History Main / PlayingCardMotifs

* ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce 3'' features as its main villains a criminal syndicate named "Dealer". It is led by one Mr. King, and has among its high-ranking members ''Queen'' Tia, Jack, and Joker. Furthermore, three of the ([[TheCorruption unwitting]]) major bosses of the game are ''Spade'' Magnes, ''Diamond'' Ice, and ''Club'' Strong, while King's [[TheDragon Dragon]] is named ''Heart''less. None of them really use playing card motifs ''in battle'', but they do get bonus points for having their base's inner sanctum decorated like a gigantic card table.

* ''Series/KamenRiderBlade'': Blade represents Spades, Garren (based on the word ''galleon'') represents Diamonds, Chalice represents Hearts (parallel to Cups in the Tarot), and Leangle (a type of Aborigine war-club) represents Clubs.
** Additionally, each of the 52 [[MonsterOfTheWeek Undead]] corresponds to a single card in the deck.

* [[WebOriginal/SCPFoundation SCP]]-[[http://www.scp-wiki.net/forum/t-785306/scp-2156 2156]], a college student who became so obsessed with solitaire and/or numerology that she ''broke reality''.

** Even earlier in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', a sleazy billionaire discovered he'd spent too much building a casino-hotel and was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. He promptly changed all the style and decor of the casino to obviously rip-off The Joker's image. Though it was all a blow to get the Joker to blow the place up and clean up from the insurance, he played it off saying it was only a playing card gimmick.

* [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros King Boo]] seems to have a love of gambling. In his debut in ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'', the keys to the various parts of the mansion have playing card suit motifs. Later, in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'', he hides in Hotel Delfino's casino, where he battles Mario while holding a water-powered slot machine that can summon enemies, coins, or fruit.

* ''Anime/ShugoChara'' has the Guardians of Amu's high school: The King's Chair, the Queen's chair, the Jack's chair, and the Ace's chair. The Joker's chair can only be filled by someone with at least three charas, making an actual Joker [[WildCard quite rare]]. Amu's charas, Amulet Spade, Amulet Heart, Amulet Clover, and Amulet Diamond also fit the suit part.

The standard international deck (also known as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_52-card_deck the French deck]]), is the most widely-used in fiction as it is in card games. It consists of four suits -- clubs (♣), diamonds (♦), hearts (♥) and spades (♠) and thirteen cards of each suit, plus two jokers. Respectively, the suits traditionally represent the peasantry, clergy, merchant class, and nobility. When it comes to [[ColorCodedCharacters color-coding]], hearts and diamonds are red while spades and clubs are black. If the four suits are used in a work, more often than not they'll be to differentiate factions. The suit of spades in particular is associated with death.

* '''The Face Cards''' are a group of "court" cards (a king, a queen, and a jack or knave), ranked in that order. Who the "faces" are supposed to represent, if any at all, are points of contention, however recent years have seen them replaced by more generic court characters.

*** The King of Clubs is theorized to represent AlexanderTheGreat. When crossed over with TarotMotifs, it is said to represent loyalty, integrity, and being unaware of having great power.

*** The Queen of Spades, popularly representing [[ClassicalMythology Pallas Athena]]. In the game Hearts it is considered unlucky; whoever gets the Queen of Spades gains 13 points to their detriment [[note]] points are bad in Hearts. Unless they obtain it with all thirteen hearts, in which case they shoot the moon and everyone else gains 26 points [[/note]]. It is the titular OldMaid in the game Old Maid. TarotMotifs has it as an [[TheStrategist intelligent, tactical woman]], befitting the goddess it was supposed to represent.
*** The Queen of Hearts represents the biblical figure [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Judith Judith]]. Thanks to ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'', if the Queen of Hearts shows up in a work you can damn well bet it's an AliceAllusion. If not, she will often be a LoveInterest or at the very least an object of romantic desire.
** The '''Jack''' or '''Knave''' typically ranks below the queen and above the 10, making it the lowest-ranking face card. Often the King and/or Queen's right-hand man. In an AliceAllusion, the Knave of Hearts is likely to show up alongside the Queen of Hearts. If not, he's going to be a TricksterArchetype, thanks to the nursery rhyme.

* ''Series/KamenRiderBlade'': Blade represents Spades, Garren (based on the word Galleon) represents Diamonds, Chalice represents Hearts (parallel to Cups in the Tarot), and Leangle (a type of Aborigine war-club) represents Clubs.
** Additionally, each of the 52 [[MonsterOfTheWeek Undead]] correspond to a single card in the deck.
* ''Series/{{Alice 2009}}'', being an adaptation of ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland'', is naturally rife with this, but manages to sneak in a StealthPun regarding this: Winston, the King of Hearts, [[spoiler: is DrivenToSuicide.]]

* Music/{{Motorhead}}'s 1980 single "The Ace of Spades," from the album of the same name. Guess what it's about.
* The Music/{{Vocaloid}} song, Alice Human Sacrifice, uses this motif (as part of a bigger AliceAllusion). In order, Meiko is represented by a red Spade, Kaito is represented by a blue Diamond, Miku Hatsune is represented by a green Clover and both Rin and Len Kagamine are represented a yellow Heart.

* During the Second Gulf War, the US distributed a deck with the 52 "most wanted" Iraqis with SaddamHussein being the Ace of Spades. During that time, they also distributed a deck of missing artifacts.

* Hucksters in ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}''. They are mages who cast spells by playing poker with demons, and most of their spells are card-themed.

** Supplement C.L.O.W.N. (Criminal Legion Of Wacky Non-conformists). One of the "villains" of C.L.O.W.N. was the Trump Knight. He had a sceptre that could change to Club, Diamond, Heart or Spade form, with each form having two powers usable in combat.

* In ''Histoire du Soldat'' (''The Soldier's Tale'') by IgorStravinsky and C.F. Ramuz, the Soldier plays cards with the Devil to get rid of his ill-gotten money so he can go on to claim the Princess. The Devil, holding the VillainBall, wins every round, and on the last round the Devil holds the Ace of Spades and the Soldier holds the Queen of Hearts.

* [[SuperMarioBros King Boo]] seems to have a love of gambling. In his debut in LuigisMansion the keys to the various parts of the mansion have playing card suit motifs. Later, in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'', he hides in Hotel Delfino's casino, where he battles Mario while holding a water-powered slot machine that can summon enemies, coins, or fruit.

* ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'': One of the rooms you get trapped in is a Casino room, themed around finding numbered playing cards, which you use to solve puzzles to get more cards, and to escape the room. One of the puzzles is a Baccarat table, and there's a conversation about the rules for Baccarat (specifically that the strongest hand is [[ArcNumber a Nine]]) which is used as foreshadowing for the inspiration of the Nonary Game.
* VideoGame/{{REFLEC BEAT}} colette has an event and four songs based on this motif. To play these songs you have to beat bosses named after the suits.

* ''GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse''

* [[SCPFoundation SCP]]-[[http://www.scp-wiki.net/forum/t-785306/scp-2156 2156]], a college student who became so obsessed with solitaire and/or numerology she ''broke reality''.

* Ezekial Clench of ''SamuraiJack'' was a WildWest style villain with a slight playing card motif; The spurs on his boots were shaped like spades, he had a card in his hat... Oh, and his cybernetic hands, the wrists of which had the playing card suits on them. The hands had a special ability depending on which suit was facing up. (He changes the setting by turning the wrist so that the desired suit is on the back of the hand.) He's also a bounty hunter, and on the run from his ex-wife, so luck is a big deal to him. (He does decide to call a truce with her to go after Jack, which turns out to be [[NoHonorAmongThieves a very bad idea.]]

-->'''Bruce Wayne:''' All of their crimes are playing-card-related, and the earliest playing-card decks had swords, not spades.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' Homer & Marge are at the movies and see a trailer for their universe's version of ''Cars'' called ''Cards'' about anthropomorphic playing cards.
-->'''Announcer:''' Fifty two jokers, playing the game of their lives.

-->'''Adult 5:''' Shut up kid. you're as crazy as an 8, I'm telling you.
-->'''Announcer:''' With Eddie Murphy as the Jack of Clubs
-->'''Jack of Clubs:''' You don't understand officer. I thought that king was a queen.

-->'''Drunk 8:''' Hey Jack, you got any twos?

[[/folder]]

* In menus and promotional images for ''VisualNovel/KissedByTheBaddestBidder'', the main cast are represented with playing cards: Eisuke as the Ace of Hearts, [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs Hong Kong gangster]] Soryu Oh as the King of Spades, GentlemanThief Mitsunari Baba as the Joker, Ota Kisaki as the Queen of Diamonds, and Detective Mamoru Kishi as the Jack of Clubs. In-game, the high-class hotel and casino around which most of the action revolves is called the Hotel Tres Spades ("three spades").

* Ezekial Clench of ''SamuraiJack'' was a WildWest style villain with a slight playing card motif; The spurs on his boots were shaped like spades, he had a card in his hat... Oh, and his cybernetic hands, the wrists of which had the playing card suits on them. The hands had a special ability depending on which suit was facing up. He's also a bounty hunter, and on the run from his ex-wife, so luck is a big deal to him.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' (specifically, an episode parodying the ''JamesBond'' series), Dr. Necrosis' [[TheDragon Dragon]] had power over playing cards, and always spoke in metaphors and puns related to them. "The deck is stacked in our favor! We have the upper hand!" "Dealer calls a new game!" "I thought he folded..."

** Additionally, the 52 [[MonsterOfTheWeek Undead]] correspond to a single card in the deck.

Typical decks include:

* Regular 52-card deck, plus two jokers

* ''Series/{{Alice}}'', being an adaptation of ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland'', is naturally rife with this, but manages to sneak in a StealthPun regarding this: Winston, the King of Hearts, [[spoiler: is DrivenToSuicide.]]

* Four of the Queens from ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful'': The Clubs believe in [[InHarmonyWithNature harmony with nature]], The Diamonds believe in [[RomanticismVersusEnlightenment enlightenment]], The Hearts believe in [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure politeness, duty and social interaction]], and The Spades believe in [[LovableRogue good humor and practical thinking]].

'''Fourth Hack''': I say: when you've got a pair of jacks, bet 'em!

* On ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', the Royal Flush gang are a villainous team example, taking their names from the cards that make up a royal flush in poker: King, his wife Queen, their children Jack and Ten, and the robotic [[TheBigGuy Big Guy]] Ace.

* On ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', the Royal Flush gang were a villainous team example. A different version was featured in a ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode.

* French Tarot deck: 78 cards: 56 suited cards ('''Knight''' face cards are inserted between the queen and jack) plus 21 trump cards[[note]]which are NOT the Major Arcana from {{Tarot|Motifs}} in modern decks[[/note]] and the Fool.

-->'''Announcer:''' This summer, the house is full and the duces are wild in ''Cards''.

-->Announcer: Fifty two jokers, playing the game of their lives.
-->Child card: I don't wanna be a 3! I wanna be a 7!
-->Adult 5: Shut up kid. you're as crazy as an 8, I'm telling you.
-->Announcer: With Eddie Murphy as the Jack of Clubs
-->Jack of Clubs: You don't understand officer. I thought that king was a queen.
-->Announcer: This summer, the house is full and the duces are wild in ''Cards''.

-->Drunk 8: Hey Jack, you got any twos?
-->Jack of Diamonds: You can't handle the twos!

* French Tarot deck: 78 cards: 56 suited cards ('''Knight''' face cards are inserted between the queen and jack) plus 21 trump cards (which are NOT the Major Arcana from TarotMotifs) and the Fool.

*** The Queen of Hearts represents the biblical figure [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Judith Judith]]. Thanks to ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'', if the Queen of Hearts shows up in a work you can damn well bet it's an AliceAllusion. If not, she will often be a LoveInterest or at the very least an object of romantic desire.

The standard international deck (also known as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_52-card_deck the French deck]]), is the most widely-used in fiction as it is in card games. It consists of four suits -- clubs (♣), diamonds (♦), hearts (♥) and spades (♠) and thirteen cards of each suit, plus two jokers. Respectively, the suits traditionally represent the peasantry, clergy, merchant class, and nobility. If the four suits are used in a work, more often than not they'll be to differentiate factions. The suit of spades in particular is associated with death.

* Cards ranking from '''ten to two''' are portrayed with the card's number with as many symbols of the suit as the number. Commonly portrayed as {{Mook}}s.

* Motorhead's 1980 single "The Ace of Spades," from the album of the same name. Guess what it's about.
* The Music/{{Vocaloid}} song, Alice Human Sacrifice, uses this motif (as part of a bigger AliceAllusion). In order, Meiko is represented by a red Spade, Kaito is represented by a blue Diamond, Miku Hatsune is represented by a green Clover and both Rin and Len Kagamine are represented a yellow Heart.

-->'''Second Hack''': How's about we should make Jack Riley the guy?
-->'''Third Hack''': Which Riley are you thinking of? Jack B. or Jack Y.?
-->'''Ben''': I say neither one, I never met 'em.
-->'''Fourth Hack''': I say: when you've got a pair of jacks, bet 'em!

** In ''He Lover of Death'', all Khitrovka gangs seem to be structured like card decks: the gang leader is referred as King, his girlfriend is the Queen and his [[TheDragon right-hand man]] is the Jack, while the regular gang members are spread out between ten and six (from most important to most expendable, respectively). The Ace is a King whose gang dominates the entirety of Moscow.