Expressions convey what a person feels, so —logically— if a character has an expression permanently glued to their face, they must be feelin' it all the time. A Perpetual Expression, then, is a characterization device used to cue the audience to someone's nature. Very rarely do others remark upon their apparent facial paralysis, even if one's visage is stuck with a rather unsettling look.
As a side effect, when the character's expression does change, it is always important and marks a big change to the character's normal demeanor.
Most common Perpetual Expressions include:
Sub-tropes:
Note that the accompanied characterization of these tropes should be left in their own article; this is merely an index for the varieties that are frequently ever-present on someone's face. Note however, that many Perpetual Expressions mix and match various Smile Tropes and Eye Tropes.
Kind of the binary opposite of Expressive Mask. Not quite Frozen Face, which is an actual face paralysis, nor Mouth Stitched Shut, Wipe That Smile Off Your Face, and Glasgow Grin—in those, external means prevent the character from switching their expression. See also Motionless Chin.
Mostly an Animation Trope, but has occasionally been pulled off in Live-Action TV as well. Very common in Video Games, especially in older ones, due to their nature.
Examples not fitting any sub-trope:
Anime & Manga
- Aharen-san wa Hakarenai: Both Raido and Aharen always have the same, slightly dull expression no matter what they are doing. As time goes on, Aharen does end up showing more facial expressions (though her resting face remains the same). Raido, on the other hand, basically never changes. He does finally crack (as close to) a smile as he can in Chapter 98.
- Attack on Titan: Junior High: Connie's usually wearing a laid-back expression that looks like this: O 3 O.
- Haken Senshi Yamada Noriko: Noriko is normally drawn without a mouth (she has one) and generally only uses expressions to make a point. This is in-universe, and only those who have worked with her for a while can read her at all. It's also the reason she's not good with kids—her smile is... unsettling, even when she's trying to be kind. She normally just rolls with it.
- Himouto! Umaru-chan: Umaru's pet hamsters always maintain the same look on their faces.
- How to Keep a Mummy: All of the critters except Pochi have a single expression plastered on their faces and don’t speak a word (except for Aayan the Anubis statue), meaning they only express themselves through sound effects (in the manga) or movement.
Fan Works
- Action Pack: Naruto always looks cheerful, and Kira always looks dour.
- Kill la Kill AU:
- Youko is never shown smiling or having any other emotion besides being annoyed.
- An eight-year-old Ryuuko was at first as being displayed as looking angry, usually not emoting beyond that, unless something calls for it.
- Mako is typically seen smiling, unless something calls for it.
Films — Animation
- The Emoji Movie: Justified Trope. Face emojis have to keep the face they are assigned to the whole time, 24/7; if they happen to make other expressions then their assigned one, they are considered malfunctions.
Films — Live-Action
- The Graduate: Ben in the Sad-Times Montage sports the same bored, aimless face. His expression changes maybe once.
Literature
- Cirno & Purple Steve: Fullmoon is always donning a Kubrick Stare. Even when the camera's angle is upward. Or when looking down is needed. Don't ask how.
- Yashe: Bi Zhi showed little emotion since he was a teenager, and even less after he became immortal. He either has a mysterious smile or a stoic expression on his face. He becomes more expressive later with the doctor's influence.
Live-Action TV
- Gossip Girl (2007): Extreme confusion is Nate's favorite state of mind. Fans like to call it Natefusion
.
Toys
- Cu-Poche: You can change your Cu-Poche's expression but you'd have to get another of that same Cu-Poche (if it's a Cu-Poche Friends).
Music
- Blue Man Group: While they can be very expressive with their bodies, the blue men's faces are absolutely deadpan.
Video Games
- CarnEvil:
- The "Smilin' Bob" enemy in the Rickety Town level (just after the "Big Bunyan Ride" Ferris wheel and during the bumper cars). He always smiles. Always.
- Same with Flap-Jack. Both sides of him.
- Radiant Historia: The character portraits never change. Averted in Perfect Chronology, which gives them changing expressions.
- Tomodachi Life:
- Miis are expressive, but their faces don't change that much, especially during sadness or fights. By Miitomo and Miitopia, Miis are MUCH more expressive and show different faces more often.
- Miitomo: If the Mii says they're out of questions, they'll always use the "happy" expression (see Eyes Always Shut above), only to shake their head desperately for a moment before resuming that expression.
Web Animation
- The Most Popular Girls in School: Everybody; well, all the characters are Barbie dolls! And that makes the crude dialogue all the funnier when juxtaposed with their plastic, molded smiles.
- Space Hamster Quartet: The hamsters' expressions don't convey much beyond a bit of surprise and some shock here and there. Even more so with the one with the shades.
Webcomics
- Immortal Man: Aside from the occasional smirk or raising of eyebrows, I.M. always wears the same blank expression.
- Saphie The One Eyed Cat: Simba's stoic look never changes. Whether he's happy, angry, hungry, etc.
- Sequential Art: Pip's face rarely changes thanks to his Opaque Lenses and unnoticeably small mouth. That definitely doesn't mean he doesn't emote.
Web Originals
- Discedo: Thomas Knowlton seems to go about his day linefacing. Has yet to smile, laugh, or frown.
- SuperMarioLogan: Just about every plush and puppet character in the show has the same expression, with the exception of custom thumbnails, the second half of "Bowser Junior's All Nighter!", "Bowser Junior's Nerf War!", and a certain point in "Where's Jeffy?". More recently following the switch to Human Puppets, this trope has been subverted more often, in one case having black fleece eyebrows sewn on the Brooklyn T. Guy puppet for scenes where he would be mad.
- Welcome to Death's Alliance: Alex is always staring at things, events, and people uninterestedly.
Western Animation
- Freakazoid!: Emmitt Nervend's face is perpetually locked in a rictus grin.
- Tom and Jerry: The Gold Digger female cat from "Blue Cat Blues" has a completely still face the entire short.
