History Main / InsigniaRipOffRitual

* {{Batgirl}} does this to herself following [[spoiler:supposedly killing her brother, James, Jr. He's alive in another comic]]. When she goes to comfort Batman following [[spoiler:the death of Damian Wayne]], Bruce calls her out on her hypocrisy of running around in costume yet not wearing the emblem of the Bat.

* In Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/StarshipTroopers'', a child-killer in the protagonist's unit is subjected to this by MI authorities. Even uniform buttons are removed. This is before he's executed by hanging. The act is described with a euphemistic nod: 'He'll dance to Danny Deever'. And they play the song "Danny Deever" as they march the condemned man to the gallows.

** Sargent Jackrum of ''Discworld/MonstrousRegiment'' does this after another character points out that [[WouldNotShootACivilian he, as a member of the military, can't do anything to prisoners of war]]. And it was [[AwesomeMoments fun]].

* In a ''{{Superboy}}'' (90s clone version) story, ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} (90s Matrix version) tries to persuade him to come with her and sort out why he's currently a wanted fugitive. When he refuses, she uses her telekinesis to pull the S-shields off his chest and the back of his jacket.

* In a ''{{Superboy}}'' (90s clone version) story, {{Supergirl}} (90s Matrix version) tries to persuade him to come with her and sort out why he's currently a wanted fugitive. When he refuses, she uses her telekinesis to pull the S-shields off his chest and the back of his jacket.
* At the end of ''GothamCentral'', when her partner is murdered by [[DirtyCop Jim Corrigan]], Renee Montoya is frustrated and enraged when he manages to get off scot-free [[BadCopIncompetentCop after the evidence is tampered with]]. She breaks into his apartment prepared to murder him [[IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim but can not bring herself to go through with it]]. [[DespairEventHorizon Disgusted with herself and the entire police force]], Renee ended the series dropping her badge and gun on Captain Maggie Sawyer's desk as she quits the department.
* In the middle of ''InfiniteCrisis'' Superman rips the S from the costume worn by Superboy-Prime to indicate he is not worthy to wear it.

* Played perfectly straight in the StarWarsExpandedUniverse with the second novel of the second Han Solo Trilogy. The first book ended up with him a full-fledged Imperial officer and proud. The second book starts with him drunken, unshaven, and trying to get this goddamn Wookiee to leave him alone. He was dishonorably discharged (for refusing to let said Wookiee slave be killed), and in the ceremony, a fellow officer and someone he considered a friend tore his insignia from his uniform.

* Gandalf breaking Saruman's staff in ''TheLordOfTheRings'' serves both to demonstrate his new power and as an example of this trope, since the staff symbolises his position as one of the Istari. [[note]]Hence Saruman's earlier accusation about Gandalf desiring 'the rods of the five wizards'[[/note]] Also, Denethor's last act before lying down on his burning pyre is to break his own scepter of office over his knee.

* A comedic example occurs in an episode of ''MST3K'' where TV's Frank gets fired by Dr. Forrester. Not only does Dr. Forrester rip off Frank's "Deep 13" badge, but his iconic forehead curl as well.

* Done in the [[ClassicDisneyShort Disney war short]] "Home Defense"; after DonaldDuck sees through the boys' ruse of an attack, he rips off their chevrons and destroys their (wooden) swords. Then, when he (again falsely) believes he's under attack (and makes sure that it wasn't the boys this time), he sews the chevrons back on and gives them new swords. Near the end, as Donald orders the boys' to fire the cannon, knot knowing it's pointing straight at himself, one of the boys, knowing the inevitable, rips off his chevron himself before firing.

* Done in the [[ClassicDisneyShort Disney war short]] "Home Defense"; after DonaldDuck sees through the boys' ruse of an attack, he rips off their chevrons and destroys their (wooden) swords. Then, when he (again falsely) believes he's under attack (and makes sure that it wasn't the boys this time), he sews the chevrons back on and gives them new swords.

* John Kerry - along with hundreds of other veterans - famously threw his medals over the wall of the White House while protesting the Vietnam War in the 1970s. Several of these medals later reappeared in time for his presidential run in 2004. [[SeriousBusiness Various political opponents asserted that either the medals he threw in 1971 or the medals he wore in 2004 must have been fake.]] (The medals are not the awards, they are symbols of the awards, and replacements can be obtained. Nonmilitary case in point: MuhammadAli, acting for the same reasons as Kerry, threw his Olympic gold medal for boxing into the Ohio River. He was given a replacement at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.)

-->--''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''

* In the third ''RoboCop'' movie, the Detroit cops in a police station are ordered by an OCP company director to expel by force some civilian from their houses (so that OCP can level the block for redevelopment). One of the older veterans refuses, yanks off his badge and throws it on the floor. The whole unit then walks past the director, each throwing their badge down. The director then used the prisoners[=/=]criminals to perform the task, along with its own para-military unit.

* Gandalf breaking Saruman's staff in ''TheLordOfTheRings'' serves both to demonstrate his new power and as an example of this trope, since the staff symbolises his position as one of the Istari. [[hottip:* :Hence Saruman's earlier accusation about Gandalf desiring 'the rods of the five wizards']] Also, Denethor's last act before lying down on his burning pyre is to break his own scepter of office over his knee.

* An unusual variation is mentioned in the backstory of ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'' (quite literally AllThereInTheManual), with the kiith[[hottip:*:sort of like TrueCompanions crossed with a kibbutz and, in all cases other than the Sobani, a clan - it's complicated]] Soban having initiates perform this ritual upon themselves to symbolise the fact that they are forsaking all prior allegiances in favour of TheSpartanWay of their new clan.

* Parodied multiple times in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. When Homer was kicked out of the Stonecutters for violating their sacred parchment, he had to turn in his robes and Stonecutter underwear, then he was ordered to walk home naked, chained to the "Stone of Shame".[[hottip:*:Subverted when they see Homer has the Stonecutter symbol on his rear, marking him as the Chosen One. They then chain him to the much larger and heavier Stone of Triumph.]] Later on when he was kicked out of the Gun Club, he was told to turn in his ''tattoo'', which Moe offered to remove with a cheese grater (to Moe's disappointment, Homer never got the tattoo).

* In the ''{{Ultraman}}'' episode "Don't Shoot, Arashi!", Captain Mura tears the Science Patrol's shooting-star pin (which doubles as a communicator) off Arashi's tunic after the latter disobeys orders by opening fire indiscriminately when a monster attacks a science museum where there are a lot of children present. [[spoiler:Arashi redeems himself, with help from Hayata/Ultraman, and Mura reinstates him at the end of the episode.]]

* Inverted on ''{{Stargate SG-1}}''. When the team got back together at the beginning of season nine, Mitchell put all of their patches ''back on''.

* An upcoming issue cover of TheNew52 {{Batgirl}} shows Barbara plucking the bat symbol off of her costume with a knife, most likely after [[spoiler: being blamed for the death of her deranged brother. He actually survived, but he's in another comic at the moment.]]

* John Kerry famously threw his medals over the wall of the White House while protesting the Vietnam War in the 1970s. Several of these medals later reappeared in time for his presidential run in 2004. [[SeriousBusiness Various political opponents asserted that either the medals he threw in 1971 or the medals he wore in 2004 must have been fake.]] (The medals are not the awards, they are symbols of the awards, and replacements can be obtained. Nonmilitary case in point: MuhammadAli, acting for the same reasons as Kerry, threw his Olympic gold medal for boxing into the Ohio River. He was given a replacement at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.)

** Iraqi war veteran John Michael Turner publically admitted to partaking in and witnessing war crimes while in Iraq at a press release before throwing his medals and stars to the ground.

* The mercenary companies of ''TheDeedOfPaksenarrion'' have the practice of "turning out ''tinisi turin''" (meaning "shorn sheep") that does not involve literal insignia but fills the dishonorable discharge role in a humiliating and painful way. The offender is paraded in front of the company and stripped of his/her uniform. He is then shaved of all body hair (yes, even ''there''), branded with an identifying mark, probably whipped as suits the offense and then sent off naked, expelled from the realm.

** ''Transformers'' does this a lot. Jetfire ([[WesternAnimation/The Transformers Skyfire]]) does this when he decides he wants to be an Autobot instead of a Decepticon, and [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars Waspinator]], fed up at being blown up all the time and essentially being the eternal ChewToy, tears off his insignia near the end of a long rant. In keeping with his ButtMonkey status, he is blown up just before he finished his speech.

** ''Transformers'' does this a lot. Jetfire does this when he decides he wants to be an Autobot instead of a Decepticon, and [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars Waspinator]], fed up at being blown up all the time and essentially being the eternal ChewToy, tears off his insignia near the end of a long rant. In keeping with his ButtMonkey status, he is blown up just before he finished his speech.

* Used in a '60s ''Comicbook/{{Legion Of Super-Heroes}}'' story [[http://www.comicbookdb.com/graphics/comic_graphics/1/92/49834_20060709004942_large.jpg (and cover)]] when Bouncing Boy ([[SilverAge the sixties were different]]) defeats the rest of the Legion with his super bouncing (no, really). For added humor value, note that the male Legionaires [[ClothingDamage leave holes in their costume]]. Saturn Girl's emblem just seems to pop off, leaving her costume [[ComicsCode Comics Code Approved]]. (In the story itself, all the emblems pop off without clothing damage.)

* An upcoming issue cover of TheNew52 {{Batgirl}} shows Barbara plucking the bat symbol off of her costume with a knife, most likely after [[spoiler: being blamed for the death of her deranged brother. HeGotBetter, but he's in another comic at the moment.]]

* This happens to Film/Thor when Odin banishes him. This symbolises Thor no longer being worthy to inherit the throne.