History Main / FearlessUndead

* In the ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic'' games, undead are immune to both good and bad morale.
* Averted in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''. While The Forsaken Undead gain a bonus against fear abilities, it is implied to be willpower rather than an innate ability. Played straight with the rest of the Undead Scourge.
** This is something of GameplayAndStorySegregation. In the original alpha, forsaken were treated as undead and had all the benefits that came with, including immunity to fear. They also had the downsides, which allowed priests and paladins(then exclusive to the opposing faction, the Alliance) to utterly dominate them. In Warcraft's tabletop rpg companion, they're treated as undead and are immune to fear.
** The ''Will Of The Forsaken'' racial ability that all Undead players get is essentially this trope in ability form. Activate it and it will negate any Fear, Charm or Sleep debuff the player is currently suffering from (it's not ''immunity'' per se, as it needs to be activated by the player, and then you won't be able to do it again until it's cooled down).
** As mentioned, this is still played straight with the undead mobs, which is immune to most fears. (Pallies can still turn them, through.)

* Skeletons in ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper 2'' are immune to [[EmotionBomb fear traps]] and will never retreat in battle... which can cause them to show SuicidalOverconfidence against vastly stronger opponents. They also suffer {{Permadeath}} rather than the usual NonLethalKO for living creatures. Fortunately, they're implicitly free CannonFodder.
* Bizarrely averted in ''VideoGame/{{Gladius}}''. Undead aren't immune to ''any'' stats effects. Skeletons can bizarrely be effected by the "bleeding" condition.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'', where the Necrons have morale bars like everyone else, and become less effective in combat if broken (except the Pariahs, who are immune). The in-game explanation is that while they don't feel fear, they can still recognize when the situation is against them, and when to run and regroup.
* ''VideoGame/MordheimCityOfTheDamned'': One schtick of the Undead faction is that all of their units (minus the [[TheRenfield Dreg]] and the {{Necromancer}}) are immune to Fear, Terror and All Alone effects. Zombies can bog down enemy heroes for round after round, while Vampires and Vampire Thralls stare down enemy Impressives and overwhelm them.
* Varies in ''VideoGame/WarhammerDarkOmen''. Zombies are easy to throw into panic, and doing so breaks the necromancer's hold over them and return them to the grave. Ghouls no longer fall apart but they are still quite cowardly. Wights, wraiths and mummies can ''theoretically'' be scared, but good luck with that. "True" skeletons are not only completely fearless but also strike fear into the hearts of their enemies.
* In ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammer'' undead are immune to fear and terror effects, and never flee from combat unless the player orders them to retreat. In spite of this, attacking the morale of an undead army is highly effective and a major concern for undead players. Undead units that are reduced to low leadership that would cause living enemies to break and flee (through damage, flanking, spells, etc.) will begin to crumble, taking damage over time as the spells that hold them together fail. If reduced to low enough leadership that living units would shatter (flee and never rally) they will disintegrate, taking damage so fast only the battle ending within moments can save them. Where heavily damaged living units often flee but survive the battle, undead units tend to be entirely destroyed, so non-expendable undead need to be kept well protected by their more easily replaced allies.

[[folder:Pro Wrestling ]]

* Referenced in ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', where several black creatures have the fear ability, which prevents creatures other than black creatures and artifact creatures (i.e. robots) from blocking them. Another great example is the black spell Terror, which instantly destroys a creature, provided they are not black or an artifact.

* Referenced in ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', where several Black creatures cannot be blocked except by Black and Artifact creatures, defined in the flavor text as fear-based. The easiest way to give a creature this skill is to cast the black spell "Fear" on them. Another great example is the black spell "Terror". It instantly destroys a creature, provided they are not Black or an Artifact.

* This is Ayumu's view on ''his'' unlife in ''LightNovel/IsThisAZombie''. [[{{Necromancer}} Eu]] will simply patch him up after action, what's to worry?

* The High Seekers in the ''Literature/NovelsOfTheChange'' are an odd case. When they are killed, they are possessed by a fearless dark power until such time as the bodies are no longer useful - but then, when they're alive, they're possessed pretty regularly too, to similar results.

Being dead sucks. On this most people agree. However, there are perks and this particular perk derives from the fact that there is very little imaginable that can happen to you that has not already happened. In works of fiction, TheUndead are usually depicted as being without fear and immune to supernatural attempts to inflict it. Other works justify it by having certain undead types being mindless meat automatons, so they have no will of their own. For more mentally capable and independent undead, it might just be a the realization that "I am already dead/know what dying feels like -- what anyone could anyone possibly do or threaten to do to me that is worse than that?"

Being dead sucks. On this most people agree. However, there are perks and this particular perk derives from the fact that there is very little imaginable that can happen to you that has not already happened. In works of fiction, TheUndead are usually depicted as being without fear and immune to supernatural attempts to inflict it. Other works justify it by having certain undead types being mindless meat automatons, so they have no will of their own.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Roleplay/MSFHighForum'': Leanne the Chibi Vampire. Apparently, undeath keeps the worst of her [[IllGirl health issues]] at bay, the reason being that it means her most of her flawed organs don't need to work at all.
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* This becomes a plot point during Max Brooks' ''Literature/WorldWarZ''. As one of the interviewed soldiers points out, normal human warfare isn't about killing every last one of the enemy, it's about breaking the enemy's will to continue fighting. Zombies never get scared however, so at the Battle Of Yonkers, when the US Air Force lets loose some DeathFromAbove that would make any normal enemy run for the hills and the zombies just keep coming, it begins breaking the will of the human troops on the ground. That, combined with other difficulties and ammunition shortages, winds up turning the battle into a rout and massacre.
--->''You don't have to be Sun freakin Tzu to know that real fighting isn't about killing or even hurting the other guy, it's about scaring him enough to call it a day. ..."[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_and_awe Shock and Awe]]"? Perfect name, "Shock and Awe"! But what if the enemy can't be shocked and awed? Not just ''won't'', but biologically ''can't?'' That's what happened that day outside UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity, that's the failure that almost lost us the whole damn war. The fact that we couldn't shock and awe [[NotUsingTheZWord Zack]] boomeranged right back in our faces and actually allowed Zack to shock and awe us! They're not afraid! No matter what we do, no matter how many we kill, they will never, ever be afraid!''

* This is Ayumu's view on ''his'' unlife in ''LightNovel/IsThisAZombie''. [[TheNecromancer Eu]] will simply patch him up after action, what's to worry?

* Skeletons in ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper 2'' are immune to [[EmotionBomb fear traps]] and will never retreat in battle... which can cause them to show SuicidalOverconfidence against vastly stronger opponents. They also suffer Permadeath rather than the usual NonLethalKO for living creatures. Fortunately, they're implicitly free CannonFodder.

* Skeletons in ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper 2'' are immune to [[EmotionBomb fear traps]] and will never retreat in battle... which can cause them to show SuicidalOverconfidence against vastly stronger opponents. They also suffer FinalDeath rather than the usual NonLethalKO for living creatures. Fortunately, they're implicitly free CannonFodder.

** By extension, this is a constant theme in ''Literature/TheZombieSurvivalGuide'', by the same author (which features the exact same kind of zombies and describes the same universe ''Literature/WorldWarZ'' is set in). In this book, most defense, escape, and combat advise and tactics revolve around zombies not feeling any fear (or any emotion, for that matter) at all. Things that would at least somewhat intimidate humans, like gunfire or loud noises, just attract the attention of more zombies. Potential survivors are advised to be as silent as possible at all times, restrict the use of guns when the alternative is certain death, and to make every shot count (which means full automatic fire, which in real life battlefields is used to choke the movement of enemies, is to be avoided entirely).

* The Cauldron-Born in Lloyd Alexander's ''Literature/PrydainChronicles'' have no emotions at all, including fear.

* The Undead monster family in one of two types (machine is the other) that cannot be intimidated in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII''.

* Varies in ''WarhammerDarkOmen''. Zombies are easy to throw into panic, and doing so breaks the necromancer's hold over them and return them to the grave. Ghouls no longer fall apart but they are still quite cowardly. Wights, wraiths and mummies can ''theoretically'' be scared, but good luck with that. "True" skeletons are not only completely fearless but also strike fear into the hearts of their enemies.

** Averted with the Necrons, who are basically Zombie Robots. The old fluff explains that while they do ignore fear (comes with having your soul eaten by your gods and your entire body transferred into a machine), they can still judge when it would be advantageous to flee if in presence of a stronger enemy, and so must still take morale tests. The later fluff says their BrainUploading, of varying quality depending on rank, eroded their ability to feel emotions, to the point that for mooks, fear is the only emotion strong enough to sometimes break through the haze.

** Averted with the Necrons, who are basically Zombie Robots. The game explains that while they do ignore fear (comes with having your soul eaten by your gods and your entire body transferred into a machine), they can still judge when it would be advantageous to flee if in presence of a stronger enemy, and so must still take morale tests.

* Reg Shoe and many other undead from ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', along with the Igors. Although if ''Discworld/NightWatch'' is any indication, Reg was pretty fearless while alive, too. He does complain about this idea in ''Discworld/{{Jingo}}'' though. Just because the ship sinking doesn't ''kill'' him doesn't mean he's not worried by it. Especially if a shark decides to eat him. The recently deceased, after a brief moment of disorientation, are usually rather calm and optimistic about what lies before them. Partly this is because they left their glands with their bodies, and without all those panic-inducing hormones it's easy to see things rationally. And partly it's because the worst has already happened -- things can only go up from here ([[AssholeVictim the exceptions usually deserved it]]).

-->''You don't have to be Sun freakin Tzu to know that real fighting isn't about killing or even hurting the other guy, it's about scaring him enough to call it a day. ..."[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_and_awe Shock and Awe]]"? Perfect name, "Shock and Awe"! But what if the enemy can't be shocked and awed? Not just ''won't'', but biologically ''can't?'' That's what happened that day outside UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity, that's the failure that almost lost us the whole damn war. The fact that we couldn't shock and awe [[NotUsingTheZWord Zack]] boomeranged right back in our faces and actually allowed Zack to shock and awe us! They're not afraid! No matter what we do, no matter how many we kill, they will never, ever be afraid!''

* This becomes a plot point during ''Literature/WorldWarZ''. As one of the interviewed soldiers points out, normal human warfare isn't about killing every last one of the enemy, it's about breaking the enemy's will to continue fighting. Zombies never get scared however, so at the Battle Of Yonkers, when the US Air Force lets loose some DeathFromAbove that would make any normal enemy run for the hills and the zombies just keep coming, it begins breaking the will of the human troops on the ground. That, combined with other difficulties and ammunition shortages, winds up turning the battle into a rout and massacre.
-->You don't have to be Sun freakin Tzu to know that real fighting isn't about killing or even hurting the other guy, it's about scaring him enough to call it a day. ..."[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_and_awe Shock and Awe]]"? Perfect name, "Shock and Awe"! But what if the enemy can't be shocked and awed? Not just ''won't'', but biologically ''can't?'' That's what happened that day outside UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity, that's the failure that almost lost us the whole damn war. The fact that we couldn't shock and awe [[NotUsingTheZWord Zack]] boomeranged right back in our faces and actually allowed Zack to shock and awe us! They're not afraid! No matter what we do, no matter how many we kill, they will never, ever be afraid!
::Later, this is used against the zombies. When the Army changes tactics, they lure zombies into a prearranged kill zone and calmly mow them down one after another. The zombies, unable to be deterred by the fact that thousands upon thousands of their fellow creatures have been killed without even getting ''close'' to the troops, keep coming, and keep getting mowed down. Essentially, the Army turned them into {{Fearless Fool}}s, and made them pay the price for it.