History Main / TroubledFetalPosition

[[caption-width-right:233:Alice is not having a good day.]]

* In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius'', as Mist and Ike [[spoiler: mourn for their dead father Greil]], [[https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/f/fc/Ike_and_Mist_mourning.png/revision/latest?cb=20090820200314 the first]] is seen like this.

* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'': Out of all bots, you'd never believe ''Megatron'' would be the one to do this, but that's exactly what he does when he meets Chromedome the [[BerserkButton mnemo]][[TraumaButton surgeon]]. Matter of fact, Megs does this a lot, to the point where [[http://skidblast.tumblr.com/post/136770532097/mllemusketeer-iopele-mllemusketeer it seems almost instinctive.]]

* In ''Film/ALittlePrincess1995'', Sara goes into the TroubledFetalPosition whenever she's in her new room in the dirty attic. [[spoiler:Her dad supposedly died so she's forced to work as a servant]].

* In the 1995 version of ''Film/ALittlePrincess'', Sara goes into the TroubledFetalPosition whenever she's in her new room in the dirty attic. [[spoiler:Her dad supposedly died so she's forced to work as a servant]].

* Both Anna and Elsa do this after their parents died at the end of the song "Do you want to build a snowman?" in ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}''.

[[quoteright:233:[[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Alice_fetal_position.jpg]]]]

** Kara Zor-El curls up in a ball and cries in ''ComicBook/{{Convergence}}: The Adventures of Superman #1'' [[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yaLjrvBZ6iQ/VWchxTkxT6I/AAAAAAAAEZ8/lAsmDPeUok4/s1600/Convergence%2B-%2BAdventures%2Bof%2BSuperman%2B%25282015%2529%2B001-016.jpg after seeing visions of her death at the hands of the Anti-Monitor]] in ''Comicbook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''.

** Superman of all people does this in the storyline ''Comicbook/KryptonNoMore'' when he sits on a mountaintop and reminisces about Krypton's destruction.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'':

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'':
** [[GreenEyedMonster Parsee's]] flight pose in ''Subterranean Animism'', partnered with a [[CheshireCatGrin giddy smile]] and [[AxCrazy attempted murder]]. Alice provides the picture but isn't an example in-game.
** [[EmptyShell Koishi]] assumes this pose in ''Hopeless Masquerade'' when using her Spell Card "Suppression: 'Super-Ego'". Given [[BreakTheCutie her backstory]], this provides some rather depressing FridgeBrilliance.

* In the ''Superstar'' expansion pack of the original ''VideoGame/TheSims'', your Sim can do this in Studio Town if their mood is low enough. Watch out, though -- the next tabloid might just report that your Sim was spotted in that position and that things might not be looking too good for them.

* In a rather infamous example from ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', [[spoiler:Giygas]] appears to assume one of these in his final form if you squint hard enough. [[EpilepticTrees Maybe.]] If you know [[TragicMonster WHY]] this might be the case, it can be a TearJerker.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''WebComic/TheNonadventuresOfWonderella'': {{Exaggerated}} when Wonderella, having seen her parents (one of whom doesn't even look human) having sex, curls up into a perfect ball. As in literally spherical with no protrusions.

* Klara Prast's last appearance in the ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' regular series shows her curled up in an unhappy little ball (by contrast, the rest of her teammates are sprawled out in exhaustion.) Given all the shit she was put through in the final arc, this is understandable.

* Bruce Banner in ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'' enters this after a particularly nasty FlashbackEcho hits him when he's in the shower.

* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'': Out of all bots, you'd never believe ''Megatron'' would be the one to do this, but that's exactly what he does when he meets Chromedome the [[BerserkButton mnemo]][[TraumaButton surgeon]].

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/LabRats'': Trent in "The Haunting of Mission Creek High", after he is "haunted" by Leo and the lab rats.
* ''Series/Merlin2008'': Interestingly, Morgana is in one of these in "[[Recap/MerlinS04E03TheWickedDay The Wicked Day]]" when Agravaine comes to bring her confirmation of Uther's death.
* ''Series/PompeiiTheLastDay'': Stephanus assumes this once he realizes his fate is sealed. He is still sitting in the same position [[TakenForGranite two thousand years later]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': In "[[Recap/TheAmazingWorldOfGumballS4E21TheGirlfriend The Girlfriend]]", Jamie (who has been fixated on forcibly making Gumball her boyfriend during the episode, to everyone's horror) corners Gumball in the library, and he briefly crawls into a fetal position while sucking his thumb and calling out for Darwin's help.
* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'': When the Flash thinks he's going to be alone in a time-stuck world forever, in "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E5And6OnlyADream Only a Dream]]" he buries his face in his knees and wraps his arms around his legs. Superman curls up in his rocket and hides his eyes after his out-of-control superpowers kill Lois, Perry, and Jimmy.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': In "[[Recap/TheOwlHouseS1E5Covention Convention]]", Eda asks Luz how she would respond to a fireball coming at her. Luz responds by pulling up her hood and curling into a ball. Eda realizes she probably should have taught Luz more spells.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'': Amalia in season 1 episode 25, while feeling the destruction of every tree in the forest.
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJusticeOriginalSeries'': Artemis, towards the end of "Homefront," when facing the prospects of every friend she has dying and her being unable to do anything about it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': The TwoBeingsOneBody Titan [[AdaptationalHeroism Monster X]], mainly the Vivienne Graham half when she's controlling their shared body, go into this position a couple times when Vivienne's confused or has just had a PTSD episode. Besides that, when Vivienne was still human and Ghidorah was frozen, Vivienne was at one point reduced to curling into this position in the snow by exposure to Ghidorah's PsychicPowers. In Chapter 7, Sergeant Travis is curled in this position after his SanitySlippage has progressed.
* ''Fanfic/TheUltimateEvil'': While wallowing in self-pity, Valerie is sitting in this position when Shendu [[spoiler:possesses her]].
* In ''Fanfic/WhatTomorrowBrings'', [[TooBrokenToBreak Tom]] (who just had a panic attack) is curled up in fetal position after Charlton rescues him from the Pool Ship.
[[/folder]]

** This is probably one of the most frequent positions Concrete is drawn in, especially after he becomes depressed as the series goes on, though in some instances he is just trying to take up as little space as possible and not in a mood.[[note]]The position is a holdover from his humanity and isn't natural to his body, as it has no soft spots to protect (other than the eyes) and is spread out while in the womb rather than curled up like most Earth animals are during the latter part of fetal development.[[/note]]

** ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton'': After crashing into a dirigible and falling through a ceiling, Kara -a teen owning strange and overwhelming powers and stranded in an alien world inhabited by people talking an unknown language- pulls her knees up, wraps her arms around her legs and cries.

* ''WebComicc/TheNonadventuresOfWonderella'': {{Exggerated}} when Wonderella, having seen her parents (one of whom is not a human) having sex, curls up into a perfect ball. As in literally spherical with no protrusions.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': In "[[Recap/TheAmazingWorldOfGumballS4E21TheGirlfriend The Girlfriend]]", Jamie (who has been fixated on forcibly making Gumball her boyfriend during the episode, to everyone's horror) corners Gumball in the library, and he briefly crawls into a fetal position while sucking his thumb and c*lling out for Darwin's help.
W*''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'':h Wen Tthe Flash thinks he's going to be alone in a time-stuck world forever, in "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E5And6OnlyADream Only a Dream]]" he buries his face in his knees and wraps his arms around his legs.
Superman curls up in his rocket and hides his eyes after his out-of-control superpowers kill Lois, Perry, and Jimmy.* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': In "[[Recap/TheOwlHouseS1E5Covention Convention]]", Eda asks Luz how she would respond to a fireball coming at her. Luz responds by pulling up her hood and curling into a ball. Eda realizes she probably should have taught Luz more spells.