History Main / SingleTear

* {{Enforced}} in ''WesternAnimation/ClerksTheAnimatedSeries''. The DVDCommentary explains that there was a particular animator on the Korean animation crew named Animator Han who would continually argue in favor of OcularGushers, on the theory that if one tear is funny, ''many'' tears must be [[UpToEleven that much funnier]]. The only way the writers were able to get him to tone it down was to instruct him to animate one, and [[ExactWords ONLY one]] tear.

** In the ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'' episode "Reflections", Mirloc, a criminal who can use reflective surfaces to teleport, invokes this [[spoiler: by provoking Sky over his worst memory (his father dying), causing him to shed a single tear that allows Mirloc to escape.]]

* Jayden does this every so often in ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai''.

** In the MusicalEpisode they wrote a song for it titled "A Single [[ManlyTears Man Tear]]".

* Mitsuki Oosawa's adaptation of ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War]]'' '''loves'' this trope, and one of the biggest examples is [[spoiler: Jamke]] quietly shedding a tear when [[spoiler: he both saves Sigurd's life ''and'' takes revenge for his father's murder by shooting Sandima down [[TheArcher with a single, perfect arrow shot]].]]

* In ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' story ''Comicbook/KryptonNoMore'', Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} cries one teardrop after her cousin talks about how much he loves Earth.

* A ''[[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls Powerpuff Girls]]'' story, "Red, White and Misconstrued," dealt with Blossom coming to grips about what freedom is about following the 9/11 attacks of 2001. Flying off on her own, she comes across City Hall and sees the American flag atop the dome. As Blossom watches the flag, a tear trickles down her cheek.

*** The Doctor, at [[{{Tearjerker}} the end]]. Well, he had more than a single tear there, though he was crying silently.

* From ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII Final Mix+'', [[spoiler: after Sora fights Roxas and beats him,]] an extra cutscene not found in VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII initiates, with [[spoiler: Roxas and Axel on the clocktower in Twilight Town. At the end of the cutscene, Roxas says he has to go back to Sora, Axel and Roxas say their goodbyes, and a single teardrop is shown falling and disappearing. There was no indication of the person who cried, whether Roxas cried again, or if Axel, also a Nobody, is the one who cried.]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'', the [[spoiler:Mecha-]]Drago cries a single tear right before [[spoiler:she dies of her injuries given to her by Flint]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''

* TheLastKingOfScotland: Idi Amin sheds a single tear after he let his henchmen tortures Nicholas for attempting to poison him and for having an affair with one of his wives, Kay.

* Most Season One episodes of ''WesternAnimation/MoralOrel'' have Orel crying a single drop at the Rev. Putty's latest sermon.
* The picture from ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' currently on TearsFromAStone.
* In ''[[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983 He-Man]] and [[WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower She-Ra]]: Secret of the Sword'', He-Man sheds a single tear as She-Ra vanishes into the sunset.
* Not quite this trope, but in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Bart Gets an F", the creators had difficulty stopping the animators from creating OcularGushers, so they gave instructions saying something like, "Bart cries a single tear." The end result is Bart shedding a series of single tears in succession, which is much more distressing to watch than what they were probably going for.
** The trope is played straight in the show's first episode, in which Homer cries a single tear, due to being ashamed of the cheap gifts he purchased for his family.
** Mr Burns of all characters sheds a single tear at the beginning of "Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk," due to feeling depressed over his job sucking away any time to pursue any additional interests of his.

* The koala man from ''WesternAnimation/UglyAmericans'' is prone to this.
* When Wendy gets jealous of Stan's teacher that he likes in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', he blows off their Valentine's Day date to try to impress the teacher. Wendy cries a single tear and sniffles at a montage of him [[AllergicToLove barfing on her.]]

* In the prehistoric ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' episode 'Ugh', a club sheds a tear when Squog chooses his other club over him.
* Moppy, a sentient mop from ''WesternAnimation/FanboyAndChumChum'' sheds one after seeing Fanboy with Chum Chum's cousin. ItMakesSenseInContext.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'' episode "Doomie's Romance," Lydia brushes a tear from her cheek after Doomie's attempt to bring Pinkie (Mayor Maynot's former convertible) to life fails.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheProblemSolverz'' episode "Funny Facez", Roba sheds a tear after his idol, Tony Marv, calls him ugly.
* Shed to tragic effect by Twilight Sparkle in the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode ''"[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E2TheReturnOfHarmonyPart2 The Return of Harmony, Part 2]]"'' upon finally losing the last of her faith [[spoiler: in her brainwashed friends]] and [[HeroicBSOD crashing down]] on [[DespairEventHorizon rock bottom]]. The tear's splash on the ground forms the shape of a [[RuleOfSymbolism broken heart]]. Viewable [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6iydLNjoCI here]].

* ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'': At the end of the Christmas episode Rogue sheds one of those when listening to the little girl talk about her Angel.

* {{Enforced}} in ''WesternAnimation/ClerksTheAnimatedSeries''. The DVDCommentary explains that there was a particular animator on the Korean animation crew named Animator Han who would continually argue in favor of OcularGushers, on the theory that if one tear is funny, ''many'' tears must be [[UpToEleven that much funnier]]. The only way the writers were able to get him to tone it down was to instruct him to animate one, and [[ExactWords ONLY one]] tear.
* Mandrake sheds a single tear at the end of the ''WesternAnimation/DefendersOfTheEarth'' episode "A Demon in His Pocket" out of pride that Kshin had the courage to admit to summoning a demon using a spell he found in Mandrake's library. Earlier, the demon had tried to frighten Kshin into silence by convincing the boy that Mandrake would disown him if he found out he had disobeyed his instruction not to touch his sorcery books.

* William Murderface cries one single tear [[TearsOfBlood of blood]] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'' when he learned that his bandmates, who he thought didn't care for him at all, got him the car Kennedy was shot in, along with the chair Lincoln was shot in, explicitly for Murderface to destroy in a demolition derby. (He likes the idea, don't worry.)
* We don't know if Duck was crying in the Railway Series book, but in the ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'' adaption of the story ''Dirty Work'', the pannier let out a tear before heading to Edward's station. You just want to be there to comfort the poor engine...

** ''Clone High'' parodies the single tear thing a lot; the opening sequence alone has ''five''.

* The King of Qin in ''Film/{{Hero}}'' sheds a single {{manly tear|s}} when he realizes the man who most understands him is his most hated enemy.

* ''Film/DejaVu'':

* In the ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' fanfic series ''Fanfic/{{Heirverse}}'', Aizen in Sanctuary while holding Gin.

* In [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/Heirverse Heirverse]] Aizen sheds one in sanctuary while holding Gin.

* In ''Film/BatmanvSupermanDawnOfJustice'' Lex Luthor cries a single tear when creating Doomsday.

* In ''Film/Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'' Lex Luthor cries a single tear when creating Doomsday.

* We don't know if Duck was crying in the Railway Series book, but in the ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'''s adaption of the story ''Dirty Work'', the pannier let out a tear before heading to Edward's station. You just want to be there to comfort the poor engine...

* In ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'' story arc ''ComicBook/{{Bizarrogirl}}'', Kara sees SelfDemonstrating/{{Bizarro}} and Bizarrogirl embracing, remembers Superman and herself hugging each other after the loss of ComicBook/NewKrypton, and sheds a tear.

* ''FanFic/HalfLifeFullLifeConsequences'': "A tear droped out of John Freemans' eye and landed on Gordon Freeman."]]

* ''Film/AlitaBattleAngel'' on several occasions; the last one (when she's remembering Hugo's death) has her angrily drawing her sword and cutting the tear in half before it hits the ground.