Pehov's pentalogy ''[[Literature/WindAndSparks Wind and Sparks]]'' the trope is played straight. Alenari rei Vallion, a beautiful noble sorceress, received disfiguring scars during a mages' rebellion. (For which she was nicknamed "Pox".) The only capable healer refused to help her. Alenari had a mask crafted from some precious alloy. She breaks every mirror that reflects her new face, earning her the title "Executioner of Mirrors". Her hatred is so strong, that [[spoiler:she would rather break mirrors than save her life]]. On a related note: she is rumored to kill every beautiful woman she meets, which is probably untrue.

* ''[[Literature/TheBelgariad The Malloreon]]'': One sign that the Dark Prophecy is possessing Zandramas is sparkling lights moving within her skin. When those lights reach her face, she promptly smashes every mirror in her quarters.

* ''Literature/ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath''. James thinks that [[RoyalBrat Lady Kallystine]] is TantrumThrowing when she hears her smashing all her mirrors, but it later turns out she's the victim of a MagicMisfire (plus she's also throwing a tantrum).

* In ''Series/{{Angel}}'', the vampire who sired the eponymous hero, Darla, is rendered mortal again. Not a recipe for sanity -- especially given her rap sheet. When Lindsey turns up at her safe house, he finds that all of the mirrors have been smashed. When Cordelia sees this, she confusedly points out that Angel didn't start smashing mirrors when he got his soul back. Angel points out that he doesn't have to look at himself in them.
* Interesting variation in ''Series/TheTenthKingdom'': the mirror in question was not smashed by the person looking into it, or in order to keep from seeing something terrible (it was a simple accident), and because of this it is [[MagicMirror no longer magical]]. However, considering the point this happens in the narrative (the smashing of the mirror itself keeps the characters from [[PortalNetwork getting back to our world]], their princely companion is [[TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody losing his mind in the dog body]] [[FreakyFridayFlip he's been trapped in]], and Virginia just learned (she thinks) that Wolf didn't love her and so she has left him), having the heroine see her shattered reflection in the pieces they've managed to gather is still extremely symbolic.

-->A mirror, is a negative space with a frame,
-->And a place for your face,
-->It reveals, what the rest of us see,
-->It conceals, what you'd like it to be

* In ''[[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary]]'', Oshare Bones mentions having thrown away every picture of depicting himself when he was alive into the ocean. When Lemures considers recovering these photographs via magic, Oshare begs him not to.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' episode "Hats Off To Smurfs", Vanity turns his own house into this when he sees how disfigured his face becomes after he started wearing a magical yellow hat created by Gargamel.

* In the novel Literature / Peeps by Creator/ScottWesterfeld, the Peeps in question will do then when they first get the virus.

* In the novel Literature/Peeps by Creator/ScottWesterfeld, the Peeps in question will do then when they first get the virus.

* In the novel ''Literature/Peeps'' by Creator/ScottWesterfeld, the Peeps in question will do then when they first get the virus.

* In the novel ''Peeps'' by Creator/ScottWesterfeld, the Peeps in question will do then when they first get the virus.

* In ''[[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary]]'', Oshare Bones mentions having thrown away every picture of depicting himself when he was alive into the ocean. When another character considers recovering these photographs via magic, Oshare begs him not to.

Mirrors are traditionally seen as symbols of [[SevenDeadlySins Vanity]], since the beautiful and narcissistic (or just [[MilesGloriosus plain]] {{narcissist}}ic) constantly stare at their reflection and adjust their hair, clothes and makeup. A broken mirror isn't a simple [[{{Antonyms}} reversal]] however, a symbol of ugliness and [[GoodSamaritan selflessness]]... but of ugliness and '''''insanity'''''. The mirror casts a jumbled and distorted reflection, with missing pieces and dozens of small, fractured copies (and probably a little blood on it) and is oddly ''silenced''. It can't reflect back a true image, and anyone normal looking at their reflection will feel a little diminished doing so.

So what does it say about a "person" when all the mirrors in their home are broken, and all the pictures have his or her face clawed or blacked or cut out? Quite simply, that they are not well.

Generally, whoever goes to the trouble of [[RageAgainstTheReflection smashing all the mirrors in their home]] and removing or defacing all their likenesses has had some [[MirrorReveal disfiguring accident]] or [[TomatoInTheMirror ego destroying]] revelation. The destruction is a kind of "defense" against being reminded how "ugly" they've become, or how far they've fallen. Typical examples include: BeautyToBeast, [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] [[GlamourFailure without reflections]], and victims of a BalefulPolymorph. Where this can be especially terrifying is if the resident is normal, or even ''beautiful'' save for one ''[[MinorInjuryOverreaction tiny]]'' scar or flaw, and just think they're ugly due to decades of emotional abuse.

Friends or loved ones may have to use {{Cool Down Hug}}s, and other methods to get the resident to accept IAmWhatIAm and move on, though that's no guarantee.

[[caption-width-right:350:Who would smash a mirror like this? [[RageAgainstTheReflection Only a Prince-turned-Beast would.]]]]

Generally, whoever goes to the trouble of [[RageAgainstTheReflection smashing all the mirrors in their home]] and removing or defacing all their likenesses has had some disfiguring accident or [[TomatoInTheMirror ego destroying]] revelation. The destruction is a kind of "defense" against being reminded how "ugly" they've become, or how far they've fallen. Typical examples include: BeautyToBeast, [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] [[GlamourFailure without reflections]], and victims of a BalefulPolymorph. Where this can be especially terrifying is if the resident is normal, or even ''beautiful'' save for one ''[[MinorInjuryOverreaction tiny]]'' scar or flaw, and just think they're ugly due to decades of emotional abuse.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Azula's descent into madness starts with her primping herself in her vanity mirror.

[[quoteright:350:[[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batb_mirror_resized_2481.jpg]]]]

* In the opening montage of Disney's ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'' the Beast shreds a portrait of his former prince self with his claws. Broken mirrors abound inside the castle, especially in the west wing.

* Erik, at the end of ''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera2004'', smashes all the mirrors in his lair. Overlaps with ExitVillainStageLeft.
* From a short in the French animation anthology ''Fears Of The Dark'', there's a house where all the photos from more recent years have their heads cut out. But there is a mirror.
* ''Film/TheNightFlier'': The vampire in the film habitually smashes every mirror he comes near.

* Granny Weatherwax in ''Discworld/WitchesAbroad'' has a sort-of subversion of this- she goes around destroying or hiding every mirror she comes across, however, this is because [[spoiler:her sister is watching them through the mirrors.]]

* ''Literature/ChroniclesOfTheKencyrathCaineron''. James thinks that [[RoyalBrat Lady Kallystine]] is TantrumThrowing when she hears her smashing all her mirrors, but it later turns out she's the victim of a MagicalMisfire (plus she's also throwing a tantrum).

[[caption-width-right:350:Who would smash a mirror like this? Only a Prince-turned-Beast would.]]