History Main / GrayEyes

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* WhatBeautifulEyes: A character's beautiful eyes are a defining feature remarked upon by the narrative and/or other characters. In the real olden days, gray eyes were considered the absolute height of beauty.

* ColorCodedEyes: Gray eyes used for symbolism or characterization.

* IcyBlueEyes: Grey-eyed characters are stern or emotionally distant.
* InnocentBlueEyes: Grey eyes, often paired with [[HairOfGoldHeartOfGold blonde hair]], as a symbol of innocence and purity.

* ColorCodedEyes or MeaningfulAppearance: Gray eyes used for symbolism or characterization.

* ElementalEyeColors: Gray eyes may symbolize [[MakingASplash water powers]], [[BlowYouAway wind powers]], or exotic ElementalPowers such as [[ExtraOreDinary metal]] or [[{{lunacy}} moon]].
* IcyGrayEyes: Grey-eyed characters are stern or emotionally distant.
* InnocentGrayEyes: Grey eyes, often paired with [[HairOfGoldHeartOfGold blonde hair]], as a symbol of innocence and purity.

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->''"With her deep tan and her curly blond hair, [Annabeth] was almost exactly what I thought a stereotypical California girl would look like, except her eyes ruined the image. They were startling gray, like storm clouds; pretty, but intimidating, too, as if she were analyzing the best way to take me down in a fight."''
-->-- '''Percy Jackson''' about Annabeth Chase, ''[[Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians The Lightning Thief]]''

Gray Eyes tend to reflect inner calm and strength and often hint at healing powers. They are the color of metal and stone and are associated with coolness, resilience, and stillness. This comes in several varieties:

# Spiritual "prophet" characters, blind or otherwise, will have either gray or light blue eyes that are often described as "looking right through you". Gray eyes are a sign that a character is there to fulfill a "mentor" role and [[MentorOccupationalHazard probably won't stay in the story]] [[SortingAlgorithmOfMortality very long]]. Pretty much any BlindSeer character fits this. Mentors, Seers, and so on are often older and have gray hair and, presumably, [[CurtainsMatchTheWindow eyes in keeping]]. This dates to Greek Mythology, where many Oracles and the like, along with Athena, had gray eyes.
# Gray eyes can also characterize a cold, strong-willed, and unapproachable character often with an "ideas above people" mentality. May overlap with IcyBlueEyes.
# They can also mean innocence--frequently paired with golden hair. This is an older trope, sometimes thought of as a ForgottenTrope as, nowadays, InnocentBlueEyes are used for this instead, but that's because, way back, people (or at least, Western cultures) did not differentiate between blue or gray eyes.
# In the real olden days, gray eyes were the absolute height of beauty--nearly every blason (descriptive poem starting with the hair and ending with the feet) named the subject's eyes as gray, just as it called the cheeks red and the hair gold.
# During UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar, superstitions characterized gray eyes with danger: namely that said person was most likely an extremely competent marksman. It's probably that the idea of gray being a "cold" color meets the ColdSniper trope. Possibly related to this, a high percentage of [[RealLife real world]] [[AcePilot Fighter Aces]] have gray eyes.

It should be noted that these eye color tropes are not just for characters who have eyes of this color, but when the color actually stands for something significant to that character, like [[WaterIsBlue blue for water]], green for earth, [[RedEyesTakeWarning red for evil]], etc. Please do not add characters who just happen to have eyes of this color without a substantial reason behind it.

[[noreallife]]
----
!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** The gray-eyed, pupil-less Hyuga [[TheClan family]] from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' fit the seer archetype -- they can see a lot more than normal, including through matter or behind their backs. They have the unapproachable "ideas above people" mentality of the second gray eye type. Neji Hyuga, who was a hardened fatalist before his WarriorTherapist session with Naruto, certainly fits. Hinata Hyuga, though, has the eyes, but her personality is the absolute opposite.
*** It's notable that Hinata has a blue tint to her eyes.
*** As a side note, their clan power, "Byakugan", literally translates as "white eyes".
** Kushina [[spoiler:Uzumaki]] has gray eyes, though she doesn't really match any of the personality types associated with it.
** Kakashi has grey eyes and grey hair to go with them, and he does match the type: a mentor, a cool strategist, and a very stoic outlook to life. As a child he was cold and arrogant.
* Kensuke Aida from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' is one of the few characters without any sign of serious psychological damage, fitting the inner calm variety.
* ''Literature/MoribitoGuardianOfTheSpirit'' has the Holy Sage, the shaman Torogai, and the star diviner Shuga. They all have gray eyes and gray hair, despite Shuga only being probably around twenty-five.
* In ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'', at least five of the main characters have this eye colour. The most important one is the male protagonist, Sagara Sousuke, whose [[WhatBeautifulEyes strong, clear gray eyes]] are actually somewhat of a subplot by the end of the novel "End of Day by Day". Or, at least, they are to his [[ArchEnemy worst enemy]]/EvilCounterpart[=/=]StalkerWithACrush. Yes, that would be Gauron, who also happens to have gray eyes, just of a different shape and nuance. The other characters who share this trait are Mithril captain Tessa Testarossa and her evil twin brother Leonard. And major Andrei Kalinin, Sousuke's commander in Mithril. (Though it should be noted that those last three are described in the novels as having blue-gray eyes, rather than just gray.)
* Fate Averruncus of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', who fights and acts with [[TheSpock complete logic and reason]], with the exception of his condescension to main lead Negi. He also never smiles, [[TechnicallyASmile even when laughing]].
** It's also implied that [[spoiler:he's actually an ArtificialHuman.]]
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Orihime has brown eyes in the manga, but the anime changed them to gray, making her a solid but anime-only example of the innocent, gray-eyed healer.
** Byakuya Kuchiki also has gray eyes and [[SugarAndIcePersonality works hard]] to portray the perfect Type II example of this trope.
* Allen Walker, from ''Manga/DGrayMan''. He absolutely ''[[{{Determinator}} will not]]'' give up if he can possibly help it ([[AttackAttackAttack or even then]]), and he fits the idea of a gray-eyed character as innocent [[MessianicArchetype very well]] [[ThePollyanna indeed]]. Also excellent proof that although brown eyes may be better for PuppyDogEyes purposes, gray can be really, ''really'' cute as well.
** Also fits the trope as a prophet or seer, as one of Allen's eyes has a special ability allowing him to see the souls of [[MadeOfEvil Akuma]]. Although, [[RedEyesTakeWarning it's not gray when it's active]].
* All Manga/{{Claymore}}s have silvery gray eyes. In fact, their eye color is what most commonly gives them away when they go undercover. Needless to say, they are mostly very stoic (except for the [[PsychopathicManChild Psychopathic Woman Children]]).
* A recent example is Shiki Ryougi of ''LightNovel/KaraNoKyoukai'', who fits most of the criteria for the second type.
* Yuki Sohma in ''Manga/FruitsBasket'' has gray eyes, but only in the manga. In his case, the gray is probably associated with his animal form, the rat.
* ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'''s Kyouya has gray eyes and, considering he's the "Cool" type, it's fitting.
* In ''Manga/OnePiece'' the cold-hearted Trafalgar Law, also known as the Surgeon of Death, has gray eyes.
* Both L and Near of ''Manga/DeathNote'' have gray eyes, though L is arguably a more apt example of this trope.
* ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'': protagonist [[HotBlooded Taiki Kudou]] has them and is a partial/composite subversion--yes, he's quite HotBlooded, but he's still certainly more intellectual and levelheaded than the previous ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' protagonists, save for [[Anime/DigimonTamers Takato]].
** Speaking of which, Henry Wong from Anime/DigimonTamers is the most level-headed guy in the PowerTrio, a competent hacker, and a Tai Chi practitioner.
* Kai Hiwatari of ''Anime/{{Beyblade}}'' have this in the anime V-force/2002.
* Lawrence from ''LightNovel/SpiceAndWolf'' has gray eyes, though he doesn't fit any of the particular motifs listed in the trope description. His CurtainsMatchTheWindow, however, and the effect of his gray hair makes him look a bit older than he really is.
* [[Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch Rina]] has these eyes while in human form. As a mermaid or as [[MagicIdolSinger "Green Pearl Voice"]], she has Green eyes.
* Nezumi from ''LightNovel/{{No 6}}'' has dark gray eyes and fits the second personality type to a T--except when it comes to [[HoYay Sion]].
* Gokudera Hayato in ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn'' has gray eyes, associated with the fifth personality type; specialising in long ranged attacks. His Cambio Forma, ''G's Archery'', even takes the form of a giant ornate bow.
** Gokudera's eyes are actually green. The straighter example would be Superbi Squalo (type 5), though his eyes are of the bluish gray variety.
* Ken Kaneki from ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' has dark gray eyes, and covers numerous types over the course of the story. He starts out as an innocent, bookish young man but develops into a [[WhiteHairBlackHeart white-haired]] AntiHero prone to acting cold or distant when eliminating his foes with incredible precision. [[spoiler: In the sequel, he has become a Mentor to younger Hybrids]].
* ''Manga/ShouwaGenrokuRakugoShinjuu'' gives us Yakumo (the 8th), who was initially cold to Sukeroku and his mentor (Yakumo the 7th) but he defrosted as his rakugo improved. He is currently a mentor to Yotaro and getting on in years, so who knows how long he'll be around for...
* ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' has Zamasu, an apprentice Supreme Kai from Universe 10, which is quite notable given most Kais have black eyes. For him, they represent both his power (as he's the most powerful Kai to be shown yet) and his cold nature which makes him put his "ideals above the people" [[spoiler:to the point he intends to kill all the people to make them come true]]. His fellow accomplice [[EvilTwin Goku Black]] also has them in his SuperMode, [[spoiler:which is but another hint they're [[AlternateSelf the same person from different timelines]]]]. Goku himself gains gray eyes when he unlocks his Ultra Instinct form.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Comicbook/DoctorStrange from Creator/MarvelComics officially has gray eyes. They're often depicted as blue or even green, however.
* The Gray Man, foe of Dr. Fate and the Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}}.
* Klara Prast of the Comicbook/{{Runaways}} has gray eyes, presumably symbolizing that she is more innocent and less cynical than her teammates.
* ComicBook/WonderWoman's eyes turn from blue to grey when Athena restores her sight.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
%%* Ra's Al Ghul in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanUnderTheRedHood''.
* [[CharacterizationMarchesOn Originally]], Belle from ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'' had this eye color; at least, she did in the promotional art and artbooks. They were most noticeable in her winter dress in the FallingInLoveMontage towards the middle of the movie. Chances were that this was to emphasise her strong-willed and independent nature, refusing to submit to the Beast's whims until he made significant changes in his character. %% Do not add that she now has Brown Eyes or Hazel Eyes to this page. These tropes have been removed with regards to her as edit-war bait.
* Mother Gothel from ''Disney/{{Tangled}}''. She proves to be very {{determin|ator}}ed when it comes to reaching her goal of having eternal youth.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]
* ''Film/TheHungerGames'': Katniss has eyes of a cold, distant, strong-willed Determinator. And don't you forget her archery skills, too.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* An example of gray eyes as the height of beauty: In ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', Act II, scene 4, Mercutio is parodying the kind of extravagant PurpleProse that poetic lovers like Romeo would use. Specifically, they would insist that every famous beauty of history and legend was nothing compared to the object of their adoration:
--> Dido a dowdy, Cleopatra a gypsy, Helen and Hero hildings and harlots, Thisbe a grey eye or so, but not to the purpose.
* Annabeth from ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' has gray eyes, as her mother is Athena.
** In fact, it's stated that all kids from the Athena cabin have gray eyes.
* Strangely, the above series' Norse spin-off, ''Literature/MagnusChaseAndTheGodsOfAsgard'' has Magnus, who is Annabeth's ''paternal'' cousin having gray eyes in the same shade as Annabeth's. He got them from his mortal mother, while his divine dad, [[spoiler: Frey]] has InnocentBlueEyes, so it's safe to assume that all of the Chase family have gray eyes. The color still fits Magnus' characterization anyway, namely, Type 2 ("cold and strong-willed").
* Pulp heroes tended to have blue-gray eyes -- blue to indicate their heroic nature, steely gray when they were angry or determined.
** Playing off this (the Kinnisons from the ''Literature/{{Lensman}}'' series and the Carters -- either Creator/HPLovecraft's Randolph Carter or Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs' John Carter, or both -- are explicitly mentioned), Creator/JohnCWright's ''Literature/WarOfTheDreaming'' has gray eyes as a sign of King Arthur's line.
* King Arthur himself has gray eyes in ''Literature/LeMorteDarthur'', and barely anything else is mentioned about his physical appearance. Other Arthurian works don't mention it, so it may have started with the author, Sir Creator/ThomasMalory.
* Gray eyes (said to be a [[InTheBlood racial trait]] of, among others, the [[TheBeautifulElite Noldor elves and the Númenóreans]]) take up a very large chunk of ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'' goodie population, possibly as a throwback to the "grey eyes as the height of beauty" idea. The grey eyes of Creator/JRRTolkien's beloved wife Edith were probably also pertinent.
* From ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** Luna Lovegood has protruding silver eyes, probably meant to be reminiscent of a full moon (hence ''luna''cy), although {{Fanon}} often makes them silvery blue.
** Mr. Ollivander, the detached and faintly creepy wandmaker, is also described to have large silver eyes.
** Draco and Lucius Malfoy have the cold gray variety.
** Sirius Black and his brother Regulus had gray eyes.
** Cedric Diggory had gray eyes as well.
*** All of these characters are purebloods or halfblood, so [[EveryoneIsRelated they are probably all related.]] The Blacks and the Malfoys certainly are.
* Creator/DennisWheatley's Duc de Richleau... "Greyeyes" to intimates.
* Richard Rahl from the ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'' series. After all, he is intended to be a [[WarriorPoet philosopher]], though most readers seem not to like his (Goodkind's) philosophy.
* Rand al'Thor of ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime''. He fits pretty well the strong and unapproachable archetype as the later books go on.
* Seaton from the ''Literature/SkylarkSeries'' had gray eyes.
* The protagonist of the children's novel ''Literature/TheGirlWithTheSilverEyes'' is telekinetic, and she and other children who received strange powers because of a medical experiment performed on their mothers all have this eye color.
* Literature/SherlockHolmes. Gray (or 'steely') eyes of the piercing variety. His brother Mycroft's are of a "peculiarly light, watery gray".
** Professor Moriarty was also noted to have grey eyes.
* Alexander Tagere, the Last of the Kings and Richard III's {{Expy}} from ''Literature/ArciaChronicles''.
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', Cold, gray eyes are a [[InTheBlood genetic trait]] of the Stark family line, reflecting their stoic nature and hard life up in the North. Ned's and Jon's are frequently focused on. Arya seems to be the only one of Ned's trueborn children to have inherited the eyes, as the rest take after their mother.
** [[MagnificentBastard Littlefinger]] has green-gray eyes, representing his strong will and [[LackofEmpathy sociopathy]].
* Gregori from the ''Dark'' series is a healer with an unapproachable personality and the ideas-above-people mentality. A great deal is made about his ''silvery'' eyes.
** Incidentally, Xavier, the main villain of the series, shares the eye color. It is implied that silver eyes are a consequence of experimenting with [[TheDarkArts darker or forbidden]] forms of magic.
* The [[OurElvesAreBetter elves]] in the ''Literature/{{Bordertown}}'' SharedUniverse all have silver eyes, and nearly all of them are relatively cold and intellectual.
* In the ''Second Sons'' trilogy by Jennifer Fallon, the main protagonist, Dirk Provin, has unreadable, steel gray eyes. These are handy when he has to convince literally everyone that everything they believe is a lie, including the king of the most powerful country in the region, as well as hide his own motivations and feelings from some of the most perceptive people from all sides.
* The Herons (Geoffrey, Christopher, and Cecily) have gray eyes and "tawny-yellow" hair in Elizabeth Marie Pope's ''Literature/ThePerilousGard''. Geoffrey's are described as "level [and] rather forbidding", and he is described several times as resembling granite and steel in character. Christopher eventually reveals himself to possess a warmer, rather impulsive nature, but he, too, is cold and remote when the protagonist Kate first meets him.
* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' Literature/EighthDoctorAdventures novels, the Eighth Doctor's companion Fitz Kreiner has gray eyes. Doesn't really fit any of the above stereotypes, though, apart from being clever in a BookDumb sort of way. Rather more relevant than Fitz's eyes however, are [[TheStoic Compassion's]]. She's pragmatic to the point of ruthlessness, often described as cold, calculating and (seemingly) unfeeling, and her round, moon-like grey eyes are a much-noted feature.
* The Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures novels tended to make much of the Seventh Doctor's gray eyes, presumably as a way to contrast his [[TheChessmaster EU characterisation]] with his [[DitzyGenius previous incarnations]].
* Cheslav in Yulia Latynina's ''Inhuman'', being a KnightTemplar-in-training with a dash of RaisedByWolves.
* [[MarySue Callista Ming]] from the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse is supposed to fit 1, but fans see her more as 2.
** Tenel Ka has gray eyes as well. She'd fit type 2 if she wasn't merely [[TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask wearing the queenly mask]].
* Stephen Maturin from the ''Literature/AubreyMaturin'' series--we never find out what colour his eyes are, for they are described as "pale", "icy", and "piercing", as well as "extraordinary", but he is intellectual, stoical, ideological, and unapproachable, especially when he removes his tinted spectacles to give the full-on Maturin Stare.
* In Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs's ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars'', Cathoris has gray eyes. They indicate his off-planet parentage.
* The Haldane kings in the ''Literature/{{Deryni}}'' novels all have gray eyes.
** Not just the kings. Prince Nigel (Heir Presumptive and frequent Regent), his sons, even cousin (and Queen by marriage) Araxie. In Conall's case, the cold and strong-willed aspects of his character could be signalled by this.
** Also, Alaric Morgan has gray eyes and blond hair. He does serve as a mentor for Kelson, and he's actually innocent of the evil motives (and most of the deeds) ascribed to him. Danger and ruthlessness also factor into it, however, since he actively cultivates a dangerous reputation, and he has plenty of martial and magical skills to back it up. To top it all off, he's a devoted servant of the House of Haldane, so having the same colour eyes serves to point out that association.
* In ''Literature/TheGreatGatsby'', Jordan Baker's gray eyes are emphasized repeatedly.
* ''Literature/ThatWasThenThisIsNow'', a sequel to S. E. Hinton's ''Literature/TheOutsiders'', makes mention of M&M's gray eyes and uses them to play up his wide-eyed innocence.
** In ''Literature/TheOutsiders'', Two-bit's gray eyes are often mentioned.
* The title character of ''Literature/{{Lolita}}'' has gray eyes that the narrator frequently draws attention to. [[{{Squick}} The titular character is 12 and the narrator's in his late 30s]].
* The preternaturally beautiful Tadzio in ''Literature/DeathInVenice'' is described as having "twilit gray" eyes. Similar to the above example, [[{{Squick}} Tadzio is about 14 and the man who falls in love with him is in his fifties.]]
* Senna Wales of the ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' series. Solidly type 2 eyes, "the color of rainclouds" and [[EmotionlessGirl a]] [[ManipulativeBastard personality]] [[TheChessmaster to]] [[TakeOverTheWorld match]]. Her mother, who briefly appears in the ninth book, also has gray eyes, but doesn't really fit any of the personalities associated with it.
* ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'' has gray eyes.
** Her second son, Walter, also has gray eyes. They are mentioned as being extremely striking with his dark hair and very expressive. They're one of the main reasons he becomes MrFanservice in later books. One of her twins, Di, also has gray eyes.
* ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'': Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan has gray eyes of the storm/sea variety, foreshadowing her soon to be infamous temper. In her [[CoolOldLady later years]], she becomes renowned for her strength and calmness, not to mention her marriage to a man named for a sea ([[MeaningfulName Aral Vorkosigan]]).
-->''"Look at her eyes. A man could drown in those sea-gray eyes."'' (Aral, in ''Barrayar'')
* In Bujold's ''Literature/{{Chalion}}'' series:
** Royina Ista had gray eyes. They were remarked upon by the son of the man she was rumored to be lovers with. [[spoiler:She wasn't; in fact, she hated him, and was also responsible for his death, although not on purpose. [[TheAtoner The guilt of that death]] haunted her for twenty years.]]
-->'''Arhys:''' I did not picture hair the color of a winter field, nor eyes the color of winter rain. I wondered if your long grief had brought you to this sad season.
** Ista's daughter Iselle also had gray eyes, associated with her cool nerve and iron determination -- Cazaril commented that her soul was like a sword, just like Ista's.
* Fran Brodie from Lilian Jackson Braun's ''Literature/TheCatWhoSeries'' has "steely" gray eyes, which seem to flash angrily at least once a book.
* Polgara of ''Literature/TheBelgariad'' books by Creator/DavidEddings tends to have gray eyes (that [[MoodRingEyes can change to blue with her mood]]). She certainly fits the first example of someone wise beyond their years (though she's 3000 years old), and when they're "steel gray", it usually means she's determined enough to fit the second type... not to mention royally pissed off.
* Queen Ehlana in ''Literature/TheElenium'' by Creator/DavidEddings has pale gray eyes, along with golden hair. Her royal champion [[spoiler:(and eventual husband)]] Sparhawk describes them as "lustrous".
* In ''The Gray Chronicles'', this trait is why the main character got Gray as his middle name. They're apparently extremely pale gray and very sensitive to light. Playing this trope more realistically than usual, however, he was the only one out of five children to inherit his mother's eyes. Everybody else got the far more dominant brown eyes of their father. The final book reveals that, as an adult, none of Gray's own children get gray eyes, as his wife's brown eyes and his own recessive genes result in brown-eyed children.
* Tris in ''Literature/CircleofMagic'' definitely fits type 2 (unapproachable,) at least to those she's not very close to.
* In "Literature/AnOccurrenceAtOwlCreekBridge", the narrator comments a few times about gray eyes, at one point noting that they are supposedly the sharpest and frequently belong to great marksmen. The fact that he can notice such details about people who are shooting at him from such a distance [[spoiler: is a hint that it's all [[DaydreamSurprise actually a daydream]] [[DyingDream just before he's hanged]] ]].
* Mordred, as portrayed by Vivian Vande Velde in ''The Book of Mordred'', has very dark gray eyes.
* [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Prince]] [[FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire Garrid]] from Tales of the Frog Princess. Coolness-- check. Unapproachable-- Check, before he and Li'l get together. Beauty -- Check, noted to be very handsome. Danger-- when you consider that he's the prince of vampires...
* In Creator/GeorgetteHeyer's Regency romance novels, you can pretty much tell who the main character(s) will be by their gray eyes.
* [[BrainyBrunette Josephine March]] from ''Literature/LittleWomen'' has gray eyes.
* Katniss of ''Literature/TheHungerGames'', a great archer and (at least at first) a single-minded survivor, has gray eyes. Her mentor, Haymitch, who later proves to be a GuileHero, also has gray eyes, as does archer and ruthless fighter Gale.
** It is actually mentioned that gray eyes is a common thing in the Seam, where the three of them are from.
** [[IronLady President Alma Coin]] has a darker take on this, specifically, Type 2 "cold and unapproachable" and Type 5 "dangerous and calculating". Like Katniss, she has gray eyes, but hers are said to be cold and it's as if "all the colors were sucked away". [[spoiler: It's foreshadowing that she's the true BigBad of the novel she appeared in, ''Mockingjay''.]] The film highlights this particular trait, possibly even adding Type 1 "looking right through you" as well. [[http://thehungergames.wikia.com/wiki/File:President_Alma_Coin.jpeg Observe]].
* ''[[Literature/TheBourneSeries The Bourne Identity]]'' (as in the original book, not the film). Jason Bourne is described by the doctor who first heals him as having gray eyes and points out that, due to that gray shade, his eyes will appear to change colour depending on his clothing and skin tone, as well as ambient light. This is true for roughly 15-20% of people with gray ayes, and the change can be quite startling when you see someone with apparently blue eyes change their shirt and suddenly have brown ones.
* In ''Literature/TheSecretsOfTheImmortalNicholasFlamel'', John Dee and Niccolo Machiavelli both have them and are both (Dee less so) type 2. Of course, in such a [[ShownTheirWork well-researched]] series, it's entirely possible their eyes really ''were'' gray and the author lucked out that it matched their characterization.
* In ''Strange Roads: Book One of Omens in the Night'', Alan Graves has 'changeable' gray eyes. It's either Type 3 (as he's the kinder, gentler protagonist to [[EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette Elaine]]'s [[DefrostingIceQueen colder personality]]) or Type 4 (as he's supposed to be [[EvenTheGuysWantHim head-turningly handsome]]).
* In Creator/GeneStrattonPorter's ''Literature/{{Freckles}}'', Freckles's gray eyes are a hint that he's not TheTramp he appears to be.
-->''in the steady gray eyes, straightly meeting his searching ones of blue, there was unswerving candor and the appearance of longing not to be ignored''.
* John in ''Literature/TheAbandonTrilogy''. His eyes are apparently the same shade as ice skate blades.
* In ''[[Literature/TalesOfTheBranionRealm The Stone Prince]]'', Demnor has gray eyes denoting his cold, unbending nature.
* The Ouvrelet family in ''Literature/SummersAtCastleAuburn''. Matthew follows the traits of type 2 the most strongly, being cold, strong-willed, unapproachable, and serious. His son Kent is a warmer personality, but shows many of the same traits. And then there's Bryan, who is the opposite of all of this.
* In the ''Literature/{{ColSec Trilogy}}'', level-headed [[WrenchWench tech specialist]] [[spoiler:(and [[TheEmpath empath]])]] [[TheSmartGuy Samella Connel]].
* In ''Literature/TheWolfChronicles'', Kaala visits the spirit world in the second book. She is met by an ancient wolf named Indru--the first one to make the Promise that every wolf in the valley must follow--and notes that he has strange silver eyes. He shows her a memory of him first making the Promise, and he has yellow eyes in the memory; therefore, silver eyes represents the spirit world.
* In Elizabeth C. Mock's ''Literature/TheChildrenOfMan'' series, a person's eye color corresponds to what colors of magic they can use (red, blue, green, purple, orange, or yellow, with those who have multiple colors possessing brown eyes). However, there are a handful of mages whose magic has been stripped of its color by certain energies. These are known as Grays and are marked by reflective silver eyes. They are also known as the Hands Of Tallior (Tallior is one of the three aspects of Lior, this setting's version of the Christian God.)
* Ivy Carson, in Zilpha Keatley Snyder's ''Literature/TheChangeling'' has eyes that are "dark grey, a kind of smoky black". Probably type 1 (no doubt she'd agree, since she saw herself as a supernatural creature).
* ''Literature/TheInfernalDevices'':
** Tessa Gray, the series's warlock protagonist, has gray eyes described as steely and has been compared to "the clouds used to roll over the mountains from the ocean" by Will Herondale.
** Jem Carstair's eyes, [[CurtainsMatchTheWindow like his hair]], are silver.
** Gideon Lightwood has gray-green eyes, gray for his calmness, green for his Shadowhunter powers.
* Imogen Herondale from ''Literature/CityOfAshes'', had gray eyes of the second (strong-willed, unapproachable) type.
* In ''Literature/TheGrishaTrilogy'', the Darkling's cool gray eyes are remarked upon multiple times, falling under type 2.
* The Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar series:
** The protagonist of the ''Literature/LastHeraldMageTrilogy'', Vanyel Ashkevron, has gray eyes and is TheArchMage, one of the most powerful mages in the entire series and FamedInStory for it for centuries afterward. His eyes may symbolize remote beauty; his power sets him apart from even his friends and colleagues.
** Gray eyes appear often in the royal Valdemaran bloodline, because [[spoiler:it is descended from Vanyel, who secretly fathered a daughter on behalf of the King when his friend King Randale proved impotent]].
* The [[NoNameGiven niece]] in ''Literature/LeSilenceDeLaMer'' has grey eyes, reflecting her strong-willed and perceptive nature.
* Moose, the bounty hunter introduced in Inferno: Cassandra's Call has gray eyes, indicative of an intellectual, "cold" nature.
* Susan Calvin from Asimov's Literature/RobotSeries has cold gray eyes.
* Gray eyes are literally the first thing we see of the formidable Major Clarence Potter of {{Literature/Timeline191}}. Jake Featherston, who will later prove to be quite dangerous himself, thinks that he would not like to see those cold eyes looking at him through a gunsight.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Unlike his blue-eyed book counterpart, Stannis Baratheon has gray eyes and he is a firm type 2, with a cold and strong-willed personality.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* "Gray Blue Eyes" by Music/{{Dave Matthews| Band}} appeared on his first solo album.
* Country musician Music/WaylonJennings released a song "Gray Eyes You Know" on his 1971 album ''The Taker/Tulsa''.
* "Temptation" by Music/NewOrder. If you've seen ''Literature/{{Trainspotting}}'', you might recognize it. From the soundtrack or the lines sung by Diane:
-->Oh you've got green eyes\\
Oh you've got blue eyes\\
Oh you've got gray eyes\\
And I've never seen anyone quite like you before\\
No I've never met anyone quite like you before
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mythology]]
* Athena, the [[Myth/GreekMythology Greek goddess of wisdom]] has gray eyes. A frequent epithet in Creator/{{Homer}}'s ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' even refers to her as the "gray-eyed goddess".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Yao Chunqian from ''VisualNovel/CrimsonRafflesia'' has gray eyes, and it's been directly stated in the narration that they enhance her strange otherworldly beauty.
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'': Commander Miranda Keyes in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'' and ''[[VideoGame/{{Halo 3}} 3]]'' has gray eyes as well and is portrayed as being extremely calm and controlled.
* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTenseiPersona'':
** The male protagonist of ''{{VideoGame/Persona 3}}'' had gray eyes in his initial depiction - fitting his stoic, IneffectualLoner vibes - but they seem to have been switching between this and blue in spinoffs released since. In his most recent appearance in ''VideoGame/Persona3DancingMoonNight'', his artwork has bright blue eyes while his actual model has a grayish-blue tint. Besides him, childhood friends [[BigManOnCampus Akihiko Sanada]] and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Shinjiro Aragaki]] from have grey eyes. Akihiko's keep on flip-flopping between grey and brown (with the latter being used in the movie adaptation), but with the release of ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' and ''VideoGame/PersonaQShadowOfTheLabyrinth'', they've appeared to have settled on grey.
** The protagonists of ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' and ''[[VideoGame/{{Persona 5}} 5]]'' both have them, reflecting the strong wills of both.
* Most of Montblanc's artworks in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2'' reveal that he has gray eyes.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', Y'Shtola gains gray eyes following the events of Patch 2.55 [[spoiler:after her time in the Lifestream.]] However, this is because [[spoiler:she was rendered blind by her time in it due to the fact that the spell she invoked was highly inaccurate and her using her magics to see aether around her is taking a toll on her body.]]
* Chell from VideoGame/{{Portal}} has eyes which are officially listed as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy%27s_grey#Davy.27s_gray Davy's gray]], and she ''defines'' [[{{Determinator}} resilience and strong will]].
* The Night Elves from ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}''.
* Miles Edgeworth from ''Franchise/AceAttorney''.
** Franziska von Karma has them, too, of the "cold and unapproachable" variety.
* [[VideoGame/MetalGear Solid Snake]]'s eye color is officially recorded as blue-gray.
* John Marston from ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'' has dark-gray eyes.
* Master Eraqus, from ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'', is pretty much the only ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' character to have gray eyes
* Miranda Lawson from ''Franchise/MassEffect'' has blue-gray eyes, [[DefrostingIceQueen fitting her personality]].
* Everyone from ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'' initially. Grey eyes with no visible pupils in this game signify that a person hasn't awakened to his or her emotions. Once they do, their eyes change into [[CurtainsMatchTheWindow the color of their hair.]] The only person who continues to have grey eyes even after he awakens to his emotions is the main character, [[AnIcePerson Serph]], and surprise surprise, he's a [[TheStoic stoic]] HeroicMime for the entire game[[note]]though his eyes do change so his pupils can be seen[[/note]]. [[spoiler:There's a good reason for this too: it represents how Sera didn't know anything about his true nature during his initial life.]]
* Garrett from ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'' has gray eyes, in keeping with his aloof, noir esque personality. [[spoiler:In the first game he loses one of his steel gray eyes and has it replaced with an]][[spoiler: [[GlassEye Acid green/gold mechanical eye]]]].
* Silver from ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' has gray eyes, as of the remakes. It both makes him have a MeaningfulName and allude to his personality.
** The default forms of the player characters of ''VideoGame/PokemonXandY'' also have gray eyes, which like silver's have to do with their [[MeaningfulName Meaningful Names]]. (Calem/Calm, Serena/Serene.)
* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
** Nathaniel Howe of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening'' is an archer and so falls under the "marksman" definition.
** Grand Cleric Elthina and Mother Petrice in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''. The former preaches idealism, but in practice is neutral to the point of near-uselessness. The latter is actively cold and malicious, and both could be accused of placing ideas over people.
** Blackwall in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' is a strong-willed warrior who spent quite some time WalkingTheEarth helping people before meeting you. He's approachable enough, but has very firm personal convictions [[spoiler: and unpleasant deeds in his past.]]
* As of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', we learn that Smoke's [[CurtainsMatchTheWindow eyes are grey]].
* [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante and Vergil]] have gray eyes, more prevalent in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening''.
* The cold, threatening young man the titular character of ''VideoGame/{{Guenevere}}'' encounters in a NightmareSequence has silver-gray eyes. WordOfGod states he's [[spoiler:Mordred]].
* [[PlayerCharacter Miriam]] in ''VideoGame/BloodstainedRitualOfTheNight'' has blue-grey eyes and fits the innocent and joyous, beautiful, and {{Determinator}} aspects. Also the OccultBlueEyes, given her Shardbinder abilities.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* The Regional Fairies who [[{{Metamorphosis}} become humans]] in ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' have gray eyes as a sign of their origin. They're strong-willed, but hardly cold or unapproachable (and certainly not stoic), varying in their personalities between smiling tricksters and borderline-psychotic {{Tsundere}}s.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'', members of the [[http://www.drowtales.com/~wiki/index.php/Val%27Beldrobbaen Val'Beldrobbaen]] clan often have gray eyes. They have a {{goth}}-like attitude.
* ''[[Webcomic/GrimTalesFromDownBelow Grim Tales]]'': Minimandy is a type three, being so sweet that her brother turns into the {{Unfavorite}} to their parents, Grim and Mandy... who are personifications of ''death'' and ''pure evil'', respectively.
* Norah from ''Webcomic/AgentsOfTheRealm'' is a MagicalGirlWarrior JerkWithAHeartOfGold, and as such both cold and dangerous (to monsters). This is unusual in that she's dark-skinned, and gray isn't often found among black people.
* Marten from ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' fits the "inner calm" part of the equation, being the most even-tempered and supportive member of the cast.
* The Von Mekkans from Webcomic/GirlGenius fit the ideas-above-people characterization very well. They will do anything in their power to protect Mechanicsburg and the secrets of the Heterodynes, ranging from faking their own deaths to escorting pretenders to the [[MaximumFunChamber Castle]].
** ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'''s Klaus Wulfenbach also has gray eyes--as an AntiVillain[=/=][[TheLancer Lancer]]/HonestAdvisor[=/=]EmperorScientist, he particularly exemplifies Gray Eyes #2.
* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': The troll race as a whole has gray eyes in childhood, and maybe two or three of the twelve child trolls encountered in the story are even vaguely calm. They look like gold eyes most of the time, though, as the whites of their eyes are yellow, so you can only see the gray irises under ArtShift conditions. As they mature, the irises fill out with the [[AlienBlood troll's blood colour]].
* In ''Webcomic/EarsForElves'', Kanryl's pale gray eyes show that he's somewhat cold and aloof, often alone except for his animals. The artist exploits their piercing quality by having his face on the "donate" button!
* Han Yu Hwa, main character of the KoreanWebtoon Webcomic/{{Ability}}, has gray eyes, and has survived burns, a truck and multiple slash wounds.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Ozpin notes Ruby's eyes are actually silver but changes the subject as abruptly as he raises it. So far, she's the innocent grey-eyed typed. She's very savvy about weapons and fighting but she looks at the world through the eyes of hope and idealism and it makes her seem very innocent by the standards of other characters. Ruby also fits under the marksman aspect of this trope, as her personal weapon is a sniper rifle/scythe. [[spoiler:As revealed by Qrow in the Volume 3 finale, according to Ozpin those who have silver eyes also possess tremendous hidden power and are among some of the finest warriors in existence, power that Ruby taps into during the Battle of Beacon [[TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening when she sees Pyrrha die against Cinder]] to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu freeze]] the [[{{Kaiju}} Grimm Dragon]]]].
* Locus from ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'': He's the only character in the Season 14 backstory segment to not get simple black pupils. Combines elements of type 2 (aloof, unapproachable) with type 5 (dangerous, expert marksman)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Apollo, Artemis, and Athena in ''Literature/ThaliasMusings''. Apollo is a [[{{seers}} prophecy god]], his twin sister Artemis is a deadly huntress and a sworn virgin, and Athena, also a virgin, is the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy.
* Electra in ''Literature/GreekNinja'', who is a demigoddes.
* Rokuro, the young wizard from ''[[Literature/TheMagicForIdiots Mabaka]]'', has very light gray eyes. Innocence doesn't begin to cover it. (Let's just say, he takes the HormoneAddledTeenager trope and subverts it ''hard''.)
* Aria in ''{{Literature/Tasakeru}}'' fits in with the first type, being a powerful seer.
* A trope in many Gacha Studios videos is to have the main character (often an abused child) have gray eyes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Lisa from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has gray eyes. She is probably closest to mentor, though does tend to think herself smarter than everyone else. No one would ever know it from the pupil-less animation; we only know because Milhouse says her eyes match his gray safety belt.
** In another episode, a one-off character calls her blue eyes, but the Simpsons only has [[NegativeContinuity continuity]] when it feels like it.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Aang has gray eyes. These match the first and third meanings on the top of the page, as he's very innocent and idealistic and also [[WiseBeyondTheirYears wise beyond his years]]. He’s also very deeply spiritual.
** It looks like gray eyes were a trait common to most Airbenders, which makes sense given the show’s ColorCodedForYourConvenience demographics.
*** There are several instances where Aang's eyes look distinctly brown or blue, possibly symbolic of his affinity for all four elements.
** Ty Lee has gray eyes, which fits her innocent personality. (Sometimes her eyes look more brown, though.)
** [[FallenHero Hama]] has them, too. This could represent a corruption of her natural waterbender personality—she should be a healer, but instead she’s turned her abilities into a weapon and become harsh and cold.
** In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', Aang's younger granddaughter Ikki has them (again, probably that airbender heritage).
* Heather (cold and unapprochable) and Ezekiel (innocence) both have them in ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'', except for the latter's RedEyesTakeWarning in the third season. In ''Revenge of the Island'', newcomer Dawn has grayish-blue eyes, fitting with her spiritual nature.
[[/folder]]

* In "Literature/AnOccurrenceAtOwlCreekBridge", the narrator comments a few times about gray eyes, at one point noting that they are supposedly the sharpest and frequently belong to great marksmen.

* An example of gray eyes as the height of beauty: In RomeoAndJuliet, Act II, scene 4, Mercutio is parodying the kind of extravagant PurpleProse that poetic lovers like Romeo would use. Specifically, they would insist that every famous beauty of history and legend was nothing compared to the object of their adoration: