History Main / ManInWhite

[[redirect:VillainInAWhiteSuit]]

[[quoteright:330:[[Film/BruceAlmighty https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/morganfreeman_maninwhite.jpg]]]]

->''"Wolfe has said that the outfit disarms the people he observes, making him, in their eyes, 'a man from Mars, the man who didn't know anything and was eager to know.'"''
-->-- '''Wiki/{{Wikipedia}}''' on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Wolfe#The_white_suit Tom Wolfe's white suit]]

In RealLife, white is usually the color for summer clothing, given the quality of the color that reflects all spectrums of visible light away and--as such--offers some relief from the merciless heat of the summer sun. It is not considered an ideal color for most other occasions, given how easy white cloth is to stain and how clothes that ''absorb'' heat are desirable in most other climates.

Of course, in the world of fiction, [[ImpracticallyFancyOutfit concerns of practicality]] can be (and generally are) sacrificed for those of [[DressCodedForYourConvenience symbolism]]. The Man in White is a character who goes around dressed entirely (or predominantly) in white wherever he is. The reasons for this are not important, but what it signifies to the audience ''is''; and it just so happens that in most cases, it signifies that the character is up to no good.

There's just something about a man in white that [[UncannyValley weirds people out]]. One possible explanation for this is that since conservative men's attire has been dark-colored for the longest time (black, charcoal, and navy), looking upon a man in white creates a sensation not unlike a color-inverted image. Another one is that since [[ColorMotif white is also the color of snow and bone]], an all-white ensemble evokes sensations of [[EvilIsDeathlyCold coldness]] and [[SnowMeansDeath death]].

In the US, white suits have also come to be associated with Southern plantation owners, leading to the birth of the FatSweatySouthernerInAWhiteSuit. As such, white clothing in American media can also be used to suggest pride, avarice, ambition, and questionable morality, which is why you can see so many [[TheMafia mafiosos]], [[TheCartel drug lords]], and {{corrupt corporate executive}}s in such garb. For a more in-depth treatise on the subject, see [[http://www.slate.com/id/2119498/ this article]].

As such, it isn't surprising to find that most men in white in fiction are unnerving at best and {{eldritch abomination}}s at worst.

Of course, perhaps the reason it signifies that the character is up to no good is precisely because white is supposed to signify that a character ''is'' good, since that is the colour most associated--at least in the West--with [[LightIsGood an upstanding, honest, kind, or moral person; their clothing is as immaculate and pure as their soul]]. Having the Man in White be a ''villain'' [[LightIsNotGood turns this on its head]] and may evoke ideas of MostDefinitelyNotAVillain or SuspiciouslySpecificDenial. They pretend to be good either because they [[WellIntentionedExtremist truly believe it]] or precisely [[DevilInPlainSight because they are evil]].

On occasion, the Man in White might actually be genuinely good (if uncannily otherworldly), as Creator/MorganFreeman in the pic demonstrates. Sometimes, it's just ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin and you have a genuinely nice person who figuratively wears his goody-two-shoes-ness on his sleeve. Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad, and the Man in White need not be either.

Other times, the color white might simply [[ColorCodedPatrician come with the position]]: doctors and scientists have their pristine labcoats, priests and monks don [[BadassLongRobe long white robes]], and some military officers get white [[BlingOfWar dress uniforms]]--or indeed service uniforms, in tropical postings (the [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire Imperial British]] or [[UsefulNotes/TheFrenchColonialEmpire French]] soldier/sailor in pure white and a pith helmet lording it over the natives is an iconic image of the 19th century). Since white clothing is [[HollywoodDressCode expected of these characters]], their appearance tends to impress (rather than unnerve) the audience and their fellow characters.

All it really takes to be a Man in White is to wear white: all the added symbolism described above is just bonus.

Note that in Japan, men wear white tuxedos at [[WeddingsInJapan their weddings]] because they think it looks Western (and it matches their bride's white wedding dress). The fact that Western grooms typically wear black is of no concern.

The chromatic counterpart of TheMenInBlack. For other uses of the color white, see BloodSplatteredWeddingDress, WhiteShirtOfDeath, WhiteHairBlackHeart, MysticalWhiteHair, and the more explicit about significance GoldAndWhiteAreDivine.

----
!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Japan from ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'', who often wears a white military uniform. Also, his "brother", Thailand.
* [[AxCrazy Ladd Russo]] in ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}''. More often than not, his white suit ends up getting [[WhiteShirtOfDeath covered in red]], which is precisely [[BadassInANiceSuit how he likes it]].
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Antagonists often wear white to reflect the symbolism of death and villainy.
** When Aizen, Gin and Tousen betray Soul Society, they symbollically change their clothing, discarding the black-dominant uniform of the Shinigami they used to be. For the rest of the Winter War, they lead the [[TheHeartless Arrancar]] in battle against the Shinigami to take control of Karakura Town; all the Arrancar, as well as Aizen, Gin and Tousen, are dressed in white clothing with black accents - a deliberate inversion of the white-accented, black Shinigami uniforms.
** Vandenreich Quincies wear a [[PuttingOnTheReich white military uniform]] that is an inversion of the Shinigami uniform: predominantly white, inner black lining and blue accents. The Ishida family are on the side of good, and usually wear the [[GoodIsOldFashioned older, traditional]] Quincy uniforms when they enter battle. Although [[HeroicNeutral Ryuuken Ishida]] wants nothing to do with the Quincies and lives an ordinary life as a doctor in charge of Karakura Town's largest hospital, his business suits tend to be white with an inner black lining, with blue shirts and ties that are covered in crosses. He's clearly not as [[RetiredBadass retired]] as he claims to be.
* Near in ''Manga/DeathNote''. Less extreme than the other examples, as his trousers aren't white (at least in the anime), but still noticeable. It has been suggested that he may be an albino.
* Muraki Kazutaka from ''Manga/DescendantsOfDarkness''. Comes complete with BadassLongcoat.
* In ''Anime/DevilmanCrybaby'' Ryo Asuka wears all white and has an all white apartment. [[spoiler: He's the big bad]]
* "That Man", the {{Yakuza}} thug that threatens the ghost of Pedro [[spoiler:and the true leader of ACROSS]], and his clones in ''Anime/ExcelSaga''.
* Several characters in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' donned in white exemplify LightIsNotGood:
** [[MadBomber Solf J. Kimblee]] took to wearing a white suit after his release from prison. The author has stated this is because she thinks people who wear white suits are weird.
** Fans have also taken to calling the [[NoNameGiven unnamed]] alchemist working for Father simply "the man in white".
** [[BigBad Father's]] humanoid forms are outfitted in white togas, while his true form is a LivingShadow.
* Koji Kagami of ''Manga/{{Getbackers}}''. It's useful for his mirror-based fighting style.
* Luke Valentine of ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}''. He does have to deal with a bit of blood staining it in the OVA ([[CurbStompBattle then quite a bit more later on]]). Later, we have [[BigBad The Major]].
* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' gives us both Fate Averruncus and Kurt Godel, the former of which is also white haired.
* Professor Gennosuke Yumi from ''Anime/MazingerZ''. Since he was a MarriedToTheJob scientist spent the most part of the time working in his lab, he wore constantly his labcoat. Prof. Kenzou Kabuto from ''Anime/GreatMazinger'' also played the trope, but Dr. Umon from ''Anime/UFORoboGrendizer'' subverted it: despite the fact he was a scientist, making it perfectly natural for him to wear a white labcoat when he was working, he used to wear light-blue clothes.
* ''Anime/RedAshGearworld'': One of the men pursuing Call wears a white suit and hat.
* Battler Ushiromiya from ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'' wears a white suit, although he does also have a [[BringMyRedJacket red shirt]] underneath the jacket. If there is any symbolism there, it probably falls closer to the combination of BringMyRedJacket and WhiteShirtOfDeath. Either that, or it's to contrast Beatrice and show which pieces he's playing in the HumanChess game they're having.
* HandsomeLech Shuutaru Mendou from ''Anime/UruseiYatsura'' wears a white school uniform, [[CustomUniform instead of the default blue one]], just to show off [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney how rich he is]].
* It's a {{Fanon}} made rule that at one point in the series, TheRival of any of the ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' series must wear a white BadassLongcoat.
** Kaiba's trademark white Trenchcoat, which he later trades out for a full white business suit and then trades back in.
** Ryo/Zane's [[CustomUniform variation]] of the Blue Dorm boy's uniform is white with blue highlights.
** Edo/Aster's white suit in later seasons, after Ryo's FreakOut when he switched to black.
** Also considered with the Society of Light in [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything that sort of way]]...
** And then, [[Anime/YuGiOh5Ds later on]], Jack Atlas with his white Trenchcoat with light purple lining, white Riding Suit, white D-wheel, and white ''Pimp suit''.
** Ditto the Three Emperors and the human form of Z-one.
** When [[Anime/YuGiOhZexal Kaito]] duels, his jacked TURNS white.
* On ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'', even though a lot of times he is depicted wearing a [[RealMenWearPink a pink school uniform]], every time Kurama drops the human disguise and changes into his [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demonic form]], his clothes always change into a white martial arts toga-like get up. No reason is ever given for this.
** In the manga, a possible explanation is given for Kurama that his Youko Kurama form is a type of spiritual armor. [[spoiler:Sensui]]'s spiritual armor also changes his clothes.
** When Kuwabara needs to kick ''really'' serious ass, he puts on his white BadassLongcoat.
* ''Manga/{{Zipang}}'', the story of a 21st century JMSDF destroyer being stranded in the middle of [=WW2=], naturally gives us soldiers in fancy white Japanese naval dress uniforms by the truckload. ''The'' Man in White of the series, however, is Lt. Commander Takumi Kusaka, whose dress whites are his ''only'' uniform.
* The Angels in ''VisualNovel/TearsToTiara'', who take it a step further with white hair and even glowingly pale china-white ''skin''. In an interesting subversion, they are [[spoiler:the villains who want to turn humans into dolls with no will of their own]].
* It is quite common to see Griffith of ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'', in white, though he does dress in other colors on occasion. This trope has been played straight after his [[spoiler:FaceHeelTurn]] and especially after his [[spoiler:reincarnation into the physical world]], where now Griffith wears stark white armor and a really unsettling appearance to match... Justifiably so, too, since he's [[spoiler:a [[HumanoidAbomination humanoid]] AND an EldritchAbomination. AND he's evil.]]
* Kilik of Manga/AirGear.
* Douglas Rosenberg, the BigBad of ''Anime/ElCazadorDeLaBruja'', always wears white suits (even underneath an {{Mayincatec}} High Priest garb) in addition to being a [[SilverFox white haired handsome man]]
* Ditto his spiritual predecessor, the MadArtist Friday Monday from ''Anime/{{Madlax}}'', though his costume is not a suit and is only mostly white/beige.
* November 11 from ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' is almost always seen wearing a [[BadassInANiceSuit very nice white suit]]. In this case, the "snow" symbolism is [[AnIcePerson a little more literal than usual]].
* Mao from ''Anime/CodeGeass'' not only wears a white BadassLongcoat, but is a PrettyBoy to boot! Oh, and he's an [[FauxAffablyEvil Faux Affably]] EvilAlbino. Talk about LightIsNotGood...
* Verossa Acous from ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'', while one of the good guys, definitely is one of the more mysterious and inscrutible supporting characters.
* In ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'', Zelgadiss Graywords' clothes are really more off-white verging on beige (probably stained from traveling so much; they're pure white in the novels), but given that when he first appears, they cover everything but his eyes, they certainly count. Even once he's no longer an enemy, they still make him stand out, emphasizing his separation from the rest of the world.
* Invoked in ''{{LightNovel/Durarara}}'' when somebody finally asks [[DressedToHeal Shinra Kishitani]] why he insists on wearing a lab coat ''everywhere''. Turns out that he wants to play the Man in White to his roommate Celty Strulsen's black.
* Sagara Sanosuke from ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' is always dressed in simple, white garments. He plays completely against the type, being a straightforward, HotBlooded hooligan and one of the good guys.
* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeedDestiny'', ZAFT's high command are white clad, going with the whole "white as symbol of power" theme. Perhaps the best example of a Man in White, however, is Rau Le Creuset. He wears a [[CoolMask white mask]] in addition to the uniform, is enigmatic and antagonistic to say the least, and is eventually revealed to a [[OmnicidalManiac rather]] [[ManipulativeBastard unpleasant]] [[MisanthropeSupreme fellow]].
* [[BadassInANiceSuit Solomon Goldsmith]] from ''Anime/BloodPlus'' dresses in a white suit. He's a [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld Chriopteran]]. [[spoiler:He apparently dresses this way because he was wearing white when he first met [[BigBad Diva]]. Thus, he switches to a [[DarkIsNotEvil black suit]] following his HeelFaceTurn.]]
* ''Manga/InuYasha'': Sesshoumaru wears a white furisode and matching hakama. There is a bit of purple (manga) or red (anime) on the left shoulder and the sleeve cuffs that are covered in white flowers. Possibly a [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic deliberate choice]] as modern colour schemes (relevant for the readers) means white symbolises death and mediaeval colour schemes (the story's setting) means white symbolises the formality of very high social ranks. Sesshoumaru is both a born killer and a very highly ranked aristocrat.
* Woolf Enneacle from ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamAGE Gundam AGE]]'' not only wears white, but insists that his mobile suits be white as well. There doesn't seem to be a particular reason; it's just [[TheFightingNarcissist his personal style]]. [[spoiler:Asemu emulates this look as a tribute in the years between Woolf's death and becoming space pirate Captain Ash]].
* ''Manga/{{Sekirei}}'' seems to love this trope, with the three primary male antagonists dressing in head-to-toe white. ManipulativeBastard Higa wears a more low-key example, in a white suit with light-colored dress shirt and tie, while BrattyHalfPint Mikogami wears an [[TheDandy overly-fancy]] outfit accented with gold. However, BigBad Minaka Hiroto takes the cake, having [[WhiteHairBlackHeart white hair]] and dressed in an all-white suit with a ''cape'', just because he's that awesome.
* ''Manga/BlueExorcist'''s Arthur Auguste Angel. Exorcist. Paladin. [[LightIsNotGood Jerk]].
* Kaito Kid from ''Manga/MagicKaito'' and ''Manga/DetectiveConan''. (Depending on whose viewpoint the audience takes regarding the "no good" part, though.) He says that his suit is white because he's "bold and flamboyant" and he's "different to a thief who wears all black".
* Hideo Kuze from ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'' shows up dressed entirely in white, [[BadassLongcoat longcoat and all]], [[spoiler:when he meets the rest of the Individual Eleven, a fact that immediately sets him apart from the rest of the more somberly clad terrorists.]] [[FridgeBrilliance Later on]] it turns out that was a sign of his ability [[spoiler:to resist being brainwashed by Gohda's Individual Eleven virus that causes the rest of the terrorists to behead each other.]]
* Eishi Tsukasa, the current Elite Ten's First Seat in ''Manga/ShokugekiNoSoma'' is almost always seen wearing white (he doesn't wear his school uniform's jacket, making the white shirt look more prominent). This, coupled with his white hair and eyes makes him look mysterious and ethereal. In fact, his RedBaron nickname is "The White Knight of the Dining Table".
* Yue from ''Manga/CardCaptorSakura''. Justified, as he is a Moon Guardian.
* Both Michael and Hugo from ''Manga/InnocentsShounenJuujigun'' qualify. Micheal wears all white church boy robes, which is very notable next to the black capes and earthy tones most of the Children's Crusade don. Hugo, at least in the first volume, stays perpetually dressed in the mostly white uniform of the Knights Templar.
* Yoshikage Kira from the Anime version of ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'' starts wearing exclusively white tuxedos after stealing Kosaku's identity. Before he stole the identity, he wore either purple or blue tuxedos and remained wearing those in the Manga.
* Mujuro from ''Anime/NinjaScroll'', a blind swordsman and one of the Eight Demons of Kimon, wears a fancy white robe.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Gideon Graves from ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'' (both [[Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld the movie]] and the comics) wears a pristine white suit. Considering that he is both the BigBad and a {{jerkass}}, this trope fits him perfectly.
* Elijah Snow from ''ComicBook/{{Planetary}}'', both as a thematic symbol of his heat subtraction powers and [[spoiler:foreshadowing of his status as the amnesiac BigGood]].
* Wilson Fisk (aka ComicBook/TheKingpin) from ''ComicBook/{{Spiderman}}'' and other Franchise/MarvelUniverse comics usually appears in a white blazer or business suit. It's used to reinforce his VillainWithGoodPublicity status in-universe.
* [[spoiler:Daniel Hall]] from ''ComicBook/TheSandman''.
** Also, the first Corinthian seems to wear all white a lot. Later, he mixes it up with blue jeans and other colours a bit more. It's still striking -- as he, like [[spoiler:Daniel (when he's being Dream)]], seems to have pure white hair, or at least extremely light blond hair. His own personal spinoff, ''Death in Venice'', has him as white-haired and explicitly described with the name "the Man in White". [[spoiler:Bodies he possesses, even perfectly ordinary mortal ones, develop his characteristics over time -- [[LockedIntoStrangeness the colour fades from their hair]] and [[EyeScream then they start bleeding freely from the eyesockets...]]Fun times.]]
* ''Comicbook/{{Nemesis}}'', who was conceived to be [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]]...except that he grew up to become ComicBook/TheJoker. He wears an all-white costume.
* ComicBook/MoonKnight is one of the rare superheroes who wears an all-white costume. The explanation is so that the bad guys can see him coming. From the 2014 series onwards, artists have started portraying the costume with no shading at all, so it's not just white, it's the whitest thing on the page and stops just short of looking like it glows.
* From ''ComicBook/XMen'', Dr. James Bradley, AKA Dr. Nemesis, wears an all-white suit and [[NiceHat fedora]], and he uses a white surgical mask to complete his "costume." He gets ''pissed'' when he loses the hat during ''Second Coming''.
* The Broken Man from ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' stops just this side of going all-out with the trope, wearing a white tailcoat, white trousers, white shoes, a white t-shirt with the Astro City logo, and white and red socks. Taken together with his [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair green hair]], [[AmazingTechnicolorPopulation purple skin]], and resemblance to Music/DavidBowie, it makes a striking impression.
* ''ComicBook/{{Oxymoron}}'': Oxymoron uses an all-white outfit, which belies his AxCrazy nature.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}'', all [[AncientConspiracy Grail]] members, but especially major villain Herr Starr, wear white suits with red ties.
* ''ComicBook/TheInvisibles'' has several creepy and mystically powerful men in white suits, who Grant Morrison has [[WordOfGod hinted]] are all on some level the same character: sadistic assassin Orlando, mind-controlling HumanoidAbomination Quimper, enigmatic WildCard the Blind Chessplayer, and King Mob's ex-partner-turned-evil-(or-maybe-not) John-a-Dreams.
* ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': Gregory Stark dresses in white suits [[spoiler:and when he activates his powers, he emanates pure white light.]]
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'' had the appropriately named White Magician. He started out as a hero but became too obsessed with power and fame.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* Alabaster in ''FanFic/{{Cenotaph}}'' wears a tailored white suit and tie, which go well with his [[EvilAlbino eerily white skin]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* Lex Luthor in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanDoomsday'' spends most of the movie in an all-white suit.
* The bird in white, [[EvilAlbino Lord Shen]], the BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2''. Note that white is the colour of death in Chinese culture and because Shen is also an EvilAlbino.
* Prince Hans, from ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'', has an element of white in all his suits, most prominent in the suit he wears for the coronation. [[spoiler:Meaningfully, as we build up to TheReveal, he switches to a dark blue suit, and when he exposes his treachery, he takes off his white gloves, the last white element of his clothing. He puts them back on when he leaves Anna, however, and keeps up his good-guy act until he has Elsa at his mercy.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/CaptureTheFlag'': During his first few scenes, BigBad Richard Carson wears a typical rich Texan man wardrobe including the cowboy hat. He replaces it with a black space suit once he departs for the moon however.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* The trope image comes from ''Film/BruceAlmighty'', where, in one of the more straightforward LightIsGood examples, God dons a pristine white suit.
* Lucifer from ''Film/{{Constantine}}'' wears an old-fashioned ensemble in the style of a FatSweatySouthernerInAWhiteSuit.
* The Architect from ''Film/TheMatrix''
* Azrael in ''Film/{{Dogma}}''
* ''Film/TheManInTheWhiteSuit'': The title character invents a new indestructible fabric and makes the eponymous white suit out of it. Its colour reflects his moral innocence in the face of {{corrupt corporate executive}}s and politicians who see his fabric as a threat to the textile industry. Curiously - symbolism-wise - this might make him more of a "male VirginInAWhiteDress".
* John Preston wears a white ceremonial uniform during the final showdown in ''Film/{{Equilibrium}}''.
* Most of Creator/JohnWoo's villains (Shing from ''Film/ABetterTomorrow'', Ko Ying Pui from ''A Better Tomorrow II'', and Mr. James Wong from the game ''{{VideoGame/Stranglehold}}'' among others) wear white, the better to show off the blood from the bullets they receive. The main heroic Woo example, of course, is Ah Jong from the final showdown of ''Film/TheKiller'' (though then again, [[spoiler:he is the one out of the two heroes of the movie to die]].)
* In ''Eat a Bowl of Tea,'' the [[spoiler:wife has an affair with]] a SmugSnake who wears a white suit -- probably to show how flashy he is.
* The Great Leslie, from ''Film/TheGreatRace''. Although he isn't always in only white, he's always got something.
* The villain in the 1987 NewOldWest action movie ''Film/ExtremePrejudice'' wears a white suit, presumably an inversion of the "villains wear black hats" trope. Nick Nolte even lampshades this after he kills the BigBad and TheDragon is threatening to return the favour. "I already did you the favour! You get to wear the white suit!" As the hero and his girl walk away, we see TheDragon already trying on the white hat for size.
* It's easy to overlook, but [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Harmonica]] in ''Film/OnceUponATimeInTheWest'' dresses almost completely in white, or at least a worn, dirty, patchwork mix of cream and beige colors - that is, [[KnightInSourArmor as white as it gets]] within the world of the film (see: SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism).
* ''Film/ElMariachi'' and its semi-sequel ''Film/{{Desperado}}'' both feature men in white as their BigBad, in contrast to the black-clad hero.
* Played for laughs in ''Film/{{Big}}'', where the main character shows up to a cocktail party in a sparkling white tuxedo and stands out like a sore thumb.
* John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) from the first ''Film/JurassicPark'' film edges pretty close to being a FatSweatySouthernerInAWhiteSuit, but is redeemed by the fact that he's neither sweaty nor a Southerner. However, the white cane and sun hat are all there. (Hammond's attire also contrasts sharply with Dr. Ian Malcolm's black jacket, shirt, pants, and glasses - a symbolic way to suggest their opposing points of view.)
* Juror #8 in ''Film/TwelveAngryMen'' wears a very light-colored suit that appears white in the black-and-white footage. This is easiest to see in the last scene, as he's sitting down most of the time.
* Frank Nitti (Billy Drago) wears a white suit throughout most of his scenes in ''Film/TheUntouchables''. This is definitely a villainous example of the trope; Drago has even said that the costume was chosen for Nitti specifically "because we thought of him as the angel of death."
* In ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia'', when T.E. Lawrence starts GoingNative, he begins wearing a white robe and keffiyeh in the Bedouin style.
* The villain of ''The Grand Duel'' wears a white suit. There's a scene where someone he murders stains the suit with his bloody handprint as he dies.
* [[StarWars Luke Skywalker's]] white tunic in ''Film/ANewHope''.
** Also, the predominantly white Jedi robes he wears at the end of ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', which have the same colour-scheme as his outfit from the first movie -- and put emphasis on his role as the BigGood of the sequel trilogy.
** And on the villainous side (for [[PunchClockVillain certain definitions]] of villainous), the Imperial stormtroopers are covered head to toe in white armor.
* The Nazi villain Maximilian Schnell and his supporters in the German TV-movie ''Die Grenze'' wear white suits.
* Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch in the film version of ''Film/ToKillAMockingbird'' is a good guy in a white suit. Of course, he's a Southerner, although neither fat nor sweaty.
* Montag the Magnificent, the titular magician in ''Film/TheWizardOfGore'', is most certainly not up to anything good. Combines well with BloodyHandprint and RainOfBlood.
* One important character in ''Film/{{Tampopo}}'' is credited solely as "Man in White Suit."
* Belloq in ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk''.
* Likewise, in the opening scenes of ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'', Indy faces off against a man in white known only as "Panama Hat."
* In the final scene of ''Film/TokyoDrifter'', the main character, Tetsu, wears an off-white suit, a white shirt, and a white tie, symbolizing his purity and honor, while all the other men wear black suits, symbolizing their corruption. Of course, since the message of the film is that it's bad to put HonorBeforeReason, this is not necessarily a good thing.
* [[PhysicalGod Raiden]] in ''Film/MortalKombat'' wears white robes.
* In ''Cotton Comes to Harlem'', Deke Williams, the MalcolmXerox preacher with a ScamReligion, is introduced wearing a black cape. When it's pulled off as he steps onstage to deliver a sermon, he is revealed to be wearing a white suit ([[TheDandy with a pink shirt and tie]]).
* Ford Prefect in ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' wears a khaki/white suit. Probably it's intended as an only-slightly-weird outfit to show he's an alien with a hit-or-miss understanding of human society. It may also relate somewhat to the "up to no good" symbolism, too, since he's fairly amoral.
* Big Papa, a plantation owner from ''Film/DjangoUnchained'' is seen wearing a pretty nice white suit, and he manages to avoid [[FatSweatySouthernerInAWhiteSuit that other, related trope]] while he's wearing it.
* Storm Shadow from ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'' and ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation''.
* Rick Blaine in ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' dresses this way. While it's a big help in the hot desert climate, Rick's behavior and background invokes the moral murkiness of this trope, too. [[spoiler:This could well be Rick's intention, since he often goes out of his way to try to convince himself of his own amorality despite the good deeds he usually ends up doing.]]
* Creator/ChristopherWalken appears, sinisterly, in a white Armani suit as Robert in ''The Comfort of Strangers''.
* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries''
** Magneto's prison attire in ''Film/X2XMenUnited''.
** Magneto's 70s prison attire in ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', which may well be a MythologyGag to the film above.
* ''Film/TheProphecy3TheAscent'': Pyriel is dressed in a white priestlike garb to show that LightIsNotGood, as he's an evil angel.
* As in the aforementioned ''WesternAnimation/SupermanDoomsday'', Lex Luthor wears a white tie and overcoat in ''Film/SupermanReturns'', plus he spends a lot of time in''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' wearing a white jacket and pants.
* ''Film/TheGreatWarriorSkanderbeg'':
** The Doge of Venice wears a big, long white toga which gives him a sinister and imposing look.
** [[TheHero Skanderbeg]] himself when he [[GoodCostumeSwitch ditches his Janissary outfit]] which was [[DarkIsNotEvil black]] for an [[https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EznfJnLhpFU/hqdefault.jpg white vest]] worn by his countrymen. Its mostly an casual outfit since he suits up when going into combat.
* ''Film/TheBalladOfBusterScruggs'': Buster Scruggs is a singing cowboy dressed in a flawless white outfit. However, he warns a cantina barkeep not to let the "white duds" fool him. Buster has been known to violate the laws of God and man.
* ''Film/HeartOfDarkness1958'' has a character known as the Accountant whose white suit remains impeccable even as he goes galumphing around the jungle [[ATasteOfTheLash whipping]] the {{Hollywood Native}}s for fun. He claims that he has no internal organs and never perspires.
* In the film adaptation of ''Literature/TheHungerGames'', Katniss' bout with Tracker Jacker venom sees the media figure Caesar Flickerman strolling into her thoughts dressed in this way to revisit their potential for ''powerful'' hallucinations...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* The novel of ''Film/TheTreasureOfTheSierraMadre'' has an opening chapter involving Dobbs panhandling from a man in a white suit, which symbolizes relative wealth in that very scruffy Mexican town. In fact, Dobbs inadvertently buttonholes the same man three times -- he only looked at the suit, not its wearer.
* TheIlluminati in ''Literature/{{Duumvirate}}'' all wear white, and their servants wear black. The bioengineered title characters ''are'' [[EvilAlbino white]] for the same reason.
* In Creator/RayBradbury's ''Film/TheWonderfulIceCreamSuit'', six men pool their resources to buy a white three-piece suit; each man finds himself able to achieve his dreams (respect among the intellectuals, business success, falling in love) while wearing the apparently mystical suit.
* In Tolkien's Middle-earth stories (''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', etc), there is no shortage of men (and women) clad mostly or exclusively in white, although their creepiness-factor is mostly a matter of the respective observer, and most of the time, they are not. Examples are Saruman, Gandalf, Celeborn, and lots of other Elven men.
* The Grand Admirals of the ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'' wear white uniforms. The most notable one is, of course, [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Grand Admiral Thrawn]], whose uniform is iconic enough that he tends to be drawn in white in every illustration, [[IconicOutfit even when he really shouldn't be]]. Interestingly, the Grand Admiral uniforms are otherwise a bit [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/File:Vadergrandadmirals.jpg garish]], with gold epaulets and rank patches, but Thrawn usually leaves those off.
** Star Wars admirals in general seem to go for these. Ackbar has a white uniform. In ''Literature/LegacyOfTheForce'', while serving as the head of the Corellian separatist military, Admiral Wedge Antilles wore white. [[Literature/XWingSeries Warlord]] [[Literature/TheCourtshipOfPrincessLeia Zsinj]] also wore a Grand Admiral uniform, though he hadn't earned the rank. [[Literature/OutboundFlight Admiral Ar'alani]] also wore white - she's a woman, but as an [[AscendedFanboy Ascended Fangirl]] who had been cosplaying as Grand Admiral Thrawn, she deserves a mention.
* Darken Rahl in ''Literature/TheSwordOfTruth'' always wears white robes. A case of LightIsNotGood, as he is an EvilOverlord.
* ''Literature/TheAmazingAdventuresOfKavalierAndClay'' featured a chapter depicting the origin of Josef Kavalier and Sam Clay's comic book hero, The Escapist. When playboy Max Mayflower is kidnapped, a man in a white linen suit rescues him, sacrificing his life. Mayflower travels the world to learn this stranger's secret, ultimately discovering that he was a member of the League of the Golden Key, a secret organization that specializes in liberating people who were enslaved or wrongly imprisoned. Having become an accomplished escape artist, Max (and later, his nephew Tom, who would take over after his uncle's death and become The Escapist) worked for the Golden Key, whose agents all wore white linen suits.
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the Kingsguard wear all white, with blank white shields. This displays their office and also shows that they have renounced all ties to their former house.
* In Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar, the Heralds wear all white. This is a case of ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin because all the Heralds are paragons of fantastic goodness. Some of them -- Herald-Mages especially -- can be rather creepy when they're getting their magic on. Vanyel, especially, experiences some backlash of this.
* In ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'' Jerin decides to bring his grandfather's white silk bath robe so that if the Princess Ren sees him coming out, he won't just be in a towel. He is basically any given romance novel heroine, so in this case white is for innocence and purity, the silk and the origins are indications of his noble blood.
* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' has the villainous version with Jon Spiro. Spiro takes it UpToEleven by having literally everything he owns in the colour.
* Paarfi of Roundwood, LemonyNarrator of the Literature/KhaavrenRomances, once came to a public event dressed entirely in white as a political statement: that artists and authors embrace all Houses (which normally dress in ColorCodedForYourConvenience fashion) equally.
* JC Chance of the ''Literature/GhostFinders'' novels dresses in well-tailored, ice-cream-white suits. This is doubly symbolic, as he not only sees himself as something of a KnightInShiningArmor, but he's been a BadassAbnormal since book one and thus rates as a bit unearthly.
* Emperor Elend Venture of ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'' wears white almost all the time. Since it is extraordinarily difficult to keep anything white when the world is being smothered by black ash, this actually works pretty well as a symbol of authority and purity.
* [[LoveGod Eros/Cupid]] in ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'' wears a simple white shirt and white jeans. His attire compliments his harsh beauty and personality.
* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': Szeth-son-son-Vallano is known as [[RedBaron the Assassin in White]] due to his adherence to this trope. It originated when the Parshendi ordered him to [[TheKingslayer commit a regicide]] in a white uniform to honour their belief that people should be able to see their assassins coming; when [[spoiler:King Taravangian]] becomes Szeth's master, he has Szeth keep the outfit to help build [[TheDreaded his infamous reputation]].
* The Tiste Liosan in the ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'' have a tendency to wear all-white armour. They also tend to be self-absorbed jerks and eventually turn out to [[spoiler:have partnered with the Forkrul Assail to bring about the end of humanity]]. This is part of the series's running theme of DarkIsNotEvil and LightIsNotGood, with the Tiste Andii, who are dark-alined, being the good guys and the Tiste Liosan, who are light-aligned, being the bad ones.
* Judge Holden in ''Literature/BloodMeridian'' appears in white suits whenever he's come into money. He's heavily implied to be a DevilInDisguise.
* In ''Literature/TheBlackMagicianTrilogy'', the mages of the Imardin WizardingSchool wear colour-coded robes according to their position; at the end of the series, they move to change the High Lord's robes from black to white to avoid the connotation with BlackMagic, which has [[InternalReveal become public knowledge]], and to [[spoiler:give the black robes to the official Black Magician Sonea]]. The High Lord {{lampshade|Hanging}}s how impractical it will be.
* Creator/NKJemisin's ''Literature/InheritanceTrilogy'': Bright Itempas, {{the Old God|s}} of light and order, usually manifests in a [[PhosphorEssence blinding white nimbus]]; when he's [[GodInHumanForm in human form]], he makes do with all-white clothes. Sieh has a moment of vindictive amusement when he sees that Itempas couldn't get matching boots.
* ''Literature/SpinningSilver'': The King of the Staryk [[TheFairFolk Fair Folk]] wears pure white clothes to match his [[MysticalWhiteHair hair]] and his [[AnIcePerson power over winter]]. It's later revealed to be a sign of rank; the lower-ranked the Staryk, the darker grey their clothes are.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* Jim Moriarty of ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' dresses in a white suit at one point in ''The Reichenbach Fall'', ironically clothed in the Western color of purity and virtue, when he is in fact a complete psychopath who's rotten to the core.
* Various BadFuture episodes of ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' show PresidentEvil future-Lex in a pure white suit. Combine this with the [[RedRightHand black-gloved right hand]] and the effect is really unsettling. On Clark's trip inside Lex's head, bad Lex is shown dressed in the exact same way.
* In an episode of ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' entitled "Big Max Calvada," Kenny Dexter (the nephew of the titular gangster) wears a white suit for his stand-up comedy routine at a fancy nightclub, which is joked about several times. (Buddy Sorrell: "What a target!")
* ''Series/DoctorWho'' has, during the Key to Time Arc in Season 16 and ''Enlightenment'' in Season 20, the White Guardian who, naturally, appears as a [[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090405193434/tardis/images/2/2b/White_Guardian.jpg man in a white suit]] [[spoiler:and curiously bears a striking resemblance to Colonel Sanders, too]].
* ''Series/RandallAndHopkirkDeceased'': In both versions, the late lamented Marty Hopkirk manifests as a ghost in a white suit, which is apparently de rigeur for all the dear departed.
* Mr. Roarke in the original ''Series/FantasyIsland''.
** In the pilot of the new ''Fantasy Island'', Roarke (Creator/MalcolmMcDowell) is looking through his closet for a suit. He browses through [[LimitedWardrobe a row of identical white suits]], but chooses the only black one in there and orders the rest burnt.
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
** Angel was initially dressed in white.
** Only his shirt; otherwise, he ''always'' wore black.
** The Angel who appears in Buffy's dreams in Season 3 plays this trope completely straight.
* [[spoiler:Possessed by Lucifer!]]Sam in the BadFuture ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode. It ''really'' emphasizes his {{Uncanny Valley}}ness.
** Chuck in the final episode of Season 5. [[spoiler:Of course, he is God, and what better way to show this than have a dirty, messy prophet end up in a pristine white suit?]]
** [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Asmodeus]] in Season 13 wears a white suit.
* Boss Hogg in ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard''.
* Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III, aka Archangel, from ''Series/{{Airwolf}}''.
* [[spoiler:Jacob]] in ''Series/{{Lost}}''.
* Number Two in ''Series/ThePrisoner2009''.
** And in the original, Number Six's EvilKnockoff wears a white blazer.
* In an episode of the second season of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', the prime minister of a colony who later kidnaps Riker and Dr. Pulaski wears white.
* Though not a full white suit, Jamie Hyneman of ''Series/MythBusters'' fame has his iconic white shirt. Probably because it stays conspicuously clean regardless of what project he works on.
* ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'': Tommy Oliver during his tenure as the White Ranger, as well as his ancestor, the White Stranger.
* On ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'', Prince Arthur wears a white linen shirt when he is relaxing or in some other informal situation.
* [[spoiler:Shijou]] the AmateurSleuth Serial Murderer in ''Literature/TheConditionsOfGreatDetectives''.
* Toledo, the BigBad of ''Series/ShoeboxZoo''.
* Andamo of ''[[Series/MrLucky Mr. Lucky]]'' likes to sport white suits while working on board the ''Fortuna II''.
* Parodied in the ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' episode ''The Gang Exploits a Miracle''. In an attempt to fleece the new patrons of Paddy's Pub, Mac and Charlie dress in nice clothes and pose as priests. Mac sticks to a simple black shirt and tie while Charlie shows up in a full white suit, much to Mac's annoyance ("We look like salt and pepper shakers!"). Later, an old lady asks to be blessed by Charlie rather than Mac because he "looks more religious".
* On ''{{Series/Life}}'', Roman Nevikov, the boss of TheMafiya in Los Angeles, likes to wear all white, right down to his shoes.
* After its initial season, ''Series/TopGear's'' Stig switched from all-black racing attire to his now iconic white suit and helmet. Note that the attire is intended to invoke a sense of mystery about the character, a la EtherealWhiteDress.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': The High Sparrow wears nothing else, but a white tunic. And he is also BitchInSheepsClothing as he uses his faith to gain power.
* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': In season 2, Wilson Fisk is given white InstitutionalApparel upon his arrival in prison, to signify his status as a new inmate. In season 3, [[MythologyGag he dons his iconic white suits from the comics]] upon his release from prison.
* ''Series/LukeCage2016'': In season 2, Bushmaster's attire is made primarily of suits that use lighter colors, white being one of those. Justified, since he is from the warmer climate of Jamaica. The same can be said of the Dominican gang boss Arturo Rey.
* ''Series/BabylonFive'': TheEmperor of the Centauri Republic wears an [[ImpossiblyCoolClothes awesomely]] blinged-out white [[InSPACE space]] [[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0oKHs49K6E/VjqltxWrD-I/AAAAAAAA88s/UUbhUd3EeXY/s1600/Babylon_5_2-09_09.jpg tux]][[https://b5thoughts.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/snapshot20100623190512.jpg edo]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* In Music/{{Sting}}'s Brand New Day video, Sting wears a white suit and proceeds to "bless" the hopeless with white suits and general preferable hygiene including perfect teeth.
* Simon Le-Bon from Music/DuranDuran wears a white suit (and a spiffy black shirt) in the ''Save a Prayer'' video.
* Music/CobraStarship's video for "The City Is At War" features the entire band dressed in white and Gabe in a white suit. And then they kill everybody [[EdibleAmmunition with pies.]]
* Music/AndrewWK is rarely seen wearing anything but white - although in his case, it's usually a white t-shirt and jeans combo.
* In this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BcJaUYE5Jw early TV presentation]], the deceased [[Music/TheRollingStones Brian Jones]] plays the famous sitar from "Paint in Black" while dressed in white.
* Music/JagaJazzist's "Day" music video depicts all the band members dressed in white. [[AllThereInTheManual According to the director]], they're supposed to be cosmic agents, manipulating the controls of a vast machine [[OrderVersusChaos to preserve universal equilibrium]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pinballs]]
* Played straight by the [[Series/MiamiVice Crockett]]-wannabe in Creator/{{Premier}}'s ''Pinball/HollywoodHeat'', who wears a white suit, white shirt, white slacks, and white shoes on the backbox translite.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
* Wrestling/ShawnMichaels in his feud against Wrestling/TheUndertaker used his born-again Christian status as the basis of the conflict, seeing himself as the light against his foe's darkness. He would even don a white version of Taker's hat and coat and showed up at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}}'' dressed all in white.
** Mordecai had a similar-looking cult leader gimmick, also feuding with Taker.
** The Undertaker's first manager Brother Love, wore a white suit and tie with a red shirt. His character was based on televangelists.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Radio]]
* Parodied in an episode of ''Radio/TheGoonShow''
-->'''Creator/HarrySecombe'' as Ned Seagoon:''' Are you the Man in Black?\\
'''Creator/PeterSellers as Grytpyppe-Thynne:''' No, I'm his brother Guinness, ''Film/TheManInTheWhiteSuit''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sports]]
* UsefulNotes/{{Cricket}}ers traditionally wear white, although limited-overs cricket has switched to colored outfits.
* UsefulNotes/AustralianRulesFootball umpires used to wear white, although they no longer do so. In fact, they were often called the "men in white" (when they weren't being called "white maggots").
* Many soccer clubs ''and'' soccer national teams wear uniforms with either white shirts or all in white.
* In a number of North American professional leagues, including the NFL and NHL, the visiting team traditionally wears white uniforms. Note that in until recently, in the NHL this was reversed - the home team wore white, allowing the fans to see a variety of colorful jerseys.
* Every male (and female) player in UsefulNotes/{{Wimbledon}} has to wear a white tennis uniform as a part of the tradition, and it's so SeriousBusiness that apparently even their ''underwear'' must be white. [[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/rogerfederer/10943353/Roger-Federer-Wimbledons-all-white-dress-code-is-too-strict.html Roger Federer isn't amused.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* In ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'', the Operatives of the New World Order (a branch of the Technocracy) come in three ranks: [[TheMenInBlack Men in Black]] (shock troops), Men in Gray (spies, assassins, and otherwise people with more interesting jobs), and Men in White (the people in charge).
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'', white represents Ultraviolet security clearance, reserved for the High Programmers entrusted with maintaining The Computer. Plays on both aspects of the trope; High Programmers are considered by The Computer and many citizens[[note]]remember, most of the population is Infrareds too stupid and drugged not to take the party line at face value[[/note]] to be beyond reproach, but players know that most of them are unspeakably corrupt and that their manipulations are partly responsible for The Computer's insanity.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theater]]
* Creator/CirqueDuSoleil gets a lot of mileage out of this trope with the following white-clad characters.
** ''Theatre/{{Saltimbanco}}'': The Child, representing purity/innocence.
** ''Theatre/{{Alegria}}'': The Angels and the backing band are white-clad, with gold accents in the case of the former.
** ''Theatre/{{Quidam}}'': The Chiennes Blanches represent the faceless masses and wear little cowls concealing their faces.
** ''Theatre/{{O}}'': At the end of the show, [[spoiler:the crusty caretaker Le Vieux]] appears dressed in white, accentuating the better part of his nature.
** ''Theatre/LaNouba'': The four innocent fools known as The Nuts dress in white.
** ''Theatre/{{Zed}}'': Zed, representing all of the colors of the spectrum and thereby a unification of them.
** ''Theatre/{{Varekai}}'': Icarus (really a Boy in White) sticks out like a sore thumb by wearing all white amidst the colourful forest creatures. Here, as well as establishing him as an outsider, the colour represents his innocence and makes him seem mysterious and angelic. He even comes with snow-white wings!
** ''Theatre/{{Corteo}}'': The aptly-named White Clown, whose distinctive clothing seems to represent a desire to see and be seen, if the AllThereInTheManual material on his personality is anything to go by.
** ''Theatre/MichaelJacksonTHEIMMORTALWorldTour'': The Mime, representing innocence.
** ''Theatre/MichaelJacksonONE'': The MJ Warriors wear white because LightIsGood; they fight the RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver Tabloid Junkies.
* Edward Rutledge in ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'', the unofficial leader of the Southern delegates (who are themselves dressed in light colors). He's a SouthernGentleman and one of the primary antagonists to the independence movement -- and as for unsettling, he acts out a slave auction during his song "Molasses to Rum" in a giant WhatTheHellHero to the North that almost breaks their spirit entirely.
* In the 2009 Royal Albert Hall concert production of ''Theatre/{{Chess}}'', the Americans are coded white. Freddie, specifically, ends up wearing an all-white suit in the second act, fitting snugly into the "pride, avarice and ambition" meaning - enhanced by the fact that he is American and this meaning is mostly specific to American media.
* In ''Theatre/{{Elisabeth}}'', when he is not TheMenInBlack along with his Todesengels (Death Angels), the personification of Death is this. He is up to no good in general, and has pride and avarice to spare. However, he wears white during the scenes where he is supposed to be gentle/showing his lover side:
** Discussing his love for Sisi in the opening number, ''Alle tanzen mit dem Tod'' (Everyone Dances With Death).
** Praising and coaxing Sisi in ''Wenn ich tanzen will'' (If I Want to Dance) - debatable because while this song is much gentler than the dark Death song ''Der letzte Tanz'' (The Final Dance), Death stays onstage for ''Mama, wo bist du'', in which he acts almost paternal and loving towards Rudolf.
** Comforting a young Rudolf in ''Mama, wo bist du?'' (Mama, Where Are You?).
** Matching Sisi's white dress as she runs to embrace him in ''Der Schleier fällt'' (The Veil Falls).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
** Arius, the villain of [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry2 the second game]]. He wears an all-white suit and is EvilSorcerer, CorruptCorporateExecutive and MadScientist rolled into one.
** Sanctus is the main villain of [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 the fourth game]] and wears white Vicar robes. At first he appears as the benevolent head of the Order of the Sword but it is ultimately revealed that he covets the power of Sparda. His underlings [[MadScientist Agnus]] and [[NobleTopEnforcer Credo]] also fit this trope, though the latter turns on Sanctus when he sees just how corrupt he truly is.
%%* Mr. Garcian Smith from ''VideoGame/{{killer7}}''.
%%* Fortinbras, the BigBad of ''VideoGame/OnimushaDawnOfDreams''.
%%* Lieutenant Miller from ''VideoGame/MirrorsEdge''.
* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' has the Composer portrayed this way (heck, he's more a Man Made of White than a Man Wearing White), but it seems the only people he really contacts [[spoiler:outside of his disguise as Joshua]] aren't weirded out by him. Admittedly, this could be due to those people's apparent natures anyway. The Conductor seems to maintain such utter composure just out of his respect for the Big C, and [[spoiler:Hanekoma's probably used to people like this. He's apparently one himself]].
* Zeus in the ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' series wears white robes. Even though actual mythology never refers to his clothes' colour, he is typically portrayed as wearing white, and in the game, it makes him [[GodIsEvil more than creepy enough when combined with his actions]].
* Inspector Cabanela in ''VideoGame/GhostTrick'' wears a clean white coat to represent his spotless record. The only part of his garb that isn't white is his red scarf, which may actually come with bonus symbolism. [[spoiler:He does have a bloody spot on his record, letting Yomiel escape.]]
* Vladimir Lem from ''VideoGame/MaxPayne2TheFallOfMaxPayne'', in direct homage to Creator/JohnWoo's use of this trope for his villains.
* Shiromujō from ''[[VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}} Onmyōji]]'' sure does live up to his name, clad in white from his NiceHat to BadassLongrobe to MysticalWhiteHair. It both serves as indication of his association with [[WhiteShirtOfDeath death]] and as contrast to his brother Kuromujō.
** Ditto for his young apprentice Shirodōji in contrast with his friend Kurodōji.
* Nick in ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2''.
* Michael Tillotson from ''VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition''.
* Altaïr, Ezio, Connor, and Desmond all wear white in ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed''; a predominately white, hooded outfit with a bright scarlet sash seems to be the traditional Assassin's ensemble. Interestingly, this trope sees villainous usage as well; the [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI first game's]] villain, Robert de Sablé, wears a white cloak and tabard (because he's a Templar Knight in the Crusades) and the [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII second game's]] villain, [[UsefulNotes/PopeAlexanderVI Rodrigo Borgia]], dons a white robe once he (as in real-life history) becomes [[UsefulNotes/ThePope pope]].
* ''Franchise/FireEmblem:''
** There's at least one per game, usually (but not always) [[WhiteMagicianGirl healers]] or [[LightEmUp wielders of light magic.]] Including: Claude, Prince Lewyn, Corple (who can be fathered by either of them, depending on whether his mother Sylvia married one of them) in ''Geneaology of the Holy War'', [[TheHero Leif]] and Sleuf in ''Thracia 776'', Saul and Yodel in ''The Binding Blade,'' Artur in ''The Sacred Stones,'' Rhys in ''Path of Radiance,'' Kellam and Libra in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'', and Azama (save for his black pants) in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates''.
** The [[{{Animorphism}} heron laguz]] royal family in the ''Videogame/FireEmblemTellius'' subseries wear long, pure white robes with gold accents. They're meant to be ethereal, unearthly beautiful and pure, and as they're said to be the closest people on the continent to the [[PhysicalGod Goddess Ashera]], it's likely a case of GoldAndWhiteAreDivine.
* Graham Jones in ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow]]''. And he's got the hair to match.
** Soma's pure-white BadassLongcoat also fits the bill, and while he's the ''hero'', he does have something of a [[TomatoInTheMirror darker side]]. And he's also got the hair to match.
* In the reboot of ''VideoGame/{{Syndicate}}'', enemy officers have white armour, unlike the black and dark grey of Sergeants or normal grunts. Some boss Agents wear white, too. [[spoiler:Merit also wears a white armour in the final battle.]]
* In ''VideoGame/HitmanBloodMoney'', the final mission features 47 trading in his trademark black suit for a solid white version. This is the only mission in any of the games in which you are explicitly instructed to [[LeaveNoWitnesses kill everyone else on the level]], including two innocent bystanders (one of whom is a priest).
* [[TheHero Asbel Lhant]] of ''VideoGame/TalesOfGraces''. One after-battle scene has Sophie ask him why he wears so much white. We never get to hear his answer but he apparently needed to think about it for a while.
%%* Guile from ''VideoGame/ChronoCross''.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' series: MagnificentBastard Rufus Shinra, with his faaaaaaaabulous white suit, and Hojo (if a lab coat counts).
** In ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'', the fact that Rufus Shinra still wears his white suit really highlights Cloud's new black outfit (and Tifa's).
* ''VideoGame/AkatsukiBlitzkampf''
** TheProtagonist Akatsuki is a navy officer whose uniform includes a white jacket. He keeps the jacket in his GuestFighter appearance in ''VideoGame/UnderNightInBirth''.
** By using the correct color selection, the player can make several of the male characters men in white. [[DressedToKill Sai]] looks specially nice as one.
** In the sequel, ''ein Eins Perfektewelt'', Elektrosoldat gains a white BadassLongcoat.
* The UrExample in {{fighting game}}s is Ryu from Franchise/StreetFighter, always in his white karate gi. While one ''can'' customize the colors of his clothing if desired, his iconic appearance is him all in white save for his red headband (and that one ''used'' to be white in VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha) and his black belt.
* Quite a few of these crop up in ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'', their attire usually symbolizing some kind of neutrality in the SecretWar:
** White is the Council of Venice's color of choice, and as such, its soldiers all wear crisp white uniforms, as do its agents and officials. Easily the best example of this would have to be Arturo Castiglione's white business suit.
** Säid, befitting his image as a mercenary ManOfWealthAndTaste, wears a tailored white suit and fedora - an ensemble said to cost over £12000. In fact, the outfit's so impressive that it's not until you get close that you realize that it's being worn by a three-thousand-year-old {{Mummy}}.
** Theodore Wicker is dressed in a dusty white suit and scarf, serving as an early indicator of his nature as a HumanoidAbomination and a DarkMessiah to the demon people. For good measure, the open shirt shows off the scar on his chest where he ripped his heart out.
* The Milkman in ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' is [[spoiler:a mental representation of Boyd Cooper's ManchurianAgent personality whose mission is to destroy the [[AbandonedHospital Thorney Towers Home for the Disturbed]] with milk bottle {{Molotov cocktail}}s.]] Thus, he looks like [[spoiler:Boyd]] wearing a dazzling milk-white suit.
* In ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'', the members of ''fine'' are typically costumed in white with gold accents, but it's Eichi who definitely fits this trope best, being the elegant, erudite emperor who fashioned himself a white-coloured hero for good while secretly sabotaging all other idols standing in his way. Even after he is taken down by Trickstar and he tries to reform he remains TheDreaded, referred to as the 'fallen Emperor'.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/TheZombieHunters'': The half-zombie is dressed in bright white -- and manages to stay that way -- despite his constant wading through blood and gore. He explains how this is possible during a "fan mail" strip: he uses Tide detergent between every panel.
* [[TheGrimReaper Death]] in the ''Webcomic/JohnnyWander'' fiction shorts usually doesn't wear completely white outfits -- the exception being a white suit at the end of ''Girl with the Skeleton Hand'' -- but he does wear light colors that contrast with his dark skin, and all the shirts he's worn thus far have been white. It's quite striking.
* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': [[color:#2ED73A:D]][[color:white:o]][[color:#2ED73A:c Scratch]] not only wears white, he ''is'' pure white himself (with a [[TheBlank blank white face]] to match) and types with white text. Being that he's also an EldritchAbomination PhysicalGod, he falls neatly into the tendency for antagonists to wear white.
* John Henry Hunter, the [[LightIsNotGood villain]] of ''Webcomic/NextTownOver''. It's AwesomeButImpractical as well, since the outfit, uncharacteristically pristine and fancy for the West, makes it easier for [[BountyHunter Vane]] [[DarkIsNotEvil Black]] to locate his whereabouts.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Erstwhile}}'', [[http://www.erstwhiletales.com/littleshroud-04/ the little boy's ghost appears in white, surrounded by a glow.]]
* Silvah in ''Webcomic/{{Inverloch}}''. When the protagonists meet him he reveals himself as a telepath and a dark mage who is obviously not telling them the truth about who he is or why he's there... little surprise that he's Kayn'dar, corrupted somehow. [[spoiler:Sort of]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex'' has White Knight, the leader of [[CreatureHunterOrganization Providence]]. He views the main character, Rex, almost exclusively as a weapon, and is willing to allow for civilian casualties so long as he and Providence can keep control of situations and neutralize nanite-infested monsters called "[=EVO's=]".
* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'':
** Jack wears a white robe (with grey trim) almost constantly throughout the series' run. This seems to be symbolic of his quest to destroy the Evil Aku has brought to the world. This is all but confirmed in the episodes "Mad Jack", where Jack's evil side is manifested and wears a black and red robe, and "Jack and the Ninja", where Jack... well, you're probably better off watching that one yourself, as it is one of the best episodes of the series.
** In series' revival, as a visual sign of just how broken Jack has become after fifty years of unsuccessfully trying to return to the past [[spoiler:as well as losing his sword]], he has replaced his normal white robes with a set of bulky black samurai armor. [[spoiler:He regains the white robes -- and his sword -- after overcoming his inner turmoil.]]
* WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom has the Guys in White, a government organization dedicated to dealing with ghosts. Aside from inverting the usual dress code, though, they're perfectly standard [[TheMenInBlack Men In Black]].
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' was about Stewie fearing the fact that the "man in white" (he was clearly referring to a doctor) is coming to put him back in the womb of his mother, Lois, and as a result, he want to kill said "man in white" as revenge. At the end of the episode, he kills a [[spoiler:cult leader, which he mistook for the "man in white."]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'':
** The Man in White is Pete White, who is almost always seen in his trademark double-breasted white suit with pink shirt ("[[PinkIsForSissies It was red when I bought it.]]") and red jeweled pendant. There is no particular symbolism to his wardrobe, except that it is a cornerstone of his identity and matches his albinism. (He used to pretend this made him a [[TheGrotesque misunderstood freak]], but with the sort of company he keeps no-one pays much attention.)
** The character Tiny Attorney, when not nude, is seen only in a white suit, since he is both a [[FatSweatySouthernerInAWhiteSuit Fat, Sweaty Southerner]] and a SimpleCountryLawyer. In fact, he wears ''two'' (well, one and a half) white suits at once, because the attorney is actually the stunted upper half of a man [[ConjoinedTwins sprouted from the abdomen]] of a large simpleton.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Josef Mengele.
* There was also a [[http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=155210/ white]] version of iconic SS uniforms.
* Hermann Göring's uniform as ''Reichsmarshall'' was as white as it was distinct.
* Creator/SteveMartin wore a white suit during his standup career.
* White suits are traditional outfits for a Southern gentleman in the American South, presumably due to the blazing hot temperatures. Famous examples include:
** Creator/MarkTwain, who commented that it had a cheering-up-ish effect.
** Colonel Harland Sanders
** Tom Wolfe. He says people find it disarming, leading them to regard him as "a man from Mars, the man who didn't know anything and was eager to know."
* UsefulNotes/ThePope.
** Clergy in the tropics are allowed to wear white versions of their usual attire, since all black is not the most comfortable at those temperatures.
* Clerics of the "Sevener" Ismaili sect of Shia Muslims traditionally wear white, in contrast to the Sunni and mainstream "Twelver" Shia, whose traditional garb is black.
* Many navies around the world still retain white summer uniforms. Useful, since the deck of a ship usually doesn't have much to offer in the way of shade.
* Music/CabCalloway wore a LOT of white on stage and film.
* Doctors and several health professionals as well as several medical/paramedical male students wear white, except in operating rooms. Combined with the tendency for hospital interiors to be the same color, it can be a little unnerving to some people.
* Similarly, professional dealers in gemstones and jewelery always wear white or pale gray. This is a matter of practicality, because color from the dealer's clothes can reflect off the inside of a stone and make it appear more colorful than it is. Even painted fingernails are enough to throw off a reading, so white fingernail polish or french tips are used by female graders. Gemology labs go so far as to paint the walls and install carpeting in white or pale gray, and typically allow no colored objects inside the room besides the gems themselves. Sellers inside jewelery stores are less inhibited, and will wear what looks good to customers since they aren't actually grading or examining the stones.
* UsefulNotes/JosefStalin would occasionally wear a white outfit bearing BlingOfWar, a look later copied by other dictators.
* Chilean stand-up comedian Luis Fica, aka Bombo Fica.
* The male members of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Merced Order of Merced]], following the example of the founder [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Nolasco Saint Peter Nolasco]]. He apparently chose white as the color of the Order's robes to signify [[LightisGood innocence.]]
* In the alleged [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knock_Shrine Knock Apparitions]], Saint Joseph was said to have been the Man in White to [[VirginInAWhiteDress Mary's Woman In White]].
* BBC journalist and former MP [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Bell Martin Bell's]] choice in clothing was well-known enough for him to be nicknamed "the man in the white suit".
* In a number of police departments, police officers above the rank of Lieutenant wear white shirts as part of their patrol uniform and their dress uniform. This distinguishes them from the navy blue/black shirts that patrol officers and patrol Sergeants wear. The NYPD is the most notable example of this, but other cities like Baltimore do the same as well.
* David O. [=McKay=], a [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} Mormon]] prophet from the 1950's, was known to prefer wearing white suits. This was very notable, as beforehand the public perception of Mormons, especially their leaders, was them wearing dark suits with dark hair and long beards. [=McKay=] wore white suits, was clean shaven and had stark white hair.
[[/folder]]
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