History Main / BossSubtitles

** Also, two examples stand out in that their titles take up the entire screen. [[spoiler:[[TrueFinalBoss The]] [[BonusBoss (Absolute)]] [[TrueFinalBoss Radiance]]'s]] intro fills the screen in white with [[spoiler:her]] name in black, while [[spoiler:[[BonusBoss Nightmare King Grimm]]]] gets red text on a black background.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' started giving subtitles to raid- and dungeon-bosses as of the ''Shadowbringers'' expansion, with descriptors like “Lightwarden: Philia” and “Heritor of the Whorl: Leviathan” appearing in the pre-fight cutscenes. The expansion’s final boss, [[spoiler:Hades]], simply displays their name without a descriptor.
*** In ''Endwalker'', [[spoiler:Hildibrand is titled "Lightwarden: The Forgiven Gentleman, complete with the ''Shadowbringers'' dungeon boss theme playing as part of a gag. It doesn't last very long.]]

[[folder: Adventure Games]]
[[/folder]]

* ''[[deoGame/GanbareGoemon'' makes good use of this. We have, for instance, "Wartime Kabuki Robot KASHIWAGI." The final boss is [[spoiler:"The Fairy of Love and Dreams D'ETOILE."]] From ''Goemon's Great Adventure'' there's "Ukulele Hawaiian GODS OF WIND AND THUNDER." What else would you expect from a [[WidgetSeries series]] like ''Ganbare Goemon''?

* ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing'' is by far the only ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' game that uses subtitles to introduce the bosses, as the game itself introduces the Legion of Stationery, an legion of living arts and crafts supplies who are given such subtitles in a ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' style, [[ColourCodedForYourConvenience with their names displayed in the same color of the streamer they guard]], complete with RedBaron nicknames as well.

** '''[[red:Kill Six Billion Demons''': The Heir, Wielder of Names, Seeker of Thrones, King of Swords, Breaker of Infinities, Wheel Smashing Lord.

* In ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'' the Demiurges each have their own subtitles, unveiled during an EstablishingCharacterMoment (as opposed to when they’re first introduced). In order of appearance:

[[folder: Card Battle Games]]

[[folder: Driving Games]]
* ''Colin [=McRae=]: VideoGame/{{DiRT}} 2'' uses a variation of this as its 'One To Watch' feature: Immediately before each individual race, the game shows you the name and vehicle of whichever participating racer the game has chosen as most likely to win, making him/her your primary challenger for the rest of the race. There's even a chance that the game can pick ''you'' as the One To Watch, letting you know just how much of a speed demon you are.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Action Adventure Games]]

* ''VideoGame/ClockTower3'' has this. First, it shows the title of the boss, then underneath, a count of their victims shows. The count disappears and is replaced with their extremely exaggerated prison sentence in years, which then reduces to 0 as the bosses health meter fills up. The bigger a sentence, the more health the boss will have.

* ''[[VideoGame/GanbareGoemon Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon]]'' makes good use of this. A personal favorite is "Wartime Kabuki Robot KASHIWAGI." The final boss is [[spoiler:"The Fairy of Love and Dreams D'ETOILE."]] From ''Goemon's Great Adventure'' there's "Ukulele Hawaiian GODS OF WIND AND THUNDER." What else would you expect from a [[WidgetSeries series]] like ''Ganbare Goemon''?

[[folder:Unsorted Video Games]]
* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' has races which generally subvert the trope due to being shared, but a few of the unique ones are double subversions. The main series's biggest example is in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'', whose penultimate boss is titled [[spoiler:Original Angel: Satan]].
* ''VideoGame/BlasterMasterZero'' gives us "WARNING! THE LAIR OF <boss name>". Major bosses even get [[RedBaron their own title]] in-between "lair of" and their actual name. ''Zero II'' gives us "THE HOSTILITY OF <special note> <target name>" for MA battles. This is {{justified|Trope}} in ''Zero III'' as the MA's AI calculating the target's abilities; here's what Kane saw during the first boss fight.
-->'''WARNING'''\\
THE HOSTILITY OF\\
[[TitleDrop BLASTER MASTER]]\\\
JASON FRUDNICK
* ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'':
** ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' does this with every major boss in the Story Mode and Heroes in Another Dimension. In Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! and The Ultimate Choice, only the final boss of a level or difficulty gets the subtitles. For example:
*** His Royal Nemesis, '''King Dedede'''
*** Otherworldly Dark Liege, '''Parallel Dedede'''
*** The Lone Swordsman, '''Meta Knight'''
*** Otherworldly Frost Blade, '''Parallel Meta Knight'''
*** Frozen General, '''Francisca'''
*** Blazing General, '''Flamberge'''
*** Lightning General, '''Zan Partizanne'''
*** Cycloptic Stormcloud, '''Kracko'''
*** Dual Thunderheads, '''Twin Kracko'''
*** Unearthly Storm Front, '''Parallel Twin Kracko'''
*** Unearthly Thunderhead, '''Parallel Big Kracko'''
*** Officiant of Doom, '''Hyness'''
*** [[spoiler:Reborn Butterfly, '''Morpho Knight''']]
*** [[spoiler:Dark-Winged Disaster, '''Morpho Knight EX''']]
*** [[spoiler:Destroyer of Worlds, '''Void Termina''']]
*** [[spoiler:Essence of Chaos, '''Void Soul''']]
*** [[spoiler:Astral Birth, '''Void''']]
** ''VideoGame/KirbyFighters2'' also has boss subtitles, though fewer in number due to the smaller number of bosses overall:
*** Giant Tree Twins, '''Twin Woods'''
*** Old Rivals, '''King Dedede & Meta Knight'''
*** Sworn Partners, '''King Dedede & Meta Knight''' (rematch)
*** [[spoiler:Moon Warriors, '''Waning Crescent Masked Dedede & Waxing Crescent Masked Meta Knight''']]
** ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'' also has these; the subtitles are now {{Ninja Prop}}s that appear as a physical part of the environment. King Dedede and Meta Knight also reprise their subtitles from ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies''. Other examples include:
*** Strong-Armed Beast, '''Gorimondo'''
*** Unfriendly Fronds, '''Tropic Woods'''
*** Lethal Leopard, '''Clawroline'''
*** Armor-Plated Prancer, '''Sillydillo'''
*** [[spoiler:His Primal Nemesis, '''Forgo Dedede''']]
*** [[spoiler:King of the Beasts, '''Leongar''']]
*** [[spoiler:Invasive Species, '''Fecto Forgo''']]
*** [[spoiler:Ultimate Life-Form, '''Fecto Elfilis''']]
*** [[spoiler:Possessed Beast, '''Forgo Leon''']]
*** [[spoiler:Psychic Beast, '''Soul Forgo''']]
*** [[spoiler:Fluttering Dream Eater, '''Morpho Knight''']]
*** [[spoiler:Species Born of Chaos, '''Chaos Elfilis''']]
* Every boss battle in ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' is preceded by a title card with the boss's name and a name for the level.
-->For example: ''Beppi the Clown'' in '''Carnival Kerfuffle'''
* Many of the bosses in the ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' games come with these, for example, "Icy Beast Unsurtr" and "Heavily-Armorerd Soldat Hector." One of the most notable examples is "Enforcer No. 1 - [=McBurn=] The Blazing Demon" - notable because it appears only ''after'' you have seemingly defeated him in battle, only for him to then "turn up the heat."
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDarkWitch'' series has one for nearly every single character. The tradition actually started with the English version of the first game (the original Japanese version rendered the character names in both katakana and romaji instead) and continued in both languages from there.
* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' gives its bosses names in their introduction animations at the bottom right of the screen, but there are exceptions:
** The final boss, [[spoiler:the Hollow Knight]], has their name center on top of the screen. [[spoiler:They also have this treatment in their Godmaster DLC rematch as the Pure Vessel]].
** Also, two examples stand out in that their titles take up the entire screen. [[spoiler:[[TrueFinalBoss The]] [[BonusBoss (Absolute)]] [[TrueFinalBoss Radiance]]'s]] intro fills the screen in white with [[spoiler:her]] name in black, while [[spoiler:[[BonusBoss Nightmare King Grimm]]]] gets red text on a black background.
** [[spoiler:Grey Prince]] [[JokeCharacter Zote]] is a special example, who's PlayedForLaughs: while his name is shown at the bottom-right in the traditional way, more adjectives are added over his name over the times you defeat him. It goes so far [[TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard the screen can't show them all]]!
* Every boss in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' has a title that is shown on their figurine. In order, these are:
** Pompy, the Presumptuous
** Skowl, the Startling
** Ba-Boom, the Boisterous
** Fugu, the Frightening
** Bashmaster, the Unbreakable
** Lord Fredrik, the Snowmad King
* Both ''VideoGame/{{Guacamelee}}'' games have a screen just before a boss battle showcasing both the player characters and the boss being challenged. The first game's boss intro resembles a lucha libre promotional poster, while ''VideoGame/Guacamelee2'''s boss intro is more akin to an arcade fighter.
* All bosses in ''VideoGame/NiNoKuni'' have these, such as the first boss: "The Guardian of the Woods: Steadfast Defender of the Forest."
* ''VideoGame/RiskOfRain'' and ''VideoGame/RiskOfRain2'' do this for all bosses in the game.
** '''Magma Worm''' Ancient Lava Swimmer
** '''Scavenger''' Tasting Your Own Medicine
** '''Toxic Beast''' Mother of Many
** [[spoiler:'''Providence''' Bulwark of The Weak]]
* The boss levels at the end of each Act in ''VideoGame/TheCitadel'' uses the naming convention of "[Boss Name], The Angel of [Deadly Sin]".
* ''VideoGame/SilentScope'' uses the Name - Epithet format, e.g. "Scorpion the Butcher", "Cobra the Iron Man", and "Monica the Armored Secretary".
* ''VideoGame/NoStraightRoads'' has a variation of this, with every major boss battle preceded by "Bunk Bed Junction Vs. [Name of Musical Artist]".
* ''VideoGame/PartTimeUFO'': The second [[spoiler:Moon]] level features one of these.
-->'''[[spoiler:[[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign Comoestas]]]]'''\\
[[spoiler:Heavy Armor Lunar Invasion Bot]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Descent}} 2'' has descriptions of the boss robots in the level briefings, while ''D3'' directly introduces bosses with subtitles.
* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'' every [[BossInMooksClothing Tyrant]] is given a name in this style. Examples include "Telethia, the Endbringer" and "Aria, the Zauberflöte".
* ''VideoGame/YookaLaylee'' has these for all of its bosses:
** '''The Great Rampo:''' ''Ancient Angular Stone Bloke''
** '''Trev the Tenteyecle:''' ''Upset Kraken''
** '''I.N.E.P.T:''' ''[[AddedAlliterativeAppeal Short-Sighted Sentient Supercomputer]]''
** '''Planette:''' ''Interstellar Widow''
** '''Capital B.:''' ''Crowdfunded Corporate Creep''
* In the Japanese versions of the ''VideoGame/{{Ys}}'' games, glorious GratuitousEnglish subtitles began with ''VideoGame/YsVITheArkOfNapishtim'' and continued in ''VideoGame/YsTheOathInFelghana'' and ''Videogame/YsOrigin'', giving us such wonders as 'Garland -- Mind Broken of the Darkness'. The accompanying Japanese subtext tended to make a lot more sense but wasn't half as fun. ''VideoGame/YsSEVEN'' has only Japanese titles. XSEED Games's localizations translate these properly, and had fun with at least one in ''SEVEN'', with one boss having the subtitle [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal "big bug beast"]].
* ''VideoGame/Psychonauts2'' gives both {{Mook}}s and bosses subtitles and a one-sentence summary of what they do/are in the form of Raz's notes during each MookDebutCutscene.
* ''VideoGame/ClawsOfFurry'': Each boss has one. Examples include Ratamaster "Say Cheese" and Mama Croc "Eat Your Soup!!!". [[spoiler:The last two bosses, however, just seem to have an image of an attack.]]
* ''VideoGame/ZeroRanger'' does this when revealing the identity of the Stage 2-3 boss, [[spoiler:who you fought in Stage 1-3 earlier and was introduced as "Eve of Destruction"]]:
--> THE ABADDON FIGHTER[[note]]Or "THE RIVAL FIGHTER", if certain conditions are met[[/note]] \\
"[[spoiler:GRAPEFRUIT]]"
* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' has these primarily in the ''Cosmos in the Lostbelt'' storyline for the big important bosses.
** The fifth Lostbelt features the battle intro "True Mechanical God Advent" before the Olympian's name is chiseled onto a metal slate in Greek as their intro card.
** The sixth Lostbelt features the Calamities' titles used as the battle title card before it burns away to introduce the boss' name in GratuitousEnglish:
*** [[spoiler:'''Calamity of Flame: Albion''']]
*** [[spoiler:'''Calamity of the Beast: Barghest''']]
*** [[spoiler:'''Calamity of Curses: Cernunnos''']]
*** [[spoiler:'''Insect of the Abyss: Oberon''']]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Adventure Games]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'': The Japanese OCG card names do this a lot. For instance, Dark Paladin in the English TCG is known as Super Magical Swordsman -- Black Paladin in the OCG. In general, the TCG tends to be fairly [[InconsistentDub inconsistent about localizing the full names]], often resorting to shortened forms to reduce title text. Sometimes, the anime will include them where the card does not (Yugi in the English dub does refer to Dark Paladin, the Ultimate Magical Swordsman). It's also common for retrained versions of old cards to include these to distinguish them from the original, often using their attack names as the subtitle (e.g. Harpie's Pet Dragon -- Fearsome Fire Blast).

[[folder: Visual Novels]]

* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'':
** The first game does this (with the exception of the first boss) whenever you enter a boss fight. Starting with a digitized voice announcing the boss's name and a quote from them.
** ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'' uses a different approach, ''in reverse''; The boss' name gets revealed ''after'' the battle is won, along with the subtitle stating that they are defeated.
** ''VideoGame/TravisStrikesAgainNoMoreHeroes'' is a bit more subtle about it, having a close-up for every new enemy bug type that appears for the first time, while the bosses get more traditional splash screens prior to the battles. Both simply have their names displayed.
** ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroesIII'' is [[PlayingWithATrope all over the place about this]]. In addition to using ''[=NMH2=]'''s approach at the end of each boss battle, each Ranking episode is preceded by opening credits that list all of the major characters that are relevant in the episode, new enemy alien types are introduced with [[ExaggeratedTrope info cards that describe their names, what they are and what tactics they use]], and the Galactic Superhero Rankings are introduced in grand fanfare ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg alongside Travis]]) in an ad after the first boss, with action figure-style packaging.
* ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'': Starting with the player's Galm team, whenever a new boss-level squadron appears, their name and emblem appears on the screen during the introductory cutscene. This is also the case with the interviews, showing the character's callsign, their full name, and their squadron's name. ''[[VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizonLegacy Assault Horizon Legacy]]'' does it, too.
* ''VideoGame/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown'' shows a new emblem and subtitle during takeoff every time [[PlayerCharacter Trigger]] changes squadrons. From Mage 2, to Spare 15, to Strider 1, and finally the unofficial name everyone knows him by: [[TheDreaded Three Strikes]].
* Being an ''Ace Combat'' (see above) fangame that wears its inspiration on its sleeve, ''VideoGame/ProjectWingman'' gives the Peacekeeper Squadrons and major enemy airframes a splash with their squad emblem, name, and role. And then, at the very end of the game [[spoiler:when Crimson 1 is out of tricks and it's down to a [[DuelBoss final duel]] in the skies... [[PlayerCharacter Monarch]] gets one.]]
* Used for each boss in the freeware RPG ''VideoGame/AHomeFarAway''
* ''Spyborgs'' is one of the cases where they do it to introduce new regular enemies.
* The ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' series does this with stage bosses; examples include "Motonari Mori: Terrifying Tactician" and "Kojuro Katakura: Doing Work."
* ''VideoGame/TheDishwasher'': Vampire Smile has one for every boss [[spoiler: save the last]]. It's pretty much always played seriously, though a couple are a little snarky.
* ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' has these for bosses and mooks alike. As well as [[CoolBike Yasha's airbike]].
* ''VideoGame/TraumaCenter'': Both ''Under the Knife'' games and ''Second Opinion'' use the descriptive sentence/boss name format for the bonus X missions, which featured each strain of (Neo-)GUILT in isolation and in their hardest form. Here the subtitles manifest as the notes in the pre-operating briefing.
* ''VideoGame/FullSpectrumWarrior'' introduces main characters this way.
* ''VideoGame/MagicalDoropie'' has Boss Intertitles. After the BossWarningSiren sounds and the boss appears, the game cuts to a screen with the heading "'''ALERT!!''' Big Enemy!!" Underneath this is shown a short data file on the boss. Concluding this screen is a "message for you from your friends."
* The ''VideoGame/{{Valis}}'' series has experimented with several different versions:
** The UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16 version of ''Valis II'' has Boss Intertitle screens. "Warning!! A strong warrior (AdjectiveNounFred) is coming here!" The Japanese PC versions preceded each BossBattle with a subtitle describing the boss in a (English) sentence that could be quite bizarre, e.g. "Heizen was manipulated by his occiput!"
** The UsefulNotes/PC88 version of ''Valis'' said "Be carefull (sic)! (Boss's name) is coming," followed by a line of proverbial advice.
** ''Super Valis IV'' showed the name of the "dominator" and its area, followed by its signature ability or weakness.
* ''VideoGame/ClockTower3'' has this. First, it shows the title of the boss, then underneath, a count of their victims shows. The count disappears and is replaced with their extremely exaggerated prison sentence in years, which then reduces to 0 as the bosses health meter fills up. The bigger a sentence, the more health the boss will have.
* ''VideoGame/DoubleDragonNeon'' does this with both bosses and mooks.
* Every boss in ''VideoGame/SpaceChem'' is preceded with one of these, which is convenient because there's no other way you'd know [[EldritchAbomination what you were fighting.]]
* ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' usually displays the name and picture of a boss on the bottom screen while you're fighting it, sometimes also including a descriptive phrase.
* Creator/{{Toaplan}}'s ''Batsugun'' has simple boss subtitles, consisting only of a flashing "WARNING" label, the stage number and the boss's name.
* VideoGame/LegoAdaptationGame:
** Used with every single character in ''VideoGame/LegoMarvelSuperHeroes''. {{Justified|Trope}} in that there are so many characters in the game (most of which are playable) that having the name tags show up helps players remember who they are. It also helps for storytelling purposes; nearly every character is already familiar with the other characters they meet, so showing the name tags avoids any "Hey it's Wolverine!" "Yes I am Wolverine" moments.
** Every boss in ''VideoGame/LegoStarWars: The Skywalker Saga'' is introduced with their name on-screen with a subtitle in Aurebesh, the fictional alphabet of the ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe. Some are straightforward, while others are more humorous, like Darth Vader's subtitle being "Loves the dark side, hates sand".
* ''VideoGame/TheTaleOfALLTYNEX'' has these for every boss, which includes the description or code name of the boss alongside the boss name itself.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', particularly ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha Alpha]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Original Generation]]'', introducing Sanger Zonvolt's [[HumongousMecha Dygenguar]] always requires this as the title card of the mission scenario where it makes its debut appearance.
* In ''Astro Warrior'' for the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem, {{Boss Battle}}s are preceded by the message "WARNING! DESTROY (boss's name)," and followed by the mysterious flashing message "SURELY REVIVE -- (boss's name)."
* In ''VideoGame/DungeonsAndDragonsOnline'', several bosses have a subtitle under their names. Some of them really funny (special mention for three of the members from Dr Rushmore group of outlaws: Ugg [[DumbMuscle <Confused Meatshield>]], Dr Will Ewe Rushmore [[SmugSuper <Renegade Master Wizard Himself>]] And Smiling Sam [[SissyVillain <Sassy Assassin>]].)
* Every boss in ''VideoGame/JamestownLegendOfTheLostColony'' is introduced with their name, followed by a poetic description, such as "Lady of the Lake: The bane of Roanoke".
* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': The only boss to do this is the TrueFinalBoss. This makes sense, given that [[spoiler:he's a little kid given god-power, and everything he does in this form is his idea of RuleOfCool]].
* ''VideoGame/ShantaeAndThePiratesCurse'' does this with all of its bosses, often using silly titles with AddedAlliterativeAppeal such as "Frighteningly Fixated Flora" and "[[LegacyBossBattle Reocurring Rascal]]". This returned in "Half-Genie Hero" with titles like "Tinkerslug (Don't Call It [[FunWithAcronyms Poop Toot]]!)" or "Giga Mermaid (Captivating Captive)".
* ''VideoGame/{{Broforce}}'' gives subtitles for the [[GiantMook Bruisers]] and the bosses displayed with [[BigBad Satan's]] flag in the background, as well as similar splash screens for unlocked bros or supply crates with the American flag in the background.

[[folder: MMORPGs]]

* ''VideoGame/LiveALive'' introduces each enemy in battle by showing their name at the top of the screen.
* '''''ONE_WING: KING OF TROLLS''''' gets one in ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'' - an extension of his rampant LargeHam tendencies.
* The Guardians from ''VideoGame/Rayman2TheGreatEscape'' get this. Even [[ZeroEffortBoss Umber]].

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'': The Japanese OCG card names do this a lot. For instance, Dark Paladin in the English TCG is known as Super Magical Swordsman -- Black Paladin in the OCG. In general, the TCG tends to be fairly [[InconsistentDub inconsistent about localizing the full names]], often resorting to shortened forms to reduce title text. Sometimes, the anime will include them where the card does not (Yugi in the English dub does refer to Dark Paladin, the Ultimate Magical Swordsman). It's also common for retrained versions of old cards to include these to distinguish them from the original, often using their attack names as the subtitle (e.g. Harpie's Pet Dragon -- Fearsome Fire Blast).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' (the picture above is taken from a fan game tribute) is the TropeCodifier.

* ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'': Done for the introduction of every major character of the second game.
* ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing'' is by far the only ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' game that uses subtitles to introduce the bosses, as the game itself introduces the Legion of Stationery, an legion of living arts and crafts supplies who are given such subtitles in a ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' style, [[ColourCodedForYourConvenience with their names displayed in the same color of the streamer they guard]], complete with RedBaron nicknames as well.
* ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' uses subtitles to introduce the bosses, notably the third boss has two subtitles during its introduction and after the first phase is beaten.
* Used in a tongue-in-cheek fashion in ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'', with unusual bosses like "Giant Wobbly Inflatable Thing '''Mr. Patch'''", "Visually-Impaired Welding Torch '''Weldar'''", and "Self-Important Angler Fish '''Lord Woo Fak Fak'''". Played with in the fifth level, where two [=NPC=], and an enemy get these. In the case of one of the [=NPCs=], Chompasaurus, he seems like an enemy as he eats Banjo and Kazooie as soon as he appears… But he turns out to be a nice guy who's just having stomach problems and wants them to help him out.
* ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'' has gotten into the act. Random unique enemies will have a title under their health bar in place of attributes like most special enemies. For example, in Act II you can run into "High Cultist Murdos, Cruel and Powerful Cult Acolyte" or "Ashek, Diminutive Fallen Fighter". As a reference to ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', there's "Nightmarity, Generosity In Death" and "Midnight Sparkle, Nightmare Is Magic". And as a reference to an Act I memetic NPC line[[note]]"I promised Marko I'd protect him, and now he's dead."[[/note]], there's an Undead unique named "Marko, And Now He's Dead".
* ''VideoGame/TorchlightII'' plays similarly and probably just as coincided as it's release date being close to ''VideoGame/DiabloIII''. Bosses display their name then their title below that accompanied by the sound of a stone door opening to act as a BossWarningSiren.
* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':
** Used in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'', ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'', ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'', ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'', and ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'', as well as the ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Rush|Series}}'' series. The two ''Sonic Adventure'' games and ''Sonic Heroes'' type out each letter one by one, even including a typewriter sound effect. In ''Sonic Adventure 2'', the GUN robots take it a step further: their name is accompanied by scrolling text that shows a list of their technical specs (which, while irrelevant, are perfectly readable).
** The two versions of ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' do it differently: The HD version by Sonic Team merely shows the bosses' names, all of them using the same font, while the Wii/[=PS2=] version by Sonic Team and Creator/{{Dimps}} takes a cue from ''VideoGame/SonicRushSeries'' and read "Boss Battle: vs. [Boss]", using a different font for Sonic bosses and Werehog bosses.
* Seen with the bosses in ''VideoGame/BraveFencerMusashi'' and its sequel ''VideoGame/MusashiSamuraiLegend''.
* ''VideoGame/DarkCloud'' and its sequel, ''VideoGame/DarkChronicle'' also do this. Both games have stuff like "Divine Beast Dran", [[ThatOneBoss "Ice queen La Saia",]] "eater of memories, Memo-Eater" or "Dark Ruler Emperor Griffon."
%%* Likewise used for almost all characters in ''VideoGame/MaxPayne2TheFallOfMaxPayne''.
* Done for party members in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', except it only shows the description. You get to name the characters yourself. The DS remake of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' does it for all party members the first time you meet them, while the boss encounters show the name of the boss at the beginning.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' started giving subtitles to raid- and dungeon-bosses as of the ''Shadowbringers'' expansion, with descriptors like “Lightwarden: Philia” and “Heritor of the Whorl: Leviathan” appearing in the pre-fight cutscenes. The expansion’s final boss, [[spoiler:Hades]], simply displays their name without a descriptor.
* ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'' has bosses such as Dark Fiend Charles III, Aquatic Terror Gran Bruce, Blade Master Alastor, Serial Killer Android Miss Bloody Rachel... pretty much every boss has a subtitle, including [[spoiler:King Blue and Dark Hero Jet Black.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Wild ARMs 2}}'', with a silhouette against a blood-red screen and an ominous intro theme to go with them.
* ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'' only does this with Jade and Pey'j.
* Throughout one of the bonus mission pack missions in ''VideoGame/GuildWars'', which was a pastiche of kung-fu movies, every boss character is introduced in this way.

* Every normal stage in the ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' and ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series opens like this, with just the boss name. Boss descriptions came about as early as ''VideoGame/MegaMan6'', with intros such as "Flame Man: Master of Flame", and "Plant Man: [[AmbiguouslyGay Flower Fancier]]". [[AllThereInTheManual The art books]] tend to be more descriptive.
* ''Franchise/TouhouProject'':
** The games do this whenever the protagonist reaches the boss battle at the end of a given stage. Which isn't to say that it's just stage bosses that get titles; the protagonists have them in the character select screens, midbosses have theirs in the profiles, and they even show up in the manga spinoffs! Not to mention they usually get ''new'' titles whenever they show up again in another work.
** [[FinalBoss Junko]] from ''VideoGame/TouhouKanjudenLegacyOfLunaticKingdom'' stands out as the only aversion in the entire series. Instead of a title, her profile calls her "(Nameless Being)". This is related to her power to purify things, refining them to their most basic components. She has purified herself from any information on what she is, including her title and her TrueName. She only uses her former name "Junko" out of convenience.
* This happen with the bosses in ''VideoGame/TitanFall2''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Darius}}'' (and its sequels) introduces the stage's boss with this: "WARNING! A HUGE BATTLESHIP (boss's name) IS APPROACHING FAST."
* The ''[[Franchise/DotHack .hack]]'' games show special animations before you fight the eight phases, the first of which is Skeith: The Terror of Death.
* Before a boss appears in ''VideoGame/GunstarHeroes'', you're given a warning that names the boss and their attacks. A lot of them tend to have silly names and attacks, but that won't stop them from beating the crap out of you if you don't know what you're doing.
* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' has Boss Scrolls, with a illustration of each enemy (including bosses) when fighting them for the first time along with their name in Japanese (regardless of whether the game is the English version), right when Boss Subtitles would normally occur. It also has this for many characters when you first meet them. Including ''a slip of paper''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Mabinogi}}'' does this when you reach the boss of an instanced dungeon. As does its DarkerAndEdgier prequel ''VideoGame/{{Vindictus}}''.
* When someone important shows up in ''VideoGame/{{Killer7}}'', they get one of these. Even if they're scheduled to die in a few moments (take a bow, [[spoiler:Toru Fukashima and Trevor Pearlharbor]]). This also happens when a new version of a Heaven's Smile appears for the first time.
* ''VideoGame/GuruminAMonstrousAdventure'' does this for each boss as they transform from their less threatening forms into a more formidable opponent.

* Every installment in the ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead'' series does this with its bosses, having a name (Until Overkill, taken from [[TarotMotifs Tarot cards.]]) and picture of the boss come up, with [[AttackItsWeakPoint its weak points]] helpfully pointed out. Justified in the first two games as being a file collected at the beginning of the game, and even shown as opening the file or book to the relevant entry. In ''The VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead 4'', James stores boss data in a sleek PDA.
* ''VideoGame/FableII'' introduces new enemies using little cutscenes, going from standard "Bandits" when the hero is young and "Commandants" when things get tough.
* Every boss in ''From the Abyss''. Most of them will also have a pre-fight taunt after the subtitles fade, the only exception being the penultimate boss, the Abyss Cocoon (which is a giant beating heart).
* The first ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' did this with each character and their monster [[CaptainErsatz template/inspiration]] (e.g. Anakaris -- Mummy). The sequels didn't.
* Every boss encounter in ''VideoGame/AvalonCode''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Ikaruga}}'': Before encountering a stage end boss, a red warning is displayed on the screen stating "''The big enemy is approaching at full throttle. According to the data, it is identified as Butsutekkai. NO REFUGE''"
* ''VideoGame/IWannaBeTheGuy'' does a parody of an ''Ikaruga'' boss fight with Mecha-[[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2 Birdo]], complete with the same warning screen and BGM.
* ''VideoGame/ThunderForce'' V and VI. For ''Thunder Force V'': "ALERT! The enemy is dead ahead! Area Guard Name: _____", and a small description (like "It died three times a and was reborn twice" for Armament Armed Arm) and for the final boss: [[spoiler:ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! with the voice-over devolving into static, repeatedly saying "caution."]]
* ''VideoGame/RadiantSilvergun'' starts off each boss battle with the message "Be attitude for gains:" followed by three tips which [[GratuitousEnglish don't, for the most part, seem to make any sense]]. Except for the final boss: [[ThisIsGonnaSuck 1. BE PRAYING 2. BE PRAYING 3. BE PRAYING]]
* ''VideoGame/HardCorpsUprising'' has this followed by the BossWarningSiren when a boss battle appears. In the Japanese version, [[AlternateCharacterReading the boss names are written in Kanji, with Romaji written below it]]. In the English version, [[DubNameChange the English text covers the Japanese Kanji, without Romaji below them]].
* ''Neo VideoGame/{{Contra}}''. In each cutscene before the boss battle, the boss NPC has the nickname attached in the dialogue when talking to the players.

* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' uses this as its signature running gag, even for major [=NPCs=]. It's funny when it gets to the bosses though, like with these:
--> '''9 Toes. (Also, he has 3 balls)'''
--> '''Sledge. PS. You aren't friends.'''
--> [[spoiler:'''Undead Dr. Ned. HOLY F*#ING SHIT!!!!!!''']]
--> '''Hank Reiss: Wereskag (nice hat!)'''
--> '''Knoxx: Doesn't like Mondays'''
--> '''Roscoe: He's cute and cuddly, right? '''
--> '''Flame Knuckle: Kill this guy ⇧'''
* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance3TheBlackOrder'': Every character, boss, playable or otherwise, has one of these.
* Not typical in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', but happens sometimes. Mainly, Illidan Stormrage, "The Betrayer". Also, Kael'thas Sunstrider, "Lord of the Blood Elves" or Kil'jaeden "The Deceiver". The Warlords of Draenor expansion, however, takes this trope and runs with it - all of the warlords get their own subtitled cut-in/freeze-frame when they're first introduced.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonRumble'' has a basic one for its bosses (class, then the name). The Battle Royales give a hint of what Pokemon it is beforehand with a silhouette, almost meaningless stats (as you progress in the game they'll always be [[OlympusMons Legendaries]]), and the typing.
* ''VideoGame/StarFox'':
** ''VideoGame/StarFox1'' for the SNES has an unusual example of this. Every major boss is given a subtitle in the [[AllThereInTheManual manual]], such as "Advance Scout Mother Ship: '''Attack Carrier'''", and "Special Close Orbit Robot: '''Phantron'''". There are no names or subtitles given during gameplay, but instead features an elaborate ending sequence that shows each of the bosses faced during the course which gives just the name and some meaningless stats.
** The 3DS [[VideoGameRemake remake]] of ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' adds these, using the first format. The only exception being Sector X's boss which only shows the Boss Name. It averts the AllThereInTheManual that the original had where most boss names were concerned.
** Galdon and Drakor are the only bosses in ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' introduced this way.
** ''VideoGame/StarFoxZero'' uses the AdjectiveNounFred format not only for bosses, but for newly acquired vehicles or transformations.

* This feature returns in ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'', as yet another parallel to its predecessor, ''Bayonetta''.

* This has become a CreatorThumbprint for Creator/PlatinumGames, as it also appears in ''VideoGame/AstralChain''. Every new Chimera (and the few bosses that don't fit that descriptor) get an [[EnemyScan IRIS callout]] on their first appearance. Given the sheer amount of [[UndergroundMonkey unique Chimera subspecies]], these keep showing up well into the postgame.
* ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'' does this for the Valuan admirals... and their ships. And the Gigas.
* ''Colin [=McRae=]: VideoGame/{{DiRT}} 2'' uses a variation of this as its 'One To Watch' feature: Immediately before each individual race, the game shows you the name and vehicle of whichever participating racer the game has chosen as most likely to win, making him/her your primary challenger for the rest of the race. There's even a chance that the game can pick ''you'' as the One To Watch, letting you know just how much of a speed demon you are.

[[folder:Other]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FvxOq3BQCg A certain]] LetsPlay of ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'' adds them in.
* [[http://www.gamefaqs.com/gba/919011-kingdom-hearts-chain-of-memories/faqs/34090 This]] FAQ for ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories'' also adds them in.
[[/folder]]

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Putting onscreen the name of the {{Robeast}} during its first appearance used to be very popular in the SuperRobotGenre. Noteworthy examples are:
** The ''Anime/{{Mazinger}}'' saga:
*** ''Anime/MazingerZ'' with the Kikaiju (Mechanical Beasts)
*** ''Anime/GreatMazinger'': with the Mykene Warrior Beasts.
*** ''Anime/UFORoboGrendizer'' with the Vega Beasts and the Saucer Beasts.
** ''Manga/GetterRobo'' with the Mechasaurs and Mechaoni.
** ''Anime/KotetsuJeeg'' with the Haniwa Phantom Gods.
** ''Anime/{{Raideen}}'' with the Slave Beasts.
** The ''Anime/RobotRomanceTrilogy'':
*** ''Anime/CombattlerV'' with the Slave Monsters and later with the Magma Beasts.
*** ''Anime/VoltesV'' with the Super Beast Fighters.
*** ''Anime/{{Daimos}}'' with the Mecha Soldiers.
** ''Anime/{{Zambot3}}'' with the Mecha Bursts.
* While most of the demons in ''Anime/Devilman1972'' simply have their name prefixed with ''Yōjū'' (literally "Demon") in the episode titles, there are quite a few opponents which mix things up a bit, such as these examples:
-->''The Sleeping Beauty'', Zoldova
-->Demon Gande, ''The Walking Eye''
-->Demon Kilskey, ''The Crimson Tornado''
-->Demon Magdler, ''The Flying Lava''
* ''Anime/GEARFighterDendoh'' does it with the Galfa.
* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' did this even with special attacks. Practically every new character introduced was given a name in this fashion, even Yusuke himself.
* ''Manga/TheLawOfUeki'' does this with opponents, detailing their powers, number of talents, and miscellaneous information such as hobbies and such.
* ''Manga/RealBoutHighSchool'' did this in the final volume (descriptive sentences and everything) as a ''sendoff'' to all the characters, handily inverting the common usage of this trope.
* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'':
** The show applies this to both the QuirkyMinibossSquad as well as its leader and whenever the heroes combine into a new and bigger kind of HumongousMecha, the name of the new form is displayed onscreen.
** Used in the last episode to make the TitleDrop, just before the FinalBattle. The subtitle is even in the same UsefulNotes/{{font|s}} as the main title.
** In the first movie, it also happens after the three Generals and Viral combine their Dai-Guns (Dai-Gunkai, Dai-Gunten, Dai-Gundo, and Dai-Gunzan II). The name-tag says "Dai-Gun Doten Kaizan".
** In the second movie's final battle, we get [[spoiler:Tengen Toppa Solvernia (Nia), Tengen Toppa Enkidulga (Viral), Tengen Toppa Yoko W Tank (Yoko), Tengen Toppa Twin Vulcan (Jorgun & Balinbow), Tengen Toppa Kidd Knuckle (Kidd), Tengen Toppa Ainzaurus (Iraak), Tengen Toppa Sozoshin (Zorthy), Tengen Toppa Moshogun (Makken), Tengen Toppa Grapearl (Gimmy and Darry) and finally Tengen Toppa Dai-Gurren (everyone else) all get epic entrances complete with their own respective subtitles. And then they combine to form Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. He gets a subtitle too, of course. Notably, most of the mechs are introduced so fast that there's no opportunity to mention them onscreen, so the subtitles are the only way to know their names.]] There are two mecha in the final battle without Boss Subtitles, the regular old Lazengann and the curiously unnamed [[spoiler: Tengen Toppa Lagann]].
* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** Tends to be a necessity when characters are being introduced in rapid succession, and is almost always used when a major character is introduced (in the format of Epithet - Name - Bounty).
** This also applies to characters important enough that their name is a chapter name. In fact, this is necessary for some undubbed characters, as it is the only way to spell their name correctly when it is written in English. As an example of both variations: [[spoiler: Great Whirlpool Spider Squad]].
* The early episodes of ''Anime/DigimonDataSquad'' did this with newly-encountered {{Mons}} instead of the usual [[EnemyScan Digimon Analyzer scene]]. Tradition prevailed and the analyzer scenes were back by episode eight or so. ''Anime/DigimonFusion'' did it near-constantly with every Mon instead of anything resembling a Digimon Analyzer; it even repeated the subtitles for characters outside Xros Heart / Blue Flare whenever they showed up in multiple episodes, the practical upshot being that they were displayed almost every time repeat villains like Lilithmon, Tuwarmon and [=DarkKnightmon=] showed up.
* Floor Bosses in ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'', [[JustifiedTrope justified]] since it's an MMORPG. Complete with SpellMyNameWithAThe.
* ''Manga/Eyeshield21''. Practically every new character introduced.
* ''Manga/VampirePrincessMiyu'' TV series. Every single episode.
* ''Manga/GreatTeacherOnizuka'' slipped in and out of this depending on how many new characters were being introduced. The manga also had more detailed versions for primary antagonists like Principal Uchiyamada and Teshigawara.
* ''All'' characters in ''Manga/BoboboboBobobo'' receive a captioned name when they first appear, no matter how irrelevant they are to the plot. Lampshaded in the dub when one was left untranslated:
--> "Get those Japanese words off of me."
* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' occasionally made use of this trope. It's even {{lampshade|Hanging}}d at one point when Misora is trying to maintain a secret identity... a task which might've been easier if a caption displaying her full name and even her seat number hadn't shown up. An annoyed Misora immediately asks what it's doing there and [[MediumAwareness tries to shoo it away]].
** Done to much greater effect in Chapter 300, where everyone gets their own subtitle--some 28 characters in all.
* ''Manga/TentaiSenshiSunred'', being a parody of {{Sentai}} shows, has these for everybody -- hero, villain and human alike. They're accurate, but goofy considering the creatures they're describing are just going about their daily lives.
* ''Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis'' does this whenever new players are shown. Not that it helps, considering there's a large cast.
* ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'' has these for new species of monster.
* The first episode of ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'''s second season uses these to get the audience up to speed with the rather large cast, all of whom appear.
* Lampshaded in ''Manga/CromartieHighSchool'', where all the main characters and bosses are introduced with subtitles in ''every'' single segment.
* The MonsterOfTheWeek's name is displayed in the original Japanese version of ''Anime/SamuraiPizzaCats''.
* All the suspects, their ages, and occupations are displayed in this manner for ''Manga/CaseClosed'', which has obvious character-recognition applications, especially when you need to introduce 2-5 characters a week for a fresh mystery.
* ''Roleplay/RecordOfLodossWar'' introduces every character with a speaking role like this.
* ''Literature/LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'' also does this for every character, even the major ones at least once per season. The format is usually the former, with the 'Descriptive Sentence' denoting military rank as well as position within government (i.e. Chief Minister Of Internal Affairs, Fleet Admiral William Von Ribbentrop. Note: This is not an actual character, in order not to spoil). This is a courtesy extended by the producers to the viewers, as it's another case of a large cast.
* In ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'', it's standard practice for both Flame Hazes and the Crimson Lords they hunt to have titles like this, such as "Margery Daw: Chanter of Elegies", or "Supreme Throne: Hecate".
* Starting from ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs'' the Belkan Knights looks to be akin to this with all the Wolkenritter's having subtitles like [[CombatMedic Shamal's]] "Knight of the Lake", [[LittleMissBadass Vita's]] "Knight of the Iron Hammer" and [[BareFistedMonk Zafira's]] "Beast of Shield". Their leader [[LadyOfWar Signum]] even has two in "Blazing General" and "Knight of the Sword". Their [[EmpathicWeapon weapons]] and [[FusionDance unison devices]] also have their own names and subtitles but that will deserve its own list.
* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': Each [[MonsterOfTheWeek witch]] gets their name displayed in [[CypherLanguage runes]], either when they appear or when first entering their labyrinth.
* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', whenever a new captain or lieutenant was introduced during the Soul Society [[StoryArc arc]], a small panel appeared onscreen: [Name of character] [Captain/lieutenant of division [insert number here]]
* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', these started popping up in the anime adaptation of the Sun Village and Tartaros arcs, introducing important characters in small on-screen panels like such: [[spoiler: Tartaros | Nine Demon Gates | Goddess of the Slave Planet, Kyoka]] and so on. In the first, pre-2014 animated series, it was mostly the {{Narrator}} doing the new character introductions, and although he wasn't completely ditched in the second series, his role within the episodes was largely replaced by these Boss Subtitles, and he was moved to narrating the recaps.
* In ''Anime/KillLaKill'', every character gets HUGE RED BLOCK CAPITAL TEXT announcing their names and titles whenever they appear for the first time, and sometimes repeatedly for added drama. [[NinjaProp Nui Harime leans and sits on her subtitles.]] As a side note, the same HUGE RED BLOCK CAPITAL TEXT appears not only for characters but also for many attacks, locations, and events.
* ''Anime/{{Shirobako}}'' gets some ''20 recurring, speaking characters'' introduced in the first episode. This trope thus became mandatory, every speaking role gets subtitled every episode when they first appeared, including the protagonists.
* Used in the supplementary materials and video games for ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', both for villains and heroes. Examples include:
--> ''Savior Of The Post Apocalyptic World/Savior Of Century's End'' - '''Kenshiro'''
--> ''The Ruthless Conqueror'' - '''Raoh'''
--> ''The Star Of Martyrdom'' - '''Shin'''
--> ''Emperor Of Nanto'' - '''Souther'''
--> ''Predator Of the Weak'' - '''Zeed'''
--> ''Destroyer Of Fists'' - '''Heart'''
--> ''Hells Gatekeeper'' - '''Uighur'''
* ''Anime/YokaiWatch'' uses this each time a new Yo-Kai is introduced.
* ''Manga/TheKindaichiCaseFiles'': As another detective series, this series also introduces characters in this fashion.
* ''Anime/KemonoFriends'' introduces new Friends this way, showing their name in Japanese and English along with the animal's scientific classification
* [[OurMonstersAreWeird Mysterious Beings]] in ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'' are often introduces with a caption giving their name and disaster level, the latter being an indication of how strong/dangerous/hard to kill they may be. Currently, there are five levels:
--> Wolf: Nigh harmless creatures that an armed civilian could deal with.
--> Tiger: Monsters that are about as strong as the average street-level Western superhero but can be handled by the police force.
--> Demon: This one is for significantly powerful and/or dangerous monsters that require high-ranking heroes to be dealt with.
--> Dragon: Here is when things get difficult; this disaster level is reserved for natural disasters and monsters strong enough to cause widespread damage across several cities, and it is here when the [[HeroesRUs Hero Association]] decides to [[GodzillaThreshold send in the S-Class heroes]].
--> God: Extinction-level catastrophes. So far, nothing deserving of being classified higher than Dragon [[spoiler: except [[ShadowArchetype Boros]], [[MonsterLord Orochi]] and [[CardCarryingVillain Garō]] (And even then, just barely)]] has appeared so far.
* In the anime adaptation of ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', characters get these when they enter a combat situation (whether it be training or real). In cases where they haven't revealed their specific quirk yet, just their name will be revealed. It becomes annoying halfway through Season 2, where every character starts being reintroduced via them [[ViewersAreGoldfish in every single episode]].
* In ''Manga/{{Jagaaaaaan}}'', every single Fractured Human gets one upon their introduction, stating their mindset, occupation and finally, their names.
* ''Anime/{{Promare}}'' has characters and gadgets introduced with big black English text right behind them. However, they take it a step further by also having the Japanese translation in front of the text in red stylized font.
* Parodied in ''Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid'' Chapter 84, where Kobayashi discusses the prospect of her becoming the area guardian of Oborozuka with three elder dragons (specifically, Tooru and Kanna's respective dads and [[spoiler:Elma's [[OlderThanTheyLook gran-]]''[[BlatantLies older sister]]'']]). She says that she's concerned about getting an overblown set of Boss Subtitles: '''[[TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard Jigokumeguri Company Chief and Oborozuka Area Guardian: Kobayashi]]'''. Tooru, on the other hand, just thinks it sounds "cool", although [[SmittenTeenageGirl knowing her]], the [[SingleTargetSexuality "Kobayashi"]] in it is enough to make anything sound cool in her mind.
* Whenever a locale or a character is introduced in ''Manga/BlackClover'', it is always accompanied by a description of their names.

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Happens in ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'', with "bosses" like The Evil League of Ramona's Ex-Boyfriends, since the book's plot is halfway between a romance manga and an old-school BeatEmUp. The other characters get these as well, with one of the running gags being "Knives Chau: 17 Years Old". The characters are also able to read them, as Roxie objects to her caption classifying her as Ramona's fifth [[PsychoExGirlfriend Evil Ex Boyfriend]]. Scott is shocked when Knives' subtitle finally changes to "18 years-old". He comments on Ramona's age being listed as "Unknown," and he reads "Knows everybody" off of Comeau's box.
* Protagonist example, ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'' are introduced using a mix of these and a BatmanColdOpen. Midnighter's subtitle ("Night's Bringer of War") is probably the best of the lot.
* The ComicBook/XMen and ComicBook/TheAvengers loves this too. Usually they go "Name, Codename, power, short description". The description can often be completely tangential, odd, or just funny. Examples:
** "Scott Summers, Cyclops, Optic Blasts, leader of the X-men. Owns a jetpack."
** "Kurt Wagner, Nightcrawler, Teleportation, fan of Errol Flynn movies."
** Marvel does this with all their team books. Marvel reached (and arguably passed) peak subtitling in the mid-2010s, when certain titles would feature multiple examples (often comedic) in ''every'' issue. Eventually, the company's more meta-aware characters (e.g. Deadpool) started cracking jokes about it: "It sounds like you just said your name in title font."
* The ''ComicBook/MegaManArchieComics'' comic from Creator/ArchieComics provides a caption describing whatever power and weapon the titular character is using. This is especially key in the ''[[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsCollide Worlds Collide]]'' crossover with ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' in which Rock takes on the powers of eight different Sonic cast members over the course of one issue.
* ''ComicBook/TransformersVsGIJoe'' has a memorable moment when Destro first meets Megatron, in which a panel of Megatron's face reflected in Destro's mask is accompanied by caption boxes showing a stylised version of the mask and describing Destro as "Gun Maker, Life Taker, Dream Breaker, Earth Shaker, Money Raker".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'' introduces specialized or one-shot characters with a caption at the top of the strip.
** [[InhumanResources "Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources."]]
** [[MundaneMadeAwesome "Phil: Prince of Insufficient Light."]]
** "Mordac: Preventer of Information Services."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/ClashOfTheElements'': In a use of this trope not related to video games, the author uses titles for both the Inner and Outer Guardian fights in the story. He also uses them again in Movie 1 whenever [[spoiler: The stronger members of the Subspace Army]] appear.
* The ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'' does this whenever a [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Nightmare]] shows up. This is likely because Nightmares in this canon are based off the Witches from ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'':
** Nightmare Moon: Eternal Night
** Nightmare Purgatory: the Most Vengeful of Friends
** Nightmare Eclipse/Paradox: '[[FreudianSlip The All Knowing Tragedy! I mean Triumph]]')/"The-Query-Most-Contrary" (this one was given to her by someone else and she doesn't like it)
** Nightmare Mirror: Cruelest of Truths.
** Nightmare Granfalloon: The Endless Laughter.
** Nightmare Manacle: All-Consuming Loyalty.
** Nightmare Whisper: Kindest of Lies
** Nightmare Bannerette: The Beautiful Fury Of the Generous Green Flames.
** [[spoiler:Nightmare Nhilis:Swan Song's Siren]]
* ''Fanfic/TheLegendOfZeldaParadiseCalling'' uses this when Link fights the Gargoyle statue, "Mini-Boss: Grayrg", and the FinalBoss, "Parasitic Armored Titan: Ingo".
* ''Fanfic/HeroesInForgoneDreams'': All of the boss fights have subtitles in the style of the game they hail from.
** [[spoiler:Primal Puppeteer - Forgo Taranza]]
** [[spoiler:Trifecta of Ferocity - Forgo Rick & Kine & Coo]]
** [[spoiler:Chrome Crustacean - Heavy Lobster mkIV]]
** [[spoiler:Merciless Machinist - Forgo Captain Vul]]
** The Isolated Illusion - Phantom Meta Knight
** [[spoiler:Herald of Hellfire - Forgo Landia]]
** [[spoiler:Primeval Pickpocket - Forgo Daroach]]
** [[spoiler:Ashen Altostratus - Charcoal Kracko]]
** [[spoiler:Unrestrained Artist - Forgo Adeleine]]
** [[spoiler:Sanctified Savage - Forgo Dyna Blade]]
** Berserk Beast King - Forgo Leon
** [[spoiler:Psychic Phantom - Soul Forgo]]
** Fluttering Dream Eater - Morpho Knight
** [[spoiler:Aeonic Armageddon - Morpho Knight DX]]
** [[spoiler:Species Born of Singularity - Genesis Elfilis]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet'': When Ralph and Vanellope are sneaking around in ''Slaughter Race'' looking for Shank's car to obtain for Lootfindr, they find two gamers have beat them to it and are preparing to jack Shank's car for themselves...only for them to find themselves surrounded by Shank's crew. Shank then comes out of the shadows, and as she does show, she gets a freeze-frame listing her stats, accompanied by a chorus of "Shank! Shank! Shank!"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* As the trope description says, this is fairly common in both Chinese and Japanese films.
* ''Film/TheLosers'' introduces the main characters by freeze-framing before shifting to the comic book art style, showing their name and military specialty.
* In ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'', the three title characters are introduced by this as well as a freeze-frame and {{Leitmotif}}.
* Done in the opening scenes of ''Film/{{Zoolander}}'' with the main characters. PlayedWith later on when David Bowie (playing himself) also gets a subtitle despite being little more than a cameo.
* Hugo Stiglitz from ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'' randomly gets some, just to show how badass he is. Later in the film, some important Nazi figures are pointed out, but in a much more subdued way.
* Done in ''Film/KillBill'', with the accompanying code name for the assassin. This was in fact a homage/another nod from Tarantino to the old Chinese action films, which generally portrayed the villains (and also the heroes) with their names onscreen every time they are introduced in the movie
* As in the comic book example above, ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' has freeze frame names and descriptions for new characters.
* An unusual "serious literature"-type movie example: The Merchant-Ivory film ''The Golden Bowl'' (adapted from a Henry James novel) had a caption: "The London home of ADAM VERVER" followed by "America's first billionaire."
* Most major characters in ''Film/WilliamShakespearesRomeoAndJuliet'' receive some.
* In ''Film/SmokinAces'' and its sequel [[EstablishingCharacterMoment introduction of all principal characters]] includes a still frame with a name tag.
* In the classic silent ''Film/{{Robin Hood|1922}}'', each character gets a caption with their name as they're introduced. Given that Creator/DouglasFairbanks wrote, produced, and starred in the film, which was technically titled ''Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood'', it's amusing but not surprising that Robin Hood's caption is the only one that also lists the name of the actor.
* ''Film/JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack'': The Cock Knocker's introduction includes a freezeframe with the caption: "Hey kids! It's Creator/MarkHamill! *applause*"
* ''Film/ThatThingYouDo'': Boss Subtitles and humorous, one-sentence descriptions introduced each of the Wonders during their first major TV appearance. They also played a major plot point: one of the band members had the line "Careful, girls--he's engaged!" under his name. It proved to be the final nail in the Wonders' coffin.
* ''Film/{{Submerged}}'': The Crew in the Steven Seagal is introduced like this.
* ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'': Every main character gets a name tag and their position in the Soviet government, accompanied by slo-mo and usually bombastic music. Generally PlayedForLaughs, but a real character-establishing moment all the same.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'':
** Tasio the Trickster invokes this in ''Literature/LoomingShadow''. After warning Eric that the final boss of a dungeon ''always'' has more than one form, the EvilSorcerer that Eric just defeated returns for round two. At that point, Tasio [[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime plays a brief tune on an ocarina and says]]: "The Crimson Killer: Kierdos!"
*** Shortly thereafter, Eric is on the other side of this trope, [[spoiler: when Basilard confronts a new monster, "The Plight of Familicide, Grendel!".]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* Every ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' series between ''Series/ChoudenshiBioman'' and ''Series/GoGoSentaiBoukenger'' did this for every villain, from MonsterOfTheWeek up to BigBad. The same goes for the heroes' and villains' HumongousMecha, and sometimes important locations when first introduced.
** The 2010 remaster of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' added these for the villains at the beginning of the first episode. Otherwise, ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' generally avoids it, though seasons fond of WordPower may mirror the format verbally by combining InTheNameOfTheMoon with a TransformationNameAnnouncement. (For example, [[Series/PowerRangersMysticForce "Forceful as fire! Red Mystic Ranger!"]])
** And now ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger'' brought it back for main characters and new mechs, though the MonsterOfTheWeek doesn't get it. We go back to classic style where everyone gets 'em in ''Series/ShurikenSentaiNinninger'' and ''Series/UchuSentaiKyuranger'', though. Nin introduces MOTWs in the form [object] [animal] [{{Youkai}} type (For example, "Sickle Weasel Kamaitachi.") while Kyu gives the enemy's rank and name (along with [[TheEmpire Jark Matter's]] logo.)
* ''Series/KamenRiderBlack'' and ''Series/KamenRiderBlackRX'' did it, but otherwise, it never caught on in the franchise.
* ''Series/BurnNotice'' does this [[OnceAnEpisode every episode]] with the client and the antagonist, and frequently plays with it. For instance, if Michael is reluctant to take on a client, the subtitle "Character Name: The Client" will show up when he finally gives in. The antagonist will also sometimes have their job title slide off the screen to be replaced with a comment another character has made about them. Two particular examples are "Undead Spy"[[note]]due to a case of NoOneCouldSurviveThat[[/note]] and "Probably Not An Alien"[[note]] due to a crazy client who believes the target is an alien[[/note]]. Another one comes from an episode where Michael and a gang member are on the run from a Russian criminal. The gangster comments that the Russian is a hardass, and wonders aloud what hardass is in Russian. The subtitle then shows up for the Russian, with some Cyrillic characters followed by "(hardass)". There's also Fiona's, "Forget that, anyone who messes with a fifteen-year-old girl is nothing more than a bloody pervert!" Cue recycled subtitle: "Felix Cole: Pervert". It's also used to dramatic effect at two points. The subtitle for [[spoiler: Simon]] is simply "?" and Management gets no subtitle at all.
* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' has the "Boss" subtitles Elliot Reed: MomentKiller
* The first episode of the ''Manga/{{Gokusen}}'' live-action drama introduces the major characters this way.
* ''Series/SuperRobotRedBaron'' did this much like the SuperRobotGenre examples above, with the Iron Alliance and Space Iron Alliance robots.
* Taking a cue from Franchise/SuperSentai, ''Series/BIMASatriaGaruda'' introduces the MonsterOfTheWeek this way.
* Nearly every {{kaiju}} and alien in the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' has one, such as "Space Ninja Alien Baltan" or "Ancient Monster Gomora". These are typically shown at the start of an episode, after the opening, to tell viewers who the MonsterOfTheWeek is. Some series like ''Series/UltramanEighty'', ''Series/UltramanMax'', ''Series/UltramanZ'' and ''Series/UltramanTriggerNewGenerationTiga'' show these when the monster appears on screen as well.
* ''Series/OddSquad'': The episode "The O Games" has each of the competitors of the eponymous games (barring Odd Todd) introducing themselves with subtitles consisting of their agent number, their name, and "100% [adjective], 0% [adjective]". Each competitor reads their own subtitles and a majority of them are either hilariously silly or are just straight lies. They include:
--> '''#52, Agent Oren'''\\
'''100% Happenin''''\\
'''0% Humble'''

--> '''#60, Dr. O'''\\
'''100% Smart'''\\
'''0% Silly'''

--> '''#71, Agent Octavia'''\\
'''100% Bright'''\\
'''0% Boring'''

--> '''#70, Agent Otto'''\\
'''100% Number 70'''\\
'''0% Not Number 70'''
** At the end of the episode, Otto in particular gets another round of subtitles that differs a little from the subtitles he and every other competitor (again, barring Odd Todd) got previously:
--> '''#70, Agent Otto'''\\
'''100% Winner'''\\
'''100% Into Food'''\\
'''100% Soundcheck'''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* Either through deep association, sheer bossiness or some other factor, some pro wrestlers saw their {{red baron}} listed before their name on screen after the sport started being shown on television.
** "The Natural Guy" Wrestling/BuddyRogers
** "Blue Justice" Wrestling/YujiNagata
** "The Super Hardcore Anime" [=LuFisto=]
** "El Mega Triple Campeon de Wrestling/{{AAA}}" Mesias. Some channels take it to the next level, [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep referring to him exclusively by his red baron]]
** "The Greek God" Dimitrios Papadon
** "The Last Real Man" Silas Young.
** "Mr. 450" and "Jesús de Leon" for Hammet, another who is often referred to exclusively as such.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'': The Japanese OCG card names do this a lot. For instance, Dark Paladin in the English TCG is known as Super Magical Swordsman -- Black Paladin in the OCG. In general, the TCG tends to be fairly [[InconsistentDub inconsistent about localizing the full names]], often resorting to shortened forms to reduce title text. Sometimes, the anime will include them where the card does not (Yugi in the English dub does refer to Dark Paladin, the Ultimate Magical Swordsman). It's also common for retrained versions of old cards to include these to distinguish them from the original, often using their attack names as the subtitle (e.g. Harpie's Pet Dragon -- Fearsome Fire Blast).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'':
** When the character Doc is introduced.
** Church even subtly lampshades it.
** They did this in the trailer for ''[=RvB=]'', so it would appear that they didn't want to leave Doc out (the only soldier not to make an appearance in the trailer).

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Chapter 12 of ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'' used this during a fight when over a dozen new characters were introduced.
* [[http://girlyyy.com/go/686 Spoofed]] like so many other things in ''Webcomic/{{Girly}}''.
* ''Webcomic/{{EVIL|2016}}'': Every major character is introduced with subtitles including their name, year, and major (or department, in the case of faculty). There is even an AltText gag about a couple of characters who are clearly not important because they don't have them.
* Every villain in ''Webcomic/{{Titanzer}}'' gets introduced with subtitles, like [[http://titanzer.com/2011/03p13/ so]].
* Pages in ''Webcomic/{{Bibliography}}'' get a short message indicating their name and codex if they haven't introduced themselves yet.
* The Spanish webcomic ''Webcomic/CincoElementos'' does this with every "boss" of each arc story, as a reference to ''The Legend of Zelda'', of which the author has said he is a fan.
* In ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'' the Demiurges each have their own subtitles, unveiled during an EstablishingCharacterMoment (as opposed to when they’re first introduced). In order of appearance:
** '''[[red:Queen Nadia Om]]''': The Blood Flower, Imperatrix of the Gates of Fire. Bearer of the word '''[[cinnamon:GLORY]]''', and Goddess of the Seven-Part World.
** '''[[red:Incubus]]''': Lord of the Golden Army, Sword King of the Middle Army, Bearer of the Word '''[[pink:FLAME]]''' and God of the Seven-Part World.
** '''[[red:Mammon]]''': The Grand Dragon, Scaled God of the Deep, Master of the Infinite Vault, and Lord of Yre-Ynamon. Bearer of the Word '''[[gold:TOWER]]''' and God of the Seven-Part World.
** '''[[red:Solomon David]]''': God Emperor of the Celestial Empire and Grand Master of Ki Rata. Bearer of the Word '''[[purple:DIAMOND]]''' and God of the Seven-Part World.
** '''[[green:Gog-Agog]]''': Queen of Worms, The Great Devourer, Scourge of Worlds. Bearer of the Word '''[[green:BEAST]]''' and God of the Seven-Part World.
** '''Chakravartin [[red:Jagganoth]]''': Wheel-Turning King, Red Eyed Heir, Pankrator, The God Eater, Bearer of the Word '''[[red:BLADE]]''' and Destroyer of the Seven-Part World.
** '''[[blue:Jadis]]''': The Witch in Glass, The Prophet, The Lady of Infinite Repose. Bearer of the SHAPE, and Former Bearer of the Word '''[[blue:MIND]]'''.
* Parodied in ''Webcomic/{{Paranatural}}'' when Isaac confronts Hijack, or as he knows him: "Jim, the evil brain man".

[[folder:Web Original]]
* A FAQ for ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories'' actually did this. Many of these were pretty good, like "Fairytale Pirate [[WesternAnimation/PeterPan Captain Hook]]", "Evil form of a lost friend, Dark Riku", or "The one behind it all, [[BigBad Marluxia]]."
* Used for major fights in all three seasons of Roleplay/TheMassiveMultiFandomRPG, sometimes getting creative, such as when a character's paranoid boss battle expectations come true:
-->[[AC:aki may have been on to something]]
-->'''TZEENTCH'S HORRORS'''
* In ''WebAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmasWhoSkellingtonsRevenge'', this is how Black Hiver is introduced.
--> [[AC:Black Hiver: Sadistic Holiday Demon]]
* [[https://old.reddit.com/r/Bossfight/ /r/Bossfight]] on Website/{{Reddit}} is dedicated to taking random images and adding boss subtitles to them.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner'' has the eponymous characters (plus some guests, like a Burmese tiger) given made-up subtitles resembling scientific names. For example, for Road Runner has "Acceleratii incredibus" and Wile E. Coyote has "Carnivorous vulgaris". Parodied at least once when the subtitles actually were the actual scientific names for roadrunner and coyote.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', while parodying Road Runner and Coyote, Bart and Homer are defined as Brat'us Don'thaveacow'us and Homo Neanderthel'us, respectively.
* ''[[WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012 Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' sometimes debuts new characters by freeze-framing them and putting their name on the screen (if like ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} or ComicBook/DoctorStrange you've got your own comic, it'll be your actual logo.) These are part of Peter's many {{Imagine Spot}}s.
* The Japanese version of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' displays every major character's name under them when they make their first big appearance.
* This also happens with the Japanese version of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'', showing the character's name, position, and faction, complete with faction symbol.
* Same goes for the Japanese version of the ''WesternAnimation/DonkeyKongCountry'' pilot episode.
* ''WesternAnimation/HulkAndTheAgentsOfSMASH'': Just about everyone important. Note that these are part of the ShowWithinAShow web series, with A-Bomb actually editing them in.
* A MusicalEpisode of ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'', Operation: F.O.O.D.F.I.T.E., has the Slamwitch's name pop up on the third verse of the second song.
* Since ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes'' is a series brimming with video game influence, this naturally comes up quite a bit. It's not just limited to villains, either.
** There's a three-month TimeSkip between Seasons 1 and 2, and the main characters get these in the Season 2 premiere to show how they "changed" over their summer vacations:
--->'''Rad (Now Orange)'''; '''Enid (Now Mime)'''; '''K.O. (Same Boy)'''\\
''(later, after Enid and Rad ditch these changes)'': '''Rad and Enid (Back to Normal)'''
** The very next episode, we see the villains again for the first time in the season, and get these:
--->'''Lord Cowboy Darrell (That's His New Name)'''\\
'''Lord Boxman (Just Got Back From the Sun)'''
** Not only do we get more of them in the Point Prep arc, but Sunshine outright sees and interacts with hers, and a major part of the Charisma aspect is heroes refining their flashy entrances and including these in them.
--->'''Sunshine (Makes a Great Entrance)'''
--->'''Elodie (Pride of Point Prep)'''
--->'''Enid (Loyal Ninja)'''
--->'''Doctor Greyman (Lost His Powers in a Tragic Accident)'''
--->'''Foxtail (Leader of P.O.I.N.T.) (Teacher of Strength)'''
--->'''Chip Damage (Dean of Students)'''
** A much-less PlayedForLaughs one near the end of Season 3, leading up to the series climax: the introduced villain gets ''three'' subtitles, but despite being an OverlyLongGag, the villain's identity and the circumstances of what's happening make it [[KnightOfCerebus creepy and somewhat horrifying]] rather than funny.
--->[[spoiler:'''Shadowy Venomous (Perfect Venomous) [[SplitPersonalityTakeover (Venomous is GONE NOW) (Shadowy Figure has OVERTAKEN VENOMOUS)]]''']]

[[folder:Other]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FvxOq3BQCg A certain]] LetsPlay of ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'' adds them in.
* [[http://www.gamefaqs.com/gba/919011-kingdom-hearts-chain-of-memories/faqs/34090 This]] FAQ for ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories'' also adds them in.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Film/TheLosers'' introduces the main characters by freeze-framing before shifting to the comic book art's style, showing their name and military specialty.

* Done in the opening scenes of ''Film/{{Zoolander}}'' with the main characters. Played with later on when David Bowie (playing himself) also gets a subtitle despite being little more than a cameo.

* In the classic silent ''Film/{{Robin Hood|1922}}'', each character gets a caption with their name as they're introduced. Given that Creator/DouglasFairbanks wrote, produced, and starred in the film, which was technically titled ''Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood'', it's amusing but not surprising that Robin Hood's caption is the only one which also lists the name of the actor.
* In ''Film/JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack'', The Cock Knocker's introduction includes a freezeframe with the caption: "Hey kids! It's Creator/MarkHamill! *applause*"
* Boss Subtitles and humorous, one-sentence descriptions introduced each of the Wonders during their first major TV appearance in ''Film/ThatThingYouDo''. They also played a major plot point: one of the band members had the line "Careful, girls--he's engaged!" under his name. It proved to be the final nail in the Wonders' coffin.
* The Crew in the Steven Seagal film ''Submerged'' are introduced like this.
* ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet'': When Ralph and Vanellope are sneaking around in ''Slaughter Race'' looking for Shank's car to obtain for Lootfindr, they find two gamers have beat them to it and are preparing to jack Shank's car for themselves...only for them to find themselves surrounded by Shank's crew. Shank then comes out of the shadows, and as she does show, she gets a freeze-frame listing her stats, accompanied by a chorus of "Shank! Shank! Shank!"
* Every main character in ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'' gets a name tag and their position in the Soviet government, accompanied by slo-mo and usually bombastic music. Generally PlayedForLaughs, but a real character-establishing moment all the same.

[[folder:New Media]]
* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' does this when the character Doc is introduced.
** Church even subtly lampshades it.
** They did this in the trailer for ''[=RvB=]'', so it would appear that they didn't want to leave Doc out (the only soldier not to make an appearance in the trailer).
[[/folder]]

** "Mr. 450" and "Jesús de Leon" for Hammet, another who is often referred to exclusively as such.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* The Japanese OCG card names for ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'' do this a lot. For instance, Dark Paladin in the English TCG is known as Super Magical Swordsman - Black Paladin in the OCG. In general, the TCG tends to be fairly [[InconsistentDub inconsistent about localizing the full names]], often resorting to the shortened forms to reduce title text. Sometimes, the anime will include them where the card does not (Yugi in the English dub does refer to Dark Paladin, the Ultimate Magical Swordsman). It's also common for retrained versions of old cards to include these to distinguish them from the original, often using their attack names as the subtitle (e.g. Harpie's Pet Dragon - Fearsome Fire Blast).

--> Dragon: Here is when things get difficult; this disaster level is reserved for natural disasters and monsters strong enough to cause widespread damage across several cities, and it is here when the [[HeroesRUS Hero Association]] decides to [[GodzillaThreshold send in the S-Class heroes]].

Or vice-versa. This is very, very popular in Japanese media (they actually took the idea from the old Chinese action movies, where every main character, hero or villain, generally had his name stated below onscreen during his introduction), and found in most 3D [[EasternRPG Console [=RPGs=]]], as well as in certain anime and manga (where it's a handy way to introduce new characters), it has been parodied from time to time. Despite the name, this is not limited to video game bosses. It often accompanies a MookDebutCutscene.

Or vice-versa. This is very, very popular in Japanese media (they actually took the idea from the old Chinese action movies, where every main character, hero or villain, generally had his name stated below onscreen during his introduction), and found in most 3D Console [=RPGs=], as well as in certain anime and manga (where it's a handy way to introduce new characters), it has been parodied from time to time. Despite the name, this is not limited to video game bosses. It often accompanies a MookDebutCutscene.

** This has carried over to ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta 2}}'' as well. But it's not just for the angels... Players will be reminded to crap their pants when they see [[spoiler: '''Devourer of the Divine: Gomorrah'''. The demons also show up in their own book as a parallel to the angels' "Hierachy of Laguna"!]]
** The crowning example from ''Bayonetta 2'' is has to be when the game officially revealed the identity of the Masked Lumen Sage, [[spoiler: '''Lumen Sage: Balder'''. Not only that, but it's accompanied with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DTjMisARs8&ab_channel=SlasherPL his boss theme]] from the first game. ''Bad. Ass.'']]

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' does this when the character Doc is introduced.

[[center:'''Wiki/TVTropes''']]

* ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' also does this for every character, even the major ones at least once per season. The format is usually the former, with the 'Descriptive Sentence' denoting military rank as well as position within government (i.e. Chief Minister Of Internal Affairs, Fleet Admiral William Von Ribbentrop. Note: This is not an actual character, in order not to spoil). This is a courtesy extended by the producers to the viewers, as it's another case of a large cast.

* ''Webcomic/{{EVIL}}'': Every major character is introduced with subtitles including their name, year, and major (or department, in the case of faculty). There is even an AltText gag about a couple of characters who are clearly not important because they don't have them.

See also DramatisPersonae, and AdjectiveNounFred.

* Used with every single character in the VideoGame/LegoAdaptationGame ''VideoGame/LegoMarvelSuperHeroes''. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that there are so many characters in the game (most of which are playable) that having the name tags show up helps players remember who they are. It also helps for storytelling purposes; nearly every character is already familiar with the other characters they meet, so showing the name tags avoids any "Hey it's Wolverine!" "Yes I am Wolverine" moments.

** Every 3D ''Legend of Zelda'' game except ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'' has used them (though in ''Wind Waker'', the bosses' names and titles are used when viewing the in-game figurines you can collect). Sometimes, a common adjective appears in each of the standard bosses' descriptions. In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'', it is "Masked". In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'' it is "Twilit". ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass'' mixes things up by putting the titles ''after'' the boss's name (eg., "Blaaz, Master of Fire"), which is continued in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks''.

* Taken UpToEleven in ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance3TheBlackOrder'', in which every character, boss, playable or otherwise, has one of these.