History Main / ArmoredVillainsUnarmoredHeroes

** [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Original Series]]: The Fire Nation {{Mooks}} (as well as [[DiscOneFinalBoss Admiral Zhao]] and [[AntiVillain Zuko]], but only during the first season) wear body armor, in contrast to the heroes who dress in travelling clothes and monk's robes. [[TheDragon Azula]], being a LightningBruiser skits the line by wearing lightweight armor that could be mistaken for a regal outfit. But this trope is directly averted by the series BigBad Ozai, who spends his final battle against Aang shirtless.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': In this SequelSeries, both the Equalists and the Earth Empire mooks (as well as their leaders, Amon and Kuvira, respectively) both wear conspicuous armors: industrial combat suits for the former and fascist-inspired armored uniforms for the latter (mooks from both wear even Darth Vader masks). While Korra and the rest of the protagonists and their allies rarely use armour at all, the exception being metalbenders like Lin. Inverted with the Red Lotus, who are armourless anarchists contrasted in later episodes against the armored but heroic Zaofu military, and averted at all by Unalaq and his troops, that don't bear any armor whatsoever.

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'' one of the most memorable examples would be Luffy versus the weapon-loving Don Krieg. A good part of the fight revolves around Luffy trying a way to break his armor.
** However, Luffy always jumps at the chance to wear armor, believing to be a very manly sort of thing. He even weeps with joy at just getting armored boots and gauntlets from Mr. 3's Wax Wax Fruit during the Impel Down saga.

* In ''Manga/FairyTail'' we have most of the guild members against [[spoiler:Master Hades]], while earlier, we have [[CampStraight Sugarboy]] vs [[WalkingShirtlessScene Gray]]. In the latest arc, the [[EvilCounterpart Raven Tail flagbearer]] [[spoiler:(Actually Ivan in disguise)]] is completely covered in armor. By the time of the Tartaros arc, Gray also faces off against his own father Silver Fullbuster, now serving under Tartaros and armored up like a knight, while Gray himself does battle shirtless.

* Played with in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. Saber is an armored hero while most of the antagonistic Servants like Lancer, Rider, Berserker, Caster, and Assassin ([[spoiler:as well as True Assassin]]) are unarmored villains. It's played straight by the armored villain [[spoiler:Gilgamesh]] and, during the finale of Heaven's Feel, [[spoiler:by Saber Alter and Rider]].

%% (incomplete write-up)* ''VideoGame/RadiantHistoria''. Aside from Rosche, the heroes aren't depicted as wearing much armor. Meanwhile, the enemies start with helmeted soldiers and move up to
* In ''VideoGame/BioShock'':

* The heroes of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsFromZeroAndTrailsToAzure'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' don't wear any armor whatsoever while Arianrhod, the strongest member of [[AncientConspiracy Ouroboros]] wears a TwentyFourHourArmor. Duvalie from the same series is also a case of this trope on both ends of the spectrum where she's a villain when she has the armor on but [[spoiler:ends up joining the heroes in ''Cold Steel IV'', ditching the armor. She does wear it back in the finale but she's still on the heroes side]].

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' shows [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome why this is a bad idea]] in the first season, when the unarmoured MasterSwordsman Syrio Forel takes on the villainous Kingsguard Ser Meryn Trant. To quote the Hound: "Your friend's dead, and Meryn Trant's not, because Trant had armour. And a big fucking sword."

* Franchise/SpiderMan, pretty much an archetypal skintight-suit superhero, periodically though not invariably goes up against armored opponents of various kinds, such as the Rhino or assorted Spider-Slayer robots.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':
** In ''ComicBook/ActionComics #544: Luthor Unleashed!'', ComicBook/LexLuthor builds a fancy armored warsuit which he has kept for any physical brawls between him and Superman ever since. Superman, the original FlyingBrick, has no need for such toys.

* ''Franchise/XMen'':

* In ''Fanfic/KaraOfRokyn'', ComicBook/LexLuthor dons his green-and-purple warsuit for his final battle with the Man of Steel, who as usual goes without armor.

* ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'':

** [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1987 Volume 2]]: Ares wears black and blue armor while Wonder Woman wears a {{Stripperiffic}} swimsuit--[[ComicBook/AllStarComicsNumberEight originally]] a strapless red shirt and pair of spangled shorts--modeled after the American Flag.

** In ''ComicBook/ActionComics #544: Luthor Unleashed!'', ComicBook/LexLuthor builds a fancy armored warsuit which he has kept for any physical brawls between him and Superman ever since. Superman, the original FlyingBrick, of course, has no need for such toys.

* The robot probe sent by Gallaxhar in ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'' has deflector shields that render it invulnerable to the Army's weapons. The five monsters battle the robot without armor or even weapons. Ginormica puts up a goodly tussle, and Doctor Cockroach is, of course, unkillable.

* In ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', after starting the eponymous journey with Tripitaka, Sun Wukong wears nothing but a tunic and a tiger pelt used as a kilt, and being monks neither Pigsy or Sandy carry armor. Most of his opponents will show some impressive armors, helmets and plates, usually described in high detail. Of course, that doesn't help them much.

* ''Literature/TheBible'' probably holds the UrExample: When [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_and_Goliath David]] was fighting Goliath he refused to wear any armor [[note]]this was a matter of practicality rather than principle; he was offered Saul's own armor, but Saul was a full-grown man (and explicitly one of if not ''the'' tallest and strongest of the Israelites to boot) and David was, at the time, a kid in his teens who tried it on and discovered that it severely hampered his movement[[/note]] and took only his sling and five stones with him. Of course [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Bernini) some Artists]] depict [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Antonin_mercie_david_bronze_nude.jpg him wearing]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Michelangelo) absolutely]] [[FullFrontalAssault nothing]].(except maybe [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Donatello)#The_bronze_David a helmet]]).

* In ''Manga/FairyTail'' we have most of the guild members against [[spoiler:Master Hades]], while earlier, we have [[CampStraight Sugarboy]] vs [[WalkingShirtlessScene Gray]]. In the latest arc, the [[EvilCounterpart Raven Tail flagbearer]] [[spoiler:(Actually Ivan in disguise)]] is completely covered in armor.

* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'', none of your enemies wear body armor, but the FinalBoss does. The protagonist calls him out on being a wuss by wearing body armor and how a real gangbanger doesn't need it. However, the insult can dive into HypocriticalHumor if you make the protagonist wear body armor and this is never pointed out.

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' versus the Forever Knights. Ben transforms into different aliens, but none of them really have armor. Gwen and Kevin count in the sequels. Kind of.

* In ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'', season 4 "A Bunch of Full Grown Geese", [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext when the baby ducks fuse together to become a giant duck man to fight a bunch of geese who also fuse together to become a giant goose man]], the geese giant has armor and the duck giant is unarmored. It's subverted when the duck giant is losing and he has Mordecai and Rigby summon PoweredArmor for them to fight and they succeed.
* The Fire Nation {{Mooks}} (as well as [[DiscOneFinalBoss Admiral Zhao]] and [[AntiVillain Zuko]], but only during the first season) in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' wear body armor, in contrast to the heroes who dress in travelling clothes and monk's robes. [[TheDragon Azula]], being a LightningBruiser skits the line by wearing lightweight armor that could be mistaken for a regal outfit. But this trope is directly averted by the series BigBad Ozai, who spends his final battle against Aang shirtless.
* In the SequelSeries ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', both the Equalists and the Earth Empire mooks (as well as their leaders, Amon and Kuvira, respectively) both wear conspicuous armors: industrial combat suits for the former and fascist-inspired armored uniforms for the latter (mooks from both wear even Darth Vader masks). While Korra and the rest of the protagonists and their allies rarely use armour at all, the exception being metalbenders like Lin. Inverted with the Red Lotus, who are armourless anarchists contrasted in later episodes against the armored but heroic Zaofu military, and averted at all by Unalaq and his troops, that don't bear any armor whatsoever.

** ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'': Steppenwolf wears a silvery collapsible armor covering his whole body, while the only one who's covered in armor on the heroes' side is Cyborg.

* In ''Manga/FairyTail'' we have most of the guild members against [[spoiler: Master Hades]], while earlier, we have [[CampStraight Sugarboy]] vs [[WalkingShirtlessScene Gray]]. In the latest arc, the [[EvilCounterpart Raven Tail flagbearer]] [[spoiler: (Actually Ivan in disguise)]] is completely covered in armor.
* In ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'', [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever Fuji]] at first wears a set of armor as he faces [[spoiler: Hiko]], but when he's told that wearing it will only boost his confidence and make his attacks weaker, he decides to opt for a fair and square fight, and removes it.

* Inverted in ''Manga/UshioAndTora'': as the final battle approaches, Ushio and Tora both receive a gift in the form of protective armor, one made from the remains of [[StarterVillain Stone Eater]] and the other from the [[spoiler: Fallen Azafuse]], while Hakumen no Mono has no need of armor.

** ComicBook/{{Apocalypse}} wears alien PoweredArmor, although given his power set it's probably the least dangerous thing about him. His "heir" Stryfe, his son Holocaust/Nemesis/whatever-it-is-this-week, and anyone who takes over Apocalypse's role [[spoiler: like Archangel or ''ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse'' Wolverine]] all wear armor as well. And for pretty much all of them it's more for intimidation than any practical purpose.

** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' inverts this with the Arishok as a major antagonist without armor
* The heroes of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsFromZeroAndTrailsToAzure'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' don't wear any armor whatsoever while Arianrhod, the strongest member of [[AncientConspiracy Ouroboros]] wears a TwentyFourHourArmor. Duvalie from the same series is also a case of this trope on both ends of the spectrum where she's a villain when she has the armor on but [[spoiler:ends up joining the heroes in ''Cold Steel IV'', ditching the armor. She does wear it back in the finale but she's still on the heroes side.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BenTen'' versus the Forever Knights. Ben transforms into different aliens, but none of them really have armor. Gwen and Kevin count in the sequels. Kind of.

* In ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'', season 4 "A Bunch of Full Grown Geese", [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext when the baby ducks fuse together to become a giant duck man to fight a bunch of geese who also fuse together to become a giant goose man,]] the geese giant has armor and the duck giant is unarmored. It's subverted when the duck giant is losing and he has Mordecai and Rigby summon PoweredArmor for them to fight and they succeed.

[[/folder]]

** ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'' & ''ComicBook/RedRobin'': While Tim Drake always has body-armor in his suits they are generally flexible and cloth-like overall while his recurring villain "Scarab" wears high-tech full body encasing PoweredArmor.

* ''VideoGame/RadiantHistoria''. Aside from Rosche, the heroes aren't depicted as wearing much armor. Meanwhile, the enemies start with helmeted soldiers and move up to

[[quoteright:350:[[Franchise/{{Superman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/supermanluthor_6916.jpg]]]]

See also TinTyrant and TheLawOfDiminishingDefensiveEffort. Often related to BrainsEvilBrawnGood and GoodArmorEvilArmor.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': The [[SpaceElves Eldar]] of the craftworlds and corsair fleets use lightweight tech that is very sleek and lends itself to a pseudo-FutureSpandex look. The Dark Eldar, by contrast, use gear covered in conventional layered plates and hard edges. Compare their basic infantry units, [[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/catalog/product/920x950/99120104018_Guardians10NEW_01.jpg Guardians]] and https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/catalog/product/920x950/99120112007_KabaliteWarriorsNEW01.jpg Kabalite Warriors]].

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
** Both SpaceMarines and Chaos Space Marines use armor, but the CSMs' is the ObviouslyEvil kind, decorated with skulls and spikes and sometimes demonically possessed. By contrast, the Imperial Guard has flak armor, referred to in fandom as "T-shirts" to emphasize just how badly the Guard is equipped.
** Eldar use armor, but it's much lighter (but just as tough) and form-fitting that human flak or power armor. And then there's the orks, for who armor is just a matter of piling as much metal as they can on themselves and end up even bulkier than Chaos Space Marines.

There are [[GoodWeaponEvilWeapon many]], [[GoodColorsEvilColors many]], [[GoodEyesEvilEyes many]], [[SensibleHeroesSkimpyVillains many]] [[RedOniBlueOni ways]] of [[BlackAndWhiteMorality making the difference between heroes and villains obvious]]. One of the many tricks consist in making a villain or more wearing armor, while the heroes facing them don't.

* The villain's power relies on said armor, forcing the heroes to find a way around to hurt him.
* Is a subtle way to imply that the hero is better, because he doesn't need any further protection.
* It encourages the image of the hero as an underdog: after all, the villain has armor and they don't, so the villain has a natural edge for the hero to surmount.
* Armors can be associated with war, tyranny and oppression. Heroes without armor can symbolize [[TechnicalPacifist peace]] and freedom.

* Creating a full suit of armor requires time, money and a skilled craftsman, which villains are more likely to have access to.
* Armor tends to be heavy. If the hero doesn't have superpowers it might strain WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief as to how they're able to move around nimble as a ballet dancer decked out in a full suit of armor. (Villains avoid this problem as the focus is not often on them so the audience can assume they had to take their sweet time trodding to their destination, but nobody wants to spend time seeing the hero do that.)
* Last but not least: seeing an unarmed and unarmored guy beating the shit out of a big guy in a armor [[RuleOfCool is always awesome to look at]].