'''Basic Trope''': A character's malicious smile is unsettling and often indicates [[AxCrazy insanity and violence]].
* '''Straight''': Before stabbing Alice, Bob smiles with his teeth exposed and his eyes wide.
* '''Exaggerated''':
** An EldritchAbomination has a smile so disturbing [[BrownNote that just looking at it causes illness.]]
** Alice encounters "Bob", a body-snatching SerialKiller ghost, who always makes clear is possessing someone by making them do a gigantic grin a split second before he starts a rampage.
* '''Downplayed''':
** PsychoticSmirk
** {{Jerkass}} Alice gets in trouble BIG TIME. As she's being sent to the boss, the last thing she sees is Bob giving her a [[GrinOfAudacity shit eating grin]].
* '''Justified''': Bob is going to enjoy what he's about to do VERY MUCH.
* '''Inverted''':
** Before stabbing Alice, Bob bares his teeth in a vicious, disturbing growl - a Slasher Scowl.
** Bob frowns, angries, glooms or is shown absolutely calm and serious, but this indicates and evokes calmness, peace and bliss.
** DissonantSerenity
** WhenSheSmiles
* '''Subverted''': TheUnSmile
* '''Double Subverted''': Bob tries harder, it just gets worse.
* '''Parodied''':
** Bob flashes one of these while doing something good.
** Bob does this so often that his jaw starts to hurt.
* '''Zig Zagged''': Bob's smile looks fine until you shoot him from the angle that achieves the KubrickStare
* '''Averted''': Bob [[PerpetualFrowner doesn't smile]] [[TheStoic at all]].
* '''Enforced''': "Let's show how much he enjoys it, by making him smile."
* '''Lampshaded''':
** "Bob's smile is so creepy....and why is he holding a knife?"
** "The baring of teeth is a threat display in many species...including humans, apparently."
* '''Invoked''': [[TechnicalPacifist Bob]] doesn't want to hurt Alice. He puts on a slasher smile and wields a knife to try to scare her away without hurting her.
* '''Exploited''': Alice notices Bob's smile is not a happy smile at all and gets the hell away from him!
* '''Defied''': Bob stays stone-faced and stoic while still plotting something malicious against Alice.
* '''Discussed''': "I do believe you can analyze murderous intent in smiles by the following factors...
* '''Conversed''': "He's smiling like THAT? This will not end well for our heroes...."
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Back to SlasherSmile. And wipe that grin off your face, it's scary!
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%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
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%%* '''Implied:''': ???
%%* '''Deconstructed''': ???
%%* '''Reconstructed''': ???
%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???