History Main / CrystalSpiresAndTogas

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': while the original trilogy has a UsedFuture aesthetic, there are flourishes of this trope, most notably in the robes of Jedi (you might call it an [[ElegantWeaponForAMoreCivilizedAge elegant aesthetic for a more civilised age]]). The prequel trilogy use it more, before the EvilEmpire took over. Coruscant and Naboo are particular examples.

* This syle is present in ''Film/TheFifthElement'', though it is shown along with other styles.

* In the anime adaptation of ''Manga/{{Bokurano}}'', [[spoiler:it is implied that one of these is responsible for the robot combats that are destroying universes, gathering the energy gained from them or something-the anime isn't exactly as deep as the manga...]]

* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' had the Silver Millennium in the distant past and Crystal [[TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse Tokyo]] in the distant future, though neither are shown with Togas.[[note]]Princess Serenity's dress though was inspired by the Palladium Dress by Christian Dior, which was designed to look like an Ancient Greek column.[[/note]] We mostly see the Royalty and Soldiers, which consist of a PimpedOutDress and Sailor Suits respectively for the women, and a Suit/Vaguely Medieval Armour and a vaguely military uniform, both apparently based on boy's school uniforms, for the men
** Though they don't appear anywhere else, the girls are shown wearing togas during the Silver Millennium in the footage that goes along with Tuxedo Mirage, the first ending theme of the [[Anime/SailorMoon first anime]]'s ''Super'' season.

* The milespires of ''ComicBook/MagnusRobotFighter'' are arguably a deconstruction of this trope. The upper class at the top of the spires are enlightened [[PsychicPowers psychics]] in togas who have become decadent and slothful, protected by a MasterComputer, while the radicals on the lower levels live in a UsedFuture.

* When [[RobotWar Skynet]] is erased from history at the end of ''ComicBook/RoboCopVersusTheTerminator'', the new future heavily resembles this trope.

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

** Subverted heavily in ''ComicBook/ForTheManWhoHasEverything'', which keeps the crystal and toga trappings while portraying the illusory Krypton as a dystopia. The fact that Kryptonian skies are a sinister red tone (due to Krypton orbiting a red sun) is the reader's first hint of the darkness of the illusion.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', [[PhysicalGod Doctor Manhattan]] invokes this with his floating glass tower during his stay on Mars.

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** Though they don't appear anywhere else, the girls are shown wearing togas during the Silver Millennium in the footage that goes along with Tuxedo Mirage, the first ending theme of the [[Anime/SailorMoon first anime]]'s Super season.

* According to ''Webcomic/DresdenCodak'', [[http://www.dresdencodak.com/cartoons/dc_015.htm this happened in Maralinga, in 1956]]

* The [[https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Beings_of_Light Beings of Light]] and their [[https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Ship_of_Lights Ship of Lights]] in the original ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|1978}}'' have this feel to them -- as did the original colonies. In the pilot, ''[[https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Saga_of_a_Star_World Saga of a Star World]]'', The Quorum of the Twelve on the ''Atlantia'' and its reconstitution afterwards featured togas. And crystalline pyramids are wrecked by the Cylon bombardment of Caprica.\\\

** They are not the only one. Almost everyone, the Goa'uld (and the Tok'ra), the Tollans, the Asgard, later even the humans use crystal-based technology. For most civilizations, the crystals are only the guts. The outward appearance varies wildly. The Asgard and ancient stuff looks crystal spire-y, except when it looks paleolithic.

* Subverted in Creator/HGWells's ''Literature/TheTimeMachine'' in which the Eloi seem to live in this kind of future but are actually little more than sentient (barely) cattle for their underground dwelling Morlock masters.

* ''Film/BillAndTedsExcellentAdventure'', with [[TotallyRadical totally excellent]] music to boot.

* ''Film/TheFifthElement'', along with other kinds of styles.

While there's a definite trend towards giant and architecturally impressive glass towers in the modern era, the trope hasn't quite made it to the status of TruthInTelevision yet — aside from a conspicuous lack of togas, robes, or unisuits, these shiny new buildings aren't part of the sort of sweeping social movement this Trope describes but individual corporations jockeying to display their wealth[[note]]Of course, this trope ''would'' apply if all the individual corporations and members of the population were sufficiently wealthy to live in a Crystal Spires and Togas world; for example in a post-scarcity civilization.[[/note]]. Utopian cities they are not; very real slums crowd their feet.

** Prospero's capital Tizca, the pre-Heresy homeworld of the Thousand Sons, fits the description practically to a T with its spires of glass and populace dressing in robes. The Sons are universally regarded as {{Warrior Poet}}s and are shown with a collective penchant for the fine arts, [[TheDragon Ahriman]] himself an aspiring vintner. Tizca's libraries are the greatest collective repository of knowledge outside of Terra within the Imperium, and the living standards the population enjoys one of the highest. And then came the Space Wolves...

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', several races of [[OurElvesAreDifferent Mer (Elves)]] are known to have this aesthetic. The Altmer (High Elves) are perhaps the most advanced extant race (with the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien ultra advanced]] [[OurDwarvesAreDifferent Dwemer]] extinct), with Tamriel owing much of its art, science, philosophy, language, and religion to the Altmer, who are also the most [[WitchSpecies magically-gifted]] of all races. Their buildings are frequently made of glass or crystal (said to refract light into a rainbow "insect wing" like appearance), with tall towers, vine-like buildings, and swirling walls. Gold tends to be the primary color in their weapons and armor. The ancient Falmer (Snow Elves) had a civilization that once rivaled the Altmer, but were driven underground by the invading [[HornyVikings Nords]], where they were [[EnslavedElves enslaved]] and [[WasOnceAMan mutated]] by the aforementioned Dwemer into blind, [[AlwaysChaoticEvil bestial]], [[FuturePrimitive barely-sapient creatures]] little better than goblins. Their former architecture had significant elements of platinum and massive jewels built into it.

** The Allagan Empire from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' is the Posthumous version. A large technologically advanced empire, complete with a literal Crystal Spire. It's also a deconstruction, for their advancements allowed them to live in comfort and [[AndManGrewProud hubris]] to the point of decay and it was eventuality buried by a large-scale earthquake, leaving only a large satellite/evil-sealing can and a small floating abandoned research facility.

* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' had the Silver Millennium in the distant past and Crystal [[TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse Tokyo]] in the distant future, though neither are shown with Togas.[[note]] Princess Serenity's dress though was inspired by the Palladium Dress by Christian Dior, which was designed to look like an Ancient Greek column[[/note]]. We mostly see the Royalty and Soldiers, which consist of a PimpedOutDress and Sailor Suits respectively for the women, and a Suit/Vaguely Medieval Armour and a vaguely military uniform, both apparently based on boy's school uniforms, for the men

* DJ [=MacHale's=] ''Literature/ThePendragonAdventure'' has the "closer to nature" future version of Earth, Third Earth. [[spoiler: But of course it gets completely and utterly screwed over by our resident MagnificentBastard and becomes a CrapsackWorld.]]

* Subverted in ''Film/LogansRun'' (pictured); while the post-apocalyptic society of the film is at first glance a utopia, its prosperity is maintained by a MasterComputer that ritually executes all citizens on their 30th birthday in order to conserve resources. Those who manage to escape this fate and flee the city [[spoiler:are invariably captured by a deranged robot who freeze-dries them in the belief that they are seafood]].

* ''Film/{{Tenet)''. Sator talks of his mysterious sponsor, a man in a crystal tower in the far future. Subverted in that this future is a CrapsackWorld due to environmental damage.

* In ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet'', the Krell civilization is supposed to have been an example of this, with "cloud-piercing towers of glass and porcelain and adamantine steel".

* The Masari faction in ''VideoGame/UniverseAtWar''. They are also {{Precursors}} and SufficientlyAdvancedAliens.

Any society with Crystal Spires and Togas holds a high chance of being ruled by [[ThePhilosopherKing Philosopher Kings]], and populated with PerfectPacifistPeople (or aliens, as the case may be) and requires others (namely TheHero and his [[TheSquad squad)]] to [[SuicidalPacifism take up arms for them]]. Occasionally they [[TheAgeOfMyth occur in the past]], ALongTimeAgoInAGalaxyFarFarAway, since decimated by some catastrophe with perhaps a single surviving AdvancedAncientAcropolis. [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]] are not the same thing, but as beings who can do anything with no apparent devices, they could be a logical outcome. [[HarmonyVersusDiscipline Thematically]] it may play [[DecadeDissonance opposite number]] to a society in MedievalStasis. A common subversion has this kind of atmosphere only for the rich and powerful, while everyone else lives in a UsedFuture.

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', several races of [[OurElvesAreDifferent Mer (Elves)]] are known to have this aesthetic. The Altmer (High Elves) are perhaps the most advanced extant race (with the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAliens ultra advanced]] [[OurDwarvesAreDifferent Dwemer]] extinct), with Tamriel owing much of its art, science, philosophy, language, and religion to the Altmer, who are also the most [[WitchSpecies magically-gifted]] of all races. Their buildings are frequently made of glass or crystal (said to refract light into a rainbow "insect wing" like appearance), with tall towers, vine-like buildings, and swirling walls. Gold tends to be the primary color in their weapons and armor. The ancient Falmer (Snow Elves) had a civilization that once rivaled the Altmer, but were driven underground by the invading [[HornyVikings Nords]], where they were [[EnslavedElves enslaved]] and [[WasOnceAMan mutated]] by the aforementioned Dwemer into blind, [[AlwaysChaoticEvil bestial]], [[FuturePrimitive barely-sapient creatures]] little better than goblins. Their former architecture had significant elements of platinum and massive jewels built into it.

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[[quoteright:350:[[Film/LogansRun https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/logans_run_poster_art_by_charles_moll_v2.jpg]] ]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Seems beautiful, [[{{Tagline}} but there's]] [[MasterComputer one catch]].]]

* The planet Le Marie Glennecia (AKA, Mariglenn, AKA "Eden") from ''VideoGame/RogueGalaxy'' is almost literally this, featuring copious amounts of actual spires and togas, and to top it all off, possesses what is obviously ''extremely'' advanced technology. How advanced? Advanced enough to move their entire planet, intact, to a completely different galaxy, possibly a completely different universe, and surround it with a time stasis field. When they finally return to normal space, they spend ''10,000 years'' waiting for the return of the return of Kisala. And all of this is completely unapparent just from looking at their stone-paved city streets or the pretty, ancient Greece-style masonry buildings. If the spires were crystalline, it would be a flawless literal example of this trope.

!Examples:

* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' 4th edition, [[OurElvesAreDifferent Eladrin]] cities in the [[{{Faerie}} Feywild]] have crystal spires.

The same sense of style permeates other facets of society, not just clothing and architecture. Instead of a president or an assembly, the [[Series/BabylonFive Minbari]] are ruled by the Grey Council, the [[{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}} Nibblonians]] from the Hall of Forever (which also hosts the Feast of a Thousand Hams), and the [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Eldar]] by the [[{{Seers}} Farseers]].

* When [[RobotWar Skynet]] is erased from history at the end of ''Comicbook/RoboCopVersusTheTerminator'', the new future heavily resembles this trope.

** For maximum effect, post ''Comicbook/InfiniteCrisis'' reverts some of Birthright's changes to include some of the Byrne era Kryptonian aesthetics so that you have the crystal spires and the togas at the same time.

** In ''Comicbook/SupermanBrainiac'', Superman's recognizes the Bottle City of Kandor because of the crystalline, tall, strangely-shaped buildings.
** The ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'' books often go into detail about the culture and society of Krypton, particularly Argo City (Supergirl's hometown). ''Comicbook/SupergirlRebirth'''s first scene depicts Argo City: everybody wore colorful, bright clothes and long, flowing robes and capes; and the buildings were tall, alien-looking structures made of glass and metal.

* The interex in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: [[Literature/HorusHeresy Horus Rising]]''.

* Crops up in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'':

* ''Videogame/AIWarFleetCommand:'' Amusingly enough, the race that goes full fantasy-style crystalline in all its architecture, ship design and [[SiliconBasedLife biology]] is ''called'' the Spire. It's implied a lot of their technology is made from modified, engineered versions of themselves, down to facilities and starships, which explains all the crystalline structures handily enough.

* ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'' has the High Heavens where the [[OurAngelsAreDifferent hooded angels]] are living. So [[SceneryPorn beautiful and awe inspiring]] [[spoiler: until [[BigBad D]][[{{Satan}} i]][[EldritchAbomination a]][[BigRedDevil b]][[TheCorrupter l]][[TheDreaded o]] came in and made it into a [[SceneryGorn nightmarish ground]]]].

* The Polaris from [[VideoGame/EscapeVelocity Escape Velocity: Nova]] fit this trope well. Their technology, which is head and shoulders above the rest of the galaxy, allows them to create serene, idyllic worlds to match their culture, even on planets specializing in industries like mining and manufacturing.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'', the Institute maintains a clean, sleek and white plastic appearance which deliberately invokes this motif and contrasts with the grimy, lived-in aesthetic seen everywhere else in the Commonwealth. The scientists who wander the halls do so in labcoats which have toga-like patterns on them. [[spoiler:Of course, it's all a thin veneer and underneath it's just as dirty and decayed as the rest of the wasteland.]]
* ''Videogame/FateGrandOrder:'' The [[AlternateHistory Lostbelt]] version of Olympus goes like this. Apparently, 14000 years ago, the Olympians were [[DeusEstMachina machines]] built by the Titans, who were extraterrestrials; in the regular history, "Sefar, the White Titan" ravaged the world and attacked the Olympians before it was defeated, and it left their bodies broken and they could only survive as their humanoid avatars, giving them the image that common people know about the Olympian gods. In the Lostbelt, however, Zeus briefly [[FusionDance merged with the other gods]] in order to decisively defeat Sefar, and this allowed them to survive with their technology intact. Over the millennia, they continued advancing their tech, so in the present day Olympus (which is apparently situated below Atlantis) has become a very high-tech city, and yet both the gods and humans there still wear togas.
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy''

* ''Videogame/OuterWilds:'' The [[{{Precursors}} extinct alien Nomai race]] used vacuum suits that look like robes with ceremonial masks, carried high-tech staffs, and stored their electronic communications on scrolls and tablets. Most of their structures were made of quartzite, gold, glass, and crystal. It stands in stark contrast to the player's race, which [[WhatAPieceOfJunk has more of a duct tape and wood aesthetic]].

* The VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog series has had a few of these over the course of the series, such as Quartz Quadrant's Good Future in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'', Future City in ''VideoGame/SonicRiders'' (where the Metal City, Night Chase, Megalo Station, and Nightside Rush racetracks take place), Grand Metropolis in ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'', and Metropolis (without the "Grand") in ''VideoGame/SonicForces''. That being said, all of them have come under attack by Dr. Eggman or a powerful ally of his, requiring Sonic's intervention (with the exception of Quartz Quadrant, where a city grew in its place because Sonic had driven Eggman away).
* ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul Calibur IV]]'', When Siegfried defeats Nightmare, he sacrifices himself. and using his [[BfS sword]], he plunges the world into a utopian society literally ''covered'' in crystal. No toga's though, as [[BothOrderAndChaosAreDangerous everyone dies]].
* Neo Babylon area in ''VideoGame/{{Spelunky}}'' 2 is an amazing combination of motives of the ancient Babylon culture and sophisticated futuristic technologies that harmoniously complement each other, which, however, ''[[EverythingTryingtoKillYou definitely does not make life easier for the player]]''.
* In ''Videogame/{{Starcraft}}'', the Protoss have a Crystal Spires and Togas society, right down to the togas, especially in the comics and parts of the manual. A large part of their arc is losing their homeworld and struggling to reclaim it.

* The Lunar Capital in VideoGame/{{Touhou}} is a Japanese flavored version of this trope.
* The Masari faction in ''Videogame/UniverseAtWar''. They are also {{Precursors}} and SufficientlyAdvancedAliens.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Videogame/FateGrandOrder:'' The [[AlternateHistory Lostbelt]] version of Olympus goes like this. Apparently, 14000 years ago, the Olympians were [[DeusEstMachina machines]] built by the Titans, who were extraterrestrials; in the regular history, "Sefar, the White Titan" ravaged the world and attacked the Olympians before it was defeated, and it left their bodies broken and they could only survive as their humanoid avatars, giving them the image that common people know about the Olympian gods. In the Lostbelt, however, Zeus briefly [[FusionDance merged with the other gods]] in order to decisively defeat Sefar, and this allowed them to survive with their technology intact. Over the millennia, they continued advancing their tech, so in the present day Olympus (which is apparently situated above Atlantis) has become a very high-tech city, and yet both the gods and humans there still wear togas.

As ''TIME'' magazine put it, this is nearly the opposite of {{Steampunk}}, as Steampunk seeks to make technology more visible, easier to connect with than the sleek shiny technology of this era. Another opposite would be TheApunkalypse, where the future belongs to violent, shabby-looking vandals. Compare with DefectorFromDecadence, SpaceElves, CityOfGold and SpaceBrasilia. See also PowerCrystal and DataCrystal, for the PlotDevice version.

%%* Anime/{{Macross}} sort of shows this.

** In the pre-Crisis universe, the citizens of Kandor who survived the destruction of Krypton settled on a planetoid which they called Rokyn. As seen [[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tfjpknJuIk4/TpSWAxOadnI/AAAAAAAAAkY/obZ4MSCuN0M/s1600/supergirl-rokyn.jpg here]], Kandor was definitely a crystal-and-toga place.