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5[[quoteright:350:[[Anime/SailorMoon https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sailor_moon_brooch.png]]]]
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7For some reason, it's common for badges to be depicted as either giving special abilities to or augmenting the special abilities of the wearer. This could be rooted in the fact that military officers and the like wear them as symbols of [[RankScalesWithAsskicking authority]]. Authority is by no means necessary to use ''these'' babies, however.
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9This trope is common in {{RPG}}s, where they will be collected as equipment.
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11Subtrope of ClothesMakeTheSuperman.
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13[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Has nothing to do with]] [[ImprobableWeaponUser using sewing needles, tacks, pushpins, or the like as weapons]]. Also has nothing to do with ThePenIsMightier.
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15----
16!!Examples:
17[[foldercontrol]]
18
19[[folder: Anime & Manga]]
20* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', Ichigo has a badge that can, among other things, detach his soul from his body.
21* In ''Anime/GoLion'' / ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'', the keys to the lions hide themselves as pins.
22* In ''Franchise/SailorMoon'', the main character has a brooch which serves as both a TransformationTrinket and a holder for her PowerCrystal. Chibi-Chibi also gets one later on.
23[[/folder]]
24
25[[folder:Fanfic]]
26* In ''Fanfic/{{Outcast}}'', membership in the academy's student council is denoted by a golden arrow pin. Student council members are never seen without them, and Tino later learns that the pins [[spoiler: serve as {{Amplifier Artifact}}s that enhance the wearer's natural aptitude and skills to superhuman levels. Ivan's strength is boosted to the point that he can bend steel with his bare hands, Arthur's sensitivity to supernatural phenomena is buffed to the point where he can contact the dead, and Ludwig's memory for details and data becomes nigh-eidetic.]]
27[[/folder]]
28
29[[folder: Literature ]]
30* E.E. "Doc" Smith's ''Literature/{{Lensman}}'' series. The Lens, which is the badge of the Lensmen of the Galactic Patrol, gives the wearer a variety of useful mental powers, including language translation. It will also kill anyone who touches it other than its owner.
31[[/folder]]
32
33[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]
34* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has a handful of magical pins/periapts/scarabs/brooches, starting with 'brooch of shielding' which protects against Magic Missile and 'scarab of protection' which before D&D3 gave a saving throw against spells normally not allowing it, in later versions gives spell resistance and absorbs a number of lifeforce-draining or death attacks.
35* ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' [[HeroSecretService Harper]] pins (AD&D2 ''The Code of the Harpers'' / D&D3 ''Magic of Faerûn'') give their wearers a bonus against mind-affecting effects, immunity to detection spells/psionics, Magic Missile and electricity/lightning attacks. They also blacken and start to jangle if worn by an evil being.
36[[/folder]]
37
38[[folder: Video Games ]]
39* ''VideoGame/BionicCommando Rearmed'': Played with. Two of the bosses are war veterans with such a ridiculous amount of medals pinned to their chests, that they can stoically NoSell bullets, lasers, and rockets alike. A grenade lobbed over their heads, though.
40* ''VideoGame/BugFables'' uses a variant directly adapted from that of ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'', whose mechanics it's heavily inspired by. Badges are given as a reward for successful quests; depending on the specific badge's power, they can be equipped to either the whole team or a specific member. The party has a limited number of points that can be spent on badges, with more powerful ones costing more points, which can be increased through leveling up. Badge effects include giving a team member poisoned attacks, extra health or an additional special move, making it easier to flee battle, and letting the team regenerate some health after every battle.
41* ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy'': In the [[VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy4 fourth]] and [[VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy5 fifth]] installments, some of the stat-boosting or ability-granting pieces of flair are badges.
42* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'': Certain characters wear a ribbon (the military style, with a badge) that makes them exempt from all laws.
43* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'': These are called "charms", but their function is largely the same. Their functions are varied, and include making you immune to knockback, providing you with allied creatures that gather currency dropped by defeated foes or attack enemies, and making thorny vines shoot from your body when you're damaged. Only a certain amount can be equipped at a time, and upgrades are necessary to be able to wear more charms.
44* ''Franchise/{{Mario}}'': In the [=RPGs=], badges affect stats and sometimes have more interesting effects:
45** In ''VideoGame/PaperMario64'' and [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor its sequel]], these are Mario's sole form of equipment, and do anything from giving the player extra information, to giving Mario extra moves, to giving already existing functions more effectiveness, to boosting Mario's stats when low on health. They're stat-boosting accessories in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'' and ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime''.
46** In contrast, ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' and ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'' turns it into a sort of LimitBreak instead where an in-battle badge meter can be filled up with successful attacks; the exact advantage given is determined by Mario's badge, while the rate and requirements for filling the meter up are determined by Luigi's badge. The effects range from healing the bros., to a defensive buff, to affecting enemies with bad status effects.
47* ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER}}'': One of the earliest really useful special items you get is the [[Creator/BenjaminFranklin Franklin]] Badge, which reflects electrical attacks. It should be noted that in Videogame/EarthBoundBeginnings, the Franklin Badge only reflected PK Beam Gamma, which was a one hit KO.
48* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': Badges obtained by defeating gym leaders allow the player character's traded Pokémon to listen to them instead of ignoring orders. In early games, badges permanently gave a boost to a Pokemon's stats in battle.
49* ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'':
50** Merit badges represent mastery in various PsychicPowers. However, in most cases, Razputin can't use the relevant techniques at all until he earns the badge, at which point he becomes an InstantExpert in their execution.
51** ''VideoGame/Psychonauts2'' introduces a system of applying pins to three available slots to modify specific psychic powers. Some are for aesthetics, like adding a rainbow flourish to telekinetic punches or changing the color of the levitation bubble, while others modify power mechanics like pyrokinesis making certain enemies explode when it kills them. Others still are for fun novelty uses, like using telekinesis to pet animals.
52* ''VideoGame/TheSims2'': Expansion packs don't add new skills (such as crafting, gardening and fishing) but use "talent badges" instead. Averted in the sequels, where most of these are converted into skills.
53* The entire ''VideoGame/WildArms'' series has the Sheriff Star, the [[InfinityPlusOneSword strongest accessory]], that provides ridiculously powerful buffs. In ''[[VideoGame/WildArms4 4]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/WildArms5 5]]'', all accessories have been replaced with badges, that have various effects, from increasing HP and MP to protecting the wearer from StatusEffects or enabling {{Limit Break}}s. Sheriff Star, again, is the strongest one, and provides all of these bonuses at once.
54* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' is built around this trope; every "player" in the "game" the protagonists are trapped in gains PsychicPowers from one. Neku, the PlayerCharacter, is unique in that he can use more than one (thus he can use pins in a PowersAsPrograms style). Oh, and the BigBad's EvilPlan is [[spoiler:to use modified pins to wire everyone up to a HiveMind. Neku's power makes him the best hope the MysteriousBacker has of countering it.]]
55* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': Many of the trinkets fall into this category, although it's hard to tell with some of them because their names are so vague.
56[[/folder]]
57
58[[folder: Western Animation ]]
59* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': Both the [[AnimalThemedSuperbeing Butterfly and Peacock]] [[TransformationTrinket Miraculous]] are in the form of brooches.
60* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Referenced in the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS10E13HomerToTheMax Homer to the Max]]". According to its creators, the ShowWithinAShow ''Police Cops'' was originally conceived as ''Badge Patrol'', but "[[ExecutiveMeddling the stupid network idiots didn't want]] a show about high-tech badges that [[EnergyWeapon shoot laser beams]]".
61* In ''WesternAnimation/VoltronForce'', the keys to the lions (which are hiding as pins) are required to activate Voltcoms.
62[[/folder]]

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