Main Tropes Index

Troperville

Editing Help

Tools

Toys

Narrative

Genre

Media

Topical Tropes

Other Categories

Custom Search

Kenshiro shows that even the ultimate Bad Ass can have a sensitive side.
The pretty and sweet manner of it forced
Those waters from me which I would have stopp'd;
But I had not so much of man in me,
And all my mother came into mine eyes
And gave me up to tears.

William Shakespeare, Henry V

"Do my tears...surprise you? Strong men also cry, Mr. Lebowski. Strong men... also... cry."
The Big Lebowski, The Big Lebowski

Somewhere down the line, it became the "norm" that boys don't cry. It doesn't matter the scenario; shedding any tears is the ultimate no-no in terms of what you can and can't do as a man (at least in the West, anyway). But there comes a time when a man's emotions do get the better of him, and they pour forth - prerequisite impassioned speech may or may not be present - by cascading down his cheeks. These are what we like to call Manly Tears.

Just like it may or may not involve a Rousing Speech, they may or may not be someone's crowning moment, be it awesome, heartwarming, tear jerking or otherwise. Tears may be Due To The Dead, and so feature at a Meaningful Funeral or during To Absent Friends. Attempts to comfort may provoke Dont You Dare Pity Me.

(Pain is, of course, right out. No matter how brutal the beating or how cruel the torture, the hero may scream in pain, but crying for it is Unmanly. As is fear. Crying because you're scared shitless is also Unmanly.)

This can also be a common audience response to particularly emotional moments in the more Hot Blooded shows.

Contemptible characters may attempt to characterize these tears as Water Works; the effect is to make them even more contemptible. The crying character may also apologize for them as a sign of weakness.

When the feelings overwhelm even a thing physically incapable of tears, Tears From A Stone result.

Contrast Sand In My Eyes, where the man denies to the end that he is crying.

Contrast Tender Tears, where the character weeps easily because of an especially tender heart; Tears Of Respect for your enemies; Tears Of Remorse when a character laments his own wrong-doing (which may overlap with Manly Tears).

See also Berserker Tears, for when the tears cried are those of rage.

Examples:

    open/close all folders 

    Advertising 

    Anime and Manga 

    Comic Books 

    Fan Fic 

    Film 

    Literature 

    Live Action TV 

    Theater 

    Video Games 

    Webcomics 

    Web Original 

    Western Animation 

    Real Life