History Main / ClifftopCaterwauling

A creature, character, hero, villain...stands at the edge of [[CliffsOfInsanity a cliff]] and lets loose a roar to the heavens, either in grief, a display of power, or some other strong emotion.

See also CliffsOfInsanity. May happen early in the film, or right after the ClimbingClimax.

* Lightning splitting the sky and thunder crashing
* The rising sun

* The waves crashing below

* The WolfMan in ''VampireHunterD: Bloodlust'' climbed up a cliff and howled before the full moon when he transformed.

* Averted in SpiceAndWolf. The only places I can recall Holo howling are in a field sitting in the back of a wagon and in a sewer.

* Aslan, at least in the trailers for the {{Narnia}} films.

* The ''Film/{{Superman}}'' movie [[SubvertedTrope subverts]] this. He stands at the ''bottom'' of a cliff, utters a bunch of [[BigNo little nos]], then roars at the heavens before the scene where we're forced to invoke the MST3KMantra.
* Also happens in ''TheIncredibleHulk'' movie. Hulk [[HulkSpeak no like sky flash and boom noise]].
* In the movie ''HardBoiled'', after the warehouse shootout, Alan, who has just had to gun down his boss, join Johnny Wong and take on fellow cop Tequila, lets loose with a scream to the heavens while aboard his yacht.
* In ''EvilDead 2'', Ash does this on finding that the bridge is out and he can't escape.

* ''TheLionKing''.
* In ''DespicableMe'' as Gru [[spoiler:shrinks the moon]], a werewolf howls on a clifftop...and changes into naked man, who quicky resorts to [[HandOrObjectUnderwear covering his privates]] and retreats.

* Thor in ''TheLongDarkTeaTimeOfTheSoul'' by DouglasAdams stands on the edge of a fjord cliff and roars (in his rage at Odin and Toe Rag's manipulation and treachery.)

* [[BigBadassWolf Wolf]] [[TheLegendOfZelda Link]] from the ''TwilightPrincess'' trailer and opening.

* Red XIII in ''FinalFantasyVII'', once upon finding pride in being his father's son, and once in the enigmatic ending sequence.
* [[PhysicalGod Okami]] [[BigBadassWolf Amaterasu]] from ''{{Okami}}'' does this during the game's AttractMode intro. Due to ClimbingClimax, several boss battles take place on high platforms, giving her after-action victory howl this flavor.

* The Arbiter of {{Halo}} lets one out in anger as he watches the [[spoiler: BigBad escaping through the Portal.]]

A creature, character, hero, villain... stands at the edge of [[CliffsOfInsanity a cliff]] and lets loose a roar to the heavens, either in grief, a display of power, or some other strong emotion.

There are lots of cliffs in television and in the movies. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff Of course, in real life, cliffs aren't generally nearly that tall or so flat on top]]. Plus, it, y'know ... looks [[RuleOfCool really cool]].

* In ''DespicableMe'' as Gru [[spoiler:shrinks the moon]], a werewolf howls on a clifftop... and changes into naked man, who quicky resorts to [[HandOrObjectUnderwear covering his privates]] and retreats.

* Primal Dialga (several times) from ''{{Pokemon}} Mystery Dungeon 2''.

* After [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar Kiyoshi]] breaks her homeland off to keep it safe from Chin the Conqueror, Chin lets out a roar of frustration from the newly-created cliff... which promptly gives way from under his weight.

* [[PhysicalGod Okami]] [[BigBadassWolf Amaterasu]] from ''{{Okami}}'' does this during the game's AttractMode intro. Due to ClimingClimax, several boss battles take place on high platforms, giving her after-action victory howl this flavor.

* [[PhysicalGod Okami]] [[BigBadassWolf Amaterasu]] from ''{{Okami}}'' does this every time she defeats a major boss. It was actually notable when she ''didn't''.
** As far as I recall, she only ever howled ''on a cliff'' in the intro and some of the promotional/production material. All of her after-boss howls averted this trope, being performed in the middle of the arena (unless you count howling on top of Ninetails' tower as a variant).

* After [[AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar Kiyoshi]] breaks her homeland off to keep it safe from Chin the Conqueror, Chin lets out a roar of frustration from the newly-created cliff... which promptly gives way from under his weight.

A creature, character, hero, villain... stands at the edge of [[CliffsOfInsanity a cliff]] and lets loose a roar to the heavens, either in grief, a display of power, or some other strong emotion.

* [[HowlingToTheNight Wolves]] that can't howl unless they're standing at the edge of a cliff.
* The top of a castle parapet

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* {{Spider-Man}} tends to do angst-filled ones, when someone he loves has been kidnapped or hurt.

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* The ''Film/{{Superman}}'' movie [[SubvertedTrope subverts]] this. He stands at the ''bottom'' of a cliff, utters a bunch of [[BigNo little nos]], then roars at the heavens before the scene where we're forced to invoke the MST3KMantra.

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* One word: [[RedDawn Wolverines!]]

* [[Series/DoctorWho The Master]] gets a chance to do this to the Doctor in "The End Of Time" in the standard BBCQuarry. Of course by this time the Master's [[AxCrazy utterly batshit bananas]].

* {{Gargoyles}}, often substituting skyscraper or castle ledges.

* In the movie ''[=~Hard-Boiled~=]'', after the warehouse shootout, Alan, who has just had to gun down his boss, join Johnny Wong and take on fellow cop Tequila, lets loose with a scream to the heavens while aboard his yacht.

* Aslan, in Prince Caspian, roars. First it starts the ground and earth shaking. Then it scares the men in Miraz' camp. Then it wakes the nymphs and the river god. Then it alerts every last animal in Narnia. Then it wakes the trees. Then it scares every mother and wakes every man in Narnia. Then, even the giants on Narnia's northern frontier are alerted, looking out from their castles. This was an {{oh crap}} moment the movie version more or less completely failed to capture.

* [[BigBadassWolf Amaterasu]] [[PhysicalGod Oomikami]] from ''{{Okami}}'' does this every time she defeats a major boss. It was actually notable when she ''didn't''.

* [[DoctorWho The Master]] gets a chance to do this to the Doctor in "The End Of Time" in the standard BBCQuarry. Of course by this time the Master's [[AxCrazy utterly batshit bananas]].

* In ''DespicableMe'' as Gru [[spoiler:shrinks the moon]], a werewolf howls on a clifftop... and changes into naked man, who quicky resorts to [[HandOrObjectUnderwear covering his privates]] and quickly retreats.

* The Arbiter of {{Halo}} lets one out as he watches the [[spoiler BigBad escaping through the Portal.]]

* Thor in ''[[DirkGently The Long Dark Tea-time Of The Soul]]'' by DouglasAdams stands on the edge of a fjord cliff and roars (in his rage at Odin and Toe Rag's manipulation and trechery.)

* The climax of ''[[{{Narcissu}} Narcissu -Side 2nd-]]'' involves IllGirl and "fake Catholic" Himeko airing her grievances with [[{{God}} the man upstairs]] atop Mt. Fuji.

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* ''{{Dinosaurs}}'' had Howling Day, when a teenage male first went to the cliff and howled. Robbie didn't get the point of having a howling day in their modern times.

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The one climbing up on a high place to roar at the heavens is almost AlwaysMale. Rarely to never do we see a female, even the MamaBear or ActionGirl climbing up anywhere to roar at anything.

* ''{{Dinosaurs}} had Howling Day, when a teenage male first went to the cliff and howled. Robbie didn't get the point of having a howling day in their modern times.

* Ever since ''[[WorldOfWarcraft Cataclysm]] was announced, we've seen a ''lot'' of footage of [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent worgen]] striking wolfishly evocative poses on rooftops.