History Main / GentleGiant

* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', in her panda form, Mei is still as kind and sweet as her human form and makes for a fantastic hugger.

Opposite trope of DepravedDward. Also compare TheGrotesque. Contrast TheNapoleon and KillerRabbit. See also BruiserWithASoftCenter, for which being tough and badass is the default, and the sensitivity may be a [[HiddenDepths Hidden Depth]]. Frequently overlaps with FaceOfAThug and sometimes LovableJock, as well as BigFun if the 'giant' part comes from too many dinners rather than too much time at the gym. Not to be confused with the [[Music/GentleGiant British progressive rock band]].

Compare TheGrotesque. Contrast TheNapoleon and KillerRabbit. See also BruiserWithASoftCenter, for which being tough and badass is the default, and the sensitivity may be a [[HiddenDepths Hidden Depth]]. Frequently overlaps with FaceOfAThug and sometimes LovableJock, as well as BigFun if the 'giant' part comes from too many dinners rather than too much time at the gym. Not to be confused with the [[Music/GentleGiant British progressive rock band]].

* ''Website/SCPFoundation'': [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-516 SCP-516]] is a [[SapientTank sapient T-55 battle tank]]. A picture was taken of it by SCP-978 (a polaroid camera that produces a picture of the target doing whatever they want to do) and it produced an image of 516 in a meadow, underneath some trees, with birds perched on its main gun and flowers growing all over it. In other words, 516 dreams of a world where tanks don't need to exist. It has ''never'' attacked an unarmed being, and only fires upon people who fire at it with weapons that can harm it first, [[KickTheSonOfABitch with only one notable exception]]:

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'':
** Shrek deserves a mention here. He's a misanthropic loner who never hurts anyone unless they deserve it.

* Hercules Mulligan in ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'' was an Irish American war revolutionary played by the tall, imposing-looking, buff, and BadassBaritone Okieriete Onaodowan. He swears, drinks, and raps about sex with women. But he's also a Tailor's apprentice and was the flower man at his best friend Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler's wedding.

* Music/{{Miserable}} by Music/{{Lit}}: Pamela/Val, the GiantWoman comes off this way. Throughout the video she lets the guys in the band walk all over and perform on different parts of her body as she lounges around. While they do this, rather than get upset, she just smiles at them, waves, and generally comes off as very flirty towards them.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible is a 6'7 very buff man endowed with super strength. As a superhero, he's certainly not above using his strength in battle, and his anger can sometimes get the better of him, but he still has a very sweet, goofy personality and is friendly and welcoming to everyone he meets until they give him a reason not to be. He genuinely loves helping others and is shown to be very kind, gentle, and loving towards his wife and children.

* The ''Film/GiantOfThunderMountain's'' title character easily fits this trope. He's massive enough to take on a giant bear that previously [[spoiler: killed both his parents]] with his bare hands to protect a little girl he's befriended --Non-romantically fulfilling the HugeGuyTinyGirl trope -- and while he doesn't work very well in social situations, it's purely from inexperience because he grew up all alone in the woods, he's as gentle and kind as can be as long as his BerserkButton doesn't get pushed. Namely, if you don't want a mega-sized PapaWolf giving you a beatdown like nothing you've ever seen before-don't mess with the little girl. You will regret it.

* The ''Giant of Thunder Mountain's'' title character easily fits this trope. He's massive enough to take on a giant bear that previously [[spoiler: killed both his parents]] with his bare hands to protect a little girl he's befriended --Non-romantically fulfilling the HugeGuyTinyGirl trope -- and while he doesn't work very well in social situations, it's purely from inexperience because he grew up all alone in the woods, he's as gentle and kind as can be as long as his BerserkButton doesn't get pushed. Namely, if you don't want a mega-sized PapaWolf giving you a beatdown like nothing you've ever seen before-don't mess with the little girl. You will regret it.

* Ricky Linderman of ''My Bodyguard'' is a tall, silent hulk of a teenager who keeps to himself, constantly wears a scruffy army jacket, smokes in school, and carries a reputation of being a dangerous psycho who once blew a kid's brains out ([[spoiler:which is sadly true; he accidentally shot his little brother while playing with a loaded gun]]). Once Clifford finally manages to befriend him, he discovers that Ricky is actually [[MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold a kind-hearted kid who isn't particularly interested in fighting but is still willing to protect his new buddy]], and [[spoiler: if sufficiently pissed off, is quite capable of beating the shit out of a bodybuilder]].

This is a reversal that has become an archetype in its own right. We are all used to thinking of big people and giant creatures as frightening and mean. Starting back as far as FrankensteinsMonster or earlier, the seven-foot shambling hulk of a man is almost always gentle inside and [[NotEvilJustMisunderstood misunderstood]] by society at large.

* While the Ogre Seeming from ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost'' has the reputation of being violent, they can some times simply be [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold gruff]].
** Seelie Trolls from [[TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming the predecessor game]] often turn out the same way. Built on dreams of [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy honor]], they're both the most accomplished warriors of fae kind and some of its most noble, gentle protectors. [[UnstoppableRage Break an oath to one of them, though...]]

* The [[EnsembleDarkhorse Salamanders]] Space Marines of ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000''. As with all marines they tower over an unmodified human. Unlike other marines, they have literal coal-black skin and bright red eyes due to their Father Primarch Vulkan and the radiation of his home planet of Nocturne. Their use of flame weapons and fearsome looks stopped more than one rebellion before it started. Despite this, they and their Primarch have a lot of empathy and compassion towards normal humans and will butt heads with other marines, such as the Space Wolves if innocent lives are threatened. All of these qualities stem from Vulkan himself.

* DD from ''WebVideo/CreamHeroes'' is the largest of all the cats. He's also a very calm and patient cat compared to some of the others. He took care of a sick TT when they were both kittens and has been a ParentalSubstitute for all the cats that have followed; most notably newcomers Toto and Dodo to the point where he is sometimes referred to as a "daDDy."
* [[ReluctantMonster Enderbro]], from the ''[[http://askenderbro.tumblr.com askenderbro]]'' CharacterBlog.

* {{Music/Afrojack}}, a DJ and composer who is 6'10. He is married, has a daughter named Vegas, and enjoys interacting with his fans.
* Don Williams, a longtime country music superstar, was known as the "Gentle Giant" ... although he was only a somewhat average 6'1". His name was likely metaphoric, per his gentle ballads

[[folder:Stand-Up Comedy]]
* Creator/PeteHolmes is 6'6 but has a joyous, sweet, and harmless personality. He states in his comedy that this is the only possible timeline in which he didn't become a youth pastor. In ''Series/CrashingUS'', several characters note how large he is.
[[/folder]]

* [[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti Bigfoot and its kin]] are sometimes thought of as this, though with creatures like the Yeti or the Yowie it's often a lot more debatable. With Bigfoot at least, it's very rare to hear about eyewitness reports where it gets violent -- indeed, many reports end with the creature being just as afraid of the witness as the other way around!

* Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}, muscular, inhumanly strong, short-tempered... and she's also a kind-hearted, compassionate, and optimistic FriendToAllChildren.

* ''FanFic/TotalDramaLegacy'': Link. He's the tallest camper at 7'0" and has a somewhat monstrous appearance (what with his tail, sharp teeth, and shoulder spikes). However, he's one of the nicest and most affable campers, especially towards [[HugeGuyTinyGirl his girlfriend Katherine]] (whom he loves with all his heart).

* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'': Groot. Tender and gentle with everyone. [[BewareTheNiceOnes Unless you get]] [[BadassAdorable on his bad side]].

** There's also Vortex, a large and intimidating [[{{Hellhound}} hellhound]] who's around two heads taller than Loona, a fellow hellhound [[StatuesqueStunner far from miniscule herself.]] Despite this, [[FaceOfAThug he's a surprisingly chill and friendly guy.]]

* DD from ''WebVideo/CreamHeroes'' is the largest of all the cats. He's also a very calm and patient cat compared to some of the others. He took care of a sick TT when they were both kittens and has been a [[ParentalSubstitute Parental Substitute]] for all the cats that have followed; most notably newcomers Toto and Dodo to the point where he is sometimes referred to as a "daDDy."

* In the Literature/BookOfJob, Job is told of two {{Kaiju}} named Behemoth and Leviathan. Whereas Leviathan is a ferocious sea serpent to be feared by man, the Behemoth[[note]]Many commentators have compared it to [[HonorableElephant an elephant]] or [[HuggyHuggyHippos a hippo]], whereas many creationists [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement believe it to be]] [[RuleOfCool a literal dinosaur]].[[/note]] spends its days peacefully in the fields and swamps, eating grass as the smaller beasts play around it.

* In the Literature/BookOfJob, Job is told of two {{Kaiju}} named Behemoth and Leviathan. Whereas Leviathan is a ferocious sea serpent to be feared by man, the Behemoth[[note]]Many commentators have compared it to [[HonorableElephant an elephant]] or [[HuggyHuggyHippos a hippo]], whereas many creationists [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement believe it to be]] [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs a literal dinosaur]].[[/note]] spends its days peacefully in the fields and swamps, eating grass as the smaller beasts play around it.

* In the Literature/BookOfJob, Job is told of two {{Kaiju}} named Behemoth and Leviathan. Whereas Leviathan is a ferocious sea serpent to be feared by man, the Behemoth[[note]]Many commentators have compared it to [[HonorableElephant an elephant]] or [[HuggyHuggyHippos a hippo]], whereas many creationists [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement believe it to be]] [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs a literal dinosaur]].[[/note]] spends its days peacefully in the fields and swamps, eating grass as the smaller beasts play around it.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-516 SCP-516]] is a [[SapientTank sapient T-55 battle tank]]. A picture was taken of it by SCP-978 (a polaroid camera that produces a picture of the target doing whatever they want to do) and it produced an image of 516 in a meadow, underneath some trees, with birds perched on its main gun and flowers growing all over it. In other words, 516 dreams of a world where tanks don't need to exist. It has ''never'' attacked an unarmed being, and only fires upon people who fire at it with weapons that can harm it first, [[KickTheSonOfABitch with only one notable exception]]:

* Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} is tall (5'7''), muscular, inhumanly strong, short-tempered... and she's also a kind-hearted, compassionate, and optimistic FriendToAllChildren.

* GentleGiant/RealLife

* Wrestling/{{Yokozuna}} was a 6'3,  behemoth EvilForeigner FatBastard on screen, but in real life, he has been described as one of the nicest, most caring people in the business. Just ask his real-life best friend Wrestling/TheUndertaker, who himself qualifies for this trope out of character, playing the role of TeamDad and AFatherToHisMen backstage.