History Main / HumanizingTears

A SuperTrope to CryIntoChest. Contrast with InelegantBlubbering.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''. Any time Stan Marsh cries. Ever. Most notably in these two instances:

* In “Ass Burgers”, when he’s crying in the counselor’s office when talking to Mr. Mackey about how nothing makes him happy anymore.

* In the pandemic special, when he’s crying because he just wants his life back.

*
''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''. Any time Stan Marsh cries. Ever. Most notably in these two instances:

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'', crying is used to make the Dragon, the terrifying reptilian beast that had kept Fiona imprisoned, sympathetic: Dragon flies off and sobs by a pond after her love interest runs away.

* In ''[[Literature/AnneOfGreenGable Anne of Windy Poplars]]'', Anne decides to invite her antisocial and sarcastic coworker Katherine Brooke to Green Gables for Christmas vacation, since she suspects that despite Katherine's unfriendly behavior, she's really not a bad person deep down. This turns out to be true when they go out for a moonlight walk and Katherine, overcome by the welcoming atmosphere of Green Gables that she never received as a child, suddenly starts crying.

In the case of male characters, what differentiates this from ManlyTears is that whereas ManlyTears shows the sensitive attributes of an ''already'' decent male, Humanizing Tears is usually used in a softening context. See also TenderTears, where the crier is normally nice and sensitive, and TearsOfRemorse, where somebody cries for feeling guilty.

* Played for drama in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' as the foul-mouthed {{Jerkass}} Cyborg Racoon Rocket holds the bundle of sticks that remains of his sentient-tree-man friend Groot (it's that kind of movie) after his HeroicSacrifice, and finally resembles the adorable Racoon he should be as he weeps bitterly like a child.

* ''LightNovel/AriaTheScarletAmmo'': Even a [[BadassAdorable battle-hardened]] ActionGirl like Aria H. Kanzaki cannot help but break down crying in the middle of the street after a visit to her mother, imprisoned on false charges of being a serial bomber, ends with said mother having to be dragged back to her prison cell. She tries to fight back her tears in front of Kinji, who joined her visit, only to give in to her soul-crushing grief.

* ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic''
** Kaname Chidori, resident DefrostingIceQueen, has more than one moment when she breaks down crying, probably to keep her sympathetic despite her abrasive personality.
** Then there's the climax of the final volume, where [[spoiler:[[https://imgur.com/FdW8SmX Sousuke completely breaks from his lifelong stoic soldier persona and begins sobbing uncontrollably]] upon realizing he's about to die without ever seeing Kaname or his schoolmates again]].

* ''LightNovel/{{Haganai}}'' has this trope PlayedForLaughs with Sena Kashiwazaki, a RichBitch who loves lording herself over her male schoolmates at the school her father runs. This is usually triggered by her SitcomArchnemesis, resident {{Jerkass}} [[TheBully Bully]] Yozora Mikazuki, saying or doing something outright mean to her. This is followed by Sena retorting with childish insults before running away crying. And there's another one at the end of Episode 11, courtesy of [[spoiler:''[[{{Tsundere}} Yozora]]'' herself, after Kodaka finally recognizes her, with her hair cut short, as his long-lost childhood friend "Sora", after a few months they spent together with Kodaka none the wiser as to who she is]].

** Invoked and PlayedForLaughs. Ritsu cries just to show how emotional she has become from her EmotionlessGirl state, after Terasaka insists that she is still just a machine. Kataoka scolds Terasaka for making her bawl her eyes out, and he admits that such a thing makes him sound like a total douche.

* [[{{Tsundere}} Louis the red deer]] has an emotional breakdown in ''Manga/{{Beastars}}'' at the height of his character development. Louis tries to dissuade Legosi, who is in terrible condition, from returning to a fight that could possibly end with the latter being killed. Despite Louis' best efforts, Legosi is determined to see the fight through to the end, and something he says triggers a memory of [[ParentalSubstitute Ibuki]] saying something similar before he died. Upon realizing that nothing he says will convince Legosi to stop the fight, Louis angrily tells Legosi do what he wants, but to leave him out of it. Louis tries his best to keep his cool-headed persona and remain detached, but inside he questions why he feels hot. Finally, he tells Legosi to go as tears pour from his eyes. Louis finds himself puzzled, and at first mistakes the tears for rain. However, when wipes his face, more tears spring forth. The sudden emotional display catches Legosi off guard. Legosi, being the kind wolf he is, offers to stay a little while longer with Louis while the latter loses his composure completely, collapsing to his knees. It is apparent that crying is a new experience for Louis, as he comments on how the tears feel, and even mentions that it is likely the first time he has ever cried. Louis is left unable to stop crying and it takes quite awhile for him to calm down.

* ''LightNovel/{{Haganai}}'' has this trope PlayedForLaughs with Sena Kashiwazaki, a RichBitch who loves lording herself over her male schoolmates at the school her father runs. This is usually triggered by her SitcomArchnemesis, resident {{Jerkass}} [[TheBully Bully]] Yozora Mikazuki, saying or doing something outright mean to her. This is followed by Sena retorting with childish insults before running away crying. And there's another one at the end of Episode 11, courtesy of [[spoiler:''[[{{Tsundere}} Yozora]]'' herself, after Kodaka finally recognizes her, with her hair cut short, as his long-lost childhood friend "Sora", after after a few months they spent together with Kodaka none the wiser as to who she is]].

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': An interesting variant occurs with [[spoiler:Homura]]. When she breaks down crying in Episode 8 after [[spoiler:shooting Kyubey full of holes with a Beretta 92-FS to prevent Madoka from contracting]], it's adorable, sad and [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness REALLY STRANGE]] since up until now she's been the EmotionlessGirl. Then comes Episode 10, and [[BreakTheCutie suddenly it all makes sense]].

* In ''Manga/YoungLadiesDontPlayFightingGames'', the thing that causes Aya to rescind her refusal to play fighting games is witnessing Shirayuki bursting into frustrated tears. After no longer seeing a world that "shone like diamonds" after her love for fighting games fizzled out, seeing Shiraruki's passion and emotions over shows Aya she's more than just a weird fanatic, and might be able to reignite the passion she herself once felt.

* Played for drama in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' as the foul mouthed {{Jerkass}} Cyborg Racoon Rocket holds the bundle of sticks that remains of his sentient-tree-man friend Groot (it's that kind of movie) after his HeroicSacrifice, and finally resembles the adorable Racoon he should be as he weeps bitterly like a child.

* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSecurityBreach'': Roxanne Wolf is initially presented a straight-up {{Narcissist}}, admiring and praising herself in the mirror. While hunting [[KidHero Gregory]], she taunts him with insults such as "I bet you don't even have friends." and "Nobody will miss you!". Later on the player is treated to a scene of her crying in her room, telling herself she is not a loser, revealing she has [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex self-esteem issues]]. According to Glamrock Freddy (who knows Roxanne personally), she is [[BrainwashedAndCrazy actually supposed]] to be more like [[FriendToAllChildren him]].

* Meet Catiua, sister of [[PlayerCharacter Denam]] from ''VideoGame/TacticsOgre''. She's haughty, possessive, manipulative and ultimately performs a FaceHeelTurn. She's not completely lost yet, though: if Denam manages to talk sense into her, the floodgates open and suddenly the bitchy older sister transforms into a vulnerable little girl who begs for forgiveness for all that she has done. It's a turning point in her characterization.

* Tsugumi in ''VisualNovel/Ever17'' as an example where the character genuinely stops being a {{jerkass}}. There were signs beforehand that she wasn't, sure, and they were even [[CharacterDevelopment getting more common.]] Seeing her cry makes you forget her doing stuff like pretending to push Takeshi down an elevator shaft for shits and giggles or randomly sucker punching him at the beginning, though. Mostly applicable to Takeshi's routes so they could spring a whole bunch of surprise reveals on you by letting her stay a jerk in The Kid's.

* Franziska von Karma spends 99% of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll'' as an overly harsh and physically abusive rival prosecutor who whips anyone who doesn't meet the perfectionist standards she's learned from [[AmoralAttorney her father, Manfred von Karma]]. In the ending, she has a unique ''crying'' sprite when she meets up with her adoptive brother Edgeworth, which reminds the player that she's still just a teenager who has recently lost her father, feels crushing pressure to live up to the family creed of total perfection in everything, and fears losing Edgeworth so much that the idea of it finally makes her crack and show her vulnerability.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyAndFriends'': King Charlatan spends most of the "Baby, It's Cold Outside!" arc as a cruel penguin with a cold heart who believes [[TheSocialDarwinist the creatures who can't withstand the cold are inferior to penguins]]. However, he shows first signs of emotions when he cries after accidentally freezing his son, which thankfully thaws him.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash are not jerks outright, but they are frequently arrogant, cold natured and unwilling to express weakness, and their breakdowns nearly always occur when their prideful act has finally been broken down.

* ''Series/TheGoodWife'': After hearing about [[spoiler:Will Gardner's death]], David Lee immediately storms out of the main boardroom, finds a conference room, [[WhatYouAreInTheDark orders everybody in the room out]], and then bursts into uncontrollable sobs over [[spoiler:the death of his friend]]. It's probably the greatest indication in the entire show that Lockhart/Gardner's TokenEvilTeammate really does have a heart.

In the case of male characters, what differentiates this from ManlyTears is that whereas ManlyTears shows the sensitive attributes of an ''already'' decent male, Humanizing Tears is usually used in a humanizing context. See also TenderTears, where the crier is normally nice and sensitive, and TearsOfRemorse, where somebody cries for feeling guilty.

* Franziska von Karma spends 99% of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll'' as an overly harsh and physically abusive rival prosecutor who whips anyone who doesn't meet her perfectionist standards. In the ending, she has a unique ''crying'' sprite when she meets up with, Edgeworth, which reminds the player that she's still just a teenager who has lost her father and cares about her adoptive brother.

* Played for drama in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' as the Foul Mouthed {{Jerkass}} Cyborg Racoon Rocket holds the bundle of sticks that remains of his sentient-tree-man friend Groot (it's that kind of movie) after his HeroicSacrifice, and finally resembles the adorable Racoon he should be as he weeps bitterly like a child.

* The Big Daddies from ''VideoGame/BioShock2'' are essentially monstruous people in diving suits that only exists to protect the gathering girls known as Little Sisters. The Alpha series was scrapped due to getting too attached to their assigned Little Sister and some breaking down in tears as their protected died, eventually going insane.

* The Big Daddies from ''VideoGame/BioShock2'' are essentially monstruous people in divin suits that only exists to protect the gathering girls known as Little Sisters. The Alpha series was scrapped due to getting too attached to their assigned Little Sister and some breaking down in tears as their protected died, eventually going insane.

* ''LightNovel/AriaTheScarletAmmo'': As typical for {{Tsundere}}, the moments in which Aria cries create a cute contrast with her usual violent and abrasive character.

* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSecurityBreach'' does this with ''an animatronic'', of all things. An animatronic who is ''not'' possessed by a ghost, no less; Roxanne Wolf, a new addition to the Fazbear Band, is initially presented a straight-up {{Narcissist}}, admiring and praising herself in the mirror. While hunting the possibly homeless [[KidHero Gregory]], she taunts him with insults such as "I bet you don't even have friends." and "Nobody will miss you!". Later on, however, the player is treated to a scene of her crying in her room (yes, [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots the animatronics in this game]] have their own rooms), telling herself she is not a loser, revealing she has [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex self-esteem issues]], which has led more than a few players to suspect that her insults [[PsychologicalProjection are actually what she thinks of herself deep down]]. It should also be noted that despite her flaws, Roxanne is not inherently evil; she is only trying to kill Gregory because [[spoiler:Vanny brainwashed her]]. According to [[TokenHeroicOrc Glamrock Freddy]] (who isn't [[spoiler:brainwashed]] and knows Roxanne personally), she is actually supposed to be more like [[FriendToAllChildren him]]. [[spoiler:After the player runs Roxanne over with a go-kart and steals her eyes, she sobs ''constantly'', trying to assure herself that she is still beautiful and still loved.]] Many players have expressed a desire to [[spoiler:free Roxanne from the brainwashing and]] give her a hug, even the ones who don't give her DracoInLeatherPants treatment.