Line #89 Main/QuakingWithFear


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10	[[quoteright:249:[[Manga/HitoribocchiNoOOSeikatsu https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bocchi_hitori.png]]]]
11
12	->''"What is that strange rattling sound?" I blurted out.\
13	"Your knees rattling together," was his simple and unflattering answer.''
14	-->-- ''Literature/TheFourthLawOfRobotics''
15
16	In many forms of media, there are scenes that express a character's fear, whether it be from heights, or from entering an abandoned mansion. It is worth noting that at times, those characters will, as a result, tremble. Though it can be considered on the note of serious terror, once the sound effect of trembling is implemented, or once you notice that characters are shaking in the most exaggerated way possible, it seems as though those scenes are there for comedic effect. As a result, characters will often joke about the other character "shaking like a leaf", with the portrayal of one's teeth chattering or knees banging together adding to the comic relief (most prominent in ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'').
17
18	A common feature for a NervousWreck. Compare SecurityCling.
19	----
20	!!Examples:
21	[[foldercontrol]]
22
23	[[folder:Advertising]]
24	* A '90s Little Caesar commercial depicted a class getting ready to take an exam, and one of the kids was shaking rapidly when he was about to take it.
25	[[/folder]]
26
27	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
28	* At the beginning of the second chapter of ''Manga/AsteroidInLove'' (animated right after the opening credits in the first episode), [[ShyBlueHairedGirl Ao]] trembles in fear as she gets overwhelmed by [[GenkiGirl Mira]]'s texts.
29	* Monaka in ''Anime/DragonBallSuper''. He is so terrified to fight Hit that his teeth chatter and his knees shake.
30	* Megumi from ''Manga/FoodWars'' is known to always shake violently when anxious.
31	* Bocchi Hitori in ''Manga/HitoribocchiNoOOSeikatsu'' does this when she is anxious, as her legs tend to cramp under stress. And since she has a [[ShrinkingViolet severe case of social anxiety]], this happens pretty often.
32	* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
33	** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable Diamond is Unbreakable]]'': Hayato spends a moment quaking inside a chest after nearly getting caught and discovering Yoshikage Kira is impersonating his father.
34	** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun Steel Ball Run]]'': Lucy Steel falls into shivering fear once backed into a room where not only Funny Valentine discovers her, but also has an encounter with the Holy Corpse.
35	* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'':
36	** All Might tries to stop his legs from shaking due to the trauma of training with his past teacher.
37	** Izuku Midoriya also subverts this trope on a couple of occasions, mainly whenever he is nervous to fight and his legs won't move.
38	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
39	** In the episode "The Cursed Warrior", Naruto tries to convince Lady Tsunade that he isn't scared of ghosts, but his knees are visibly trembling in front of her.
40	** Ino experiences this is as well due to being afraid of helping Sakura fight [[spoiler:the sound village]] in episode 32.
41	* Shio Ogura from ''Manga/{{Nobunagun}}''. In the very first episode, she experiences a life-threatening situation that causes her knees to knock together in fear. She tries to stop them from knocking by holding them, but it doesn't work.
42	* Usopp in ''Manga/OnePiece''. Even though he claims that he is not afraid, his shaking legs always tend to give it away.
43	* In the ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/PokemonS1E6ClefairyAndTheMoonStone Clefairy and the Moon Stone]]", the professor tries to protect the Clefairy from Team Rocket, but Team Rocket note that his knees are shaking, thus making a loud noise.
44	* Shino Amakusa from ''Manga/SeitokaiYakuindomo''. She is afraid of heights, and her shaky knees portray that. However, she tries to cover it up by saying she's shaking with excitement.
45	* Karen from ''Literature/ShominSample''. Her legs start to shake when Kimito attempts to dominate her in regards to what clothes she wants to wear.
46	* Keith from ''Manga/ZatchBell''. After [[spoiler:losing the fight between Kiyo Takamine and Zatch Bell in chapter 196]], his legs shake so hard that he notes that they are practically laughing at him.
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Fan Works]]
50	* In ''Fanfic/MiraiSMP'', when Techno comes across him and Travis, Cooper is trying to act brave, standing in front of Travis holding a tiny dagger, but Techno notices that his arms are shaking, giving away how scared he is.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
54	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfIchabodAndMrToad''. Ichabod is absolutely terrified when traversing the woods due to the probability that the Headless Horse Man could appear. The smallest of sounds are enough to make his legs tremble like crazy.
55	* ''WesternAnimation/BackToTheOutback'': Maddie trembling in fear after a surprise encounter with [[spoiler:Chazzie, who is also trembling in fear,]] is what clues him in on her being NotEvilJustMisunderstood.
56	* ''WesternAnimation/CoalBlackAndDeSebbenDwarfs'': When Coal Black gets startled by the voices of the sebben dwarfs, her knees are shown knocking in rapid succession.
57	* In ''Anime/JinRohTheWolfBrigade'', the camera points to Kei Amemiya's legs shaking when she is confronted by Fuse in the sewers.
58	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'': When being grilled by King Triton over Ariel being in love, Sebastian notices his legs shaking with fear and sheepishly covers them.
59	* ''WesternAnimation/MakeMineMusic'':
60	** In "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met", Willie the Whale imagines himself portraying [[Theatre/FaustFirstPartOfTheTragedy Mephistopheles]], appearing onstage as a huge fire-breathing demon. Just offstage is a group of firemen at the ready, trembling at his fiery performance.
61	** One of the pitchers in "Casey at the Bat" also does this before throwing the ball.
62	* Mushu from ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'' trembles at the knees in fear for his life when he accidentally destroys the Great Stone Dragon.
63	* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'', Twilight Sparkle's human legs quiver in fear due to being the goalie against Rainbow Dash in a soccer game.
64	* ''WesternAnimation/ScaryGodmother'' when the kids get spooked by Scary Godmother's crew in the haunted house.
65	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH'', Jeremy's knees are knocking loudly as he drops Mrs. Brisby off at the entrance to the Great Owl's lair.
66	* In the opening of ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'', when Bowser emerges from his ship to face the penguin king, one of the former's Koopas is so scared that he's [[ShyShelledAnimal hiding in his shell]], quivering.
67	* Woody from ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'' when he encounters Sid's horrifying house.
68	* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Mei trembles in mortification as her mother confronts Devon at the Daisy Mart.
69	[[/folder]]
70
71	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
72	* ''Film/JurassicPark1993'': Lex's enjoyment of a spoonful of jelly('jello') is interrupted by the terrifying sight of a [[spoiler:veliciraptor]]. Her shaking in fear is emphasised by the spoonful of dessert consequently jiggling.
73	* ''Film/ThirteenTzameti'': In the final RussianRoulette duel, veteran player 6 is calm while the protagonist 13 is soaked in sweat and trembling with fear.
74	* In the opening sequence of ''Film/HoneyIShrunkTheKids'' when the male character confronts a bug.
75	* In ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'', Eddie and Roger are at Maroon Studios to talk to R.K. Maroon about [[spoiler:the sale of the studio to Cloverleaf]]. Eddie accuses Roger of wanting to leave because he's too scared. Roger says "Me, scared? Don't be ridiculous!", followed by him chattering his teeth in an exaggerated manner appropriate for a cartoon character like him.
76	* In ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', the main cast trembles comedically when facing the Wizard.
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Literature]]
80	* ''Literature/CaseyAtTheBat'': The pitcher was so nervous his knees begin to shake.
81	* ''Literature/PrincessesOfThePizzaParlor'': In the first episode, Cassie was so worried about being caught in wrong-doing that her "knees were trembling".
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
85	* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'':
86	** "[[Recap/InterviewWithTheVampire2022S1E1InThroesOfIncreasingWonder In Throes of Increasing Wonder...]]": In the climax, Louis de Pointe du Lac is visibly trembling with terror when Lestat de Lioncourt growls, "I'm not the Devil. You were wrong about that." Louis doesn't understand yet that Lestat is a vampire, but he still knows that he isn't human, and Louis being Catholic means that he naturally assumes that a supernatural creature who mauls a priest to death with his [[FangsAreEvil fangs]] must be demonic.
87	** "[[Recap/InterviewWithTheVampire2022S1E5AVileHungerForYourHammeringHeart A Vile Hunger for Your Hammering Heart]]": Claudia, whose leg has just been broken by Bruce, is shaking like a leaf in the last shot we see of her before [[RapeDiscretionShot the scene cuts]].
88	* ''{{Series/Legion\|2017}}'': In "[[Recap/LegionS3E3Chapter22 Chapter 22]]", while operating Cerebro, Charles Xavier trembles with fright after he makes contact with Amahl Farouk's mind.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Music]]
92	* In the music video for "Not Your Fault" by Music/{{AWOLNATION}}, a guy's legs shake either from the cold or from being in a spooky cave.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Theatre]]
96	* ''Theatre/{{Coppelia}}'': A ballerina is pressured to check what's behind the closet. After seeing Coppelia in there, she hides and makes her legs tremble in an exaggerated manner.
97	* ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', Act 2, Scene 1:
98	-->'''Ophelia:''' Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other; and with a look so piteous in purport as if he had been loosed out of hell to speak of horrors, he comes before me.
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Video Games]]
102	* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': In one side-mission at Skopp City, Ann locates a missing suspect shaking with fear and BlueWithShock after being trapped on a MissingFloor for several hours. In the Mysterious Console DLC, Noni becomes shaken with unease after her encounter with the second dungeon boss once it leaves it's shell behind.
103	* ''VideoGame/BuckshotRoulette'' has the player do this when picking up the shotgun. Granted, considering that they're literally about to play RussianRoulette but with a ''shotgun'', but they stop doing this upon taking aim at the dealer, since they wouldn't have to worry much about getting hurt by shooting the dealer.
104	* ''Videogame/FreeRealms'' includes a cower emote that consists of this.
105	* ''VideoGame/PiratesOfTheBurningSea'' has a cower emote that consists of this.
106	* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': Luigi in spades. Fits hit CowardlyLion status nicely.
107	** ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' has this as his default animation whenever he enters an area that's completely dark.
108	** ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime'': Luigi's legs shake in a comedic fashion when [=UFOs=] attack the Mushroom Kingdom.
109	* Cirno from ''Franchise/TouhouProject'', after realizing the stakes at hand when Yuuka confronts her to battle.
110	* ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'' includes a nervous emote that consists of this.
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:Webcomics]]
114	* ''Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns'' sort-of-inverts the trope [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/sticky-dilly-buns/some-kissing-lessons here]], when Ruby's knees shake due to lust rather than fear.
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Web Original]]
118	* ''Literature/CanYouSpareAQuarter'': Jamie trembles from fear when Graham extends his arm to him, and when he first meets Frank who reminds him of his father.
119	* In the {{fan film}} ''WebVideo/DeadpoolTheMusical 2'', the ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'' {{song parody}} includes Deadpool singing these lines to lampshade the terrified reactions of the grunts:
120	-->'''Deadpool:''' ''[singing]'' You're face-to-mask with Deadpool and you're scared\
121	You feel your knees start to shake-- ''[spoken]'' [[PottyFailure Did you just piss?!]]
122	[[/folder]]
123
124	[[folder:Western Animation]]
125	* The ''WesternAnimation/ThreeTwoOnePenguins'' episode "Moon Menace on Planet Tell-a-Lie"'s musical segment told the story of Galaxy Gus. When high noon was approaching and the town of Gamma Gulch ran off. Galaxy Gus starts to shake in his boots, chatter his teeth and bite his gloved hand as the outlaw Honcho Villa approaches him for a showdown.
126	* In the ''WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck'' cartoon "WesternAnimation/WhatMakesDaffyDuck", Daffy's legs tremble in quick succession when hiding from duck season.
127	* ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'': In "Where There's a Well, There's a Way," DM and Penfold are traversing a dark cavern when DM hears some rapid knocking. Penfold (as he describes as it's pitch black except for the heroes' eyes) lowers his head and the knocking stops. He's got his head between his knees to keep them from knocking together.
128	* In the 1938 short "Ferdinand", everyone is afraid of Ferdinand, and the matador is portrayed with his knees knocking against each other.
129	* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'': In the episode "Crushed", Mandy has an OutOfCharacter moment of falling in love, including sweaty palms and weak knees.
130	* In ''WesternAnimation/GrowingUpCreepie'', best friends Carla and Melanie's legs shake while being frightened in Creepie's house in the episode "Night of Fright".
131	* ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'': Husk, after Alastor nearly goes all-out and threatens him with a FateWorseThanDeath for knowingly pushing the BerserkButton, Husk is left on the floor visibly shaking in fear.
132	* ''WesternAnimation/TheHuckleberryHoundShow'': In one episode, Huckleberry Hound takes the role of a lion tamer. The narrator states that once the lion notices any sign of fear in the lion tamer, it starts to make its pursuit. Consequently, the camera pans to Huck's knees knocking together.
133	* Andy from ''WesternAnimation/MayaAndMiguel'' experiences this when he tries to hit on Esmeralda in the episode "The Letter"
134	* ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse'': Mickey's legs are shown shaking on multiple occasions in the 1929 "Haunted House" episode.
135	* Fluttershy from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' tends to get in a nervous wreck where she trembles, hence her name.
136	* ''WesternAnimation/PawPatrol'': In Tracker Joins The Pups, Skye, Rubble, Tracker and Carlos hear a knocking sound. Then it's revealed that the sound was coming from Marshall, whose knees were shaking.
137	* In the ''WesternAnimation/PorkyPig'' cartoon "WesternAnimation/TheCaseOfTheStutteringPig", Porky tells Petunia that he's not afraid, as the camera cuts to a close-up of his shaking knees.
138	* ''WesternAnimation/TheRaggyDolls'': Lucy, just in general. Whenever she gets scared, she either falls into pieces, or her knees start knocking.
139	* In the episode "The Boy Who Cried Rat" of ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'', Mrs. Pipe stands on top of a couch with her knees shaking because of her fear of mice.
140	* Scooby and Shaggy from ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo''. It's so prominent in the series that the theme song of ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'' notes that we can see how Scooby shakes and shivers.
141	* ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'': Tom's knees bang together from behind the blankets while being told a scary story in the episode "Fraidy Cat".
142	* Mandy from ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies''. The camera focuses on her knees knocking together when she is afraid to perform in front of a crowd in the episode "Black Widow". She was shaking in her boots!
143	[[/folder]]

Context Main / QuakingWithFear