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6[[quoteright:306:[[ComicBook/ScottPilgrim https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the-heartless2_642.jpg]]]]
7[[caption-width-right:306:[-[[https://www.deviantart.com/scarecrowartist/art/8th-Evil-Ex-NEGA-SCOTT-175965440 "Nega-Scott"]] artwork by [[https://www.deviantart.com/scarecrowartist ScarecrowArtist]]-]\
8[-Used with permission.-]]]
9%%
10->''"Don't bother, your voice can no longer reach him where he is. His heart belongs again to darkness! All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came! You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."''
11-->-- '''[[Characters/KingdomHeartsXehanortsIncarnations Ansem, Seeker of Darkness]]''', ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI''
12
13The Heartless are monsters born out of people's negative emotions. They can be a special case of BodyHorror, but can also be a part of the victim's [[AnatomyOfTheSoul Soul Anatomy]] that has been [[EnemyWithout separated from them]], and like a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghost]] they [[LivingMemory may not]] [[IntangibleMan have a physical body at all]] -- in which case, they may be considered a kind of {{Tulpa}}. This part of the soul may represent all of a person's animalistic desires without any of the restraint, similar to a JekyllAndHyde situation, or all of their feelings of suffering, sadness, and anger condensed into a distinct figure. They can be a convenient MonsterOfTheWeek since they are an unlimited resource; there always seem to be plenty of [[VictimOfTheWeek victims]] loaded with problems and angst for The Heartless to feed on. They can also have a [[ViralTransformation self-propagating]] "[[TheVirus zombie]]" effect.
14
15The trouble for the heroes is that these are difficult to get rid of, especially if The Heartless still displays an awareness of the world (usually, as a ruse of the EnigmaticMinion). If an established character ''becomes'' one of The Heartless, they may act as if they have undergone a FaceHeelTurn.
16
17The AllLovingHero's power is usually to combat The Heartless or even to heal them. The AntiHero or WellIntentionedExtremist usually insists the victims are [[MercyKill too far gone]] and [[IDidWhatIHadToDo should be put down]] before more people get hurt. Occasionally, a victim who is FightingFromTheInside can resist The Heartless' control.
18
19Depending on the context, this trope may be a subtrope of AbstractApotheosis. This is because nearly every series that this trope is used in presents these critters as AnAesop about them being in [[AsLongAsThereIsEvil everyone's hearts.]] Contrast/See also MadeOfEvil.
20
21Obligatory HeartDrive link thrown in for good measure.
22
23Not to be confused with [[LetsPlay/TheHeartless the Let's Player of the same name]], the film ''Film/Heartless2009'', or the single ''Heartless'' by Music/{{Heart|Band}}.
24
25----
26!!Example subpages:
27[[index]]
28* TheHeartless/AnimeAndManga
29* TheHeartless/VideoGames
30[[/index]]
31
32!!Other examples:
33[[foldercontrol]]
34
35[[folder:Trope Namer (''Kingdom Hearts'')]]
36* The ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' video games name the trope, with the manifestations of the darkness that exists in people's hearts; the darker the heart, the more powerful the resulting Heartless, which explains [[spoiler:why Sora's Heartless turned out to be a Shadow (a lowly {{mook|s}})]]. They mindlessly seek out other hearts to steal (and thus increase their ranks) and tend to allow themselves to be directed by those who have control over darkness, or simply by those powerful enough. However, they are described as having started out decidedly less destructive before the series' BigBad, Xehanort, started his experiments on them and created the Emblem Heartless.
37* The [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Unversed]], which are the 'opposite of human life', are born from raw darkness. They apparently feed off of negative emotions, in a different way than the Heartless do. There's also Vanitas from the same game, who [[spoiler:is the darkness from Ventus's heart, removed and made into a separate entity.]] The Unversed simply extend the process; [[spoiler:each is a living incarnation of one of Vanitas's emotions, so, effectively, they are the Heartless of a Heartless (in terms of this trope's definition). Once Vanitas dies, however, they cease to be.]]
38* The Dream Eaters of ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'' play it a bit differently. Dream Eaters are the naturally occurring manifestations of the Darkness that exists within Sleep and Dreams, and they are split into two kinds. Whereas Nightmares are bad and devour happy dreams, Spirits consume the Nightmares and act as helpful and friendly {{Mon}}s.
39[[/folder]]
40
41[[folder:Comic Books]]
42* In Creator/DCComics, this is basically what black kryptonite is all about. It splits people in two halves. [[EnemyWithout One of those halves is an evil half that represents the victim’s dark side]]. The black kryptonite clone is the embodiment of the victim’s inner darkness.
43* In Creator/MarvelComics, this is the Void's relationship to ComicBook/TheSentry.
44* The ''ComicBook/MartianManhunter'' expels the Heartless in an issue of his own series (a flashback to his Justice League International days). Then he destroys it with ''EyeBeams''.
45** His personal Heartless is [[spoiler:his addiction to [[BlandNameProduct Chocos]]. Seriously.]]
46* Creator/GrantMorrison's run on ''Comicbook/DoomPatrol'' had one of these as the ultimate baddie -- the Candlemaker, an embodiment of mankind's fears of nuclear annihilation.
47%%* [[spoiler:The Thing Inside The Wall]] in ''ComicBook/JohnnyTheHomicidalManiac''.
48* The emotional spectrum entities in ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'' are creatures born from, and embodying the emotions of sentient beings. Naturally, the ones born from fear, greed, and rage are particularly nasty.
49* Despite the whole ZombieApocalypse motif, this is what the Black Lanterns from ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'' really are--the unresolved emotions of the dead given form; they just pretended to be the actual (zombified) person in order to trigger emotions in their victims, which they [[EmotionEater fed on]]. The dead person's real soul was not involved, and if the person had died in peace, they couldn't be duplicated.
50* Nega-Scott in ''Comicbook/ScottPilgrim'' (comics only; the movie version is completely different).
51** To explain: In the comics, [[spoiler: Nega-Scott is basically an AnthropomorphicPersonification of Scott's repressed memories and his denial to admit he's been a {{Jerkass}} since he started high school. Scott doesn't really "defeat" him; rather, through revelation of his true high school past through Kim (which was [[FakeMemories altered]] into him being an eternal moral do-gooder by both his repression and [[BigBad Gideon]]'s tampering), and through contemplation during Nega-Scott maiming him, Scott accepted his own faults and absorbed Nega-Scott back into himself.]] In the movie, it's just a GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere that Gideon sends to fight Scott at the end, which backfires when they become instant friends.
52* The main villain of one ''ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'' story arc is "The Thirst", a golem that is animated as the [[EnemyWithout shadow self]] of the [[MessianicArchetype chosen waterbearer]] should they use their power to harm rather than heal. His only desire is to [[OmnicidalManiac drink life itself]]. They take this role to the waterbearer, their strength proportional to the bearer's negative emotions. Only after Aquaman finds it in his heart to forgive his archenemy can he muster the strength to defeat him. [[spoiler: And when he's then betrayed by said villain, the response leads to him doing a FusionDance with The Thirst, leading from a fake ending into a far worse scenario.]]
53* ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'': Mephisto's "son" Blackheart was born from the evil of Christ's Crown (named after the crown of thorns used to torture Jesus), a place with a dark and bloody history.
54* Several ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'' enemies are born from her dark emotions: Satan Girl, Kara's negative side given shape and sentience by a fragment of Red Kryptonite; [[ComicBook/DemonSpawn Nightflame]], her death wish's embodiment; and Dark Supergirl, who is born from her self-loathing, grief and SurvivorGuilt.
55[[/folder]]
56
57[[folder:Fan Works]]
58* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has the Spirit of the Fallen Fortress, which is composed of the pain, anger, and suffering of all the thousands of beings that died in the Fortress, and aspects of their spirits were trapped there, before the resultant entity started hunting in earnest.
59* In Part 2 ''Fanfic/ClashOfTheElements'', [[spoiler: the trope namers themselves have appeared as of Chapter 21]]
60* ''Fanfic/CrownsOfTheKingdom'' has the Dispirations, although it's not so much that they eat negative emotions as that they crave ''any'' thought pattern that might bring them closer to reality.
61* ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'' has Satan Girl: ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'s dark side's embodiment, born from her repressed dark desires and impulses.
62-->'''Supergirl:''' It happened some years ago, both in my time and yours. I was coming to your era to attend a Legion meeting. Just routine business, but the bylaws stated that a member had to attend a minimum number of meetings to keep her status, and I chose this one. And just after I popped into your time, I ran right into a chunk of Red Kryptonite.\
63'''Shrinking Violet:''' That's the stuff that always has crazy effects on Kryptonians. Makes 'em fat, or crazy, or giants, or gives 'em ant's heads, and like that.\
64'''Blok:''' Please continue, Kara.\
65'''Supergirl:''' All I knew at the time was that I had a fainting spell. While I was out, the real Red K effect came through. The thing... it... I was cloned! It cloned me, and the clone was, well, my evil side. My dark side. And it was just as real as... as real as me.
66* ''Fanfic/HerInnerDemons'': The fic argues that Midnight Sparkle was the result of Human Twilight's feelings of alienation and bitterness.
67[[/folder]]
68
69[[folder:Film]]
70* In ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet'', the Monsters from the Id are invisible, [[NighInvulnerability invincible]], incredibly strong [[ImplacableMan beings of pure vengeance]]. Their existence is a side effect of the DeadlyUpgrade.
71* ''Film/TheBrood'' is about a woman who gives birth to her inner demons.
72* The Nothing in ''Film/TheNeverendingStory'' is the result of children no longer believing in fairy tales. However, [[OlderThanTheyThink in the original book]], it's implied to be more a result of increasing cynicism and loss of imagination, as it's spread by [[spoiler:people lying]].
73* The curse in ''Film/JuOn'' was created by a fit of rage.
74* The Pink Slime in ''Film/GhostbustersII'' was generated by the negative emotions of New York. The substance itself is actually neutral, but New York is just that cynical and negative a city.
75* Played with in ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' where the titular character is forced to face [[EnemyWithout Nega-Scott]] and demands to face him alone. A few minutes later the two emerge together, laughing and talking, and Scott says they decided to just talk instead:
76--> '''Scott:''' We just shot the shit. He's... he's just a really nice guy. We're gonna get brunch next week. We actually have a lot in common.
77* ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet'': A computer virus that copies and replicates insecurities in systems ends up scanning Ralph and picks up his ''emotional'' insecurities. It responds by creating a ton of Ralph copies that embody all his negative traits, like his possessiveness and fear of abandonment, which have no other desire but being friends with Vanellope... [[StalkerWithoutACrush whether she likes it or not]].
78[[/folder]]
79
80[[folder:Literature]]
81* ''Literature/TheCampHalfBloodSeries'': Monsters - as in, the monsters from Myth/ClassicalMythology - are frequently described as such. Chiron in ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' calls them "archetypes" who are born "from the chaos and barbarism that is always bubbling underneath civilization", just like the gods are the collective spirit of Western Civilization. As a result, monsters can never truly be killed, as they have ResurrectiveImmortality and can only be sent back to Tartarus to regenerate.
82* ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'' has [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent Ignorance and Want]]. A pair of [[HumanoidAbomination Humanoid Abominations]] who were born of Humanity's [[HumansAreFlawed flaws]].
83%%* ''Literature/{{Phenomena}}'' is a unique case, having the [[spoiler: BigGood]] being this.
84* The Spectres of ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials''.
85** The truth is much worse than that: as it turns out, [[spoiler:they're really [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]] spawned from the Abyss, the great void of nothingness between Universes. They devour the souls of unfortunate people who happen to be near them. They're also created whenever the Subtle Knife is used to cut between the worlds. They destroyed civilisation in the world that originally created the Knife. Oh, and you can't kill them by physical means.]]
86* ''Literature/HarryPotter''
87** Dementors are a borderline case. We never learn how they came to be, or, indeed, if anyone knows this at all, but their presence drains the positive emotions of everyone around them, and they will swallow the souls of anyone too weak to fight back if given the chance. The Ministry actually uses them as prison guards, although some (such as Dumbledore) question the wisdom of this approach--with good reason, as they defect to Voldemort almost as soon as he asks since he doesn't impose any restrictions on them.
88** Boggarts are another borderline case: they take the form of what the person nearest them is most afraid of.
89* ''Literature/ForestKingdom'': Across the series, the demons [[spoiler: are just humans who've been taken over by the Darkness, completely against their will]]. There's also something of an extension on the trope by having the Infernal Devices (swords) chosen to ''fight'' the demon armies capable of burning the humanity right out of the user, in essence making them the same or worse than the things they're fighting.
90* In Creator/NeilGaiman's ''Literature/AmericanGods,'' Odin thrives on death and Loki on chaos. [[spoiler:Shadow thwarts both of them by standing before the impending war of gods and explaining exactly that. The gods go their separate ways, and the death Odin was counting on to resurrect him evaporates.]]
91* ''Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde'' is about how Jekyll tries to chemically rid himself of negative impulses and emotions but instead leads to his transformation into the embodiment of them.
92** Hyde could be seen as the Ur-example of this trope. Also unmentioned above but relevant to this trope and the quote, the story not only makes much of Hyde's utter lack of any kind of positive emotion or morals, but also points out that because he has none of these things, and hence no limits, he has an unrivaled love for life. It is this addictive sensation that actually draws Jekyll into continuing the experiment until it is absolutely too late to turn back.
93** In the second volume of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Mr. Hyde discusses this with the others; he explains that he's been getting bigger over the years while Jekyll's been wasting away because Jekyll kept all the restraint for himself.
94* The Beast in ''Literature/LordOfTheFlies'' is initially thought to be a physical threat, but eventually we come to understand that it is the darkness of man's heart, and is the corruption of human kind's minds. Though the Beast is never actually seen because it's all in the characters' minds.
95** They do, however, mistake other people for the beast, one being a dead airman who has ejected from his aircraft above them and the [[spoiler: other being Simon, who they kill]] and who Golding gives a beautiful burial.
96* In "Literature/TheFishermanAndHisSoul" by Creator/OscarWilde, a Fisherman cuts his shadow (which holds his soul) free from his body so that he can live in the sea with his love, a mermaid. The soul, lacking a heart, becomes evil.
97* The Serpents in ''Literature/TheDeathGateCycle'' were created by magic gone mad fused with their creators' fear and hatred- their goal is to turn the universe into "a prison house of suffering and death" because negative emotions give them power and prolong their existence. Unlike a lot of examples they're actually very smart (most of the time), and can take whatever shape they want to further their goals, though they prefer appearing as hideous snakelike creatures in order to best terrify people.
98* The Overlook Hotel in ''Literature/TheShining'' is depicted as being The Heartless in architectural form, if you go by the interpretation that the paranormal side of what's happening in it is genuine.
99* The Shadowen in ''Literature/TheHeritageOfShannara'' are very much this trope: smoky, bodyjacking wraiths made up of people's negative emotions and hatreds.
100** From the same author, the feeders in ''Literature/TheWordAndTheVoid'' are creepy, shadowy beings that feed on negative emotions, and induce them in people to boot. The demons, on the other hand, are closer to TheSoulless.
101* The Fearlings in ''Literature/TheGuardiansOfChildhood'', shadowy wispy spirits that spread fear into the minds of children by turning their dreams into nightmares and converting them into their ranks if overdosed.
102* The Voices from ''Literature/OfFearAndFaith'' are powerful demonic monsters created by humankind's negative emotions that instill these emotions in anyone who gets near them.
103* The unnamed shadow-creatures in ''Literature/{{Lamplight}}'' only prey upon those who have become completely socially isolated, both physically and electronically.
104[[/folder]]
105
106[[folder:Live Action TV]]
107* Somewhat inverted in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' and ''Series/{{Angel}}'', with regard to Angel/Angelus being basically two variations on the same character, with/without a soul.
108* ''Series/RedDwarf'' makes ample use of this trope in many episodes, such as:
109** In one episode, the crew land on a moon that forms itself to mimic the mind of Rimmer, who is... all the worst traits of humanity. They are trapped and decide to build up Rimmer's self-esteem in order to escape. This culminates in giving Rimmer a group hug.
110** "Polymorph", which features a monster that feeds on emotions such as fear, guilt, rage, and vanity, and changes its shape in response to each person's inner demon in order to elicit these emotions.
111** Rimmerworld, which is populated entirely by descendants of Rimmer who have weeded out any trace of bravery, kindness, or loyalty, in favor of all of Rimmer's worst qualities. They're all named Rimmer.
112** Legion, a "gestalt entity" comprised of the four crew members' combined consciousnesses. They defeat it by [[spoiler:knocking themselves unconscious.]]
113* ''Series/DoctorWho''
114** The Mara are parasitic beings of pure hate and rage that require the fear of their victims to survive. As the Doctor learns from a mystic in its second appearance, "fear is the only poison". When forced to reveal itself, it looks like a rather pathetic giant carnival snake.
115** The Valeyard is the Doctor's worst possible future self, created by the Time Lords to condemn him. In return, he would get the Doctor's body. He's so bad, he terrifies the Master, who once held the universe for ransom.
116** The Dream Lord is more a MasterOfIllusion and personification of the Doctor's darkness and self-hatred than the Valeyard.
117%%* The Horrors from ''Series/{{Garo}}''.
118* In one episode of ''Series/TheAmazingExtraordinaryFriends'', AppliedPhlebotinum splits the heroes into separate beings embodying their good and evil sides (although their 'evil' sides are selfish more than anything else).
119* The creature Armus from the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode ''Skin of Evil'' describes himself as having come from a race of Titans who learned to physically manifest the dark part of their natures as a second skin, which they then discarded. Armus is the amalgamation of all of the discarded evil, or potential for evil, of a race. To say the least, he's a bit peeved about being left behind.
120** An interesting example in that Armus is defeated by confronting him with the fact that he is less heartless than he first appears.
121* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'':
122** Daimaou of ''Series/NinjaSentaiKakuranger'' is the embodiment of human hatred and despair. This means that killing him would unleash a HatePlague on humanity so he can only be defeated by sealing him away.
123** Don Armage of ''Series/UchuuSentaiKyuranger'' was born from the despair of the universe and wants to save the universe by destroying it and creating a better one.
124** ''Series/TheHighSchoolHeroes'': The Mazins are humans who have been corrupted by an evil smartphone app that takes advantage of the pain in their hearts, which is represented by the giant nails that are driven through their chests in their transformed states.
125** ''Series/AvataroSentaiDonbrothers'' uses a very similar idea. The monsters are Hitotsuki, humans who spontaneously transformed into monsters as a result of being consumed by their desires. The Donbrothers and Nouto are in conflict over how to deal with the Hitotsuki. The Donbrothers save humans who transformed into Hitotsuki while the Nouto simply delete them from existence.
126* ''Series/UltramanEighty'' had a whole series of monsters created by negative emotional energy that was called "Minus Energy." Examples include:
127** Hoe is considered the most iconic of the bunch and arguably presents the trope better than any other Minus Energy kaiju. The creature forms from despair and depression, constantly cries tears of explosive acid, and can breathe a beam of Minus Energy. He tends to reappear in other ''Franchise/UltraSeries''.
128** Crescent, a dinosaur-bear kaiju, is the very first one and also 80's very first enemy.
129** Delusion Series/UltraSeven, an EvilTwin of Ultraseven that manifested from the anger of an Ultraseven-loving kid whose soccer game was ruined by 'bosozoku'' (Japanese bikers).
130** And in the proud tradition of the Ultra Series giving us truly bizarre kaiju, 80 in one episode must contend with Glovusk, a creature spawned when a ''baseball glove'' absorbed Minus Energy due to a boy's frustration over his struggles at playing the sport.
131** Plazma and Minazma were the final ones to appear in the show and considered the most powerful Minus Energy monsters. While pretty strong on their own, their combined strength almost defeated 80 until Yullian transformed for the first time.
132* The Shadow (created as a side effect of the leyline Nexus under the manor), the Source (an evil bestowed on the Underworld's leader), and the Hollow (a parasitic entity AboveGoodAndEvil which feeds on both forms of magic) from ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}''. Cole became host to each power once.
133[[/folder]]
134
135[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
136* The Shadows from ''TabletopGame/WraithTheOblivion.'' Each wraith has a nihilistic voice in the back of their head, urging them away from the things that defined them in life and towards oblivion. Wraiths who give in to this voice too deeply become Spectres, agents of Oblivion focused on destroying all existence.
137** However, the reverse is also true: Spectres have a Psyche, the voice of life and hope that tries to talk them into doing 'the right thing'.
138** ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'' also had Bane Spirits, spirits of violence, anger, misery, and corruption used to harrow humans and turn them into fomori and servants for the Wyrm. While the Bane Spirits are born of mankind, the gameline makes it clear that just shoving an anger spirit in someone doesn't make them the Hulk; they need to give in to its subtle insinuations first...
139* In ''Inferno'' for the TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness, [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons]] are the AnthropomorphicPersonification of this trope, seeming to be created from human evil (although due to their universal [[ConsummateLiar Lord of Lies]] ability, this is nearly impossible to verify). They start off as [[TheFaceless bodyless]], [[TheNameless nameless]] voices called Whisperers, [[TheCorruption spirits transformed by a combination of human evil]] and...''something'', [[EnemyWithout Enemies Without]] who gained a life beyond that, and the ghosts of the evil. After tempting [[DealWithTheDevil people to sin or write Testaments for them]], they [[OneWingedAngel evolve]] into Dominions, who exist to make themselves more powerful through spreading sin and darkness.
140* Fan-made expansion ''TabletopGame/GeniusTheTransgression'' has an interesting variant in Manes, who represent [[ScienceMarchesOn popular concepts disproved by science]]. Entire ''worlds'' can be created this way -- the moment the Viking probe sent back pictures of Mars as a barren wasteland, the Martian Empire came into existence. They're not always bad though, they just want to continue existing.
141** Additionally, while they're more like normal people than most, the [[WalkingTechbane Clockstoppers]] are anti-Geniuses; they possess no spark of creativity and reduce wonder and [[WeirdScience Wonders]] to emptiness. In place of a creative "spark" they possess a gnawing "void" that essentially means they ''run on spite.''
142* ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful:'' While many Darkspawn are born from those who cross (or are pushed across) the MoralEventHorizon, others are composed of random bits of negative emotions that congeal together until they attain a crude self-awareness, or composed of sadism and despair given body by dark rituals.
143* In ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} Fantasy II'', the various monsters infesting the Mad Lands not only are often humans corrupted by their dark sides, but their naming even follows the "-less" format. E.g. people who don't speak out when they should become Soundless, people who are too quick to take offense become Skinless, etc.
144* The four gods of Chaos in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' are born from base emotions. Khorne is the God of Hate, Rage, Blood, War, Honor, and Killing. Tzeentch is the God of Change, Hope, Ambition, Manipulation, Scheming, and Sorcery. Nurgle is the God of Decay, Despair, Love, Destruction, and Disease. Slaanesh is the God of Decadence, Excess, Pain, Pleasure, and Self-Indulgence.
145%%* The Circles of Hell in ''Obsidian''.
146* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', there is the Fihyr (from the Monster Manual II.) To quote the description, "Fihyr are the collected fears of humanity made corporeal."
147** The sorrowsworn are misshapen manifestations of negative emotions such as anger, hunger, loneliness, and panic native to the Shadowfell. While in previous editions they were demons, in Fifth Edition they are Monstrosities that can be weakened by acting against the negative emotion they represent. For example, Angry sorrowsworn become confused and disoriented when their would-be victims don't attack them.
148* Demons in TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}} are born from the sins of evil souls, and it's mentioned that even a single such soul can spawn hundreds if not thousands of demons.
149* The Nightmares from ''TabletopGame/DontRestYourHead'' are things from unfeeling bureaucracy to sleazy journalism to hatred itself given flesh, either by [[BodyHorror a person transforming into one due to severe insanity]] or by more exotic means -- the Ladies in Hating are either trained in the High School or created from young girls poisoned by the blood of other Ladies in Hating, while legend has it that Mother When came from... somewhere else when someone tried to pick the lock on a door out of the Mad City during the Thirteenth Hour. They are almost universally cruel, twisted, and vicious, incapable of mercy, compassion, or kindness... and the very fact that the Wax King ''doesn't'' match this description is sometimes taken as proof that he isn't actually a Nightmare at all.
150* Most ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}'' monsters are of this variety. The setting runs on [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve Clap Your Hands If You]] [[strike:Believe]] Fear, and the {{Big Bad}}s, who are the primary Heartless of this verse, harvest human fear and use it to animate anything the local populace fears, be it {{jackalope}}s, {{wendigo}}s or living blast shadows. These created abominations are powered by fear too, so they are also The Heartless.
151* The Horrors of ''TabletopGame/{{Earthdawn}}'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' are {{Eldritch Abomination}}s from another dimension that feed on pain and negative emotions. They vary wildly in their intelligence and habits, from near-mindless beasts that slaughter indiscriminately to diabolical masterminds who start wars and plagues. Then there are those like Yserthgrathe and Chantral's Horror, who go for quality over quantity - find a single "perfect" victim and dedicate your existence to inflicting misery on them, including making them immortal so that there is never any escape.
152** As ''Shadowrun'' has had to [[WritingAroundTrademarks break away from the Horrors due to a number of licensing deals]], new horrors have cropped up in the setting - such as Shadow Spirits, entities that drain the life and power of metahumans in order to feed on their lust, their fear, their sorrow, their violence, or their creative urges.
153* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' gives this sort of origin to devils (as having come from demons) on the plane of Innistrad, as described in the flavor text of Riot Devils--"Devils are demons' unearthly desires made flesh."
154** Demons, angels, and devils are all created from mana (aka the magic-powering energy ''directly tied to your philosophy and emotions''), so potentially any of them can be born of negative emotions, provided there's enough mana.
155[[/folder]]
156
157[[folder:Web Animation]]
158* ''WebAnimation/FlipnoteWarrior'': The Art Fairies feed on negative emotions of struggling artists, which benefits both. But when this cycle is unbalanced, they are turned into Anti-Sakuga monsters and parasite off people.
159[[/folder]]
160
161[[folder:Webcomics]]
162* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick:'' This is how [[spoiler: vampires]] work, witnessing and being shaped by the darkest points of their host's life at the moment of their creation.
163--> '''[[spoiler: High Priest of Hel]]:''' And that's who I am. Your worst day, personified.
164* In ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'' when people die their memories all remain in the khert, where devoid of a living mind to keep them unified they scatter, like calling to like, creating "ghosts" coagulated from many different people's worst experiences. Of course this does happen with other sorts of memories too. [[spoiler: The First Silver monster Delicieu creates acts as a beacon to these negative ghosts, drawing them into the world in massive numbers, while Boo proves so full of good memories that the monster can't harm it.]]
165[[/folder]]
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167[[folder:Web Original]]
168* The strangers from ''Website/GoodbyeStrangers'' possibly are a form of the heartless. They do not appear to be alive and appear spontaneously when conditions are right and they come in a variety of strains that appear to be themed around different emotions and concepts, especially negative ones like loneliness, grief, rage, and lust. Although unlike a lot of other examples on this page, many of the ones based on negative emotions are {{Non Malicious Monster}}s or are entirely harmless, and sometimes are so pathetic that they are kind of adorable. For example, the [[https://strangers.atrocityland.com/enter/site/module/primer/s_buledroni.html buledroni]] doesn't do much besides constantly crying and the only effect it has on humans is increasing the production of tears. But plenty of other strangers will attack and kill humans in gruesome ways or have effects that can leave people with permanent disabilities.
169* The Yamiko in the ''Literature/SailorNothing'' novel are a particularly gruesome version, with the interesting twist that their being pure evil also makes them incompetent, with no self-control or self-discipline (see the Quotes page for the full version of the page quote). This may be considered a {{deconstruction}} of sorts.
170** The Yamiko are also interesting in that they're made by magically cloning a human, with the cloning process doing nothing more harmful than knocking out the human. The first act of a newborn Yamiko is usually to murder the original, but not only is it possible for the whole and unaltered human to come face to face with the living embodiment of their dark side, it happens a few times over the course of the story, and if a Yamiko has let their human counterpart live, it's usually so they can be ForcedToWatch as their Yamiko copy brings their whole world crashing down in the most sadistic manner possible.
171* Though WordOfGod says that the Devilbirds are supposed to be ''Website/{{Mortasheen}}'''s [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon-equivalents]], they fit equally well under this trope. For those who don't know, they're Boschian bird-monsters each embodying a negative emotion, which [[EmotionEater feed by inducing said emotions in other people]]. Let us take the [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/gluttony.htm Devilbird of Gluttony]] for example. It feeds by [[HorrorHunger inducing a hunger so fierce in a bystander that they will eat anything in sight]]. They then are psychically forced to go back to the Devilbird's nest and [[NauseaFuel vomit up what they've eaten in said Devilbird's mouth]]. In the advanced stages of this hunger, they may become so ravenous that they begin to eat themselves just to fill their hunger. And yes, almost all of the Devilbirds are this horrible. Even [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/phasmoria.htm the one based on positive emotions]] [[LightIsNotGood turns its victims into hopeless addicts]]. The only exception is the Devilbird of Sloth, which is so overcome with its negative emotion that it doesn't do ''anything'' -- harming and exploiting others or even ''hatching from its egg'' are far too much work for a creature that is completely slothful.
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174[[folder:Western Animation]]
175* [[PsychoPsychologist Penelope Spectra]] from ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' was a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghost]] posing as a school guidance counselor. She made her patients ''more'' depressed, however, because she needed their negative emotions to keep herself young. [[spoiler:At least, until she was able to make herself a new ectoplasmic body that wasn't falling apart.]]
176* In the final episode of ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' has Courage's insecurities conjure up a SadistTeacher that punished him for even the slightest imperfections. [[spoiler: She melts away when Courage learns to accept himself for who he is.]]
177* Oil Can Harry is billed as Harry the Heartless in the Filmation ''WesternAnimation/MightyMouse'' serial "The Great Space Chase."
178* [[spoiler:Ahsoka]] becomes this in the middle of the Mortis arc of ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars''; complete with MindControlEyes and TaintedVeins. It could also be a supernatural case of MoreThanMindControl. Things get particularly heartbreaking when [[spoiler:the Son decides YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness and kills her with a DeathTouch. Thankfully she is resurrected]].
179* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' gives us Trigon (an EldritchAbomination) who was able to produce an EvilTwin for each of the Titans (minus Robin and Raven). Things looked bleak [[spoiler: until they started switching opponents]]
180* In ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'', the Peacock Miraculous can manifest powerful creatures called "sentimonsters" from people's emotions. In theory, this would be used to make allies of good out of ''positive'' emotions, but much like how [[BigBad Hawk Moth]] abuses the [[SuperEmpowering Butterfly Miraculous]] to create supervillains, [[TheDragon Mayura]] uses the Peacock to birth monsters from negativity.
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