Line #62 Main/ScaryImpracticalArmor


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4	[[quoteright:282:[[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scary_impractical_armor.png]]]]
5	[[caption-width-right:282:Not even [[TheChosenOne the Avatar]] can stand up to it... or ''in'' it.]]
6
7	Armor with loads of flashy things that look intimidating, but that may not be nearly as useful as it looks. It has loads of SpikesOfVillainy, ShouldersOfDoom, and often [[SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset some skulls]]. Expect any headgear to be a RageHelm, unless the bearer is [[HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic a main character]]. It is meant to look intimidating first and foremost, and may be more hindrance than help to the wearer. Can sometimes qualify as ImpossiblyCoolClothes, but other times the character with the terrible taste to wear it is a FashionVictimVillain.
8
9	If any normal character wore this armor, it might render them so heavy and awkward they could barely fight. However, if a character can wear this mess and still fight effectively despite the armor practically being a PowerLimiter, it renders them even more threatening.
10
11	AnimatedArmor made from this kind of suit of course has none of the mobility problems a human would have, probably due to lacking any structure without the armor to begin with. AWizardDidIt indeed. Similarly made more plausible by PoweredArmor in sci-fi settings.
12
13	Sometimes an EvilOverlord will wear this [[TwentyFourHourArmor even when]] [[OrcusOnHisThrone not in battle]], which creates a variation of ErmineCapeEffect. Many of these are also {{Tin Tyrant}}s. Bonus points if said armor comes with a HighCollarOfDoom.
14
15	Compare WeaponForIntimidation. It serves the same purpose and may be wielded by someone who wears this armor.
16
17	Cursed variations may become a highly impractical ClingyCostume.
18
19	Compare TwentyFourHourArmor, BlingOfWar, GoodArmorEvilArmor, ImpracticallyFancyOutfit, ImpossiblyCoolWeapon, BreastPlate, StylishProtectionGear, BattleBallgown.
20
21	Compare/Contrast PimpedOutDress.
22
23	----
24	!!Examples:
25	[[foldercontrol]]
26
27	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
28	* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'':
29	** Every knight in has ScaryImpracticalArmor, verging on CostumePorn in most cases (though calling them impractical is perhaps unfair, since we only see them demonstrate ArmorIsUseless against [[{{BFS}} the Dragonslayer]] or the attacks of the Apostles that Guts fights).
30	** Guts' Berserker Armor, on the other hand, looks like Batman's suit if it had a SavageWolf motif and can keep the user in combat at the cost of their prolonged health by jamming metal spikes to bypass broken bones.
31	** Griffith's Apostle cavalry goes even further, with the Apostle and his mount melding with the armor to form a single nightmarish creature based on the armor's theme.
32	* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'':
33	** Barry the Chopper is an AnimatedArmor that looks like this, complete with skull-like helmet.
34	** So is Al; he has spikes all over the place even on the joints. The way his chest bulges out seems impractical but it's probably supposed to be an exaggerated sort of sloped armor. Some armor had the wedge on the breastplate for better deflection.
35	** Fittingly, supplementary material has revealed that the two aforementioned armors were made by the same person. It's also very much implied that Al's armor is a novelty item meant to be used as an ornament, and the same is probably true of Barry's armor.
36	* In ''Manga/DragonQuestTheAdventureOfDai'', Dai buys an impossibly cool armor that turns out to be horribly impractical. He ends up throwing half of it away so it fits better. The armor itself is normal: the problem is that Dai is a KidHero who is about a head and a half shorter than the regular cast, trying to equip adult-sized armor.
37	* ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' progressively becomes like this. In the final parts of the series, we see stuff like [[https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/001/786/461/large/studio-kawaii-posterlowres-by-studiokawaii-d9atz5j.jpg?1452716376 this]]. Must be noted that even the weakest of the Cloths are powerful magical artifacts.
38	* Naga from ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'' has spikes on the shoulders of her armor and ends up injuring herself every time she raises her arms.
39	[[/folder]]
40
41	[[folder:Comic Books]]
42	* ''ComicBook/AmalgamUniverse'': Dark Claw, the fusion of Batman and Wolverine, has a very strange costume consisting of serrated fin gloves, a jagged bladed UtilityBelt, boots with bat wings at the top, serrated WolverineClaws and a weird demonic Wolverine mask all topped with the usual Bat-cape. When reviewed on ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'', Linkara joked that the real mystery needed to be solved was how Dark Claw came out of every adventure without his cape in tatters.
43	* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'':
44	** The final batsuit worn by Jean-Paul Valley, a.k.a. ComicBook/{{Azrael}}, during the ''ComicBook/{{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 '90s, the suit had brighter colors, particularly after it was set on 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.
45	** [[Characters/BatmanMrFreeze Mr. Freeze]] is often shown in suits of armor that are incredibly large and bulky and look like big badass robots. They do their job [[AnIcePerson keeping him cool]]. However, the live-action version of this suit was 75 lbs, and there is the problem 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. (One reason bodybuilder acting superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger was cast in the role was he was one of the few A-List actors strong enough to actually move around in the suit). In his later appearance in the '90s animated series, he adopted a very broad look but it was justified: His body is robotic and his only living flesh is a head in a jar.
46	* ''ComicBook/XMen'': Stryfe wore a suit of armor that looked like it was made out of blades, giving many readers the impression that he'd decapitate himself if he ever shrugged his shoulders. Partially justified in that Stryfe is a world-class telepath and telekinetic (which is saying something in the Marvel world). His armor is ''meant'' to be scary and impractical, because not only does he [[PowersDoTheFighting not need to move to attack his enemies]], he doesn't actually need the armor, since wrapping his own telekinesis around his body is more effective. And he is aware of both facts.
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Fan Works]]
50	* ''Fanfic/MyLittleDenarians'':
51	** [[spoiler: Harry]], of all people, after his FaceHeelTurn.
52	--->'''[[spoiler:Discorded Harry]]:''' Everyone knows that once you turn evil, [[EvilCostumeSwitch you have to get new clothes]]. It's in the rules.
53	** He then asks [[spoiler:Lash]] if she would like a hooded black robe, tight black leather, or spiky black armor. [[spoiler:Lash's]] response:
54	--->'''[[spoiler:Lash]]:''' I see you opted to combine all three for your own outfit, before covering the whole thing in skulls and adding a cape. I'm speechless.
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
58	* ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragonTheHiddenWorld'': While all of the dragon-riders have their own custom-made armor, Snotlout's is the only one that is made more useless by it despite it being designed off of Hookfang (arguably the most aesthetically intimidating of the rider's dragons). His BadassCape is repeatedly [[CapeSnag snagged]] whenever he tries to make a ThreePointLanding and his helmet done in Hookfang's likeness has a bad habit of being knocked at an angle, leaving him blind during fights.
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
62	* In ''Film/BrotherhoodOfTheWolf'', the Beast wears armor covered in bone and metal spikes that is simply there to make it appear more monstrous. The armor doesn't appear to hinder its movements, however.
63	* In ''Film/{{Highlander}}'' the Kurgan has a skull helmet. He would have been better off with a normal metal one. Possibly justified for a couple of reasons: firstly the Kurgan is immortal and nothing but decapitation would do more than annoy him, and secondly he [[AxCrazy is not all that right in the head]].
64	* Sauron in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' films, and some of the artwork for him. The books say that Sauron's physical form during that time was that of a man who had been burned to ashes but was still alive, and in general was brick-shittingly horrifying to look at. This is kind of a subversion since Creator/JohnHowe went to great lengths to stress the idea that all the armors in the movies ''must'' work properly. This trope was lampshaded by the artists, however, as they joked that Howe specialized in scary-looking outfits with SpikesOfVillainy that "could poke your eye out." But he did indeed go to great lengths to actually make it possible to even move your fingers without slicing an artery.
65	** Howe gave a similar armour design to Sauron in ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower''
66	* The Green Goblin's armor in ''Film/SpiderMan1'' didn't seem to help much when Spider-Man started pounding the living bejesus out of him. Given Spidey once exploded a telephone booth from the inside, and Norman Osborne has only slightly superhuman strength, he probably would've been reduced to a pulp fairly quickly without the armor.
67	** It gets even worse in ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'', where Norman Osborn manages to smash his Goblin mask into pieces just by throwing a rock at it. In all likelihood, his enhanced strength may have helped, but you've still got to ask yourself why he would wear a head covering that could shatter in such a way.
68	* In ''Film/{{Willow}}'', General Kael's helmet has a skull for a faceplate. Half of it breaks off when swatted with a sword.
69	[[/folder]]
70
71	[[folder:Literature]]
72	* In ''Literature/TheBlackCompany'', The Lady and Croaker have sets of this armor justified that without having magic to protect them, they would be sitting ducks. It looks something like [[http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/glen-cook/books-of-south.htm this]]. It should be noted that they're wearing them to scare their enemies, so it's an invoked trope.
73	* The elves in one of the worlds of ''Literature/TheDeathGateCycle'' use an ancient armor (now they use magic) to scare dwarves, it's so impractical that an armored elf is unable to get up after he was pushed down.
74	* ''Literature/DarkLordTheRiseOfDarthVader'' initially depicts Vader's iconic suit as this. It leaves him in constant irritation, he can only walk at a slow pace due to his awkwardly constructed prosthetics, he can never sleep because of his own iconic breathing, and he's constantly reminded of his limitations compared to his old capabilities. Vader even suspects that Palpatine deliberately used outdated tech in his armor and made it nightmarishly uncomfortable as a punishment for his failure on Mustafar. However, by the end of the novel, he's fully adjusted to it and becomes as dangerous as ever.
75	* Towards the end of ''Literature/TheElenium'', Sparhawk and his armor-clad companions enter the abandoned city of a dark god and his insane high-priest. The square outside the temple's main door turns out to be positively COVERED with undead soldiers wearing armor like this, which gives the church-knights pause... until they realize that the undead soldiers are basically brainless, and the armor utterly useless: The Zemoch has never really invented plate-armor, and only saw it during the previous war against the Elenes - who favored heavily-armored cavalry such as the Church Knights. They simply did not understand the idea behind it - all they knew was that it was really scary. So they ended up making armor that looked really scary while being more of a hindrance than anything else...
76	** The renegade knight Martel also makes this mistake. He decided to spend some money on an elaborate and very expensive suit of armour, which slows him down in his final fight. Sparhawk takes advantage.
77	* In Creator/MichaelMoorcock's novel "The Eternal Champion," the humans use very elaborate armor with many flanges and other impressive-looking touches. Ekrose (who has extensive war experience) comments on how dangerous it is, as a sword or axe blade can easily be caught in such armor. His own armor is very plain but light and practical.
78	* In ''Literature/TheOnceAndFutureKing'', a character spends at least a paragraph hating on ornate armour, stating that the designs just make it easier for a lance to get a good hold and knock you off your horse.
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
82	* ''Series/Peacemaker2022'': The White Dragon's PoweredArmor is a zigzagged example; it sure ''looks'' intimidating, and it has some fairly useful weapons and gadgets installed throughout, but it's impractical for the opposite reason as most other examples on this page -- instead of being too heavy and bulky to move around in, its design is lightweight and maneuverable, but with significant gaps between the armor plating that the heroes identify as a weak spot.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
86	* In the [[Literature/BooksOfSamuel book of Samuel]] in ''Literature/TheBible'', it is mentioned how scary and imposing Goliath was in his huge bronze armor. The "impractical" is coming from the fact that it didn't protect him from a pebble to the head. Also there's King Saul's own armor which he offered to lend the young shepherd boy David for his impending [[DavidVsGoliath battle with Goliath]]. Which he turned down - though probably more because he was just a young guy and Saul a full-grown adult male than because the armor as such was a problem in the first place.
87	* {{Subverted\|}} in the legend of the Lambton Worm - the titular worm is an eel-like creature that, somewhat like [[OurHydrasAreDifferent the Lernaean Hydra]], can simply join severed parts back onto it to stave off death. To counteract this, a witch tells John Lambton to wear armor covered with large spikes and fight it in a river that it lives in. The spikes on his armor proves to be key for the tale's hero to succeed in killing the creature with the spikes tearing up the worm as it attempts to coil around him, and the running river causing the severed bits of the worm to wash away downstream preventing its owner to joining with them again.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
91	* In most versions of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', plate armor gives a ridiculous Armor Class bonus, but doesn't allow you to dodge as effectively and gives a HUGE penalty to skill rolls. In Third Edition, this penalty was -10, meaning the wearer couldn't even climb an unknotted rope without ranks in Climb and/or above-average Strength.
92	* The [[BigBad First and Forsaken Lion]], one of the Deathlords in ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', has gigantic soulsteel armor covered in spikes and skulls and anything else intimidating and impractical. It's not like he has much choice to change it out for something more efficient, though, as his Neverborn master basically welded him into it after he [[YouHaveFailedMe screwed up his initial plan]] for world domination.
93	* Hellknights in ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' are usually depicted wearing plate armor painted a dark blue-gray and covered in SpikesOfVillainy. This may serve a practical purpose given part of their duty is enforcing Chelaxian law (the "Hell" referred to is the LawfulEvil plane, the ChaoticEvil plane being the Abyss), but it's an open question whether the armor or their reputation is more intimidating.
94	* The Warriors of Chaos of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' fame are essentially Vikings in Scary Impractical Armor.
95	** Malekith the Witch King of the Dark Elves wears one with SpikesOfVillainy. He however needs his armor to keep himself alive as he is covered in burn scars from head to toe, and it's the source of his magical powers.
96	* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000''
97	** Subverted with the [[SpaceElf Dark Eldar]] warriors, who have armor suits that are covered in blades and attach by hooking into their skin. While it looks outwardly menacing, the hooks are meant to produce a little bit of pain which enhances the senses. And [[CombatSadomasochist given their proclivities]], armor that can cut whilst in use is approved of. However, played somewhat straight since it's pretty fragile armor, trading protection for maximum agility and freedom of movement in battle, as the Dark Eldar are a piratical GlassCannon whose combat doctrine emphasizes lightning raids and hit-and-run tactics. Parodied in a ''Webcomic/TurnSignalsOnALandRaider'' strip [[http://tsoalr.com/?p=111 here]].
98	** Standard scowling design of Space Marine {{power armor}} looks kinda sinister, but that's just a design quirk compared to the power armor worn by Chaos Space Marines. Each suit is individually customized to be downright menacing, and invariably include an excess of horns, spikes, skulls, and [[Creator/MichaelMoorcock arrows]]. Most of them are decorative or devotional, but more than a few of those horns coming out of their armor [[EvilMakesYouMonstrous are actually parts of their bodies]]. While it's still functioning power armor, years of privation and cannibalizing parts means Chaos Marines have armor where most of the bells and whistles of the armor subsystems don't work.
99	** Ork mega-armor does a good job of protecting its wearer and enhancing their killing power with a [[PowerFist Power Klaw]], but between its ramshackle design and the spikes and tusks and whatnot bolted onto it to make the suit look extra intimidating, it can be difficult to get around in. Models in mega-armor move as though they were always in difficult terrain, so if you roll poorly it's entirely possible for your big killy Warboss to spend the entire game struggling to march across the tabletop instead of earning his points back in close combat.
100	* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'' takes this to a whole new level. Whoever designed the Stormcast Eternals obviously never checked to make sure that their archers could look past their ShouldersOfDoom [[http://imgur.com/gAmpgeH and see what they're aiming at.]]
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Video Games]]
104	* ''[[VideoGame/AncientDomainsOfMystery ADOM]]'' has a version that is actually more impractical than scary. Moloch armour weighs a ton and gives huge penalties to speed, dexterity, and defense (which is not what heavy armour usually grants anyway) as well as attacks. The only positive quality is that it has an even more enormous bonus to protection. As for scariness, the armour ''is'' the (dead) moloch, and they are certainly scary enough, both according to their descriptions and when they lumber towards you to punch you hard enough to shatter stone, or at least to take away a lot of hit points.
105	* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'' many of the Brotherhood of Nods elite units have intimidating armor with helmets and capes, and they all wield some awesome weapons. Yet they provide the same amount of protection as any infantry in the game, and still can't protect them from the harmful effects of tiberium.
106	* War from ''VideoGame/{{Darksiders}}'' has armor so ridiculously elaborate, it takes Yahtzee the ''entire second page'' of his [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/extra-punctuation/7071-Extra-Punctuation-Darksiders.2 Extra Punctuation]] article to describe in detail.
107	* In the ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' games many armor sets fall into this. In ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'' [[DualBoss Ornstein and Smough]] each have [[https://i.imgur.com/PnbiD8I.png their own variation]]. Ornstein wears a golden lion-themed dragoon where the eye opening is between the lion's mouth. Smough wears armor that makes him look morbidly obese and has the eye holes on the neck. It's justified a bit here since both are demigods.
108	* While some of its armor is merely ornate looking, the ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' series does have the Sword Edge Armor. While it has good defense and an effect that lets it damage an enemy that attacks its wearer, artwork for it in its debut game gives it so many sharp, pointy bits, one can only imagine how the heroes can walk around in it without jabbing themselves.
109	* ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'''s barbarian has some body armor with horns that protrude from the body in positions that would be ''really'' likely to stab him in the arms.
110	* In ''VideoGame/{{Dungeons}}'', the VillainProtagonist is clad from head to toe in a scary, menacing spiked armor, which in the [[VideoGame/Dungeons3 third game]] is repeatedly mocked, with the narrator musing that maybe the Absolute Evil is always in a bad mood because he insists in wearing that uncomfortable spiky armor even in bed.
111	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
112	** Daedric armor typically qualifies throughout the series. It is [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver red and black]] (forged from [[FantasyMetals ebony]] which has been imbued with Daedric souls), generally [[SpikesOfVillainy quite spiky]], and is almost always the heaviest armor available in each game. Other than the weight, the "impractical" aspects ultimately end up meaning very little in terms of gameplay. These aspects are especially exaggerated in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' and '' Skyrim''.
113	** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' plays with it. Mostly only the native styles (Glass, Bonemold, Dreugh, Indoril) play it straight, as each possess [[SpikesOfVillainy spikes]] and [[ShouldersOfDoom oversized shoulders]]. Trollbone armor also counts, while it is Nordic style – essentially, it’s just a pile of troll bones sewed to cloth underarmor and a troll skull atop. Local Chitin and Netch leather armor, on the other hand, may look somewhat menacing, but fairly practical, given the materials they made and that they are suited to harsh island environment. Western (i. e. Imperial) armors looks very much like real-life plate armor examples; same to local Ebony armor. Even Daedric armor, while featuring extremely [[RageHelm scary facemasks]], doesn’t have the common “impractical” features that subsequent games in the series would exaggerate.
114	** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', Falmer armor qualifies. It can be more of less effective, depending on whether it's normal, Hardened, or Heavy (the best, but also, well, the heaviest), but it always looks monstrous, and is covered in SpikesOfVillainy. In this case, however, it's a JustifiedTrope - the Falmer makes that armor from the only material they have access to, the Chitin of the [[BigCreepyCrawlies Chaurus]], which happens to be quite spiky. And the helmet makes you look like a monster because it's the ''hollowed-out head of a huge bug''.
115	* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'':
116	** Raider and Super Mutant armors fit this trope to a T. They are made mostly from stuff like old tires, leather, and the occasional scrap metal; as such, they provide very little protection but significant intimidation factor. ''The Pitt'' DLC adds the [[http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Tribal_power_armor Tribal Power Armor]] which is both scary AND practical. The ''Broken Steel'' DLC's Hellfire Armor ups the ante one degree more as it's both scary, practical, AND cool.
117	** Another subversion is the Centurion armor from ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', which, although cobbled together from armors of defeated enemies, is very practical as well as intimidating. ''Lonesome Road'' adds the Scorched Sierra Power Armor, worn by the OptionalBoss Colonel Royez, which has a bear head in place of the left pauldron and red and green accents. When worn by the player or a companion, it provides a RegeneratingHealth bonus of 2 HP per second and 25% fire resistance, without the agility penalty of normal T-45d armor.
118	* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' cares much more about the RuleOfCool than practicality and as such is in love with this trope. About the only time this could possibly be even vaguely construed as justified is with the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII Emperor]]: He wears [[BlingOfWar imposing, elaborate golden armor]] that gives him a SculptedPhysique, though other, robe-based outfits show him to be very slender (fitting for an EvilSorceror SquishyWizard). The justification comes into play when one considers that perhaps the golden armor is meant to primarily be a show of the Emperor's wealth and power, a legitimizing display rather than an accurate reflection of his martial prowess.
119	* ''VideoGame/LiberalCrimeSquad'': [[StatisticallySpeaking Given the interrogation bonus they give, and their nonexistent armor rating]], Death Squad uniforms are this, but since it's an ASCII game, it's hard to tell otherwise.
120	* ''VideoGame/{{Myth}}'''': The Fallen Lords'' has this with [[BigBad Balor]]. Not only was his armor [[SpikesOfVillainy 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]].
121	* ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' hands Alex the Armor power roughly halfway through the story. On the one hand, it reduces damage, looks awesome (and spiky) and means that, rather than having to leap over and dodge obstacles, Alex will plow ''right through or over them'', enemies included. On the other hand, all this comes at the cost of Alex's agility (his main advantage over his foes) and gives him the frustrating habit of smashing objects that could otherwise have been picked up and thrown. His Shield power lacks those disadvantages and will negate ''all'' damage when deployed, but has less coverage and will break after a time. And it just doesn't look as ''cool''.
122	* Nightmare from ''VideoGame/SoulCalibur'' wears armor that ranges from somewhat spiky to armor made of BodyHorror depending on whether he's possessing someone or taking his own form.
123	* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
124	** The Lich King has what looks like Sauron's armor with a few nips and tucks (and skulls. Loads and loads of skulls.), although since neither are human, armor like that is at least justified.
125	** Most of the high-level armors count. They tend to have [[ShouldersOfDoom pauldrons]] that stick up higher than the PC's head (sometimes by almost a whole foot) and make the character look twice as wide across the shoulders. Because the character moves in various ways, the pauldrons often clip through the body in ways that should result in accidental decapitation or brain surgery. An JustForFun/{{egregious}} example is the night elf female, who due to an unfortunate combat stance when wielding two-handed axes, swords, or maces will spend most of the fight with her shoulder spikes embedded in her face.
126	** Some rogue armor sets glow menacingly. Try sneaking like that.
127	* Intentionally averted by the designers of ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''. The Combine don't care about intimidation and just wear practical outfits - which makes them significantly scarier.
128	[[/folder]]
129
130	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
131	* Some of the [[PowerArmor Tsurugi]]'s present in ''VisualNovel/FullMetalDaemonMuramasa'' certainly lean towards the more flashy end of the design spectrum with little regard to actual practicality, often ordained with huge crests, spikes, and plates of armor facing every which way. The Muramasa line is perhaps the worst with all of the ones shown having a huge spike at the center of the chest that would make swinging a sword quite awkward.
132	[[/folder]]
133
134	[[folder:Web Animation]]
135	* Before starting his review of the MLP episode "Simple Ways", WebAnimation/SilverQuill puts on an impressive black hippogriff armor (because he's badly scared of romantic triangle plots)... only to find out he can't move in it.
136	[[/folder]]
137
138	[[folder:Web Comics]]
139	* Parodied in ''Webcomic/CommanderKitty'', where after getting some advice from Nin Wah, [[RobotGirl Zenith]] ends up making CK an outfit with so many spikes, pouches, and pads that he can't even move.
140	* Gilgamesh Wulfenbach from ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' wears this at one point, urged on by the Jagers. But he disposed of the ShouldersOfDoom and nice hat fairly quickly. The hat is still lying around someplace; Violetta pulled it out to tease him, and if we're very lucky, he'll wear it again someday.
141	* One of the random effects of the Shield of Wonder in ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'' is turning a weapon that strikes it into a set of fancy armor on the person wielding the weapon. At first the victim of the curse thinks his new set of armor is awesome, but the armor does not stop getting bigger and heavier and fancier until the armor becomes a death trap that completely encases him and crushes him to death.
142	* [[TheFairFolk Fae]] armors in ''Webcomic/{{Roommates}}'' and ''Webcomic/GirlsNextDoor'' tend to look like this. Even more so the more pissed the wearer is either because it's magically {{expressive\|Shirt}} or because ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction for them. The only thing they aren't fond of are the skull motifs, they prefer HighCollarOfDoom, BadassCape, and CoolCrown (because HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic) with their scary protection wear. Also their magical nature means, that they don't need to think about, how impractical these outfits might be for normal people. (Direct example: Why bother fitting through a door if you can just teleport in?) The whole species suffers from a terminal case of LargeHam and ComplexityAddiction.
143	[[/folder]]
144
145	[[folder:Western Animation]]
146	* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': In "Blood Under the Skin", the bullying BlackKnight Sir Slicer strikes an intimidating figure in his jet-black armor, but near the end of the episode he falls off his horse, and it's revealed his armor is heavy enough he has trouble standing up in it.
147	* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
148	** In "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderSokkasMaster Sokka's Master]]", Aang tries some on and soon falls over. The DVDCommentary has the guys saying it's a TakeThat to this kind of look, and [[AllThereInTheManual the art book adds]] that it's also a shot at toymakers who wanted [[EnvironmentSpecificActionFigure armor variant action figures]].
149	** It's also somewhat self-deprecation, as Fire Nation soldiers did lean in this direction when they were FacelessMooks, but it was downplayed over time, especially once inhabitants in the Fire Nation started being shown to be normal, generally decent people. The Fire Nation ''used'' to follow this trope, with utterly impractical shoulder spikes. Sokka points this out when a group of water-benders are dressing up in 80-year-old Fire Nation armor in an attempt to infiltrate the enemy army.
150	** The armor that [[spoiler:Phoenix King Ozai]] wears in the finale looks very heavy and unwieldy. This is likely why his first move in his battle with Aang is to [[TheCoatsAreOff take it all off]].
151	* In the ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' episode "[[Recap/DarkwingDuckS1E50TimeAndPunishment Time and Punishment]]", Gosalyn is transported into a future where Darkwing becomes unquestioned dictator of the city. In order to make her his ultimate successor, he gives her gifts, including a very imposing scary suit of battle armor. The only drawback to it is that she isn't able to move. But she sure looks impressive.
152	* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'': The Monarch's "Death's Head Panoply". Parodied, too: he can't move an inch in the thing, requiring someone else to activate its flight mode. And, while it is incredibly dangerous, the suit loses balance in the air, causing the Monarch to spin around, throw up, and fall down to earth.
153	[[/folder]]
154
155	[[folder:Real Life]]
156	* Most ceremonial armor tends to be scary and impractical unless the users have a culture of austerity. This is because the armor is more intended to impress the commissioner and display the skill of the craftsman than to protect the wearer.
157	* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickelhaube Pickelhauben]] are a highly visible example from WWI and earlier; they definitely ''did'' make an impression but its entirely on the wrong people: enemy snipers found them exceptionally easy to spot and [[BoomHeadshot shoot]].
158	* Ancient Greeks would sometimes wear pieces of armor made of bones, the idea being to tell your enemy "I killed this animal, and I can kill you, too." Bone would still deflect a glancing blow, making it better than nothing, but it also shattered easily under the impact.
159	* Samurai during Japan's feudal era had always cared about looking scary as well as protecting themselves, but beginning in the Momoyama period (ca. 1573-1615) the decoration of armor became increasingly elaborate and bizarre. One example is a gusoku-type armor simulating the uncovered human body, which includes a faux hairdo made of bear fur on top of the kabuto (helmet) and a Dō (cuirass) incorporating flesh-colored plates sculpted to form a chest, ribs, shoulder blades, and backbone. Exotic helmets called kawari-kabuto incorporating extravagant papier mache or wooden crests (maedate) and side-crests resembling horns (wakidate) became the height of fashion. In the swordfighting ward migi-no-jódan, the sword is held above the head slightly slanted in order to avoid the helmet decorations. During the Edo period (ca. 1615-1868) when major wars were a thing of the past, kawari kabuto were made in a variety of fabulous shapes from fashion and nature including seashells, animals, mountains, and formal hats.
160	* During the 16th century in Europe, when plate armor reached its technical and artistic high point, certain forms of costume armor were mainly created for the sake of fashion rather than protection. It is important to note that armor came in a range of configurations, qualities, and prices during this period: Simple and affordable armor was being made to outfit thousands of soldiers, but at the same time the nobility and royalty were free to commission extravagant armors to suit their needs. Plate armor designed for the battlefield had a good all-around balance between protection, weight, and ease of movement, while armor for tournaments usually included reinforcing pieces that added weight or restricted flexibility for the sake of protecting better against accidents and injuries. Costume armor, on the other hand, was made in fantastic shapes to simulate things like human hair, grotesque faces, or enormous puffed-and-slashed cloth sleeves because it was mainly created to make the wearer turn heads in parades or staged events. Such armor sometimes incorporated shapes that would hinder the wearer, and too much use of embossing technique tended to thin and weaken the steel plates making them less useful as protection.
161	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ScaryImpracticalArmor