History Main / DullEyesOfUnhappiness

* [[{{Jerkass}} Bede]] from ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' notably sports these 24/7. [[spoiler:He loses them after Opal takes him in, signifying how he's much happier under her tutelage (not that he'd ever admit it) than he was trying to please Chairman Rose.]]

* In ''VideoGame/WarioWare Gold'' and ''Get It Together!'', [[DarkIsNotEvil Ashley]] has dull {{red eyes|TakeWarning}}, to signal her quiet and gloomy personality.

* In ''Fanfic/LiveAHero'', this is Izuku's default expression due to the [[BreakTheCutie horrid childhood]] he had while being raised by the League of Villains. He becomes significantly more chipper as he starts acquiring friends, but he hasn't smiled once in years and his "dead" eyes remain.

* In ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic: The Second Raid'', Sousuke is shown to have eyes like this during his HeroicBSOD. More pronounced in the Sigma manga, where there are several pages with his eyes looking like this. In fact, his eyes losing the light and [[ReflectiveEyes reflectiveness]] in them is actually brought up in-series by [[spoiler: [[StalkerWithACrush Gauron]]]], who laments how Sousuke has lost the [[WhatBeautifulEyes beautiful, untainted emotion and clearness in them]] (including a flashback shot of Sousuke's eyes being [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sousuke_eyes.jpg incredibly sparkly and glowy]], in a GaussianGirl manner).

* In the Alicization arc of ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'', following the battle with Quinella, Kirito's STL is affected by a power surge just as he was grieving over [[spoiler:Eugeo's death]] sending him into an AngstComa with hollow eyes.

* Sion from ''LightNovel/{{No 6}}'' gets these in episode 10 when [[spoiler: killing the guard who tried to kill Nezumi]].

* ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'': Loiuse's eyes grow dim whenever she's about to cast a powerful spell.

* Poor Fighter bears these eyes at the end of Episode 1 of ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'' after her [[BreakTheCutie horrific]] [[RapeAsDrama ordeal]] at the hands of the goblins.

** Also of the Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}, Shiki from ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners''. Although her eyes reflect highlights just fine, they're never drawn with pupils; just dull brown irises. Shiki's personality isn't as simple as 'unhappy', but it's one of the first indicators that she's not quite right.

* As Mima from ''Anime/PerfectBlue'' loses her grip on reality, she does this more and more often.
* ''Manga/TokyoMewMew'' has an interesting version; the iris goes completely grey, but still has shines on it.

* Nayuki Minase from ''VisualNovel/{{Kanon}}'' has a severe case of Dull Eyes during [[spoiler: her HeroicBSOD after Akiko got hit by a car.]] PowerOfFriendship snaps her out of it, though.

* Downplayed in ''Fanfic/HomeSickNoonboryKedabory''; [[VideoGame/PunchOut Disco Kid]]'s eyes are dull while he's worrying over a sickly Aran Ryan.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* As mentioned above, this has a tendency to show up with depression, but equally so with natural tiredness, so don't read too much into it if you happen to see this in public.
** Also tends to happen with naturally shy people, who have trouble making eye contact, even if they're perfectly fine emotionally.
** Used extensively against [[Music/BritneySpears various]] [[Creator/TomCruise celebrities]] to prove they are "crazy" or "depressed" or that "something happened to them", usually wrongly, as judging somebody by their eyes is subjective.
* "Blank" or very inexpressive eyes are often an outward symptom of several kinds of autism, a neurological condition whose primary characteristics include difficulty expressing emotions and social interaction. It doesn't mean that an autistic person with a blank expression or "dull" eyes is unhappy. They may actually be in a pleasant mood, but their mood may not register as a facial expression.
* Lots of people stare blankly ahead when deep in thought, or just have "neutral" as their baseline facial expression.
* This or EmptyEyes may be a visible manifestation of dissociation, a self-protective partial withdrawal from reality.
[[/folder]]

* Each girl from ''AudioPlay/YandereNoOnnaNoKo'' show two pictures, one where she looks normal and another where her eyes lose their sparkle and she's wielding her WeaponOfChoice.

* Happens in ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' frequently; Satoko (once shown above) gets these when she is in the hands of her uncle, and Rena when it's her turn to break [[spoiler:and when she's under influence the syndrome or remembering her dealings with Oyashiro-sama.]] It happens to Rika [[spoiler:whenever she dies. [[KillEmAll Or when anyone dies, for that matter.]]]]

* ''Anime/DeathParade'' deals with heavy themes and dark moments in a person’s life. This trope is often shown in flashbacks of characters in their darkest moments, or when a character is about to cross a line they can’t come back from.

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'':

** Rose has these in the last few episodes of [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime]] due to her trauma [[spoiler:from being raped.]]

* Downplayed in ''Fanfic/HomeSick''; [[VideoGame/PunchOut Disco Kid]]'s eyes are dull while he's worrying over a sickly Aran Ryan.

* ''Manga/BungoStrayDogs'': It's stated by WordOfGod this trope indicates a character (at least at the moment) is "evil, hopeless and beyond help". A lot of Mafia members show it.
** One notable example is Dazai: Before his HeelFaceTurn, his eyes are almost always dull and he is a straight-played DeathSeeker. Currently his eyes are somehow brighter (except for the few times when he gets dark again), and his desire for death has become much more diluted compare with before.

** Sasuke's older brother, [[HeartbrokenBadass Itachi]] is shown with eyes like these when is Sharingan isn't activated. And [[StoicWoobie with]] [[IDidWhatIHadToDo good]] [[DeathSeeker reason.]]

** After [[spoiler:Rei fights a youma in the finale of the first season and is killed after all the other inner scouts have died fighting,]] Usagi's eyes become blank and [[HeroicBSOD she shuts down.]]

* Sekai and Kotonoha and even [[spoiler: Makoto]] get this once or twice in ''VisualNovel/SchoolDays''. It's more notorious in the second's case as she gets them more often than the other two. See the Visual Novels part for more details.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'' 4 year old Varian is depicted that way when Rapunzel accidentally travels to the past. He doesn't say anything, and spends his brief cameo looking tired and listless even as he sucks on a lollipop.

* ''Manga/BungoStrayDogs'': It's stated by WordOfGod this trope indicates a character (at least at the moment) is “evil, hopeless and beyond help”. A lot of Mafia members show it.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

** Nemu Akimoto’s eyes lose their reflective sheen whenever she slips into a {{Yandere}} trance.

* Downplayed in ''Fanfic/HomeSick''; Disco Kid's eyes are dull while he's worrying over a sickly Aran Ryan.

* In ''VideoGame/WarioWare Gold'' and ''Get It Together!'', [[DarkMagicalGirl Ashley]] has dull {{red eyes|TakeWarning}}, to signal her quiet and gloomy personality.

* In ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic: The Second Raid'', Sousuke is shown to have eyes like this during his HeroicBSOD. More pronounced in the Sigma manga, where there are several pages with his [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/full_metal_panic_sigma/v02/c007/25.html eyes]] [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/full_metal_panic_sigma/v02/c007/31.html looking]] [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/full_metal_panic_sigma/v02/c007/32.html like]] [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/full_metal_panic_sigma/v02/c007/42.html this]]. In fact, his eyes losing the light and [[ReflectiveEyes reflectiveness]] in them is actually brought up in-series by [[spoiler: [[StalkerWithACrush Gauron]]]], who laments how Sousuke has lost the [[WhatBeautifulEyes beautiful, untainted emotion and clearness in them]] (including a flashback shot of Sousuke's eyes being [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sousuke_eyes.jpg incredibly sparkly and glowy]], in a GaussianGirl manner).

** Edward Elric has these during his first meeting with Mustang [[spoiler:[[CameBackWrong with]] [[TheReveal good]] reason]].