History Main / TheEmpath

Occasionally, the Empath gets such a strong reading that they can't describe it except as a headache; apparently [[ThatMakesMeFeelAngry the guy threatening to blow up the building is angry]]. Empaths with a knack for [[ManipulativeBastard manipulation]] and [[MindOverManners flexible ethics]] can combine both talents to move people like [[TheChessmaster chess pieces]]. Sometimes the Empathy may be described as being able to calm villains or troubled characters because they are able to know just how they feel deep down, or even able to project an aura. They're usually the first to cause a GlamourFailure for supernatural opponents.

The Empath tends to suffer frequently from TheWorfEffect. Whenever a telepathic BigBad or SealedEvilInACan gets loose, The Empath usually gets reduced to a blubbering temple-clutching wreck in the first encounter to put the emphasis on exactly how ''bad'' the villain's mojo is. Alternatively, [[EvilFeelsGood they could get drunk on its evil]]).

* In the Literature/FirebirdTrilogy, the Ehretans (the ancestors of the Sentinels and the Shuhr) created telepathy specifically to gain this power (and the ability to communicate from mind to mind); the [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]] and other abilities were just fringe benefits. The idea was that if everyone understood how everyone else was feeling and what they were thinking, there would be perfect understanding and no more war. It... didn't work out that way.[[note]]The ensuing civil war between the Altereds and the non-Altereds very nearly killed everyone on the planet, and left Ehret uninhabitable. And the upper classes of the Shuhr, one of the surviving branches of the Altered, are not a pleasant group of people.[[/note]]

* Melissa the Mindcaster from ''Literature/{{Midnighters}}'' get's the BlessedWithSuck version of this trope. She feels the emotions of ''everyone'' around her, ''all the time'', without any way to [[PowerIncontinence tune out the mind noise]]. It leaves her barely able to function in a high school classroom and has given her a [[EmotionlessGirl pretty cynical]] [[SnarkKnight outlook on life]]. Her powers are useful, though, from [[MundaneUtility mundane]] things like avoiding cops when the Midnighters drive around past curfew to [[MindRape changing people's minds]] [[BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood in order to help the group]].

* Rachel Peng of the Literature/RachelPengNovels and the webcomic ''Webcomic/AGirlAndHerFed'' acquires empathic abilities after going blind. She sees emotions as colors -- everyone has a never-changing core color, with "conversational" or "surface" colors on top showing their current mood. Blue for calm, red for anger, and so on. As a cop, it comes in handy when she needs to talk someone down, interrogate a suspect, or watch for someone about to pull a gun.

* ''Literature/{{MARZENA}}'' has Dr. Lauren, who can put herself in the shoes of criminals, as well as directly mind-merge with her boss.

* ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'':

** There was one rather {{Squick}} moment where Phoebe realizes that a guy they are talking to is having erotic thoughts about her sister and, due to her powers, she is too. Cue Phoebe running out of the room.
* Peter Petrelli of ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' is described by another character as an "empath," but this appears to refer to his ability to reproduce other characters' powers (nominally by recalling his emotional reaction/connection to those characters, though this has not yet been explored in depth), rather than directly psionically sensing their emotions or mental state.

* ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'': Will Graham is a rare non-psychic example. His gift of "pure empathy" allows him to get into the minds of the criminals he hunts and causes him many troubles along the way. Turns out reliving brutal murders from the eyes of the perpetrator can be quite harmful to one's mental health.
* ''Series/WireInTheBlood'' has Dr. Tony Hill, who basically becomes the killers by seeing and understanding how they think and feel. He can't fight for crap but uses his weaponized empathy to save himself time and again when he inevitably attracts stalkers. Which he does. A lot.

* ''Literature/{{MARZENA}}'' has Dr. Lauren who can put herself in the shoes of criminals as well as directly mind merging with her boss.

* In ''Literature/WarriorCats'':

* Casper of ''[[Literature/Touch2017 Touch]]'' is one, who is unfortunately [[BlessedWithSuck unable to turn it off]], and consequently spends most of his time trying not to drown in other people's feelings.

* The Tesks in ''Literature/AlienInASmallTown'' have a non-mystical version of this. They were genetically engineered as {{Super Soldier}}s but the fact that they incorporate DNA from various animals (including a heightened sense of smell and a nonverbal animal's instinctive skill at reading body language) and were designed with heightened situational awareness, had the unintended side effect that they can read almost anyone like an open book. Aliens, however (who are [[StarfishAliens always nonhumanoid]] in this setting) are a source of frustration to them because they're different enough to be unreadable. Though someone who spends enough time around aliens ''can'' start to pick up on their body language.

* Ashley Morgan in ''Literature/TheMorganDetectiveAgency'' is a empath that was genetically engineered from a WitchSpecies. She is also a low level telekentic. Oddly, her ability to feel other people's emotions just makes her jaded due to New Detroit being a WretchedHive.

* ''Series/BabylonFive'' had a much better version of the traditional empath; instead of emotion sense a la downgraded telepathy, he had emotion manipulation a la downgraded mind control. It didn't work out very well for him, but running willy-nilly with the power on Garibaldi's watch was a bad idea.

* Both Stark and Zhaan from ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' had this to varying degrees and applications. Stark used his abilities to ease the passage of a person's life from this world to the next and since he was part of a slave race he had to do this quite a lot. Left him a bit weepy, cringing, and fatalistic. Zhaan had this and other abilities from her training as a Pa'au priestess and while it would sometimes cause her some pain she had an underlying core of tranquility to keep her strong.

* The hobbit-like kithkin in the ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' world of Lorwyn are a race of friendly country-dwellers with an empathic bond to each other called ''thoughtweft''.

* Borderline universal for psykers in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''. Almost all of them have far more powerful abilities as well.
* The Elohim, an angelic choir from ''TabletopGame/InNomine'', can not only sense a person's emotions, but can determine why they feel the way they feel and determine how they'll react to any given situation.
* In the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' setting, fallen paladin Elena Faith-hold was BlessedWithSuck by the Dark Powers, [[spoiler: who took her former ''Detect Evil'' class ability and made it detect strong emotions directed at her instead. The self-deluded darklord now registers others' hatred, fear, or love for her as "Evil",]] and smacks them accordingly.
* The race of Muses in the ''TabletopGame/{{Talislanta}}'' setting are strongly empathic, so much so that they prefer to let little fairy-type critters called "whisps" translate their desires into speech rather than talk out loud. [[spoiler: Muses can also become {{Emotion Bomb}}s or even project hallucinations into others' minds in a pinch, though they keep quiet about these powers because they're peaceful and hate using them.]]
* A minor advantage in ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' that works only on people. Other versions work on Spirits, Animals and Plants. The most important effect is that even creatures who are normally immune to manipulation can be convinced of things by a person with the appropriate Empathy power.
* ''TabletopGame/GammaWorld'' had an interesting twist on the idea: "Badders" (a race of humanoid badgers) were all empaths... and complete {{jerkass}}es on account of having to put up with the bad vibes of other badders all the time.
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has the Argent class -- Psionic characters that can manipulate the emotions of both their enemies and their allies. Most of their attacks either boost their allies' stats or degrade their enemies'. This class, in the role-playing sections, are either played as larger than life, feeling their emotions more powerfully than normal and being influenced by/influencing their environment... or, as a twist, to be TheStoic who always tries to keep their emotions in. The rule book makes a point to mention that while playing them as loud, emotional types is okay, you have to be careful not to turn them into a caricature.

* Parodied in ''Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice'' where the resident empath would sense feelings that were bleeding obvious. Stuff like saying "I sense you're confused" to a person that has just been transported to a base inside Mount Rushmore by means of a flying limo. [[SmallGirlBigGun She was far more useful, however, when it came to just shooting people.]]
** The best part? "I sense I'm going down!" (''after her plane has just been shot down'')

* Dan Smithson, the character played by Forrest Whittaker in the sci-fi film ''Film/{{Species}}'', is an empath, although he's played up as more of a CaptainObvious. His power also has a tendency to only work [[StrongAsTheyNeedToBe as the plot demands it]], such as when he's able to sense someone outside a door and the emotions of the alien hottie while watching a recording of her, but they mysteriously vanish on numerous occasions, such as when a wino manages to catch him by surprise by hiding behind a dumpster.

** Anabel in ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' is able to communicate with her Pokémon this way, making it unnecessary to voice her commands.

** Ash does seem to understand the feelings of Pokémon at times as he uses his heart over words.

* Anabel in ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' is able to communicate with her Pokémon this way, making it unnecessary to voice her commands.

** In Generation 3, Ralts (the Feeling Pokémon) and its [[EvolutionaryLevels evolutions]], Kirlia (the Emotion Pokémon), Gardevoir (the Embrace Pokémon), and Gallade (the Blade Pokémon) are empaths. They can sense people's emotions with their horns and usually take on the emotion their trainer is feeling. If a Ralts senses hostility in the area, it will hide immediately. If Kirlia have trainers who are shown to express positive emotions, their attacks grow stronger and they even become more beautiful than normal Kirlia. Gardevoir and Gallade take this even further, as both evolutions gravitate towards trainers who have a strongly emotional disposition and become protective of them as well. Their abilities reflect this within the actual game mechanics, as well. Trace copies their opponent's ability, and Synchronize will inflict their opponent with a status effect that they're affected by.

** In Generation 3, Ralts (the Feeling Pokémon) and its [[EvolutionaryLevels evolutions]], Kirlia (the Emotion Pokémon), Gardevoir (the Embrace Pokémon), and Gallade (the Blade Pokémon) are empaths. They can sense people's emotions with their horns and usually take on the emotion their trainer is feeling. If a Ralts senses hostility in the area, it will hide immediately. If Kirlia have trainers who are shown to express positive emotions, their attacks grow stronger and they even become more beautiful than normal Kirlia. Gardevoir and Gallade take this even further, as both evolutions gravitate towards trainers who have a strongly emotional disposition and become protective of them as well.
** Their abilities reflect this within the actual game mechanics, as well. Trace copies their opponent's ability, and Synchronize will inflict their opponent with a status effect that they're affected by.
** According to their Pokedex entries, both Riolu and Lucario from Generation 4 can also read the emotions of others via Aura.

* All [[{{Animorphism}} laguz]] in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' are said to have this to various degrees during calm situations as a manifestation of seid magic, a form of magic far older than the tomes and staves used in gameplay. The heron clan is particularly well-known for this ability, while dragons are said to be even stronger. Some [[HalfHumanHybrid branded]], particularly those descended from the heron and dragon clans, are also known to display this ability.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}'' Ralts (the Feeling Pokemon) and its [[EvolutionaryLevels evolutions]], Kirlia (the Emotion Pokemon) and Gardevoir (the Embrace Pokemon) are empaths. They can sense people's emotions with their horns and usually take on the emotion their trainer is feeling. If a Ralts senses hostility in the area, it will hide immediately. If Kirlia have positive trainers, their attacks grow stronger and they even become more beautiful than normal Kirlia. Gardevoir takes this even further as it gravitates towards trainers who yield strong emotions and becomes protective of them as well.
** Their abilities reflect this within the actual game mechanics as well. Trace copies their opponent's ability, and Synchronize will inflict their opponent with a status effect that they're affected by.
** According to their Pokedex entries, both Riolu and Lucario can also read the emotions of others via Aura.

PsychicPowers in fiction generally come in three flavors. You can [[MindOverMatter shoot mindbullets and toss cars by thinking hard at them]]. You can [[{{Seers}} see visions from the past or future]]. Or you can [[MindProbe read minds]]. If you're fortunate, you get to [[{{Telepathy}} read and transmit thoughts]]. And sometimes, you get to be The Empath. [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway Being able to tell how people are secretly feeling is okay too, right? Right?...]] While this [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower sometimes makes for an impressive combat power]], it does make the empath an excellent [[TheConfidant Confidant]] for her teammates... one who knows all of their secrets, and can use them against them.

The oldest version of this trope (the Soothsayer) presents an Empath as a slightly creepy, imposing ancient. Other times, the Empath is sometimes used to insert quick expositions or reveal to the other characters things not allowed by the time constraints of the program, or as a variant of CombatClairvoyance. They can help TheFace do their TheSocialExpert thing. An evil empath becomes the ultimate ManipulativeBastard and ChessMaster, and perhaps even the FisherKing. A dopey empath who means well aside from his idiocy becomes the ultimate KindheartedSimpleton.

Occasionally, The Empath gets such a strong reading that he can't describe it except as a headache; apparently [[ThatMakesMeFeelAngry the guy threatening to blow up the building is angry]]. Empaths with a knack for [[ManipulativeBastard manipulation]] and [[MindOverManners flexible ethics]] can combine both talents to move people like [[TheChessmaster chess pieces]]. Sometimes the Empathy may be described as being able to calm villains or troubled characters because they are able to know just how they feel deep down, or even able to project an aura. They're usually the first to cause a GlamourFailure for supernatural opponents.

** Generation 8's Hatenna and Impidimp lines are a darker spin on this as the former absolutely despises any strong emotion with the later evolutions outright attacking anyone who so much as experiences a slightly strong emotion within several mile radii while the latter feeds upon negative emotions such as annoyance.

* Mantis from ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'' is capable of not only reading thoughts but also modifying them to some extent. This winds up being [[ChekhovsSkill critically important in the climax]] as she is able to [[spoiler: force Ego to sleep while the team is in a particularly vulnerable state, thwarting one of his attacks. She ends up doing the same thing ''again'' to Thanos in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''.]]

* Uryuom (and greater chimera) from ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' have empathic abilities they use instead of pheromones, as well as low-grade telepathy. Both are related to antennae.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}'' both Ralts (the Feeling Pokemon) and its [[EvolutionaryLevels evolution]], Kirlia (the Emotion Pokemon) are empaths. They can sense people's emotions with their horns and usually take on the emotion their trainer is feeling. If Ralts sense hostility in the area, it will hide immediately. If Kirlia have positive trainers, their attacks grow stronger and they even become more beautiful than normal Kirlia.

** Generation 8's Hatenna and Impidimp lines are a darker spin on this as the former absolutely despises any strong emotion with the later evolutions outright attacking anyone who so much as experiences a slight emotion within several mile radii while the latter feeds upon negative emotions such as annoyance.

* All [[{{Animorphism}} laguz]] in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' are said to have this to various degrees during calm situations as a manifestation of said magic. The heron clan is particularly well-known for this ability, while dragons are said to be even stronger. Some [[HalfHumanHybrid branded]], particularly those descended from the heron and dragon clans, are also known to display this ability.

** Prince Sparkling Wing, the Alicorn god of Peace, Unity, and Leadership, is described as an empath who is capable of exposing lies and falsehoods, and seeing what people really think of each other, making him very hard to fool. He can also [[EmotionBomb send out an empathy wave that calms anger and instills "love and peace" in his targets]] to defuse hostile situations. His most unique empathy-related ability is [[{{Seers}} looking into the past]] via people's emotions, allowing them to experience their memories as if he had personally been there. The fact that empathy is getting [[StockSuperpowers extremely common]] among divine and mortal individuals on Equus has not been left without comment from him, since he sees it as rather odd.

[[folder:FanWorks]]

* ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'': Will Graham is a rare non-psychic example. His gift of "pure empathy" allows him to get into the minds of the criminals he hunts and causes him many troubles along the way.

* Valashu Elahad of the ''Literature/EaCycle'' possesses the power of empathy which can be not so useful when he's feeling the pain of someone he kills in battle. Potentially his gift could be a powerful weapon to break the wills of other people, but that would going to TheDarkSide and being NotSoDifferent to the BigBad.

** In the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' fanfic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3878848/1/Thorns Thorns]]'', written by Creator/{{Vathara}}, there is an OC that is later revealed to be an Empath. Originally, he kept it hidden because he didn't want Hojo interested and the organism had to have a spine before he could sense it. [[spoiler: Then he gets shot up with Mako.]] He generally uses it as CombatClairvoyance, but in certain cases it's a weakness; like around Hojo. He ends up using another person as an "anchor" to help him survive the power boost he got during the storyline.