X Marks the Hero: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{quote box|[[File:cheekscar.png|link=Rurouni Kenshin|rightframe]]}}
 
Probably the most iconic and distinctive form of [[Good Scars, Evil Scars|Good Scar]], this scar consists of two clean, intersecting cuts that form a cross or X on the hero's face. Generally, it serves to imply that the hero has been through quite a few skirmishes while making them look [[Badass]].
 
How the hero got such a scar is usually not explained. [[Fridge Logic|Part of our brain]] tells us that getting such a scar in battle is highly unlikely, if not impossible (unless they're deliberately inflicted, such as in torture). [[Rule of Cool|Nobody listens to this part of their brain for more than ten seconds]].
 
{{examples|Examples:}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
 
== Anime and Manga ==
* The poster child of this trope is Kenshin Himura of ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'' fame. The cross-shaped scar is associated with him so utterly that characters with this scar are regularly accused to ripping the idea from him, [[Older Than They Think|even if they predate him by years]]. Unlike many examples, Kenshin's scar proves to be {{spoiler|from two separate incidents. In the anime, the second one was deliberately inflicted so as to make it an X.}}
* Domon Kasshu from ''[[G Gundam]]'' has such a scar, the origins of which are mostly unexplained. It's a quick indicator of his ten-year [[Training Fromfrom Hell]].
* ''[[Full Metal Panic!]]'''s [[Child Soldier|Sousuke Sagara]] has had one of these since he was at most twelve-years old (and likely younger). It's origins have yet to pop up, but [[Fanon]] suspects that they were inflicted during torture.
** Humorously, his Bonta-Kun costume has the same scar.
* Yamcha from ''[[DragonballDragon Ball]]''.
** Goku's father, Bardock, also had one of these. While he can't exactly be called a good guy, he ''was'' the closest thing there was to an actually heroic Saiyan at the time.
* Subverted in ''[[Naruto]]'' where [[Evil Old Folks|Danzo]] has one of these on his chin.
** [[Alternate Character Interpretation|Maybe.]]
* Mikage from ''[[Zero Seven Ghost|07-Ghost]]'' in both incarnations.
* Glenn (the one from ''[[Chrono Cross (Video Game)|Chrono Cross]]'', not his ''[[Chrono Trigger (Video Game)|Chrono Trigger]]'' namesake) has a modest X-scar on his lower left cheek. He's capable of [[Dual -Wielding|dual wielding]] [[Time Travel|time-duped]] [[Infinity Plus One+1 Sword|legendary swords]], but it's unclear if the scar is the source of his [[Badass|badasserybadass]]ery, or simply an indicator of it.
* Thatz in ''Dragon Knights'' has a small cross-shaped scar on one cheek and a larger slash mark across his face.
* An antagonistic (and possibly [[Anti -Villain]]) example from ''[[One Piece]]'' is vice-admiral Doberman, who has no less than six X-shaped scars scattered across his face and neck.
** Coby also got one above his right eye when he [[Took a Level Inin Badass]].
** Anti-hero X Drake has one on his chin.
** Laboon, a whale, is covered in x-shaped scars from his attempts to destroy Reverse Mountain by bashing it with his head.
** After the {{spoiler|[[Time Skip]]}}, Luffy also has a huge X shaped scar on his chest. He got it from {{spoiler|Admiral Akainu during the war at Marineford.}} If you check him out while {{spoiler|Jimbei}} is carrying him, you can see it's still fresh.
* Double subverted in ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)|Fullmetal Alchemist]]''. Scar, who has one of these across his forehead, starts out as a [[He Who Fights Monsters]]-style [[Anti -Villain]], but the ensuing [[Character Development]] slowly [[Heel Face Turn|turns him into]] an [[Anti -Hero]] instead.
* Juumonji from ''[[Eyeshield 21]]'' sports one. He is a [[Delinquent]] [[Jerk Withwith a Heart of Gold]].
** His father has the same scar, though in a different place. Hero marks are apparently genetic in the Eyeshield 21 universe, though given everything else that is perfectly acceptable.
* Tetsugyu from ''[[Giant Robo]]''
* While not the main character (just his boss), Saki Vashtal of ''[[Area 88]]'' has an X scar on his forehead. In the manga, it's revealed to be self-inflicted after a disastrous attempt to make peace.
* Ferio from ''[[Magic Knight Rayearth]]'' has one, but he's hardly the main hero.
* [[WolfsWolf's Rain|Wolf's Rain's]] Tsume also has one on his chest that Toboe asks about, though [[Jerk Withwith a Heart of Gold|Tsume]] [[My Greatest Failure|ain't exactly]] [[Tall, Dark and Snarky|eager to]] [[Troubled but Cute|talk about]] [[Failure Knight|it...]]
* Kittan in ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'' is ''a'' hero, not ''[[The Hero|the]]'' [[The Hero|hero]], and has an X-shaped scar on his arm.
** And let's not forget Viral, who has one across his chest.
* {{spoiler|Sora}} from ''[[Shitsurakuen (Manga)|Shitsurakuen]]'' has one of these.
* In ''[[DOGS Bullets and Carnage]]'', Naoto has one on her chest.
* Tsukune Aono from ''[[Rosario to+ Vampire]]'' has a huge one on his chest, among several smaller scars. Got it from a random [[Mook]], but it also marks the first time he released his ghoul powers without Moka's aide.
* {{spoiler|Captain Miria}} from ''[[Claymore]]'' recently came [[Back Fromfrom the Dead]], sporting an X-shaped scar across her face and looking more badass than ever.
* ''[[Katanagatari]]'s'' main character has this by the end of the series, though it is explicitly shown how he got it. {{spoiler|From intentionally taking two ''bullets'' to the face and body.}}}
* Apollo from ''[[Genesis of Aquarion]]'' has one on his cheek. It's never mentioned how he got it.
* [[Jerk Withwith a Heart of Gold|Manji]] of ''[[Blade of the Immortal]]'' sports several on the right side of his face, caused by two horizontal scars {{spoiler|and one vertical [[Good Scars, Evil Scars|scar]] running ''through'' his right eye, causing him to be blind on that side}}.
* Bean Bandit from [[Riding Bean]] - and its successor, [[Gunsmith Cats|GunSmith Cats]] - sports one centered right between his eyes.
* Takuto Tsunashi in [[Star Driver]] has an X-shaped Mark on his chest.
 
 
== [[Comic Books]] ==
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* One Marvel comics character, Agent X, was distinguishable early on for these scars across his face. After being healed of these during a quasi-mystic ritual, he disappeared for a while. When he came back later on, the scars were back; he apparently carved them back on himself!
* Cable has one over his eye, although sometimes it's drawn with 3 lines instead of just 2.
 
 
== [[Film]] ==
* [[Insistent Terminology|Captain]] Jack Sparrow gets one on his cheekbone in time for the fourth [[Pirates of the Caribbean]] movie, though we never get an explanation as to how he got it.
 
== [[Literature]] ==
* In the latter books of ''[[The Dark Tower]]'', Callahan has a cross-shaped scar. It was a memento from two would-be killers, who had tried to carve a swastika into his forehead, but were interrupted.
* Redeemed Ulic Qel-Droma, from the Tales of the Jedi series, has this scar on his forehead.
* Ripred from [[The Underland Chronicles|Gregor the Overlander]] gets this type of scar near the end of the fifth book {{spoiler|from himself, so he could fill the role of the a person from one of Sandwich's prophecies.}}
 
 
== [[Video Games]] ==
* Tibarn from ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' has a large one where the horizontal cut extends across his nose and onto his other cheek.
** Og[[Spell My Name Withwith an "S"|(u)]]ma from the same series also has one.
** It seems to be popular with the mercenaries. Dieck from Sword of Seals has one on his shoulder.
* This is an option for your custom characters in ''[[Soul Calibur]] 3''
* ''[[Mass Effect]]'' allows the player to give Shepard this particular scar. [[Deadly Doctor|Mordin Solus]] also has one.
* Bang Shishigami of ''[[Blaz BlueBlazBlue]]'' has one of these within his [[BFSBig Freaking Sword|massive]] [[Scarf of Asskicking|collection]] [[Hotblooded Sideburns|of]] [[Testosterone Poisoning|uber-manly]] [[Walking Shirtless Scene|characteristics]].
* ''[[Mega Man X (Video Game)|Mega Man X]]'s'' Axl has one of these. Why, as a robot, he hasn't had them fixed up is never even brought up.
** Being who he is, he probably keeps it for the same reason the trope exists. However, it does heal when you use his [[Infinity Plus One+1 Sword|White Armor]] in ''X8''.
** A common joke among the fandom is that it's self-inflicted, and is essentially the equivalent of tattooing the name of your favorite [[Badass]] on your body.
** [[Martial Pacifist|X's]] [[Captain Obvious|name is X]], and his partner [[Good Is Not Nice|Zero]] has an emblem on his next shoulder that consists of an X over a Z.
* Doumeki Kai of ''[[Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan|Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!]]'' has this. One wonders where he got it, since he is, after all, head of a ''cheerleading squad''.
* Similarly, ''[[Elite Beat Agents]]'' has Commander Khan. Slightly more understandable, since he was a former CIA agent, but not by much.
* Zack Fair of ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' fame has one of these on his cheek. ''[[Crisis Core]]'' shows how he got it... but strangely it only shows him getting one cut on his cheek.
* Inverted in ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'', as [[The Dragon|Saix]] has a big ol' X right across the bridge of his nose, and he's ''not'' a heroic sorta guy.
* Sue from ''[[Cave Story (Video Game)|Cave Story]]'' has one of these across the bridge of her nose.
* Raven from ''[[Tekken]]'' has the two scars in the middle of his face, meeting above the nose.
* Oscar, a sniper from [[Valkyria Chronicles]], sports one of these on the left side of his forehead. He acquired it when he protected his brother in an unexplained incident from when they were children. Musaad, a scout, also sports a similar one in the same place. His scar likely came from his involvement in the previous war in the backstory of the game, him being a famous war veteran and all.
* Glenn in ''[[Chrono Cross (Video Game)|Chrono Cross]]''. Due to [[Sprite Mirroring]], it's hard to say whether he has these on both cheeks or just one. And this is only the kid brother of the ''really'' heroic knight.
 
 
== [[Web Comics]] ==
* Sir Muir, in the webcomic ''[[Harkovast]]'' has scars crossing over his right eye.
* ''[[Hanna Is Not a BoysBoy's Name|Hanna]]'': Hanna has an X-shaped scar, but it's not on his face, it's on the [http://vert-is-ninja.deviantart.com/art/After-All-This-Time-155094756 sole of his foot]. (He might have one on each foot, it's hard to tell.) X shapes are a motif of the comic in general and [http://vert-is-ninja.deviantart.com/art/We-All-Float-On-Ok-136988866 Hanna in particular]; it's anyone's guess how much of it is related to Hanna's [[Mysterious Past]] and how much is just because Tessa likes to draw cross shapes.
 
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Scar Tropes]]
[[Category:X Marks Thethe Hero]]
[[Category:This Trope Is X]]