History Main / LawOfChromaticSuperiority

* A man cannot wear red trousers or shorts[[labelnote:*]]when yachting[[/labelnote]] unless he has sailed across the Atlantic.

** ''Series/JAKQDengekitai'' may be the sole exception with Big One, who is a white hero who manages to take over complete leadership from Spade Ace, which includes field leadership and pretty much all of the attention. Oddly enough, ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' would mirror this situation when EnsembleDarkhorse Tommy gained the White Ranger powers and took over leadership from Jason (though part of that was because Jason was in the process of being written out anyway, and it didn't make sense for the replacement Red Ranger to automatically be placed in charge).

Related to ColourCodedForYourConvenience, ChromaticArrangement, PowerGlows. For tropes concerning specific colors being better, see RedIsHeroic, RedOnesGoFaster and PrimaryColorChampion, GoldenSuperMode, PurpleIsPowerful, and GoldAndWhiteAreDivine. For when colors are worse, see RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver, WhiteShirtOfDeath, and potentially RedShirt.

** Similarly, in Franchise/SuperSentai and Franchise/PowerRangers, the Red Ranger is always TheHero, even when he isn't TheLeader (which he usually is anyway). As such, the Red Ranger is usually privy to somewhat better, if predictable, characterization, a "Battlizer" that grants a unique SuperMode ([[MerchandiseDriven at least in the US adaptations]]), and, in some cases, even a unique motorcycle or mecha. ''Series/JAKQDengekitai'' may be the sole exception with Big One, who is a white hero who manages to take over complete leadership from Spade Ace, which includes field leadership and pretty much all of the attention.

** Most Heisei (2000-onwards) {{Kamen Rider}}s are either red to begin with or gain a red SuperMode. Played with by KamenRiderAgito [[note]]Black and gold, with silver and red SuperMode[[/note]], KamenRiderBlade [[note]]Blue and silver, with a gold and black SuperMode[[/note]], KamenRiderDecade [[note]]Magenta and black, with silver and black SuperMode[[/note]], KamenRiderDouble [[note]]Has a red half-form, but his primary one is green and black[[/note]], KamenRiderOOO [[note]]The MidSeasonUpgrade is all red, but the SuperMode is purple[[/note]], and Series/KamenRiderFourze [[note]]Primarily white, red is just an alternate form, SuperMode is a steel blue[[/note]].
*** On the subject of ''KamenRiderDouble'', reportedly, the show's staff had to fight ExecutiveMeddling tooth and nail for Double to ''not'' be primarily red and used the [[Series/KamenRider original Kamen Rider]] as part of their argument in favor of green and black. In the end, the suits got their red Rider with [[SecondRider Accel]], but even he has a blue MidSeasonUpgrade and a gold, movie-exclusive SuperMode.

** Akira, despite piloting the Black Lion, wears a red uniform (much to the confusion of American viewers watching the ''{{Voltron}}'' translation). This is because the team is essentially a SuperSentai FiveManBand wearing the uniforms they ''would'' be wearing in a regular Sentai. The lions just happen to not match their pilot's colors.

** Similarly, in Franchise/SuperSentai and Franchise/PowerRangers, the Red Ranger is always TheHero, even when he isn't TheLeader (which he usually is anyway). As such, the Red Ranger is usually privy to somewhat better, if predictable, characterization, a "Battlizer" that grants a unique SuperMode ([[MerchandiseDriven at least in the US adaptations]]), and, in some cases, even a unique motorcycle or mecha. ''JAKQDengekitai'' may be the sole exception with Big One, who is a white hero who manages to take over complete leadership from Spade Ace, which includes field leadership and pretty much all of the attention.

** Following his example, his squadron-mates started painting their aeroplanes up in funky colours as well so he wouldn't stand out quite so much. Richthofen's squadron ended up being so colorful that its actual name, "Jagdgeschwader 1", gave way to the nickname "Flying Circus". Before long, practically the entire Imperial German Air Service was trying out the LawOfChromaticSuperiority. German pilots found that, while red paint didn't make their fighters fly any faster, it did make them easy to distinguish from the universally khaki-colored British aircraft in the middle of a dogfight.

* In ''ComicStrip/ThePerishers'', [=Cloudcuckoolander=] Marlon is firmly convinced his soapbox cart goes faster with a red stripe on it. At one point, he tells his "mechanic", Wellington, that it needs a thicker stripe.

* In ''ComicStrip/ThePerishers'', CloudCuckooLander Marlon is firmly convinced his soapbox cart goes faster with a red stripe on it. At one point, he tells his "mechanic", Wellington, that it needs a thicker stripe.

* Wrestling/{{WWE}} Superstar Wrestler/{{Kane}} is known as "The Big Red Machine" or "The Big Red Monster".
* WWERaw, the flagship of the promotion, is known as the "red brand", while WWESmackdown is blue. In theory they're of equal status, but everybody still knows Raw is the A-show and Smackdown is the B-show.

* The Luftwaffe ended up distingushing their pilots in WW2 by the color of their propeller spinner. Yellow-nosed aircraft, as Allied pilots dubbed them, had pilots with 30 kills or more. This proved to be more of a danger to the pilot than an intimidation of the enemy after the arrival of long-ranged Allied fighters on the Western Front: American pilots, confident in their superior numbers and ability to dive out of a bad situation to escape, frequently ''picked fights'' with yellow-nosed enemy aircraft in preference to lesser ones. Some of these American pilots [[GenreBlind didn't even know]] what the yellow noses signified, rendering the intimidation factor moot.

* The trolls of ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', whose [[AlienBlood "hemospectrum"]] goes from purple and [[BlueBlood blue]] at the top to yellow and red at the bottom [[spoiler: and Karkat's mutant bright red blood being off the scale]]. Being of a lower blood color might give you psychic powers (see [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Aradia]] or [[EyeBeams Sollux]]), but it also means you are subject to FantasticRacism and ensures that you'll be the first one to feel [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething Feferi's lusus's]] [[BrownNote Vast Glub]].

[[caption-width-right:345:[[CaptainObvious The red one is better than the others.]]]]

* Desirability of being associated with a favorable color is the reason why the boss in ''ReservoirDogs'' chooses the pseudonyms of his employees.

*** And then ''GundamUnicorn'' unveiled the Sinanju, which really IS three times faster than its accompanying Geara Zulus; it's even piloted by Char[[spoiler:'s clone]]. Three guesses as to what its color is.
** The Char Custom Rule should also be given the Quattro Bajeena Corrollary: if red is not enough to emphasize its awesome, the mecha should be colored Gold (best example being the [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Hyaku-Shiki]] and the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny Akatsuki Gundam]]).

* Purple, in some societies, came to be associated with royalty because it was expensive to produce. Sometimes, it was even ''illegal'' for commoners to possess it. [[spoiler: It's made out of a mucus secretion of sea snails.]]

** Similarly, in SuperSentai and PowerRangers, the Red Ranger is always TheHero, even when he isn't TheLeader (which he usually is anyway). As such, the Red Ranger is usually privy to somewhat better, if predictable, characterization, a "Battlizer" that grants a unique SuperMode ([[MerchandiseDriven at least in the US adaptations]]), and, in some cases, even a unique motorcycle or mecha. ''JAKQDengekitai'' may be the sole exception with Big One, who is a white hero who manages to take over complete leadership from Spade Ace, which includes field leadership and pretty much all of the attention.
*** This causes interesting effects in PowerRangers seasons when there are two Reds. ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'' gave different Battlized forms to both the Red Ranger and the Quantum Ranger, and in ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaStorm'', the Red Ranger got the Battlizer but the Crimson Ranger got an equally impressive CoolBike.
*** Taken furthest with ''BakuryuuSentaiAbaranger'' and ''Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder''; where not only did the Red Ranger get the same SuperMode as the rest of the group, he got a SixthRanger-style upgrade with its own weaponry and Zord, and then ''Dino Thunder'' added a Battlizer on top of ''that''!

** More generally, if someone is wearing red armor in any ''Star Wars'' work (including the Emperor's bodyguards), they are definitely EliteMooks. In KnightsoftheOldRepublic, for instance, Sith Commandos wear read instead of [[BlingofWar the usual shining silver.]]

Related to ColourCodedForYourConvenience, ChromaticArrangement, PowerGlows. For tropes concerning specific colors being better, see RedIsHeroic and PrimaryColorChampion, GoldenSuperMode, PurpleIsPowerful, and GoldAndWhiteAreDivine. For when colors are worse, see RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver, WhiteShirtOfDeath, and potentially RedShirt.

* Katina Trask of ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', specifically in ''Original Generations'', has special battle comments when fighting red mecha; one is essentially "the red ones do triple damage!". She, herself, pilots a red Gespenst. Also, any and everything that [[strike:Elzam]]Ratsel canonically pilots is painted black with red trim.

* ''PrincessTutu'': [[TheOjou Rue]] is the star dancer of the school and wears a red leotard in contrast to the blue ones of other students. Inversely, Ahiru is a complete [[CuteClumsyGirl clutz]] just barely keeping herself out of the probationary class and wears a white leotard.

* Played with in ''Stationery Voyagers''. Imperial Markerterion sends the Red Fleet after the Voyagers ''specifically because'' they're most incompetent team. [[XanatosGambit So that, if they fail, the Voyagers can gather more useful information before being captured]]. The Teal Fleet has all the means to crush the Voyagers--but...''doesn't.'' The Blue Fleet actually ends up ''helping'' them, albeit indirectly, [[EnemyMine by being more concerned with battling Yehtzig Pirates]].

-->--'''Nameless alien security officer''', ''LiloAndStitch''

* In ''[[WesternAnimation/AvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes]]'', Iron Man becomes the first superhero to lead the Avengers. As people who read Iron Man's comics and/or saw the movies would expect, he mostly uses red and gold armor in this show. This incarnation even wears red as Tony Stark.