History Main / EyesAreMental

* ''Anime/DigimoFusion'': Shoutmon normally [[AvertedTrope averts]] this, as the CombiningMecha-esque nature of [[FusionDance DigiXros]] means that most of his advanced forms have entirely new heads. It's played straight in the GrandFinale as a demonstration of just how strong Shoutmon's HeroicSpirit has become (and [[TheGoodKing how much his people believe in him to lead them]]), with [[InnocentBlueEyes his normal blue eyes]] staying unchanged and continuing to stare down the BigBad even as the rest of his body morphs into his ultimate combined form.

* You can tell when someone is possessed in ''Manga/YumekuiMerry'' by their eyes. Since people out of the loop react more to their friends' [[DemonicPossession bizarre behaviour]] than anything else, it's probably for the audience's benefit.

* ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'': Shoutmon normally [[AvertedTrope averts]] this, as the CombiningMecha-esque nature of [[FusionDance DigiXros]] means that most of his advanced forms have entirely new heads. It's played straight in the GrandFinale as a demonstration of just how strong Shoutmon's HeroicSpirit has become (and [[TheGoodKing how much his people believe in him to lead them]]), with [[InnocentBlueEyes his normal blue eyes]] staying unchanged and continuing to stare down the BigBad even as the rest of his body morphs into his ultimate combined form.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'', when [[BigBad XANA]] possesses someone, the only visual clue is their eyes flickering and switching between normal and XANA's eye-like symbol. The same goes for [[ShapeShifter polymorphic clones]] as well.

* In the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' franchise, Ditto can transform into any Pokémon or human it sees. Unfortunately, it has no way of changing its beady eyes, making it easy to identify a Ditto imposter amongst a large group of Pokémons.
** This was expanded on in ''Film/PokemonDetectivePikachu'' with [[spoiler:Ms. Norman, a highly-intelligent Ditto taking on a human form created by [[EvilCripple Howard Clifford]] to be his assistant. She wears a pair of SinisterShades to hide her true Ditto eyes.]]

A specific type of MorphicResonance.

%%* ''Manga/RaveMaster'' used this straight. When they were in the [[BigBad Demon Lord]]'s aircraft, they split from Musica, who was believed to have died by everyone but Haru. They then encountered a werewolf who was then turned back to Musica, by a magical Elixir.
* You can tell when someone is possessed in ''Manga/YumekuiMerry'' by their eyes. Or the audience can. It's never made clear if the characters can tell. Since people out of the loop react more to their friends' [[DemonicPossession bizarre behaviour]] than anything else, it's probably for the audience's benefit. Like in ''Franchise/CodeGeass'' when Lelouch Geasses someone.

* Variation in ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'': when Buzz and Mira get mutated into a single eye-stalked BlobMonster in one episode, the eye on Mira's side of the body is the same yellow-with-a-black-pupil as Buzz's (instead of her usual big blue PuppyDogEyes), but still has her pointy doe-eye lashes.

* Variation in WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand: when Buzz and Mira get mutated into a single eye-stalked BlobMonster in one episode, the eye on Mira's side of the body is the same yellow-with-a-black-pupil as Buzz's (instead of her usual big blue PuppyDogEyes), but still has her pointy doe-eye lashes.

* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': At the end of the first book [[spoiler:the monsters have the same eyes as the dead tributes, and their fur is the same colour as the corresponding tribute's hair]].

** The Cunning Man in ''Discworld/IShallWearMidnight'' has no eyes, just tunnels that let you see through his head. [[HumanoidAbomination This is a very, very bad sign.]]

* You can tell when someone is possessed in ''Manga/YumekuiMerry'' by their eyes. Or the audience can. It's never made clear if the characters can tell. Since people out of the loop react more to their friends' [[DemonicPossession bizarre behavior]] than anything else, it's probably for the audience's benefit. Like in ''Franchise/CodeGeass'' when Lelouch Geasses someone.

** Den Den Mushi get not only the voices, but also the eyes of the person on the other side. When Doflamingo is the speaker, the snail imitates ''his sunglasses''.
* The dragons in ''Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid'' all keep their reptilian pupils when they take on human form, though the distribution of color on the iris changes (instead of a darker color outlining the pupil it becomes a gradient from top to bottom). Lucoa is an exception to the rule, though that's probably because she was originally a goddess.

* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12023508/1/Kaitō-Kokoro Kaitō Kokoro]]'': Feliciano noticed a ''strong'' resemblence between Kiku's and Nihon's eyes. [[spoiler:It's because they are one in the same.]]

* One of the ways the audience can tell who the prawn shown at the end of ''Film/District9'' is, is by its eyes. It has one blue eye and one yellow one, [[spoiler:just as Wikus did around the 72nd hour of his transformation into a prawn.]]
* Borderline example in ''Film/{{Hook}}''. In this case the "monster" is just a grown up, but a lost boy recognizes him as The Pan after looking into his eyes.

* The master in ''Literature/{{Krabat}}'' has magic to take on a different appearance, but he'll always be missing the one eye he lacks in real life. Also applies to animals he creates. (When Krabat tries to run away, he repeatedly meets black animals with one eye -- it's not sure whether they're the shapeshifted master, or created by him.)

* In the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "A New Man" Giles is transformed into a Fyarl demon. None of the Scoobies realize this, and instead want to know what the demon has done with Giles. Buffy recognizes Giles when she looks into his eyes (while she has him pinned down and is beating the shit out of him), because apparently there is no-one else in the world who can look that annoyed with her.
* In ''Series/StargateSG1,'' Kawalsky is revealed to be possessed by a Goa'uld when he looks at the screen (but not the rest of the cast) with the GlowingEyesOfDoom that the Goa'uld usually flash for dramatic effect.

* In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'', anything Mario captures will have his blue eyes along with his hat and mustache (assuming the captured thing ''has'' eyes, of course).

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'', [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2750 SCP-2750 ("Navajo Skinwalkers")]]. Regardless of what form a SCP-2750 shapechanges into, it will always have the eyes of its favorite animal shape.

* ''Literature/GoodOmens'', partly by the same author:
** Angels and demons can more or less choose their size and shape, but there's a reason Crowley the serpent-demon doesn't like to take his sunglasses off.
** The Cunning Man has no eyes, just tunnels that let you see through his head. [[HumanoidAbomination This is a very, very bad sign.]]

* A one-off villain from ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' called the Chameleon can turn into practically anything, but her eyes remained unchanged. Oddly enough, the characters never mention this and are only able to tell who she is by the hiss in her voice.

->'''Giles:''' How did you know it was me?
->'''Buffy:''' Your eyes. You're the only person in the world that can look that annoyed with me.

[[folder:FanWorks]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* In ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast,'' the Beast has very human blue eyes even in his monstrous form. When he turns back into a prince at the end, Belle seems confused if he really is the same person, until she looks into said eyes and sees that they're the same.

* One of the ways the audience can tell who the prawn shown at the end of ''Film/{{District 9}}'' is, is by its eyes. It has one blue eye and one yellow one, [[spoiler: just as Wikus did around the 72nd hour of his transformation into a prawn.]]

** ''Discworld/InterestingTimes'': "Gods can take any form, but the one aspect of themselves they cannot change is their eyes, which show their nature." The Lady and Fate are mentioned as specific examples.

*** ''Literature/GoodOmens'', partly by the same author: angels and demons can more or less choose their size and shape, but there's a reason Crowley the serpent-demon doesn't like to take his sunglasses off.

* In the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "A New Man" Giles is transformed into a Fyarl demon. None of the Scoobies realize this, and instead want to know what the demon has done with Giles. Buffy recognizes Giles when she looks into his eyes (while she has him pinned down and is beating the shit out of him), because apparently there is no one else in the world who can look that annoyed with her.

** Also, in the episode [[Recap/GravityFallsS1E16CarpetDiem "Carpet Diem"]], whenever someone [[FreakyFridayFlip switches bodies]] with Waddles the pig, who has dots for eyes, they keep their regular eyes, but the person whose body is taken over by Waddles doesn't have Waddles' eyes. Also, Dipper still has his ExhaustedEyeBags no matter whose body he is in.

* ''Manga/RaveMaster'' used this straight. When they were in the [[BigBad Demon Lord]]'s aircraft, they split from Musica, who was believed to have died by everyone but Haru. They then encountered a werewolf who was then turned back to Musica, by a magical Elixir.

*** ''GoodOmens'', partly by the same author: angels and demons can more or less choose their size and shape, but there's a reason Crowley the serpent-demon doesn't like to take his sunglasses off.

It seems that by some law of Shapeshifting, {{Shape Shifter}}s are unable to change their eyes, no matter how skilled they are at changing form. Showing the eye changing or corrupting into that of a different species is an effective way of showing mental takeover or transformation-induced humanity loss thanks to this. See GlamourFailure for a similar trope and VoicesAreMental for the vocal version of this trope.

* ''Literature/{{Patternist}}'': Anyanwu is a skilled, ancient {{Biomanc|y}}er, but her eyes betray a hint of her true nature no matter what form she takes: