History Main / DayHurtsDarkAdjustedEyes

[[folder:{{Film}}]]

* In the end of ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}'', Esmeralda turns away from the cheering crowd to offer her hand to Quasimodo, who was staying in the shadows of the cathedral. The moment he is exposed to the light, his pupils shrink in protest as he flinches.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOBatmanMovie'' when Batman tries to say "good night" to Alfred, who points out it's morning and demonstrates by opening the windows. Batman recoils and hisses at the light.

* ''Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid'': In ''Elma's Office Lady Diary'', Elma ends up being subjected to this in ''[[ when she goes outside after having spent several days nonstop at the office to get a project out on time. [[BrickJoke At least she finally found out why Kobayashi told her to get a pair of sunglasses]].

* In ''VideoGame/Fallout3'', your character seems to be affected by this for a few seconds. Afterward, they recover, adjust and see in daylight with no ill effects. The same effect happens in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' and ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' when the Courier leaves Doc Mitchel's house after being nursed to health and Sole Survivor exits Vault 111 respectively. ''VideoGame/Fallout2'' opened with an instructional film explicitly (and humorously) highlighting the need for protective eyewear; and the Vault door opened rather sensibly at night time.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2274 Crimney's reaction to stepping away from his towers of books]].
-->''AAGH!! My eyes! The excess light is causing my pupil to contract, thereby limiting in the influx of light.''

* In ''Webcomic/UserFriendly'', this is an expected consequence of coming in to work at the crack of dawn and normally leaving after sunset. [[http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=19991208 Poor AJ.]]
* In ''Webcomic/RedsPlanet'', [[http://www.redsplanet.com/comic/rp/ch03/chapter-three-04/ when Red approaches the break in the downed spaceship]], and [[http://www.redsplanet.com/comic/rp/ch03/chapter-three-05/ more so when she's hauled out into day.]]

* Elma ends up being subjected to this in ''[[Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: Elma's Office Lady Diary]]'' when she goes outside after having spent several days nonstop at the office to get a project out on time. [[BrickJoke At least she finally found out why Kobayashi told her to get a pair of sunglasses]].

* ''All-Star Western'' (2011) #4 has a boy who's been missing and is now extremely sensitive to light; this with other clues shows that he's been kept underground for a long time.

* In ''[[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]]'' a group of mercenaries use flash grenades to get the upper hand on a gang hiding in a dark abandoned building they were hired to kill in order to hide a company's dirty laundry. The flash also incapacitates Robin for a moment and he realizes they're using special lenses to allow them to be unaffected. He later starts using this same trick himself.

* The vampires in ''Film/TheBreed'' were this way. They wore sunglasses during the day and in their world, it was the eye sensitivity that gave way to the idea of vampires being allergic to sunlight.

* In the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', Esmeralda turns away from the cheering crowd to offer her hand to Quasimodo, who was staying in the shadows of the cathedral. The moment he is exposed to the light, his pupils shrink in protest as he flinches.

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[[folder:{{Music}}]]

--> It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright\\
Anyway, my eyes are not accustomed to this light\\
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete\\
So I must go back to my room and make my day complete\\

[[folder:TabletopGames]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. Sunlight Sensitivity is a racial trait shared by many evil humanoids in early editions- depending on the edition it ranges from being outright blinded for a short time or taking a penalty to attacks. As the game went on, this trait was formalized into mostly subterranean races like dark elves, kobolds, Kuo-Toa, and grey dwarves. Orcs also have it, despite not being portrayed as living underground or being nocturnal. [[HybridPower Half-orcs and half-elves of dark elf heritage lack this trait, however]].
* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': The Darkbroods (universally-loathed gods who were driven underground), and Dune People (cannibal, xenophobic human sub-species). Notably, one of the iconic Infernal is a Dune Person.
** Speaking of the Infernals: if they want to learn the more powerful Ebon Dragon charms they can't avoid this trope, because one of the Dragon's foundational charm give them this weakness. They are only hurt by Creation's Sun though; any other suns are fine.

* Several species in ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' have this problem, most prominent amongst them are orcs (though it's possible for them to overcome it).
* The Light Is Dark Umbrum from ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful'' features an exaggerated version of this effect. Darkened with this Umbrum can see clearly in dim light or pitch blackness, but are blind in well-illuminated areas.

[[folder:VideoGames]]

[[folder:{{Webcomics}}]]

** An inversion I also common: anyone who has spent a day in the snow on a sunny day (especially in early spring when sun is higher) will attest to having initial trouble seeing when they are inside as their eyes have become so adjusted to the strong light outside.

* In ''Film/ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld", Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett need a pilot and find Jim Backus sleeping off a drunk. The room has the blinds drawn and when he gets up he thinks he's blind and staggers to the window. When he opens the blinds, the blinding daylight sends him flying backward, [[HangoverSensitivity screaming in pain.]]

* Gollum in Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. It's implied that at least some orcs (though not all) also suffer from this.

* In some side materials for ''VideoGame/TouhouProject'', [[CastingAShadow Rumia]], who spends most of her time in a bubble of impenetrable darkness, complains that daylight hurts her eyes. She's okay with moonlight, though.

* ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'' tested this o see if smugglers can drive on a dark road at night without using any light and relying only on their eyes acclimated to the darkness. They discovered it was barely possible, but if any light passed by them, such as a car with its headlights on, they would immediately run off the road or crash if they couldn't stop in time.

[[folder:Fan Fic]]
* ''FanFic/BlueSky''. The first thing Wheatley does after stepping outside for the first time in his life is scream because of the sun shining in his eyes. He calms down a little after realizing the world is ''not'' on fire.

* In ''FanFic/TheFifthAct'' when Cloud wakes up [[spoiler: after being freed from Jenova's possession and Hojo's experiments]] the light of day gives him a splitting headache.

-->'''Neo''': Why do my eyes hurt?
-->'''Morpheus''': You've never used them before.

* In Aaron Dembski-Bowden's Literature/GreyKnights novel ''The Emperor's Gift'', Twenty-Six complains bitterly of the light when ordered to open his eyes; he is told it's the weakest level of illumination, but he has not used his eyes in ninety-nine days.

* ''Series/Mythbusters'' tested this o see if smugglers can drive on a dark road at night without using any light and relying only on their eyes acclimated to the darkness. They discovered it was barely possible, but if any light passed by them, such as a car with its headlights on, they would immediately run off the road or crash if they couldn't stop in time.

* ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' (based on ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3.5e) gives [[OurElvesAreBetter Drow]] and [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Gray Dwarves]] Light Sensitivity - a penalty to rolls when in broad daylight. Both are Underdark-dwelling races. Averted in the case of Deep Gnomes, which do not suffer the same penalty despite being native to the Underdark. (Oddly enough, [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Gray Orcs]] receive a similar (but lesser) penalty despite living on the surface.)