Basic Trope: A stark black and red color scheme indicates evil.
- Straight: The Grimm Empire's uniforms are stark black armor with red highlights; they are Sociopathic Soldiers led by an Evil Overlord.
- Exaggerated: Even the Grimm Empire's ration packs and medkits have a red and black color scheme, and they're unrelentingly evil.
- Downplayed:
- The Opposing Sports Team wears red, black, and white uniforms with a red and black logo, and they're insufferable gits.
- The charming Anti-Hero Gentleman Thief protagonist wears a classy black suit with red highlights; he doesn't hurt people, even security guards doing their jobs, but he is an unashamed criminal out only for money and/or sport.
- The three main sides are Angels, Devils and Squid. Red and black is the color scheme of the "devil" side, but they're still preferable to the purple and green "squid".
- Justified:
- The Grimm Empire made a pact with Hell, which provides the uniforms: demonic black steel and fabric dyed with blood.
- Neo-Nazis are Putting on the Reich. The color scheme comes with it.
- Inverted:
- The Saintly Church uses white and Heavenly Blue.
- Red Is Heroic.
- The All-Loving Hero has a black and red color scheme.
- White and Red and Eerie All Over.
- The Corrupt Church uses white and blue.
- Subverted: The Grimm Empire, initially antagonistic, are a case of Dark Is Not Evil. They keep the uniforms, though.
- Double Subverted: The Grimm Empire, initially antagonistic, are a case of Dark Is Not Evil. In the ensuing Enemy Civil War, the sympathetic Rebels switch to grey and green, while the evil Regime remain red and black.
- Parodied: The Sociopathic Hero opens fire on anyone in red and black on sight. "They're Obviously Evil, right?"
- Zig-Zagged: Ms. Grimm switches sides once or more during the story, but wears black and red no matter her alignment.
- Averted:
- The Ruby Republic's red and black doesn't indicate anything about them either way; it's Grey-and-Grey Morality for all.
- While the heroes use Heavenly Blue, the villains go with a Sickly Green Glow for their color motif.
- Enforced: The villains are Putting on the Reich; the color scheme's a natural part of the deal.
- Lampshaded: "Red and black? Were they having a sale at Villains 'R' Us?"
- Invoked: "And when our enemies see armor as black as feared night, stained with blood crimson, they shall know their doom is upon them..."
- Exploited: The heroes disguise themselves by deliberately dressing in red and black, fooling enemies into thinking they're associated with the Grimm Empire.
- Defied: The Villain with Good Publicity rejects a red and black uniform suggested by an underling, going with Gold and White Are Divine instead.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: "So, the guys with red and black are the bad guys, right?"
- Played for Laughs: As his latest Poke the Poodle, the local Harmless Villain makes an evil cake. The audience can tell it's evil by the black and red frosting, but it's otherwise an ordinary cake. And quite delicious.
Back to Red and Black and Evil All Over.
