History Main / PurpleIsTheNewBlack

* In ''WebVideo/TheIrateGamer'', the [[EvilTwin Evil Gamer]] creates an army of MechaMooks based on the HAL-9000 from ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'' (whose A.I. resides in a UsefulNotes/MagnavoxOdyssey). All of the robots have purple eyes, with the exception of the red-eyed head robot known as R.E.D. (Robotic Electromat Device).

** But averted in that the rare Violet Ranger will never be mistaken for a Black Ranger and vice-versa - ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger''/''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'' and ''Series/UchuSentaiKyuranger'' even had both colors in their rosters. Naturally, the Black Ranger's shade of purple is a darker shade.

** All over the place in the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' expansion ''Wings of the Goddess''. Most prominent in the Spitewardens, who wear purple versions of [[BadassInANiceSuit Red Mage]] artifact armour, though we also see it in [[EvilIsSexy Lady Lilith]] and [[spoiler:[[EldritchAbomination Atomos]]]].
*** One story quest which involves fighting one of the aforementioned Spitewardens is literally called 'Purple is the new Black'.

[[quoteright:349:[[VideoGame/FZero https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/purple_black_shadow.png]]]]

* Black Shadow from ''VideoGame/FZero'' ''GX'' has a purplish outfit, probably because it was the first F-Zero game to feature 3-D models for the pilots.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'', PerkyGoth Triana has purple hair in the first season, which changes to black with purple highlights with ArtEvolution in later seasons. This seems to imply that it was always intended to be purple.

* The normally black-colored ComicBook/{{Venom}} is rendered as purple in ''VideoGame/UltimateSpiderMan''.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': It's cultural tradition for people born after the [[GreatOffScreenWar Great War]] to have individualised {{colour motif}}s and even be named after colours. Blake Belladonna's colour symbolism is officially black, but she's always used a colour scheme of black-and-white with purple accents. Her Aura is also purple. When the show needs to surround her with her colour symbolism, purple is used rather than black, such as such as the Volume 9 opening's radiant light framing her body; it's still intended to represent her association with the colour black, but it makes her stand out rather than obscuring her with too much dark shading.

* In the world of ''{{WebAnimation/RWBY}}'', it's cultural tradition to [[ColorMotif give people names that evoke colors]] and people often wear that color. One of the main cast is named Blake Belladonna, who is associated with the color black. Though she does wear black, she also has purple highlights and in certain openings like season 9 where individual characters are given monochrome backgrounds, she's given vibrant purple.

** Actual "black lights" actually appear purple in color.

* A literal example happens with ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs''. The first comic, ''[[Recap/TheSmurfsBook1Story1TheBlackSmurfs The Black Smurf]]'', features corrupted Smurfs becoming black-skinned and evil. This was changed to purple in the North American edition. This time the reason was by fear it might be interpreted as racist.

* There is some debate over whether or not ComicBook/TheJoker originally wore a [[SecondaryColorNemesis purple]] or black suit. The purple suit has become iconic in the decades since, although famed artist Creator/AlexRoss subscribes to the theory that the Joker's suit was originally intended to be black with purple highlights, so that his chalk-white face would stand out as much as possible. Accordingly, pretty much all of Ross' (colored) drawings of the Joker feature him in black instead of the widely-accepted purple.
* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'', to save on expensive black ink and to go with any LighterAndSofter tones, has often been depicted with a blue cape, cowl, gloves and boots. [[WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie And sometimes really, really dark grey]].

* The ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'' incarnation of ComicBook/{{Venom}} has purple highlights.
* A literal example happens with ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs'', the first comic, ''The Black Smurf'' featured corrupted Smurfs becoming black-skinned and evil. This was changed to purple in the North American edition. This time the reason was by fear it might be interpreted as racist.

* In the GBA (and some DS) ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' games, many units intended to be black (most notably Anime/MazingerZ and its relatives) were either purple or nonexistent (in the case of the Astranagant), allegedly due to the GBA not displaying black properly. However, these were alongside the [[Lightnovel/FullMetalPanic M9 Gernsback]] and Gespenst S, which were light grey but still usable enough to be black. Especially considering the Mazingers had perfectly fine black in their cut-ins.

%%[[folder:Web Animation]]
%%[[/folder]]

* There is some debate over whether or not ComicBook/TheJoker originally wore a [[SecondaryColorNemesis purple]] or black suit. The purple suit has become iconic in the decades since, although famed artist Alex Ross subscribes to the theory that the Joker's suit was originally intended to be black with purple highlights, so that his chalk-white face would stand out as much as possible. Accordingly, pretty much all of Ross' (colored) drawings of the Joker feature him in black instead of the widely-accepted purple.

* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel'': Grimlock's head, which is black or dark grey in every other medium, is dark blue here.