Movies and TV are filled with memorable characters that just so happen to wear an eyepatch, with the relatively uncommon facial feature being a staple of media far and wide. Eyepatches are sometimes worn in place of artificial eyes by people who have lost the use of one eye, covering up their scars or lack of an eyeball with an intimidating accessory. Though they may have been more common in the past, eyepatches truly work in every TV or movie setting, with many incredible characters utilizing them.
As far as visual design language goes, an eyepatch usually indicates that a character is aged, hardened, and tough, having taken physical scars in combat or worse, giving them some degree of experience to rely upon. In other cases, the eyepatch is simply used to increase a character’s intrigue or intimidation factor, usually doing so in few words. It’s no wonder there are so many memorable characters with eyepatches.
10
Nick Fury
The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Perhaps the archetypal eyepatch character in the modern day, Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury is a prime example of the quiet character development and world-building an eyepatch can do. An enigmatic force that silently drives the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe by way of the Avengers initiative, it’s safe to say the MCU wouldn’t be nearly as popular without his influence. In fact, the design of Nick Fury in the comics’ Ultimate universe was based off of Samuel L. Jackson before the actor was ever even cast.
A dedicated spy and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent for years, Nick Fury certainly has the experience and pedigree to justify his eyepatch. In Captain Marvel, the expectation that he has some grisly story explaining the loss of his eye when it’s revealed that the cuddly cat-like Flerken, Goose, simply scratched it, causing an infection. Even if his solo series, Secret Invasion, was a huge letdown, Samuel L. Jackson’s effortlessly cool performance has long carried the MCU.
9
Hange Zoë
Attack on Titan
It’s no secret that the world of anime contains some amazing cyclopean characters, with the latest and greatest being none other than the brilliant Hange Zoë. In the perilious world of Attack on Titan, Zoë serves as a squad leader of the Survey Corps, an elite task force of grappling-hook-wielding soldiers that venture out beyond the walls keeping humanity safe from the terrifying man-eating Titans. When mysterious new Titans manage to break through the walls, Zoë has to help lead the charge against the new unknowable enemy.
Hange doesn’t end up getting her eyepatch until later on in the series, injured in a steam explosion caused by one of the Titans transforming. Wearing an eyepatch under her iconic glasses, Zoë doesn’t let her injury dull her perky demeanor or relentless thirst for knowledge. Her status as a scientist comes in handy as the technology of the setting advances, and her upbeat attitude doesn’t falter all the way to the bitter end. It’s hard not to admire this spunky, one-eyed squad leader with a natural curiosity for her enemies.
8
Aemond Targaryen
House of the Dragon
The most threatening member of the “Green” royal loyalists in House of the Dragon, Aemond Targaryen is quickly becoming one of the best villains in the entire universe of Westeros. The younger son of Alicent and King Viserys I, Aegon was a strange and sullen young lad who lamented his status as second-in-line for the throne behind his brother Aegon. Ever the opportunist, Aemond bonds with the massive, mighty, and ancient dragon, Vhagar, against the wishes of her former bondmate’s owner. This results in a fight that ultimately costs him his eye.
Aemond is a fascinating villain, coldly calculating and terrifying behind his emotionless mask, made all the more intimidating by the bright blue sapphire he wears in his empty eye socket beneath his eyepatch. He thinks of no one but himself, not even his own mother or brother, but can be oddly vulnerable at times, clearly a bullied child at heart still longing to strike back at the world that tormented him. Aemond has already solidified himself as one of the deadliest and most cunning villains in Game of Thrones history.
7
Elle Driver
Kill Bill
Part of the fun of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill duology is getting to meet the various eccentric and cutthroat femme fatales of the Deadly Viper assassination squad as Beatrix picks them off one by one. Each member has their own specialty and ophidian nickname, with Elle Driver, a.k.a. California Mountain Snake, being one of the most memorable. Unlike most of the other Vipers, who are keen to use face-to-face combat to dispatch their victims, Elle is more fond of poison and venom, being the only person in the squad to actually kill someone using a real snake.
Elle’s eyepatch is an alluring feature that actually ties heavily into the plot of Kill Bill Vol. 2, where it’s revealed that Beatrix’s kung fu teacher, Pai Mei, plucked out her eye in a lesson of hubris. This, along with Elle’s burning love for Bill, gives her a far more personal stake in the action than the other Vipers. This makes it all the more satisfying when Beatrix takes out her other eye, leaving Elle to a cruel fate.
6
Alastor Moody
The Harry Potter series
Also known as “Mad Eye Moody”, Alastor Moody is one of the most memorable teachers at Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, even if he appears comparatively briefly in the film series. Once a renowned Auror, or magical wizard cop, Alastor Moody eventually settled into semi-retirement as a teacher at Hogwart’s, serving in the perilous staff position of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The actual Alastor features in his debut film relatively little, with the impostor Barty Crouch Junior assuming his form for the majority of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Moody wasn’t just missing an eye, enduring scars on his face, a missing chunk of his nose, and losing his leg all thanks to the many battles he’d survived as a decorated Auror hunting down Death Eaters. The enemies he made led to a sense of paranoia being fostered that stood out more thanks to his electric blue magical eye embedded in the eye patch he wore, giving him an unblinking periphery at all times. The paranoia represented by this prosthetic was ultimately justified when he was imprisoned by Barty Crouch Junior and impersonated for almost a year.
5
Ragetti
The Pirates of the Caribbean series
It’s fitting that one of the most recognizable and well-done eyepatch-wearing characters in cinema history would appear in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, considering how closely eyepatches and pirates have been associated historically. Rather than giving an eyepatch to a grizzled veteran or warrior, Ragetti is instead the token cyclops of the series, more of a comedic relief character alongside the portly Pintel. Once a member of Captain Jack Sparrow’s original crew, Ragetti turns traitor along with Barbossa during his foul mutiny.
Despite betraying Jack, Ragetti ultimately demonstrates some loyalty to the eccentric pirate captain, as shown when he’s willing to literally sail to the ends of the Earth to bring him back from beyond the grave. Admittedly, Ragetti actually wears a wooden prosthetic eye more often than an eyepatch, even if it “splinters ‘somefink’ terrible“. The sequences in which he does lose his wooden eye, chasing it as it bounces and rolls across the deck of the Black Pearl, are some of the best moments of slapstick humor in the whole series.
4
Caitlyn Kiramman
Arcane
Though the second season of Arcane only recently ended, Caitlyn Kiramman is already proving to become one of the most iconic TV characters to ever wear an eyepatch. A Piltovan citizen born to a high-status family, with her mother being a councilwoman, Caitlyn Kiramman goes through quite a dramatic personal journey over the course of the series. Vi’s partner and romantic interest, Caitlyn goes from being a merciless enforcer stopping at nothing to crack down on Zaun’s rebellious rumblings to a kind and empathetic leader who risks her life to stave off tyranny.
In a dramatic duel with her former ally, the Noxian general Ambessa, Caitlyn ends up losing an eye, an especially important sacrifice for her considering her sharpshooting skills. Because of the fact that Caitlyn doesn’t wear an eyepatch in the League of Legends game, it could be that the show will eventually find a magical or Hextech replacement that enhances her impressive aim even further. For now, her new look reflects her internal change, sacrifice, and battle-hardened experience.
3
Carl Grimes
The Walking Dead
Carl Grimes starts out in The Walking Dead as more of a liability than anything else, but further embodies the trend of character growth through physical changes with an eyepatch later on. The son of former sheriff and apocalypse leader Rick Grimes, Carl is little more than a liability to be rescued over and over again in the earlier seasons. However, as the apocalypse continues to rage around him, he learns to grow up calloused and skilled in his new deadly environment.
This journey eventually culminates in Carl getting shot through the eye, a wound he miraculously survives, wearing a distinct gauze bandage for an eyepatch alongside his father’s hat and longer hair, all of which point towards his internal development. This injury results in some further change and insecurities about his new appearance, causing Carl to become more deadened, unflinching, and even sadistic. Despite the rougher edges caused by his injury, Carl leaves a lasting legacy on his loved ones by the time the show has concluded.
2
Snake Plissken
Escape from New York
John Carpenter’s classic sci-fi action movie Escape from New York resulted in what may be the single most iconic eyepatch-wearing movie hero, Snake Plissken. Once a decorated special forces soldier, Snake Plissken is imprisoned on the island of Manhattan, which is converted into a massive open-air prison, only to be offered his freedom in exchange for rescuing the President when his plane crashes in the city. A man of few words and a capable killer, Snake Plissken is easily one of Kurt Russell’s best roles ever.
Snake is given yet another chance to escape persecution in Escape from L.A., making him a fist to rely on if nothing else. In the novelization, it’s revealed that Snake lost his eye during the Battle of Leningrad when his visor cracked, exposing him to nerve gas, resulting in his cynical outlook on the U.S. government and life as a whole. Inspiring other equally iconic characters like Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid franchise, Snake deserves his spot on eyepatch Mount Rushmore.
1
Dr. Daisuke Serizawa
Godzilla
In many cases, an eyepatch is used not just to indicate a toughened hero or fighter, but an eccentric or dangerous scientist. Enter Dr. Daisuke Serizawa from the original Godzilla in 1954, a mad genius credited with creating the Oxygen Destroyer, the terrifying device used to defeat Godzilla in the original movie. Dr. Serizawa wears an eyepatch after losing his eye in battle in World War II, representing yet another one of the lingering scars of the conflict left on Japan that the film explores.
Though he may be a disturbed and frightening individual, Dr. Serizawa ultimately has a good heart, sacrificing himself with the knowledge that the weapon he created is too destructive to ever allow to be rebuilt. Amazingly, his work goes on to create the kaiju Destoroyah in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, proving his concerns valid. It’s a shame that the new incarnation of Serizawa in the Monsterverse movies opted to exclude the eyepatch, as it adds a lot of depth and texture to the already interesting character.