History Main / HeroicBSOD

* HeroicBSOD/{{Theater}}

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* In ''VisualNovel/SilverCrisis'', this happens to [[spoiler: Lucario and Lucas]] in Chapter 10. After his fight with Silver leaves him utterly defeated and unconscious, [[spoiler: Lucario]] is trapped in his own mind with his emotions, also being unable to use his True Power by opening his door until he resolves his inner conflict. He then comes to terms that isolating himself is the wrong thing to do, and realizes how important it is to place trust in others and Humankind once more. This allows himself to finally wake up, only to see [[spoiler: Lucas]] being consumed by his own Aura’s rage due to his belief that he will always be useless and can never become strong enough to save Ness. [[spoiler: Lucario then convinces Lucas that he isn’t useless, and how his trust in Lucario was what really saved him, not just his own physical strength. [[TearJerker Lucas then starts crying tears of joy at finally hearing that he has been helpful]], finally snapping Lucas out of his funk as well.]]
* In the Unlimited Blade Works route of ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', during his fight with Archer Shirou synchronizes with [[spoiler:his future self and sees a vision of his death, alone and unmourned]]. Shirou collapses at the realization that [[spoiler:his ideal will kill him]] but recovers to finish the fight.
** In the Fate route Kotomine attempts to force Shirou to [[RepressedMemories remember his life before the fire]]. The trauma of reliving the fire and the fragments of memories about his family nearly breaks Shirou's will to resist [[spoiler:when Kotomine offers him the Grail]].
* Shiki in ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' when Arcueid disappears. Throughout the day he's in a state of total shock and numbness, merely going through the motions at school. He's only at school because it was less effort than dealing with Akiha if didn't. He gets better when [[spoiler:after sitting alone waiting for a teacher for several hours, Roa and Arcueid show up and start fighting to the death.]]
* One of the girls of ''VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorial 2'', Kaori Yae, starts the game in the middle of one. Once a GenkiGirl, she has been [[spoiler: [[EtTuBrute horribly betrayed one year before by her friends of her former school]], who ostracized her after she [[TakingTheHeat Took The Heat]] for them]], and as a result, she has lost confidence in both herself [[ThePowerOfTrust and the others]], has shut herself off from everyone in fear of being hurt again, and is in a depressive state. It'll take the player [[spoiler: 2 years of]] [[ThePowerOfLove patient care and love]] to finally give her the courage to confess her past and allow her [[HesBack to recover from her emotional wounds]]. [[spoiler: And if the player fails to have her enough in love with him by that time, [[PermanentlyMissableContent she'll resign from school and her fate will be unknown]]]].
* ''VisualNovel/MajiDeWatashiNiKoiShinasai'':
** Wanko after [[spoiler: losing via double KO in the tournament]], thus having to [[spoiler: [[TragicDream give up on her dream]]]].
** Miyako when Yamato decides to [[spoiler: temporarily put their relationship on hold.]] In both this and the above example [[CooldownHug Cooldown Hugs]] are eventually involved.
** In the anime, Momoyo in episode 8 when [[spoiler: during her heated battle against a cyborg opponent, one of the missiles fired by the opponent and deflected by her ends up hitting Yamato and putting him in a coma. She even lets out a SkywardScream after seeing him in the ICU]].
* ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'':
** Rin Tezuka slips into this state in her route, when [[spoiler: she desperately tries to gain inspiration as the expectatives places on her art get bigger and bigger. At some point Hisao finds her almost naked in her atelier, barely lucid, after attempting to paint for many days straight]]
** Hanako Ikezawa suffers a ''massive'' one in her own route, when [[spoiler: she learns that Lilly and Hisao are planning to give her a birthday party, not knowing that her b-day is actually a ''trigger'' for her due to her past.]] It's so bad that [[spoiler: she [[AngstComa completely shuts down in class]] and has to be taken into the infirmary. The next time we see her is in her room: she's a little more coherent, but still bed-ridden and teary.]]
** In Shizune's route, when [[spoiler: Misha begs Hisao to "comfort" her for one night (which is basically [[YourCheatingHeart cheating]])]], she's actually in the middle of one of these. [[spoiler: The poor girl is unable to handle her feelings about Hisao and Shizune dating anymore -- because she's actually in love with Shizune, and the pain of seeing her date Hisao (whom she cares for as well) is [[LoveHurts way too much]] for [[BrokenBird her]].]]
** Shizune has a terrible case of HeroicBSOD in her [[WhatCouldHaveBeen beta arc]] due to [[spoiler:Misha's suicide]]. She stops going outside, stops talking to Hisao, and barely even eats. She ultimately ends up hospitalized due to dehydration [[spoiler:and will [[DeathByDespair die]] in the BadEnd when she [[DrivenToSuicide removes her IV]].]]
* In the [[ScienceFictionVisualNovels science fiction visual novel]] ''VisualNovel/BionicHeart'', the android requesting the main character's help finally discovers why she possesses memories of the 21st century when she was created long after that time. [[spoiler:Once she realizes her memories are the product of her having a ''real'' human brain, and that that brain was harvested from a serial killer, she snaps.]]
* In ''VisualNovel/LittleBusters'', this happens to [[WideEyedIdealist Komari]] [[spoiler:whenever she encounters death or blood, as this triggers her repressed memories of her sickly brother dying in her arms when she was young. By treating a nearby person as her brother instead she's able to repress them again and go on with her life, but this still leaves the trigger there. Only when Riki forces her to accept reality is she able to stop the cycle.]]
** Arguably happens to Rin too because in [[spoiler: Refrain she is mentally unstable due to the tests in the previous Rin route and can't even be near Kengo and Masato and doesn't even go to the same school anymore she goes to a centre where all her classmates are younger than her.]]
* ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'' has an almost literal example. [[spoiler:When the player walks in on Sayori after she hangs herself, the sight is so shocking that the game actually glitches out and the background turns into a Ren'py error message.]]
** The game tops itself [[spoiler:at the end of Act Two, when Yuri stabs herself to death in front of the player. The protagonist freaks out so hard he is rendered catatonic for an entire weekend, only capable of staring dumbly at Yuri's decomposing corpse.]]
* ''Franchise/AceAttorney''
** Phoenix Wright has one in the final case of ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney Justice For All]]'' when he finds out that Maya has been kidnapped by [[spoiler:Shelly de Killer]] in exchange for a Not Guilty verdict for Matt Engarde. He basically spends the entire case desperately trying to obtain said verdict at any cost, [[spoiler:even when he knows that his client is guilty as sin.]] It takes [[spoiler:Edgeworth]] reminding him of his duty as a defense attorney to knock sense into him. He's unable to tell anyone about the circumstances he's in, which results in the court audience angrily shouting that he's a scumbag as his tactics become ever more desperate. When he finds himself backed into a hole, he experiences his only FreakOut in the series, in a creepily similar manner to the VillainousBreakdown his opponents usually suffer from. ''And no one knows why''.
** In ''Trials and Tribulations'', poor Phoenix undergoes ''another'', this time when [[spoiler:Dahlia Hawthorne]] taunts him with the knowledge that the reason he can't find Maya is because she's almost certainly dead. Cue him crying and shaking at his stand, repeating that Maya ''can't'' be dead.
** In ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'', Athena suffers a few [=BSODs=]. A good indication of it is her eyes going wide and her ExpressiveAccessory Widget shutting off. They occur in [[spoiler: the first case, when Gaspen pushes her to a point of helplessness, the third case, when the true culprit deems her unfit to be a lawyer, and in the fifth case, when she's accused of killing her own mother, and later when a revelation occurs that makes it seem like that she really ''did'' kill her own mother.]]
** In ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonVsPhoenixWrightAceAttorney'', Phoenix gets this when [[spoiler:Maya dies]]. He was EXTREMELY close to punching Barnham.
** In ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations 2'', Sebastian suffers from one as the culmination of his HumiliationConga from the end of the fourth case into the fifth. [[spoiler:After Blaise's henchmen kidnap him (by mistake) and leave him in his father's garage]], he's left feeling like everything he's done was meaningless, and has no idea what to do with himself. It takes a ''very'' long pep talk/Logic Chess segment from Edgeworth to get him back on his feet.
* In ''VisualNovel/DanganRonpa'', several characters go through this in the series:
** Kiyotaka Ishimaru suffers a massive one after [[spoiler:finding out that Mondo Owada is outed out as Chihiro Fujisaki's killer and his subsequent execution.]] It's so bad that it borders on DespairEventHorizon-crossing, until Alter Ego snaps out of his funk by mixing his essence with Owada's soul and he becomes a new personality called Ishida.
** [[spoiler:Byakuya Togami]] has one when he's being told by [[spoiler:Junko Enoshima that the rest of his family has kicked it.]] Averted in the end when he refuses to give in to despair and instead focuses on honoring and restoring the Togami family.
** In ''VisualNovel/SuperDanganRonpa2'', the [[spoiler:five surviving]] students goes through this when [[spoiler:they find out that they are the remnants of SHSL Despair]], but ''especially'' [[spoiler:Hajime Hinata]], whose actions as [[spoiler:"Izuru Kamukura" caused the deaths of his classmates and the game's entire events in the first place.]] And if he pulls the plug on the program as Naegi intends to, he will revert to his [[spoiler: "Izuru Kamukura"]] identity.
[[/folder]]

Possible triggers include [[MyGreatestFailure failing in something crucial]] such as [[ILetGwenStacyDie saving a loved one]], being [[EtTuBrute betrayed]] by [[HeartbrokenBadass a close friend]], being forced to make an "impossible" choice (e.g. having to choose between using "evil" methods or laying friends open to attack), or being hit with a BreakingSpeech or ArmorPiercingQuestion. Other tropes such as TheseHandsHaveKilled often overlap. When the trope is PlayedForLaughs or used for {{melodrama}}tic effect, the cause can be less substantial; deranged behavior from someone supposedly sane, seeing something completely surreal, or being hit with a WallOfText, say.

The trope is named in honor of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSOD an infamous Microsoft Windows error]] that indicates that the system has screwed itself big time. A particularly literal version could involve a character (preferably a supercomputer or other ArtificialIntelligence) literally displaying a Blue Screen Of Death.

* In ''VisualNovel/SilverCrisis'', this happens to [[spoiler: Lucario and Lucas]] in Chapter 10. After his fight with Silver leaves him utterly defeated and unconscious, Lucario is trapped in his own mind with his emotions, also being unable to use his True Power by opening his door until he resolves his inner conflict. He then comes to terms that isolating himself is the wrong thing to do, and realizes how important it is to place trust in others and Humankind once more. This allows himself to finally wake up, only to see Lucas being consumed by his own Aura’s rage due to his belief that he will always be useless and can never become strong enough to save Ness. Lucario then convinces Lucas that he isn’t useless, and how his trust in Lucario was what really saved him, not just his own physical strength. [[TearJerker Lucas then starts crying tears of joy at finally hearing that he has been helpful]], finally snapping Lucas out of his funk as well.

The trope name notwithstanding, [[TropesAreFlexible the character suffering a Heroic BSOD may not necessarily be a fully-fledged hero]]. However, if something like this happens to a more ambiguous or mundane character, it is ''much'' more likely to be PlayedForLaughs or just taken less seriously. But a BSOD is never brief or trivial; the effect must involve some kind of total mental shut-down to qualify. Also, an outright ''villain'' suffering a similar effect will usually experience a VillainousBreakdown (often involving them going completely crazy instead of shutting down) or a VillainousBSOD (whereby they gain a conscience).

[[caption-width-right:336:[-[[{{Pun}} Windows]] [[WindowsOfTheSoul of the Soul]] [[UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows has encountered a problem and needs to shut down. We are sorry for the inconvenience.]]-] ]]

[[caption-width-right:336:[-[[{{Pun}} Windows]] [[WindowsOfTheSoul of the Soul]] has encountered a problem and needs to shut down. We are sorry for the inconvenience.-] ]]

Other people can attempt to [[HaveYouTriedRebooting reboot]] the character; GetAHoldOfYourselfMan may work (especially in the stories where violence is always the answer), as may telling them to QuitYourWhining. The best thing that can happen to a hero suffering from a BSOD is meeting a friendly WarriorTherapist; the ''worst'' thing is meeting a ''hostile'' WarriorTherapist, as such a foe can BreakThemByTalking.

Compare HeroicRROD (the physical equivalent), FreakOut, and DeerInTheHeadlights. One common reaction is IThinkYouBrokeHim. In RealLife psychology, this sort of thing is known as an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_stress_reaction acute stress reaction]], and is related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. If a character starts singing about their (or someone else's) Heroic BSOD, then it's also an example of BSODSong

Individuals afflicted with this trope are often seen exhibiting the classic [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand-yard_stare "Thousand Yard Stare"]], with its blank, emotionless expression and unfocussed, empty eyes.

The trope is named in honor of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSOD an infamous Microsoft Windows error]] that indicates that the system has screwed itself big time. A particularly literal version could involve a character (preferably a supercomputer or other ArtificialIntelligence) literally displaying a Blue Screen Of Death.

Compare HeroicRROD (the physical equivalent), FreakOut, and DeerInTheHeadlights. One common reaction is IThinkYouBrokeHim. In RealLife psychology, this sort of thing is known as an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_stress_reaction acute stress reaction]], and is related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

A stunning revelation or horrible event affects a character or someone they care deeply about, leaving them shocked to the point of mentally shutting down for a while, analogous to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Screen_of_Death‎ Blue Screen of Death]]. The effect is similar to passing a DespairEventHorizon, but is temporary rather than permanent. Alternatively, if, say, this occurs during a fight, a hero may have a [[FoeTossingCharge violent outburst]], killing EvilMinions and hurling their own companions aside. They may run off and have to be tracked down by their friends for EpiphanyTherapy. AloneInACrowd typically represents a milder, non-disabling form of BSOD; a related trope is HeroicSafeMode, wherein the hero "defaults" to a fight or flight mindset before rebooting in safety. A ShellShockedVeteran may have a BSOD in their back story.

A stunning revelation or horrible event affects a character or someone they care deeply about, leaving them shocked to the point of mentally shutting down for a while. The effect is similar to passing a DespairEventHorizon, but is temporary rather than permanent. Alternatively, if, say, this occurs during a fight, a hero may have a [[FoeTossingCharge violent outburst]], killing EvilMinions and hurling their own companions aside. They may run off and have to be tracked down by their friends for EpiphanyTherapy. AloneInACrowd typically represents a milder, non-disabling form of BSOD; a related trope is HeroicSafeMode, wherein the hero "defaults" to a fight or flight mindset before rebooting in safety. A ShellShockedVeteran may have a BSOD in their back story.

Other people can attempt to [[HaveYouTriedRebooting reboot]] the character; GetAholdOfYourselfMan may work (especially in the stories where violence is always the answer), as may telling them to QuitYourWhining. The best thing that can happen to a hero suffering from a BSOD is meeting a friendly WarriorTherapist; the ''worst'' thing is meeting a ''hostile'' WarriorTherapist, as such a foe can BreakThemByTalking.

Heroic Blue Screen of Death: An earth-shattering revelation or horrible event affects the hero or someone he cares deeply about, leaving him flummoxed or shocked to the point of mentally shutting down for a while, like a DespairEventHorizon, except temporary instead of permanent. Alternatively, if this occurs during a fight with one of the BigBad's minions, the hero may have a [[FoeTossingCharge violent outburst]], with the ensuing catastrophe killing EvilMinions and knocking his companions in different directions. In the latter case, the hero may disappear into the fog of war and have to be tracked down by his friends and given a heaping helping of EpiphanyTherapy.

Reasons for the BSOD vary, but usually involves something that shakes the very core of the character's being. Classic examples include losing a loved one (especially one that the character [[ILetGwenStacyDie failed to protect or save]]); discovering that the character is [[TomatoInTheMirror not who he thought he was]]; being [[EtTuBrute betrayed by someone]] [[HeartbrokenBadass the character cared about]]; being forced to go against a personal code, core belief, or deep abiding reason to live; cornered into despair by a personally impossible choice, such as a savior-type moralist pacifist having to choose between using violence and deadly force for the first time or putting friends and companions open to attack from said enemy via their failure to act, possibly compounded to by seeing cowardice and hipocrisy in their own actions; being delivered a nasty BreakingSpeech by a particularly crafty villain; [[ShellShockedVeteran being drafted into a]] [[WarIsHell war]]; [[MindRape having their mind broken]]; or [[MyGreatestFailure failing miserably at something that everything was riding on]]. First kills (intentional or otherwise) or inability to go through with said first kill despite clear consequences may also trigger this, especially if the character was previously depicted as innocent, though other tropes such as TheseHandsHaveKilled often overlap.

The result is a ThousandYardStare, one of the visible symptoms, or a form of non-consensual TenMinuteRetirement. The aftermath may cause the hero to become [[TheStoic emotionally]] [[AngstComa comatose]], [[OutDamnedSpot obsessive and guilt-ridden]], [[DumbStruck mute]], or in really bad cases, a [[JadeColoredGlasses jaded]] violent [[AmnesiacDissonance amnesiac]]. The most literal BSOD effect would be catatonia. GoMadFromTheRevelation is the even more severe form, where the BSOD becomes outright psychosis. Such personality changes may also scare the hell out of people who are now worried the hero is [[FallenHero as much a danger as the villain was]]. If the incident happened before the story takes place, it provides a rationale for him to be the ShellShockedSenior.

Compare FreakOut. In RealLife psychology, this is known as an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_stress_reaction acute stress reaction]], which is related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The best thing that can happen to a person suffering from a Heroic BSOD is meeting a friendly WarriorTherapist, or for an extra layer of awesome, [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan getting]] [[HaveYouTriedRebooting rebooted]] [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan with percussive force]]. Meeting a hostile WarriorTherapist, on the other hand, is the ''worst'' thing that can happen to them, as they'd [[BreakThemByTalking make damn sure]] that [[DespairEventHorizon the character crashes completely]]. If they don't meet either of these, they are quite likely to end up in the long-term version SafetyInIndifference where they are functional but [[EmotionSuppression emotionally cut off]].

HopeIsScary is a frequent reaction to the beginning of recovery.

The villain version of a Heroic BSOD is a VillainousBreakdown, which often involves the villain going completely crazy instead of shutting down, or VillainousBSOD, where the villain grows a conscience and reacts accordingly.

A subtrope of Heroic BSOD is the AngstComa, which specifically refers to entering a comatose or catatonic state as opposed to other forms of mental breakdown. A related trope is HeroicSafeMode, where the hero "defaults" to a fight or flight mindset before rebooting in safety.

Named in honor of the infamous [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSOD Blue Screen of Death]], common term for the Microsoft Windows error that indicates that the system has screwed itself big time and must be rebooted. A particularly literal version would include a character (preferably a supercomputer or such AIs) literally getting the infamous Blue Screen Of Death.

HesBack is what happens when the character recovers from a Heroic BSOD and returns to being the person he or she used to be. It is usually accompanied by a WorldOfCardboardSpeech. If the character never recovers from the Heroic BSOD or abandons his cause or moral outlook because of it, however, they've fallen over the DespairEventHorizon. AloneInACrowd typically requires a milder form of Heroic BSOD.

Compare HeroicRROD (the physical equivalent). One common reaction is IThinkYouBrokeHim. Characters can attempt to reboot the affected character by performing a GetAholdOfYourselfMan or telling them to QuitYourWhining. Compare DeerInTheHeadlights

Reasons for the BSOD vary, but usually involves something that shakes the very core of the character's being. Classic examples include losing a loved one (especially one that the character [[ILetGwenStacyDie failed to protect or save]]); discovering that the character is [[TomatoInTheMirror not who he thought he was]]; being [[EtTuBrute betrayed by someone]] [[HeartbrokenBadass the character cared about]]; being forced to go against a personal code, core belief, or deep abiding reason to live; being delivered a nasty BreakingSpeech by a particularly crafty villain; [[ShellShockedVeteran being drafted into a]] [[WarIsHell war]]; [[MindRape having their mind broken]]; or [[MyGreatestFailure failing miserably at something that everything was riding on]]. First kills (intentional or otherwise) may also trigger this, especially if the character was previously depicted as innocent, though other tropes such as TheseHandsHaveKilled often overlap.

Heroic Blue Screen of Death: An earth-shattering revelation or horrible event affects the hero or someone he cares deeply about, leaving him flummoxed or shocked to the point of mentally shutting down for a while, like a DespairEventHorizon, except temporary instead of permanent. Alternatively, if this occurs during a fight with one of the BigBad's minions, the hero may have a [[FoeTossingCharge violent outburst]], with the ensuing catastrophe killing EvilMinions and knocking his companions in different directions. In the latter case, the hero may disappear into the fog of war and have to be tracked down by his friends and given a heaping helping of EpiphanyTherapy. Joseph Campbell identified ''Death, Descent to the Underworld,'' and ''Rebirth'' as important stages of the HerosJourney, but in settings where it's impossible for the hero to literally die and come back to life, a Heroic BSOD is the more realistic equivalent --that is, the Descent to the Underworld is a metaphor for it.

[[caption-width-right:336:[-[[IncrediblyLamePun Windows]] [[WindowsOfTheSoul of the Soul]] has encountered a problem and needs to shut down. We are sorry for the inconvenience.-] ]]

The best thing that can happen to a person suffering from a HeroicBSOD is meeting a friendly WarriorTherapist, or for an extra layer of awesome, [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan getting]] [[HaveYouTriedRebooting rebooted]] [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan with percussive force]]. Meeting a hostile WarriorTherapist, on the other hand, is the ''worst'' thing that can happen to them, as they'd [[BreakThemByTalking make damn sure]] that [[DespairEventHorizon the character crashes completely]]. If they don't meet either of these, they are quite likely to end up in the long-term version SafetyInIndifference where they are functional but [[EmotionSuppression emotionally cut off]].

The villain version of a HeroicBSOD is a VillainousBreakdown, which often involves the villain going completely crazy instead of shutting down, or VillainousBSOD, where the villain grows a conscience and reacts accordingly.

A subtrope of HeroicBSOD is the AngstComa, which specifically refers to entering a comatose or catatonic state as opposed to other forms of mental breakdown. A related trope is HeroicSafeMode, where the hero "defaults" to a fight or flight mindset before rebooting in safety.

HesBack is what happens when the character recovers from a HeroicBSOD and returns to being the person he or she used to be. It is usually accompanied by a WorldOfCardboardSpeech. If the character never recovers from the HeroicBSOD or abandons his cause or moral outlook because of it, however, they've fallen over the DespairEventHorizon. AloneInACrowd typically requires a milder form of HeroicBSOD.

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The best thing that can happen to a person suffering from a HeroicBSOD is meeting a friendly WarriorTherapist, or for an extra layer of awesome, [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan getting]] [[HaveYouTriedRebooting rebooted]] [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan with percussive force]]. Meeting a hostile WarriorTherapist, on the other hand, is the ''worst'' thing that can happen to them, as they'd [[BreakThemByTalking make damn sure]] that [[DespairEventHorizon the character crashes completely]].

Reasons for the BSOD vary, but usually involves something that shakes the very core of the character's being. Classic examples include losing a loved one (especially one that the character [[ILetGwenStacyDie failed to protect or save]]); discovering that the character is [[TomatoInTheMirror not who he thought he was]]; being [[EtTuBrute betrayed by someone]] [[HeartbrokenBadass the character cared about]]; being forced to go against a personal code, core belief, or deep abiding reason to live; being delivered a nasty BreakingSpeech by a particularly crafty villain; [[ShellShockedVeteran being drafted into a]] [[WarIsHell war]]; [[MindRape having their mind broken]]; or [[MyGreatestFailure failing miserably at something that everything was riding on]]. First kills (intentional or otherwise) may also trigger this, especially if the character was previously depicted as innocent.

Reasons for the BSOD vary, but usually involves something that shakes the very core of the character's being. Classic examples include losing a loved one (especially one that the character [[ILetGwenStacyDie failed to protect or save]]); discovering that the character is [[TomatoInTheMirror not who he thought he was]]; being [[EtTuBrute betrayed by someone]] [[HeartbrokenBadass the character cared about]]; being forced to go against a personal code, core belief, or deep abiding reason to live; being delivered a nasty BreakingSpeech by a particularly crafty villain; [[ShellShockedVeteran being drafted into a]] [[WarIsHell war]]; [[MindRape having their mind broken]]; or [[MyGreatestFailure failing miserably at something that everything was riding on]].

[[caption-width-right:336:Brain.sys has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.]]