Line #80 Main/FullMoonSilhouette


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5	[[quoteright:350:[[Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/et_l.jpg]]]]
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7	A character is framed right in front of a full moon, making a dramatic or ominous silhouette. Can be either still or moving, but flying past the moon was popularized by ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial.''
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9	Since this often requires the moon to be large enough for a silhouette, this trope tends to coincide with GiganticMoon (it ''can'' be done without such trickery, provided you set the camera up a long way from the foreground object and use a powerful telephoto/zoom lens). Almost always paired with FrequentlyFullMoon.
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11	----
12
13	!!Examples:
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15	[[foldercontrol]]
16
17	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
18	* ''Manga/AkameGaKill'': The members of Night Raid are introduced like this, with their silhouettes standing on threads in mid-air and in front of the blood-red moon.
19	* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': One of the iconic opening shots is Rukia's silhouette StandingOnHighGround.
20	* Sakura does it at the end of the ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'''s first episode after activating the Fly card. Tomoyo happened to be testing her video camera on the moon at the time. Oops.
21	* ''Manga/CaseClosed'': The Sport Club Murder Case is a filler episode where a silhouette is seen high-diving into the pool, with the light of the full moon showing the silhouette. The witness was able to see the act and drew a picture of that moment, with the figure jumping in front of the full moon. The witness was able to capture the sparkle of the earrings in his picture, which is then used as evidence to identify the culprit.
22	* ''Anime/EurekaSeven'' has [[http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o112/manga-anime_pictures/Anime/Moon/vlcsnap-2022049-1.jpg one of these picture.]] [[ItMakesSenseInContext It's treated a bit more seriously]] than most other instances of this trope.
23	* Kuroh with his sword, in the fight portion of the opening of ''Anime/{{K}}''.
24	* During the fight in the introduction to ''Anime/{{Karas}}'', the Karas transforms from plane to samurai form and back-flips through the air silhouetted against the moon.
25	* In ''Anime/KurauPhantomMemory '', the full moon looks awfully huge behind the flying silhouettes of Kurau [[spoiler:and later Christmas]], although it makes for lovely E.T.-like scenery, emphasizing the lonely mood.
26	[[https://68.media.tumblr.com/00e493cfbb13cc41be6f755cdf771f3b/tumblr_o7vwpqChaA1tfcszeo2_500.gif floating high in the air, suspended in front of the full moon.]]
27	* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWingEndlessWaltz'', Gundam Deathscythe Hell makes its entrance doing this, unfurling its "wings" and coming down on top of an unsuspecting Serpent.
28	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
29	** The shot of Itachi [[DramaticHighPerching sitting on a pole]] right before he starts the massacre of his own clan. His Sharingan are visible on his silhouette to show how ready he is.
30	** In ''Anime/TheLastNarutoTheMovie,'' Naruto and Hinata finally had [[RelationshipUpgrade their first kiss]] (and TheBigDamnKiss it most certainly was too).
31	* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'':
32	** Setsuna near the end of the Kyoto Arc, after she rescues Konoka from the clutches of the enemy.
33	** Eva has one at the beginning of the Mahora Blackout Operation.
34	* ''Anime/OddTaxi'': In the last episode, [[spoiler:Odokawa speeds off the partially-constructed bridge in his taxi, with bank notes scattering out his trunk, in front of the full moon.]]
35	* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
36	** During the Drum Island arc of the Baroque Works saga, this occurs with the Straw Hat Pirates when they are hastily departing Drum Island in Dr. Kureha's sleigh, with Chopper hauling the sleigh and the Straw Hats piled up in the sleigh hanging on for dear life.
37	** In ''Anime/OnePieceFilmStrongWorld'', Brook does this along with his trademark laugh style.
38	** Luffy, after [[spoiler:awakening his Devil Fruit during his fight with Kaido]], does this while running in the sky. [[spoiler:The silhouette is near identical to a depiction of the Sun God Nika, confirming that Luffy is Joy Boy.]]
39	* Vancha March is introduced with one in the manga adaptation of ''Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan'', as is [[spoiler:Steve, upon his return]] in volume 8.
40	* ''Manga/SailorMoon'': Sailor Moon herself does this a lot. A surprising number of the battles occur on full moon nights, allowing her to perform a perfect shadow appearance before going into her "I will punish you" speech.
41	* ''Manga/ShugoChara'' where the Tsukiyomi [[spoiler:siblings]] are so awesome that they can make an auto full moon. Just look at any shots of [[spoiler:Utau]] nightsinging, and you'll see this trope. Ikuto has it less so, but if you see him at night he'll have the moon behind him.
42	* ''Anime/UsagichanDeCue'': At the start of chapter 3, Mikami Inaba concludes her soul searching, and leaves the sixth floor apartment via the terrace. She leaps into the night sky in front of an oversize moon that frames her completely. This moment freezes as a cut point to another scene, that of Haru and Chou conversing in a by-street.
43	* At one point during ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'' Hitomi goes looking for Van and finds him on a rooftop practicing sword forms framed by the full moon.
44	* In the ''Anime/WishUponThePleiades'' ONA, Minato appears in front of the moon a couple of times, forming a silhouette.
45	* ''Anime/WolfsRain'': Some of the running wolf animation loops in the closing credits have a full moon background. In later episodes the moon turns blood-red.
46	[[/folder]]
47
48	[[folder:Arts]]
49	* ''Art/SpaceFantasyCommemorativeStampBooklet'': The central stamp has two humans flying across a blue-white star in the background.
50	[[/folder]]
51
52	[[folder:Asian Animation]]
53	* ''Animation/{{Lamput}}'': In "Sleepwalking", Slim Doc's silhouette is seen in front of the moon for a second after Lamput flings him back onto the balcony of the house.
54	* ''Animation/SimpleSamosa'' references the ''Film/ETTheExtraterrestrial'' example in "Anda Bhatija", where Samosa and friends have the alien Yolky on a bike with them [[spoiler:as they're on the run from the military, who are after the alien]], and they get flung into the sky and have their silhouettes superimposed over a full moon before they crash to the ground.
55	[[/folder]]
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57	[[folder:Comic Books]]
58	* One ''ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' comic makes use of this trope when Willow is flying Andrew to Scotland.
59	* An issue of ''ComicBook/{{Exiles}}'' introduces a [[BatOutOfHell further mutated]], alternate universe version of ComicBook/{{Morbius}} like this.
60	* ''ComicBook/RisingStars'': [[AntiHero Randy Fisk]] does this with [[spoiler:[[TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth Cathy Holmes]]]]'s body, after [[HeroicSacrifice they die]] in the process of [[spoiler:[[HealingHands bringing him back to life]]]], cremating them with his HandBlast. Possibly somewhat {{narm}}ful, as this is done in the sky over [[spoiler:Maas-controlled Chicago]], presumably in full view of ''dozens of enemy Specials''...
61	* ''ComicBook/Robin1993'':
62	** In #167, Tim Drake passes in front of the moon while swinging onto a Gotham rooftop.
63	** In issue #168, Batman is silhouetted against the moon as he glides in on Ra's' ship to rescue Talia.
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Fan Works]]
67	* Shows up twice during chapter 3 of ''Fanfic/RacerAndTheGeek''. The first time is in a flashback. The second time is when Rainbow Dash confronts Telny and he aims his gun at her.
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
71	* Many Christmas movies feature an ending scene where a silhouette of SantaClaus and his reindeer traveling away can be seen in the front of the moon. Played for drama in ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'': Jack is out to give gifts in Santa Claus' stead and the army is trying to shoot him down; they get him when the clouds clear and he flies in front of the moon. [[spoiler:Of course, he's already dead, so he gets better.]]
72	** Earlier in the film, Jack sings atop a hill in a graveyard with his silhouette showing against a full moon during "Jack's Lament". This image has been used prominently on the cover for home-released editions of the film.
73	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', Aladdin and Jasmine pass [[http://babesindisneylandblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Aladdin1.jpg in front of]] a [[GiganticMoon giant full moon]] during their FlightOfRomance.
74	* The final shot of ''WesternAnimation/CaptainUnderpantsTheFirstEpicMovie'' is [[spoiler:Captain Underpants flying up to the moon while George and Harold are hanging onto his cape]].
75	* Inverted in the scene of ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid\|1989}}'' where a human Ariel takes her first breath, as she's backlit by a distant sunrise, but it's a similar enough effect.
76	* ''WesternAnimation/PussInBoots2011'': While being chased by Puss, Kitty Softpaws leaps off a roof, passing in front of the moon.
77	* The last view of Kehaar in ''WesternAnimation/WatershipDown'' shows him flying away toward the rising moon, and banking back and forth in front of it.
78	* In ''WesternAnimation/ShaunTheSheep: Farmageddon'', the parody of the ''E.T.'' bike scene happens in broad daylight, but does involve them passing in front of a ''pub sign'' showing a full moon.
79	* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Mei jumps in front of the full moon just before the climax.
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
83	* Not shown in the film, but posters for ''Film/{{Arachnophobia}}'' depict a spider hanging on a silk thread in front of a full moon.
84	* During ''Film/Batman1989'', Batman does it in the Batwing, in the process imitating the Batman symbol.
85	* Happens in ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'', in the scene where ET makes Elliot's bike fly. TropeCodifier at the very least. The iconic shot of the bike silhouetted against the moon became the logo of Creator/StevenSpielberg's production company Creator/AmblinEntertainment.
86	* Kiryu in the film ''Film/GodzillaAgainstMechagodzilla'' makes one of these as he flies down to Tokyo to battle Godzilla.
87	* ''Film/ImJuli'' has a short hallucination sequence after Daniel [[SlippingAMickey drinks the drugged beverage]] served by [[MeaningfulName Luna]]. In this sequence his bus travels across the night sky while the full moon shows [[TheManInTheMoon Luna's face]] watching [[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uiWlOtEjWhI/S2JzDrYAB6I/AAAAAAAAIBg/q_lkQ5Xy1o8/s400/InJuly6.jpg the bus passing by.]]
88	* ''Film/LastActionHero'', with Danny on a bicycle no less, shamelessly parodying ''E.T.''
89	* ''Film/MalcolmX'' has a [[http://p1.storage.canalblog.com/17/12/537200/74123584_p.jpg scene]] with KKK members [[RidingIntoTheSunset riding off into the moon]]. An homage to E.T. as noted by director Creator/SpikeLee.
90	* Franchise/MonsterVerse:
91	** ''Film/Godzilla2014'': A blink-and-you'll-miss-it case occurs when a silhouetted mountain in front of the full moon starts ''shifting'', revealing that it's [[ThatsNoMoon actually]] the female [[Characters/MonsterVerseMUTO MUTO]] hiding in plain sight.
92	** ''Film/KongSkullIsland'': [[Characters/MonsterVerseKingKong King Kong]]'s head is silhouetted with the full moon behind him, when he glares down [[GeneralRipper Colonel Packard]] furiously near the climax.
93	* ''Film/TheNakedGun 2 1/2'' has Dr. Meinheimer fly past a full moon, flailing and screaming, after Frank's clumsiness sent him rocketing out a window in his motorized wheelchair.
94	* ''Film/ReturnToOz'': When Mombi yells to the Wheelers that Dorothy is escaping, she is seen in the flying Gump silhouetted against the moon.
95	* ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming:'' Spidey's first encounter with the Vulture ends with Vulture dropping Spidey into a lake, and there's a brief shot of Vulture silhouetted against the moon. Doubles as an ActorAllusion to ''Film/Batman1989.''
96	* ''Film/SpyHard'', combining it with a ''Film/{{Speed}}'' parody by having the bus travel in front of the moon during its jump.
97	* ''Film/TheTallGuy'', starring Creator/JeffGoldblum - dancing in front of the moon in a ''rabbit costume''.
98	* ''Film/Tremors5Bloodlines'': An Assblaster flies in front of the moon when Burt is tracking it with his rifle scope.
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Literature]]
102	* In Creator/RayBradbury's ''The Halloween Tree'', eight boys cling to one another to form the tail of a giant kite. The narrative describes them forming a question-mark silhouette on the moon as the kite swoops and circles through the night sky.
103	* "Literature/TheHound1924": Thrice do disturbing entities come into the protagonists' sight against the backdrop of the moon. First there are the many huge bats in the Dutch graveyard the protagonists perceive best when they fly in front of the moon. Thereafter, back in their home in England, an early haunting they experience is the sight of a "large, opaque body" that darkens an otherwise moonlight-bathed window. This is concluded some months later by the death of St. John, at whose side the narrator perceives a "vague black cloudy thing silhouetted against the rising moon."
104	* ''Literature/TheHoundOfTheBaskervilles'': Watson and Henry Baskerville notice the silhouette of a man watching them from the top of a granite pillar against the moon. [[spoiler:It is Holmes.]]
105	* In the ''Literature/WarriorCats'' book ''Path of Stars'', after the ceremony at Fourtrees, the cats look up and notice that Slash is sitting on top of the Great Rock, silhouetted against the full moon.
106	* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': The night the main characters first leave their hometown on the CallToAdventure, they see a large, batlike shadow fly across the moon. It turns out to be a SoulEating HumanoidAbomination that pursues them, then reports their location to the forces of the Shadow.
107	%%ZCE* ''Literature/XWingSeries'': It involves Star Destroyers.
108	[[/folder]]
109
110	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
111	* Parodied in ''Series/TheBoys2019''; [[SupermanSubstitute Homelander]] does it in the second season finale... while also aggressively masturbating and claiming that he "can do whatever the fuck [he] wants".
112	* ''Series/{{Eureka}}'''s season four ChristmasEpisode has Santa's sleigh being silhouetted against the full moon.
113	* In the ''Series/TheFlash1990'' pilot, there was a bolt of lightning that was superimposed on the moon, imitating Flash's chest symbol. As this was put out in the wake of ''Film/Batman1989'' in the theaters, was probably a callback to the above scene in it.
114	* ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'' has one right in the opening. Given the show's space thematic it was pretty dang predictable.
115	* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'':
116	** This was done as a parody in an episode of ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'' when Storm Blaster takes Justin (both from ''Series/PowerRangersTurbo'', the preceding season) to help the current team of Power Rangers.
117	** Before this, in Season 2 of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', Serpentera would fly past the moon, making a silhouette of itself as it did. Its ''Series/GoseiSentaiDairanger'' counterpart Daijinryuu did the same.
118	* In one scene of ''Series/TopGear'''s Botswana special, the three presenters' heads appear in silhouette against a rising red moon (red because of all the dust stirred up by their day trip across the Makgadikgadi Pan -- one of the world's largest salt flats).
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	[[folder:Music Videos]]
122	* Happens at the beginning of Music/MichaelJackson's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2AitTPI5U0 Black or White.]]
123	[[/folder]]
124
125	[[folder:Theatre]]
126	* The final number of ''Theatre/MammaMia'', "I Have a Dream", is sung by Sophie as she stands in front of a giant full moon. The stage version of the musical ends with Sophie and Sky slowly walking offstage as all the stage lights dim, except for the moon, briefly silhouetting the couple before the final blackout.
127	[[/folder]]
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129	[[folder:Theme Parks]]
130	* As a CallBack to the movie, the silhouettes of the riders can be seen going across the moon in Ride/UniversalStudios' ''Ride/ETAdventure'' ride.
131	[[/folder]]
132
133	[[folder:Video Games]]
134	* In the ''VideoGame/{{Animaniacs}}'' LicensedGame for the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem, the [[MinecartMadness minecart section]] in the Adventure Stage ends with the Warners flying past the full moon as a [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong sound-alike]] of the theme from ''E.T.'' plays. Given that ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' is a Speilberg-produced cartoon, this was likely intentional.
135	* The intro for the ''VideoGame/Battlefield2: Special Forces'' expansion shows a U.S. Navy Seal doing this by [[GrapplingHookPistol zipline]], which results in an OffscreenCrash and a [[ThatPoorCat frightened cat.]]
136	* The Werediggle Curse skill tree in ''VideoGame/DungeonsOfDredmor: Realm of the Diggle Gods'' is represented with an icon of a werediggle silhouette standing on a hill in front of a full moon.
137	* ''VideoGame/HolyUmbrella'': In the flashback scene where you play as Viper sneaking into Thurgical Castle, a large full moon remains fixed in the top center of the background so that Viper can be frequently silhouetted against it.
138	* The original ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1992'' would feature randomly-selected silhouettes flying over the moon at seemingly random matches set in the Pit (actually determined using some complicated algorithm). This was a signal to the player that this particular match could unlock a fight against Reptile.
139	* ''VideoGame/PharaohRebirth'': In stage 5, the Sinai Mines, Jonathan and Jack make a huge leap in their Jeep that results in this trope.
140	* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' has Greninja's [[LimitBreak Final Smash]], which has him wailing on his victim ninja-style as silhouettes in front of a gigantic moon.
141	[[/folder]]
142
143	[[folder:Web Original]]
144	* The ''Blog/WhatIf'' question "[[http://what-if.xkcd.com/61 "Speed Bump"]] includes an illustration of a car that lifts off the ground and tumbles helplessly against the moon. The AltText says "BREAKING: Child, Unidentified Creature in Bicycle Basket Hit and Killed by Car".
145	[[/folder]]
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147	[[folder:Western Animation]]
148	* ''WesternAnimation/ItsTheGreatPumpkinCharlieBrown'': Snoopy rises out of the pumpkin patch in front of the full moon. Linus notices Snoopy when he thought he was the Great Pumpkin.
149	* The [[GrandFinale series finale]] of ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' ends with Kim and Ron flying off in her CoolCar in front of a (what else?) full moon.
150	* A very brief example occurs in the ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' episode ''[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS3E6SnowballEffectOneKrabsTrash One Krab's Trash]]'' when Mr. Krabs does a sommersault above the horde of skeletal fishes.
151	* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', when Lapis [[spoiler:returns to help fight the Diamonds]], she is hovering in front of the full moon.
152	* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'', being a Spielberg-produced cartoon, has a few {{Shout Out}}s to the iconic scene from ''E.T.'':
153	** In "Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow", when Buster helps Elmyra's captive pets escape from Elmyra's house, Tyrone falls into the basket of Elmyra's tricycle, which gets launched into the air, and flies past the moon.
154	** In the short, "And All That Rot" from the episode, "Brave Tales of Real Rabbits", when Buster, as Brainy Domes, chases after Montana Max, as Montiarity, at one point, their horse-drawn carriages fly into the air and past the moon.
155	** In the DirectToVideo movie, ''[[WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventuresHowISpentMyVacation How I Spent My Vacation]]'', Byron flies in front of the moon, with Buster and Babs in tow, and crashes into E.T. and Elliot.
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder:Real Life]]
159	* This has become a trend for aviation photographers, as well as space photographers. For example, here's [[http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150731.html an image of the International Space Station]] (see above to the right of the large rayed crater at right).
160	[[/folder]]
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Context Main / FullMoonSilhouette