History Main / UselessAccessory

* Yoh's headphones from ''Manga/{{Shaman King}}''. They're such an integral part of his character that seemingly every villain calls him "headphones" at one point or another, but he stops using them after the first few chapters.
** Supposedly he has them in the first place to block out other people's thoughts. How headphones help avoid mind-reading is another big question. [[spoiler:In reality they belong to his father and he stole them so he could feel closer to him.]]

* When ''Franchise/StarWars'' first came out, did anyone question why Chewbacca was wearing what looked like a clunky sash and nothing else? The Expanded Universe eventually established it was a bandolier containing various tips (explosive, armor piercing) for use with his bowcaster.

* This is the purpose (or lack thereof) of all the nice hats and other cosmetics in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''.
* In ''VideoGame/RuneScape'', among the myriad of armor and weapons, several pieces of equipment offer no stat bonuses whatsoever, such as the Brass Necklace and Cyclopean Helmet, relegated to only serving cosmetic purposes.
* Implemented, much to fans' chagrin, in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series with [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Ganondorf]]'s sword. Ganondorf likes to show off his sword after winning matches or taunting, but he never actually uses it. To quote Masahiro Sakurai, the lead developer of ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'': "What are you putting it away for? Use it! People tend to make fun of Ganondorf for this." Really, though, it seems the developers were making fun of the fans with it until the fourth game did allow the use of it as a replacement move for the Warlock Punch and ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate Ultimate]]'' had him use it in his smash attacks.
** A lesser example is how [[VideoGame/FZero Captain Falcon]] refrains from using his personal sidearm in the games as well. Doesn't stop him from using Ray Guns and Super Scopes, though.

* The ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'' incarnation of [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] gets a ScarfOfAsskicking for no other reason than [[RuleOfCool to look cool]]. It's especially gratuitous as he doesn't wear it when he's first introduced as a knight; he gets the scarf later on when he receives the traditional hero's garb. What makes this weird is that no other incarnation of the character has a scarf as part of the costume, meaning the people who gave it to him added a scarf to the ensemble for no adequately explained reason.

* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': Kim and Ron's commando mission suits in "A Sitch In Time".
** Shego's supervillain outfit has a leg pouch she's never been seen to use. [[RuleOfSexy Then again...]]

* With the exception of a few that confer a SetBonus, this is the purpose (or lack thereof) of all the nice hats in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''.

* NiceHat

* With the exception of a few that confer a SetBonus, this is the purpose (or lack thereof) of all the {{Nice Hat}}s in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' adds hoods to Sora and Kairi's new outfits. Sora never actually uses his in-game, but its inclusion at least makes sense, considering his original outfit had a hood as well. Kairi takes this UpToEleven: she has a hood on her spaghetti strap short dress for no conceivable reason: it's just there because it is.

* Stage dressing example: French musical duo Music/{{Justice}} perform on-stage behind [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Justice_%40_Rock_Werchter_2008.jpg a giant modular synthesizer setup named "Valentine"]], surrounded by a series of 18 Marshall Cabinets and [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic a giant lit cross]]. None of this equipment is functional.

* FingerlessGloves

'''Before adding examples, Please make make sure that they don't fit in a Sub trope.'''

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Doctor usuallly has rather RummageSaleReject costumes, but [[TheNthDoctor the fifth Doctor]] also wore a piece of celery in his lapel.

An accessory which characters never actually use but which is noticeable enough they must consciously choose to wear it.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Doctor has rather RummageSaleReject costumes, but [[TheNthDoctor the fifth Doctor]] also wore a piece of celery in his lapel.

--> '''Tenth Doctor''': ([[strike:Taking the piss out of]] Mocking his fifth self, to his face.) Hey! I'm the Doctor, I can save the Universe using a kettle and some string and look at me, I'm wearing a vegetable!

* Music/{{Buckethead}} wears a [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} chicken]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin bucket]] [[CrazyAwesome on]] [[BunnyEarsLawyer his]] [[NiceHat head]]. It doesn't contain any chicken.

* Used on-and-off by SelfDemonstrating/{{Deadpool}}, whose pouches are almost never used. When they ''are'' used, they have contained action figures (of himself), wallet, keys, and (on one occasion) a pancreas. Then again, he's ''Deadpool''. Logic doesn't work on him.

* Music/{{Buckethead}} wears a [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} chicken]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin bucket]] [[CrazyAwesome on]] [[BunnyEarsLawyer his]] [[NiceHat head]]. It [[CaptainObvious doesn't contain any chicken]].

* Implemented, much to fans' chagrin, in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series with [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Ganondorf]]'s sword. Ganondorf likes to show off his sword after winning matches or taunting, but he never actually uses it. To quote Masahiro Sakurai, the lead developer of ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'': "What are you putting it away for? Use it! People tend to make fun of Ganondorf for this." Really, though, it seems the developers were making fun of the fans with it until the fourth game did allow the use of it as a replacement move for the Warlock Punch.

* The ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'' incarnation of [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] gets a ScarfOfAsskicking for no other reason than [[RuleOfCool to look cool]]. It's especially gratuitous as he doesn't wear it when he's first introduces as a knight; he gets the scarf later on when he receives the traditional hero's garb. What makes this weird is that no other incarnation of the character has a scarf as part of the costume, meaning the people who gave it to him added a scarf to the ensemble for no adequately explained reason.

Compare with ChekovsGun (not to be confused with ChekhovsGun). Also related to CosmeticAward and BadassBandolier. A SetBonus can make such an item a subversion.

* On certain Minecraft skins, weapons, armor, and other such things are present, but are purely aesthetic.

* [[Music/PublicEnemy Flavor Flav]] always wears a wall clock dangling from a chain around his neck. The clock face is frequently unmarked, and even if it is marked, you'd be hard-pressed to find a case when Flavor Flav ever actually used it to tell time. It's not even entirely clear whether his clocks are set to an accurate time.

* Yuuno's side-pouch in ''LyricalNanoha'', which we never see him use. [[http://ashitahadocchida.sakura.ne.jp/top.html Some]] FanWebComics (Omake (?)) [[http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/653/bangai07rm2.jpg have made speculations on what he places in there]].

* {{Averted}} with Comicbook/{{Batman}}, who actually does use items from his utility belt.

* {{Buckethead}} wears a [[CloudCuckooLander chicken]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin bucket]] [[CrazyAwesome on]] [[BunnyEarsLawyer his]] [[NiceHat head]]. It [[CaptainObvious doesn't contain any chicken]].

* Bender and many other robots in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' have antenna that serve no apparent purpose, which gets a LampshadeHanging several times. First when the thing turned out to be interfering with the satellite transmission in his new apartment, and Fry says he should just cut it off since it doesn't do anything, after which it's treated as a robot equivalent of his penis. Again when it's suggested he has a toilet somewhere in his body and pushing down on it flushes. {{Subverted}} again when Mom says most people think she puts antenna on her robots just to make them "more [[BuffySpeak science-fictiony]]" but they really let her take control of everything with a remote control.

* Yoh's headphones from ''Manga/{{Shaman King}}''. They're such an integral part of his character that seemingly every villain calls him "headphones" at one point or another, [[strike:but when do we actually get to see him using them?]] but he stops using them after the first few chapters.

* The Kongs of the Franchise/DonkeyKong franchise wear accessories such as neckties, hats, shirts, etc. that only exist so you can tell who's who.

For example, a DiscreditedTrope from UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks was superhero costumes featuring a large number of pouch-covered belts and harnesses - which never actually seemed to be used.