History Main / ScaryImpracticalArmor

Sometimes an EvilOverlord will wear this [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking even when]] [[OrcusOnHisThrone not in battle]], which creates a variation of ErmineCapeEffect. Many of these are also {{Tin Tyrant}}s.

* Sauron in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' films, and some of the artwork for him. As a semi-incorporeal spirit being, he wouldn't need armor for anything other than looking cool and intimidating. Except maybe protecting his AchillesHeel that he wore, unprotected and exposed, on his finger.
** Without the armor he likely wouldn't have had a finger to wear the One Ring on.
*** Ah, but in the book, Gollum specifically says that now he only has nine fingers, and the armor...well, blew up in the movie.

* Mr Freeze is often shown in suits of armour that are incredibly large and bulky and look like big badass robots. They do their job keeping him cool, the problem is that some are so wide in the shoulder/chest that for the rather average built Freeze to wear them and actually move his arms would have to be cut off and stuffed in the sleeves. In his later appearance in the 90s animated series he adopted a very broad look but it was justified: His body was robotic and his only living flesh was a head in a jar.

Compare BlingOfWar, ImpracticallyFancyOutfit, ImpossiblyCoolWeapon, StylishProtectionGear. Compare/Contrast PimpedOutDress.

Sometimes an EvilOverlord will wear this even when not in battle, which creates a variation of ErmineCapeEffect. Many of these are also {{Tin Tyrant}}s.

Armor with loads of flashy things that look intimidating, but it often looks more useful than it actually is. It has loads of SpikesOfVillainy, ShouldersOfDoom, and often some skulls.

* The picture is from ''AvatarTheLastAirbender''. Aang tries some on, and soon falls over. The DVDCommentary has the guys saying it's a TakeThat to this kind of look.

* In Film/{{Highlander}} the Kurgan has a skull helmet. He would have been better off with a normal metal one.

* The final batsuit worn Jean Paul Valley, aka Azrael, during the [[{{Batman}} Knightfall]] arc qualifies. [[http://media.comicmix.com/media/2009/06/04/azbat-2.jpg At first it mainly added gauntlets with projectile shooters, extra chest armor, a glider cape, and other bits of tech]]. Towards the end of the arc, as Jean Paul was going insane, [[http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq306/modesty_011/555-1.jpg he added more armor, added ammo feed belts for his gauntlets connecting to a drum on his back, and ditched the cape for a set of metal fins.]] And of course, being the 90's, the suit had brighter colors, particularly after it was set of fire, revealing a red and yellow paint scheme underneath, despite the role of Batman requiring stealth. As Bruce noted when he had to fight Jean Paul to get him under control, the armor hampered his mobility, making him slow and awkward.

-->''"Their armour's almost useless. Good armour is supposed to protect the man wearing it but to give him a certain freedom of movement. There's not much point in turning yourself into a turtle."''\\
''"It looks sort of intimidating, though."''\\
''"That's all it really is - something worn for its appearance. All those spikes and hooks are useless, and worse yet, they'll just guide an opponents weapon to vulnerable points. What were their armourers thinking of?"''\\
-- '''''[[DavidEddings The Elenium]]'''''

-->''"I am a monster truck that walks like a man!"''\\
-- ''[[ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]], in his ''{{Darksiders}}'' review''

* It is suggested that [[StarWars Darth Vader's]] armour works this way... it keeps him alive, but also limits his abilities.

*** Isn't the armor suppossed to be ornamental, and thus excused from practicality, though?

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-->''"Their armour's almost useless. Good armour is supposed to protect the man wearing it but to give him a certain freedom of movement. There's not much point in turning yourself into a turtle."''\\
''"It looks sort of intimidating, though."''\\
''"That's all it really is - something worn for its appearance. All those spikes and hooks are useless, and worse yet, they'll just guide an opponents weapon to vulnerable points. What were their armourers thinking of?"''\\
-- '''''[[DavidEddings The Elenium]]'''''

* ''{{Myth}}'''': The Fallen Lords'' has this with [[BigBad Balor]]. Not only was his armor spikey, its protective qualities were completely redundant considering how many magical dreams of protection he had woven about himself (which is also the reason most other arch mages in the setting never bother wearing armor.) Balor wore it just for the [[CardCarryingVillain intimidation factor]].

* ''{{Myth}}'''': The Fallen Lords'' has this with [[BigBad Balor]]. Not only was his armor spikey, its protective qualities were completely redundant considering how many magical dreams of protection he had woven about himself (which is also the reason most other arch mages in the setting never bother wearing armor.) Balor wore it just for the [[CardCarryingVillian intimidation factor]].

** Probably because David at this point was in his mid teens (at most) and Saul was a grown man. Even otherwise practical armor would be cumbersome if it doesn't fit the person trying to wear it.

*** And as the character moves in various ways, the shoulders often clip through the body in ways that should result in impromptu decapitation or brain surgery.

** For that matter, Tactical Dreadnought (aka Terminator) armour, whether loyalist or traitor, fits into this trope. Those wearing it get a ferocious (if slightly horse-like) helmet, are literally ten feet tall wearing it, and can heft and fire the kind of [[BFG weapons]] most of the setting's [[PoweredArmour power armoured]] SuperSoldiers struggle to carry, with ''one hand'', and can shrug off hits from anything up to and including anti-tank weaponry. The downside? No peripheral vision (until recently they couldn't even turn their heads inside the armour), slow and ponderous, so even a vaguely agile foe can dodge around behind you in open field combat, the design makes it impossible for you to right yourself if you fall over, and, as a crowning moment of impractical, require your shoulders to be in or level with your ears...