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[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/AwkwardZombie https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/awkward_zombie_badasses_in_bandanas.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[Music/TheUltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny The Ultimate Showdown of]] [[{{Pun}} Ultimate Bandanary]].[[note]]Image is based on ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''. Clockwise from top: [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ryu]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade Roy]], [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood Richter]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance Ike]], and [[VideoGame/MetalGear Snake]][[/note]]]]

->'''Kaku:''' Do you get stronger or something if you wear that washcloth?\\
'''Zoro:''' Maybe.
-->-- ''Manga/OnePiece''

We all know HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic, so what is a badass who likes to have their head covered supposed to wear on the battlefield? A bandana of course!

The reasons for wearing one can vary. [[RuleOfCool Maybe the wearer thinks it looks cool.]] It can keep the wearer's hair out of their face without obscuring their vision like a helmet might. If supplies are scarce, a bandana might be the only headgear one is able to find. Whatever the reason, a bandana usually highlights just how much of a badass the wearer is, and warns others to stay out of his way.

Bandits, bikers, cowboys, and pirates tend to wear bandanas to signify them being outlaws or to reinforce their tough and gritty look. In fact, the bandana will often be worn for this exact purpose: A LadyOfWar would never wear a bandana, but a grizzled {{Ladette}} marine might. An elegant swordfighter wouldn't wear the bandana, but a rugged thief would.

Note that this does not have to be an actual bandana, and could be a do-rag or headband, which would fall under MartialArtsHeadband if martial arts is involved, especially in Asian cinema. It also does not have to be worn on the head, as characters often wear bandanas around their necks.

This is frequently slapped on a {{Badbutt}} in an attempt at characterization rivaling the subtlety of [[TertiarySexualCharacteristics Ms. Pac-Man's bow.]]

Related to BadassLongcoat. Both are added to a character to show they are a badass with a short visual cue, in this case, a certain type of rugged, masculine badass.

SubTrope of ScarfOfAssKicking. Compare with CoolHelmet, and a SisterTrope to FedoraOfAsskicking as well.

----
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime And Manga]]
* Nie Given from ''Anime/AuraBattlerDunbine'' wears one after becoming the leader of the [[LaResistance guerrilla resistance]] to overthrow the EvilOverlord that killed his parents.
* ''Literature/DirtyPair'': Kei is almost always seen with her hair up and a band tied around her head to keep it in place, which serves as an instant visual signal as to which half of the TomboyAndGirlyGirl dynamic she represents.
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
** Pan from ''Anime/DragonBallGT'' wears an orange bandanna and is a very powerful martial artist.
** Her dad Gohan wore a white bandanna when he participated in the World Tournament as The Great Saiyaman in ''Anime/DragonBallZ''.
** Pan's great-grandfather Bardock's signature red bandana was the cloth he used to wipe up the blood of his deceased comrades and went on to wear it in both of his eponymous specials.
* Soma Yukihira and Ryo Kurokiba from ''Manga/FoodWars'' both satisfy this trope, donning bandannas while cooking.
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': Winry, the resident WrenchWench, wears one of these.
* ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'': Minor characters Knuckle Joe and Sirica are CuteBruiser Star Warriors who both wear bands to emphasize their sheer badassery. In Sirica’s case, it [[TertiarySexualCharacteristics comes with a bow]] attached to the back.
* ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'': Domon Kasshu, the titular Gundam's hot-blooded pilot, wears a red bandana.
* Yukimi, a modern-day gun-wielding ninja, is frequently depicted wearing a bandana in ''Manga/NabariNoOu''.
* This is a typical way that {{ninja}} of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' may choose to wear their forehead protector.
* Tsurezure from ''Manga/{{Ojojojo}}'' is almost always seen wearing a bandanna [[spoiler:and is a former child assassin]] (though he didn't get the bandanna until the latter part stopped applying).
* Zoro from ''Manga/OnePiece'' puts on a bandana whenever he decides to [[LetsGetDangerous get dangerous]].
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''
** May, an aspiring Pokémon Coordinator from ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesRubyAndSapphire'', always wears one in her adventures, and her Contest performance always has a battling flair to them thanks to being around Ash Ketchum.
** Sapphire, May's ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'' counterpart, fits this trope far better due to being a tomboyish, wild girl who prefers to do Gym Battles over Contests while still wearing the signature bandana on her head.
* Ryoga Hibiki from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' is a major badass and wears a tiger-stripe bandana, which he can also [[ImprobableWeaponUser use as a weapon]].
* Krylancelo Finrandi, the main character of ''Manga/SorcererStabberOrphen''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Franchise/{{Batman}} villain Gunhawk (a [[TheGunslinger gunslinger]] who specialises in {{BFG}}s and GatlingGood) wears one as part of his costume.
* ComicBook/{{Elektra}} typically wears a red bandana as part of her {{Ninja}} outfit.
* ComicBook/ShangChi sometimes wears a red headband.
* Pre-Crisis ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, the character's most powerful version, started wearing a red bandanna in ''[[ComicBook/Supergirl1982 her 80's book]]''. She still wore it when she nearly killed the Multiverse-eater Anti-Monitor in ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''.
* '' Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles:''
** In every incarnation, the titular main characters are depicted wearing these over their faces with little eyeholes to see through (Leonardo wears a [[BlueIsHeroic blue]] one, Raphael wears a [[RedIsHeroic r]][[RedIsViolent ed]] one, Donatello wears a [[PurpleIsPowerful purple]] one and Michelangelo wears an [[VibrantOrange orange]] one). [[note]] In the original Mirage comics, they all wore red bandanas. [[/note]]
** The ninjas of The Foot Clan are a villainous example in most incarnations and their bandanas are usually depicted as being [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver the color red to go with their all-black]] [[EvilWearsBlack outfits]].
* ''ComicBook/TheWalkingDead'':
** Cesar Martinez wears one, and is one of the biggest badasses in the series, [[JawBreaker ripping a zombies jaw off]] by sticking his hand in its mouth.
** Billy Greene and Michonne also both wear headbands.
* After ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} lost his adamantium and reverted to a more feral state, his mask was a bandana.
* ''ComicBook/XMen'': Corsair, the leader of the [[SpacePirate Starjammers]] wears a bandana that [[DependingOnTheArtist is either red or blue]].
* Franchise/TheDCU rogue [[Characters/TeenTitansCheshire Cheshire]] is frequently wearing a [[ColorMotifs green]] bandana when she's on her "work outfit".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fairy Tales]]
* In Creator/FranzXaverVonSchonwerth's "Literature/KingGoldenlocks", the titular warrior prince wears a white do-rag to hide his golden hair.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'', all Hunters save for Lily wear a bandana to conceal their noses and mouths like a mask, instead of wearing it on their heads like a headband. All of them are good at combat.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* Pvt. Vasquez from ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' gives an excellent {{Ladette}} example.
* ''Film/CruzDiablo'': The only difference in dress between TheHero Carlos and TheHighwayman Chacho is the bandana Chacho wears wrapped on his head under his hat.
* In ''Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch'', Gizmo the Mogwai puts on a bandana (a move inspired by his watching Franchise/{{Rambo}}) when he TakesALevelInBadass. He goes on to kill a Gremlin that has turned into a giant spider monster by firing a burning arrow at it and setting it on fire.
* Parodied in ''Film/HotShotsPartDeux'' when our muscular shirtless hero is standing with his back to the camera tying on his bandanna, except when he turns round we see [[IdiotHero he's tied it around his eyes]]. He then walks straight into a tentpole.
* Edgar Frog in ''Film/TheLostBoys'' is a boastful GenreSavvy vampire hunter who wears bandanas to look more badass and whose speech is a near constant impression of Creator/SylvesterStallone in further reference to [[Franchise/{{Rambo}} his iconic bandana-wearing hero]].
* Will, Jack, and many other pirates in ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' franchise wear bandanas.
* Sgt Jones in ''Film/PoliceAcademy2TheirFirstAssignment'' [[InvokedTrope invokes]] this trope when he puts a bandana on before capturing two would-be thieves.
* The titular character of ''Franchise/{{Rambo}}'', is one of the most iconic and famous examples of his trope. Being an iconic action hero that's plenty badass and has worn it in almost every movie, the only exception being the exception of the [[Film/RamboLastBlood fifth and final installment]].
* In ''Film/ToraToraTora'', the mechanics chief gives Commander Fuchida a ''hachimaki'' for good luck just before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature]]
* Parodied in ''Literature/ReaperMan''. When the Dean of Unseen University starts getting extremely gung-ho about blowing up things that have been animated by the excess life-force, he removes his hat, tears a strip off his robe, and ties it round his head, explaining that this is what they do in the Counterweight Continent. The parody is firstly that the other wizards think this is ridiculous, and secondly that the Dean is a very fat man in his seventies. He also won't stop saying "Yo!" or occasionally "Bonsai!"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action Television]]
* Charles Gunn from ''Series/{{Angel}}'' wore a bandana in his first few appearances, but it was dropped soon after.
* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': For most of Season 1, prior to getting the big red devil suit, [[Creator/CharlieCox Matt Murdock]] wears a black mask with no eyeholes pulled down over his face.
* ''Series/TheDefenders2017'': Matt uses Series/{{Jessica Jones|2015}}' scarf like a bandanna to hide his identity when infiltrating Midland Circle.
-->'''Jessica Jones:''' You look like an idiot.
-->'''Matt Murdock:''' It's ''your'' scarf.
* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'':
** Tommy Oliver and Adam Park from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' wore bandanas on occasion. Adam's predecessor Zack wore one at least once. Jason Lee Scott, the original Red Ranger, occasionally wore a red MartialArtsHeadband. When the Rangers were granted new {{Ninja}} powers they gained new costumes that came with head bands as part of the ceremony.
** Cole Evans from ''Series/PowerRangersWildForce'' wore a red headband.
* The streetwise bruiser Lex in ''Series/TheTribe'' wore one in a few first season episodes as well as his flashback episode.
* {{Kid Hero}} Lucas Sinclair from ''Series/StrangerThings'' wears a camouflage bandana.
* James May sports a bandana during several of the ''Series/{{Top Gear|UK}}'' overseas trips, which see him doing difficult things such as finding the source of the River Nile, traveling through the deserts of the Middle East, and threatening annoying co-presenters with a machete. It also serves the far more practical use of keeping his long hair out of his face.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* Bandanas styled after American Flags are a recurring symbol for Music/{{Flobots}}.
* Bandanas have always been "Miami" Steve van Zandt's onstage trademark when playing with Music/BruceSpringsteen.
* Juelz Santana of Music/TheDiplomats made the bandana his trademark accessory, dedicating songs like ''Red Bandana'' and ''Santana Bandana'' too the topic.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* Wrestling/HulkHogan and Wrestling/JesseVentura often wear a bandana on their heads to cover their baldness. Both likely took their look from an earlier wrestler, [[Wrestling/SuperstarBillyGraham "Superstar" Billy Graham]], who did it first.
* Wrestling/TheOneManGang sometimes wore one.
* Mustafa Saed of Wrestling/{{SMW}}'s Gangstas would wear a bandana on top of his head and another around his face, a look that would also be adopted by Wrestling/{{Konnan}} and Puerto Rican Street Fugitive El Niche.
* Wrestling/TheUndertaker used to wear one during his days as The American Badass from 2000-2003.
* [[Wrestling/TheDudleyBoys Bubba Ray Dudley]] sometimes crossed this with WearingAFlagOnYourHead, as he'd wear [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Confederate Flag]] bandanas.
* Heavyweight Champion of All Pro Wrestling's Florida branch Ricky "The Rocket" Roberts wrestled in a [[RealMenWearPink pink]] bandana, as did Joey Franchise.
* Dark Fantasy from Spain would wear a grey bandanna under her {{mask|edluchador}}.
* Wrestling/RandySavage wore bandanas or headbands in the 80s, but would switch to cowboy hats in 1990. Like Hogan, Ventura and Graham, he wore them to cover his bald spot.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Role-Playing Games]]
* Erik Paulson and Mort in ''Roleplay/DinoAttackRPG''. Subverted with Plastic Serpent, who doesn't do anything badass despite being loosely inspired by [[VideoGame/MetalGear Solid Snake]] (see the VideoGames section below).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Creator/GamesWorkshop games:
** ''TabletopGame/{{Necromunda}}'': During the 1st and 2nd Editions of the game, the bandana was the signature clothing of the BadassNormal House Orlock gang, along with their biker gang style outfits. While the 3rd Edition models have moved away from this, some of the head options reference this by wearing goggles around their foreheads in a similar manner.
** ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Red bandannas are part of the official uniform of the Catachan Jungle Fighters, renowned the Imperium over as one of the toughest and most violent [[BadassArmy Astra Militarum]] forces. The bandanna also ties into the Catachan's Vietnam War/''Franchise/{{Rambo}}'' look.
* The Badass Bandana is an actual item in ''TabletopGame/{{Munchkin}}''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Yusuf from ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations'' wears a very colorful headband. It probably serves to make him a distinct character model more than anything else, but he ''is'' an Assassin.
* Ernest from ''VideoGame/{{Battleborn}}'' is a badass [[DrillSergeantNasty Drill Sergeant]] DemolitionsExpert [[BirdPeople bird alien]] who wields a GrenadeLauncher. As indicative of the space military based faction he comes from, he wears an army bandana.
* Frank Woods in ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps'' wears a headband throughout the game.
* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' has a green bandana around his neck. It's all but invisible on the in-game sprite, but it's there in the official artwork.
* Crono from ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' wears one where it is his starting accessory which gives him a speed boost.
* In the ''VideoGame/FableI'' and ''VideoGame/FableII'', bandits often wear bandanas but aren't very badass in comparison to your Hero. But you can wear a bandana; just expect people to run in fear from you.
* The [[PlayerCharacter Lone Wanderer]] from ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' can qualify, should they manage to get their hands on a bandana.
* ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' and ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' has Billy Kane, a mean Brit wearing a red-and-white bandanna.
* Many characters from the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' franchise wear them.
** Firion, TheHero of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII'', wears an elaborate bandanna decorated with jewels and beads.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'', all of Faris' pirate crew but herself wear bandanas. Every character including Faris will wear a bandanna when made into a thief through the JobSystem.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' has Locke, who is a thief that wears a bandana. He proves to be badass by saving [[HalfHumanHybrid Terra]] in Narshe at the beginning of the game, steals the clothes off of merchants and soldiers ''while they're wearing them'', and [[spoiler:in [[AfterTheEnd the World of Ruin]], goes to a remote cave in the mountains in order to find the [[GreenRocks magicite]] Phoenix in order to resurrect his dead girlfriend.]]
** Laguna's hulking giant of a companion Ward wears one in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', here it gives him the impressions of a Naval soldier with his [[AnchorsAway choice of weapons]].
** Lani, an axe-wielding bounty hunter and minor antagonist from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' wears a bandana adorned with a feathered brooch.
** Snow, the male lead of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' wears a black do-rag to show off his rebel-ness.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', the "Scion Traveler's Attire" that Tataru gives the Warrior in the lead-up to Shadowbringers includes a black bandana tied loosely around the Warrior's neck like a scarf.
** The male human player character of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyLegendII'', as well as Arthur of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyLegendIII''.
* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' has [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade Dart]] and [[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Darros]], both of whom are {{pirate}}s. Most enemy pirates wear bandanas as well.
** [[TheHero Ike]] from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' has his iconic tattered headband(s), giving him the fitting "grizzled mercenary" look. From the same games are [[GenkiGirl Mia]] and [[BoisterousBruiser Boyd]], who both also have some kind of band around their heads.
** Many of ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade Binding Blade]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade Blazing Blade]]'''s Sacaens wore headbands; almost all of them were badasses by default and the headgear may have been more evocative of BraidsBeadsAndBuckskins.
** Characters of the Thief, Rogue and Assassin classes tend to have bandanas, headbands, or hoods.
** The ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' DLC and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' redesigns of [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade Roy]] definitely invoke this, giving his headband ridiculously long tails with tattered ends, on top of him being made to look significantly older.
** The wyvern-riding assassin Beruka in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' comes with a dark-colored one.
* Marcus Fenix of the ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' franchise is one of the most visible examples of this trope. He is only seen without his bandana twice: [[BookEnds at the start of ''Gears of War'' and at the end of ''Gears of War 3'']].
** Dizzy Wallin also wears a bandana under his cowboy hat.
* The ''VideoGame/GeneiTougi'' duology has the protagonist Kei Iwase sporting one. Notably, the cover for the first game, ''Genei Tougi: Shadow Struggle'', featured a close up shot of his face with his red and white bandana in clear view.
* A Waddle Dee that is used as a JokeCharacter Boss in ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar Ultra'' wears a blue Bandana[=/=]do-rag to tell it apart from other Waddle Dees. He later appears as a main character in ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamland'' where he wields a spear.
* One of Link's equipable headgear pieces in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' is the Climbing Bandana, which lets him climb surfaces more quickly.
* In ''VideoGame/LiveALive'', Yun's brown hair is covered by a purple bandana at all times. While he's unsure of himself for much of the story, Shifu senses great potential in Yun to become a worthy successor to Earthen Heart Kung Fu. [[spoiler:At the end of Yun's route, he and Shifu single-handedly defeat a small army of master martial artists and their attack animals. Yun then becomes the new Earthen Heart Master after defeating Ou Di Wan Li in single combat.]]
* Solid Snake from ''VideoGame/MetalGear''. Big Boss wears one too, but his is a memento of his mentor, The Boss.
** In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'', Snake [[NoFourthWall points to his bandana and says that it gives him infinite ammo]].
* ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' has both aspects of this trope in its playable cast: the original hero of the series, Marco Rossi, wears a simple white ''hachimaki'', and his comrade Eri Kasamoto has a green bandana to keep her long hair in place. [[VideoGame/IkariWarriors Ralf Jones]] in ''6'' and onward continues the trend.
* Petra’s bandana in ''VideoGame/MinecraftStoryMode'' also serves as her IconicItem.
* The main character and his partner are always depicted wearing a bandana around their necks in official art for ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon''; however, this doesn't show up in-game.
* Gunrock in the ''VideoGame/PowerStone'' games wears a blue bandanna on his head to emphasise his working-class background as a miner.
* The hero of ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana''.
* One of the (very noted) changes to Sonic's appearance in the ''VideoGame/SonicBoom'' continuity is the brown bandana around his neck. Knuckles also inexplicably wears one in the old 90s OVA, coupled with an Indiana Jones hat.
* Your hero in ''VideoGame/SturmFrontTheMutantWar'' is a mutant-killing badass soldier wearing a red bandana.
* [[MagicKnight Flik]] from ''VideoGame/SuikodenII''.
* Most ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' protagonists. There's even a skit about it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrQ7vhOriXw here]].
* Mocked in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' by the 'Manly Bandanna' item. It's manly enough to have abs drawn on it.
* ''VideoGame/WarcraftIITidesOfDarkness'': The cover art features a human with a tricorn and an orc wearing a bandanna, giving both a nautical/piratical appearance respectively (as the game introduces naval combat to the series).
* Dickson from ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' sports a dark red one on his forehead, making him look somewhat like an old pirate.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': Seleenara is a sneaky pirate who wears an orange bandana.
* WebAnimation/MadnessCombat, Hank and Sanford wear bandanas to signify that they're important. Which is easy considering the fact that everyone looks almost the same.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''Webcomic/CommanderKitty'', [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2012/08/15/nin-wahs-agenda/ one replaces CK's usual hood]] when he ends up unwittingly fitted into a costume with every badass [[CostumeTropes Costume Trope]] in the book.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''{{WesternAnimation/Motorcity}}'': Capri, Mike Chilton's CoolBigSis, wears one in the illustration creator Chris Prynoski drew.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* A number of real-life {{Badass Biker}}s wear bandannas as fashion statements.
* The "Rambo" look was something adopted by soldiers in Vietnam for a practical purpose: Perspiration running down their foreheads would mix with their camouflage face-paint and hurt like hell if it got into their eyes.
* Bandanas are a part of the GangBanger uniform. Legend has it, the origin of this was an early member of the Crips, known as Buddha who was known to dress head to toe in blue including a blue bandana on his head, and after his death, the gang took up wearing the bandana as a tribute. And once the Bloods formed to oppose the Crips, they took up wearing red bandanas.
[[/folder]]

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