History ShellShockedVeteran / FanWorks

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13357907/ Abraxas]]'', Vivienne Graham's experience of being eaten alive by Ichi has turned her into this after she's [[BackFromTheDead reborn as part]] [[ForcedTransformation of a human-Ghidorah chimera]]. The TraumaCongaLine she's suffered since certainly hasn't helped.

* ''Fanfic/SeventhEndmostVision'' has a whole ''host'' of these. The canon war between Wutai and Shinra in the backstory of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' happened wildly differently here due to [[ForWantOfANail seven timeline divergences]]; while it didn't last as long, it was [[WarIsHell much more intense]], and involved a lot more people- it was effectively their world's version of World War I. Multiple characters in the present day of the fic - five years after the War's end - are still badly affected by it, particularly [[TheHero Tifa]], who fought as a 1st Class SOLDIER during the War; her first-person narration focuses on her memories of the War a lot. Cloud, who [[AvertedTrope isn't]] this, even reminisces on three guys from his hometown at one point, and how the War affected them; one was fine, another ''seemed'' fine but [[InterruptedSuicide would have killed himself but for Cloud's intervention]], and the last descended into alcoholism and rage issues.

* In ''{{Manga/Naruto}}/{{VideoGame/Doom}}'' crossover ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5571816/18/Win-Some-Lose-Some Hell and Back]]'' has this happen to Naruto. Accidentally transported to Hell, Naruto spends approximately fifty years waging war against the forces of Hell to find a way home while ensuring they can never reach his world. Made worse in that because he can never fall safely fall asleep, he has to devour the souls of the demons he kills to survive. Two scenes that really sell how different he's become: 1) Viewing a severed head on a pike as little different than a "stay off the grass" sign. 2) When he does get back, he's quickly banned from sparring with anyone, as he can barely keep himself from killing his partners.

** It's implied that Tony's issues post New York have only been partially dealt with in the altered timeline and that they're still simmering under the surface.
** Harry gets some actual therapy in a surprising aversion of ThereAreNoTherapists from Charles Xavier (and later, Dani Moonstar), though that's mostly for his abandonment issues. Later on, he develops full on PTSD, as does Carol Danvers, [[ShownTheirWork with one reviewer who'd suffered from PTSD remarking that the descriptions were dead on]]. It only gets worse in the sequel.

* In ''Fanfic/ComingBackBroken'', while Jim and Claire seem to have bounced back from the horrifying conditions they had endured in the Darklands, it is clear that the uninhabitable conditions and Gunmar's inhumane treatment has left them with a few scars beneath the skin.

** Jango Fett isn't quite as severely affected, but becoming [[LastOfHisKind the last of his clan]] and very nearly the last of his entire branch of Mandalorian culture did a number on him, and being MadeASlave at some point afterwards didn't help. It mostly manifests in his occasional bouts of AngerBornOfWorry towards Bo-Katen, Satine and even Ben at times, but he still suffers from bouts of paranoia ([[ProperlyParanoid only occasionally unjustified, admittedly]]) and occasional nightmare.

* Used as part of the deconstruction of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' by ''Fanfic/FalloutEquestria'', where Littlepip’s experiences and body count continue to exhibit a increasing toll on her sanity as the story goes on. Applesnack/Steelhooves also exhibits signs of severe combat stress, and getting him some therapy alongside Celestia, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy might well have averted the apocalypse entirely. It’s suggested in story that Equestria’s lack of experience with fighting total war meant they were totally unprepared for large scale PTSD, or its consequences.

* ''Fanfic/Flashpoint2AdventSolaris'' shows us how Barry Allen is after the events of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueDarkApokolipsWar'', and considering he's riddled with clear tell-tale signs of post-traumatic stress disorder it's apparent that keeping the memories of what happened in that film is ''not'' good on the man's psyche. Not helping him is the fact the main villain ''knows'' this and uses it to his advantage at times, sending shapeshifters who resemble those from Barry's past to fight him, even ''blaming'' him for what happened to them, only furthering Barry's mental termoil.

** It seems to come and go with River. On the one hand, she's (rightfully) traumatized by everything that's happened to her. On the other hand, when she's in control, she has a razor-sharp focus that lets her bury that sort of detail far below conscious thought. And on the third hand she's still a little bit crazy.

* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/37447609/chapters/93453916 Frayed Edges]]'': Michael Afton's horrifically abusive and traumatic childhood and his experiences dealing with murderous animatronics has left him with severe PTSD. He suffers from frequent flashbacks and panic attacks, and he's often paranoid that the people he cares about secretly hate him, which isn't getting into his extremely low self-worth and suicidal ideation.
* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/255163 Green Ice]]'' [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation interprets]] [[Literature/JeevesAndWooster Bertie Wooster]] as one, having been so ''broken'' by his experiences in the trenches that he's in denial about the whole war ever having happened and retreated into a sort of fantasy. This seems to have affected more than just his memory, as his frivolousness, dependency on Jeeves and inability to plan for the future all appear to be the result of his experiences in WWI.

* In ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'', ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} is finally getting burned out after spending fourteen years fighting endlessly crooks, villains and eldritch abominations day after day. To the point that, when the adult Legion of Super-Heroes comes along to drag her into another life or death battle, Kara has a break-down.

* Teams RWBY and JNPR in ''Fanfic/HuntersOfJustice'' fight a losing two-day long battle against Brainiac's invasion of Remnant. Most of Remnant's major cities have already been bottled by Brainiac, with Vale being the only one left. During Vale's last stand, Ruby is captured by Brainiac and nearly experimented on before she manages to escape her bonds. Meanwhile, the Team JNPR and the rest of Team RWBY managed to board Brainiac's main ship in an effort to both rescue Ruby and take down Brainiac himself. They manage to reunite with Ruby and then go to fight Brainiac. However, Brainiac proves too much for RWBYJNPR to handle and [[CurbStompBattle they are badly beaten]]. From there, they're ForcedToWatch as Brainiac bottles Vale, the last remaining major city, and then he proceeds to destroy the planet while they look on in silent horror. They barely manage to escape with their lives via a Boom Tube using a Motherbox that they stole from him. Afterwards, they arrive on Earth and are rescued by the Justice League. However, the whole series of events has left Team RWBY and JNPR with severe PTSD and they're plagued by nightmares even a few months after the fall of Remnant.

* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'': The apparently quiet and dispassionate Hunter who keeps people at a distance is in fact a mentally scarred man with a DarkAndTroubledPast that involved [[OneManArmy killing things by the hundred thousands]] as he endured the hell and nightmare that is Yharnam. He {{mangst}}s, constantly scans for danger, avoids anything that would allow repressed memories to surface, and occasionally hallucinates about the horrors of the Hunt with a ThousandYardStare on his face. He also demonstrates other common characteristics of this archetype, such as the willingness to [[IDidWhatIHadToDo do what must be done]], as well as stepping into the role of MentorInSourArmor by time he decides to train [[TheApprentice apprentices]] (original version exclusive).

* Jaune Arc in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11822902/1/Not-this-time-Fate Not this time, Fate]]'' has spent at least sixty years stuck in a GroundhogDayLoop where how long he lasts determines how far back he's sent relative to his Initiation at Beacon (dying six hours after Initiation sent him to six hours before it). When he's sent back over two years before Beacon, he's constantly tired, has a noticeable thousand yard stare, and [[ReflexiveResponse accidentally hitting his younger sister when she surprised him]], Jaune has no idea how he's supposed to comfort her, instead simply staring at her in confusion. Later chapters also show him suffering from night terrors and a BarBrawl with Yang causes him to flashback to his previous death to Cinder.

* In ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'', Lt. Surge is a downplayed example. While he's for the most part a nice and respectful guy in general, if a bit cocksure, it's clear that his time in the war has taken his toll on him, and during Christmas time he often mourns his deceased war buddies.

** [[spoiler:Said solution was a second looper, Sansa, who being a patient partner who understands the pain Joffrey's going through, greatly helps to stabilizing Joff. However, she herself falls to this when she has to fight off Stannis' forces when they attack King's Landing, just after Melisandre's shadow demon kills Ned. The attack is repulsed, but the butcher's bill is so high Sansa's left a shivering wreck until Joff finishes off Stannis' rebellion and gets back to King's Landing to return the favor to Sansa.]]

* The protagonist of the 40k fan fic ''Fanfic/SecretWar'', Attelus Kaltos, suffers from severe PTSD. His constant chain smoking barely helps his nerves and paranoia. He also always puts his hands in his pockets, in an instinctive way to hide his shaking hands even when they're not shaking. After the [[NightmareFuel horrid things]] [[DarkAndTroubledPast he's been through]], it's understandable.
* ''Fanfic/SeventhEndmostVision'' has a whole ''host'' of these. The canon war between Wutai and Shinra in the backstory of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' happened wildly differently here due to [[ForWantOfANail seven timeline divergences]]; while it didn't last as long, it was [[WarIsHell much more intense]], and involved a lot more people- it was effectively their world's version of World War I. Multiple characters in the present day of the fic- five years after the War's end- are still badly affected by it, particularly [[TheHero Tifa]], who fought as a 1st Class SOLDIER during the War; her first-person narration focuses on her memories of the War a lot. Cloud, who [[AvertedTrope isn't]] this, even reminisces on three guys from his hometown at one point, and how the War affected them; one was fine, another ''seemed'' fine but [[InterruptedSuicide would have killed himself but for Cloud's intervention]], and the last descended into alcoholism and rage issues.
* ''Fanfic/ShaggyTheHandler'' turns Shaggy of ''Scooby Doo'' into one. Prior to finishing college, he spent a year in Vietnam as a dog handler. His experiences left him the nervous scaredy-cat we know of, though he still has some fighting ability when he's serious. Shaggy won't talk to his friends about his past and, after uncovering some of it, they decide not to bring up either.
* ''Fanfic/ShinnenNewYear'' gives us the canon version of [[Anime/GuiltyCrown Shu Ouma]], who is traumatized since he loss Inori years ago and is attempting to get over it by celebrating New Years with various crossover characters.
* In ''Fanfic/SorasMisadventuresInEquestria'', we have [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Aqua]]. Blaming herself for taking Eraqus's lessons to heart and being helpless in stopping Terra and Ven's fall to darkness due to Xehanort and Vanitas's schemes, then being stranded well over a decade in [[DeathWorld the Realm of Darkness]] fighting endless waves of Heartless and a SuperPersistentPredator in the Dark Hide (which regenerates after she kills it every time due to the nature of the Realm), she is an emotionally-broken young woman, with a jumbo-sized [=PSTD=] and BerserkButton in the form of the old Keyblade Master. [[spoiler: Even after finding a way out, unlike the events of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'', she's still a broken mess where her despair allowed her nursed inner darkness to possess her and make Sora and his friends stop her and her general attitude over everything is mistrust. Even with Ventus and Terra finally being found, she still has issues, especially with her BerserkButton, which causes her to lash out to those who threaten her friends.]]
* Tsuji Anthony Ricardsen from ''Fanfic/SoulEaterTroubledSouls'' becomes one in the third arc. Even with prior two-year training before enrollment, on just his second mission Tsuji tangoes with death and crushing defeat on Cobra Island and suffers a series of {{Heroic BSOD}}s that makes him more somber in demeanor. He says he goes through nightmares in the middle of night and cannot move on. Not to mention, there is apparently something from his past coming back to haunt him. [[spoiler: He envisions the face of the Kishin Egg that nearly killed him five years back]]. He is only 15-years-old.

* Ichigo in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13167363/1/To-Undo-it-All To Undo it All]]'' goes days at a time without sleeping, is plagued by nightmares when he does, eats flavorless high calorie food only and drinks coffee despite hating it because it wakes him up quicker. He also has to hold back from reacting violently to being touched by all but a select few and instinctively doesn't keep track of his friends' spirit energy as, [[PeggySue from his perspective]], they've all been dead for years. When he first comes back, Ichigo makes a point to not directly look anyone in the eyes for fear of having an emotional breakdown. Unohana assigns herself as his personal nurse to attempt to heal his obvious PTSD.

* ''Fanfic/VeritasDolor'': Shadow works as a G.U.N. agent, which makes him a part of the military. Seeing his comrades killed in action doesn't help his PTSD. It only adds onto his trauma.

* Uchiha Sasuke in ''Fanfic/WhiteRain'' -- the man has '''issues'''. [[Film/FightClub Multiple personal issues, for which he needs professional help]]. Let's put this into perspective: Itachi Jr. is actually a all-around 12 year old NiceGuy. Sasuke uses [[MindRape Tsukuyomi]] on him just because he [Itachi Jr.] looks like his father.

** Harry came to Middle-Earth with the original intention of a couple of months rest and relaxation away from it all. Four years on, he's one of the biggest badasses and most feared entities in Middle Earth. He's also just this side of being [[CrazyIsCool completely]] [[CloudCuckooLander insane]], occasionally doing a fair impersonation of ''{{ComicBook/Deadpool}}'' minus the active cases of BreakingTheFourthWall (though he [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall lean on it every now and then]]). By the end, he's somewhat more functional. Somewhat.

* Franchise/HarryPotter is already one of these particularly in later books, but many fanfics exaggerate this aspect of him. Special mention goes to ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheNightmaresOfFuturesPast'' where he's already lived through a Wizarding War that was much more devastating than the one portrayed in canon, with his memories playing through his mind almost every night.

** ''Fanfic/ACrownOfStars'': When the story begins, Shinji and Asuka have gone through a war against giant aliens (in which they got constantly hurt, mind-raped and actually died), the end of the world, living in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by warlords, being forced to work for dictators... they have endured so much misery, pain and trauma after long years of conflict that when the story begins they are barely functional. They are bitter, jaded and soul-weary and not looking forward to the future. And they are not even nineteen.

** ''Fanfic/TheChildOfLove'': As seen in the sequels, Shinji and Asuka tried to put so much distance as possible between them and NERV after the war for their and their daughter's sake. However the ordeals of the past still affects them, and they still are forced to deploy their giant robots every so often, despite of Shinji telling they are sick of killing people.

** ''Fanfic/DoingItRightThisTime'': Before being sent back to the past Shinji and Asuka were heavily traumatized and barely sane after the Angel War and Third Impact. After a last violent fight they decided to kill themselves because even death seemed a better option than remaining in a dead world. Then the two of them and Rei got flung back to the past and they started dealing with their issues in... unique ways.
** ''Manga/Evangelion 303'': After surviving a failed mission, Asuka suffered from SurvivorGuilt. She was full of anger, hatred and self-loathing, and anything made her snapping. And she stopped laughing or getting fun. She did not even ''want'' to get fun. After a second failure she [[spoiler:tried to shoot her brains off, but Shinji stopped her. From that point he helped her to get better]].

*** Asuka survived the War but she had been beaten, humiliated, mind-raped and disfigured permanently. For many years she was mad at everything, everyone and herself, seeing herself as an ugly, scarred, one-eyed freak and a worthless failure. She needed a lot of therapy to learn to open up to others.
*** Shinji became quieter and more introvert after the battle of 2015. He hardly talked any of his schoolmates who were not his old friends and his ex-roommate. He was also severely depressed and a borderline suicidal.

** ''Fanfic/OnceMoreWithFeeling'': After living through the war and Third Impact Shinji got sent to the beginning of everything. Although he is trying to grow a spine, become a better person and do things right this time, he is heavily traumatized and feeling inmensely guilty for everyone's deaths. Some characters note that he seems older and more tired than a fourteen-years-old should, and [[spoiler:Kaji]] is amazed that Shinji has not tried to kill himself yet.
** ''Fanfic/TheOneILoveIs'': Although Shinji, Asuka and Rei survived the War and their relationship made them slightly psychologically stronger they were still traumatized. Several years later Shinji still felt guilty for his friends' pain, Asuka was afraid of having children, and Rei regressed and became emotionless again for a while.

*** OriginalCharacter, Junichi Nakayima, a former grunt turned spy, also has a case, but it is {{Downplayed| Trope}}. Though he is quite mentally stable, he notes that his experiences in the military admittedly has damaged him psychologically and made it hard for him to care for and relate emotionally to the people around him and he also makes references to having been ordered to do several questionable things on the frontlines he has since come to regret, and in hindsight he considers his decision to join the army to be a pivotal mistake in his life, if not his worst mistake ever.

-->There was a certain logic to what Mana was saying. In a way, despite only being fourteen, Shinji was a kind of… injured veteran. Who had done his duty heroically and saved everyone, but had the mental wounds to show for it. That idea fit very well to Asuka’s notions of EVA pilots as an elite fighting troop. It wasn’t that Shinji was weak; rather it was time that others took over for him. And Asuka was definitely up to the task.
* ''Digimon'' fanfiction turns the North Korean Digidestined into this. Justified in that WordOfGod states they exist, but we never see them and there's no telling what their lives are like behind closed doors. Of course, given that they live in ''[[CrapsackWorld North]] [[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny Korea]]'', unless they're Kim Jong's kids, having a horrible enough life to invoke this trope is almost a guarantee. Also of note: If the DPRK Digidestined is one of the tiny percentage of North Koreans who isn't dirt poor, they will be BrainwashedAndCrazy or otherwise a StepfordSmiler. Again, these are justified tropes given what is known so far about the DPRK from the rest of the world.

* In ''{{Manga/Naruto}}/{{VideoGame/Doom}}'' crossover ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5571816/18/Win-Some-Lose-Some Hell and Back]]'' has this happen to Naruto. Accidentally transported to Hell, Naruto spends approximately fifty years waging war against the forces of Hell to find a way home while insuring they can never reach his world. Made worse in that because he can never fall safely fall asleep, he has to devour the souls of the demons he kills to survive. Two scenes that really sell how different he's become: 1) Viewing a severed head on a pike as little different than a "stay off the grass" sign. 2) When he does get back, he's quickly banned from sparring with anyone, as he can barely keep himself from killing his partners.

* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'': The apparently quiet and dispassionate Hunter who keeps people at a distance is in fact a mentally scarred man who [[OneManArmy killed things by the hundred thousands]] as he endured the hell and nightmare that is Yharnam in the [[DarkAndTroubledPast past]]. He {{mangst}}s, constantly scans for danger, avoids anything that would allow repressed memories to surface, and occasionally hallucinates about the horrors of the Hunt with a ThousandYardStare on his face. He also demonstrates other common characteristics of this archetype, such as the willingness to [[IDidWhatIHadToDo do what must be done]], as well as stepping into the role of MentorInSourArmor by time he decides to train [[TheApprentice apprentices]] (original version exclusive).

* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'': The apparently quiet and dispassionate Hunter who keeps people at a distance is in fact a mentally scarred man who [[OneManArmy killed things by the hundred thousands]] as he endured the hell and nightmare that is Yharnam in the [[DarkAndTroubledPast past]]. He constantly scans for danger, avoids anything that would allow repressed memories to surface, and occasionally hallucinates about the horrors of the Hunt with a ThousandYardStare on his face. He also demonstrates other common characteristics of this archetype, such as the willingness to [[IDidWhatIHadToDo do what must be done]], as well as stepping into the role of MentorInSourArmor by time he decides to train [[TheApprentice apprentices]] (original version exclusive).

* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'': Going through the hell and nightmare that is Yharnam, plus [[OneManArmy killing things by the hundred thousands]] (akin to battling in war), has damaged the Good Hunter psychologically. Throughout the story, he occasionally hallucinates about the horrors of the Hunt, [[ThousandYardStare staring blankly]] all the while. Besides, Kyril is characterised as someone who wouldn't hesitate to [[IDidWhatIHadToDo do what must be done]]. He even steps into the role of MentorInSourArmor by time he decides to train [[TheApprentice apprentices]].

** Quinlan Vos was unwise enough to use his Force power of {{psychometry}} on Ben's lightsaber because he wanted to understand his friend's Master better. [[GoneHorriblyRight He gained the understanding he was looking for]], but [[GoMadFromTheRevelation he was far happier when he didn't.]] Of all these examples he's the closest to being fully recovered thanks to some unconventional but effective treatment from [[sppoiler: the Nightsisters of Dathomir]], but the experience still left its mark in a way he will never be completely free from.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13357907/ Abraxas]]'', Vivienne Graham's experience of being eaten alive by Ichi has turned her into this after she's [[BackFromTheDead reborn as part]] [[ForcefulTransformation of a human-Ghidorah chimera]]. The TraumaCongaLine she's suffered since certainly hasn't helped.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13357907/ Abraxas]]'', Vivienne Graham's experience of being eaten alive by Ichi has turned her into this after she's [[BackFromTheDead reborn as part]] [[BalefulPolymorph of a human-Ghidorah chimera]]. The TraumaCongaLine she's suffered since certainly hasn't helped.

* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'': Going through the hell and nightmare that is Yharnam, plus [[OneManArmy killing things by the hundred thousands]], has damaged the Good Hunter psychologically. Throughout the story, he occasionally hallucinates about the horrors of the Hunt, [[ThousandYardStare staring blankly]] all the while. Besides, Kyril is characterised as someone who wouldn't hesitate to [[IDidWhatIHadToDo do what must be done]]. He even steps into the role of MentorInSourArmor by time he decides to train [[TheApprentice apprentices]].

* ''Fanfic/SeventhEndmostVision'' has a whole ''host'' of these. The canon war between Wutai and Shinra in the backstory of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' happened wildly differently here due to [[ForWantOfANail seven timeline divergences]]; while it didn't last as long, it was [[WarIsHell much more intense]], and involved a lot more people- it was effectively their world's version of World War I. Multiple characters in the present day of the fic- five years after the War's end- are still badly affected by it, particularly [[TheHero Tifa]], who fought as a 1st Class SOLDIER during the War; her first-person narration focuses on her memories of the War a lot. Cloud, who [[AvertedTrope isn't]] this, even reminisces on three guys from his hometown at one point, and how the War affected them; one was fine, another ''seemed'' fine but [[InterruptedSuicide would have killed himself but for Cloud's intervention]], and the last descended into alcoholism and rage issues.

* ''Fanfic/Flashpoint2AdventSolaris'' shows us how Barry Allen is after the events of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueDarkApokolipsWar'', and considering he's riddled with clear tell-tale signs of post-traumatic stress disorder it's apparent that keeping the memories of what happened in that film is ''not'' good on the man's psyche. Not helping him is the fact the main villain ''knows'' this and uses it to his advantage at times, sending shapeshifters who resemble those from Barry's past to fight him, even ''blaming'' him for what happened to them, only furthering Barry's mental termoil.
* Darkfic tends to turn Max from ''Film/AcrossTheUniverse2007'' into one of these. He's a bit of one in canon-- "everything below the neck works fine."

* In ''Fanfic/{{Origins}}'', Samantha Shepard lands square in this category, from her HeroicBSOD that led to a series of barbaric acts to her painful realization that no matter how human she might be, the entire galaxy will keep throwing itself on her shoulders no matter how badly she screws up. She goes through a lot of crap.
* Frodo Baggins has become one in ''FanFic/BagEnders'', being six thousand years old and suffering from Post-Ringbearer Syndrome.
* Amazingly, Minato Namikaze seems to be one -- in the ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/TheGirlFromWhirlpool'', he seems to be at least a mild example.
* ''Fanfic/TheWizardInTheShadows''
** Harry came to Middle-Earth with the original intention of a couple of months rest and relaxation away from it all. Four years on, he's one of the biggest badasses and most feared entities in Middle Earth. He's also just this side of being [[CrazyIsCool completely]] [[CloudCuckooLander insane]], occasionally doing a fair impersonation of ''{{ComicBook/Deadpool}}'' minus the active cases of BreakingTheFourthWall (though he [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall lean on it every now and then]]). By the end, he's somewhat more functional. Somewhat.
** Maglor's not much better. In fact, he's probably worse, his personality switching from ReallyGetsAround CloudCuckooLander to TheMentor to the BloodKnight without much, if any, warning.
* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', by the same author as the above:
** It's implied that Tony's issues post New York have only been partially dealt with in the altered timeline and that they're still simmering under the surface.
** Harry gets some actual therapy in a surprising aversion of ThereAreNoTherapists from Charles Xavier (and later, Dani Moonstar), though that's mostly for his abandonment issues. Later on, he develops full on PTSD, as does Carol Danvers, [[ShownTheirWork with one reviewer who'd suffered from PTSD remarking that the descriptions were dead on]]. It only gets worse in the sequel.
** Harry Dresden most certainly qualifies as this, and like the other Harry, gets therapy from Charles Xavier, though his is rather more extensive.
* Crash from ''Fanfic/MSLNTestDummies'' has PTSD from his earlier run-in with the Numbers, such that meeting Combat Cyborgs, Subaru included, doesn't go down well. [[spoiler: He gets better after Subaru pushing him too far triggers his HeroicSafeMode and he trashes her]].
%% * In the ''Fanfic/PokeWars'' series, practically all of the characters. [[ColdSniper Dawn]] is one of the most detailed examples.
%% * Pretty much every ''VideoGame/XCom'' member in ''Fanfic/{{XSGCOM}}''. You would be, considering their [[RedshirtArmy casualty rates]].
* ''Fanfic/{{Forward}}'':
** It seems to come and go with River. On the one hand, she's (rightfully) traumatized by everything that's happened to her. On the other hand, when she's in control, she has a razor-sharp focus that lets her bury that sort of detail far below conscious thought. And on the third hand she's still a little bit crazy.
** Just about everyone else features shades of it, too. Mal and Zoe, of course, inherit theirs from canon, while Kaylee is still messed up over the NearRapeExperience in "Objects In Space" and Book's past (whatever that may be) is clearly still in the back of his mind.
* Uchiha Sasuke in ''Fanfic/WhiteRain'' -- the man has '''issues'''. [[Film/FightClub Multiple personal issues, for which he needs professional help]]. Let's put this into perspective: Itachi Jr. is actually a all-around 12 year old NiceGuy. Sasuke uses [[MindRape Tsukuyomi]] on him just because he [Itachi Jr.] looks like his father.
* Used as part of the deconstruction of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' by ''Fanfic/FalloutEquestria'', where Littlepip’s experiences and body count continue to exhibit a increasing toll on her sanity as the story goes on. Applesnack/Steelhooves also exhibits signs of severe combat stress, and getting him some therapy alongside Celestia, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy might well have averted the apocalypse entirely. It’s suggested in story that Equestria’s lack of experience with fighting total war meant they were totally unprepared for large scale PTSD, or its consequences.

* Dr Tofu fears this has happened to [[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Ranma]] in the fanfic, ''Cold Dragon''. This was especially worrisome given the combination of Ranma's end-of-manga skill level and a tendency of those in this state to deal with things in the most direct and effective manner possible. [[spoiler:Made worse when Tofu realizes that Genma had been effectively trying to create this state with his TrainingFromHell teaching style. And then Ranma becomes the eponymous 'Cold Dragon']].

* The protagonist of the 40k fan fic ''Fanfic/SecretWar'', Attelus Kaltos, suffers from severe PTSD. His constant chain smoking barely helps his nerves and paranoia. He also always puts his hands in his pockets, in an instinctive way to hide his shaking hands even when they're not shaking. After the [[NightmareFuel horrid things]] [[DarkAndTroubledPast he's been through]], it's understandable.
* ''Fanfic/ShaggyTheHandler'' turns Shaggy of ''Scooby Doo'' into one. Prior to finishing college, he spent a year in Vietnam as a dog handler. His experiences left him the nervous scaredy-cat we know of, though he still has some fighting ability when he's serious. Shaggy won't talk to his friends about his past and, after uncovering some of it, they decide not to bring up either.
* In ''Fanfic/MarijuanaSimpson'' Bart returns from Iraq but ultimately cannot readjust to the opulent, weed-centric lifestyle of the Simpsons.
* ''Fanfic/MegaManDefenderOfTheHumanRace'' has Mega Man himself, starting around episode 6. The trauma he's suffered starts getting to him, his doubts over himself grow, and he blames himself when anything goes wrong.
* Explored in the Thunderbirds fic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5775006/1/Understanding Understanding]]''.
* Most characters from ''Fanfic/TheConversionBureauTheOtherSideOfTheSpectrum''. Marcus Renee, the ([[EnsembleCast usual]]) protagonist, is implied to have PTSD. As is Stephan Bauer, the other protagonist, who still has nightmares over being forced to MercyKill an entire classroom of children. Still, for pure war-related trauma, both pale in comparison to Viktor M. Kraber, the resident Sharlto Copley expy, who attempts to [[spoiler: shoot Luna twice, though he's stopped both times]]. He's a heavy drinker, has a habit of resorting to torture, and is perpetually bad-tempered. However, this is only because he lost his wife and children to TCB!Pinkie Pie.
* In ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/3189956 Aftershocks]]'', J.D. from ''{{Film/Heathers}}'' is one. The fic explores PTSD's strain on his already-unstable psyche and relationship with his family.
* In ''Fanfic/HopeForTheHeartless'', which is set after the events of ''WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron'', Taran the pig-keeper is revealed to have had {{Flashback Nightmare}}s of the Horned King’s death almost every night for months. While his friends seem to have moved on with their lives, Taran's nightmares have driven him to [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor regret his dreams of becoming a warrior]], or wishing that he had never been involved in the lich's death, or even that he had [[HeroicSacrifice thrown himself to the Black Cauldron]] instead of Gurgi. He continuously dwells upon [[WhatHaveIBecome the morality of his actions back then]], never finding a comforting answer, and he hasn't told anyone of his dreams (though he suspects that [[TheMentor Dallben]] and [[LoveInterest Eilonwy]] have their suspicions). It leads him to become [[ThisCannotBe greatly shocked]] when [[spoiler:he encounters by chance the [[ResurrectedForAJob resurrected]] Horned King who attacks him yet spares him due to the lich's MoralityPet Avalina]].
* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/255163 Green Ice]]'' [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation interprets]] [[Literature/JeevesAndWooster Bertie Wooster]] as one, having been so ''broken'' by his experiences in the trenches that he's in denial about the whole war ever having happened and retreated into a sort of fantasy. This seems to have affected more than just his memory, as his frivolousness, dependency on Jeeves and inability to plan for the future all appear to be the result of his experiences in WWI.

* In ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'', ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} is finally getting burned out after spending fourteen years fighting endlessly crooks, villains and eldritch abominations day after day. To the point that, when the adult Legion of Super-Heroes comes along to drag her into another life or death battle, Kara has a break-down.
-->'''Dev-Em:''' Kara. Will you shut up and let them talk?\\
'''Kara:''' I will not shut up and they can damned well talk after I’m finished! And I’m not finished! I serve in the Crisis and I almost die, I get my guts torn open, and luckily I get helped out by another Supergirl and healed by Raven. Almost Death #1. Then the Legion, my Legion, has me come to the 30th and I have to go to Hell and fight Mordru, and Satan Girl almost beats me to death. I still don’t know how Dev brought me back, but I’m thankful he did. Thank you, Dev.\\
'''Dev-Em:''' You’re welcome.\\
'''Kara:''' Shut up! That’s Almost Death #2, Then we go back to the 20th and everybody gets into a big gang war with everybody else, and I wind up on Apokolips and save everybody from that damned Anti-Life Equation, and I’m the only one on her feet to fight Darkseid, and he damned near disintegrates me. Almost Death #3. Am I seeing a pattern here? And now... now... you snatch me and Dev from what was supposed to be a peaceful weekend of relaxing and, and seeing the sights, and catching up with old Legion friends and, oh, you know what all else, and now whoomp! I’m in whatever time I’m in, and you say that magic word ‘Darkseid’, and I’m supposed to drop everything and sign up for the latest crusade, and I DON’T WANT TO!\\
[beat]\\
'''Kara:''' (sighing, crouching and hiding her face) I. Am. Just. Getting. So. Damned. Tired.

%% * In the sequels to ''Fanfic/DumbledoresArmyAndTheYearOfDarkness'', many characters fit this bill, [[spoiler: Seamus Finnegan, in particular]].
%% * [=Kalash93=] seems to love writing these.
%% ** Most triumphantly, there is Shining Armor in [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/90939/1/shell-shock/the-tower Shell Shock]].
%% ** Telny from [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/81159/1/racer-and-the-geek/predawn Racer And The Geek]] is definitely this, although what exactly happened to him is not yet fully known.
%% ** It's obvious from his letter that the protagonist of [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/88520/1/welcome-to-the-brothel/das-laufhaus Welcome To The Brothel]] is well on his way to becoming this.
%% ** In the related story, [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/106068/1/relax/intimacy Relax]], the protagonist is obviously in a pretty bad way at the start, but a round of good old lovemaking does wonders to help him.

* ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'':
** All of the former Remnants of Despair in ''Fanfic/DanganronpaCoda'' are wracked with guilt and trauma from their actions as part of Ultimate Despair. This manifests in vivid flashbacks and being triggered by reminders of their crimes.
** Chiaki Nanami in ''Fanfic/ExtraLife'' is left traumatized and afflicted with PTSD after [[Anime/DanganRonpa3 her torture]]. Besides having nightmares, [[TraumaButton the sight of an elevator causes her to flashback to the ordeal]], and she feels guilty for surviving when her friends came out, in her opinion, [[BrainwashedAndCrazy worse]]. She actually does get therapy from [[TheAce Izuru Kamukura]], and while that does help her learn to live with it, she's still haunted.
** ''Fanfic/HopeOnADistantMountain'' recasts the events of ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' as an UnwinnableTrainingSimulation that Naegi managed to beat. However, the experience has left him with PTSD, feeling disconnected from his family and uncertain how to approach his classmates, who aren't quite as he remembers them.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13357907/ Abraxas]]'', Vivienne Graham's experience of being eaten alive by Ichi has turned her into this after she's [[BackFromTheDead reborn as part]] [[BalefulPolymorph of a human-Ghidorah chimera]]. The TraumaCongaLine she's suffered since certainly hasn't helped.

* Link in ''Fanfic/{{Insomnia}}''. He's always watching his back no matter the situation, keeps his feelings bottled up almost airtightly, and counts his kills, apparently ever since the end of [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime his first adventure]].

* Ichigo in ''Fanfic/AProtectorsPride''. His dad tells him to unwind after "The Winter War" saying he's only 15 or he might go insane. He proves his point by pointing Ichigo's posture is always in a defensive stance.
* ''Fanfic/HogyokuExMachina'': Ishida is disturbed at how Ichigo the HotBlooded LeeroyJenkins with ChronicHeroSyndrome has become willing to murder in cold blood, yet is still mentally sound.

* ''Fanfic/{{Hard Reset|Eakin}}'' has this as the result of a GroundhogDayLoop. Especially since the usual reset condition was the protagonist's ''death'' instead of the end of the day. And the day ended up best filed under BugWar and ApocalypseHow. Things got so bad that the story went on past the end of the loop as Eakins, the author, was told by readers that just ending the story with the good guys winning seemed too pat (ViewersAreGeniuses, perhaps). This resulted in a sequel.

%% * ''Fanfic/WingsToFly'' shows some of the ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' characters dealing with their tendencies in this direction.
** Lucrezia Noin has nightmares about her first Gundam encounter and spends most of a chapter fighting off a funk caused by the discovery that nearly everyone she graduated from the Victoria Space Combat Academy is dead.
** One of the minor characters, Lieutenant Richard Dyer, had nearly his entire extended family wiped out during the canon's Operation Daybreak. He's described as having cold eyes and only has an expression when he's speaking, suggesting this.
** Another character says that Dyer is explicitly treating his new squadronmates like he would have replacement pilots during the war; most replacements died in their first five missions, so as a psychological self-defense mechanism experienced pilots didn't treat them as "real people" until they'd lived at least that long.

%%* [[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2567701/Kur0Kishi Kur0Kishi]] loves this and use it for pretty much all of his Naruto crossovers.

* ''Fanfic/ShinnenNewYear'' gives us the canon version of [[Anime/GuiltyCrown Shu Ouma]], who is traumatized since he loss Inori years ago and is attempting to get over it by celebrating New Years with various crossover characters.
* Teresa in ''Fanfic/SecretDreamer'' was nearly killed when the Risen attacked Ylisstol. She eventually confides to Severa that she still has [[PastExperienceNightmare nightmares about it]].

* Tsuji Anthony Ricardsen from ''Fanfic/SoulEaterTroubledSouls'' becomes one in the third arc. Even with prior two-year training before enrollment, on just his second mission Tsuji tangoes with death and crushing defeat on Cobra Island and suffers a series of {{Heroic BSOD}}s that makes him more somber in demeanor. He says he goes through nightmares in the middle of night and cannot move on. Not to mention, there is apparently something from his past coming back to haunt him. [[spoiler: He envisions the face of the Kishin Egg that nearly killed him five years back]]. He is only 15-years-old.
* In ''FanFic/MetroidKamenRiderGenerations'' ([[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11772125/1/Metroid-Kamen-Rider-Generations-Full-Series link]]):
** The events of the Forbidden Fruit Saga of ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'' took a toll on [[TheWoobie Micchy]] as the result of his own nefarious actions. [[spoiler:What's left of a once [[TeenGenius young, intelligent]], [[ManipulativeBastard calculative and scheming]] person is now an insecure and isolated man, who can [[StepfordSnarker barely make fun]] of other people [[SadClown to hide his pain]]. He got better]].
** When Micchy is suffering from PTSD in one chapter, [[ActionGirlfriend Samus]] must defuse the situation by providing support and listening actively to his feelings.
* In ''Fanfic/ChrysalisVisitsTheHague'', Shining Armor shows signs of increasing paranoia and obsession as a direct result of Chrysalis' mind control. Estermann and the ex-soldier Mjoberg lampshade this heavily.

* In ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'', Lt. Surge is a downplayed example. While he's for the most part a nice and respectful guy in general, if a bit cocksure, it's clear that his time in the war has taken his toll on him, and during Christmas time he often mourns his deceased war buddies.

* In ''Fanfic/StevenUniverseAndTheHuntersOfArcadia'', while his behavior may be partially due to [[spoiler:the horrifying magical experiments done on him to turn him into a changeling and the stress of being in the Janus Order]], Jamie seems to possess a level of trauma from being nearly abducted by Topaz and Aquamarine.
* ''Fanfic/BecomingTheMaskTrollhunters'': During his fight against Draal in the Hero's Forge, Jim briefly loses himself, [[spoiler:thinking for a moment that he was fighting for his life in Gunmar's crucible]].
* While normally the timid and sarcastic boy he has always been, a mix of [[spoiler:the Romans destroying Helgafjall and the people he has come to call his own and ColdBloodedTorture by Alvin the Treacherous]] has left Hiccup in ''Fanfic/TheBoyBehindTheMask'' with internal scars that turn him into TheBerserker should any of his friends or family be threatened, nearly killing Snotlout when he called Katja a whore and mowing down countless Outcasts (even [[spoiler:cleaving Savage in-half]]) with inhuman ferocity.

* Jaune Arc in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11822902/1/Not-this-time-Fate Not this time, Fate]]'' has spent at least sixty years stuck in a GroundhogDayLoop where how long he lasts determines how far back he's sent relative to his Initiation at Beacon (dying six hours after Initiation sent him to six hours before it). When he's sent back over two years before Beacon, he's constantly tired, has a noticeable thousand yard stare, and [[ReflexiveResponse accidentally hitting his younger sister when she surprised him]], Jaune has no idea how he's supposed to comfort her, instead simply staring at her in confusion. Later chapters also show him suffering from night terrors and a BarBrawl with Yang causes him to flashback to his previous death to Cinder.
* Joffrey in ''Fanfic/PurpleDays''. While he starts the fic as the same monster from canon, he breaks down rather quickly after several painful and humiliating deaths due to his terrible plans. After a few loops, even Robert can see the same haunted look that he saw in listless soldiers after the Battle of the Trident. He slowly crawls back and lives on until he decides to make for Yi Ti, where he has a very positive experience that is unfortunately cut short when the ZombieApocalypse from Westeros spills into the continent. After that death, touching weapons or even eating utensils begins triggering flashbacks. Myrcella's support somewhat eases his torment, but it's a stopgap measure at best until he finds a more permanent solution. All of his deaths have left him with a permanent WarIsHell mentality and an absolute disdain for the WarIsGlorious attitude most Westerosi lords seem to espouse.
** [[spoiler:Said solution was a second looper, Sansa, who being a patient partner who understands the pain Joffrey's going through, greatly helps to stabilizing Joff. However, she herself falls to this when she has to fight off Stannis' forces when they attack King's Landing, just after Melisandre's shadow demon kills Ned. The attack is repulsed, but the butcher's bill is so high Sansa's left a shivering wreck until Joff finishes off Stannis' rebellion and gets back to King's Landing to return the favor to Sansa.]]
* In ''Fanfic/ComingBackBroken'', while Jim and Claire seem to have bounced back from the horrifying conditions they had endured in the Darklands, it is clear that the uninhabitable conditions and Gunmar's inhumane treatment has left them with a few scars beneath the skin.
%% * ''Fanfic/ThoseThatCarryOn'' broke down Heero to this and Cima was arguably in this state from the very start of the Zeon War.
* In the ''Steven Universe'' fic ''Fanfic/NoOneSaidLifeWasGonnaBeFair'', Jasper is a veteran who has suffered from PTSD for over thirteen years now. It's taken a toll on her relationship with her wife Lapis and with her now-teenage daughter Mala. Jasper is especially traumatized after being involved in the death of her commanding officer Rosa "Rose" Diamond in 2000.
* ''Fanfic/RWBYScars'': Most hunters are some level of this, as the job is inherently dangerous and gory. The initiation to Beacon Academy alone involves seeing a good chunk of your peers being mauled and eaten by Grimm.
* Implied with Lt. Surge in ''Fanfic/GymLeaderWiki''. It's mentioned that, after his instances in the army, he's become a bit paranoid. This explains the electric traps in his gym (which have since been uninstalled because trainers couldn't solve the puzzle).
* Invoked in ''Fanfic/APrizeForThreeEmpires'' by ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, who believes ComicBook/CarolDanvers is risking the same kind of burnout that his fellow soldiers suffered during the War.
* ''Fanfic/VeritasDolor'': Shadow works as a G.U.N. agent, which makes him a part of the military. Seeing his comrades killed in action doesn't help his PTSD. It only adds onto his trauma.
* Gloria in ''Fanfic/{{Anachronism}}'' is a trainer sent [[PeggySue back in time]] after she dies. Gloria has kept all her memories and trauma from then. Even battling triggers her, to a degree.
* In ''Fanfic/SorasMisadventuresInEquestria'', we have [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Aqua]]. Blaming herself for taking Eraqus's lessons to heart and being helpless in stopping Terra and Ven's fall to darkness due to Xehanort and Vanitas's schemes, then being stranded well over a decade in [[DeathWorld the Realm of Darkness]] fighting endless waves of Heartless and a SuperPersistentPredator in the Dark Hide (which regenerates after she kills it every time due to the nature of the Realm), she is an emotionally-broken young woman, with a jumbo-sized [=PSTD=] and BerserkButton in the form of the old Keyblade Master. [[spoiler: Even after finding a way out, unlike the events of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'', she's still a broken mess where her despair allowed her nursed inner darkness to possess her and make Sora and his friends stop her and her general attitude over everything is mistrust. Even with Ventus and Terra finally being found, she still has issues, especially with her BerserkButton, which causes her to lash out to those who threaten her friends.]]
* Ichigo in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13167363/1/To-Undo-it-All To Undo it All]]'' goes days at a time without sleeping, is plagued by nightmares when he does, eats flavorless high calorie food only and drinks coffee despite hating it because it wakes him up quicker. He also has to hold back from reacting violently to being touched by all but a select few and instinctively doesn't keep track of his friends' spirit energy as, [[PeggySue from his perspective]], they've all been dead for years. When he first comes back, Ichigo makes a point to not directly look anyone in the eyes for fear of having an emotional breakdown. Unohana assigns herself as his personal nurse to attempt to heal his obvious PTSD.
** Ichigo eventually reveals that in the BadFuture, after the Thousand Year Blood War he slept in the crater of his home, pretended to attend school at the ruins of his old high school, and just generally wandered around the destroyed Karakura Town, talking and laughing to himself[[note]]Unlike canon, the Winter War and Thousand Year Blood War lasted a total of ten years, so Ichigo was in his mid-twenties after they ended[[/note]].
* ''Fanfic/TheDesertStorm'':
** Ben Naasade/Obi-Wan Kenobi has PTSD from his time in the Clone Wars. While he's fine for the most part, he is prone to having flashbacks, experiences panic attacks, and frequently suffers from nightmares about the war, and when he hits a particular stress point it's apparent to anyone familiar with 'TSR'[[note]]Short for Traumatic Stress Response; in-universe term for PTSD[[/note]] that he's got it bad. Once this becomes public knowledge among the Jedi, he's actually seen in a more sympathetic light, as it explains much of his behavior.
** Jango Fett isn't quite as severely affected, but becoming [[LastOfHisKind the last of his clan]] and very nearly the last of his entire branch of Mandalorian culture did a number on him, and being MadeASlave at some point afterwards didn't help. It mostly manifests in his occasional bouts of AngerBornOfWorry towards Bo-Katen, Satine and even Ben at times, but he still suffers from bouts of paranoia ([[ProperlyParanoid only occasionally unjustified, admittedly]]) and occasional nightmare.
** Quinlan Vos was unwise enough to use his Force power of {{psychometry}} on Ben's lightsaber because he wanted to understand his friend's Master better. [[GoneHorriblyRight He gained the understanding he was looking for]], but [[GoMadFromTheRevelation he was far happier when he didn't.]] Of all these examples he's the closest to being fully recovered thanks to some unconventional but effective treatment from [[sppoiler: the Nightsisters of Dathomir]], but the experience still left its mark in a way he will never be completely free from.
* Naruto in ''Fanfic/FirstTrySeries'' ends up this way after taking the Chunin Exam in Kiri. A trap set by an Iwa team kills half of his companions and brutally maims two more, causing him to use the Nine Tails' chakra and wipe out the ambushers. Around the time canon starts, Naruto reacts to Konohamaru's childish attack on Sarutobi by pinning him to the floor and trying to drive a kunai through his skull, only being stopped by Sarutobi catching his wrist.
* ''Many'' characters in ''Fanfic/XCOMRWBYWithin'', most notably Blake (whose issues are compounded by the physical aftereffects of the severe wounds she suffers) and Ruby, who as a junior officer and Strike Team leader has a lot of SurvivorGuilt to work through over the personnel who were killed under her command. The sequel explores it in detail as Teams RWBY and JNPR have to readjust to life as regular Atlesian Hunter trainees, some of them with more ease than others.
* Teams RWBY and JNPR in ''Fanfic/HuntersOfJustice'' fight a losing two-day long battle against Brainiac's invasion of Remnant. Most of Remnant's major cities have already been bottled by Brainiac, with Vale being the only one left. During Vale's last stand, Ruby is captured by Brainiac and nearly experimented on before she manages to escape her bonds. Meanwhile, the Team JNPR and the rest of Team RWBY managed to board Brainiac's main ship in an effort to both rescue Ruby and take down Brainiac himself. They manage to reunite with Ruby and then go to fight Brainiac. However, Brainiac proves too much for RWBYJNPR to handle and [[CurbStompBattle they are badly beaten]]. From there, they're ForcedToWatch as Brainiac bottles Vale, the last remaining major city, and then he proceeds to destroy the planet while they look on in silent horror. They barely manage to escape with their lives via a Boom Tube using a Motherbox that they stole from him. Afterwards, they arrive on Earth and are rescued by the Justice League. However, the whole series of events has left Team RWBY and JNPR with severe PTSD and they're plagued by nightmares even a few months after the fall of Remnant.
* In ''Fanfic/WhatTomorrowBrings'', when Tom hugs Rachel, Jake goes into hypervigilance mode and reflexively reacts as if she's being attacked because he's come to see Tom as the enemy.
* In ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'', going through the hell and nightmare that is [[VideoGame/BloodBorne Yharnam]] would do that to the Good Hunter. Throughout the story, he hallucinates about the horrors of the Hunt quite often, something that he is [[ConditionedToAcceptHorror long accustomed to]].
* ''Fanfic/ByTheSea'': Obi-Wan is severely mentally scarred from his time fighting in World War II and feels absolutely nothing positive for it, especially not after he watched Anakin die in his arms. He has constant, debilitating nightmares and dissociative flashbacks to battles and hearing the cries of the dying, and of Anakin's last moments. He only starts to get some relief after he makes friends with Cody, who realizes what's happening and wakes him from his nightmares and sings him through his episodes, helping to ground him in the present.
* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/37447609/chapters/93453916 Frayed Edges]]'': Michael Afton's horrifically abusive and traumatic childhood and his experiences dealing with murderous animatronics has left him with severe PTSD. He suffers from frequent flashbacks and panic attacks, and he's often paranoid that the people he cares about secretly hate him, which isn't getting into his extremely low self-worth and suicidal ideation.

* ''[[Fanfic/EakinsHardReset Hard Reset]]'' has this as the result of a GroundhogDayLoop. Especially since the usual reset condition was the protagonist's ''death'' instead of the end of the day. And the day ended up best filed under BugWar and ApocalypseHow. Things got so bad that the story went on past the end of the loop as Eakins, the author, was told by readers that just ending the story with the good guys winning seemed too pat (ViewersAreGeniuses, perhaps). This resulted in a sequel.

* In the ''Fanfic/PokeWars'' series, practically all of the characters. [[ColdSniper Dawn]] is one of the most detailed examples.
* Pretty much every ''VideoGame/XCom'' member in ''Fanfic/{{XSGCOM}}''. You would be, considering their [[RedshirtArmy casualty rates]].

* ''Fanfic/WingsToFly'' shows some of the ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' characters dealing with their tendencies in this direction.

* ''Fanfic/ThoseThatCarryOn'' broke down Heero to this and Cima was arguably in this state from the very start of the Zeon War.

* [=Kalash93=] seems to love writing these.
** Most triumphantly, there is Shining Armor in [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/90939/1/shell-shock/the-tower Shell Shock]].
** Telny from [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/81159/1/racer-and-the-geek/predawn Racer And The Geek]] is definitely this, although what exactly happened to him is not yet fully known.
** It's obvious from his letter that the protagonist of [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/88520/1/welcome-to-the-brothel/das-laufhaus Welcome To The Brothel]] is well on his way to becoming this.
** In the related story, [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/106068/1/relax/intimacy Relax]], the protagonist is obviously in a pretty bad way at the start, but a round of good old lovemaking does wonders to help him.

%% * In the sequels to ''FanFic/DumbledoresArmyAndTheYearOfDarkness'', many characters fit this bill, [[spoiler: Seamus Finnegan, in particular]].

* ''FanFic/Flashpoint2AdventSolaris'' shows us how Barry Allen is after the events of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueDarkApokolipsWar'', and considering he's riddled with clear tell-tale signs of post-traumatic stress disorder it's apparent that keeping the memories of what happened in that film is ''not'' good on the man's psyche. Not helping him is the fact the main villain ''knows'' this and uses it to his advantage at times, sending shapeshifters who resemble those from Barry's past to fight him, even ''blaming'' him for what happened to them, only furthering Barry's mental termoil.

** ''Manga/{{Evangelion 303}}'': After surviving a failed mission, Asuka suffered from SurvivorGuilt. She was full of anger, hatred and self-loathing, and anything made her snapping. And she stopped laughing or getting fun. She did not even ''want'' to get fun. After a second failure she [[spoiler:tried to shoot her brains off, but Shinji stopped her. From that point he helped her to get better]].

* Link in ''FanFic/{{Insomnia}}''. He's always watching his back no matter the situation, keeps his feelings bottled up almost airtightly, and counts his kills, apparently ever since the end of [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime his first adventure]].

* ''FanFic/HogyokuExMachina'': Ishida is disturbed at how Ichigo the HotBlooded LeeroyJenkins with ChronicHeroSyndrome has become willing to murder in cold blood, yet is still mentally sound.

* In ''{{Manga/Naruto}}/{{Videogame/Doom}}'' crossover ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5571816/18/Win-Some-Lose-Some Hell and Back]]'' has this happen to Naruto. Accidentally transported to Hell, Naruto spends approximately fifty years waging war against the forces of Hell to find a way home while insuring they can never reach his world. Made worse in that because he can never fall safely fall asleep, he has to devour the souls of the demons he kills to survive. Two scenes that really sell how different he's become: 1) Viewing a severed head on a pike as little different than a "stay off the grass" sign. 2) When he does get back, he's quickly banned from sparring with anyone, as he can barely keep himself from killing his partners.
* The protagonist of the 40k fan fic ''FanFic/SecretWar'', Attelus Kaltos, suffers from severe PTSD. His constant chain smoking barely helps his nerves and paranoia. He also always puts his hands in his pockets, in an instinctive way to hide his shaking hands even when they're not shaking. After the [[NightmareFuel horrid things]] [[DarkAndTroubledPast he's been through]], it's understandable.

* In ''FanFic/MarijuanaSimpson'' Bart returns from Iraq but ultimately cannot readjust to the opulent, weed-centric lifestyle of the Simpsons.
* ''FanFic/MegaManDefenderOfTheHumanRace'' has Mega Man himself, starting around episode 6. The trauma he's suffered starts getting to him, his doubts over himself grow, and he blames himself when anything goes wrong.
* ''FanFic/WingsToFly'' shows some of the ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' characters dealing with their tendencies in this direction.

* Most characters from ''FanFic/TheConversionBureauTheOtherSideOfTheSpectrum''. Marcus Renee, the ([[EnsembleCast usual]]) protagonist, is implied to have PTSD. As is Stephan Bauer, the other protagonist, who still has nightmares over being forced to MercyKill an entire classroom of children. Still, for pure war-related trauma, both pale in comparison to Viktor M. Kraber, the resident Sharlto Copley expy, who attempts to [[spoiler: shoot Luna twice, though he's stopped both times]]. He's a heavy drinker, has a habit of resorting to torture, and is perpetually bad-tempered. However, this is only because he lost his wife and children to TCB!Pinkie Pie.

* Tsuji Anthony Ricardsen from ''Fanfic/SoulEaterTroubledSouls'' becomes one in the third arc. Even with prior two-year training before enrollment, on just his second mission Tsuji tangoes with death and crushing defeat on Cobra Island and suffers a series of [[HeroicBSOD Heroic BSODs]] that makes him more somber in demeanor. He says he goes through nightmares in the middle of night and cannot move on. Not to mention, there is apparently something from his past coming back to haunt him. [[spoiler: He envisions the face of the Kishin Egg that nearly killed him five years back]]. He is only 15-years-old.

* Some [[https://danbooru.donmai.us/pools/10870 fanworks]] portray [[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Reisen Udonge Inaba]] as one of these, showing either traumatized, wickedly skilled with weapons, or both due to her experiences from the Lunar War or some other large event. This is especially the case with a series of shorts titled "''Regret''", where she's shown to have the typical standard flashbacks or intrusive thoughts for someone with [=PTSD=] and, at the last of those shorts, we find out that [[spoiler: she performed a {{mercy kill}} on a younger moon rabbit soldier, which turned out to be pointless]], being the reason as to why.

* Joffrey in ''FanFic/PurpleDays''. While he starts the fic as the same monster from canon, he breaks down rather quickly after several painful and humiliating deaths due to his terrible plans. After a few loops, even Robert can see the same haunted look that he saw in listless soldiers after the Battle of the Trident. He slowly crawls back and lives on until he decides to make for Yi Ti, where he has a very positive experience that is unfortunately cut short when the ZombieApocalypse from Westeros spills into the continent. After that death, touching weapons or even eating utensils begins triggering flashbacks. Myrcella's support somewhat eases his torment, but it's a stopgap measure at best until he finds a more permanent solution. All of his deaths have left him with a permanent WarIsHell mentality and an absolute disdain for the WarIsGlorious attitude most Westerosi lords seem to espouse.

* Franchise/HarryPotter is already one of these, but many fanfics exaggerate this aspect of him.

** Jango Fett isn't quite as severely affected, but becoming [[LastOfHisKind the last of his clan]] and very nearly the last of his entire branch of Mandalorian culture did a number on him, and being MadeASlave at some point afterwards didn't help. It mostly manifests in his occasional bouts of AngerBornOfWorry towards Bo-Katen, Satine and even Ben at times, but he still suffers from bouts of paranoia ([[ProperlyParanoid only occasionally unjustified, admittedly]]) and occasional BadDreams.