History Main / HatOfPower

May also be a HatOfAuthority. SuperTrope to HatOfFlight.

Compare WeaponizedHeadgear and GogglesDoSomethingUnusual. See also MagicalAccessory.

* The ConanTheBarbarian novel ''Conan the Buccaneer'' features the Cobra Crown, which gives magic powers to the wearer.

* ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'': There's Hade's helm, which allows him to become obscurity itself, and Annabeth's invisibility cap.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'' had the eponymous character find a hat that gave him amazing luck, which he became so attached too he would refuse to take it off even when getting a haircut. By the end of the episode it flies off to places unknown and everything returns to the StatusQuo.

* ''{{GURPS}} Magic Items 2'' features several kinds of magic headgear, but perhaps the best example is the Hat of Magery. It is a silly-looking pointy hat that turns a mundane wearer into a mage, makes those who are already mages even more powerful, and lets the user perform improvised magic. What should make players a bit wary of donning it is that it was made by an infamous mad wizard, who insists he created it as a ''practical joke''.

* The MarvelUniverse has the Serpent Crown, an artifact linked to an EldritchAbomination that gives wearers various powers. It's an {{Expy}} of the Conan artifact (see Literature, below).
* The Mad Hatter from TheDCU. As the name implies, he is a psychotic supervillain with a range of lethal headware. His "normal" hat (if you can call it that) just lets him [[MindControl control people's minds]]; hats for special occasions include exploding hats, gas-emitting hats, hats that let you fly, and hats with hilarious pop-out guns.

* Fictional even in-universe, the Golden Helmet of Membrino. Although it looks like a mere barber's bowl, is said to grant marvelous powers to the wearer. It certainly seems to inspire a capacity for harmony and group singing in nearby swine herders and muleteers in ''Film/TheManOfLaMancha''.

* Fictional even in-universe, the Golden Helmet of Membrino. Although it looks like a mere barber's bowl, is said to grant marvellous powers to the wearer. It certainly seems to inspire a capacity for harmony and group singing in nearby swine herders and muleteers in "The Man of La Mancha".

* A famous ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'' serial featured the Kerwood Derby[[note]]a pun on the name of then-popular announcer Durwood Kirby[[/note]], a hat that vastly amplified the wearer's intelligence. It's last known wearer was AlbertEinstein.

Some hats serve more of a purpose than just [[NiceHat looking nice]]. Some even go beyond the mundane purpose of protecting the wearer's head. These Hats of Power grant some [[StockSuperpowers superpower]] or other special ability to whatever lucky chump happens to put them on.

* ''SuperMario64''[='=]s hats all fall under this, they're all power ups which give Mario different abilities like being made of metal, going through enemies and obstacles while invisible and flight, and you can mix and match them all. Heck, Mario's normal hat too, he takes double damage without it somehow.

* On ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'', the family fights over a TinfoilHat that gives the wearer incredibly good luck. Anais takes it to the dump to destroy it, leading to a ''LordOfTheRings'' parody with Gumball as Gollum.

* And let's not forget the Mad Hatter from the DCU. As the name implies, he is a psychotic supervillain with a range of lethal headware. His "normal" hat (if you can call it that) just lets him [[MindControl control people's minds]]; hats for special occasions include exploding hats, gas-emitting hats, hats that let you fly, and hats with hilarious pop-out guns.

* In the ''Literature/{{Nibelungenlied}}'', the ''Tarnkappe'' grants the wearer invisibility. Fun thing: It was originally not a hat (cap), but an [[InvisibilityCloak cloak]] (cape). Due to changes of language, with ''kappe'' shifting its meaning from 'cloak' to 'hat', it became interpreted as a hat.
** In modern German, the name has become the word for all kinds of stealth technology.

[-[[caption-width-right:300:Wario's [[SuperStrength rather]] [[VideoGameFlight dashing]] [[PlayingWithFire haberdashery]].]]-]

-->''FrostyTheSnowman''

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}: Sourcery'': The Archchancellor's Hat has the memories of all the Archchancellors to have worn it and can confer that power/expertise on any wearer it deems suitable.

* A famous ''RockyAndBullwinkle'' serial featured the Kerwood Derby[[note]]a pun on the name of then-popular announcer Durwood Kirby[[/note]], a hat that vastly amplified the wearer's intelligence. It's last known wearer was AlbertEinstein.
* ''MightyMax'' had a kid whose baseball cap made him the Capbearer, and apparently the guardian of reality or something. He used it to access a PortalNetwork around the world.

* An episode of ''{{Doug}}'' had the eponymous character find a hat that gave him amazing luck, which he became so attached too he would refuse to take it off even when getting a haircut. By the end of the episode it flies off to places unknown and everything returns to the StatusQuo.

* In one episode of ''TheBigKnights'', the knights are given hats that render them invisible.

* [[KirbyOfTheStars Kirby]] gains a NiceHat whenever he gets an ability. Some of them are the source of his attacks, generally from the ElementalPowers.

* In the ''{{Pixelface}}'' episode "The Game's Up", QM comes up with a hat of invisibility that renders the wearer invisible. The drawback is that the hat itself remains visible.
* [=SuperMagic PowerMan=]'s magical headband which grants him superpowers in ''TheAquabatsSuperShow''.

* Vice Versa, Cerebella's [[NiceHat hat]], [[EmpathicWeapon pet]], and [[WeaponOfChoice weapon of choice]] in ''VideoGame/SkullGirls''. It's a big, orange beanie with two muscular arms coming from the sides that Cerebella uses to grapple, crush, and bludgeon on command. Vice Versa's arms are strong to the point where they are able to lift up an elephant with one hand, or crush rocks into diamonds using both.

* Cerebella's [[NiceHat hat]], [[EmpathicWeapon pet]], and [[WeaponOfChoice weapon of choice]] in ''VideoGame/SkullGirls'' named Vice Versa. It's a big, orange beanie with two muscular arms coming from the sides that Cerebella uses to grapple, crush, and bludgeon on command. Vice Versa's arms are strong to the point where they are able to lift up an elephant with one hand, or crush rocks into diamonds using both.

For when they placed it on his head, [[CreatingLife he began to dance around]]!

* The hats worn by members of ''TheAdjustmentBureau'' are what allow them to use their PortalNetwork.

* Barone Nero's hat in ''ResshaSentaiToQger'' can be thrown like a boomerang and shoots a beam.