History Main / IconOfRebellion

* The Clenched Fist Salute is still a popular symbol of rebellion. It has socialist/communist connotations - it was used, for example, by Republican forces in the UsefulNotes/SpanishCivilWar. In America, it is also associated with the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement.

* UsefulNotes/CheGuevara's face has been made the the symbol of rebellious communists. Ironically, it's also been utilized as icon to sell products by capitalism, which Che opposed.

** Guy Fawkes masks have also become synonymous with the Occupy Wall Street protests. Amusingly, these masks are copyrighted themselves and [[{{Irony}} Time Warner has made a significant profit selling them to protesters.]]

** The Lilac flowers in ''Discworld/NightWatch''.
** The sign of the turtle in ''Discworld/SmallGods'', symbolising the rejection of the Omnian dogma that the world is spherical.

Compare GraffitiOfTheResistance and DontCreateAMartyr.

* In ''Manga/AttackOfTitan'', [[spoiler:Eren Yeager]] is idolized as a messiah by a cult of [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters crazy bastards]], who believe that the city's current leaders are too incapable/unwilling to fend off the Marleyan invasion. (They...may not be wrong about that last part.) [[spoiler:It's suggested that the Attack Titan itself, which Eren wields, is some sort of manifestation of the concept of freedom in humanity's subconcious.]]

Compare GraffitiOfTheResistance.

** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam Victory Gundam]]'': By this point in time for the UC universe, Gundams as a whole are a symbol of resistance. Which is why the League Militaire's modeled their mobile suits to be either Gundams or Gundam look a likes.

* The ''Art/{{David}}'' connected with the people of Florence because they saw David's confidence in the face of mighty Goliath as a bar set for them in their struggle to maintain Florence's independence from the rest of Italy. It also helps that the ''David'''s Roman influence helped connect it to Florence's ideal of the Republic, which Florentines thought was in jeopardy from Italian tyranny. For a long time, the statue was placed in public before the Palazzo Vecchio. Today a replica stands there while the real one was moved indoors to protect it in 1873.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': When Diana's leading an intergalactic resistance made up of escaped and liberated slaves she is what her resistance fighters are rallying behind despite their very different cultures and creeds. It's mentioned that her symbol has been seen tagging things in the capitol indicating she has support among the kreel too, since there are no slaves there.

* ''Literature/{{Gor}}'': In ''Magicians of Gor'' Tarl and his friend Marcus start a rebellion in Ar by claiming to have heard of the "Delta Brigade" (named after the events in a previous book where the forces of Ar were defeated in a delta) and scratch deltas everywhere. There later becomes an actual Delta Brigade which they have nothing to do with It's like al-Qaeda - no one group has any interaction with any other group, they just call themselves that and engage in uncivil disobedience.

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': In a story arc, Bajor is threaten by a nationalistic group called the Circle. These extremists would spray paint their symbol as vandalism or in their headquarters. When a beloved war hero from the resistance returns to Bajor, the Circle makes sure to keep him isolated and out of the political scene, lest he become an Icon of Unity as they try to destabilize the existing government in the lead up to their coup-d'etat.

* ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' has Gordon Freeman, who certainly becomes a [[MessianicArchetype Messiah]]-type figure to the ragtag human rebellion in City 17, and the Lambda symbol itself becomes a common symbol to denote rebels and the caches they hide around the city and surrounding countryside.

* Guy Fawkes masks were worn by members of the anti-Scientology movement, Project Chanology. The masks have become more heavily associated with Internet vigilante/hacker group Tropers/{{Anonymous}}, though[[note]]Who, coincidentally, are also vehemently anti-Scientology[[/note]]. This was inspired by the film/comic book, ''ComicBook/VForVendetta''. Creator/AlanMoore himself is quite proud of this, but is slightly disappointed that the inspiration likely comes more from the film than the comic.

* Guy Fawkes masks were worn by members of the anti-Scientology movement, Project Chanology. The masks have become more heavily associated with Internet vigilante/hacker group Tropers/{{Anonymous}}, though. This was inspired by the film/comic book, ''ComicBook/VForVendetta''. Creator/AlanMoore himself is quite proud of this, but is slightly disappointed that the inspiration likely comes more from the film than the comic.

* Revival of Hebrew as a colloquial language was an icon of the Zionist cause. That wasn't exactly rebellion as they were as often allies of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire as enemies. A similar phenomenon can be observed with the revival of [[UsefulNotes/{{Ireland}} Irish Gaelic]] as well as Catalan and Basque in Spain. Mexican-Americans have also adopted the Spanish language as a symbol of resistance to racism and assimilation into white American culture.

* Revival of Hebrew as a colloquial language was an icon of the Zionist cause. That wasn't exactly rebellion as they were as often allies of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire as enemies. A similar phenomenon can be observed with the revival of [[UsefulNotes/{{Ireland}} Irish Gaelic]] and Catalan and Basque in Spain. Mexican-Americans have also adopted the Spanish language as a symbol of resistance to racism and assimilation into white American culture.

* Revival of Hebrew as a colloquial language was an icon of the Zionist cause. That wasn't exactly rebellion as they were as often allies of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire as enemies. A similar phenomenon can be observed with the revival of [[UsefulNotes/{{Ireland}} Irish Gaelic]] and Catalan in Spain. Mexican-Americans have also adopted the Spanish language as a symbol of resistance to racism and assimilation into white American culture.

* Revival of Hebrew as a colloquial language was an icon of the Zionist cause. That wasn't exactly rebellion as they were as often allies of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire as enemies. A similar phenomenon can be observed with the revival of [[UsefulNotes/{{Ireland}} Irish Gaelic]]. Mexican-Americans have also adopted the Spanish language as a symbol of resistance to racism and assimilation into white American culture.

* Revival of Hebrew as a colloquial language was an icon of the Zionist cause. That wasn't exactly rebellion as they were as often allies of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire as enemies.
** A similar phenomenon can be observed with the revival of [[UsefulNotes/{{Ireland}} Irish Gaelic]].

* In ''[[Literature/{{Gor}} Magicians of Gor]]'' Tarl and his friend Marcus start a rebellion in Ar by claiming to have heard of the "Delta Brigade" (named after the events in a previous book where the forces of Ar were defeated in a delta) and scratch deltas everywhere. There later becomes an actual Delta Brigade which they have nothing to do with It's like al-Qaeda - no one group has any interaction with any other group, they just call themselves that and engage in uncivil disobedience.

-->A matchstick drawing of a little horned devil with big grin and forked tail. Sometimes he was stabbing a fat man with a pitchfork. Sometimes just his face would appear, big grin and horns, until shortly even horns and grin meant "Simon was here".
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''
** The Lilac flowers in ''Discworld/NightWatch''.
** The sign of the turtle in ''Discworld/SmallGods'', symbolising the rejection of the Omnian dogma that the world is spherical.
* In the ''Literature/DaughterOfTheLioness'' series by Creator/TamoraPierce, the symbol for the cultural uprising of an ethnic group enslaved and kept on the bottom rung of society was a crude broken manacle: three small circles as a chain attached to a larger broken circle. This tiny sign of the underground rebellion could be seen anywhere--vegetable stands, scratched into the corners of glass windows.
* In the prequel ''LegendsOfDune'' novels, Serena Butler's infant son Manion becomes the symbol of what becomes known as the Butlerian Jihad against the tyrannical [[AIIsACrapshoot Thinking Machines]], after he is thrown from a balcony by the robot Erasmus. He becomes the first martyr in the fight as Manion the Innocent. "Saint" Serena herself joins the ranks of martyrs after she lets herself be taken and killed by the machines to invigorate the masses.
** Serena's grand-niece Rayna Butler is this for the Butlerian movement during and after the Jihad. She herself becomes yet another martyr when she is publicly assassinated by someone opposing her radical anti-technology views. Rayna's NumberTwo Manford Torondo, who lost his legs from a bomb, becomes another strong symbol for the movement, although it's less about rebellion now and more about (in their twisted minds) keeping the Imperium from becoming dependent on technology again. Manford's followers (especially his loyal Swordmaster Anari Idaho, who always carries him on her back) see him as nothing less than a living saint.
* Boko Berikuka in the ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'' short story "Walkin' City Blues" is both a nickname for the walking city of the title, and a symbol of injustice for the city's working classes. It turns out [[spoiler: that the city is PoweredByAForsakenChild, and Boko Berikuka was the name of that child]].

* The Ralad symbol meaning "bird" or "freedom" is used by the Resistance in ''Literature/DeltoraQuest'' to identify members.
* In ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'', Kelsier invokes this in his rebellion against the [[GodEmperor Lord Ruler]]. Up close, he slowly reveals himself to be an outright SociopathicHero, but as the ever-smiling "Survivor of Hathsin", he's a HopeBringer and highly charismatic leader who rallies the masses [[spoiler:and whose ThanatosGambit cements him in this role as a messianic religious figure for centuries]].

* In the ''Series/EnemyAtTheDoor'' episode "V for Victory", the V sign is used to express disaffection with the German occupiers, with cut-out paper Vs appearing in unexpected places, painted Vs appearing on walls, and an enormous burning V appearing in a field one night.

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** Guy Fawkes masks have also become synonymous with the Occupy Wall Street protests. [[TheManIsStickingItToTheMan Amusingly, these masks are copyrighted themselves]] and MegaCorp [[{{Irony}} Time Warner has made a significant profit selling them to protesters.]]

* The inverted cross is often used as a symbol of anti-Christian rebellion. Generally, however, people forget it is actually the symbol of St Peter (who, it is said, asked to be crucified upside-down out of respect for his Rabbi, [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation and/or]] as a "screw you" to the Romans, with his request one-upping them in power), and as such is often used by the Catholic Church as a specific symbol representing him and the Pope.

*** There is an UrbanLegend about when they announced at the Mexico City Theater that France had invaded Mexico at 1839, the audience, out of PatrioticFervor, stand out to sing ''La Marseillaise''. At that time, Mexico still didn't have a National Anthem, and the Mexican audience felt ''La Marseillaise'' was a song about [[UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution heroes fighting for Liberty]], and they felt the song represented them better than TheEmpire France was at that time. It's also important to note that "La Marseillaise" was suppressed at the time by the French government. Authoritarian French governments saw that song as too revolutionary for a national anthem and it would take years before they embraced it.

** Also the "Don't tread on me" snake flag and the forerunners of the Stars and Stripes.
** The “Stars and Bars” aka The Confederate Flag during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar. However, considering [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain what the rebellion was about]], it [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement can be a controversial symbol of rebellion]].
** The "Come and Take It" flag from the Texas revolution. The "1824" flag is growing in popularity as well.

* UsefulNotes/CheGuevara's face has been made the the symbol of rebellious communists. [[TheManIsStickingItToTheMan Ironically, it's also been utilized as icon to sell products by capitalism, which Che opposed.]]

* When a Pope became deeply unpopular in Rome in the late 1700's, the acronym I.S.S.S.V became a widespread graffiti. it stood for ''I Settembre sera sede vacante'' - ''In September the Throne will become vacant''. The Pope in question is thought to have become deeply unsettled by this; he did indeed die of natural causes befroe the following September.
* The yellow high-vis gilets worn by demonstrators in Paris in late 2018 became symbolic of popular resitance to an unpopular government, and have been adopted by protestors in other countries.

*** There is an UrbanLegend about when they announced at the Mexico City Theater that France had invaded Mexico at 1839, the audience, out of PatrioticFervor, stand out to sing ''La Marseillaise''. At that time, Mexico still didn�t have a National Anthem, and the Mexican audience felt ''La Marseillaise'' was a song about [[UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution heroes fighting for Liberty]], and they felt the song represented them better than TheEmpire France was at that time. It's also important to note that "La Marseillaise" was suppressed at the time by the French government. Authoritarian French governments saw that song as too revolutionary for a national anthem and it would take years before they embraced it.

** The “Stars and Bars” aka The Confederate Flag during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar. However, considering [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain what the rebellion was about]], it [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement can be a controversial symbol of rebellion]].

* Ayatollah Khomeini's posters during the Islamic Revolution in UsefulNotes/{{Iran}}.

* In ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'', Kelsier invokes this in his rebellion against the [[GodEmperor Lord Ruler]]. Up close, he slowly reveals himself to be an outright SociopathicHero, but as the ever-smiling "Survivor of Hasthin", he's a HopeBringer and highly charismatic leader who rallies the masses [[spoiler:and whose ThanatosGambit cements him in this role as a messianic religious figure for centuries]].

* OlderThanFeudalism: the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_symbol Ichthys]] was a symbol for the persecuted Christians in Roman times. Written in Greek, the initials of "Jesus Christ God's son Savior" spelled Ichthys, the Greek word for fish.