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{{trope}}
[[File:
{{quote|''Honda was best known for his bad-as-shit samurai helmet, which, aside from generally looking totally fucking awesome, was adorned with gigantic stag's antlers that stuck up out the top of the helm and looked pretty much as badass as deer antlers can possibly look (which, evidently, is more badass than you might think).''
|'''[[Badass of the Week]]''', on [http://badassoftheweek.com/hondatadakatsu.html Honda Tadakatsu's helmet]}}
Helmets of all shapes and sizes.
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One thing that makes a helmet cool is a crest of almost any shape and size on it. History is full of Cool Helmets, from the Greek Chalcidian helmet worn by Hoplite to the Roman gladiators' ornate helmets to Japanese Kabuto to the German Pickelhaube. These helmets influenced the designs of various other helmets across medias.
A villain in a Cool Helmet ''might'' [[Nerd in Evil's Helmet|be a nerd underneath]].
A [[Sub-Trope]] of [[Nice Hat]].
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Contrast [[Helmets Are Hardly Heroic]].
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* ''[[
* The Berserker Armor from ''[[
* In [[Super Robot Genre]] shows, wearing a Cool Helmet is just so common like a [[Latex Space Suit]]. It is justified, since the pilot can easily get his head hit. It is averted in some shows like ''[[Kotetsu Jeeg]]'' (where [[The Hero|Hiroshi]] transforms into the Humongous Mecha and therefore he does not needs helmet) or ''[[
** Kouji Kabuto from ''[[Mazinger Z]]'' (and [[Tsundere|Sayaka]] [[Action Girl|Yumi]]). He began wearing it along his [[Latex Space Suit]] after his first battles because his head got hit several times. It must be mentioned "Kabuto" is Japanese for "helmet" (which references the pilot commanded the mecha from a cockpit located in the head -which was unheard of until that series- AND Kouji is Mazinger Z's real mind)
** Tetsuya Tsurugi and Jun Hono from ''[[Great Mazinger]]''.
** Duke Fleed, his [[Love Interest]] Hikaru Makiba and his sister Maria from ''[[UFO Robo Grendizer]]''.
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** Kenichi Go and his [[Five-Man Band]] from ''[[Voltes V]]''.
** Kazuya Ryuuzaki from ''[[Daimos]]''.
* Char Aznable from ''[[
* Viral's first Gunman in ''[[
* Celty's helmet in ''[[Durarara
* [[
* The racers of ''[[
* ''[[One Piece]]'':
** [https://onepiece.fandom.com/wiki/Tony_Tony_Chopper?so=search Chopper] wears a football helmet, sans faceguard, modified to accomodate his antlers.
** Vinsmoke Judge's golden helmet, [[Never Bareheaded| which he is ''never'' without]].
** [https://onepiece.fandom.com/wiki/Killer?so=search Killer's helmet], used to conceal his face that was marred in an accident.
** [https://onepiece.fandom.com/wiki/Lily_Enstomach?so=search Lily Enstomach]'s [[Horny Vikings| viking-style helmet]] with eye-guard.
== [[Comic Books]] ==
* Jack Kirby had loads of fun with this trope when he was drawing issues of ''[[The Mighty Thor]]''.
** Thor now noticeably only wears his when fighting, whereas he and other Asgardians used to wear them more often. Loki almost never takes his off.
** Thor and Loki, naturally, have the most recognizable, even if both's finer details are [[Depending
*** [[What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic]]: After his reincarnation as Kid!Loki, Loki's gold headband doesn't have his horns, but a little V that looks like them (the V is also on his tunic). The headband also has little wings over his
* ''[[X-Men]]'': [[Magneto]]'s helmet
* [[Judge Dredd]]
* Johnny's helmet in ''[[Strontium Dog]]''.
* [[Doctor Fate]]
* [[
* Star Lord. I dare you to name a cooler looking Helmet.
* ''[[Asterix]]'' is a non-stop parade of both cool and uncool helmets, from the winged helm of the title character to the rather silly-looking one of his sidekick Obelix. Also overlaps with [[Planet of Hats]], since different European tribes uses distinct helms: menacing [[Unfortunate Implications|WWI-like]] [[Spikes of Doom|pointed-tipped with horns]] for the Goths, severe and beautiful hoplite Mycenae helms for the Greek, flamboyantly-horned for the Iberian, the [[Boring but Practical|standard]] Roman [[Redshirt Army|legionary]] helmets, their [[Bling of War|elaborated and crested counterparts]] for centurions, spectacular and lavishly decorated for gladiators and [[Helmets Are Hardly Heroic|no helm at all]] for [[Proud Warrior Race|the Corsican]].
* [[Iron Man]] has a really cool helmet to match with his [[Power Armor]].
* Ultimate [[Captain America (comics)]] has worn a cool helmet in World War II, and in modern times when leading [[The Ultimates]] against the forces of evil.
* [[Galactus]] cares not what lesser mortals think of his mighty helmet!
** His daughter Galacta has a Cool Helmet too, modeled after her dad's.
== [[Fan Works]] ==
* Doug Sangnoir of ''[[Drunkard's Walk]]'' wears what appears at first glance to be a gray motorcycle helmet -- but it contains a powerful voice-operated computer with a head-up display along with a library of songs and other data, an integral starlight scope, flare suppression, external speakers, pop-up headlamps, a whip antenna plus wireless network and voice connectivity. It's also heavily armored, to go with the rest of his "work clothes".
== [[Film]]
* ''[[Star Wars]]'' has several iconic helmets, including Darth Vader's and Boba Fett's. Hell, even the [[Mooks]] have Cool Helmets.
** Spoofed in ''[[
* The iconic camo helmet from ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]'' might qualify. With "Born to Kill" and a peace sign on it, and bullets in the strap.
* In various fantastic forms [[Spikes of Villainy]] crest the helmets of [[The Teutonic Knights]] in [[Sergei Eisenstein]]'s ''[[Alexander Nevsky]]''.
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** [http://www.historyguy.com/worldbiography/general_patton.jpg This one?]
* [[Sean Connery|King Agamemnon]] in ''[[Time Bandits]]'' sports an ''awesome'' <s>Spartan</s> Mycenaean helmet.
* ''[[The Rocketeer (
* ''The Last Border'' has [[Big Bad|Duke]] and his eagle helmet.
* The Kurgan's improvised helmet in ''[[
* Sauron's helmet in the live action ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film)|
== [[Literature]] ==
* In the ''[[Discworld]]'' novels Vimes has a serious dislike of Cool Helmets, partly because fancy armour isn't what being a Watchman is about, and partly because the Palace Guard have them. When he was Captain Vimes, he was entitled to two dollars a month "plumes allowance", but never claimed it, as Commander he is sometimes forced into dress armour that includes this.
* ''[[Gor]]'': in the city of Port Kar, Captains (those who command 5 or more ships) can be identified by a crest of sleen fur on their helmets.
* Pilots in the ''[[X Wing Series]]'', and indeed in the rest of the [[Star Wars Expanded Universe]], have relatively plain
* Almost every character in the medieval epic ''Orlando innamorato'' has some sort of cool helmet; the audience is [[As You Know|constantly reminded]] of how Rinaldo got his.
* In [[
* In battle, [[The Elric Saga|the emperor of Melniboné]] wears "a black helm, with a dragon's head craning over the peak, and dragon's wings flaring backward above it, and a dragon's tail curling down the back". But because he's also a sorcerer, some of the [[Comic Book Adaptation|comic artists]] gave him a silly [[Robe and Wizard Hat|pointy hat]] instead.
== [[Live
* Virtually every incarnation of ''[[Kamen Rider]]''.
* The various themed helmets of ''[[Super Sentai]]'' and ''[[Power Rangers]]''.
**
** Quite a few [[Monster of the Week|Monsters of the Week]] had Cool Helmets, but the Pudgy Pig's Spartan-style helmet was one that stood out. It was as big as he was! Of course, he had [[Bizarre Alien Biology| a body-shape that was kind of... odd]]. It was hard to say which part of him was his head and which was his torso.
* ''[[Top Gear]]'s'' [[Badass Driver]] The Stig.
* The pilot helmets worn in
== [[Music]] ==
* [[Professor Elemental]]'s pith helmet.
* [[
== [[Newspaper Comics]] ==
* B.D. of ''[[Doonesbury]]'' spent most of his life wearing these, until his leg was blown off in Iraq. His hair has been clearly visible ever since.
** During the Iraq War, ''[[Doonesbury]]'' had President Bush wearing a Roman general's helmet, which got progressively battered as the war dragged on.
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* ''[[Warhammer 40
** The iconic [[Space Marine]] helmets, and the less-iconic Corvus-pattern ("[[Fan Nickname|beakie]]" helmets.
** Orks wear German-inspired helmets, mostly Stahlhelm (WWII) and Pickelhaub (WWI).
** Chaos helmets have [[Spikes of Villainy]] everywhere they can get away with.
== [[Theater]] ==
* This is a typical [[Flanderization]] of operas, with [[Horny Vikings|Vikings wearing horns]] of various animals on their helmets. (In [[Real Life]],
== [[Toys]] ==
* ''[[Bionicle]]'': various Glatorian and Agori wear helmets as part of their [[24-Hour Armor]].
== [[Video Games]] ==▼
* ''[[Mega Man (
▲== Video Games ==
* The eponymous ''[[Viewtiful Joe]]'' has a V-crest on his helmet, and may have been inspired by Quick Man from ''[[
▲* ''[[Mega Man (Video Game)|Mega Man]]'': several iconic helmets, most memorably for the eponymous hero Mega Man, his brother Proto Man, and [[The Rival]] Bass in the classic series, and X and Zero in the ''[[Mega Man X (Video Game)|Mega Man X]]'' and ''[[Mega Man Zero (Video Game)|Mega Man Zero]]'' series. And of course, the [[Star Wars|Boba Fett]] [[Expy]] himself, Vile/Vava.
▲* The eponymous ''[[Viewtiful Joe]]'' has a V-crest on his helmet, and may have been inspired by Quick Man from ''[[Mega Man 2 (Video Game)|Mega Man 2]]''.
* ''[[
▲* The Masked Man from ''[[Mother 3 (Video Game)|Mother 3]]''
▲* ''[[Pokémon Black and White (Video Game)|Pokémon Black and White]]'': Samurott uses a shell as its helmet.
* Variations of this are available as [[And Your Reward Is Clothes|costume options]] in ''[[City of Heroes]]''.
* In addition to the numerous [[Tin Tyrant
** Gabranth's [[Super Mode|EX Mode]] is to just don his helmet and separate his Dual Weapon into two smaller weapons. His game profile actually specifically states that the helmet isn't just an aesthetic change, it really is the source of his power.
* ''[[Persona 3]]'': the history teacher wears a samurai helmet in class. One sidequest requires the MC to obtain another of his helmets from him.
* ''[[Monster Rancher Evo]]'': Gaufre ''never'' removes his. Turns out {{spoiler|it's a custom of his village to not show your face to non-family.}}
* The Spartan helmets from the ''[[Halo]]'' series.
* Isaac's RIGs in the ''[[Dead Space (
* ''[[Covert Front]]'' takes place during the time when [[Imperial Germany]] was around, so there are plenty of Pickelhaubes to go around. Though it is certainly unexpected to see {{spoiler|Manfred, a ''butler''}} wearing one.
* Winged helmets like the Griffon's Helm or the [[Infinity+1 Sword|Helm of Honnleath]] in ''[[Dragon Age]]: Origins''.
* The first time you see Captain Diomedes in ''[[
* The main character's helmet in ''[[Marathon
* ''[[
* ''[[Metal Gear
* Shao Kahn's helmet in ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'', which gets cooler with each game. A spiked, bladed Samurai helmet which, depending on the game, is either made of an actual skull or has a metal faceplate shaped like a skull.
* Various styles of Cool Helmet are worn by "[[Brotherhood of Funny Hats|The Broternal Order of]] [[Exactly What It Says
== [[Web
▲* Various styles of Cool Helmet are worn by "[[Brotherhood of Funny Hats|The Broternal Order of]] [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|Different Helmets]]," introduced in the [[Homestar Runner]] cartoon "[http://www.homestarrunner.com/helmets.html Ever and More]."
== [[Web Original]] ==▼
▲* In ''[[The Mansion of E (Webcomic)|The Mansion of E]]'', Rosemary wears a winged mining helmet.
▲== Web Original ==
* The helmet worn by Barnstormer, a [[Jet Pack]]-wearing [[The Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden Age]] hero active in the ''[[Global Guardians PBEM Universe]]'' has an art-deco fin on it that doubles as a rudder, helping him steer as he flies.
== [[Western Animation]] ==
▲== Western Animation ==
{{quote|'''Elmer:''' I will do it with my spear and magic helmet!
▲* ''[[Looney Tunes]]'': "[[What's Opera, Doc? (Film)|What's Opera Doc]]"
'''
'''
'''Elmer:''' Yes, magic helmet, and I'll give you a sample. }}
** Another ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' example is Marvin the Martian's Roman helmet.
* ''[[
* [[Kick Buttowski]]'s helmet is just a mass produced model he got from the toy store...but don't tell him that. To him, its an irreplaceable object of awesome, without which he couldn't be a daredevil.
* ''[[
* In "Suited For Success", from ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
* In ''[[
** The Clerics, a [[Church Militant]] [[Praetorian Guard]] to a [[Catfolk]] Lion [[King of Beasts|monarch]], wear gold lioness helms with [[In the Hood|full hood]] and veil as part of [[Full-Body Disguise|Full Body Disguises]], while head Cleric Jaga breaks the pattern with a nicely ''spiked'' metal helm ornamented with a gem.
** The Conquedor, a merchant slaver, wears a modified conquistador's morion.
** Both the Armor of Omens and Armor of Plun-Darr have helmets based on a lion and Egyptian death mask, respectively.
* [[Big Bad| Overlord]] from ''[[Blackstar]]''. His five-horned helmet that matches the rest of his armor seems like a ''very'' early prototype of what Hexidecimal would wear in ''[[ReBoot]]'' over ''a decade'' later!
* From ''[[Star Trek: Lower Decks]]'', if a Pakled has a Cool Helmet, that means he or she is an authority figure, and more authority that Pakled has, the cooler the helmet. Unfortunately, seeing as authority among them is decided by [[Klingon Promotion]] (and [[Understatement|none of them are very bright]]), such positions change quickly.
* [https://www.pinterest.cl/pin/673006738055797792/ Catra's helmet] that she wears in one season 5 episode of ''[[She-Ra and the Princesses of Power]]''. Bow says it makes her look "adorable", an opinion shared by most of the fandom.
* [https://www.thewizardsnightshirt.com/episode-42-the-witch-and-the-warrior/ Evil-Lynn's helmet] from ''[[He-Man and the Masters of the Universe]]''. While the opinion of many fans is that [http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1YGYP5Y6lWU/UzVldlUcTHI/AAAAAAAABa8/GBpRNtzkgmU/s1600/mp2014-03-28-14h01m51s4.png she looks better without it], she seems rather attached to it; in "The Price of Deceit" (from the 2002 series) she [[Mundane Utility| uses her magic simply to recover it]].
== [[Real Life]] ==
* With the iconic ''Pickelhaube'' helmets of WWI and the ultra-cool ''Stahlhelm'' of WWII (both notoriously used by motorcycle gangs today), the Germans have always been in the Cool Helmet industry. (''See'' [[The Teutonic Knights]]'', above''.)
** Most modern helmets resemble the ''Stalhhelm''. Except for those of the British and Russians - the British use a variation with a lower front rim, whilst the Russians use a variation of the old WWII one.
** Reason being is that looking cool is just a side effect, the Stalhhelm provides superb coverage of the head, far more that the Tin Hat and Steel Pot designs used by Allies in WWII. The Russian steel helmets of WWII also provided more comprehensive coverage, with large projections over the ears.
** The modern Russian army helmet is basically still the same design that was used in [[WWII|The Great Patriotic War]]. That makes it cool by itself.
** Modern combat helmets are impressive for a variety of reasons. While older helmets were made from steel, these newer helmets were made from layered Kevlar, the material used for [[Bulletproof Vest
* Space helmets.
* The Japanese kabuto started out ornate, then during the general piece of the Edo period [[Up to Eleven|got more so.]] At no point did it stop being cool.
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* Roman helmets, complete with horse-hair plumes. The style is still copied in some cavalry dress uniforms.
* The Spanish ''morion'' can also be this. It's that helmet you always see conquistadors in.
* While the Chinese People's Liberation Army Marine Corp's helmet is just a clone of the American helmet, the way in which they are always shown to wear their helmet makes it qualify. They always have a pair of goggles on top of their black helmets and under no circumstances were they ever shown wearing them directly over their eyes. When they do require some form of eye protection, instead of wearing the pair on their helmet, they tend to opt for their own sunglasses/shooting glasses. Why? It is probably a closely guarded state secret. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130707003835/http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l597/Cifyra/PLA/PLAN/ChinesePeoplesLiberationArmySpecialOperationsForcesNavalZhnggutzhngbdunavaltype054a521abcgulfofadenantipiracypatrol9.jpg
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_Guard The King's Guard]; the whole uniform is pretty cool, but the helmet is a big part of it.
* [[Lord Buckley]]: Not many people can make a pith helmet look good with a tux and a waxed mustache, even in the 1950s.
* [https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Firefighter%27s_helmet Firefighter helmets]; this is a big reason children idolize them.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Cranium Coverings]]
[[Category:Tropes in Shining Armor]]
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