History Main / GoForTheEye

* In ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'':
** A miniboss, Nipper, is a GiantEnemyCrab, and you defeat it by attacking its weak point, for massive damage.
** Lord Woo Fak Fak in ''Banjo-Tooie'', once he's opened his eyes (apparently his eyelids are grenade-proof).

* Oddly enough, the Whomping Willow in the ''VideoGame/HarryPotter and the Chamber of Secrets'' game.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'': Gohma has an eye as its weak point, but it also has an armored lid that comes down every time you try to hit it -– at least, until you drop a huge rock on its head enough times to break its armor.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'': The Ghomas can only be harmed by shooting them in the eye, which can only be done when they open their eyelids to attack.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'':

* The Lord character in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEchoesShadowsOfValentia'' finishes off the BigBad with a stab on his giant eye.

** Minsc has this in one of his attack quotes- he orders his ''pet miniature giant space hamster'' to, [[TropeNamers well....]]
--->"Go for the eyes, Boo! GO FOR THE EYES! EYYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!"

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' sure likes this trope.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI''
*** Gohma is a massive, hard-shelled crab-spider monster. Its only weak point is its huge single eye, which is because Gohma usually keeps it closed.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast''
*** This is so common in the series that they incorporated it into puzzles starting in this game, in which a statue of a cyclopean monster acts as a switch when shot in the eye. In the first 3-D games, an ornate eye on the wall would act similarly.

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', all of the Fused Shadow-created bosses have giant eyes that must be attacked, as do two of the Mirror Shard bosses. The devs even have some fun with this. The boss of the Temple of Time is Armogohma, a giant spider with an eye on its back, which also serves as a weak point and a weapon. [[spoiler: Hilariously, the eye is revealed to be ''a smaller spider that was controlling the bigger spider!'' Even [[HeroicMime Link]] has a stunned look on his face.]]

*** It's not just the Phantoms. Bellum himself has many, many eyes in octopus form which you must attack; when he [[spoiler: possesses Linebeck]] and becomes a superpowered version of the Phantoms, and, like the Phantoms, has an eye on his back (albeit a much bigger one).

** Shockingly subverted with Vaati from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'', whose entire villain motif [[EyeMotifs revolves around eyes]]. Vaati is a GlassCannon who can be hurt anywhere on his body once you take down his defense. Said defense usually consists of eyes, however.
** The Gohma in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' has an eye as its weak point, but it also has an armored lid that comes down every time you try to hit it – at least, until you drop a huge rock on its head enough times to break its armor.
** Rocktites and the Ocean Temple boss Phytops in Spirit Tracks
** A ''lot'' of bosses in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword''. Scaldera, Moldarach, Tentalus, Levias, Bilocyte...
** Gohma shows up again in ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors''. Guess which strategy you have to use to defeat it? [[spoiler: This game's version of Ganon also gains properties of every giant boss except The Imprisioned, and as part of the package gains Gohma's eye on his gauntlet. Again, you have to strike it to beat him.]]
** For the 3DS remake for ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', all the bosses were redone with this trope in mind. All of them now sport an eye similar to ones on Majora's mask. Weakening the boss exposes this eye as a weak point.

*** [[BlobMonster Chuchus]] don't have heads, so if you want to do extra damage to them, you can shoot their eyeballs. [[AwesomeButImpractical Of course, most of them die in one hit anyway, and the eyes are hard to hit when their bodies get bigger]], so unless you're using them for target practice, you're better off just using a [[CuttingTheKnot remote bomb]].
*** Hinoxes are giant cyclops monsters that can be shot in the eye to stun them and attack with other weapons. However, they eventually catch on - once their health has been reduced by half, if they see Link draw his bow when they're not in the middle of an attack, they use a hand to shield their eye.

*** Guardian lasers can only be aborted by shooting them in the eye or leaving their sight (either by taking cover or through [[TimeStandsStill Stasis]]). Fire an Ancient Arrow in the eye, however, and they [[OneHitKill break down]]. A shot in the eye will also stun any guardian for a few seconds, allowing the player time to either get closer or hide as they see fit, and will triple the damage of whatever hit it (which stacks with the double damage of your BreakableWeapons expiring if you're lucky).

* Completed Reapers in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' are mostly impervious to weapons under dreadnought-grade, ''except'' for the firing chamber of their FrickingLaserBeams, which sits in the center of each Reaper's "face" and happens to resemble a [[CyberCyclops single giant, baleful red HAL eye]]. Of course, the Reapers aren't totally stupid, so they cover this weak point with thick armor plates when not firing, meaning anyone hoping to get a lucky shot off will generally have to do it while dodging laser beams that can cut through warships with ease.

* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'':

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI'':

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass'' :

** Gohma shows up again in ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors''. Guess which strategy you have to use to defeat it? [[spoiler: This game's version of Ganon also gains properties of every giant boss except The Imprisioned, and as part of the package gains Gohma's eye on his gauntlet. Again, you have to strike it to beat him. ]]

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', Hinoxes and Guardians are particularly vulnerable to being shot in the eye.
*** Hinoxes eventually catch on - once their health has been reduced by half, if they see Link draw his bow when they're not in the middle of an attack, they use a hand to shield their eye.

* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'':
** In [[Videogame/SuperMetroid both his]] [[VideoGame/MetroidOtherM appearances]], Phantoon can only be damaged when his eye is open.

* ''Literature/DayOfTheTriffids''. It's noted that triffids always strike at the eyes, because a blind man is vulnerable regardless of their intelligence or adaptability. This sets up the plot where the majority of the world's population is struck blind overnight, instantly turning the triffids into the dominant predator on Earth.

*** The Misery Mire boss is nothing but a giant eye, surrounded by innumerable smaller ones. What else are you going to hit?

* In ''VideoGame/{{Kingdom Hearts|I}}'', the [[Disney/{{Aladdin}} Cave of Wonders]] gets possessed, and the only spot you can hit and do actual damage is its eyes.

* Despite being primarily a video game trope nowadays, this is actually OlderThanFeudalism. How does [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Odysseus]] defeat the Cyclops Polyphemos? By shoving a burning stick in his eye. A version of this scene is depicted in the page image, even.

* ''Discworld/TheColourOfMagic'': Did this to [[spoiler: Bel-Shamharoth]] just before it could devour Rincewind, the camera that Rincewind was holding flashed into its giant eye causing enough pain for it to retreat to the chthonic planes.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': The giant Rishi eels in [[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS1E5Rookies "Rookies"]] seem impervious to blaster bolts before Rex shoots one in the eye, taking it out in one shot.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': The giant Rishi eels in "[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS1E5Rookies Rookies]]" seem impervious to blaster bolts before Rex shoots one in the eye, taking it out in one shot.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': This is, besides lightsabers and grenades, the only weakness of the spider-like krykna on Atollon, as they are [[ImmuneToBullets Immune to Blaster Bolts]].

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', the Tyrant Guard species of Tyranid lack eyes completely, in order to avoid this trope.

* Minsc from ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' has this in one of his attack quotes- he orders his ''pet miniature giant space hamster'' to, [[TropeNamers well....]]
-->"Go for the eyes, Boo! GO FOR THE EYES! EYYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!"
** In the Legends of Baldur's Gate comic book by IDW, Minsc and Boo finally pull this off. [[spoiler: After losing his sword fighting a dragon, Minsc hurls Boo at its head, who then kills it by biting it in the eye.]]
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' games use this trope often. Most of the examples are different iterations of Gohma.
** This is so common in the series that they incorporated it into puzzles, starting in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', in which a statue of a cyclopean monster acts as a switch when shot in the eye. In the first 3-D games, an ornate eye on the wall would act similarly.

** The Misery Mire boss [[PunnyName Vitreous]] from ''A Link to the Past'' is nothing but a giant eye, surrounded by innumerable smaller ones. What else are you going to hit?

* Parodied in ''Film/GalaxyQuest''. "Go for the eyes!" "It doesn't have any eyes!" "Then the nose, the throat, its vulnerable spots!" "It's ''rock'', it doesn't have any vulnerable spots!"

* ''ComicBook/{{Fray}}''. After being [[EatMe swallowed whole]] by a giant demon creature, Fray hacks her way ''out'' of its eye.

* An InvertedTrope in ''ComicBook/{{Fray}}''. After being [[EatMe swallowed whole]] by a giant demon creature, Fray hacks her way ''out'' of its eye.

* This comes up twice during the second season of ''Series/LukeCage'', although it fails both times. During one of Luke's fights with Bushmaster, Bushmaster tries to stab Luke in the eye, (one of the few ways Luke wouldn't be NighInvulnerable) but after a struggle and the knife coming dangerously close, Luke manages to force the blade away. Later [[BadassNormal Shades]] attempts to shoot Bushmaster in the eye when Bushmaster is [[StormingTheCastle attacking Mariah's club]] while practically invincible thanks to [[SuperSerum his nightshade]], but Bushmaster dodges the bullet thanks to his heightened powers.

*** Guardian lasers can only be aborted by shooting them in the eye or leaving their sight (either by taking cover or through [[TimeStandsStill Stasis]]). Fire an Ancient Arrow in the eye, however, and they [[OneHitKill break down]]. A shot in the eye will also stun any guardian for a few seconds, allowing the player time to either get closer or hide as they see fit.