History Main / DeadlyGaze

* ''Manga/OnePiece:'' Marines are ordered to ''never'' look directly at any of the Five Elder Stars. [[spoiler:When St. Jaygarcia Saturn takes to the field in Egghead Island and one unfortunate Commodore makes the mistake of doing so anyways, Saturn ''blows his head off'' with just a quick glance. Vegapunk is convinced (but cannot assure) this is a Devil Fruit ability]].

* In Myth/EgyptianMythology, the goddess known as the Eye of Ra (that depending on the version may be Hathor, Sekhmet, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs Hathor transformed into Sekhmet]]) can make humans die in an unspecified but bloody way by glaring at them. She is unleashed on mankind in the Myth of Destruction of Mankind after far too many sinners started publicily insulting Ra... And in a single day she brought humanity on the brink of destruction by wiping out all the sinners and then turning her gaze on the innocents to [[BloodLust drink their blood]]. The other gods were thankfully able to trick her to drink a lake worth of beer mixed with ochre (thus looking like beer) and get her drunk enough she calmed down.

-->-- ''Series/DoctorWho'', [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E4TheTimeOfAngels "The Time of Angels"]]

** Thanos' son Death, one of his original Horsemen, has this power, causing anyone who he looks at directly to immediately [[MakeThemRot rot away]] and disintegrate.

* ''LetsPlay/AfterlifeSMP'': The Enigma origin is able to kill mobs and players just by staring at them, albeit slowly. [[spoiler:Enigma Lizzie ends up accidentally murdering Angel Scott this way.]]

Often works through some kind of magic; see NoEyeInMagic for a more general application of this principle, and EyeBeams for a more weapon-like version and, by default, an ability used by some variant of SnakePeople. Not to be confused with DeathGlare, which is only metaphorically related.

A lot of [[BrownNote Brown Notes]] can literally kill or at least maim people simply by ''looking'' at them. [[TakenForGranite Turning them to stone]] is another common effect. People may be warned against the danger of making eye contact with these beings, since often they must meet the creature's gaze for the power to work. MirrorsReflectEverything may be a way of making the entity HoistByHisOwnPetard.

Often works through some kind of magic; see NoEyeInMagic for a more general application of this principle, and EyeBeams for a more weapon-like version. Not to be confused with DeathGlare, which is only metaphorically related.

* This is one of Tchernobog's attacks as the FinalBoss of ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}''. If he looks at you while there's direct line of sight between you and him, you will catch fire and slowly take extra damage until you can hide behind something.

* ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'': Agahnihm paralyzes Link by glaring at him, rendering him unable to stop him from transporting Zelda to the Dark World.

* In ''Manga/{{Basilisk}}'', Gennosuke [[spoiler:and Hyoma]] can kill people by glaring at them. Specifically, it's an eye power that reflects the KillingIntent of an attacker back on him, [[PsychicAssistedSuicide forcing him to kill himself with his own weapons]].
* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', [[spoiler:Black Wizard Zeref]] kills [[spoiler:Zancrow]] after looking at him. Not surprisingly, his magic ''kills'' everything around him.
* In ''Literature/{{Campione}}'', one of Duke Voban's Authorities was taken from Balor (mentioned in Mythology below) allowing him to turn people into pillars of salt just by looking them. Doesn't help him much fighting Gods or other Campione since their magic resistance is high enough that it only slows them down at best.
* In ''Literature/SundayWithoutGod'', [[spoiler:Ulla has a killing glare. In fact, due to her mother's wish to kill all humans, it's not just her eyes that can kill, but also her voice and touch.]]
* Fujino Asagami from ''Literature/TheGardenOfSinners'' has the Mystic Eyes of Distortion, enabling her to twist whatever she looks at.

* In ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'', the contractor Ilya has the ability to shut down a person's brain by locking eyes with them. The effect is degenerative, giving the victim a few seconds of living out ''Literature/FlowersForAlgernon'' before motor and cognitive functions give in and the victim chokes to death.

* The first chapter of the ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' spin-off "We Want to Talk About Kaguya" deals with a rumor that Kaguya can kill people just by looking at them. [[spoiler:The truth is far more mundane; [[{{Fangirl}} Erika]] ended up suffering a CutenessOverload and passing out after Kaguya said hello to her.]]
* Hishigi in ''Manga/SamuraiDeeperKyo''. Subverted in that the Devil Eyes are not his eyes, and he can't see out of them. His right eye is red when activated, but otherwise normal.
* Rider from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' has Cybele, the Mystic Eyes of Petrification, which will leave you TakenForGranite. [[spoiler:Because her true identity is actually {{Medusa}}.]]
* In ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'', Cockatrimon has an attack called Petra Fire, which shines a petrifying light from its eyes and works on both humans and Digimon. Unlike the cockatrice of mythology, he doesn't need his victims to look into his eyes for it to work.

* ComicBook/GhostRider's Penance Stare redirects all of suffering and pain inflicted on others by its target back onto the victim themselves. It can be downright fatal depending on who Ghosty is performing the move on. If Ghost Rider tells you to look into his eyes, you're in big trouble.
* A ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'' villain named Gorgon has the power to turn people to stone by looking at them. He is defeated when he sees his reflected gaze on Wolverine's claws.
* Ora Serrata, one of the mutants of Arakki introduced by ComicBook/XMen series ''ComicBook/LegionOfX'', is mostly a huge floating eye. Her gaze can be harmless, but when she actively chooses to look at people with her power, they cease to exist.

* Looking directly at ComicBook/TheSpectre's eyes and the little skulls in them will do this.

* Johnny Sorrow, a villan of ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica''. He is an ghost-like entity, inhabiting a suit with a mime mask. Seeing Sorrow's face is instantly fatal to almost all living creatures, in other cases it can cause catastrophic madness; there are only two people depicted who've survived gazing upon him.
* In ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', Agahnihm paralyzes Link by glaring at him, rendering him unable to stop him from transporting Zelda to the Dark World.
* During the ''ComicBook/TheUnknownSupergirl'' storyline, [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} the eponymous heroine]] has an hallucination where she suddenly develops the uncontrollable power to kill living beings by staring at them.

* ''Fanfic/ToMyDeathIFight'': The nameless female Taichou's Bankai in chapter 49 has the ability to turn everything they look at, into ash.

* Oboro from the Japanese live-action film ''Shinobi: Heart Under Blade'' (inspired by the same novel that inspired ''Manga/{{Basilisk}}'') is a YamatoNadeshiko with the power of brutally killing someone just by looking at them.
* Played for laughs in ''Film/AdeleHasntHadHerDinnerYet'', when the hero uses this look to render a gangster unconscious in the BatmanColdOpen scene.
* The eponymous monster from the Soviet 1967 horror movie ''Film/{{Viy}}''. Although not directly. Viy being some kind of undead shaman, his gaze penetrated the protective circle around the protagonist, so he pointed the poor guy out to the rest of the mob.
* In ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'', Thulsa Doom uses his power to kill people by staring at them to murder Conan's mother.
* In ''Film/Warlock1989'' the evil sorceror curses a man simply by staring into his eyes. The man bleeds out of the eyes and very nearly dies.

* Creator/DavidBrin's short story ''[[https://www.davidbrin.com/fiction/thoseeyes.html Those Eyes]]'' has humans being able to kill fairies, in a form of MasqueradeEnforcer. Humans that look at fairies with skepticism [[DeadlyGaze can utterly disintegrate]] the fay.
* In ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant: Playing With Fire'', Baron Vengeous had the ability to cause a victim to [[LudicrousGibs rupture]] by glaring at them.
* ''Literature/WildCards'': If it's Demise, don't look in his eyes! Demise's Wild Card allowed him to channel his own death experience into another person's by locking gazes with them. The experience was always fatal for the other person. Golden Boy is the only person who ever survived it, because his Ace made him tough-enough to withstand the effect, but only barely. As it had been about thirty years since anything had managed to hurt him at all, the experience left him badly shaken.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets,'' Muggle-born students keep turning up Petrified, apparently because of some monster loose in the school. The protagonists eventually realize that it's a [[BasiliskAndCockatrice basilisk]], which kills with its gaze; the reason nobody has died so far is only because none of the victims saw it directly (except for Nearly-Headless Nick, who couldn't die because [[OurGhostsAreDifferent he already did]]).
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'', the program ''Potterwatch'' addresses the ridiculous rumor spreading amongst the populace after Voldemort's takeover of the Ministry of Magic that he has the same capability.
-->'''Fred Weasley''': So people, let's try and calm it down a bit, things are bad enough without inventing stuff! For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill you with a single glance from his eyes. That's a Basilisk, listeners! One simple test: check whether the thing that's glaring at you has legs: if it has, it's safe to look. Although, if it really is You-Know-Who, that's still likely to be the last thing you ever do.

* Very few people like looking into the eyes of Literature/TheManWithTheTerribleEyes. Looking at them for too long tends to break people emotionally and mentally.
* Most of the titular "gifts" in the first ''Literature/AnnalsOfTheWesternShore'' book work this way: a look, and a gesture, and intent. The Caspros have a family legend of a brantor who had to go blindfolded in his youth due to PowerIncontinence, and Orrec resorts to this as well.
* In ''Literature/VoyageOfTheBasset'', Medusa (see below) has her famous gaze which can cause people to be TakenForGranite.
* ''Literature/GrettirsSaga'': The revenant Glam's power to curse resides in his eyes. Grettir is able to throw Glam to the ground, but as Glam is lying on his back, a cloud is drifting from the moon, making the moonlight fall on Glam's face. Grettir is struck with terror at the sight of Glam's eyes, and is paralyzed; Glam then speaks his curse on Grettir.
* ''Literature/TheManWithTheTerribleEyes'': Very few people like looking at the main character's eyes, though he himself is immune to their effects. Looking at them for too long tends to break them emotionally and mentally. If a person has a weak heart, there's even a risk of look at them causing a heart attack.
* In ''Literature/TheSorcerersReceptionist'', the powerful mage Alois can set things on fire by looking at them. This is why [[RedEyesTakeWarning his eyes are red]] and usually covered with magical glasses. According to WordOfGod, this quirk isn't related to his PowerIncontinence, although high emotions do make it worse.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': The Dark Elves have a creature called the Medusa which is a gorgon like creature with a terrifying ability to make its victims burst in blood when they look at its eyes.

* In ''VideoGame/AkatsukiBlitzkampf'', [[KnowledgeBroker Sai]] possesses evil eyes that can inflict several kinds of diseases and damage on his opponents if he stares at them with enough focus or removes his [[PowerLimiter glasses.]] These can go from simply losing speed or guard, to having [[CherryTapping huge fish dropped on them when they jump]], to an incredibly '''nasty''' combo of the three curses PLUS LifeDrain.
* In ''VideoGame/ArcAngle'', your character has a downplayed version. Their "angle of light" doesn't hurt enemies, but any bullets that enemies fire will be slowly turned into holy bullets which then [[AttackReflector home back into the enemy that fired it]]. An upgrade allows the "gaze" to slightly slow down enemies. [[spoiler:The FinalBoss' version on the other hand ''is'' lethal, and it covers an angle that's greater than 270-degrees.]]
* In ''VideoGame/BaldursGateTalesOfTheSwordCoast'', the demon Aec'Letec will use his death gaze on your party. First, the victim becomes paralyzed. Then, [[FromBadToWorse he will die and is turned into a hostile ghoul]].

* ''VideoGame/EXTRAPOWERGiantFist'': Power King uses the classic Portable Medusa Head as his EXTRAPOWER technique, pulling it out of his BadassLongcoat to stun everyone in her gaze and deal massive damage. Just be warned: it's everyone ''in her gaze''. Aggressive enemies can end up in the gap between the Medusa's face and Power King himself, as he holds it at arm's length.
* In the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' series, the flying eyeball creatures can cause nasty status ailments with a glare attack that never misses. However, if you can position your units to not look at the creatures straight in the eyes, then their gaze attacks always fail.
* A common ability for enemies in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', generally referred to as "gaze attacks". Early-game enemies tend to require you look at their eyes, but particularly powerful enemies [[InvertedTrope invert]] it with abilities that inflict status effects if ''you'' are looking at ''them'' regardless if ''they're'' looking at ''you'', but in all cases turning around is enough to render you immune to the attack.
* Any attack in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' considered a "gaze" attack" is [[ShapedLikeItself an attack with a gaze]]. These mostly cause [[StandardStatusEffects status effects]] rather than outright damage. Ranging from extremely annoying (Paralysis) to even more annoying ([[TakenForGranite Petrification]]) to [[OneHitKO Death]]. However, all gaze attacks only work if one is looking at the user when the attack goes off. Enemies known for their gaze attacks are typically fought without the default target lock-on, so simply turning around to negate the attack is easier.
* In ''VideoGame/JediKnightDarkForcesII'', there's a Force power called Deadly Sight that is basically this. One of the bosses, Sariss, can use it against you in battle, and there's a way -- if you play as a bad guy, that is -- to become capable of using it yourself later in the game.
* The page image is of Cassiopeia, the Serpent's Embrace from ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends,'' a woman who was cursed into the form of a lamia-like creature. Her ultimate ability blasts all enemies in front of her with light from her eyes, damaging and [[TakenForGranite petrifying]] them if they're facing her at the time, and merely slowing and damaging them if they have their backs turned. A somewhat [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] version of the usual Medusa myth; due to ''[=LoL's=]'' short CC durations by MOBA standards, the petrification lasts only 2 seconds.[[note]]Which is still very long by the standards of the game, making Cassiopeia's Petrifying Gaze an extremely powerful ability.[[/note]]
* [=E.M.M.I.-05IM=] in ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' has freezing vision, a power it demonstrates in a cutscene by freezing one of its support drones solid and charging through it, shattering the poor drone to pieces. This is not CutscenePowerToTheMax; if it sees Samus, she will freeze solid for a few seconds, time it will spend catching up to her to attempt a OneHitKill. It loses this power when it enters berserk mode after she secures the Omega Cannon, however.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', the episode "The Stare Master" features a cockatrice, with the penalty of looking it in the eyes of the "turning to stone" variety rather than "instant death". And [[spoiler: the cockatrice]] has the power to reverse it [[spoiler: if one can convince it that it should stop turning creatures to stone, as Fluttershy, and in a later episode, Silverstream, successfully does]]. Turns out though that they can become friendly when their nesting instinct is triggered.

* ''Literature/TheLegendOfTheLegendaryHeroes'': Ryner Lute's SuperpoweredEvilSide disintegrated a MagicKnight by looking him in the eyes and used an EyeBeam to blow the heads of the rest of the squad.

* ''Anime/TheLegendOfTheLegendaryHeroes'': Ryner Lute's SuperpoweredEvilSide disintegrated a MagicKnight by looking him in the eyes and used an EyeBeam to blow the heads of the rest of the squad.

* In ''LightNovel/{{Campione}}'', one of Duke Voban's Authorities was taken from Balor (mentioned in Mythology below) allowing him to turn people into pillars of salt just by looking them. Doesn't help him much fighting Gods or other Campione since their magic resistance is high enough that it only slows them down at best.

* Fujino Asagami from ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'' has the Mystic Eyes of Distortion, enabling her to twist whatever she looks at.

* An ComicBook/XMen villain named Gorgon has the power to turn people to stone by looking at them. He is defeated when he sees his reflected gaze on Wolverine's claws.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': One version of Clayface could dissolve people into goo just by looking at them.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''LetsPlay/AfterlifeSMP'': The Enigma origin is able to kill mobs and players just by staring at them, albeit slowly. [[spoiler:Enigma Lizzie ends up accidentally murdering Angel Scott this way.]]
[[/folder]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', the episode "The Stare Master" features a cockatrice, with the penalty of looking it in the eyes of the "turning to stone" variety rather than "instant death". And [[spoiler: the cockatrice]] has the power to reverse it [[spoiler: if one can convince it that it should stop turning creatures to stone, as Fluttershy, and in a later episode, Silverstream,successfully does]]. Turns out though that they can become friendly when their nesting instinct is triggered.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', the episode "The Stare Master" features a cockatrice, with the penalty of looking it in the eyes of the "turning to stone" variety rather than "instant death". And [[spoiler: the cockatrice]] has the power to reverse it [[spoiler: if one can convince it that it should stop turning creatures to stone, as Fluttershy successfully does]].