Line #186 Main/ShouldersOfDoom


1	[[quoteright:349:[[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/IronSnake.jpg]]]]
2	[-[[caption-width-right:349:Anyone [[NoPeripheralVision between ten and two o'clock]] is in ''serious'' trouble.]]-]
3
4	->''"For the body, notice they don't have shoulder pads, which is something that everybody seem to love to put on soldiers in video games. I don't know why. I don't know if they think that soldiers will be tackling people."''
5	-->-- '''Ted Backman''', ''VideoGame/HalfLife2: Raising The Bar''
6
7	Also known as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauldron pauldrons.]] Be it pads, armor, or epaulets, the BigBad and TheHero have the biggest shoulder-wear.
8
9	This is most common in fantasy or science fiction: fantasy armor can easily have huge pieces of armor on the shoulders, and science fiction can easily create a future costume (or armor) with huge shoulders. They may also come with a [[HighCollarOfDoom ridiculously high collar]], SpikesOfVillainy, or an AllEncompassingMantle for the aspiring EvilOverlord.
10
11	On occasion, the shoulder pads can actually serve a purpose, by having a cape attached to them.
12
13	The corollary is that if somebody in the cast has enormous shoulder pads, they're probably evil. Other cast members can have shoulder pads, of course, they're just ''smaller''. The exception, of course, is if they give ''everybody'' humongous shoulder guards.
14
15	There are both artistic and function-related reasons that this trope existes: Artistically, the inverted triangle (i.e. one point pointing down) generally conveys a more sinister form, and shoulder pads help the torso form a triangular image. From a distance, you may also be fooled into thinking you're fighting some undead headless monster. And, as the picture of the SpaceMarine shows... it looks quite intimidating. Also, large shoulder pads add additional mass to the upper torso and create [[TopHeavyGuy a tapering body shape]], which instinctively registers as a fit, muscular build. i.e. a do-not-mess-with-me-physique.
16
17	The functional reason is all about mobility. Because the human shoulder joint can pivot slightly over 180 degrees both horizontally and vertically, rigid shoulder armor cannot be fitted tightly to the shoulder. It must be either free-floating (fastened to the breast- and back-armor by straps or some other flexible material) or have enough room for the joint to pivot within it (a big, ball-like shape). They still don't need to be as big as most costume designers make them, however. Sometimes huge shoulders (especially on PoweredArmor) are {{handwave}}d as actually ''being'' storage, as well - most often [[BottomlessMagazines for ammo]].
18
19	In video games, it's often used because the ball-and-socket joint of the shoulder was very difficult to incorporate into a player model without causing clipping and an action-figure look. Modern games designers use the look because it is still very difficult to properly animate the shoulder joint- it involves four bones, several unusual muscle groups and an irritating degree of twistability. It can also be a pain to generate a texture to cover this smoothly - a shoulder pad allows artists to make one texture for the torso and a separate one for the arm without really caring how they join.
20
21	The overall psychology behind this is TruthInTelevision. Broad shoulders suggest greater muscular strength in the arms and upper body, making a character look both sturdy and intimidating. Characters who are [[StoutStrength thicker around the middle]] may be just as strong or good at fighting, but they will more often play the BoisterousBruiser because they lack the intimidating emotional effect on the audience.
22
23	If they are round enough, they [[SisterTrope overlap]] with GiantPoofySleeves. See ShoulderCannon for when a gun is mounted on them (for some literal "Doom"). If they're not so much shoulderpads as a pair of shoulder-mounted towers, then they're VerticalMechaFins.
24
25	----
26	!!Examples:
27
28	[[foldercontrol]]
29
30	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
31	* The armor of Don Krieg from ''Manga/OnePiece'' has Shoulders of Doom, which conceal some of his huge assortment of [[MoreDakka built-in guns]], and also are removed and used as components for the Mighty Battle Spear.
32	** [[spoiler: Post-time-skip Franky has ginormus robotic shoulders (and rectangular forearms).]]
33	** Many high ranking marines also wear coats with rather broad shoulders as capes.
34	** Taken to ridiculous levels with Pica, whose actual shoulders are in the shape of huge, spiked shoulder armor. WordOfGod is that his shoulders grew in to that shape due to wearing armored shoulder guards since puberty, [[ItRunsOnNonsensoleum similar to growing square watermelons]].
35	* ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'':
36	** The humanoid villains have huge shoulder pads. Also spoofed with Lina's rival, Naga:
37	--->'''Lina:''' Don't tell me that you just pricked your cheeks with the spikes on your own shoulder pads.
38	** To be fair, Lina's own shoulder pads aren't exactly tiny. They're also boobytrapped, as Martina discovers when she tries to swipe one of the jewels. Gourry the other PC is another example.
39	* Il Palazzo from ''Manga/ExcelSaga'' has absolutely huge shoulder pads, as a parody of an evil overlord.
40	* Vegeta and the other Saiyans (and everyone else in Frieza's army) in ''Franchise/DragonBall'' too, so much so that when Vegeta starts on the path towards his HeelFaceTurn, he gets a new outfit with no shoulder pads!
41	** Piccolo's cape includes outrageous shoulder pads. This seems like a subversion until you remember Piccolo was originally a ''demon king''. The shoulder pads are also weighted. Still, they seem rather superfluous after a certain point.
42	** Notably, Gohan and Krillin once used sets of these armor, and Gohan noted that the shoulders ''don't'' get in the way because the material is flexible enough. Later on, Gohan get another set of these, alongside a BadassCape, when he request a set of clothes designed just like Piccolo's.
43	** ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] this when Piccolo makes Gohan his new clothes, telling him he'll have trouble with crowds and doors might be a problem, and he recommends approaching them at a forty-five degree angle.
44	* In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemistTheConquerorOfShamballa'', the main villain Dietlinde Eckhart gets these when [[spoiler:she turns into her OneWingedAngel form at the end of the movie]]. The shoulder pads are big enough to register as weapons of mass destruction.
45	* At least two villains in ''Manga/{{Trigun}}''. Legato adds mass to his shoulder with a human skull. Brilliant Dynamites Neon's shoulderpads are both nearly the size of his torso, and they glow.
46	** In the manga and anime, BDN's shoulderpads contain large-bore machine guns for a suprise edge in fights.
47	* Naraku in ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}''. After re-forming into a bigger BigBad, he gets what could be called big SpikesOfVillainy holders on shoulders.
48	* ''Manga/SaintSeiya'': When Shun is possessed by Hades, part of his black robes included gold shoulders of doom.
49	* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'': Played every-which-way in almost every Alternate-Universe Gundam series. Almost every mobile suit with the name "Gundam" has large shoulder pads, but it is not exclusive.
50	** In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'', Dynames, Virtue, Cherudim and Arios feature this with their own unique twists to it. The Dynames has the full shields on the shoulder which allows it to walk around and absorb gunfire like it's his birthday. The Virtue has the two pairs of GN cannons on its shoulder to unleash the beam spam with vents on it so that it can generate a GN field. The Cherudim has the shoulders as the docking points for his set of shield bits. Finally the Arios' shoulders are entirely built to hold both halves of the claw while it is not in MA form. The 00 Gundam from the second season has its powerful twin drive system on swivel mounts on its shoulders. The fact that the drives are conical only adds to the effect. The mobility issue is excused with the drives being on pivots and able to move around, for example pointing backwards for high-speed boosting.
51	** The [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101215075813/gundam/images/5/5f/Neue-ziel-morishita.jpg Neue Ziel.]] Who needs legs when you've got ''these'' babies?! (The thinking behind this being that, as long as it's a mobile armor anyway - that is, it doesn't have limbs to change its orientation in space through conservation of momentum - they might as well load it down with extra thrusters. What's strange is that the Neue Ziel has ''arms'' at all, really.)
52	** The [[http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gundam/images/3/3e/Graze_Ein_Front_View.png/revision/latest?cb=20160321131711 Graze Ein,]] being the largest Graze variant, naturally has the biggest shoulders of all the Grazes. The "doom" part is also literal, they're as big as they are so they can store a pair of gun-wielding sub-arms.
53	** Other contenders for this trope include the [[http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/z/rx-160.jpg Byarlant,]] the [[http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/unicorn-ova/rx-160s.jpg Byarlant Custom,]] the [[http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/z/amx-004.jpg Qubeley,]] the [[http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/zz/nz-000.jpg Quin Mantha,]] the [[http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/msgundam/msm-03.jpg Gogg]] and the [[http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/0080/msm-03c.jpg Hygogg.]] These are often referred to as 'Shoulder Binders', and contain maneuvering (or in some cases main) thrusters in space-use Mobile suits; surface-use Mobile Suits tend to include them more for streamlining purposes, and the surface/sub-surface Hygogg makes good use of them in this regard.
54	* ''Anime/TekkamanBlade''
55	** Tekkaman Blade carries {{Wave Motion Gun}}s in his.
56	** Balzac Asimov later gains 360-degree Fermion Cannons in the shoulders of his Soltekkaman Mk.I PoweredArmor. They resemble nothing so much as upside-down laser sprinklers.
57	** And in the OVA sequel, Tekkaman Sommer also has shoulder-pad-mounted Voltekkas. All of them avert the "evil" part (Balzac was an AntiHero at one point, but well before he got the Voltekka sprinklers).
58	* ''Franchise/{{Patlabor}}'': The police-modified AV-98 Ingram Labors driven by the Tokyo Police Dept. Special Vehicles Units have giant shoulders, but no one's doom is involved -- turns out that the shoulders on a HumongousMecha make a great mounting point for a pair of emergency lights.
59	* ''Manga/MagicKnightRayearth'' - Zagato, the BigBad of the first season has both these and SpikesOfVillainy.
60	* In Creator/OsamuTezuka's ''Manga/{{Phoenix}} Future'', the villain Rock usually wears a very business-like outfit consisting of black dresspants, a necktie and a white collared shirt... with apparently superfluous pointy shoulderpads which are nothing more than a vain attempt to look futuristic. Worse yet he actually complains about people who don't dress in ludicrously {{Zeerust}}-y clothes because he sees it as a sign that people have given up hope for humanity's future & have retreated into nostalgia. Note that this may actually be a subversion, as Rock & the society he represents are portrayed as being quite unbalanced.
61	* In ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' they're found on mech's used by both the good guys and the bad guys, though that's to be expected when most of the mech used by humans were stolen from Beastmen. Especially notable it [[spoiler:the Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann]] which has two bigass [[ThisIsADrill drills]] for shoulders that actually come off and stack together to form one oddly-shaped drill. Of course the drill is still very effective at... [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment drilling]].
62	* ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'': Let's just say that both the Arbalest and the Codarl has well-pronounced shoulders. May not count, but [=M9Es=] has two vertical armor plates mounted onto the upper arms.
63	* In ''Manga/ViolinistOfHameln'' several villains wear fairly massive shoulderpads or shoulder armor pieces, including [[BigBad Chestra]] and [[TheDragon Hell King Bass]]. The first prize, though, goes to Sizer. [[spoiler: Her example also confirms that evil gets bigger shoulderpads - her normal shoulder armor pieces are already humongous, but get even bigger when she is turned/turns into her "Dark" form]].
64	* Subverted in ''Literature/RecordOfLodossWar'', as Deedlit is the one with arguably the biggest shoulder-wear. (Of course, ''everyone'' in ''Lodoss'' has huge shoulder guards.)
65	* ''Anime/YuGiOh'': Seto Kaiba has these weird pointed-shoulder things for his cape. Here, [[http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs42/f/2009/137/3/f/Seto_Kaiba_demotivational_by_randomgibberish.jpg take a look]].
66	* While ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' was the trope namer for VerticalMechaFins, the [[http://mechafans.com/upload/118-angel-14-zeruel.JPG original version of Zeruel]] does fits this trope.
67	* Worn in ''Manga/{{Yaiba}}'' by almost every villain.
68	* A given in ''Manga/Eyeshield21'', since all the major characters are football players. If anything, many of the antagonists appear to have ''smaller'' shoulder pads, because their bigger builds make the shoulder pads stand out less. As the extras best put it, "Shoulder pads make even our scrawny hero look like a man!"
69	* Several [[MiniMecha Knightmare Frames]] in ''Anime/CodeGeass'' have impressive shoulder plates, particularly the Lancelot or the Mordred.
70	** The Gawain has large nacelles on its shoulders which house its [[WaveMotionGun Hadron]] [[ShoulderCannon Cannons]].
71	* Most, if not all, of the Zoalords in ''Manga/{{Guyver}}'' have these as part of their formal robes (with one notable costume having shoulders almost as wide as its wearer was tall). Many Zoanoids (and the Gigantic) have weapons or other functions built into large shoulder-pods.
72	* ''Manga/RaveMaster'''s [[DisappearedDad Gale Glory]] wears a large set of decorated epaulets on his shoulders when he first appears. He discards them when DiscOneFinalBoss King clips the right-hand epaulet with an ultimate attack that destroys matter in its entirety. Seeing a big chunk not just cracked or burned by the hit, but outright ''gone'' clearly indicates his [[ArmorIsUseless armor is useless against his enemy]].
73	* At the end of the ''Literature/TrinityBlood'' anime, when [[spoiler:Cain is rampaging through Londinium]], his costume features some impressively spiky shoulder... thingies. And at the ''very end'' of the last episode, [[spoiler:Abel]] apparently decides that the only way to properly combat [[spoiler:his EvilTwin]] is by acquiring some Shoulders of Doom of his own.
74	* In the manga ''Japan'' by Creator/KentaroMiura, the main character (a gigantic Yakuza boss) is transported to a ScavengerWorld, and ends up wearing a tire as a shoulder pad. Does it make him look less badass? [[http://www.manga-news.com/public/images/series/japan.jpg Nope.]]
75	* Somewhere between this, GiantPoofySleeves, and VerticalMechaFins is ''Manga/BladeOfTheImmortal''[='s=] Kuro Sabato, who has two giant humps on his shoulders as large as his head [[spoiler: given they're the taxidermist heads of his wife and Rin's mother grafted onto his shoulders...]]
76	* Many, many, ''many'' people in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' sport shoulder pads, most commonly in pairs but sometimes singly for FashionableAsymmetry. Some are relatively modest: for instance, [[http://hokuto.wikia.com/wiki/File:Shuu_musou.jpg Shu's]] are very neutral and plain, and appear to be simply for protection. However, it dips into the ludicrous and ObviouslyEvil with people like [[http://hokuto.wikia.com/wiki/File:Souther_%28Hokuto_Musou%29.png Souther.]] The numerous thugs and brutes also wear shoulder pads, especially the tattooed biker gangs commonly seen in the early portion of the series.
77	* Parodied in ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'' where one of Gintoki's ideas for improving a draft of a manga he's writing is to give every single character massive shoulder pads that are almost as long as they are tall, and he puts more effort into designing said shoulder pads then anything else in the manga. The draft after that makes them even huger and places still more emphasis on them, trying to have them depicted in their entirety as much as possible, even if it means having them stretch into adjacent panels or forcing the faces of the characters to be obscured.
78	%%* ''Literature/Overlord2012'''s Lord Ainz sports an impressive set.
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Asian Animation]]
82	* ''Animation/HappyHeroes'': In the first two episodes, main villain Big M.'s armor has two shoulder pads with spikes on them, a feature that none of the other non-MonsterOfTheWeek villains have. [[EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference They don't appear from episode 3 onwards.]]
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Comic Books]]
86	* In ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'', the titular character, being a fascist future lawman, sports bulky fetishistic shoulderpads that can go into massive sizes in certain artistic depictions.
87	* Completely ignored in ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'' where pointy shoulders are just another fashion accessory.
88	* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in one issue of ''ComicBook/XForce'', when Warpath gets a post-Liefeld costume make over, he remarks "Hey, now I can turn my head without smacking into my shoulder pads!"
89	* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' - Batman had pretty epic shoulder pads in the nineties. They were spiky as all get out, presumably to make him look like a bit more of a badass. What they accomplished was making him look like he was shrugging all the time. Apparently they were indented to simulate the "thumb" on batwings. In a straight villain example, Jason Todd had the same thing on his "Batman" costume during "''Battle for the Cowl''".
90	* Every male character drawn by Creator/RobLiefeld ends up with huge shoulder pads at one time or another.
91	* ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' - The Shredder in all continuities, along with SpikesOfVillainy.
92	-->'''Michelangelo:''' Maybe all that hardware is for making coleslaw.
93	* ''Comicbook/TheBoys'' - The Homelander has a ComicBook/JudgeDredd-esque eagle-shaped pauldron.
94	* ''ComicBook/IronMan'' - When Iron Man first got his iconic red-and-gold armor, he only had rings around where the sleeves connect to the chestpiece. With the introduction of the Silver Centurion armor in 1985, though, he got big triangular Shoulders of Doom... which he even once used ''against a building'' (to provide a distraction for Ant Man to hack into the building's computers at Tony's behest). Shoulder armor has been incorporated into many subsequent designs, including Comicbook/WarMachine.
95	** Iron Monger had massive Shoulders of Doom. TheEighties version of Crimson Dynamo and the Gremlin version of Titanium Man also had pretty doomy shoulder armor. [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture Iron Man 2020]] features a spiked version of the original red-and-gold's shoulder rings.
96	** Actually, while the Silver Centurion armor is the most well-known version of Iron Man's Shoulders of Doom, it was back during the ComicBook/SecretWars1984 (when Jim Rhodes was subbing for Tony Stark) that first gave him his shoulder pads. His armor was damaged in a fight against the villains and Reed Richards had to rebuild it for him with the technology from their base. Richards decided that as long as he was fixing up the armor, why not give it moar powah?
97	* Inversely and paradoxically, famous armored supervillain Doctor Doom does not actually have Shoulders of Doom (opting, instead, for the BadassCape).
98	* Franchise/{{Superman}}'s nemesis Dooms''day'', however, has possibly the most impressive Shoulders of Doom anywhere in comicdom, despite the fact he doesn't even ''wear'' armor - the ginormous, razorsharp crystalline spikes that sprout from his shoulders are part of his skeleton.
99	* The minor ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} villain called Genesis was actually known in fan forums as "Shoulderpad Guy".
100	* Franchise/WonderWoman [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 vol 1]] villain Queen Atomia has always worn curved decorative green shoulder pads over her dress, giving her incredibly tall pointed shoulders in silhouette.
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Fan Works]]
104	* Averted in ''Fanfic/RocketshipVoyager'' where the oversized pauldrons are one of several AwesomeButImpractical items that the SpaceMarines remove from their armor.
105	* ''Fanfic/Plan7Of9FromOuterSpace''. The attire of a [[ZeeRust typical gentleman of the early twenty-first century]] includes "the flared shoulder-yoke that required all doorways to be two yards wide."
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
109	* Jafar from ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' has some of the biggest shoulder pads in the business.
110	* ''WesternAnimation/CatsDontDance'' - Sometimes they just have really big ''shoulders'', like [[BattleButler Max]] though he's only TheDragon. Seriously, [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/Cats_dont_dance_poster.jpg look at him]].
111	* Most of the costumes worn by the title character of ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'' feature shoulder pads--[[ParodiedTrope not that they help much]] as he still appears pretty shrimpy.
112	* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', this is downplayed. Ming wears a blazer with padded shoulders.
113	[[/folder]]
114
115	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
116	* In ''Film/OneHundredAndTwoDalmatians'', Cruella de Ville turned evil... and in the same moment her costume sprang with shoulder pads.
117	* Simon Phoenix wears these in ''Film/DemolitionMan''.
118	* ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}''
119	** Space Godzilla from ''Film/GodzillaVsSpaceGodzilla'', who's crystalline shoulder growths are so massive, they render him almost literally immobile.
120	** Monster X in ''Film/GodzillaFinalWars'' has two large skulls on his shoulders that later [[spoiler:grow into two of Keizer Ghidorah's heads when going OneWingedAngel]].
121	* The Heathers (and Veronica) in ''{{Film/Heathers}}'', as the [[GirlPosse most popular and ruthlessly powerful clique]] in an 80s high school, wear color-coded 80s power suits, complete with the shoulder pads.
122	* Tina Turner in ''Film/MadMaxBeyondThunderdome''. Not only her, but almost every bad guy in this movie. George Miller loves this trope.
123	* Worn by the hero in ''Film/TheReturnOfCaptainInvincible'', although he has previously been prosecuted for his dress sense.
124	* Even ''Franchise/StarWars'' isn't left out of this. While the various armors are not overdone, all the Star Destroyers feature two huge spheres on the bridges, serving this purpose (though in-universe, they're shield generators that protect the bridge). The most notable character in the movies to wear them is Darth Vader, of course. The purpose was likely a mix of intimidation factor and protection of the little organic flesh he still had.
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Literature]]
128	* Subverted in ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'': Shoulder pads are the court fashion for men, because it makes them look more manly, and thus, more sensual and erotic. Doom doesn't factor into it at all.
129	* PlayedForLaughs in ''Literature/{{Changes}}'' when the Leanansidhe is experimenting with costumes to strike fear into the hearts of Harry's enemies:
130	-->'''Harry:''' This is ridiculous. I look like the Creator/GamesWorkshop version of a Jedi Knight.
131	* Gruesomely evoked in Jeff Long's ''Literature/TheDescent'', when a group of soldiers is spotted with very wide, jutting shoulders and chests. Subverted when the witnesses get closer, and discover that [[spoiler: their shoulders only ''look'' wide because hadals have extracted all their viscera, leaving these propped-up corpses' emptied abdomens so narrow that their upper torsos look massive by comparison]].
132	[[/folder]]
133
134	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
135	* The Romulans from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' wore truly fugly military tunics with massive shoulder padding, resembling a cross between a [[TheEighties 1980's]] women's business suit and a quilted bedspread. Mercifully toned down on ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' and in ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' (although Creator/JonathanFrakes would describe [[BigBad Shinzon]]'s outfit as "a reject from ''Film/{{Rollerball}}''.")
136	* The Tavleks from ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' sport particularly outstanding examples of the trope.
137	* ''Franchise/KamenRider'' only started using these in the 80s with Black. Now they're part of the uniform.
138	** ''Series/KamenRiderDenO'' in his Gun Form has particularally large ones. However, they're fully functional in that they feed energy into his gun for his FinishingMove. Climax Form has theme as well, made up of the masks of Ax and Rod Forms, but likewise, they're functional for moving down the tracks to ether the arm or the leg for a finishing move.
139	* Miss French from the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode, "Teacher's Pet":
140	-->'''Buffy''': Factoid 3: her fashion sense screams predator.
141	-->'''Willow''': It’s the shoulder pads.
142	* ''Franchise/PowerRangers''
143	** The first Megazord from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' exhibited the giant robot form of this. The Mega Dragonzord combo takes it even further. Also, Goushi from the parent Sentai ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger'' wears large paldrons as part of his non-morphed combat gear.
144	** A fairly large majority of Battlizer armors have shoulderpads of varying ridiculousness, the winner goes to the Shogun Mode from ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai''. [[http://images.wikia.com/powerrangers/images/c/c2/S20-147.jpg Just take a look at this particular example.]]
145	** Many {{Sixth Ranger}}s [[http://powerrangers.wikia.com/wiki/Category:6th_Ranger have these]], usually in the form of additional armor, as did [=Ninjor/Ninjaman=] when he went giant and converted to his samurai-esque battle mode.
146	* Lots of them in the original 1980s version of ''Series/{{Dynasty\|1981}}''.
147	* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
148	** Cersei wears a dress [[spoiler: for her coronation]] that sports a set of armoured shoulders embossed with the Lion of her family sigil in the season six finale.
149	** Gregor wears a pair of ''awesome'' pauldrons. Though he doesn't wear them in the second season, he puts them on again when he appears in the fourth.
150	* ''Series/BlakesSeven''. In "Death-Watch", the WTHCostumingDepartment has put huge shoulder pads on Avon's leather jacket. Fans named the look 'Tugboat Avon'.
151	* In ''Series/BabylonFive'', the military factions of the Minbari and Drazi races both sport pauldrons.
152	[[/folder]]
153
154	[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
155	* Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors Hawk and Animal, a legendary {{tag team}} from Wrestling/{{A\|mericanWrestlingAssociation}}WA and Wrestling/{{N\|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA that split off from the Legion Of Doom, popularized large spiky shoulder entrance gear in pro wrestling, though their case was more the spikes being large than the pads themselves. Kensuke Sasaki joined them in Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling. And if you're into WWF/E pissing on badass history, you can't forget Droz or Heidenreich.
156	* Wrestling/{{Mistico}} had large shoulders has part of his entrance gear, each curving into a single point, making them look sort of like horns.
157	[[/folder]]
158
159	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
160	* Much like in video games from the early 2000's onward, Pauldrons and other shoulder armor is used in many tabletop games as an easy-to-use cover for where the body and the arm on a model meet, not just to conceal a sometimes not so great gluing job, but also as a cover for a modeler who happens to be cutting up or adding epoxy resin to the arm to better strike the pose they're looking for, which only the very best of mini-painters could hope to cover otherwise without making it look weird.
161	* ''TabletopGame/{{Space 1889}}'' In 1889 many dress or parade uniforms from the Victorian era has epaulettes. For women the gigot sleeve or leg-of-mutton-sleeve was fashionable. The illustrations in the game reflect this.
162	* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' likes this trope, to the point that it's joked that you can measure a model's importance either by the quality of his hat or the size of his [[https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Pauldrons pauldrons]]. [[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/File:The_Emperor.jpg#.T5RRsNW9Hpc For example...]]
163	** SpaceMarine PowerArmor is famous for its [[https://1d4chan.org/images/d/d3/Pauldronius.png enormous pauldrons]] which cover a Marine's arm from shoulder almost to elbow (the page pic is an extreme exaggeration). This is justified in the background, as their armor was originally designed for close-quarters combat (their precursors, the Thunder Warriors, actually used tackling moves in melee combat, and in some descriptions Assault Marines still do this). The pauldrons are auto-responsive and shift when the wearer wants to look past them, although in most modern depictions looking over them isn't an issue for a Marine. Their most obvious use is to display the Marine's chapter badge (on the left pauldron) and, in many cases, his squad type and number (on the right), although they also protect the actuators that give a PowerArmour-clad Marine his incredible upper body strength.
164	*** The design of the pauldrons in Space Marine power armor is actually much more practical than it looks at first glance. The pauldrons will shift when the marine tries to look over them so they don't actually block his vision but otherwise, between the pauldrons on the sides and the large reactor at the back, the only way to get a clear shot at a marine's comparatively vulnerable helmet is to stand directly in front of him, which is the worst possible place to be for someone tackling a space marine.
165	** [[EvilCounterpart Chaos Space Marines]] have the same large pauldrons as their loyalist counterparts but add {{Horns\|OfVillainy}} and SpikesOfVillainy to theirs.
166	** Tau combat armor sports one over-sized ''[[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sode_(armour) sode]]''-style shoulder pad, the strategic positioning of which is part of their firing stance. Their commanders also typically sport ''[[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130405190229/warhammer40k/images/c/c6/CommanderShadowsun.jpg massive shoulder pads]]'' that rival even Space Marines, in addition to huge guns bolted to their arms
167	** [[StateSec Inquisitors]]' power armor usually has more subdued, but very intricate shoulder pieces clearly inspired by Roman ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorica_segmentata lorica segmentata]]''.
168	** In their most recent codex, the basic [[SkeleBot9000 Necron Warrior]] had its armor value reduced, because those tiny scapula-shaped shoulderblades just wouldn't offer the same protection as Space Marines. The much more impressive Necron Immortals retain their high armor value, as do their [[http://wh40k-dawn-of-war.webs.com/photos/-Dawn-Of-War-Concept-Art/Necron%20Lord.JPG Lords.]]
169	** Space marines also have another, heavier infantry suit, known as tactical dreadnought, or, more commonly, Terminiator, armour. This is also echoed in the ranks of the Chaos marines and, being heavier, has much larger pauldrons.
170	* The Space Marine-inspired Stormcast Eternals of ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'', naturally, inherit something akin to the pauldrons. This becomes fairly silly in the case of the [[http://www.games-workshop.com/en-AU/Stormcast-Eternals-Judicators Judicators,]] one of whom ''[[http://i.imgur.com/gAmpgeH.jpg cannot actually see where he is aiming]]'' because his enormous shoulder pad is in the way.
171	** Warriors of Khorne often have such pads, characters such as the Slaughterpreist may actually have them stuck to the shoulder. As in, strapped on, and the buckles for the straps have been [[BodyHorror surgically implanted into the skin]] in the manner of body modification jewellery.
172	* Prince Vladimir Tzepesci of the ''TabletopGame/IronKingdoms'', a Khadoran warcaster based on [[{{Dracula}} Vlad Tepes]], has very large shoulder pads on his armor; his more experienced Epic version takes this to ridiculous extremes.
173	** In the [[OurElvesAreDifferent Retribution]] [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters of Scryah]], the Sentinels, Destors and Scyir of the Dawnguard sports some epic ones. [[https://battlecollege.wikispaces.com/file/view/Dawnguard_Scyir.jpg/82877311/Dawnguard_Scyir.jpg Example]]
174	*** Come to think about it, a great chunk of the Retribution wears them. [[RankScalesWithAsskicking Vyros]] (justified as he's the leader of the Dawnguard), ''all'' their [[MiniMecha Warjacks]], but is more noticeably in the heavy ones. The [[PowerFloats Artificer]] could have them, but it's more like an ''upper body's armor'' of doom. The biggest ones (in proportion, but in size also counts) are worn by their [[HumongousMecha colossals]], the Hyperion and Helios. Just [[http://battlecollege.wikispaces.com/file/view/Hyperion.jpg/352935034/Hyperion.jpg look]] at [[http://i.imgur.com/Q7FgqaX.png?1 them.]]
175	** Cryx troops often have them, such as the Bane Knights and Thralls, and certain of the casters.
176	* Every single infantry trooper from ''TabletopGame/MutantChronicles'' is guilty. One of the hero units, [[ScaryBlackMan Big Bob Watts]] even has a pair of {{BFG}}s strapped to his. [[DemonicInvaders Dark Legion]] commanders also have Shoulders of Doom, adorned with SpikesOfVillainy for the quintessential Evil Look. Some models even have shoulder pads the size of European cars and no other armor to attach them to.
177	* Major Q9 in ''TabletopGame/HeroScape'' is a soulborg with pauldrons that are the size of his freaking body and tower over his head, almost like the forbidden love child between Shoulders of Doom and VerticalMechaFins. Deathwalker 9000 has some pretty wicked shoulders going on, too.
178	** Major Q9's shoulders actually restrict his vision in-game.
179	* Homebrewed especially for this trope in 3.X D&D we have the [[http://www.giantitp.com/forums/printthread.php?t=66776 Pauldron Master]].
180	* A fair few ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' 'Mechs feature outsized shoulders, with designs such as the ''[[http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Atlas_%28BattleMech%29 Atlas]]'' featuring some of the traditionally largest shoulders thanks to the machine's 100-ton weight, while others, such as the ''[[http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Archer Archer]]'', are some of the [[BuffySpeak doomiest]] due to the pair of enormous long-range missile launchers that make up its shoulders. Justified, in the Atlas' case, because it was deliberately designed to look as intimidating as possible. Some [[PoweredArmor BattleArmor]] likewise features shoulders of doom, such as the [[http://www.sarna.net/wiki/images/3/32/Elemental_II_%28X%29.jpg prototype Elemental suit]]. Some suits (such as the standard Elemental, or the Longinus) get a similar inverted-triangle silhouette courtesy of a pair of [[ShoulderCannon shoulder-mounted missile launchers]].
181	[[/folder]]
182
183	[[folder:Toys]]
184	* Franchise/{{LEGO}}:
185	** Some of the aliens from Toys/LEGOSpace's ''UFO'' and ''Insectoid'' lines wore giant shoulder pads.
186	** Millennia from ''Toys/{{Slizer}}'' in his "rider" form.
187	** Many characters in ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'', such as the Toa Nuva in their base-forms, Takanuva and the Toa Metru ([[OffModel at times exaggerated in the comics]]), Mantax (post-mutation), Karzahni (both pre- and post-mutation), the Maxilos robots, Malum, Strakk, all classes of Skrall, Mata Nui in his Glatorian body has crescent-like VerticalMechaFins, and Vastus wears snake-figurines on his shoulders. Keetongu has these in the movie, but not on his toy.
188	*** In the [[{{Toys/Bionicle2015}} Reboot]], Gali, Onua, Kopaka, and Tahu all have them.
189	** Some ''Toys/HeroFactory'' designs have these, but the Hero Minifigures from the ''Invasion from Below'' line made it a uniform feature.
190	[[/folder]]
191
192	[[folder:Video Games]]
193	* Batman in the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'' series has shoulders the size of his own (and everyone else's) head.
194	* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' - This is basically all that Mu-12 is wearing in battle...
195	** [[spoiler: Susanoo]] in ''Central Fiction'' has huge fanged mouths for shoulders.
196	* Creator/BlizzardEntertainment loves this trope:
197	** ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'':
198	*** The necromancer from ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' has a rather iconic pauldron in the shape of a horned demon skull on one shoulder. In D3 there are [[spoiler:three necromancers who wear an updated version of the same costume, including the pauldron]].
199	*** The archangels Imperius and Tyrael both have this. Tyrael loses one when he becomes mortal. When he reforms the Horadrim, they all have a single, large shoulder pad each, most likely out of respect for Tyrael.
200	** {{Downplayed\|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}''. Both Pharah and Reinhardt have PoweredArmor with large shouderpads, but in each case the shoulder pads are still somewhat proportional to the rest of the armor; Pharah has jetwings attached to hers, and Reinhardt is a giant anyway.
201	*** Sigma is already a TopHeavyGuy, but his pauldrons give his upper body a more imposing silhouette. They actually ''float'' over his shoulders to make them look even wider.
202	** ''Franchise/StarCraft'':
203	*** ''VideoGame/StarCraftI'', and its many flavors of CMC armor. The armor's strength and shoulder size are positively correlated.
204	*** In [[VideoGame/StarCraftII the sequel]], contrary to the page quote, Tychus ''does'' actually make two attempts at tackling people. One successful, one not as much.
205	** In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', epaulets appropriate to a character's level get progressively bigger. Presumably, this is supposed to make more experienced characters look intimidating. However, the usual result is slim characters who look off-balance and bulkier characters who just look ''[[http://i39.tinypic.com/124k20m.jpg excessive]]''.
206	*** When a bug was introduced that reduced the size of the epaulets on the ( otherwise excessive ) Male Orc model to something more benign, there was a gigantic uproar of displeasure. When the bug was fixed, it was fixed to make them larger than the pre-bug state. The addition of more SpikesOfVillainy and bigger shoulder pads is on the way to becoming an EnforcedTrope in ''World Of Warcraft'' development. As seen from the picture, a number of people requested the option to hide the shoulderpads as they can their cloaks and helmets.
207	*** As of the new Transmogrification system introduced in ''Legion'', shoulder armor can now be hidden.
208	*** Shaman class cosmetic gear [[http://i.imgur.com/LKoPl.jpg beats them all]] in the shoulder department.
209	*** There's also [[http://i.imgur.com/OIb2Cg5.jpg this]].
210	*** DependingOnTheArtist, the pauldrons worn by Human Footmen can range from reasonable to outright ''40k''-levels of disproportionately large. This is especially apparent in ''Reforged'' wherein most if not all human suits of armor sport gargantuan pauldrons.
211	*** Garrosh Hellscream deserves a special mention in that his pauldrons are the tusks of the demon Mannoroth, which combined with his already hulking build for an orc creates an incredibly menacing figure.
212	* ''VideoGame/BloodySpell'' have one of the last armor upgrades you can equip yourselves with, golden ''spiked'' pauldrons.
213	* This even applied to a limited extent in the Rockstar Games release ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'', although in this case it's American football pads worn by one of the cliques.
214	* The costume editor in the MMORPG ''VideoGame/CityOfVillains'' has all the big shoulderpads you would ever want, many complete with SpikesOfVillainy.
215	* Most of the non-grunt enemy soldiers, as well as the player character, in the ''VideoGame/{{Crusader}}'' games have shoulder pads.
216	* The more recent ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'' games seem to be [[FollowTheLeader using this trope, too]], much to the [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks chagrin]] of old-time fans.
217	** The most obvious ones are the Zone Troopers in ''Tiberium Wars'' which ARE very kickass units and the Tesla Trooper in ''Red Alert 3'' which are not so much. (Both have roughly analogous stats, but the Zone Trooper [[LightningBruiser moves faster than regular troops and has a Jetpack]]. The Tesla Trooper.....[[MightyGlacier doesn't]]).
218	* The various armors worn by the protagonists and antagonists of ''VideoGame/{{Darksiders}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Darksiders II}}''.
219	* The Arishok in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''.
220	** And in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', just about anyone wearing [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin massive armor]]. One shoulder tends to be bigger than the other, but either way, those are some seriously massive shoulders.
221	* Dark Demon from ''VideoGame/DynamiteHeaddy'' has what appear to be green ''statues'' sprouting from the shoulders of his costume.
222	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
223	** Averted to date in the series when it comes to the BigBad of each game's main quest. They've so far been an EvilSorcerer, a [[OurLichesAreDifferent Lich]][[note]]''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'' lacks a true BigBad, but Mannimarco is easily the most outright ''evil'' leader of the competing factions in the game's MultipleEndings[[/note]], a PhysicalGod WalkingShirtlessScene, a likewise shirtless MultiArmedAndDangerous BigRedDevil DestroyerDeity (though he does have some [[SpikesOfVillainy spikes]] on his shoulders), and a [[DragonsAreDemonic draconic]] BeastOfTheApocalypse.
224	** A few of the ExpansionPack and DLC {{Big Bad}}s play it straight. Almalexia, Umaril the Unfeathered, and Miraak all wear rather broad pauldrons on their shoulders.
225	** Throughout the series, you can choose to have these by wearing [[ScaryImpracticalArmor Daedric armor]]. 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 ''Oblivion'' and '' Skyrim''.
226	** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' plays with it. Mostly only the native styles (Glass, Bonemold, Dreugh, Indoril) play it straight, as each possess large pauldrons.
227	* ''VideoGame/FZero'' - Deathborn posesses a large pair of pauldrons, to fit the OmnicidalManiac title.
228	** A particular example: Captain Falcon wears only one pauldron. [[FashionableAsymmetry On his right shoulder.]]
229	* Some of the armor sets in ''VideoGame/{{Fable}}'' fit the trope. Especially if the player character is evil.
230	* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'', with [[PoweredArmor Power Armor]] - and Advanced Power Armor, which actually has a smaller helmet ''and'' bigger shoulders. Not to mention most of the other armor's shoulder spikes (metal, tesla). ''And'' [[https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Frank_Horrigan Frank Horrigan]].
231	** ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' has this most prominently with the Enclave Tesla and Hellfire armors.
232	** Interestingly, in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', the strength of a power armor is apparently inversely proportional to the doominess of its Shoulders of Doom -- the T-45d, with its ridiculous duck fin shoulderpads, is the weakest; the T-51b Power armor is the middle of the road, with oversized Knight Armor shoulderpads; the Enclave Remnants (Advanced) Power Armor and [[spoiler:Gannon Family]] Tesla Armor are the strongest, and the shoulders themselves are fairly small. Though in the case of the Advanced and Tesla armors, it has traded the Shoulders of Doom for a massive hunchback.
233	*** The non-powered combat armors also have rather bulky shoulders, with the Reinforced Mark II, NCR Ranger, and Riot Gear armors making both genders look like linebackers. Ditto the Reinforced Leather Armor.
234	*** Some folks, dissatisfied with Creator/{{Obsidian\|Entertainment}}'s "skinny tin can" rendering of the Remnants Power armor[[note]]since the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}'' sprite looked at least as bulky as the T-51b power armor[[/note]], have made [[https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/47681/ a]] [[https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/42867/ few]] [[https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/41298/ mods]] that give it back the bulk, and put the doomy size back in the shoulders. Creator/{{Bethesda}} themselves brought back the doominess with ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'''s equivalent, the X-01.
235	** Heck, the primary purpose of most [[PoweredArmor power armor]] seems to be giant shoulders.
236	** [[SpaceRomans Caesar's Legion]] also have giant shoulder pauldrons, as their armor is made from [[ImprovisedArmour football pads]]. The result, however, is more {{Narm}} than intimidating.
237	** After power armor got an overhaul in ''Fallout 4'', the shoulders are now bulkier than ever. Especially the T-60c.
238	* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy''
239	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' - Golbez has the biggest, pointiest shoulder armour in the series, hands down. Although Exdeath of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' comes a close second.
240	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'': Two of the heroines, Terra and Celes, possess shoulder pads of admirable size. So does the knight Cyan, but shoulder pads are standard for his knight armor. As does Edgar, but he is a king and wears a cape as well.
241	** Sephiroth from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. A notable mention goes to Cloud, who only has a (rather big) shoulder pad on his left shoulder. ''Crisis Core'' seems to show that shoulder pads are the only constant in the uniforms of 1st Class [=SOLDIERs=]. Sephiroth and Genesis both seem to have kept the pants underneath their {{Badass Longcoat}}s.
242	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'': The Alchemist Job class has shoulderpads very reminiscent of the ones Samus has in her suit--Rikku especially looks like she's wearing the Varia suit, but with TooManyBelts on top of that.
243	* The ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series. Not villains ''per se'', but the [[MightyGlacier General]] class has shoulder armor ''larger than the helmet''. Several baddies are Generals, since it's the most physically durable class and the lack of mobility doesn't matter when the enemy has to come to you.
244	** Especially the Black Knight from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'', who [[spoiler:is a good guy in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn''... kind of.]]
245	** 9's villain, Ashnard, has these, complete with SpikesOfVillainy!
246	** In [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Awakening]], the shoulder pads that come standard with Knights and Generals are [[http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130507232102/fireemblem/images/2/24/Kjelle_%28FE13_Artwork%29.png actually shown to be detachable from the rest of their armor]], making them more practical than most other examples.
247	*** The pauldrons of generic enemy knights are [[ExaggeratedTrope especially pronounced]], forming a [[InTheHood large, metal hood]] [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/2/26/Enemy_Knight_Male.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130119132552 over their heads.]]
248	* ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'':
249	** COG armor has prominent shoulder pads, the biggest example being Tai Kaliso's armor in Gears 2, which has an inexplicably huge shoulder guard on the right side. Largely averted in Gears 3 because very few characters have any armor on their arms at all.
250	** Notably averted with Cole, who is actually the only character that would have serious tackling skills, being a former thrashball player. His arms are so beefy that apparently they don't need any armor.
251	** Many Locust soldiers, particularly the Theron/Palace Guards, feature some very large shoulder armor.
252	* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' - [[SNKBoss Justice]] has them. They transform into laser cannons during her [[ThatOneAttack Gamma Ray]] super.
253	* Completely averted in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''. The Combine Overwatch's transhuman soldiers wear very realistic body armor with protective inserts, along with somewhat more-advanced gasmask-helmets. They have no frills or un-necessary parts to their combat armor aside from armbands denoting their rank- after all, if the Overwatch are attacking something, they don't 'need' to intimidate it. It'll just be 'dead'. This is also carried by the sociopathic Metrocops; though in their case, their thuggish brutality, black uniforms, and State Sec-esque look is more than intimidating.
254	* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
255	** ''VideoGame/HaloReach'': Some of the Spartans in Noble Team have some rather prominent shoulder pads.
256	** Some Forerunners had ''floating'' shoulder armor. There's subtle hints that such seemingly-pointless additions are signs of age or growing influence/rank; the Didact lacks them in his younger years before the Human-Forerunner war, and gains two later on in the war. [[spoiler: In ''VideoGame/{{Halo 4}}'' he sports a floating collar/shoulder-pad combo that is perhaps the most prominent piece of his Combat Skin.]]
257	* ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander'' - The Wastelanders' shoulder pads: so big they probably need SuperStrength just to wear them. Several come with SpikesOfDoom.
258	* Several champions in ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' have quite ''epic'' pauldrons, most notably Garen, Darius, Riven, Sion, Mordekaiser, Kayle (at least before her VGU), Xin Zhao, Jarvan IV and (rather oddly) Swain, who unlike the other listed champions is a mage rather than a fighter (although not a SquishyWizard) though his case it is enhanced by his CoatCape.
259	* Some mid-game enemy EliteMooks in ''[[VideoGame/LegacyOfKain Blood Omen 2: Legacy of Kain]]'' had truly epicly sized shoulderpads. Those actually served a purpose, making the wearers immune to instakill decapitation attacks. Incidentally, they were the only enemies to carry weapons capable of decapitation...
260	* Daos, of the ''VideoGame/{{Lufia}}'' games. The other male Sinistrals too, but Daos especially.
261	* Many of Ghaleon's designs in the ''VideoGame/{{Lunar}}'' series (and he gets rather a lot of costumes) have big shoulder guards. [[spoiler:The Magic Emperor armor]] is an obvious example, but his [[spoiler:final boss]] design in [[VideoGame/LunartheSilverStar Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete]] takes it to a whole other level -- it almost looks like some sort of architectural model sprouting off of him.
262	* ''Videogame/MechWarrior'' carries over much of ''Tabletopgame/BattleTech'''s doomy shoulders; the ''Atlas'' assault mech has its [[SkeleBot9000 white skull-shaped cockpit]] complimented by enormous shoulder plates.
263	* ''Franchise/MegaMan'':
264	** In his appearances in the ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' series, Mega Man's Hyper Megaman LimitBreak not only temporarily upgrades him to a much larger form, but said form sports proportionately massive pauldrons.
265	** In ''VideoGame/MegaMan6'' Rush can turn into a huge pair of shoulder pads that turn Mega Man into Power Mega Man.
266	** The fully armored X in ''VideoGame/MegaManX1''.
267	** [=FlashMan.EXE=] from ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 3''. He had an attack that ''was'' removing the orbs on his shoulders, raising them up, and releasing a blinding, paralyzing light from it. Metal Man from the same also stored his giant Metal Wheel Boomerangs on his (already huge) shoulders.
268	** Mega Man Geo-Omega from ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce''.
269	** Special mention goes to Punk. In both his ''Battle Network'' appearances and his place in the older ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' games his shoulder pads were shells that could ''enclose his entire body''. A similar design is used by Shield Sheldon from ''VideoGame/MegaManX6''. In both cases the shoulders are used for protection and performing special attacks so they're not exactly superfluous.
270	* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'':
271	** Samus Aran's Power Suit. The giant shoulders appear starting with the Varia Suit in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'', which has increased shielding as well as the ability to function perfectly in more extreme temperatures, [[{{Fanon}} causing many players to suggest that some of the components for these features are housed in the shoulders]]. The giant shoulders came to be because in ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'', the Game Boy didn't have color, so the developers drew the Varia Suit with big shoulder pads to show the player that they got a new suit.
272	** In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'', the shoulders are the housing for the Hazard Shield upgrade, visibly changing after that upgrade is acquired. They make her PED Suit's shoulders have a larger profile.
273	** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' plays with the trope, at least for the [[FanNickname Dread Suit]] variations of this game's Power, Varia, and Gravity suits. Though the shoulders are somewhat large, they're not obtrusively so, letting Samus still have enough space to view whatever's on either side of her. It's most apparent with the Power Suit. The Gravity Suit's shoulders are noticeably larger, playing the trope straighter.
274	* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' villains Shao Kahn and Quan Chi have major SpikesOfVillainy on their Shoulders of Doom.
275	* Lord Nasher in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' has disproportionately big shoulderpads as part of his armor, [[TwentyFourHourArmor which he wears throughout the entire game, even when sitting on his throne]].
276	** Then again, considering how much crap Neverwinter is generally involved in: If you were the ruler of that city, would you leave your bedroom ''without'' your pauldrons? He was attacked in his own throne room last game. Now he's just CrazyPrepared. [[spoiler:And it comes in handy when he is again attacked in his own throne room.]]
277	* The second and third installments in the ''VideoGame/{{Patapon}}'' trilogy allow the Tondenga class to equip these. Fittingly, considering they're the patapon type with the largest physique.
278	* Zio from ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV'', whose pads could each double as a chest plate. Shoulders are really important: lots of enemies have huge shoulder armor (or just shoulders), as do some of the [=PCs=]. The trope is played straight, though: the more evil someone is, the bigger their shoulders. The final form of the final boss? Two-thirds of its mass is stuff on its shoulders.
279	* In ''Videogame/PlanetSide 2'', the [[TheEmpire Terran Republic]] and [[MegaCorp New Conglomerate]] get in on the doominess. TR Heavy Assault troopers have large circular shoulder guards, and both the TR [[PoweredArmor MAX suit]] and NC MAX have doomy shoulders; the TR have huge circular guards, and the NC have armor plating which crosses into VerticalMechaFins
280	* Subverted with Darkrai from ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', who appears to be sinister-looking but only does its job if it is threatened. Played straight in the ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' series games, however.
281	* ''VideoGame/SoulCalibur''[='s=] Nightmare has a mutated arm with bio-spikes, and sometimes even a mouth with big nasty teeth. It gets better: in ''Soul Calibur 4'', Zasalamel's 2nd costume's shoulders aren't as big as Nightmare's, but they are freaking ''skulls''. And then there's Siegfried, who has giant spikes made of ice, and even then, there's a character creator with several styles of giant shoulders.
282	* The gods of ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'' all have highly ornamental shoulder pads that hover above their true shoulders. Out of the ones you meet, the only one who isn't directly evil is the one who's taken human form and therefore doesn't show them.
283	* In ''[[{{VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic}} Star Wars: The Old Republic]]'', one of the indicators of rank among the Sith appears to be the size, ornamentation, and unwieldiness of your shoulder pads.
284	* M. Bison/Vega/"Dictator" from ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' has massive shoulder pads. They hold a cape, which is apparently [[FlungClothing tear-away]].
285	* Luca Blight from ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'' has these.
286	* The Alt Eisen from ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsCompact2'' brings new meaning to the "Doom" part, as they're actually HumongousMecha-sized titanium ball bearing launchers, the same kind of ball bearings used in Claymore mines. Still, it averts the "evil" part, as it's the male protagonist's mecha.
287	** Its AlternateUniverse equivalent Alt Eisen Nacht of ''[[VideoGame/EndlessFrontier Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Endless Frontier]]'', however, plays this straight.
288	*** [[spoiler:Until it joins the heroes as an [[FunWithAcronyms SRW]], anyways]].
289	** ''Everyone'' in the SRX Team of ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha'' takes this and runs with it, due to their LatexSpaceSuit. The AscendedFanboy's shoulder pads are large enough to hide countries in.
290	* Heavy armor in ''[[{{VideoGame/Tribes}} Tribes: Ascend]]''. Previous games had this to a lesser degree, but ''Ascend'' takes it to [[http://i.imgur.com/TMkhQ.jpg a whole new level]]. The shoulders are even ''bigger'' in-game.
291	* Just about every Juggernaut in ''[[VideoGame/UnrealTournament2004 Unreal Tournament 2003]]'' and ''2004'' sports these.
292	* Moonrider, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/VengefulGuardianMoonrider'', wears a pair of large pauldrons with demonic faces engraved on them.
293	* Now possible in ''VideoGame/WarFrame'' due to the introduction of armor customization, with shoulder plates.
294	[[/folder]]
295
296	[[folder:Webcomics]]
297	* Gilgamesh Wulfenbach of ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' gets some pretty bitchin' spiky shoulder pads [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080512 here]].
298	** Later Agatha [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120425 tries on some "armor"]], with one like this on panel 4.
299	* ''Webcomic/MobPsycho100'': [[MesACrowd Muraki]], one of the Scar bosses, wears these as part of his "super villain" aesthetic and for guarding his shoulders. [[OnlySaneMan Reigen]] flat out states what they're really for.
300	-->'''Reigen:''' [[BrutalHonesty They're fashion accessories.]] [[ArmorPiercingResponse They don't serve any real purpose.]]
301	* Yeagar from ''ComicStrip/{{Nodwick}}'', though one of the 'good guys', shows us that occasionally shoulders of doom can have their [[http://nodwick.humor.gamespy.com/gamespyarchive/index.php?date=2008-11-28 uses]].
302	%%* ''Webcomic/TheNoob'' gives us [[http://www.thenoobcomic.com/index.php?pos=355 this]].
303	* Byron the Berserker from ''Webcomic/GuildedAge'' claims [[http://guildedage.net/webcomic/chapter-6/chapter-6-page-19/ this guy's]] pauldrons, even though he normally has his axe handles sticking up over his shoulders.
304	* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' has the sixth member of Tarquin's old adventuring party. He's had next to no screen time (three flashback appearances with one line of dialogue) and the only thing known about him is that he wears plate armor with ''massive'' shoulderguards. Not knowing his name, fans call him "Shoulderpad(s) Guy."
305	* ''Webcomic/JungleJuice'' has an Insect Human with an Armored Ground Cricket Complex that gives her a natural set of these that's stronger than most steel and can be used for devastating tackles.
306	[[/folder]]
307
308	[[folder:Web Original]]
309	* The leading male in the web-animation [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOqDo55vlKk Hug Me To The Skies]] has ''huge'' shoulder-pads for no apparent reason.
310	-->''[[WebVideo/{{Retsupurae}} Take a look at my nice-ass shouldah-pads!]]''
311	* Parodied in this animation. [[http://youtu.be/pcbe2sOzHU8 Shoulder-pads aren’t so great when you can't fit through the door....]]
312	* Considered with [[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner Strong Mad's]] design. While not necessarily evil or armored, his rectilinear physique easily identifies him as the strongest of the Strongs.
313	[[/folder]]
314
315	[[folder:Western Animation]]
316	* ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'''s Evil Emperor Zurg has ''huge, pointy'' shoulder pads - ''and'' a cape for bonus points!
317	* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' the Fire Nation uniforms feature shoulder pads, getting larger with rank. Fire Lord Ozai's are absolutely ''enormous''. [[spoiler:And when he declares himself Phoenix King he gets ''even bigger ones'', though he takes it off in the fight]]. They used to be bigger.
318	** The stolen Fire Nation uniforms that the northern Water Tribe was planning on using had pretty large shoulder spikes, but are are quickly dismissed by Sokka as archaic and no longer used.
319	* Vilgax, a BigBad from ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'', has these.
320	* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}''
321	** Lockdown of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' has these built into his body. [[SpikesOfVillainy With spikes]]. Somewhat appropriate, since he's a big, bad bounty hunter who lives for "upgrades". Bonus points might be awarded for his car mode, which has a huge spoiler to go with the look. Megatron and Blitzwing have, basically, towers for shoulders. So do Blurr and Bulkhead ([[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome the latter of which can turn his into a chair]]). [[TheStarscream Starscream's]] shoulders are pretty wide as well.
322	** Animated Megs had some pretty doomy shoulders in his Cybertronian body, but his Earth-mode ones are arguably closer to VerticalMechaFins. Are Blitzwing's shoulders vertical enough to qualify for that?
323	** ''[[Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise Robots in Disguise]]'' Scourge has giant shoulders that actually make up the front of his truck mode, a design [[PaletteSwap inherited]] from the ''Generation 2'' Laser Optimus Prime toy he was based on. Also like said design, these also function as missile launchers.
324	** ''[[Anime/TransformersArmada Armada]]'' featured several characters with giant shoulders - most notably Hot Shot, whose toy's demented grin and enormous shoulders provoked the "[=JaAm=]" and "[=WhY mY ShOuLdErS hUrT?=]" [[MemeticMutation memes]]. Demolishor has ''missiles'' sticking out of his shoulders, and Megatron's extend into tank treads. Combined with his giant horns he looks ridiculous. And Optimus Prime has really chunky shoulders, as similar to the Laser Optimus Prime example, they form the front of his truck mode, and he has really fat tires.
325	** ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' Transmetal Megatron has massive shoulder-pads that double as a jetpack. Other Beast Wars characters that have them include Transmetal Rattrap, Rampage and Dinobot II. Transmetal Tarantulas has a variation, with huge round shoulders that double as missile launchers.
326	** [[PhysicalGod Primus]] sports massive shoulders in [[http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/2/27/WarWithinPrimus.jpg one of his designs]]. It's somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]] by the fact that his alternate mode is [[GeniusLoci the planet Cybertron]] and his shoulders are just [[KibblesAndBits massive chunks of the planet]].
327	** Almost every incarnation of Ultra Magnus has huge shoulder pads. Lampshaded in ''Prime''.
328	---> '''Wheeljack:''' Who put Shoulderpads in charge?
329	* At one point in ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' Skulker donned upgraded armor which comes equipped with the giant shoulder guards.
330	* ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'': Dr. Robotnik has massive shoulder pads and a [[BadassCape cape]] for obvious EvilOverlord effect.
331	* ''WesternAnimation/SkeletonWarriors'': The BigBad, Baron Dark.
332	* In ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' Mr. Bighead is running for dog catcher against Rocko. The Chameleon brothers give him a special suit with huge shoulders to "wear" because it'll make him look more authoritative. [[spoiler: It works: he wins partly because of the suit, but the job isn't all it's cracked up to be.]]
333	* The design of ComicBook/{{Carnage}} in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManUnlimited'' involved bony protrusions all over his body, including his shoulders.
334	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ShouldersOfDoom