History Main / WhyDidItHAveToBeSnakes

* Chuckie from ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'', although they come second to "[[QuakerOats the guy on the oatmeal box.]]"

* Chuckie from ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'', although they come second to "the guy on the oatmeal box."

* Scootaloo in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' confesses to Rainbow Dash that she is afraid of ghost ''stories'' but did not want to admit sooner for fear that she'd make her upset.

* Scootaloo in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' confesses to Rainbow Dash that she is afraid of ghost ''stores'' but did not want to admit sooner for fear that she'd make her upset.

A subset of FatalFlaw. FearOfThunder (also known as brontophobia), SpidersAreScary (aracnophobia), {{Claustrophobia}}, and AfraidOfNeedles (trypanophobia) are specific sub-tropes of this.

* Goku from Manga/DragonBall is terrified of needles. After two hospital trips due to injuries from two battles (Vegeta and Ginyu) he has had to get a shot. Just Google "Goku needle" and watch 3 videos appear at the top of the scene.

* ''Manga/DragonBall Z'': Android 18, oddly enough.

* Goku from ''Manga/DragonBall Z'' is terrified of needles, this came after he got a shot after his first fight with Vegeta. Sorta justified: he had never gotten a shot in his life until then.

* Yoshi is afraid of ghosts in the ''WesternAnimation/SuperMarioWorld'' cartoon, a [[LampshadeHanging]] of his refusal to enter ghost houses in the actual game.

* Because [[ContinuityNod Yoshi refuses to enter ghost houses in the actual game]], he is also afraid of ghosts in the ''WesternAnimation/SuperMarioWorld'' cartoon.

** In spite of this, two bosses in ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'' and one in the remake are ghosts. Also in both games, one Yoshi's relay leg consists [[WhoWillBellTheCat entirely of fortresses]] while another has [[WhoWillBellTheCat all castles]].

**** In spite of this, two bosses in ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'' and one in the remake are ghosts. Also in both games, one Yoshi's relay leg consists [[WhoWillBellTheCat entirely of fortresses]] while another has [[WhoWillBellTheCat all castles]].

* ''Series/HoratioHornblower'': Horatio is prone to sea-sickness and is really afraid of heights. Excellent material for an officer in the Navy, wouldn't you say? His fear of heights is referenced quite often when he has to climb in the riggings or on the fighting top and deal with shortening sails. In "Retribution", he volunteer himself to descend from a cliff on a rope and his pal Archie mischievously reminds him of his anxiety.

** And Fluttershy is afraid of adult dragons in "Dragonshy", although how ''irrational'' that fear was is a point of debate (to put it in perspective, she can stare down manticores and a cockatrice).

-->'''Mr Kennedy:''' ''[saucily]'' I remember when you used to be scared of heights, Mr Hornblower.
-->'''Mr Hornblower:''' ''[measures the height he must descend from]'' Nothing's changed, Mr Kennedy.

* Bastian in ''Film/TheNeverendingStory 2''.
** Oddly enough, he doesn't have this same fear in the first movie.

* Most famously, Creator/JimmyStewart's detective character in the aptly-named ''Film/{{Vertigo}}''.

* BA Baracus in ''Series/TheATeam''. He typically has to be rendered unconscious before flying him anywhere.
** According to TheMovie, he used to be a paratrooper and developed his fear from [[DrivesLikeCrazy "H.M." Murdock's piloting]].
* In the "Hammer Drop" episode of ''Series/MythBusters'', we find out that Jamie Hyneman apparently has a mild case of acrophobia.
** This comes up again in the "Outtakes Special". In some unaired footage from "Plywood Builder", Jamie is trying to reassure Christine about her impending (until she decided not to) zipline ride, and says "You know I'm afraid of heights".
** And he jumps off a building in "Dumpster Dive" ... but you could tell he wasn't happy about it.
** He was even less happy about crossing a 100-foot duct tape bridge 50 feet above the ground. Though, considering how unstable the thing was...

* ''Manga/OnePiece''. It's not really surprising that Oda made [[TheChick Nami]] afraid of bugs, but [[ChefOfIron Sanji]]? He's just as terrified.

* [[ShrinkingViolet Florina]] from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Fire Emblem 7]]'' is terrified by bug (a support conversation shows her panicking when a bee fly around her), among a few other things.

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* A certain side quest in ''Lord of the Rings Online'' involves retrieving some baby turtles from the work shed of a hobbit named Grobo Dogwood who just so happens to be deathly afraid of turtles. When you go to pick up the little suckers, each and every one is called "Grobo Dogwood's Greatest Fear."

[[AC: Videogames]]
* A certain side quest in ''Lord of the Rings Online'' involves retrieving some baby turtles from the work shed of a hobbit named Grobo Dogwood who just so happens to be deathly afraid of turtles. When you go to pick up the little suckers, each and every one is called "Grobo Dogwood's Greatest Fear."

* Dougal in ''Series/FatherTed''. Father Jack is also terrified of Nuns

* Natasha Romanov of ''Film/TheAvengers'' is a huge badass who has no problem allowing herself to get captured, lying to a god, and flying around New York City on the back of a hostile alien. She gets stuck with the Hulk, which renders all her ninja fighting skills and mental trickery useless. Judging by her reaction, it's definitely a weak spot. It's justified, as the Hulk is [[NighInvulnerability nearly invincible, shrugging off bullets that were meant to destroy jets]], [[LetsYouAndHimFight and going toe to toe with]] Film//{{Thor}}.

* Natasha Romanov of ''Film/TheAvengers'' is a huge badass who has no problem allowing herself to get captured, lying to a god, and flying around New York City on the back of a hostile alien. She gets stuck with the Hulk, which renders all her ninja fighting skills and mental trickery useless. Judging by her reaction, it's definitely a weak spot. It's justified, as the Hulk is [[NighInvulnerability nearly invincible, shrugging off bullets that were meant to destroy jets]], [[LetsYouAndHimFight and going toe to toe with]] Comicbook/{{Thor}}.

* In ''Comicbook/{{Empowered}}'', the villain Rum, Sodomy and the Lash is scared off by ''a fabric store''. Apparently it brings up bad childhood memories.

* Natasha Romanov of ''Film/TheAvengers'' is a huge badass who has no problem allowing herself to get captured, lying to a god, and flying around New York City on the back of a hostile alien. She gets stuck with [[spoiler:the Hulk]], which renders all her ninja fighting skills and mental trickery useless. Judging by her reaction, it's definitely a weak spot. It's justified, as the Hulk is [[NighInvulnerability nearly invincible, shrugging off bullets that were meant to destroy jets]], [[LetsYouAndHimFight and going toe to toe with]] ComicBooks/Thor.

* Ferrets: Inori from ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure'' is afraid of ferrets at first, but after [[FreakyFridayFlip switching bodies]] with Tart (who just happened to be a ferret), she got over it.
** In one episode, her friend Miki has a fear of octopuses.

This is common in horror/sci-fi stories dealing with a "master of fear" (such as [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy]], [[Literature/{{It}} Pennywise]], or [[Franchise/{{Batman}} the Scarecrow]]), in which the monster uses his powers to guess his victim's worst fear, and then use it against him/her to make them a [[CowerPower quivering heap]]. Enemies who know about this weakness are prone to use FlawExploitation and as [[WeHaveWaysOfMakingYouTalk a way of coercing the hero]]. It can also overlap with TheDreaded.