History Main / ThousandYardStare

"Thousand-yard-stare" is believed to have originated in WorldWarOne, and was coined for the faces of battle-weary soldiers. Named for the perception that such stares really do seem to be able to see very far ahead. Eyes cross a little when focusing on something reasonably close, but eyes not looking at anything will behave like eyes looking at something very far away. DullEyesOfUnhappiness can look similar to this, but they're chronic while this trope tends to be transitory.

* Tsukune Aono of ''RosarioToVampire'' [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/rosario_vampire/v06/c022/35.html has one]] halfway through the first manga season. It's desolate, and if it looks like he's given up... it's because he ''[[SuperpoweredEvilSide has.]]'' Cue [[CurbstompBattle Carnage]] [[UnstoppableRage and]] [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome mayhem.]]

* RurouniKenshin starts doing this when his angst level picks up late in the manga, though his first uses are after taking absurdly heavy damage in the Shishio arc. Maxes out during his especially persistent HeroicBSOD and TenMinuteRetirement to the slum of despair. Scares the hell out of everyone in its first major appearance right after Enishi formally declares his Jinchuu.

* Commonly, the expression on some of the characters in ''SavingPrivateRyan'' (indeed, the beginning graveyard scene ends with this).

* In ''{{District 9}}'', Wikus has one of these in the back of a MNU van [[spoiler:after he has crashed Christopher's command module and has been apprehended by Koobus.]]

* TheAce does this after being [[BrokenAce broken]] in the ''{{Series/Mash}}'' episode "Heal Thyself." While [[OutDamnedSpot compulsively scrubbing away invisible blood]].
* Some (canonical) DVD specials from ''Series/DoctorWho'' have noted this about Rory Williams. He spent almost two thousand years guarding a box as an immortal centurion. It happened in a defunct timeline, but he still has the memories, which he must suppress for his own sanity, though as the Doctor points out "Sometimes you catch him just staring..."

* In [[HoratioHornblower Horatio Hornblower]], Archie does this mostly in Series One. Being ruthlessly tormented by a shipmate followed by [[spoiler: being presumed dead, imprisoned by the enemy, and punished painfully for escape attempts]] and then getting caught up in someone else's war where the chances of survival/victory are extremely low will have an impact on a person.

* Shown in the music video for "Ghost of You" by MyChemicalRomance, much of which is set during the landings at Normandy during {{World War II}}. The music video ends with a shot of the lead singer's stunned eyes.

* DonaldDuck's stuck with one at the end of "Up A Tree", after Chip n' Dale blew up his house into smithereens.

* Some (canonical) DVD specials from DoctorWho have noted this about Rory Williams. He spent almost two thousand years guarding a box as an immortal centurion. It happened in a defunct timeline, but he still has the memories, which he must suppress for his own sanity, though as the Doctor points out "Sometimes you catch him just staring..."

* In ''AzumangaDaioh'', Chiyo does this whenever Yukari's driving is mentioned since she barely survived it.

* Kira Yamato of ''GundamSEED'' and ''GundamSEEDDestiny'' looks like this following the conclusion of the Bloody Valentine War. He spends most of his time sitting on his porch, staring off into space, and flashing back.
* Amuro Ray of ''MobileSuitGundam'' develops one after extended combat on Earth. Even a [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan Bright Slap]] ain't fixing that. His recovery doesn't really start until [[ZetaGundam the next series]].

* Setsuna F. Seiei of ''{{Gundam 00}}'' has a permanant one. Being an ex-ChildSoldier will do that to a guy.

* Used in ''AdventureTime'' frequently. Finn gets one in Susan Strong when he contemplates being the last of his kind for too long. He gets another one in "Marceline's Closet," when he sees Marceline naked.

* ''FullMetalJacket'' Payback gives an extended speech about this.

* In the Marineford arc of ''OnePiece'' [[spoiler: after Ace gets killed....]] oh god, [[spoiler: the look on ''Luffy's'' face, of all people]].

* Some (canonical) DVD specials from DoctorWho have noted this about Rory Williams. He spent almost two thousand years guarding a box as an immortal centurion. It happened in a defunct timeline, but he still has the memories, which he must suppress for his own sanity, though as the Doctor points out "Sometimes he just stares..."

* Some (canonical) DVD specials from DoctorWho have noted this about Rory Williams. He spent almost two thousand years guarding a box as an immortal centurion. It happened in a defunct timeline, but he still has the memories, which he must suppress for his own sanity, though as the Doctor points out "Sometimes he just stares..."

* One of the soldiers on leave in ''BandOfBrothers'' (the whole episode focused on various soldiers dealing with the sudden change from battle to civilian life) has this.

[[caption-width-right:224:That Two-Thousand Yard Stare]]

* In AzumangaDaioh, Chiyo does this whenever Yukari's driving is mentioned since she barely survived it.

* In FullmetalAlchemist, Mustang and Hughes discuss it during the Ishbalan war. Hawkeye approaches, and Mustang laments that Hawkeye has the stare too.

* In the Marineford arc of OnePiece [[spoiler: after Ace gets killed....]] oh god, [[spoiler: the look on ''Luffy's'' face, of all people]].

"Thousand-yard-stare" is believed to have originated in WorldWarOne, and was coined for the faces of battle-weary soldiers. Named for the perception that such stares really do seem to be able to see very far ahead. DullEyesOfUnhappiness can look similar to this, but they're chronic while this trope tends to be transitory.

** [[spoiler: Zoro's expression after taking all of Luffy's pain]] in Thriller Park.

* In an episode of ''SpongebobSquarepants'' the eponymous sponge blanks out after receiving an improbable order. Mr. Krabs explains it as the [[TropeNamer thousand yard stare]] to Squidward, that he had seen it during the war.

-->'''Payback''': The thousand-yard stare. A marine gets it after he's
been in the shit for too long. It's like... it's like you've really seen beyond. I got it. All field marines got it.

* One of the soldiers in ''FullMetalJacket'' gives an extended speech about this, that you can tell when a guy's really been "in the shit" by the look in his eye, that thousand yard look.

** DyingForYourArt: The entire cast was run rugged, interminable military exercises - ''except'' Matt Damon (who plays Pvt. Ryan). It even made the cast ''resent'' Damon, which was entirely the point.

* Chiyo does this whenever Yukari's driving is mentioned since she barely survived it.