History Main / WallBang

[[quoteright:219:[[DorkTower http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DorkTowe_WallBang_1191.gif]] ]]
[[caption-width-right:219:[-Writer's block hurts.-] ]]

This trope is when a character expresses his overwhelming frustration by banging his head (often repeatedly) against something nearby. Walls are the most prevalent target, but other surfaces or objects -- such as [[HeadDesk tables,]] appliances, or trees -- are also acceptable.

Most often seen in visual comedies, as doing this in RealLife could prove very painful. On the other hand, it ''can'' appear in more serious works, either to lighten the mood of a moment or to punctuate the gravity of the situation.

Not to be confused with WallBanger, though many Wall Bangers will prompt the fandom to Wall Bang in response. Also not to be confused with WallBangHer (which is an entirely...[[IfYouKnowWhatIMean different activity]]) or headbanging (which is more like what metal fans do).

Compare and contrast with FaceFault, FacePalm, and WallSlump. Also contrast with the more serious PunchAWall.
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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]
* In "ToAruKagakuNoRailgun" when given the idea that Mikoto could contract the stripper lady disease, Kuroko does [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4YIs4gcQ8U this]]
* In ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'', Dr. Mikoto Itoshiki fulfills his family's tendency toward UnfortunateNames by having one that can be read as Zetsumei ("death") making him "Dr. Death" and discouraging patients from visiting him. Calling him Zetsumei-sensei causes him to bang his head against the wall for several minutes (humorously enough right next to a poster warning about cranial injury).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* This is a stock gag in ''DorkTower'', where a sufficiently annoying situation will prompt any of the main characters to WallBang against the nearest wall or table.
* [[ArchieComics Archie]]: After ignoring a warning from his mom that it looks like rain and he might catch a cold if he goes out, he and Jughead both get soaked and head for Veronica's place. After going through a sauna and doing laps of a pool to try and avoid getting sick ("No germ would be stupid enough to stick around for that punishment") Archie gets home and...sneezes. "Banging your head against a wall is not an accepted cold medicine!"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* Scott Pilgrim does this against a telephone pole in ''ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld,'' after [[spoiler:Ramona breaks up with him]]. It looks seriously painful.
* ''BuckarooBanzai''. Perfect Tommy lightly bumps his head against the prison bars while Buckaroo is talking to Penny Priddy in jail. The expression on his face and later dialogue indicates that he's doing it out of disbelief that Buckaroo is wasting his time with a woman who tried to kill him. Watch it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsxZLiFSjNQ here, starting at 3:20]].
* On ''TheRoadToElDorado'', Tulio is banging his head against a wall to try to figure out a way to escape from Cortez's ship. He appears to get an idea... but just resumes banging. Made funnier when Tulio appears to have a black eye and the wall had ''a dent'' in it.
* Jim Carrey's character does this in ''LiarLiar''.
* SylvesterStallone's character also does this in ''Oscar''.
* [[LiloAndStitch Stitch]] does this when he's in the pound, and actually knocks a brick out of place because of his power.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* The TV series of ''The Life and Loves of a She-Devil'' has a very drunken priest seemingly hitting his head on the table to clear it enough to string sentences together.
* In an episode of ''TheWizard'', Simon mentions "trying to punch a hole through the wall with [his] head" to a robot he built. This leads to the robot lasering a hole out of said wall a few inches from his head.
* ''SesameStreet'' character Don Music, a frustrated composer, had a habit of slamming his forehead on the keys of his piano. Which is why you don't see him on ''SesameStreet'' anymore.
* In the "Sectionals" episode of ''{{Glee}}'', Artie does a full-body version of this in a wheelchair when [[spoiler: the club realizes their set list's been stolen]]. [[spoiler: Emma]] even mentions on the phone that it's been going on for a few minutes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Done in one ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'' battle report — a chaos SpaceMarine leader wallbanged his metal forehead against the inner wall of a bunker, in response to his units' abysmal accuracy.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theater]]
* Charlie Brown does this in ''[[{{Peanuts}} You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown]]'', during the song "Little Known Facts" (when Lucy incorrectly explains "little known facts" to Linus, including that an elm grows into an oak and that sparrows grow into eagles that are eaten on Christmas and Thanksgiving). She does this rather than explain the truth to Linus.
** Specifically it was against a ''tree'', and Lucy's explanation for this was that he's loosening the bark so it can grow faster. Yeah.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Manfred von Karma does this in ''Phoenix Wright: AceAttorney''.
** Gumshoe in game 3 pulls a WallBang (off screen) when Phoenix and Maya tell him that Maggey hates him for betraying her.
* PlayedForDrama in ''MetalGearSolid2'' by [[spoiler: Otacon, who appears to take his step-sister's death well-ish but suddenly [[TearJerker breaks into this]] before Snake tells him to get it together]].
* In ''{{Spellforce}}'', to get your siege units to use their anti-building attacks against buildings, you have to set them next to the buildings ''without'' ordering them to attack -- otherwise, they'll bang their heads against the walls (as they melee attack the buildings).
* In the vein of his source material, [[HomestarRunner Strong Bad]] sometimes does this if he has a bad hand during the course of PokerNightAtTheInventory. Especially hilarious because he doesn't say a thing during it, he just has this ''look'' while he slams his head into his cards and chips.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''{{Arfenhouse}} Teh Movie Too'' has a random interscene with someone saying "BREAK TIME" repeatedly while bashing his head against a desk.
* [[HomestarRunner Strong Bad]] gets this every so often in the course of a [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail35.html sbemail]]. Most notable at the end of the sbemail [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail118.html ''virus.'']]
** In the "deleted scene" from the email "from work", he hits his keyboard so hard it knocks the caption off the screen. No, not his computer screen. The ''cartoon's'' screen.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''TehGladiators'', this is OnlySaneMan Gorrok's second favorite method (behind FacePalm) of expressing his disgust/despair with his companions' idiotic antics.
* Gary's reaction to what Zii says about Yuki in ''[[{{MenageA3}} Ménage à 3]]'' [[http://www.menagea3.net/d/20100102.html here]].
** And Zii shows how it's done [[http://www.menagea3.net/d/20110113.html here]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* DangerMouse did it at least once.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* According to historian Lewis H. Lapham, after the destruction of 15,000 Roman troops (and 10,000 camp followers) under their commander Publius Quinctilius Varus (and his subsequent suicide)at the Teutonberg Forest in 6 AD (or so)Emperor Ceasar Augustus, "...from time to time until the end of his life... was seen wandering the through the rooms of the palace, beating his head against the wall and crying out... "Quinctillius Varus, give me back my legions."
[[/folder]]

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC: {{Manga}} and {{Anime}}]]
* In "ToAruKagakuNoRailgun" when given the idea that Mikoto could contract the stripper lady disease, Kuroko does [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4YIs4gcQ8U this]]
* In ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'', Dr. Mikoto Itoshiki fulfills his family's tendency toward UnfortunateNames by having one that can be read as Zetsumei ("death") making him "Dr. Death" and discouraging patients from visiting him. Calling him Zetsumei-sensei causes him to bang his head against the wall for several minutes (humorously enough right next to a poster warning about cranial injury).

[[AC:TabletopGames]]

[[AC:{{Theater}}]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WebAnimation]]

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:RealLife]]
* According to historian Lewis H. Lapham, after the destruction of 15,000 Roman troops (and 10,000 camp followers) under their commander Publius Quinctilius Varus (and his subsequent suicide)at the Teutonberg Forest in 6 AD (or so)Emperor Ceasar Augustus, "...from time to time until the end of his life... was seen wandering the through the rooms of the palace, beating his head against the wall and crying out... "Quinctillius Varus, give me back my legions."

* [[HomestarRunner Strong Bad]] gets this every so often in the course of a [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail35.html sbemail]]. Most notable at the end of the sbemail [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az49aNuYeJs ''virus.'']]

* Scott Pilgrim does this against a telephone pole in ''ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld,'' after Ramona breaks up with him. It looks seriously painful.

* In the "Sectionals" episode of ''{{Glee}}'', Artie does a full-body version of this in a wheelchair when [[spoiler: The club realizes their set list's been stolen]]. [[spoiler: Emma]] even mentions on the phone that it's been going on for a few minutes.

* In the vein of his source material, [[HomestarRunner Strong Bad]] sometimes does this if a bad card turns up during a one on one showdown with the player during the course of PokerNightAtTheInventory. Especially hilarious because he doesn't say a thing during it, he just has this ''look'' while he slams his head into his cards and chips.

* In the vein of his source material, [[HomestarRunner Strong Bad]] sometimes does this if a bad card turns up during a one on one showdown with the player during the course of [[Poker Night at the Inventory]]. Especially hilarious because he doesn't say a thing during it, he just has this ''look'' while he slams his head into his cards and chips.

*

This trope is when a character expresses his overwhelming frustration by banging his head (often repeatedly) against something nearby. Walls are the most prevalent target, but other surfaces or objects -- such as tables, appliances, or trees -- are also acceptable.