Line #142 Main/EmotionEater


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10	[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/emotion_eater2.PNG]]]]
11	[[caption-width-right:350:And the secret ingredient is--Nah, too obvious a joke...]]
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16
17	->'''Mr. Dark:''' Yes. We are the hungry ones. Your torments call us like dogs in the night. And we do feed, and feed well.\
18	'''Mr. Halloway:''' To stuff yourselves on other people's nightmares.\
19	'''Mr. Dark:''' And butter our plain bread with delicious pain. So, you do understand a little.
20	-->-- ''Literature/SomethingWickedThisWayComes''
21
22	Some monsters [[Music/ColePorter get no kick from champagne. Mere alcohol doesn't thrill them at all.]] It's the ''[[EvilTastesGood taste]]'' of someone else's emotions that does it for them. An Emotion Eater is someone who [[HorrorHunger draws psychic nourishment]] or power from another person's emotions, and will usually do what they can to instill those emotions in others.
23
24	Due to the RuleOfDrama, an emotion eater will rarely feed on positive emotions. Instead they will more likely draw nourishment from fear, hate, envy, or lust, and the process of seeding these emotions can turn Suburbia into a gangland ghetto. If they ''do'' feed off of positive emotions, in all likelihood their gimmick is to drain the ability to ''feel'' these emotions from their victims, turning them into {{Empty Shell}}s.
25
26	These creatures always work to increase them, no matter how much is already in the world. EvilCannotComprehendGood or BlueAndOrangeMorality may lead to "sharing the love" in creepy ways or spreading horror that translates as {{narm}}. One way to beat the Emotion Eater can be to [[ImNotAfraidOfYou deny them that emotion]], which can be easier said than done when the fed upon emotion is fear.
27
28	The concept has a fair degree of crossover with the "[[OurVampiresAreDifferent psychic vampire]]", a type of being that feeds not on blood, but on a person's life force. Usually, this vampirism is at its most potent when the victim is in the throes of powerful emotions. It also often has the side effect of the victim ending up drained and unable to feel any emotion... [[OurSoulsAreDifferent or worse.]]
29
30	A subtrope to AbstractEater and, through that, of FantasticDietRequirement. Compare TheHeartless and ExoticEntree. See also MadeOfEvil. Less closely related is GodsNeedPrayerBadly. PoweredByAForsakenChild is when some sort of mechanism uses this as a power source. AsLongAsThereIsEvil is a closely related trope when a villain is an Emotion Eater on a human race-wide scale. An Emotion Eater may be extra-susceptible to an EmotionBomb, or they might use them on their prey instead.
31
32	See IKnowWhatYouFear for how one particular emotion may be "encouraged".
33
34	For all the talk about how villainous most Emotion Eaters are, albeit well-deserved, it should be noted that there ''are'' comparatively rare cases of those who [[BadPowersGoodPeople use their powers benevolently]]. Examples of non-malicious Emotion Eaters usually feed by passively absorbing "excess" emotional energy from one or more targets harmlessly or only drain those who consent to the process. If they actively drain targets, they usually take care to only drain negative emotions such as anger, hate, sorrow, or fear, resulting in much more positive or clearer mindsets for the target. Alternatively, benevolent examples may feed on positive emotions ''without'' draining them, meaning the Emotion Eater thrives on other characters' happiness. May result in a PoweringVillainRealization.
35	----
36	!!Example subpages:
37
38	[[index]]
39	* EmotionEater/AnimeAndManga
40	* EmotionEater/ComicBooks
41	* EmotionEater/FanWorks
42	* EmotionEater/{{Literature}}
43	* EmotionEater/LiveActionTV
44	* EmotionEater/TabletopGames
45	* EmotionEater/VideoGames
46	* EmotionEater/{{Webcomics}}
47	* EmotionEater/WesternAnimation
48	[[/index]]
49
50	!!Other examples:
51	[[foldercontrol]]
52
53	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
54	* ''ComicStrip/ThisModernWorld'': The titular terror in the strip "[[https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/12/1748054/-Cartoon-The-thing-that-ate-America-s-brain "The Thing That Ate America's Brain"]] (and its [[https://images.dailykos.com/images/858490/story_image/TMW2020-09-23color.png?1600534632 two]] [[https://images.dailykos.com/images/996225/story_image/TMW2021-10-13color.png?1633900271 sequels]]) is a tentacled BrainMonster that feeds on the "chaos, anger and turmoil" generated by UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump and his supporters.
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
58	* ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'': The Heart of Atlantis is a malfunctioning example, in the sense that it thrived on ancient emotions instead of recently gathered feelings.
59	* ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc1'': The city of Monstropolis is powered by the screams of terrified little children. [[spoiler:The monsters later discover that children's laughter is ''far more'' powerful.]]
60	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'': The Sirens get their powers by feeding on the negative energy of those hypnotized by their MindControlMusic. The more negative energy they consume, the stronger their voices become until they have everyone under their control.
61	* ''Anime/SpiritedAway'': No Face feeds off of the greed in the bathhouse and goes nuts. However, he gets better. In fact, the reason why he kept following Chihiro because she was kind to him and asked for only his leaving the bathhouse in peace. She held no greed for him to feed on.
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
65	* ''Film/TheDeathsOfIanStone'': The [[EldritchAbomination Harvesters]] primarily feed on fear, and encourage tales of boogeymen throughout TheMultiverse so as to have an easier time harvesting it. Some time back, they discovered that the most delicious fear comes from the instant before death, and became addicted to slaughtering their victims. [[spoiler:It turns out they're ''not '' AlwaysChaoticEvil, and if they get into an InterspeciesRomance they can also sustain themselves on love.]]
66	* ''Film/GhostbustersII'': Vigo uses a river of slime beneath the city to gather and feed on people's negative emotions. [[spoiler:The slime is later used by the Ghostbusters against him after they expose it to some positive emotions.]]
67	* ''Film/GirlVsMonster'': The monsters. When they feed on their victims' fear, they will be more stronger and powerful.
68	* ''Film/It2017'': Pennywise/IT makes a point of scaring the daylights out of his victims rather than going in for the kill, for the same reason the rest of us would season a well-cooked meal.
69	* ''Franchise/TheMatrix'': The Merovingian's wife craves the emotions of others, especially love. This is why she keeps making people kiss her.
70	* ''Film/TheTheatreBizarre'': "Vision Stains" is about a writer[=/=]SerialKiller who cannot dream. She extracts fluid from her victims' eyes as they die and injects it into her own eye so she can experience the others' lives as they flash by in their dying moments.
71	* ''Film/TheTingler'' is an old sci-fi / horror movie where Creator/VincentPrice discoveres a parasitic entity that lives inside the human spine, feeding on fear. Somewhat counterintuitively, screaming actually hurts the tingler, since giving voice to fear channels it away from the parasite.
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:Music]]
75	* Music/NineInchNails: "The Collector".
76	-->I have this net\
77	It drags behind me\
78	It picks up feelings\
79	For me to feed upon
80	* Music/{{Rammstein}}: "Mein Herz Brennt" is about a character feeding on children's TearsOfFear.
81	[[/folder]]
82
83	[[folder:Podcasts]]
84	* ''Podcast/TheAdventureZoneBalance'': [[spoiler: Edward and Lydia feed off suffering to sustain Wonderland.]]
85	* ''Podcast/DeathByDying'': Episode 3 has [[spoiler:the Silent Nuns who turn out to be empathic vampires who drain all of the sadness from the Greif Support Group]].
86	* ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives'': Starting in the fourth season, [[spoiler: Jonathan Sims, the Archivist, develops a physical need for the statements. It is revealed that this hunger is shared among Avatars of the various Entities, as Daisy withers when actively denying her need to Hunt.]] The Entities all feed on fear in one way or another, [[spoiler: but Jon specifically is feeding on the emotions of the storytellers and making people relive their horrific encounters. He is tired and disheveled when unable to force stories out of victims for an extended period and becomes more powerful after having fed.]]
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Theme Parks]]
90	* ''Ride/DoctorDoomsFearfall'': The storyline at [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal's Islands of Adventure]] involves Doom gathering people to ride his "Tower of Doom", so he can use the fear generated from those riding as a power source for his ultimate weapon, the "Fusion Dynamo".
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
94	* ''VisualNovel/TrappedWithJester'': Jester is lured to the protagonist by the smell of contempt. He says he might have slurped too much and [[AmnesiacHero took their memories along with it]].
95	* ''VisualNovel/SablesGrimoire'':
96	** White vultures are a type of {{demihuman}} which feed on the suffering and negative emotions of other beings. Their preferred targets are the dying and the recently deceased, so they tend to hang around hospitals, graveyards, and the occasional battlefield. Raphael, Amadronia Academy's nurse, is the most prominent white vulture in the story.
97	** IncubiAndSuccubi like Sable's homeroom teacher Eris can feed on the lust that other beings feel toward them. To that end, they dress provocatively and use subtle hypnotic powers to instill these feelings in others, then discretely soak them up like a plant photosynthesizing sunlight. Actual intercourse does not enter the process at any point.
98	* The spirit of [[spoiler: Adam Walpole, the titular Penthos]] in ''VisualNovel/{{Penthos}}'' seeks out those suffering from grief and makes an agreement with them to let him consume their negative emotions, in exchange for making them [[IgnoranceIsBliss blissfully unaware]] of their own pain.
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Web Animation]]
102	* ''WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss'': [[{{Beelzebub}} Queen Bee-Lzebub]] is the ruler of the Gluttony Ring and can get ''high'' from the energy of others indulging in gluttonous acts. She can also "taste" the emotions of those who attend her parties, which are apparently distinct enough in "flavor" that she's able to immediately zero in on Blitzo's negative mindset.
103	* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': The Apathy drain people's will to go on, sapping away their emotions in the process. Proximity to the Apathy can calm people down by "taking the edge off" their emotions, and increasing the number of Apathy increases the impact. With enough of them, they can cause entire settlements to stop living and die of starvation or dehydration. At closer range, the Apathy can also [[SuperScream unleash a piercing scream]] that dramatically amplifies this effect, causing victims to collapse and lose all will to continue; they'll just lie down in front of the Apathy and wait to die.
104	[[/folder]]
105
106	[[folder:Web Original]]
107	* The Franchise/{{Godzilla}} FanFilm ''Godzilla vs the Kaiju Killer'' has Gabara reimagined as an entity created by Stalkkus to feed on the fear of his victims.
108	* In ''Website/{{Mortasheen}}'', the Devilbirds all definitely fit this trope, all in many terrifying ways. (Except for Sloth.)
109	* More than a few interpretations of the [[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos Slender Man]] suggest/theorize that he consumes the fear of his victims. What a [[SarcasmMode shocking development]].
110	* Nightmares, the MonsterClown archenemy of The ''Podcast/TheThrillingAdventureHour's'' Frank and Sadie Doyle, feeds off fear to grow powerful. This turns the Doyles into his personal kryptonite. Sadie finds clowns hilarious, so she can't take him seriously enough to be afraid and, thanks to Sadie, Frank no longer fears Nightmares despite his being Frank's childhood boogeyman. His second and third appearances focus on him finding ways to generate enough fear to make him powerful enough to manifest after being previously vanquished.
111	* ''Website/SCPFoundation''
112	** There is some speculation among Foundation personnel that [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-589 SCP-589]] "The Price of Obsession" feeds off of the intense anguish it causes its obsessed victims after it leaves them.
113	** [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-708 SCP-708 ("The Big Orange Forklift")]]. Some Foundation scientists believe that SCP-708 feeds on its driver's enthusiasm.
114	** [[http://scp-wiki.net/scp-932 SCP-932 ("Night Feeder")]]. These creatures find a sleeping person, pin them down and wake them up. They then consume the fear the victim feels at the situation they're in.
115	** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1293 SCP-1293 ("Squeedle Deedle Dee!")]]. These creatures trick human beings into feeling certain emotions so they can feed on them. Type A feeds on feelings of unease and perturbation, and Type B feeds on feelings of confusion and bewilderment. Namely, As have convinced the researchers that they have to hand over their kids, so they can [[ItMakesSenseInContext draw them something to reproduce from]], and the author puts forwards the possibility even the supposed "real" reproduction the new doctor observed was an attempt at putting him off too, and Bs simply show up in front of someone and do an impromptu musical act with no rhyme or reason.
116	** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1457 SCP-1457 ("Mourning Cloak")]]. The butterfly that is SCP-1457 absorbs sad memories from people and gives them to other people. The recipients feel emotions of loneliness and abandonment, which SCP-1457 then eats for sustenance.
117	** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1655 SCP-1655 ("Sorrow Tick")]]. Foundation scientists believe that SCP-1655 causes negative emotions in its victims in order to feed off those emotions.
118	** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2018 SCP-2018 ("Museum of You")]]. SCP-2018 used to absorb the emotions that the museum visitors felt as they looked at the exhibits. It was inspired to create its own virtual museum to create exhibits relevant to the lives and memories of its visitors.
119	** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-3209 SCP-3209 ("Boredom Butterfly")]]. These species of butterflies prey on interest. They absorb it by landing on its prey's noses and flapping their wings in front of their eyes, taking away the prey's interest. Affected animals become lethargic and unmotivated, eventually dying of starvation, while affected humans instead permanently lose interest in their favorite hobbies or topics (such as golfing, watching movies, or even attraction to their family), with frequent exposure leading to chronic anhedonia and apathy.
120	[[/folder]]
121

Context Main / EmotionEater