History Main / TribalFacePaint

* Music/AlienWeaponry: The chorus of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kwIkF6LFDc "Kai Tangata"]] describes the tattooed bodies of Māori warriors on the march.

* Music/HedPE

* Music/TechN9ne

* ''VideoGame/HorizonZeroDawn'': The Nora use blue facepaint to denote family allegiance. The actual shapes and patterns seem meaningless; all that matters is that all members of the family have the same pattern. Aloy, as a motherless outcast, is therefore completely barefaced, which is everyone immediately recognizes her as such. The exception is the High Matriarchs, who wear no facepaint to show their allegiance to the tribe instead of their families. The parallel is likely an intentional story choice.

* Many members of the Nora tribe in ''VideoGame/HorizonZeroDawn'' wear stripes of various colors painted on their faces. These seem to be purely aesthetic with no deeper meaning, or possibly a very primitive form of camouflage to make their faces harder for prey to recognize.

* In ''Literature/MobyDick'', Queequeg is a [[TheBigGuy massive]] Polynesian [[CannibalTribe cannibal]] with tattoos all over his body, emphasizing his outsider status among the ''Pequod'' crew, most of whom are white American Quakers.

* ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'': Wing Kirby originally featured two red stripes on each cheek in place of his BlushStickers, tying in with the Native American war chief theme of his getup. These would be removed from ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' onward.

Whenever a [[HollywoodNatives native tribe, group or clan]] of some kind is shown, in a lot of cases they tend to have exotic face paint patterns on. This is a special type of FacialMarkings / BodyPaint, in that they're exclusive to that tribe, and don't have to be exclusive to a certain type of being. This can also cover warpaint and other marks exclusive to a single group.

* In ''Film/KingArthur'', the "Woads" (the film's term for the Picts, non-Romanized Celts from northern Britain) wear blue face and body paint in battle.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': The Nac Mac Feegle have elaborate clan tattoos. To the extent that the books sometimes seem contradictory as to whether they actually have blue skin or not[[note]]The Nac Mac Feegle began as a parody, using this trope a humorous justification for why Franchise/TheSmurfs have blue skin, as well as creating a pun--[[RunningGag or "play on words"]]--on "Pict" and "pixie". Since then, they have evolved and developed, and they accumulated a complex culture, book by book[[/note]].

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': The Nac Mac Feegle have elaborate clan tattoos. To the extent that the books sometimes seem contradictory as to whether they actually have blue skin or not[[note]]The Nac Mac Feegle began as a parody, using this trope a humorous justification for why Franchise/TheSmurfs have blue skin, as well as creating a pun[[note]]or "play on words"[[/note]] on "Pict" and "pixie". Since then, they have evolved and developed, and they accumulated a complex culture, book by book[[/note]].

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': The Nac Mac Feegle have elaborate clan tattoos. To the extent that the books sometimes seem contradictory as to whether they actually have blue skin or not.

* In ''Literature/ChroniclesOfAncientDarkness'', all people have a clan-tattoo, usually on their face, to signify their clan. Torak has two lines of dots on each cheek (the Wolf Clan symbol), with a scar running through one dot. [[spoiler:The scar becomes important when it's revealed in the fourth book that he's [[TheStateless clanless]], not a member of the Wolf Clan as he'd previously believed. He's also given a MarkOfShame on his forehead in that book, when he's formally made an outcast.]] Renn has three parallel bars on each cheek (the Raven Clan symbol), and gets a special marking when she starts menstruating. Dark is one of the only characters to not have a tattoo (at least until ''Skin Taker''), since he was abandoned as a child before he was old enough to get his.
* The Nac Mac Feegle in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' have elaborate clan tattoos. To the extent that the books sometimes seem contradictory as to whether they actually have blue skin or not.
* In the TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} universe ''Literature/GauntsGhosts'' series, the people of Tanith (who make up a substantial number of the main characters) all have blue facial tattoos of some pattern or another. This is one of the cultural identifiers of their world of origin, and also unfortunately one of the reasons some other regiments assume them to be crass savages.

* This is used in ''Franchise/MassEffect'', where the turians have facial markings defining the wearer as a member from one of the colonies where they were born, all stem from some sort of civil war. For example, the Turian Councilor is from Tridend and Garrus Vakarian hails from Palaven. It is mentioned in the Codex that turian culture considers turians who forgo facial markings untrustworthy, owing no allegiance to anyone else. As it happens, more than one turian villain in the games is barefaced, such as Warden Kuril who tries to capture Shepard and their squad. ''[[TooDumbToLive Tries.]]'' The term "barefaced" is also a slang term used by Turians to denote a politician.

* Martin Van Crevald in ''The Culture of War'' said effectively that he almost thought camouflage cream was more for this purpose than for practical reasons. But then one of the themes of his book was that HumansAreWarriors and we are NotSoDifferent from our "primitive" ancestors as we think we are.

* In ''Film/KingArthur'', the Celts wear blue face and body paint in battle.

* Lord Macintosh from ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}''. Also TruthInTelevision and something of a GeniusBonus, since blue tribal paint was a tradition of the Picts, who were some of the first settlers in Scotland.

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* In ''Anime/XamdLostMemories'', every member of a tribe of people who revere and use OrganicTechnology have purple FacialMarkings.
* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', everyone from Kiba Inuzuka's clan has similar FacialMarkings.

** In the ''Batman'' Civil War {{Elseworld}} ''The Blue, the Gray and the Bat'', Bruce's Native American sidekick [[Comicbook/{{Robin}} Redbird]] has face paint that just happens to resemble a domino mask.

* In Disney's ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'', the Indian chief and a couple of his warriors wear it, as does the boy Michael while he's their guest.
* Lord Macintosh from ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}''. Also TruthInTelevision and something of a GeniusBonus, since blue tribal paint was a tradition of the Picts, who were some of the first settlers in Scotland.

* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'', when the group finds Jack he has a pattern on that makes his eyes look like they're open when they aren't. [[ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}} Perhaps he used it to sleep in meetings?]]

* At the beginning of ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' the Hovitos Indians have Tribal Face Paint.
* In ''Film/MajorLeague'', when the Indians are close to winning the division we see a sportscaster dressed in full (sterotypical) Indian gear including a Chief-sized feather headdress and warpaint.
* The characters in ''Film/KrippendorfsTribe'' use it.
* In ''Film/KingArthur'', the Celts wear blue face and body paint in battle.

* The Cetagandans in the ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'' wear elaborate facepaint, with different variations for caste and rank.
* The Nac Mac Feegle in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' have elaborate clan tattoos. To the extent that the books sometimes seem contradictory as to whether they actually have blue skin or not.

* In the TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} universe ''Literature/GauntsGhosts'' series, the people of Tanith (who make up a substantial number of the main characters) all have blue facial tattoos of some pattern or another. This is one of the cultural identifiers of their world of origin, and also unfortunately one of the reasons some other regiments assume them to be crass savages.

* The Munchkin members of LaResistance seen near the start of ''Series/TinMan'' have faces fully painted in bright red and blue.
* Commander Chakotay in ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' has a facial tattoo that doesn't resemble anything worn by any Native American tribe. The episode "Tattoo" reveals that a fictional South American tribe, the "Rubber Tree People" uses the tattoo.

* Music/IronMaiden's [[MetalBandMascot Eddie]] has this in the [[UsefulNotes/PreColumbianCivilizations Maya]]-inspired artwork of ''The Book of Souls''.

* Played with in ''Tabletopgame/BattleTech'', where during the Clan Invasion of 3050 many of the strange tribe-like Clan warriors had geometric tattoos on their face. However, the tattoos are part of the Clan's advanced HumongousMecha BrainComputerInterface. [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Prolonged usage causes irreversible neural degradation and sanity slippage]] and as such it was only common with the more bloodthirsty Clans that led the invasion.

* This is used in ''Franchise/MassEffect'', where the turians have facial markings defining the wearer as a member from one of the colonies where they were born, all stem from some sort of civil war. For example, the Turian Councilor is from Tridend and Garrus Vakarian hails from Palaven. It is mentioned in the Codex that turian culture considers turians who forgo facial markings untrustworthy, owing no allegiance to anyone else. As it happens, more than one turian villain in the games is barefaced, such as Warden Kuril who tries to capture Shepard and their squad. ''[[TooDumbToLive Tries.]]'' The term "barefaced" is also a slang term used by Turians to denote a politician.
* Creator/BioWare also used it in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', where the Dalish elves, the Chasind, and the Avvar all traditionally have facial tattoos.

* Unique facial markings are worn by the Tribesmen in ''[[{{VideoGame/Tribes}} Tribes: Vengeance]]'' and, ironically, by the anti-Tribal extremist Julia, [[spoiler:who is unknowingly a half-Tribal by blood herself]].

* Trolls in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' have an option for different face paints, ranging from a few lines on their cheeks and note to covering the entire face.
* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': In the ''Honest Hearts'' DLC, one of the two tribes of Zion Canyon, known as the Dead Horses has a custom where members earn a facial or body tattoo for every major achievement they accomplish. The vicious White Legs tribe, who came to Zion to wipe out the Dead Horses and Sorrows tribes, wear red and white face and body paint with a yellow highlight beneath the chin.
* ''VideoGame/{{Weaponlord}}'' weaves this into Korr's story as his tribe's RiteOfPassage into adulthood, allowing him to take the lives of his opponents. [[spoiler: When his brother Kӓng was about to get his, marauders came and abducted the boy who was unable to fight back since his face paint was unfinished. When Korr investigated these marauders later, he found all of them dead and thus subject to another law of the face paint: Those who break the rule and kill before their markings were made were subject to death.]]

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has this at one point in a parody of ''Literature/LordOfTheFlies''. When the Model UN (basically Springfield Elementary's entire student body) gets stranded on a desert island and Milhouse is accused of stealing food, when he makes a break for it, Nelson takes ashes from the fire and stripes his face with them as he says "The hunt is on".

* On Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'', the kindergartners were depicted as a native tribe, complete with fingerpaint facepaint; in the episode "The Legend of Big Kid" when T.J. is captured by the kindergartners, he atavistically adopts the facepaint fashion as well.
* ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest'' episode "Pursuit of the Po-Ho". The title opponents have a variety of white markings on their faces to indicate their tribal nature.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Over a Barrel", the buffalo (who are depicted as a native tribe) put on face paint before going into battle.
* Queen La from ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfTarzan'', despite being an evil Atlantean Queen living in Africa and ruling over an entire race of Leopard Men, actually wears dark red tattoos on her face. Normally, tattoos worn by Atlanteans (especially if they're royal members), as mentioned above, are supposed to be blue.

* At the end of ''Literature/TunnelInTheSky'', [[spoiler: the kids are rescued but Rod is unwilling to leave. A reporter interviews Rod but is uninterested in the truth of their civilized town and wants to sensationalize it into a "kids gone savage" story. While he's distracted, one of her aids starts spraying "war paint" on his face]].
* In the TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} universe ''Literature/GauntsGhosts'' series, the people of Tanith (who make up a substantial number of the main characters) all have blue facial tattoos of some pattern or another. This is one of the cultural identifiers of their world of origin, and also unfortunately one of the reason some other regiments assume them to be crass savages.

* This is used in ''Franchise/MassEffect'', where the turians have facial markings defining the wearer as a member from one of the colonies where they were born, all stem from some sort of civil war. For example the Turian Councilor is from Tridend and Garrus Vakarian hails from Palaven. It is mentioned in the Codex that turian culture considers turians who forgo facial markings untrustworthy, owing no allegiance to anyone else. As it happens, more than one turian villain in the games is barefaced, such as Warden Kuril who tries to capture Shepard and their squad. ''[[TooDumbToLive Tries.]]'' The term "barefaced" is also a slang term used by Turians to denote a politician.

* In ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfTaras'', [[AntiHero Taras Jacobs]] slaughters a Dingo-Snake (Essentially a velvet-skinned, three-foot high Dog with retractable, venemous fangs and a whip-like tail) and uses its oily black blood to paint her face (And give herself a new coat of mascara).

* In the ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' "Dial M for Monkey" episode, "Huntor", Monkey is forced to fight without his powers, and "goes native", which includes putting on face paint.

* The Atlanteans in ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' have varied designs on their faces. This is especially most noticable with [[Creator/CreeSummer Kida]] and her father [[Creator/LeonardNimoy King Kashekhim Nedakh]], who both wear this as royalty. Also, at the end of the film, [[TheHighQueen Kida]] ends up gaining more tattoos on her face (one on her right cheek and another on her forehead), [[spoiler:as with her new husband Milo Thatch, who gains one on his shoulder.]]

* ''Disney/{{Pocahontas}}'': The Native Americans do this. Also, a doll based on John Smith apparently has an eagle tattoo under his shirt.
* In Disney's ''Disney/PeterPan'', the Indian chief and a couple of his warriors wear it, as does the boy Michael while he's their guest.