History Main / HatOfPower

* Vice Versa, Cerebella's hat, [[EmpathicWeapon pet]], and WeaponOfChoice in ''{{VideoGame/Skullgirls}}''. Vice Versa is 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.

* ''Literature/{{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.

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 [[StockSuperpowersIndex superpowers]], [[GoodLuckCharm incredible luck]], or other special abilities to whatever lucky chump happens to put them on.

* In ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'', Kirby gains a NiceHat whenever he gets an ability. Some of them are the source of his attacks, generally from the ElementalPowers.

* Vice Versa, Cerebella's [[NiceHat hat]], [[EmpathicWeapon pet]], and [[WeaponOfChoice weapon of choice]] in ''{{VideoGame/Skullgirls}}''. Vice Versa is 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.

** Kavonn's NiceHat is sentient and altered his body to maintain his current height despite his age along with his more eerie physical features like his pale skin and pink eyes with torn lids. She is the one that gave him his staff and she also happens to contain an interdemensional portal which is [[PullARabbitOutOfMyHat frequented by jackalopes]] to Kavonn's annoyance.

[-[[caption-width-right:334:Wario's [[SuperStrength rather]] [[VideoGameFlight dashing]] [[PlayingWithFire haberdashery]].]]-]

* In Myth/BrazilianFolklore, the Saci-Pererê is a mischievous elf-like being with the appearance of a single-legged black child who has a red cap that [[PowerSource grants his magical powers]], such as [[MakingABlow traveling inside of dust-devils]] and passing through keyholes. If someone steals it from him, the Saci is rendered helpless, and has to either grant wishes to the thief or steal it back.

* Chichi from ''Franchise/DragonBall'' had one of these in her first appearance. It had a spike it could throw like a boomerange ''and'' shot lasers.

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 [[StockSuperpowers superpowers]], [[GoodLuckCharm incredible luck]], or other special abilities to whatever lucky chump happens to put them on.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/TwilightPrincess'': Midna is wearing one of the Fused Shadows as a hat, but it doesn't have any power on its own (she uses her own Twili powers for teleportation). Only once you find them all does she use them to [[spoiler:transform into a giant octopus from hell... that ''still'' isn't enough to beat Ganondorf]].

* The Mad Hatter from Franchise/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.

May also be a HatOfAuthority. SuperTrope to HatOfFlight, SubTrope to MagicalAccessory.

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

* The Mad Hatter from Franchise/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.

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

* 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.
* In ''Theatre/DerRingDesNibelungen'', the Tarnhelm grants the wearer invisibility, shape-shifting, and teleportation.

* ''Literature/{{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.
* In Creator/RobertWestall's ''Literature/UrnBurial'', one of the two helmets contained in the burial cairn of Prepoc allows the wearer to gain the martial prowess of the [[CatFolk Fefetheils]] war-leader; letting even a mere human move with the same catlike speed and grace and use the knowledge and tactics of long-dead hunter and warrior.

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

* In the ''Literature/WildCards'' novels, minor character Topper is an FBI agent with the ace power to pull anything out of her top hat that can fit through it. As with many ace powers, it is implied that need for the hat is a psychological limit she has imposed on herself (her power first manifested while doing a magic act in a high school talent show), but is so deeply ingrained that the power will not work without the hat.
* The Hobgoblin's Hat in ''Literature/FinnFamilyMoomintroll'' can transform anything: eggshells into rideable clouds, Moomintroll into an unpleasant creature,and a handful of weeds into a jungle. [[/folder]]

* Barone Nero's hat in ''Series/ResshaSentaiToqger'' can be thrown like a boomerang and shoots a beam.
* In the ''Series/{{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.

* On ''Series/TodaysSpecial'', Jeff the mannequin was brought to life by a magical hat, but it only worked on the grounds of the department store where he lived.
* In ''Series/OnceUponATime'', the Mad Hatter had a hat that could be used as a portal between worlds, but thanks to one of the show's [[GambitPileup many evil plots]] it stopped working and he actually went mad ''because'' he was trying to get it to work to be reunited with his daughter.

* ''{{TabletopGame/Munchkin}}'' parodies this with such items as the "Horny Helmet" and "Pointy Hat of Power".
* ''TabletopGame/{{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''.

* ''VideoGame/WarioLand'':
** In ''VideoGame/WarioLandSuperMarioLand3'', hats served as MutuallyExclusivePowerups. The jet hat allows Wario to fly, the dragon hat allows Wario to breathe fire, and the bull hat allows Wario to GroundPound while also strengthening his normal charge attack.
** ''VideoGame/VirtualBoyWarioLand'' has similar power-ups to the first game.
** A Spiked Helmet similar to the bull hat (re)appears in ''VideoGame/WarioLand3'', but like all the power-ups in that game, it becomes a permanent effect (namely, letting you break blocks with your head) and does not show up on Wario's sprite.
* As implied by the title of ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'', [[NoNameGiven Hat Kid's]] hat is a major game play mechanic. It has a variety of powers such as slowing down time, making the intangible tangible or simply showing you the way to go, as well as other powers.

* In ''VideoGame/KidChameleon'', various helmet/mask powerups enable the protagonist to transform into different forms with different powers.

* ''VideoGame/{{Bug}}!'' has the Zap Cap, which allows the titular character to shock enemies in front of him.

* The titular cap from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'' grants the wishes of its wearer. However, it can't show its full power without [[spoiler:the Light Force that Princess Zelda just happens to be full of]]. [[ExpositionFairy Ezlo]] is a weird example, because while he lets Link shrink whenever he is being worn, it's because he's a sapient being who is consciously using his own spell to do so.

* In ''VideoGame/TheAdventuresOfLomax'', Lomax's helmet. It can be thrown like a boomerang, it can be thrown to explode (somehow multiplying itself in the process), its plume can stretch and grab certain surfaces, it can work like HelicopterHair, and of course, wearing the helmet provides a protection from being a OneHitPointWonder.
* Vice Versa, Cerebella's [[NiceHat hat]], [[EmpathicWeapon pet]], and [[WeaponOfChoice weapon of choice]] in ''{{VideoGame/Skullgirls}}''. Vice Versa is 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.

* ''[[VideoGame/KaoTheKangaroo Kao The Kangaroo: Round 2]]'' has helmets that briefly allow Kao to fly.
* One of Dante's gun weapons in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' is a cowboy hat that feeds off demon blood (read: [[CastFromMoney Red Orbs]]) to attack enemies using projectiles. It is named the "Faust Hat", referencing an enemy from the fourth game that wore a similar hat.

* One of the magic types in ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}'' is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Hat Magic"]]. The main examples seen so far are message hats, used to transmit notes and gems from one hat to another.
* ''Webcomic/TailsOfLanschilandia'' has the Madcap of Malvaric, a more evil-looking HappyHarlequinHat which grants assorted magic powers to its wearer and serves as the MacGuffin of the comic's third story.

* In "WesternAnimation/WhatsOperaDoc", Siegfried Fudd had a "spear and magic helmet", the latter of which apparently gave him power to summon lightning and storms.
* 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 UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein.
* ''WesternAnimation/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 ''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 Status Quo.
* 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 ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' parody with Gumball as Gollum.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheBigKnights'', the knights are given hats that render them invisible.
* In ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'', Wander's trademark baggy green hat is a BagOfHolding that can conjure up whatever someone needs (even if it's not necessarily what they ''want''). "The Bad Hatter" reveals [[spoiler: Wander stole the hat from a pair of interplanetary warlords who were fighting over, and abusing, its item-conjuring powers.]]

* The Hobgoblin's Hat in "FinnFamilyMoomintroll" in the ''Literature/Moomin'' series can transform anything: eggshells into rideable clouds, Moomintroll into an unpleasant creature,and a handful of weeds into a jungle. [[/folder]]

* The Hobgoblin's Hat in "FinnFamilyMoomintroll" in the ''Literature/Moomintroll'' series can transform anything: eggshells into rideable clouds, Moomintroll into an unpleasant creature,and a handful of weeds into a jungle. [[/folder]]

* The Hobgoblin's Hat in ''Literature/FinnFamilyMoomintroll'' can transform anything: eggshells into rideable clouds, Moomintroll into an unpleasant creature,and a handful of weeds into a jungle. [[/folder]]

The Hobgoblin's Hat in ''Literature/FinnFamilyMoomintroll'' can transform anything: eggshells into rideable clouds, Moomintroll into an unpleasant creature,and a handful of weeds into a jungle. [[/folder]]

[[/folder]]

* ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}'', in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" short, the sorceror's [[RobeAndWizardHat wizard hat]] gave Mickey magic powers. Or maybe it [[AmplifierArtifact amplified]] his own meager powers.

[[folder:Videogames]]

* ''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.