History Main / NoEyeInMagic

* The Neuralizer in ''Film/MenInBlack'' fits this trope, albeit technological rather than magical. They flash in someone's eyes to erase a period of memories and can be protected against by normal looking sunglasses.

* Shoto Aizawa, Eraser Head, has a quirk that operates like this in ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''. He can [[PowerNullifier nullify]] quirks that aren’t constantly active but must be looking at his target and if he blinks, the effect ends.

* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' mentions the Bugblatter Beast of Traal, a creature so phenomenally stupid that it believes that if you can't see it, it can't see you. Keeping a towel over your head will keep you safe.

* In ''Series/{{Alphas}}'', Nina's "pushing" ability (mind control, essentially) only works if she has direct eye contact with a person. Sunglasses are capable of nullifying it, as is a significantly unusual/different mind - Gary, with his autism - or someone who has trained to block it - Rosen - but that's another trope altogether.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': Inverted with the Weeping Angels, which are only dangerous if you ''don't'' look at them. A later {{retcon}} plays it straight, though, as they can also destroy you if you look them straight in the eye. So, basically, you have to look at them or you're dead, but not at the eyes-in which case you're also dead.

** Another has the Trouble of transforming those she looks at into their insecurities. A bodybuilding friend is turned back into the 90 pound weakling he used to be and her bigoted mother into a frightened child. Her overweight girlfriend is immune because she's long since come to terms with her appearance, which is the cure for the already afflicted.
* ''{{Series/Lucifer}}'' can make people reveal their inner desires and darkest secrets. However, he must maintain eye contact to get them to profess and or act upon those desires. [[spoiler: The Sinnerman was able to exploit this weakness by gouging out his eyes.]]

* ''Series/{{Warehouse 13}}'' has an episode where a talisman that animated the Golem of Prague unwittingly animates the computer virus a hacker heir used to peep on women through their webcams. The virus only animated because the webcam served as an eye to channel the magic. Subsequently any victim that sees their webcam gets infected, and eventually dies from a slow transformation into clay. An anti-virus needs to be coded and animated to solve the problem.

* In ''Literature/ChildrenOfTheRedKing'', [[TheBully Manfred]] has HypnoticEyes. To his annoyance, they don't work on [[TalkingToAnimals Billy]] because his albinism gives him [[DisabilityImmunity poor eyesight]].

* The Navigators of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' are mutants with a ThirdEye that lets them see the Warp. Anyone catching its gaze dies instantly and horribly, so they always wear blindfolds that do little to improve their UncannyValley appearance.

* In ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'', some spells have the range "Eye", which means the mage must make eye contact with the target for the spell to take effect.
** Likewise, designing a spell with the range of Sight means you must see the target. Furthermore, in general magic, or Hermetic magic at least, can't affect something the wizard can't perceive one way or another.

* TabletopGame/InNomine has demons called Lilim who can see a person's desires by looking in their eyes. This power can be blocked by wearing sunglasses.

** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'' the basilisk can kill someone just by looking at them in the eye -- fortunately, the only people we see who have encountered it in this generation manage to not quite look it in the eye: they see it in a puddle of water, through a camera lens, or in a mirror, so it doesn't ''quite'' kill them, instead stunning them into petrification. Weirdest of all, one person was petrified by seeing it ''through a ghost''. The ghost was petrified instead of killed because he was already dead. One girl fifty years ago wasn't as lucky. [[spoiler:She now haunts the very bathroom she died in, as Moaning Myrtle.]]

* ''Film/BirdBox'': The owner of the house suggests looking for the creatures through the security system, since the video footage uses thermal imaging and won't provide a detailed image, thereby bypassing whatever mechanism makes people kill themselves. He's unfortunately wrong.

** Because Erza's right eye is fake, any spells that work through eye contact only have half the effect on her. She still sees illusions but also recognizes them for what they are automatically, and any [[TakenForGranite Medusa stares]] are easily reversed on her.