History Main / TheGlassesComeOff

* [[BrainyBrunette Hanji Zoe]] of ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' is shown without her glasses twice, both instances where she looses her eccentric quirky-ness and demonstrates just why she's a high ranking squad leader in the Survey Corps.

* ''ComicBook/IncredibleHulk'': when Bruce Banner [[HulkingOut gets angry]], the glasses come off. If he plans on getting angry, he'll take the glasses off ahead of time.

Not to be confused with its sister trope HoldMyGlasses, which also covers other accessories besides glasses being taken off as a prelude to a fight.

* In ''VisualNovel/ElevenEyes'', Yukiko's glasses work as a self-hypnotic suggestion to maintain her bubbly personality. When she takes them off, she reverts to a cold-blooded [[TykeBomb child soldier]] [[KnifeNut with a penchant for knives]].

* Mostly subverted in the ''Franchise/{{Xenosaga}}'' trilogy, where Shion keeps her glasses on, until ''Xenosaga: Episode III''. Interestingly, Shion is related to the character Citan of ''Xenogears''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' has Winston's glasses disappear whenever he uses his ultimate Primal Rage. The cinematic trailer shows a variation: Winston lying on the ground, glasses already off, and when Reaper steps on them, [[BerserkButton Winston goes]] [[IncrediblyLamePun bananas]]. ''Recall'' shows Winston taking off his glasses before the fight even begins (and, naturally, are already gone by the time he activates Primal Rage).

* Cliff Sinclair of ''Webcomic/SlightlyDamned'' [[http://www.sdamned.com/2010/01/01242010/ takes his glasses off]] before any epic battles.

---> '''Arnie''': (nasal nerd voice) I can see! (ActionHero voice) [[PunctuatedForEmphasis I! Can!]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yqgoEAzDns Fight!]]

* Also inverted in the 1960s cartoon ''FearlessFly''. The housefly hero is a 98-milligram weakling, until he dons his square-rimmed glasses. Inevitably, in nearly every episode, he gets them knocked off at a crucial moment.

* Gohan in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' and ''Anime/DragonBallGT''. Apparently, he has perfect vision until he falls into the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters trap, but will still conveniently forget to wear them on days when the MonsterOfTheWeek or BigBad might show up. When Baby possesses him, he actually smashes the glasses prior to going out and kicking Vegeta's ass.

Characters may also take their glasses off before kissing, because [[{{Meganekko}} some]] guys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses (see BeautifulAllAlong and TheGlassesGottaGo). Also because a pair of specs might get in the way. (And TWO pairs certainly will.)

** Played straight in one episode of ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', with Gohan having {{Tareme Eyes}} with his glasses on that suddenly change to {{Tsurime Eyes}} when he takes them off.

** Other example from the ''Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}'' comes from ''Anime/FatePrototype'' and Ayaka Sayjou. At the beginning the [[RealTrailerFakeMovie script's trailer]], is established as a ShrinkingViolet [[EstablishingCharacterMoment incapable to even killing a birds for a blood ritual]]. But when [[SinisterMinister Sancraid Phahn]] shows [[EvilAllAlong his true colors]], she pulls off her glasses just before to activate [[Myth/KingArthur Saber's]] [[PowerTattoo Command Spells]].

* Daniel aka Nite Owl of ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'' usually wears his glasses but doesn't in his Nite Owl guise. A classic example is when he and Silk Spectre were mugged, Daniel took off his glasses before kicking the gang's ass.

* ''Film/StarTrekIiTheWrathOfKhan'': Subverted when Kirk looks embarrassed having to put on his glasses to see the instrument panel in front of Spock and Saavak, but then played straight when he takes them off before making Khan's ship lower its shields.

* In ''Film/MrBrooks'' when the main character is wearing his eyeglasses, he's Earl Brooks, a nice, friendly, generous businessman. When he takes them off, he metamorphoses into the very, very dangerous Thumbprint Killer, one of the worst [[SerialKiller serial killers]] in American history.

* ''Film/SpyKids3DGameOver'': Inverted. In Level 3, just before the [=PvP=] duel, [[TheBigGuy Arnold]] explains to [[TheHero Juni]] that he entered [[LotusEaterMachine Game Over]] for the "[[TheCakeIsALie untold riches]]" given to those who defeat the [[FinalBoss Final]] [[HumongousMecha Boss]] in order to save his family from poverty. The duel starts, and Arnold puts on his goggles and proceeds to ''[[CurbStompBattle kick Juni's ass in a way that would make]] Creator/ChuckNorris [[CurbStompBattle envious.]]''

* The first ''Film/MortalKombat'' has a variant. Johnny Cage shows up to fight Goro and is wearing some CoolShades for the occasion. Goro takes them off and smashes them. Johnny proceeds to execute a GroinAttack on him before heading to higher ground and then offering up this little gem: ''"Those were $500 sunglasses,'' '''[[PrecisionFStrike asshole]]'''", before proceeding to outmaneuver Goro and send him to his doom. The game creators were amused enough to make that incident canon.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'', Jihl Nabaat takes her glasses off before she fights the party. She also takes them off and smashes them in frustration in VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII.

* Rikuo of ''Manga/NuraRiseOfTheYokaiClan'' is [[HumanMomNonhumanDad 1/4]] {{Youkai}} and insecure about it, and so wears glasses he doesn't need as a form of ClarkKenting. (Actually, he has unusually good eyesight, [[InnateNightVision especially in the dark]].) So when his glasses [[ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction spontaneously disappear between panels]], it's he's decided to [[LetsGetDangerous Get Dangerous]].

* Used as a plot point in ''Manga/KimiiroFocus'', a harem manga about an aspiring photographer named Ooji. Normally, he is an unimpressive {{megane}} that comes off as a photography geek. When he really gets into photography, however, he gets [[SplitPersonality an alternate personality]] that whips his glasses off, becoming a seductive [[{{Kidanova}} ladies man]] and {{Bishonen}}. He can even make lesbians consider [[IfItsYouItsOkay making an exception]] in such a state.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' intro, ComicBook/{{Beast| Marvel Comics}} takes off his reading glasses before he literally leaps into action.
* Subverted in the ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6TheSeries'' episode "A New Sparkles", when Honey Lemon believes her "niceness" is holding the team back, she pulls off her glasses as she says "It's time to be a little less Honey ... and a lot more Lemon!" She then immediately bumps into Baymax, and decides "Okay, I'm going to be tough ''with'' the glasses on. I'm gonna need those to see."

* Used as a plot point in ''Manga/KimiiroFocus'', a harem manga about an aspiring photographer named Ooji. Normally, he is an unimpressive {{megane}} that comes off as a photography geek. When he really gets into photography, however, he gets [[SplitPersonality an alternate personality]] that whips his glasses off, becoming a seductive [[{{Kidanova}} ladies man]] and {{Bishonen}}. He can even make SchoolgirlLesbians consider [[IfItsYouItsOkay making an exception]] in such a state.

* "In a Different Light" by Doug Stone is about an office worker who has a sexual fantasy about a female co-worker, who always comes to work wearing thick glasses, her hair in a bun and otherwise looking like a schoolmarm. He imagines her as a completely hot babe who has taken off her glasses, lets down her hair and either gets naked or wears a sexy dress. Even better -- the whole thing comes true! "In a Different Light" became Stone's first No. 1 hit on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in the spring of 1991.

* The first ''Film/MortalKombat'' has a variant. Johnny Cage shows up to fight Goro and is wearing sone CoolShades for the occasion. Goro takes them off and smashes them. Johnny proceeds to execute a GroinAttack on him before heading to higher ground and then offering up this little gem: ''"Those were $500 sunglasses,'' '''[[PrecisionFStrike asshole]]'''", before proceeding to outmaneuver Goro and send him to his doom. The game creators were amused enough to make that incident canon.

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In the episode "Don't Make Me Over," she's-so-ugly Meg gets a makeover, which involves her shedding her glasses. (Meg becomes only bearable to look at, although it's played up as her becoming very attractive.) By episode's end, she decides she's happier being the girl that kissing reminds you of licking an ashtray, and reverts to her glasses-wearing, homely self.

* ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'': Hokuto Kaneshiro does this after his [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomp battle]] against Tsukune is interrupted by the arrival of [[BigDamnHeroes Moka]]. He then proceeds to deliver another [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomp battle]], this time to both of them.

* Reversed in ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', when a geeky and useless boy becomes KingArthur -- a rippled Adonis and fighting machine -- when he puts glasses ''on''. After all, how good are you going to be at swordplay when you are blind?

** Retasu/Mew Lettuce, ''Manga/TokyoMewMew''.

** Ami/Sailor Mercury, ''Series/PrettyGuardianSailorMoon''.

** Yuri Tsukikage, ''Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure''