History Main / ChestInsignia

Recently there has been a trend (particularly with less [[BadassNormal "super" characters]]) of justifying the symbol by having it attract gunfire towards the torso (which is easier to armour), such as with ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' and ''ComicBook/ThePunisher''.

* [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in ''Fanfic/EdnasIntervention''. [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles Edna Mode]] has been hired by [[Manga/MyHeroAcademia U.A.]] to evalutate Class 1-A's Pro Hero costumes and offer suggestions to change or improve them. Kaminari and Jiro were both advised to add a defining logo to their costumes if they intend to keep using the [[CivvieSpandex "casual look"]].

* There's the "i" in an oval sported by ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''. Even the villain Syndrome sported an "S" that covered his entire torso. Interestingly, during the lawsuits that force Mr Incredible and other supers into hiding, Mr. Incredible's defense lawyer covers his Chest Insignia with a hand. This makes sense in context, given that Mr. Incredible is an identity defined by said logo.

Almost universally in the earlier eras, and in many cases today, the logo is centered and covers at least half the space available; a variant, that appears more and more frequently nowadays, has it shrunk down and off-center like a police badge, or on a belt buckle. Symbols on back, shoulders, or even forehead are less common, but still viable. Symbols on the legs or feet are extremely rare and usually only on characters with [[{{Stripperiffic}} costumes too skimpy to fit them anywhere else]]. Copyright-holders soon realized that these insignia were marketing gold, in that fans of the characters were more consistently attracted to the insignia than the faces of the characters themselves; a valuable realization when different performers were chosen to portray the characters for various reasons. In addition, it's often easier to slap a stylized letter or icon onto merchandise, since the UncannyValley comes into play when trying to incorporate character faces onto merchandise. The rare occasions where character faces are used as insignias almost always involve masked or clearly inhuman characters. Even then, the insignia tends to be heavily stylized and simplified representation of the face/mask or a silhouette with only their most identifiable features or accessories depicted.

* Pretty Cure in ''Anime/YesPrecure5'' have butterflies on their chests.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'': The BlueBlood, RoyalBlood and soldiers of Thundera all sport large red cabochons on their clothing, either chest or belt-mounted, and their shields, meant to evoke their PowerCrystal, the Eye of Thundera. It's even present on a Thunderian [[Art/TheSphinx Sphinx]]. The Cat-headed IconicLogo carried over from the original ''is'' the royal emblem, seen in the castle throne room, and projected as a BatSignal, but does not appear on armor or clothing, in part as a deliberate effort to [[AvertedTrope avert]] instances of the UnreliableIllustrator.

* In the third season of ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', the engine used to film the series was changed when ''VideoGame/Halo2'' was released. In the game the player can customise their character with different insignias (although they wear them on their shoulders rather than the chest). The main cast feature their own personal symbols at first, but they were short lived.

Almost universally in the earlier eras, and in many cases today, the logo is centered and covers at least half the space available; a variant, that appears more and more frequently nowadays, has it shrunk down and off-center like a police badge, or on a belt buckle. Symbols on back, shoulders, or even forehead are less common, but still viable. Symbols on the legs or feet are extremely rare and usually only on characters with [[{{Stripperiffic}} costumes too skimpy to fit them anywhere else]]. Copyright-holders soon realized that these insignia were marketing gold, in that fans of the characters were more consistently attracted to the insignia than the faces of the characters themselves; a valuable realization when different performers were chosen to portray the characters for various reasons. In addition, it's often easier to slap a stylized letter or icon onto merchandise, since the UncannyValley comes into play when trying to incorporate character faces onto merchandise. The rare occasions where character faces are used as insignias involve masked or clearly inhuman characters. Even then, the insignia tends to be heavily stylized and simplified representation of the face/mask or a silhouette with only their most identifiable features or accessories depicted.

Almost universally in the earlier eras, and in many cases today, the logo is centered and covers at least half the space available; a variant, that appears more and more frequently nowadays, has it shrunk down and off-center like a police badge, or on a belt buckle. Symbols on back, shoulders, or even forehead are less common, but still viable. Copyright-holders soon realized that these insignia were marketing gold, in that fans of the characters were more consistently attracted to the insignia than the faces of the characters themselves; a valuable realization when different performers were chosen to portray the characters for various reasons. In addition, it's often easier to slap a stylized letter or icon onto merchandise, since the UncannyValley comes into play when trying to incorporate character faces onto merchandise.

* Shen Kuei, aka The Cat, has a large black cat tattooed onto his chest.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Megaman10.jpg This]] faux-ContemptibleCover of ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'' gives Megaman one of these, an "M" in a six-sided figure. In the official art (and actual ''games''), he has superhero UnderwearOfPower, but no insignia.

* This is played with in the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' / ''ComicBook/PowerGirl'' crossover ''Fanfic/OriginStory''. When Alex Harris decides to assume the identity of Superwoman, the costume she designs has a combination of the classic ComicBook/PowerGirl CleavageWindow along with the color scheme of Franchise/{{Superman}}. Alex accepts and believes in Kara's reasons for not having a real Chest Insignia, but she also acknowledges the House of El by including the Franchise/{{Superman}} �S� on her belt buckle and on the broaches that hold her cape on. Like ComicBook/PowerGirl, Alex feels that if people are overly preoccupied or distracted by her boobs that's their problem, not hers.

* The [[Manga/MobileSuitCrossboneGundam Crossbone Gundams]] X1 and X2 have the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamF91 Crossbone Vanguard's]] emblem on their chest, while the Crossbone X3, the later X1 "Skull Heart" and its successor the Full Cloth have skull & crossbones in the emblem's place, which doubles as a [[MoreDakka Machine Gun]].

** And Comicbook/{{Robin}}'s off-center "R" in a circle.

*** On [[Comicbook/RobinSeries Tim Drake's]] Robin uniform, the "R" was a hidden stylized shuriken.
** The [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} Batgirls]] also have batsymbols on their chests, although [[Comicbook/Batgirl2000 Cassandra Cain]]'s is more of an outline.
** As does the current ComicBook/{{Batwoman}}. The original Bat-Woman and Bat-Girl didn't, though.
** Comicbook/{{Nightwing}} has ... a sort of stylised wing-shape, although adaptations and the New 52 make it more recognisable as a bird.
** Comicbook/RedRobin has a large circular disk with a stylized silhouette of a bird's head on it in the middle of his chest.

** ''MastersOfTheUniverseRevelation:''

'''Lois:''' Well, here it's an S. How about ''Supe--?''

'''Lois:''' Well, here it's an S.

** ''MastersOfTheUniverseRevelations:''

* ''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse''
** ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse:

** MastersOfTheUniverseRevalations:

* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2021:

* In the various ''MyLittlePony'' series, each pony has a symbol on their ''flank'' (known as a "cutie mark" in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'') corresponding to their name and personality. It's where a brand would be on an actual horse, which... is actually pretty dark.

* The reboot version of Lar Gand of the ''Comicbook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' wore [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Legionnaires37Monel.jpg a costume with an insignia]] that could be seen as either an "M" for M'onel (his 30th century CodeName) or "V" for Valor (his 20th century one). Various other Legionnaires also wear or have worn chest insignias, such as Sun Boy's sunburst and Timber Wolf's stylized wolf head.

* A particularly extreme form of insignia is the dragon symbol sported by [[ComicBook/ImmortalIronFist Iron Fist]] -- actually an exotic burned-in scar received during his origin story. Previous Iron Fists have had it in other places. A villain who hates the Iron Fist legacy tried to burn the symbol off Danny's body.

Almost universally in the earlier eras, and in many cases today, the logo is centered and covers at least half the space available; a variant, that appears more and more frequently nowadays, has it shrunk down and off-center like a police badge, or on a belt buckle. Symbols on shoulders, forehead, or even back are less common, but still viable. Copyright-holders soon realized that these insignia were marketing gold, in that fans of the characters were more consistently attracted to the insignia than the faces of the characters themselves; a valuable realization when different performers were chosen to portray the characters for various reasons. In addition, it's often easier to slap a stylized letter or icon onto merchandise, since the UncannyValley comes into play when trying to incorporate character faces onto merchandise.

Almost universally in the earlier eras, and in many cases today, the logo is centered and covers at least half the space available; a variant, that appears more and more frequently nowadays, has it shrunk down and off-center like a police badge, or on a belt buckle. Copyright-holders soon realized that these insignia were marketing gold, in that fans of the characters were more consistently attracted to the insignia than the faces of the characters themselves; a valuable realization when different performers were chosen to portray the characters for various reasons. In addition, it's often easier to slap a stylized letter or icon onto merchandise, since the UncannyValley comes into play when trying to incorporate character faces onto merchandise.

* This is played with in the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' / ''ComicBook/PowerGirl'' crossover ''Fanfic/OriginStory''. When Alex Harris decides to assume the identity of Superwoman, the costume she designs has a combination of the classic ComicBook/PowerGirl CleavageWindow along with the color scheme of Franchise/{{Superman}}. Alex accepts and believes in Kara's reasons for not having a real ChestInsignia, but she also acknowledges the House of El by including the Franchise/{{Superman}} �S� on her belt buckle and on the broaches that hold her cape on. Like ComicBook/PowerGirl, Alex feels that if people are overly preoccupied or distracted by her boobs that's their problem, not hers.

** These resemble (seemingly by design) the bows often seen on the chests of other {{Magical Girl}}s, including their predecessors in the [[Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure two]] [[Anime/FutariWaPrettyCureSplashStar previous]] ''Franchise/PrettyCure'' continuities (as well as [[Franchise/SailorMoon some others]] you [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha might have heard of]]). Not ''quite'' a Chest Insignia, and not a reliable indicator by any stretch, but if you're the MonsterOfTheWeek and you meet a girl in with a bow on her chest, you should probably flee.