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| - War Is Glorious? Not to this guy. They've seen and done things that no amount of therapy will ever completely heal (see the Real Life section below, though), and it's left them so irrevocably scarred they have trouble feeling, emoting, and caring about the people around them and themselves. If they continue to feel anything at all, it's usually restricted to Survivor Guilt. Thus they're usually the first to do what must be done and Shoot the Dog. In short, the war never ended for this character. Examples of Shell-Shocked Veteran include:
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| abstract
| - War Is Glorious? Not to this guy. They've seen and done things that no amount of therapy will ever completely heal (see the Real Life section below, though), and it's left them so irrevocably scarred they have trouble feeling, emoting, and caring about the people around them and themselves. If they continue to feel anything at all, it's usually restricted to Survivor Guilt. Thus they're usually the first to do what must be done and Shoot the Dog. In short, the war never ended for this character. If the Shell Shocked Veteran is out for revenge expect him to become an Antiheroic Hunter, with varying degrees of success and sanity. In an ensemble show or a Five-Man Band, the Shell Shocked Veteran is usually the Quiet Big Guy or The Lancer. Often crosses into Aloof Big Brother territory if they insist on being a loner. Many a Zen Survivor has elements of the Shell Shocked Veteran in his Backstory, though the Shell Shocked Veteran is likelier to eventually prove he's a Jerk with a Heart of Gold or a Knight in Sour Armor. The Shell Shocked Veteran is usually, but not always, older than most of the cast; it seems war, like prison, doesn't take long to change you. This is normally an Averted trope. While the general population tends to think that most people can go through war and come out just fine unless they're 'wimps,' War Is Hell. Most war-based videogame and movie characters are shown to go through things that in real life would leave them completely unable to function, let alone live a normal life. Of course, this is one of those Acceptable Breaks From Reality, since the Main Character ending up a gibbering wreck or street person after taking so many hits to their Sanity Meter isn't a very happy ending. Almost any character who doesn't end up at least somewhat traumatized after war or other brutal events counts as an aversion, unless they're a psychopath (or in the lucky minority). See the Real Life section. "Shell shock" is a nickname for what was eventually termed post-traumatic stress disorder, a real condition that wartime soldiers face but which can also be caused by any of several things other than combat. A subtrope of The Stoic, also related to Heroic BSOD. They may be an Old Soldier, but probably not a Blood Knight and definitely not a phony. Expect him to have a Sympathetic Murder Backstory. Examples of Shell-Shocked Veteran include:
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)