History Main / HorrifyingTheHorror

* ''WebAnimation/HazbinHotel'':

** [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even some Nazis found the Rape of Nanjing horrifying.]] John Rabe -- a German businessman and Nazi party member -- was one of the key figures in setting up the Nanjing Safety Zone at the height of the massacre and tried to save as many civilians as possible from rampaging soldiers. Rabe wrote to Hitler, expecting him to intervene if he knew, but the Gestapo intercepted the letter and arrested Rabe. They eventually released him but forbade him to mention the atrocities again.

* ''LetsPlay/{{Boatmurdered}}'': "[[http://lparchive.org/Dwarf-Fortress-Boatmurdered/Update%201-6/ Our legendary miner headed out to work on the elephant trap... and the elephants -ran away- from him]]."

* Myth/ClassicalMythology: This was part and parcel for [[DarkIsNotEvil Hades]], who was known as "he who TheDreaded dreads." Since part of his job included keeping beings like the Titans and the various other EldritchAbominations locked away in Tartarus, it was an important skill to have.

** The Jabberwalker in Volume 9 marks its presence as a lethal force to Ever After, having the ability to [[KilledOffForReal perma-kill]] its inhabitants when they would normally resurrect upon dying, [[spoiler:as well as being the FlawedPrototype to the Grimm as a whole]]. Neo is already a terrifying psychopath on her own, but her semblance evolving to SelfDuplication is enough to make the poor Jaberwalker ''beg for its life''.

* ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'': Fright Knight has the ability to utterly horrify opponents with a simple "Boo" no matter what they've witnessed before. This becomes hilarious when they come up against the TerrorHero Ragman, who routinely creeps out his own allies and occasionally even unsettles himself, as they send him running a block away to cower in an alley after casually asking him if he wanted to see their power.

** In the final battle, sadistic [[DreamWalker dream stalking]] SerialKiller [[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]] looks like he's about to [[BringMyBrownPants wet himself]] when he realizes that he's been pulled into the real world, where [[WeakerInTheRealWorld he is vulnerable]] ''and'' he has to deal with an extremely [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge pissed off]] [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason Voorhees]] coming after him with a machete.

'''Schlock:''' ''The word you wand is "[[CallBack mundivore]]".''\\

* ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'': Stoik realizes something's gone horribly wrong with the assault on the dragons' nest when the thousands of dragons occupying it take off flying as fast as their wings could carry them, paying no heed whatsoever to the Vikings. [[spoiler:Moments later, the furious Red Death comes barreling out of the side of the mountain.]]

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1628824306092529900
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ducktales_horrified_horrors_0.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350: The monsters are lucky; he's [[DrivesLikeCrazy much scarier behind the wheel]].]]

* Even [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]] is scared of ComicBook/TheCreeper and [[ComicBook/SecretSix Junior]]. And, as shown by ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'', [[spoiler:his own name.]]

* ComicBook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen:

* Played for laughs with Snoopy and a grizzly bear in ''WesternAnimation/RaceForYourLifeCharlieBrown''.

* In Film/AbbottAndCostelloMeetFrankenstein, when [[FrankensteinsMonster the Monster]] is introduced it takes a close look at Costello's face, only to recoil with a cry of fear. Dracula reassures him.

* In ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', [[BigBad the Operative]], who is an elite assassin given ''carte blanche'' and unlimited resources by his government to carry out his mission, nearly panics when he realizes Mal has [[spoiler:[[SummonBiggerFish lured]] a fleet of [[TheDreaded Reavers]] to his location.]]
-->'''The Operative:''' ''Target [[spoiler:the Reavers.]] Target [[spoiler:the Reavers!]] Target everyone! SOMEBODY FIRE!''

* In the true ending of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll'', the villain, [[spoiler:Matt Engarde]] had nearly broken both the fake culprit, [[spoiler:Adrian]], nearly driving her to suicide, and Phoenix Wright himself... then [[spoiler:[[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal Shelly de Killer turns on him if Phoenix plays his cards right.]] The result is Matt freaking out and pleading to go to jail to be protected from the assassin.]]

* In the Book of James ''Literature/TheBible'', it's stated that demons tremble in fear of God.

[[folder: Mythology and Religion]]

* There's a stock routine in {{Pantomime}} that uses this. [[RuleOfThree Three]] characters, one of them the dame (an older female character [[CrossCastRole played by a man]]), are onstage and comment that the place they're in is haunted and they need to be on the lookout for ghosts (or other monsters), and ask the audience to [[AudienceParticipation tell them if they see one]] (they may then start to sing a song to keep their [[{{Pun}} spirits]] up). A ghost (or whatever) then enters behind them, prompting the audience to shout "Behind you!" in the classic panto style. The characters then look around and fail to spot the ghost, as it follows them and always stays behind them until it exits ([[IdiotBall they never think to look in different directions]] to cover the whole area between them because that wouldn't be [[RuleOfFunny funny]]). Then the routine is repeated, except one character (unseen by the other two) spots the ghost and runs offstage in terror. The others wonder where they've gone and repeat the routine (more nervously) and a second character is scared off, leaving only the dame. The routine is repeated once more - except this time the ''ghost'' runs offstage in terror at the sight of the dame.

** Some Gestapo agents complained to Himmler the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usta%C5%A1e Ustaše]] were behaving in a "bestial manner" against Serbs. Even Hitler's representative in Croatia called the Jasenovac prison camp "evil".

** Some Gestapo agents complained to Himmler the Ustase were behaving in a "bestial manner" against Serbs. Even Hitler's representative in Croatia called the Jasenovac prison camp "evil".

*** "Freddy Krueger has nightmares about Chuck Norris."

* Malory from ''Webcomic/HeadTrip'' is plain AxCrazy [[http://headtrip.keenspot.com/d/20071112.html whenever]] any [[AssholeVictim deserving]] target is in sight. However, ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' [[http://headtrip.keenspot.com/d/20080505.html scares]] her [[http://headtrip.keenspot.com/d/20080915.html reliably]].

** Some Gestapo agents complained to Himmler the Ustase were behaving in a "bestial manner" against Serbs.

** Cinder Fall is nothing short of a [[HeroKiller murderous]], [[EvilIsPetty spiteful]], [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]] [[TheSociopath sociopath]], and even then the sight of [[GigglingVillain Tyrian]] butchering a Beowulf out of anguish over disappointing Salem is enough to terrify her.
** The creatures of Grimm are consistently shown to be mindless killing machines, with only the oldest and most intelligent ones displaying any kind of self-preservation instinct. The arrival of [[EliteMook the Hound]] in Volume 8 is enough to make three Sabyrs stop mid-charge, turn around, and run.

-->'''Tala:''' Don't look at me that way. ''Please.'' Do you know how terrifying you are to us? You creatures of the Light, with your pitiless eyes. You're so quick to judge us... but what do you know of the imperatives of Darkness? You've never seen past the Shadows.

** [[ComicBook/DarkNightsMetal The Batman Who Laughs]] disturbs and horrifies the Joker so much that whenever he talks about him, the Joker [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness becomes deathly serious]]. He even quit a team-up with Lex Luthor on the spot after learning Lex was dealing with BWL, confessing that while he was planning on betraying and giving Luthor an incredibly CruelAndUnusualDeath, whatever BWL has planned would be ''much much worse''.

** As is shown later on in Justice League Rebirth, [[spoiler:''even [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]] has a villain he fears: [[HumanoidAbomination The Batman]] [[OmnicidalManiac Who Laughs.]]'' The Joker even says he may kill people, but the things The Batman Who Laughs does are just... wrong and do not belong. That this was one dark path he would refuse to let Lex Luthor tread!]]