Distinguishing Mark: Difference between revisions
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The physical version of [[Something Only They Would Say]], where a character is identified by an unusual body deformity or trait, like a mole or birthmark. Bonus points if the mark is in a place that would be embarrassing/forbidden to show in public.
See also [[Scars Are Forever]]. For a
{{examples|Examples}}▼
== Anime and Manga ==▼
▲== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* Subverted in ''[[Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch]]'', when Tarou notices a mermaid with [[Rapunzel Hair]] and is sure it must be Sara. It's not. ''All'' mermaids have long hair, and they otherwise looked nothing alike.
* In ''[[Chrono Crusade]]'', Chrono's missing horns are so prominent that he's known as "Chrono of the Broken Horn" to some of the other demons. And, of course, Satella is searching for a demon without horns...{{spoiler|But later it's revealed that ''Aion'' is missing his horns, as well.}}
* In ''[[
* In ''[[
* Jacuzzi Splot from ''[[Baccano
* A meta-example in ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro
* ''[[Mai-HiME]]'': The easiest way to identify a
* Kotetsu T. Kaburagi/[[Superhero|Wild Tiger]] from ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]'' has a rather distinctive-looking [[Badass Beard|goatee]]. In fact, it's ''so'' distinctive that it's implied that many people don't bother to remember what the rest of him looks like.
{{quote|
* In ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' Maria Ross has a mole under her eye. {{spoiler|While about to kill Major Hughes, Envy pretends to be Lt. Ross. Envy however fails to replicate this mark when imitating her. Envy quickly corrects this, but by then it's too late as Hughes has stabbed her.}}
* In ''[[Inuyasha]]'', the titular character has fuzzy, white dog ears on top of his head (not floppy ears like most dogs, more like the [
** Most of the demons in the series show certain traits that tell them apart from humans, even when in humanoid form. These include pointed, elf-like ears, unusual coloration in their eyes and hair, and (sometimes) claws and fangs. If their true form has a tail, that will often be visible, since it apparently takes a lot of power to hide it.
*** In Shippou’s case, hiding the tail is often a problem when he disguises himself using his fox-magic. (Shippou is a very young ''kitsune-youkai'' - fox demon. In Japanese folklore, foxes were said to be great tricksters, and the masters of disguise. Being so inexperienced, Shippou still isn’t very good at shapeshifting, but he’s getting better.)
==
* [[Sonic the Hedgehog (
▲* [[Sonic the Hedgehog (Comic Book)|Princess Sally]] has a "royal birthmark". [[Getting Crap Past the Radar|Espio knows where it is.]]
== Film ==▼
* The [[Marx Brothers]] movie ''[[Animal Crackers]]'' identifies Roscoe W. Chandler as Abie the fish peddler with a large birthmark on his arm. Chico's and Harpo's characters later steal a wide array of his possessions - Harpo gets the birthmark.
* In ''[[The Princess Bride (
* There's a royal birthmark (the Purple Pimpernel) on the royal posterior of the true heir to the throne in ''[[The Court Jester]]''. [[Danny Kaye]]'s character gets to show the infant's bottom to everyone to gain their reverence.
* ''[[
{{quote|
'''Mrs. Lefferts''': "She has a birthmark on her hip. It's her. My baby!" }}
:: The scene won the [https://web.archive.org/web/20131008053013/http://www.skinema.com/Skinnies1998.html 1998 Skinny Award] for "Best birthmark used to further the plot".
* The ''[[Goosebumps]]'' book "My Hairiest Adventure" has a character with [[Mismatched Eyes|one blue eye and one green eye]]
* The [[Scannable Man|barcode]] (which may be a tattoo but probably isn't) is often used as a sci-fi variation on the birthmark.▼
{{quote| "Just pretend you're a box of cereal and I'm scanning your barcode."}}▼
▲== Literature ==
▲* The ''[[Goosebumps]]'' book "My Hairiest Adventure" has a character with [[Mismatched Eyes|one blue eye and one green eye]] -- which [[Chekhov's Gun|turns out to be important]] after {{spoiler|she's transformed into a dog}}.
* The Dragonlords of Joanne Bertrin's novels all have a distinguishing physical mark (birthmark, odd eyes, dwarfism, albinism) which indicates their Dragon natures. One of the clues that a young woman is not really a Dragon is that her mark can easily be hidden.
* ''[[Harry Potter]]''
** ''[[Harry Potter and
** In ''[[Harry Potter and
** All of the [[Mooks|Death Eaters]] have a Dark Mark branded on their arms.
* [[Silence of the Lambs|Hannibal]] used to have six fingers on one hand, more specifically a second middle finger. He has it surgically removed after Silence, but of course he retains his [[Red Eyes, Take Warning|maroon eyes]].
* The Sylver family line in ''[[Welkin Weasels]]'' all have a facial birthmark shaped like a lightning bolt.
* ''[[Conan the Barbarian]]'':
** In ''[[
** In ''[[
* In [[E. Nesbit]]'s ''[[
* [[Edward Rutherfurd]] uses this trope a ''lot'' to distinguish between the families in his [[Generational Saga]] novels, variously giving them characteristics such as long toes, waddling gaits, or oversized noses. Played with a bit in ''London'', in which the Ducket/Dogget line has ''three'' such traits: natural [[Skunk Stripe]] hair (both sexes), partially-webbed fingers (several of the males), or obesity that's probably linked to hypothyroidism (a few of the females).
* In the ''[[Judge Dee]]'' mystery ''The Chinese Maze Murders'' a father identifies his daughter's headless body by a burn on the arm that she got when she was just a toddler.
* The heirs to the throne of Riva in the ''[[Belgariad]]'' have a white mark on their palms, burned into their bloodline when Riva Iron-Grip carried the Orb of Aldur.
== [[Live-Action]] TV ==
* [[The Hero]] Rohan in ''[[
* [[Played for Laughs]] on ''[[
==
▲* [[The Hero]] Rohan in ''[[The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog (TV)|The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog]]'' has a birthmark called the Mark of Destiny that his druid mentor and foster father takes as a sign proclaiming him to be [[The Chosen One]]. He's right...but the mark isn't unique to Rohan. {{spoiler|His half-brother Lugad and the [[Big Bad]] Queen Maeve, ''their mother'', also bear the Mark of Destiny.}}
▲* [[Played for Laughs]] on ''[[Monk (TV)|Monk]]. In Mr. Monk Takes On Manhattan, Monk recognizes a tiny mole on the perps ear. He then spends an absurd amount of time describing the ear to a sketch artist. Later, when interviewing a suspect, Monk tries to get a peak at his ear.
== Opera ==▼
* Parodied in the [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] one-act opera ''Cox and Box'', in which Box declares that Cox must be his long-lost brother because he ''doesn't'' have a birthmark on his arm.
==
* ''[[Professor Layton and
▲* ''[[Professor Layton and The Curious Village]]'': Flora Reinhold's disappearing-reappearing birthmark is the final clue Layton needs to solve the mystery of St. Mystere.
* In ''[[King's Quest III]]'', the way Gwydion proves he's {{spoiler|the long lost Prince Alexander}} is by showing Princess Rosella a birthmark he has in a [[Mooning|rather embarrassing place]].
* In several ''[[
** In ''[[The Legend of Zelda
== Web Comics ==▼
* Nathan Hale in ''[[The Dreamer]]'' has a powder burn on his forehead and a mole on his neck.
==
* ''[[Sailor Nothing]]'': Himei sports a black eye in Chapter 2; as she turns out, she can't [[Clark Kenting|Clark Kent]] her way around it.
==
* ''[[G.I. Joe]]'': The difference between the mirror image Tomax and Xamot? Xomat has a scar on his left cheek.
▲* The [[Scannable Man|barcode]] (which may be a tattoo but probably isn't) is often used as a sci-fi variation on the birthmark.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Personal Appearance Tropes]]
[[Category:Scar Tropes]]
[[Category:
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