Beauty Equals Goodness: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

If a character is beautiful, then that character is a good person, either publicly or secretly. If a character is good, then that character will either be beautiful or [[Informed Attractiveness|be treated as beautiful.]]

* Inverted in ''[[Death Note]]'' as the Kiras are all conventionally attractive while the [[Black and Gray Morality|good guys]] are an albino, a skinny guy with messy hair and a guy with a disfiguring facial scar (although they are considered attractive by the fandom)

** This may be a subverted inversion (if there is such a thing) because the Kiras are [[Villain Protagonist|technically the main characters, or at least one of them.]]

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Made explicit in ''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]''. Clint Eastwood's character is, at best, a cold-blooded antihero and con artist, but because he is the most handsome he is "The Good." Lee Van Cleef's trademark was his crooked, hawkish nose. Early in his career many suggested that without plastic surgery he would be typecast as a villain (which he was). In the film he plays a ruthless hitman and is "The Bad." (despite in the other Sergio Leone film ''For a Few Dollars More,'' Van Cleef played the hero who bests Eastwood ''and'' the vilain). Eli Wallach had the misfortune of being [[Hollywood Pudgy]] and so was cast as "The Ugly." The movie went so far as to actually show us their labels with on-screen text, just so there would be no confusion.

** There was at least one neat subversion, though, in the [[Complete Monster]] villain being called "[[Fluffy the Terrible|Angel Eyes]]".

* Conversed and played completely straight in [[The Sequel]] to ''[[Zenon]]''. When the aliens finally show up at the end, they are [[Energy Beings]] who travel in a butterfly/manta ray style space ship that shifts between pastel, easter egg colors of pink, blue, yellow, etc. When a characters asks if these aliens might be hostile, Zenon replies, with no irony and a completely straight face, "Nobody could have a ship that beautiful and be evil." She was right, they were good aliens who saved their lives and even repaired the space station.

* At the start of ''[[Unbreakable]]'', [[Samuel L. Jackson]] describes a comic cover in art-critic detail, commenting on the villain's inhumanely big head. {{spoiler|At the end of the movie, he reveals to the hero that he was always meant to be the villain because of his brittle bones. "They called me 'Mr. Glass'"}}

** Subverted by Hagrid. He's good, kind, and loyal to his friends but you wouldn't call him handsome. We also have Horace Slughorn who is short, fat, dumpy, and though seemingly a coward, steps up to the plate when duty calls, albeit a bit reluctantly. Let us not forget Flitwick who is a short and strange looking man, and completely on the side of good. On the other side we have Lucius Malfoy who is quite handsome and quite evil. Most notably is Bellatrix Lestrange who is played by [[Helena Bonham Carter]], and is a sadistic psychopath who enjoys torturing her enemies.

* Quite a few early [[Disney Animated Canon]] movies have caught flak for playing this straight. In ''[[The Little Mermaid]]'' we had the grossly overweight Ursula; same with Radcliffe of ''[[Pocahontas]]'' in comparison to the Adonis-like John Smith. Then there's [[Cinderella (Disney film)|Cinderella]]'s ugly step-siblings, the rakishly-thin Jafar of ''[[Aladdin (Disney film)|Aladdin]]'', and the monstrous-looking Huns of ''[[Mulan]]''.

 

=== Literature ===

* Very common in ''[[The House of Night]]''. When Stevie Rae died and then un-died she was repulsive and smelt really bad. When the ritual to give her and the other Red Fledglings back their humanity was complete, they were all pretty again. Also the Bull of Light, which is black is described as "deep, mysterious and beautiful to behold". Compared to the Bull of Darkness, which is white and is described as "a nightmare come alive."

* Subverted in [[The Pale King]] with Meredith, who becomes a vain, neurotic mess if you let her talk about her problems long enough.

* A short story by [[Dick King-Smith]] might count as an inversion where the protagonist is a male fairy and is ridiculed by all the others except one who is described as "not very pretty but had a kind face". At the end when said fairy is kind to him he realises how beautiful she actually is, suggesting that maybe goodness equals beauty.

* Played with ''all over the damn place'' in the ''[[Sword of Truth]]''. The list of hot evil chicks and handsome evil dudes is about as long as their good counterparts. In fact, its implied that their good looks helped them on the road to be big enough bads to seriously break things.

** Although quite subverted with the evil [[Magnificent Bastard|Zankou]], who is implied to have had a relationship with the stunning Seer, Kyra.

* ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'' is a pretty big offender. You can always tell the new character is a good guy if they look like a model. Sylar and Adan Monroe are the only exceptions.

** And given D'Anna was willing even in her most recent (S4) appearance {{spoiler|to wipe out humanity even after they helped resurrect her}} she probably deserves to be in the morally doubtful region along with {{spoiler|Tory}}.

** ''Battlestar Galactica'' also has the (only) perfectly upstanding character Karl Agathon, [[Meaningful Name|named after]] this trope (see "Kalos kai Agathos" above).

* ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' does an almost facepalmingly straight adherence to this rule. Almost all the good guys will be bishonen, ruggedly handsome men, hot chicks, [[Cool Old Guy]]s (sometimes good looking for their age too) and most of the bosses will be [http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081028112002/fireemblem/images/c/c6/Heintz.gif old], [http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081120190454/fireemblem/images/e/e7/GLASS.png plain] or [http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080910224036/fireemblem/images/a/a4/Gheb.png gonks]. They'll attempt to mix things by always adding [https://web.archive.org/web/20131220132500/http://fireemblemwod.net/fe6/big/gonzales.gif one or two gonks] and a [https://web.archive.org/web/20111118065920/http://serenesforest.net/media/fe10illust/e/makalov_en.png non hottie] to the good guys side, and typically the bad guys will have one or two good looking guys on their side, however they'll usually be either [[Anti-Villain|good at heart]] or [http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v139/VincentASM/Site/FE6/Narshen.png wear an unflattering facial expression on their portrait]. Sometimes a few of the ugly minor bosses will hint or be revealed to not have been bad at heart after their death. The simplest way to put it is ugly characters are the [[Token Minority]] for the good guys and attractive characters are the [[Token Minority]] for the bad guys. Ugly good guys far outnumber attractive bad guys, seems [[Evil Is Sexy]] is not one of Intelligent Systems' favorite tropes... for males. When it comes to females, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110209060746/http://www.serenesforest.net/media/tcg/3/fe3-049.jpg evil] [https://web.archive.org/web/20140807034135/http://serenesforest.net/media/fe6illust/s/brunnya.png is] [http://serenesforest.net/media/fe7illust/s/ursula.png sexy]{{Dead link}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20100702223936/http://www.serenesforest.net/media/fe8illust/few/Selena.jpg too]. This can sometimes make sense (Most of the early foes are low class bandits, the latter ones are old nobles are in some games a separate species, while most player characters are nobility or young), but often doesn't.

** Basically if you're a sympathetic character in ''[[Fire Emblem]]'', you're either at least quite attractive, or you're old. And if you fall into the latter category, you were likely [[I Was Quite a Looker|quite a looker when you were younger]]. There are only a few major exceptions to this (i.e. most axe-users).

* Played straight in ''[[Drakengard]]''. Another layer is added on with the [[Our Elves Are Better|impossibly beautiful and pacifistic elves]] and the [[Nightmare Fuel]]-inspired design for the monsters, who are bloodthirsty and primitive. These other creatures are [[Low Fantasy|rarely seen]], however. And really, what's more beautiful than {{spoiler|[[Eldritch Abomination|a baby?]]}}

* Played straight in ''[[World of Warcraft]]: The Burning Crusade'', where the draenei were revamped from the ugly Lost One model into uncorrupted eredar. The new storyline then went on to say that the old draenei with the ugly appearance were [[Exclusively Evil|evil by default]] and gave all friendly Draenei of the old appearance a more [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?|humanish]] form. And the Horde got the pretty, fine-featured blood elves, presumably for the sole purpose of [[Fan Service]]. However, it's subverted by the broken ones, who are certainly not as good looking as their Draenei cousins, but there are a bunch of good ones, specially those in the Earthen Ring. Played more-or-less straight in that Broken verge on [[Ugly Cute]], while the more mutated Lost Ones are far less likely to be sympathetic. Played straight again with Worgen who all become [[Progressively Prettier]] once they are an Alliance race. The new Worgen all have human hairstyles(as opposed to just fur like the old worgen) and soft puppyish faces as opposed to the hideous snarl, deformed fangs, and [[Red Eyes, Take Warning|pure red eyes]] of the old Worgen. Averted with the Horde's goblins. Averted again with the revamped male worgen models, which look like angry werewolves again. They look like bedraggled panicky dog-women for the most part, but have an even more puppyish skull structure and big soft heavy-lidded human eyes.

* Played totally straight in ''[[Valkyria Chronicles]]''. All the villains have exaggerated, ostentatious, or just plain ugly faces, ''unless'' the game presents a reason for the player to sympathize with their [[Freudian Excuse|tragic plight]], while everyone in Squad 7 ranges from plain to rugged to just plain gorgeous. (The bad guys do, however, wear some truly awesome-looking officers' uniforms).

* Both Gabriel and Marie Belmont from ''[[Castlevania: Lords of Shadow]]'' fit this. Marie's natural pure heart is what makes Gabriel so attracted to her all his life even after her tragic death; her sweet laugh was often enough to soothe his chronic moodiness. As of Gabriel, in spite of his unshaven facial hair, is still dignified due to his natural sense of justice and kindness. Had [[Hideo Kojima]] allowed him to be a [[Barbarian Hero]], this would be even more obvious.

 

=== Web Comics ===

* The opposite assumption—Ugliness Equals Evil—is exhibited in the various meanings of the Arabic word ''qabīḥ''. Its most common meaning is simply "ugly," but it can also mean "disgusting" or "monstrous" or, well, "evil" (as an adjective). However, the more usual word for "evil" is ''shirrīr'', and the other meanings of ''qabīḥ'' only occur to the educated, so it's not played ''entirely'' straight (except in the Maghreb, where it is the colloquial word for "bad"—not "evil," but "bad").

* When you get down to it, this is the principle behind [[Double Standard Rape (Female on Male)]], since the cultural standard for "female" is "beautiful." You can see this in action when it comes to things like child molestation and statutory rape. Mary Kay Letourneau does her 12-year-old student? Fine, he must have wanted it.

* Many Christian denominations believe human souls would be reunited with their bodies on Judgment Day, and their bodies would be transformed. The righteous would receive beautiful, glorified bodies that resemble extremely idealized versions of themselves, while the wicked would be placed in twisted, pain wracked versions of their old bodies.

 

** Virtually all of the common criminals are butt-ugly. I guess breaking the law only makes you ugly if you do it without the help of a Shinigami.

* The psychopathic [[Complete Monster]] Johan is easily ''[[Monster (manga)|Monster]]'''s best-looking character.

* Beautifully averted in ''[[Paprika]]''. The obese Tokita appears to have no deep and dark issues with his weight, being a [[Genius Ditz|happy, brilliant, affable scientist]], ''and'' it turns out {{spoiler|the girl of his dreams, Chiba, is plenty enthralled with him as well, and they get married!}}

* Commonly subverted or played with in ''[[One Piece]]''. Ugly characters often turn out to be stalwart and good in their own right, and more conventionally attractive characters can be really, really awful or kind of ambiguous at best.

 

=== Fairy Tales ===

* There are countless fairy tales where the protagonist is given vital aid on their quests by dwarves, crones, and sometimes even giant, disembodied heads.

* In the story of "[[Tatterhood]]", the eponymous heroine is filthy and dresses in rags while wearing a goat. Her sister is traditionally beautiful, but is a [[Damsel in Distress]] and contributes virtually nothing to the story besides having [[It Makes Sense in Context|her head stolen by trolls]]. The end of the fairy tale does prove that she can be beautiful if she wants, but she makes it clear that she prefers to be dirty.

** Bellatrix is sort of in between subverting and playing straight this trope - while she was clearly quite attractive when she was younger, she was shown to be gaunt and worn from her time in Azkaban. On the other hand, the same was said for Sirius. And while Harry did think at one point that the Slytherins mostly appeared to be an unattractive lot, the Malfoy family and Regulus Black, all of whom were Slytherins, were considered to be quite attractive. Plus, seeing as Harry tended to be a bit biased against the Slytherins, there is a case of [[Unreliable Narrator]] to consider.

** There are further aversions with Mad-eye Moody and the Weasleys. Played straight with a few villains like the Carrows. Interestingly, Pansy Parkinson is described as looking like "a pug", despite her being a [[Alpha Bitch]].

*** The general rule is that ugliness will not make you become evil, but evilness will make you become ugly. Voldemort's looks began to deteriorate when he started using large amounts of dark magic resulting in his inhuman appearance, while Bellatrix lost her beauty through insanity and her stay in Azkaban. More morally ambiguous characters like the Malfoys are the middle ground; Lucius is never said to be particularly attractive in the books, and Draco is occasionally called ferret-like. Narcissa is beautiful because she's a Black, they're all described as good-looking, and {{spoiler|later redeems the family through [[Mama Bear|motherly love]]}}, however her beauty is marred by her snootiness.

* [[Terry Pratchett]]'s ''[[Discworld]]'' books take this entire concept, set it in the street, and kick it until it runs squealing. Consider how three of its major characters are usually drawn: Rincewind looks like an older Shaggy from the ''[[Scooby-Doo (animation)|Scooby Doo]]'' franchise; Sam Vimes resembles a cross between a craggier, unshaven [[Clint Eastwood]] and Pete Postlethwaite; and Granny Weatherwax, while blessed with excellent bone structure, is (by [[Word of God]]) a crabby old woman. Regardless of personal tastes, they're not exactly what you would call "universally attractive"... and they're also three of the main heroes of the Discworld (although Rincewind is not one by choice).

 

 

* In a ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' skit, an angel comes to a woman in the hospital and asks her to take his hand so he can heal her, but she's extremely distrustful of him because he's dressed in all black, has black wings, and, well, he's played by ''[[Christopher Walken]]''. He points out that if he ''was'' trying to deceive her and take her life, he'd be more subtle about it and come disguised as a beloved dead relative. Moments later, her late grandmother appears and kills her.

* Subverting this trope is the basis of much of the humor of comedienne [[Sarah Silverman]]. When performing, she has the appearance, mannerisms, and voice of a [[Purity Sue|sweet, innocent young woman]]. It takes a while for [[Dead Baby Comedy|what she is actually saying]] to sink in...

* The staff on the upper floors of ''[[The IT Crowd]]'' are, as suggested, "a lot of sexy people not doing much work and having affairs". And they're all horrible, mean people. At least to Moss and Roy, anyway.

* Played straight in the original series of ''[[Star Trek]]'' with Captain Kirk. [[Gene Roddenberry]] was originally opposed to casting a bald lead for ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' due to this trope, but changed his mind after seeing [[Patrick Stewart]]'s audition. Stewart was later called the "The Sexiest Man on TV" by ''[[TV Guide]],'' bald head and all; this is telling.

** Speaking of baldness, the Doctor in ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' is bald, has [[Big Ol' Eyebrows]] (although neither of those are inherently unattractive) and generally will not win any beauty pageants. He's one of the show's most popular characters, and a good guy (albeit [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold|a pretty jerkish good guy]]). As a hologram, he ''could'' look like anyone who's on the ship's records, but generally doesn't.

* ''[[My Little Pony]]'' had a few aversions, and at least one deliberate subversion: In the episode "Fugitive Flowers", the main characters help a group of sentient flowers escape from the "crabnasties"; they regret it later when it turns out the crabnasties are a police force, and the "flories" are escaped convicts. It becomes clear that their respective appearance made it hard for Posey to consider, but all in all, the ugly crabnasties end being the [[Big Damn Heroes]] of the episode.

* Inverted in the episode "Stage Fright" of ''[[My Life as a Teenage Robot]]''. Jenny, who was rejected from performing in the school's dramatic production of ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', believes the school is playing the trope straight by accepting only human actors, but when aliens crash land and attempt to warn everyone of an alien invasion ([[Too Dumb to Live|simply by shouting "Alien invasion!"]]), Jenny is quick to face them on the grounds that they're hideous. When the ''actual'' invaders arrive, they're beautiful energy beings with slight feminine figures...who quickly attempt to conquer. {{spoiler|In the end, both Jenny ''and'' the uglier aliens are cast in the school play as the leading roles.}}

* While Tiana and Naveen are plenty attractive in ''[[The Princess and the Frog]]'', the animation crew also took great pains to make the sinister Doctor Facilier quite charismatic and attractive as well, to explain how he could lure in unsuspecting victims. And then Ray the Firefly is drawn to resemble an in-bred hillbilly, but is still one of the most insightful and helpful characters.

* ''[[Total Drama Island]]'' has three of the four main antagonists being shown as extremely attractive (two of them, Justin and Alejandro, even using their looks to get ahead).

** Finn does this a lot, although he doesn't appear to necessarily judge by "beautiful" so much as "cute and helpless".

* Subverted in both of Disney's ''[[Cinderella (Disney film)|Cinderella]]'' sequels, where Anastasia is an ugly stepsister but is a nicer person. She's a little better-drawn arguably, but it's more of a result of her not scowling all of the time.

 

=== Real Life ===