History Main / SignatureScent

* ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo:'' Fuu is searching for a samurai who "smells of sunflowers".

* The title character in ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'' [[TheNoseKnows identifies people by scent]] because he is half-dog demon. Early on, he mistakes Kagome for Kikyo because their scents are so similar, though he quickly learns to distinguish them.
* {{Downplayed|Trope}} in episode 98 of ''Anime/SailorMoon''. Early on, Usagi and Haruka are hiding together, and Usagi notices the scent of Haruka's cologne. Later, as Sailor Moon and Sailor Uranus, they're [[ChainedHeat handcuffed together]] by the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monster of the Day]], and when they once again hide, Moon notices the same scent on Uranus. This is Moon's first clue to Uranus's identity, since at this point Uranus and Neptune have been working their own agenda separate from the other Sailor Senshi.
* Bacterian from ''Manga/DragonBall'' has a recognizably foul stench.
* In ''Manga/FruitsBasket'', [[spoiler:the cat's true form]] smells like "something dead and rotting" and is generally vomit-inducing.

* In ''Manga/AkameGaKill'', Wave is often remarked on as smelling unpleasantly like fish or saltwater. Kurome is the only one who can tolerate it.

* In ''Manga/TheSevenDeadlySins'', fairies are BornFromPlants, so their [[VoluntaryShapeshifting natural]] forms carry the scent of a flower [[FlowerMotifs that differs depending on the person]]. One way Gowther recognized King after the TimeSkip was by the smell of sweet olive flowers (symbolizing [[AllLoveIsUnrequited love and loyalty]]) on him.

* The recurring ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' villain Demogoblin is noted to leave a stench like sulfur thanks to the brimstone and hellfire he carries about. (He is an actual [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]], after all.)

* In ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', when the [[spoiler:Dark Phoenix]] is on the verge of appearing, there will often be a pervasive scent of woodsmoke. This inspires an OhCrap reaction for everyone in the know, and Harry winds up exploiting it when fighting [[spoiler:Dracula]], who has a past with the entity in question.
* In ''Fanfic/TheLandOfWhatMightHaveBeen,'' enormous industrialist [[AdiposeRex Rostov Branderstove]] is said to smell very strongly of tarnished metal and old paper -- in other words, the smell of ''money.'' He also likes to wear ambergris perfume, another nod to his wealth. [[spoiler:In the present-day segments, Branderstove has been transformed into a monstrous octopus hybrid known as the Leviathan, and now smells of salt water and "busy fishmarkets"... but Elphaba soon recognizes that he still has that distinctive whiff of ambergris.]]
* The writers want you to know the title character of ''Fanfic/KamenRiderShowa'' is so stained by his past as a brainwashed assassin that someone with a good nose for it can smell the blood of his victims wherever he goes.

* In ''Film/{{Tremors}}'', [[SandWorm Graboids]] stink, [[EvilSmellsBad smelling like sewage or rotten meat]] according to characters. This is a plot point in the first two films which occasionally clues characters in to the presence of a Graboid.
* In ''Film/OBrotherWhereArtThou'', Ulysses exclusively uses Dapper Dan hair pomade, and he cites its unique scent as the reason for his brand loyalty. This smell is so associated with Ulysses that the sheriff chasing him just makes his bloodhounds follow the Dapper Dan.
* In ''{{Film/PerfumeThe StoryOfAMurderer}}'', a murderer who is obsessed with perfume is guided by his intense sense of smell.
* In ''{{Film/Scent of a Woman}}'', Al Pacino plays a blind retired military officer who can recognise women who walk in the room by the perfume they wear.
* In ''Film/TheUninvited1944'', the manifestation of the benevolent ghost is always accompanied by the scent of mimosa blossoms. This serves as both a red-herring and a plot point when it comes to determining the ghost's identity, since one character's dead mother always wore mimosa-scented perfume.

* In ''Film/DiamondsAreForever'', Mr. Wint wears a particular aftershave throughout the film. When he and Mr. Kidd try to kill Bond towards the end, Bond remarks "I've smelled that aftershave before, and both times, I've smelled a rat."
* ''Film/ChipNDaleRescueRangers2022'': Monterey Jack regularly wears official ''Rescue Rangers'' cologne, which Chip says smells like almond butter and gasoline. Later at the police station, Chip and Dale pick up that same scent coming from Captain Putty's office, cluing them that either Putty or Ellie is in league with Sweet Pete and was involved in Monty's kidnapping.
-->'''Chip:''' Monty was literally the only person to ever use that disgusting cologne!
-->'''Dale:''' Actually, I heard it's still used in Latvia to strip paint. But of course, we never see a dime of that.

* Joe from ''Literature/{{ByAnyOtherName|2013}}'' has a natural spicy smell, which Holly greatly prefers to the overpowering smell of deodorant or aftershave that some boys have.

* ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'':

* ''Literature/JuliasKitchen'': Before their deaths, Julia smelled of vanilla from working in the kitchen, and Janie smelled of erasers because she collected them.
* In ''Literature/IfIFallIfIDie'', Will's mother Diane smells like yellowed paperbacks, cinnamon, and fresh laundry.
* During Julia's segments in ''[[Literature/TheMagicians The Magician King]]'', she can recognize magicians by the smell of ozone: when Quentin returns to New York while on vacation, she knows that he's secretly been studying at Brakebills because his hands smell of lightning, and later, when Julia finally begins to work her own magic, she clearly recognizes the electric smell around her first spell -- "Quentin's smell", as she calls it.

* Jeremy from ''Literature/TheSilenceOfMurder'' smells like late season grass and cherry Kool-Aid. His room still smells like him even after he's been in jail for two months.
* In ''Literature/WhatToSayNext'', Kit notes that her love interest David has a sweet lemony smell.
* Emmet from ''Literature/TheRoosevelt'' has synesthesia. To him, Jeremey's smell is bluish green with brown and white flecks and bits of yellow, like an ocean wave.
* ''Literature/{{Mindblind}}'':
** Molly wears her leather riding boots everywhere, so she always smells like manure.
** Three-year-old Joshua smells like a mixture of Mr. Bubble, mint toothpaste, and chocolate.
** Jessa smells like citrus.
* Merrill from ''Literature/PostHighSchoolRealityQuest'' smells like his mom's cigarettes and crocheted dolls. If Buffy spends too much time at his house, she starts smelling that way too.
* Anna from ''Literature/Mouse2017'' smells like lilacs.
* Stanley from ''Literature/WhenMyHeartJoinsTheThousand'' has a warm, pleasant smell, like cinnamon and old books.
* ''Literature/TheMissingPieceOfCharlieOReilly'': Charlie's mom smells like Aveda shampoo, Dove soap, and grapefruit, even though her usual smells are almost overwhelmed by the smell of her unwashed hoodie since she became severely depressed.
* Hyacinth from ''Literature/ADrownedMaidensHair'' always smells of violets.
* In ''Literature/TheRealBoy'', the healer's apprentice Callie smells of licorice and hazelnut.
* ''Literature/{{Thora}}'': The mermaid Halla's hair smells like pumpkin pie. When the human Thor comments on it, Halla thinks he's incredibly exotic, because she's never heard of pumpkins.
* ''Literature/Mermaid2011'':
** Margrethe remembers her late mother as smelling like lavender.
** Christopher's sister Katrina smells pleasantly of flowers.
* ''Literature/TruthOrDare2000'': Josh's grandfather smelled strongly of leather and tobacco. He's been dead for years, but his study and the belongings in his drawers still smell like him.

* In ''Series/Warehouse13'', "I smell fudge" means something weird, usually bad, is about to happen. If it's weird and good, you may smell apples.

* ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'': Adam and Tanya order drinks from Ernie, but a gross green substance comes out of the dispenser and the sink faucet. Adam and Tanya sniff it and recognize it as the oil used to power the Machine Empire, which is being used to contaminate the Earth's water supply.
* In the ''Series/{{CSI}}'' episode "Fannysmackin'", Greg is badly beaten and his eyes are swollen shut, but when Sara arrives, he tells her he recognizes "that Sidle scent".

* ''VideoGame/TempleOfApshai'': Giant rats have a distinctive musty smell.

* Zexion of ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' has the odd ability of [[TheNoseKnows smelling]] [[CastingAShadow darkness]], although what said odor is like is never described. In ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories Chain of Memories]]'', he briefly mistakes Riku's scent when he appears in the basement of Castle Oblivion for that of the Superior of Organization XIII. This is important because [[spoiler:within Riku's darkness lies [[EnemyWithin the lingering presence of]] "Ansem, Seeker of Darkness", the first game's BigBad and the Heartless of Xehanort. The leader of Organization XIII Zexion alludes to is Xemnas, Xehanort's Nobody, which explains the momentary confusion.]]
* In ''VideoGame/GrandiaII'', the villain Melfice is tracked by the beastman Mareg, who tends to mutter (before attacking whatever he detected it on) "This SMELL... MELFICE!" Melfice is revealed early on to be the main character's brother. This is a problem (understatement) when they first meet Mareg, because they apparently smell alike.

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Geneforge}}'' series, the presence of spawners in an area is usually preceded by a smell of vinegar. Rothgroths, a type of creation that secretes acid, are usually accompanied by the smell of decay as the acid sloughs and rots their skin.

* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/Persona5'' lives in a cafe, and his teammates will occasionally note that he always smells like coffee.
* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'': A HunterOfMonsters warns the player character that Zygaena, a dangerous [[spoiler:[[SharkMan wereshark]]]], can be identified by his fishy smell. Unfortunately, they don't notice this when they meet him in his human disguise.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheMarvelousMisadventuresOfFlapjack'': In "Footburn", K'nuckles tells Flapjack of a childhood flame he describes as smelling like fish guts and aftershave. At the end of the episode, Flapjack says he smells those things, revealing that the trolley conductor they met was her all grown up.

* Joe from ''Literature/ByAnyOtherName'' has a natural spicy smell, which Holly greatly prefers to the overpowering smell of deodorant or aftershave that some boys have.

** Beggar Foul Ole Ron has a smell that is so strange it's developed its own separate identity and sometimes goes to parties on its own.

** The reason for this, or at least one reason, is to prevent inbreeding. We don't want to bang our family not because we share blood, but because we know their scents. Wouldn't quite work if we all smelled the same.
* There is a characteristic odor that hangs around alcoholics -- it's the result of the breakdown of ethanol by the liver into aldehydes that are then excreted through the sweat. It doesn't smell like alcohol; it's the characteristic odor of someone who drinks all the time.

* In ''{{Film/Perfume:The StoryOfAMurderer}}'', a murderer who is obsessed with perfume is guided by his intense sense of smell.

* In ''{{Film/Perfume: The Story of a Murderer}}'', a murderer who is obsessed with perfume is guided by his intense sense of smell.

* In ''{{Film/Scent of a Woman}}, Al Pacino plays a blind retired military officer who can recognise women who walk in the room by the perfume they wear.

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HOME2019APRILSCENTS OF CINEMA: PERFUME IN FILM
SCENTS OF CINEMA: PERFUME IN FILM

Movies, by their very nature, are audio-visual experiences. We watch the characters move around and we see the plot play out on-screen as we hear the music, the voices, the sound effects, and more.

The idea of a film being able to trigger any of our other senses is fundamentally absurd, and yet there are countless moments in cinema when we really can almost touch, taste, and smell what’s happening on-screen. Jon Favreau’s Chef is a wonderful example, with the food itself arguably being the star of the show and leaving audiences salivating all over the globe, with plenty of other films exploring foods and drinks in other exciting ways.

Few films, however, have really explored the power of scent, especially in regards to perfume. Perfumes are part of our daily lives, enriching the world and the people around us with pleasant aromas that can trigger all kinds of emotions, not so dissimilar to films, in fact.

Still, there have been a few great films over the years to offer starring, or at the very least supporting, roles to scents and fragrances. Here are a few of the very best of these films for all the perfume lovers out there.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Based on one of Kurt Cobain’s favourite novels, a book that was said to be unfilmable, this 2006 psychological thriller stars Alan Rickman, Ben Whishaw, and Dustin Hoffman. Taking place in 18th century France, it follows a crazed murderer with a passion for perfume and an intensely powerful sense of smell. The film received plenty of positive reviews and a few award nominations and is worth a watch for the performances of Hoffman and Rickman alone.


Coco Before Chanel
There have been a few interesting films about the big European perfume and fashion designers over the years. Saint Laurent is one notable example, and Coco Before Chanel is another. Starring one of France’s finest actresses, Audrey Tautou, in the leading role, this biopic tells the fascinating true-life tale of Coco Chanel in the build-up towards launching her most famous scent. Perfume isn’t exactly given a starring role here, but the fact that the film is all about one of the most iconic scent creators of all time earns it a spot on this list.

** Nightcrawler's {{teleportation}} ability produces a sulfuric cloud that characters routinely complain about. It is apparently a somewhat unique smell, because he's rarely if ever confused for anyone else.

* In the "The Adventure of the Nutmeg Concoction" episode of ''Series/{{Elementary}}'', a faint smell of nutmeg is detected at a number of crime scenes, leading an FBI profiler to insist it's the "olfactory signature" of a SerialKiller. [[spoiler:Sherlock takes one look at the file and says that the crimes have too little in common to be a serial killer; the agent in question is letting his desperation to be a hero cloud his judgement. There is a connection between the crime scenes, but the scent is left by the criminal who [[CleanupCrew makes a living cleaning up crime scenes]] using a strong chemical that smells faintly of nutmeg, rather than by the perpetrators of the original crime.]]

* Anna from ''Literature/{{Mouse}}'' smells like lilacs.

* In ''Manga/NanatsuNoTaizai'', fairies are BornFromPlants, so their [[VoluntaryShapeshifting natural]] forms carry the scent of a flower [[FlowerMotifs that differs depending on the person]]. One way Gowther recognized King after the TimeSkip was by the smell of sweet olive flowers (symbolizing [[AllLoveIsUnrequited love and loyalty]]) on him.

* ''Fanfic/WalkingInCircles'': Solas always smell of herbs and old books to the point that even without looking and being surrounded by blood, Evelyn can still know that he’s there with her.

-->'''Chip:''' Monty was literally the only person to ever use that cologne!

* ''Film/ChipNDaleRescueRangers2022'': Monterey Jack regularly wears official ''Rescue Rangers'' cologne, which Chip says smells like almond butter and gasoline. Later at the police station, Chip and Dale pick up that same scent coming from Captain Putty's office, cluing them that either Putty or Ellie are in league with Sweet Pete and was involved in Monty's kidnapping.