Man in White: Difference between revisions

[[File:morganfreeman_maninwhitemorganfreeman maninwhite.jpg|link=Bruce Almighty|rightframe|[[Morgan Freeman]] [[Actor IS the Title Character|IS]] [[God]].]]

Of course, in the world of fiction, [[Impractically Fancy Outfit|concerns of practicality]] can be (and generally are) sacrificed for those of [[Dress -Coded for Your Convenience|symbolism]]. The [['''Man in White]]''' is a character who goes around dressed entirely (or predominantly) in white wherever he is. The reasons for this are not important, but what it signifies to the audience ''is''; and it just so happens that in most cases, it signifies that the character is up to no good.

There's just something about a man in white that [[Uncanny Valley|weirds people out]]. One possible explanation for this is that since conservative men's attire has been black for the longest time, looking upon a man in white creates a sensation not unlike a color-inverted image. [[Color Coded for Your Convenience|Another one]] is that since white is also the color of snow and bone, an all-white ensemble evokes sensations of [[Evil Is Deathly Cold|coldness]] and [[Snow Means Death|death]].

In America, white suits have also come to be associated with Southern plantation owners, leading to the birth of the [[Fat Sweaty Southerner in Aa White Suit]]. As such, white clothing in American media can also be used to suggest pride, avarice, ambition, and questionable morality, which is why you can see so many [[The Mafia|mafiosos]], [[The Cartel|drug lords]], and [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|corrupt corporate executives]] in such garb. For a more in-depth treatise on the subject, see [http://www.slate.com/id/2119498/ this article].

As such, it isn't surprising to find that most men in white in fiction are unnerving at best and [[Eldritch Abomination|eldritch abominations]]s at worst.

Of course, perhaps the reason it signifies that the character is up to no good is precisely because white is supposed to signify that a character ''is'' good, [[Light Is Good|since that is the colour most associated - at least in the West - with an upstanding, honest, kind, or moral person; their clothing is as immaculate and pure as their soul.]] Having the Man in White be a ''villain'' [[Light Is Not Good|turns this on its head]] and may evoke ideas of [[Most Definitely Not a Villain]] or [[Suspiciously Specific Denial]]. They pretend to be good either because they [[Well -Intentioned Extremist|truly believe it]] or precisely [[Devil in Plain Sight|because they are evil]].

On occasion, the Man in White might actually be genuinely good, as [[Morgan Freeman]] in the pic demonstrates. Sometimes, its just [[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin]] and you have a genuinely nice person who literally wears his goody-two-shoes-ness on his sleeve. [[Tropes Are Not Bad]], and the Man In White need not be either.

Other times, the color white might simply [[Color -Coded Patrician|come with the position]]: doctors and scientists have their [[Badass Labcoat|pristine labcoats]], priests and monks don [[Badass Long Robe|long white robes]], and some military officers get white [[Bling of War|dress uniforms]]. Since white clothing is [[Hollywood Dress Code|expected of these characters]], their appearance tends to impress (rather than unnerve) the audience and their fellow characters.

Compared to its [[Distaff Counterpart]], the [[Woman in White]], the [['''Man in White]]''' is a much younger trope and not nearly as well established; as such, you'll find a broad range of characters and characterizations under the examples. All it really takes to be a [['''Man in White]]''' is to wear white: all the added symbolism described above is just bonus.

The chromatic counterpart of [[The Men in Black]]. For other uses of the color white, see [[Blood -Splattered Wedding Dress]], [[White Shirt of Death]], [[White -Haired Pretty Boy]], [[White -Haired Pretty Girl]], and the more explicit about significance [[Gold and White Are Divine]].

* Near in ''[[Death Note (Manga)|Death Note]].'' Less extreme than the other examples, as his trousers aren't white (at least in the anime), but still noticeable. It has been suggested that he may be [[Heroic Albino|an albino]].

* "That Man", the [[Yakuza]] thug that threatens the ghost of Pedro {{spoiler|and the true leader of ACROSS}}, and his clones in ''[[Excel Saga (Animeanime)|Excel Saga]]''.

* Professor Yumi from ''[[Mazinger Z (Anime)|Mazinger Z]]''. Since he was a [[Married to Thethe Job]] scientist spent the most part of the time working in his lab, he wore constantly his labcoat. Prof. Kabuto from ''[[Great Mazinger (Anime)|Great Mazinger]]'' also played the trope, but Dr. Umon from ''[[UFO Robo Grendizer (Anime)|UFO Robo Grendizer]]'' subverted it: despite of he was a scientist and were perfectly natural for him to wear a white labcoat when he was working, he used to wear light-blue clothes.

* [[Ax Crazy|Ladd Russo]] in ''[[Baccano (Light Novel)|Baccano!]]''. More often than not, his white suit ends up getting [[White Shirt of Death|covered in red]], which is precisely [[Badass in Aa Nice Suit|how he likes it]].

** Don't forget Ichigo's [[Super -Powered Evil Side|hollow personality]], who is all in white (including skin and hair) and is definitely pivotal to the overall plot. He's also [[Ax Crazy|insane]].

** The Quincy in general and Uryuu Ishida in particular also dress in head-to-toe-white. [[White -Haired Pretty Boy|Ryuuken]], Uryuu's father, also appears in a white suit the first time he's shown in the manga: white suit, crosses all over his tie, bow in hand. [[Sarcasm Mode|Yes, he's definitely given up the quincy way]].

** Also, his "brother", Thailand.

* Koji Kagami of ''[[Get BackersGetBackers]]''. It's useful for his mirror-based fighting style.

* Luke Valentine of ''[[Hellsing]]''. He does have to deal with a bit of blood staining it in the OVA ([[Curb Stomp Battle|then quite a bit more later on]]). Later, we have [[Big Bad|The Major]].

* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' gives us both Fate Averruncus and Kurt Godel, the former of which is also a [[White -Haired Pretty Boy]].

* [[Handsome Lech]] Shuutaru Mendou from ''[[Urusei Yatsura]]'' wears a white school uniform, [[Custom Uniform|instead of the default blue one]], just to show off [[Screw the Rules, I Have Money|how rich he is]].

* Battler Ushiromiya from [[Umineko no Naku Koro Nini]] wears a white suit, although he does also have a [[Bring My Red Jacket|red shirt]] underneath the jacket. If there is any symbolism there, it probably falls closer to the combination of [[Bring My Red Jacket]] and [[White Shirt of Death]]. Either that, or it's to contrast [[WomaninWoman in Black|Beatrice]] and show which pieces he's playing in the [[Human Chess]] game they're having.

* It's a [[Fanon]] made rule that at one point in the series, [[The Rival]] of any of the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]!'' series must wear a white [[Badass Longcoat]].

** Edo/Aster's white suit in later seasons, after Ryo's [[Freak -Out]] when he switched to black.

** Also considered with the Society of Light in [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|that sort of way]]...

** And then, [[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5 Ds5D's|later on]], Jack Atlas with his white Trenchcoat with light purple lining, white Riding Suit, white D-wheel, and white ''Pimp suit''.

* ''[[Zipang]]'', the story of a 21st century JMSDF destroyer being stranded in the middle of [[WW 2]], naturally gives us [[Good -Looking Privates]] in fancy white Japanese naval dress uniforms by the truckload. ''The'' [[Man in White]] of the series, however, is Lt. Commander Takumi Kusaka, whose dress whites are his ''only'' uniform.

* On [[Yu Yu Hakusho]], even though a lot of times he is depicted wearing a [[Real Men Wear Pink|a pink school uniform]], every time Kurama drops the human disguise and changes into his [[Petting Zoo People|demonic form]], his clothes always change into a white martial arts toga-like get up. No reason is ever given for this.

* It is quite common to see Griffith, the resident [[White -Haired Pretty Boy]] of ''[[Berserk]]'', in white, though he does dress in other colors on occasion.

* Kilik of [[Air Gear (Manga)|Air Gear]] is not only a [[Man in White]] but also a [[White -Haired Pretty Boy]].

* Douglas Rosenberg, the [[Big Bad]] of ''[[El Cazador Dede Lala Bruja]]'', always wears white suits (even underneath an [[Mayincatec]] High Priest garb) in addition to being a [[White -Haired Pretty Boy|White Haired Pretty, uh, Man]].

* November 11 from ''[[Darker Thanthan Black]]'' is almost always seen wearing a [[Badass in Aa Nice Suit|very nice white suit]]. In this case, the "snow" symbolism is [[An Ice Person|a little more literal than usual]].

* Mao from ''[[Code Geass]]'' not only wears a white [[Badass Longcoat]], but is a [[White -Haired Pretty Boy]] to boot! Oh, and did I mention he's an [[Evilly Affable|Affable]] [[Evil Albino]]? Talk about [[Light Is Not Good]]...

* Invoked in ''[[Durarara!!]]'' when somebody finally asks [[Dressed to Heal|Shinra Kishitani]] why he insists on wearing a lab coat ''everywhere''. Turns out that he wants to play the [[Man in White]] to his roommate Celty Strulsen's [[WomaninWoman in Black]].

* Sagara Sanosuke from ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'' is always dressed in simple, white garments. He plays completely against the type, being a straightforward, [[Hot -Blooded]] hooligan and one of the good guys.

* In ''[[Gundam Seed]]'' and ''[[Gundam Seed Destiny]]'', ZAFT's high command are white clad, going with the whole "white as symbol of power" theme. Perhaps the best example of a [[Man in White]], however, is Rau Le Creuset. He wears a [[Cool Mask|white mask]] in addition to the uniform, is enigmatic and antagonistic to say the least, and is eventually revealed to a [[Omnicidal Maniac|rather]] [[Manipulative Bastard|unpleasant]] [[Misanthrope Supreme|fellow]].

* [[Badass in Aa Nice Suit|Solomon Goldsmith]] from ''[[Blood Plus+]]'' dresses in a white suit. He's a [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old|Chriopteran]]

* Elijah Snow from ''[[Planetary]]''.

* Wilson Fisk (aka [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|The Kingpin]]) from ''[[Spider -Man]]'' and other [[Marvel Universe]] comics usually appears in a white blazer or business suit. It's used to reinforce his [[Villain Withwith Good Publicity]] status in-universe.

** Also, the first Corinthian seems to wear all white a lot. Later, he mixes it up with blue jeans and other colours a bit more. It's still striking-- asstriking—as he, like {{spoiler|Daniel (when he's being Dream)}}, seems to have [[White -Haired Pretty Boy|pure white hair]], or at least extremely light blond hair. His own personal spinoff, ''Death In Venice'', has him as white-haired and explicitly described with the name "the Man In White". {{spoiler|Bodies he possesses, even perfectly ordinary mortal ones, develop his characteristics over time-- [[Locked Into Strangeness|the colour fades from their hair]] and [[Eye Scream|then they start bleeding freely from the eyesockets...]]Fun times.}}

* Lucifer from ''[[Constantine (Film)|Constantine]]'' wears old-fashioned white suit in the style of a [[Fat Sweaty Southerner in Aa White Suit]].

* Most of [[John Woo]]'s villains (Shing from ''[[A Better Tomorrow (Film)|A Better Tomorrow]]'', Ko Ying Pui from ''A Better Tomorrow II'', and Mr. James Wong from the game ''[[Stranglehold]]'' among others) wear white, the better to show off the blood from the bullets they receive. The main heroic [[John Woo]] example, of course, is Ah Jong from the final showdown of ''[[The Killer]]'' (though then again, {{spoiler|he is the one out of the two heroes of the movie to die}}.)

* In ''[[Eat A Bowl Of Tea]],'' the {{spoiler|wife has an affair with}} a [[Smug Snake]] who wears a white suit -- probablysuit—probably to show how flashy he is.

* Played for laughs in ''[[Big (Film)|Big]]'', where the main character shows up to a cocktail party in a sparkling white tuxedo and stands out like a sore thumb.

* John Hammond from the ''[[Jurassic Park]]'' film edges ''very'' close to being a [[Fat Sweaty Southerner in Aa White Suit]], but is redeemed by the fact that he's neither sweaty nor a Southerner. However, the white cane and sun hat are all there.

* Juror #8 in ''[[Twelve12 Angry Men]]'' wears a very light-colored suit that appears white in the black-and-white footage, which is easiest to see in the last scene, because he's sitting down most of the time.

* [[Star Wars|Luke Skywalker's]] white robe in ''[[A New Hope]]''.

* Belloq in ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark (Film)|Raiders of the Lost Ark]]''.

* [[Mortal Kombat|Raiden]] in ''[[Mortal Kombat|Mortal Kombat: The Movie]]'' wears white robes.

* ''[[The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and& Clay]]'' featured a chapter depicting the origin of Josef Kavalier and Sam Clay's comic book hero, The Escapist. When playboy Max Mayflower is kidnapped, a man in a white linen suit rescues him, sacrificing his life. Mayflower travels the world to learn this stranger's secret, ultimately discovering that he was a member of the League of the Golden Key, a secret organization that specializes in liberating people who were enslaved or wrongly imprisoned. Having become an accomplished escape artist, Max (and later, his nephew Tom, who would take over after his uncle's death and become The Escapist) worked for the Golden Key, whose agents all wore white linen suits.

* In ''[[Heralds of Valdemar]]'', the Heralds wear all white. This is a case of [[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin]] because all the Heralds are paragons of fantastic goodness. Some of them -- Heraldthem—Herald-Mages especially -- canespecially—can be rather creepy when they're getting their magic on. Vanyel, especially, experiences some backlash of this. When Tarma and Kethry first met a Herald—suddenly visible in a snowstorm, no less—Tarma assumed for the first few seconds that she was being attacked by a ghost. He'd come looking for them to lead them to shelter.

* ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]]'' has, during the Key to Time Arc in Season 16 and ''Enlightenment'' in Season 20, the White Guardian who, naturally, appears as a [http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090405193434/tardis/images/2/2b/White_Guardian.jpg man in a white suit] {{spoiler|and curiously bears a striking resemblance to Colonel Sanders, too}}.

* ''[[Randall and Hopkirk Deceased (TV)|Randall and Hopkirk Deceased]]'': In both versions, the late lamented Marty Hopkirk manifests as a ghost in a white suit, which is apparently de rigeur for all the dear departed. Including the ghost of a Chicago gangster of the Thirties — and his tommygun.

* {{spoiler|Possessed by Lucifer!}}Sam in ''[[Supernatural]]''. It ''really'' emphasizes his [[Uncanny Valley|Uncanny Valleyness]]ness.

* In an episode of the second season of ''[[Star Trek: theThe Next Generation]]'', the prime minister of a colony who later kidnaps Riker and Dr. Pulaski wears white.

* Though not a full white suit, Jamie Hyneman of [[Myth BustersMythBusters]] fame has his iconic white shirt.

* On ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'', Prince Arthur wears a white linen shirt when he is relaxing or in some other informal situation.

* [[Cobra Starship (Music)|Cobra Starship]]'s video for "The City Is At War" features the entire band dressed in white and Gabe in a white suit. And then they kill everybody [[Edible Ammunition|with pies.]]

* [[Andrew WK (Music)W.K.|Andrew WK]] is rarely seen wearing anything but white - although in his case, it's usually a white t-shirt and jeans combo.

* [[Jaga Jazzist (Music)|Jaga Jazzist]]'s "Day" music video depicts all the band members dressed in white. [[All There in the Manual|According to the director]], they're supposed to be cosmic agents, manipulating the controls of a vast machine [[Order Versus Chaos|to preserve universal equilibrium]].

* In ''[[Mage: The Ascension (Tabletop Game)|Mage: The Ascension]]'', the Operatives of the New World Order (a branch of the Technocracy) come in three ranks: [[The Men in Black|Men in Black]] (shock troops), Men in Gray (spies, assassins, and otherwise people with more interesting jobs), and Men in White (the people in charge).

* Mr. Garcian Smith from ''[[Killer 7Killer7]]''.

* Lieutenant Miller from ''[[MirrorsMirror's Edge]]''.

* ''[[The World Ends With You (Video Game)|The World Ends With You]]'' has the Composer portrayed this way (heck, he's more a Man Made of White than a Man Wearing White), but it seems the only people he really contacts {{spoiler|outside of his disguise as Joshua}} aren't weirded out by him. Admittedly, this could be due to those people's apparent natures anyway. The Conductor seems to maintain such utter composure just out of his respect for the Big C, and {{spoiler|Hanekoma's probably used to people like this. He's apparently one himself}}.

* Zeus in ''[[God of War (Video Gameseries)|God of War]]'' wears white robes. Even though actual mythology never refers to his clothes' colour, he is typically portrayed as wearing white, and in the game, it makes him [[God Is Evil|more than creepy enough when combined with his actions]].

* Graham Jones in ''[[Castlevania: Chronicles of Sorrow (Video Game)|Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow]]''. And he's got the hair to match.

** Soma's pure-white [[Badass Longcoat]] also fits the bill, and while he's the ''hero'', he does have something of a [[Tomato in Thethe Mirror|darker side]]. And he's also got the hair to match.

* In the reboot of ''[[Syndicate (Video Game)|Syndicate]]'', enemy officers have white armour, unlike the black and dark grey of Sergeants or normal grunts. Some boss Agents wear white too. {{spoiler|Merit also wears a white armour in the final battle.}}

* [[The Grim Reaper|Death]] in the ''[[Johnny Wander]]'' fiction shorts usually doesn't wear completely white outfits -- theoutfits—the exception being a white suit at the end of ''Girl with the Skeleton Hand'' -- but—but he does wear light colors that contrast with his dark skin, and all the shirts he's worn thus far have been white. It's quite striking.

* ''[[Homestuck]]'': {{color|#2ED73A|D}}{{color|white|o}}{{color|#2ED73A|c}} not only wears white, he ''is'' pure white himself (with a [[The Blank|blank white face]] to match) and types with white text. Being that he's also an [[Eldritch Abomination]] [[Physical God]], he falls neatly into the tendency for antagonists to wear white.

* In ''[[Erstwhile]]'', [https://web.archive.org/web/20130902124323/http://www.erstwhiletales.com/littleshroud-04/ the little boy's ghost appears in white, surrounded by a glow.]

* Lex Luthor in ''[[Superman: Doomsday]]'' spends most of the movie in an all-white suit.

* An episode of ''[[Family Guy]]'' was about Stewie fearing the fact that the "man in white" (he was clearly referring to a doctor) is coming to put him back in the womb of his mother, Lois, and as a result, he want to kill said "man in white" as revenge. At the end of the episode, he kills a {{spoiler|cult leader, which he mistook for the "man in white."}}

* White suits still linger as an old-fashioned tradition in the American South, probably due to the blazing hot temperatures.

** Likewise, you can see them in Southern Europe for the same reason.

* [[The Pope]].

[[Category:ManColor-Coded Infor WhiteYour Convenience]]