History Main / RavenHairIvorySkin

** [[TeamNormal Asami]] has dark hair and pale skin (like most people of the Fire Nation). She's also stunningly beautiful, causing Mako to fall for her hard the first time he sees her. [[spoiler: And then, [[SecondLove in the end]], she ends up with Korra.]]
** Mako has classic Fire Nation coloring (dark-haired and pale-skinned), and multiple characters in the series find him very attractive in the PrettyBoy way.

* Literature/TolkiensLegendarium: Creator/JRRTolkien's use mixes AuthorAppeal (his wife Edith was a fair-skinned brunette) and, presumably, Celtic notions of beauty, since the ancient Celts ({{flanderized}} as {{Fiery Redhead}}s) were actually mostly dark-haired and regarded this as the ideal -- thus most of Tolkien's most important beautiful characters are dark-haired and pale-skinned, with gray eyes. For one thing, most elves look this way (or at least most Noldor,the High Elves of Middle-earth), and elves are ''always'' tall and more beautiful, more healthy, and more physically perfect than is humanly possible. Then some characters stand out for their especially emphasized dark-haired-pale-skinned beauty:

** A male example would be Túrin Turambar, who has black hair, pale skin, and is more handsome than any other mortal man. He doesn't have elven blood, but he gets mistaken for an elf so often ''by elves'' that they call him "Adanedhel"(man-elf).

* ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'': Several of the characters sport this combination (naturally, considering that vampires have skin so white it literally sparkles). Alice Cullen is possibly the stand-out example, having explicitly black hair and delicate white skin that underscores how dainty and adorable she is, but lead character Bella Swan also has dark hair and describes herself as pale enough to stand out [[spoiler:even before she's transformed.]]

Dark hair and pale skin as an indication that a character is beautiful. In western culture, this is a [[CyclicTrope once-dead, now reviving trope]], thanks to the {{Goth}} and Retro movements bringing an increased awareness of this and the 1950s pin-up style regaining popularity. In addition, the vampire fad and the rising fear of skin cancer have helped with the resurgence of this trope. It has started to fade away again with the tanned and bleached look making a comeback. This is also quite popular in Eastern media, being the traditional standard of Asian beauty, and the fact that most of the population has black or very dark brown hair helps. The [[{{Chiaroscuro}} high contrast]] also makes for a striking and visually appealing appearance. Accents of pink or red, usually on the cheeks and lips, can also ([[WhiteAndRedAndEerieAllOver eerily]]) heighten the appeal.

* Lydia, in ''Webcomic/CobwebAndStripes'', has very dark hair and pale skin just like in her counterparts in [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} film]] and [[WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}} cartoon]]. She's given a very pretty look by the comic artist, and Betelgeuse makes it clear that it appeals to him.

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%% * ''Webcomic/TheNoordegraafFiles'':
%% ** Katrina has skin not quite as pale as some of the examples here but still falls under this given how her skin is lighter than most of the other characters.
%% ** Octavian has even lighter skin.
%% They are both stated to be very attractive either in comic or by the author.
%%
%% The trope also requires black hair. Example indentation –- please don't lump two examples from one work together.
%%
%%* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'': there are quite a few characters with this look. Raven and Dora are pretty strong examples (even though [[DyeingForYourArt Dora is naturally a]] WhiteHairedPrettyGirl.) For a male example, there's Marten.
%%** Jeph Jacques once [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] this in response to a number of fan questions about the fact that almost every QC character is deathly pale. After all, how many tan goths and/or indie types are there?
* Ivo Keys in ''Webcomic/{{Shaderunners}}'' has very pale skin and dark black hair -- a look that plays into her name (Ivory Keyston). She's canonically considered quite a knock-out.

* ''Film/HanselAndGretelWitchHunters'': has the titular Gretel, who fits the trope to a T. The film's BigBad, Muriel, also counts for most of the film, as she presents herself as this, although using magic sees her default to her more monstrous true form.

* ''Film/Underworld2003'': Selene, the main protagonist of the series. Considering that she's a vampire, it's hardly surprising.
* ''Film/VanHelsing'' gives us Anna Velarious. Seems like Creator/KateBeckinsale is definitely a poster girl for this look (see above).

* Part of what makes Himeko so popular in-universe in ''Literature/GirlsKingdom'' is how beautiful she is with her flawless pale skin and her long, beautiful, black hair. Another part, of course, is that she's a classic example of SpoiledSweet.

* ''Manga/BlackJack'': One episode features a strong example of this -- Souno, a young girl from an old and rather traditional Japanese family who has been kept indoors all her life due to suffering from a debilitating disease that will cause her life to drastically shorten if she's exposed to sunlight (as well as killing her off before she turns 18 even if she avoids it). She's spent most of her life in a sealed room, practicing Ikebana (the Japanese art of flower arrangement) under the close watch of her well-intentioned but very severe OverprotectiveDad; thus, Souno is perfectly pale, with perfectly black hair and a perfectly exquisite face... a beauty in a bottle.[[note]]The "Nadesico" part of YamatoNadeshiko refers to a particular type of flower -- probably a deliberate parallel.[[/note]] Fortunately, Doctor Black Jack is there to help -- along with his [[GenkiGirl lively assistant]] Pinoco, who strikes a really cute IntergenerationalFriendship ([[OlderThanTheyLook sorta]]) with Souno and gives her the courage to get the treatment she needs.

* ''Series/{{Degrassi}}'': With her dark brown curls and fair skin, Fiona Coyne is referred to as a princess and one of the hottest girls at school.

* With her dark brown curls and fair skin, Fiona Coyne is referred to as a princess and one of the hottest girls at ''Series/{{Degrassi}}'' school.
* Lila (Creator/JaimeMurray) from ''Series/{{Dexter}}'', Dexter's psychotic girlfriend from Season 2 has black hair and extremely pale complexion. Angel describes her as a perfect porcelain doll and says that with skin like hers, she should stay outside the beach and sunshine. Dexter's sister Debra offers a different perspective. She says Lila's pale like a fucking corpse and compares her to a vampire several times.

* Emily from ''Series/EmilyInParis'' (portrayed by Creator/LilyCollins) has dark hair and fair skin, and manages to attract basically every non-gay man in Paris.
* [[ActionGirl Aeryn Sun]] of ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' has long black hair and fair skin. She has no shortage of suitors, from her main love interest [[spoiler: and eventual husband]] [[TheHero John Crichton]] to Crais (though he leans more towards AbhorrentAdmirer), former lovers from her time as a Peacekeeper, and even members of the ''nobility'' of a [[HumanAliens Sebacean]] empire powerful enough that even the Peacekeepers accepted their neutrality and independence after they broke away centuries ago. This extends to actress Creator/ClaudiaBlack, as well.

* ''Series/HoratioHornblower'', episodes "Mutiny" and "Retribution": Mr. Wellard the PrettyBoy and PluckyMiddie. He has dark eyes, dark eyelashes, black hair, soft features, and extremely pale complexion. All the more noticeable because they sail in the West Indies and other characters are tanned, and mostly of TallDarkAndHandsome appeal.
* Stacie from ''Series/{{Hustle}}'', played by black-haired and pale Jaime Murray. Men admire her and a new-comer Danny immediately starts crushing on her. She sometimes plays an exotic beauty in their scheme and she's occasionally required to ShowSomeLeg in order for them to succeed in the con.

* In ''Series/MissFishersMurderMysteries'' the titular Miss Fisher has black hair and pale skin and has many, many men lining up to be her lover - something she certainly [[EthicalSlut enjoys]].

* Aria Montgomery in ''Series/PrettyLittleLiars''. She has dark brown hair and pale skin and has attracted the most males out of the four liars.

* On ''Series/SchittsCreek'' dark-haired, pale-skinned Stevie Budd may be a {{Tomboy}} but she CleansUpNicely enough to look stunning several times and is referred to as beautiful by more than a few characters. She's also good-hearted, despite her snarkiness, and is a supportive friend to David.
* Deanna Troi on ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' has masses of dark curls and fair skin. She is very beautiful, a former girlfriend of Commander Riker and many aliens fall for her during the run of the series. In the earlier seasons, she wears lots of revealing or tight-fitting outfits.
%% * ''Series/VeronicaMars'': Gia Goodman, daughter of professional baseball team owner Woody Goodman. Played by Creator/KrystenRitter.

* Kaguya Shinomiya of ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar is a black-haired, pale skinned girl whose beauty is one of several reasons that she's one of the most lauded students in her academy.

* Patrick Nagel's art style. Stark white skin, pitch black hair and emphasis on bedroom eyes, pinup poses.

* Creator/GustavKlimt's ''Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I'' (aka ''The Woman in Gold''): Adele's pale skin and raven hair contrast against the glamorous gold that dominates much of the painting.

* In ''Literature/BrideOfTheRatGod'', Christine is described as having a "raven coiffure", and a face that can become "a small white triangle" when she huddles into [[PrettyInMink the huge collar of her black sable coat]].
* ''Literature/BridgeToTerabithia'' has the music teacher Miss Edmunds who is described as having long swishy black hair and blue, blue eyes. She was absolutely gorgeous. The fair-skinned Creator/ZooeyDeschanel was chosen to play her in the movie.

* Lissar and her mother in ''Literature/{{Deerskin}}'' have this coloring.

* In ''Literature/DragonBones'', Oreg is dark-haired, with pale skin and violet eyes. Ward notices that he's the kind of pretty boy who's likely to be sexually molested by unsavoury adult men.
* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', all members of the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent White Court of vampires]] (who are basically SuccubiAndIncubi by another name) are black-haired and pale-skinned, which they use to its greatest [[TheVamp vampish]] potential whenever possible. Partly because of their natural beauty and partly because of their inhuman charm, they turn heads wherever they go. Being vampires, they can also cross into the [[EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette eerie variant]] with ease.

* Eve Orcaczy from the rather obscure short story ''Each Man Kills''. She's also an EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette since she's a vampire, but she is described as exceptionally beautiful.
* Sephrenia, the tutor of magic to the Pandion Knights in ''Literature/TheElenium'' universe, is described as small, delicate, and beautiful, with very black hair and fair skin.
* Jane Fairfax of Creator/JaneAusten's ''Literature/{{Emma}}'' has dark hair, eye-lashes, and eyebrows, and her complexion is fair and delicate without being too pale. She is considered a great beauty. Frank Churchill describes her looks as associated with noble ladies.

* Zig-zagged in another Snow White adaptation, ''Literature/{{Fairest}}''. The protagonist, Aza, is ''so'' pale that, at least in her opinion, her dark hair just looks wrong (in addition to other features, like being unusually tall and broad, that make her not conventionally attractive). She and others come to see her as this after she drinks a beauty potion, but then after the effects of the beauty potion wear off, her love interest, Prince Ijori, tells her that he finds her ''more'' beautiful that way than he did when she was under the influence of the potion, suggesting she was BeautifulAllAlong and thereby playing the trope straight.
* [[FallenAngel Cam (Cambriel)]] from Creator/LaurenKate ''Fallen'' has black hair, pale skin, green eyes with golden flecks, black starburst tattoo on the back of his neck and golden wings. And like all fallen angels in the book, he is incredibly handsome -- so handsome that female lead Luce initially has problems when choosing between him and blonde protagonist Daniel.

* Pippa of the ''Literature/GemmaDoyle'' trilogy is renowned for her beauty and has dark hair with "an ivory face that could be from a cameo pin".
* Scarlett O'Hara, the heroine of ''Literature/GoneWithTheWind'', has black ringlets (in spite of her name) and keeps her delicate skin magnolia-white, as befits a SouthernBelle. Though she is explicitly stated to be not particularly beautiful, she is so charming and vivacious that her many suitors consider her the most attractive woman they've ever met and constantly praise her appearance.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', Tom Riddle had pale skin and dark hair, and was frequently noted to be very handsome before he started [[spoiler:ripping out chunks of his soul and putting them in [[SoulJar Horcruxes]]]].

* ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'' gives us the goddess of snow, Khione who has "unnaturally pale" skin and a "lush mane" of black hair. Leo is immediately infatuated with her.
* Creator/NKJemisin's ''Literature/InheritanceTrilogy'': Nahadoth, GodOfDarkness and [[GodOfChaos Chaos]], generally prefers to assume this form:

* ''Literature/KushielsLegacy''.

** The White Witch Jadis is said to be very beautiful in a cruel, imposing way. Her skin is paper-white after eating the Fruit of Life, and the book describes her as having sleek black hair and very red lips (though many visual interpretations give her white or blonde hair to suit her IceQueen persona).

* Trolls in ''Literature/MaledictionTrilogy'' always have pale skin and black hair. And while some of them are disfigured due to 500 years of inbreeding, [[TheProtagonist prince Tristan]] is described as full of unearthly beauty.

* Isa, from ''Literature/OnlyEchoesRemain'' is a gorgeous goth girl despite being homeless on the streets of an alternate-universe version of Chicago. This is entirely the result of her being a mystical being created by a precocious teenage sorceress who ''designed'' her to meet or exceed her ''own'' standards of beauty. White-pale skin, very, very long night-dark hair, and a flawless face and body were her gifts to her creation, [[spoiler:along with a true form that is effectively a demonic manifestation of darkness and death.]]
* Zmeya in ''Literature/TheOrphansTales''. A king who is about to kill her and her fellow priestesses can't help but notice her flawless pale skin, dark hair with green hints, and large black eyes. She is so beautiful that he not only doesn't kill her, but he takes her as his wife, that day, and with the conditions she sets.
* A short story "Persephone Enthroned", written by H. Jeremiah Lewis in ''Queen of the Sacred Way: A Devotional Anthology In Honor of Persephone'' has Theseus describe [[Myth/GreekMythology Persephone]] like this -- black-haired, pale and extremely beautiful to a scary degree.

* Irene/Attolia from ''Literature/TheQueensThief'' is one (fair skin, very beautiful, dark-haired).
* Any time Sano notices a particularly lovely woman in the ''Literature/SanoIchiro'' mysteries, he will note her pale skin and dark hair, as he did when he first saw his wife Reiko. This is the standard of beauty in [[JidaiGeki the series]], and one that women will go to desperate lengths to achieve and maintain. Older women, most notably the shogun's mother Keisho-in, apply layer after layer of white makeup to their faces and/or dye their hair black to try to maintain a youthful look.
* Agatha, one of the two point of view characters in ''Literature/TheSchoolForGoodAndEvil'' is described as having pale skin and very dark hair. That is, once [[spoiler: she and the people around her accept that she should be in the Good school after all.]]
* The vampires in ''Literature/TheShadowspawn'' appear this way, or at least those of the Brezé family do: thin, slight, almost elfin, with pale skin and raven hair. Various characters think there is something vaguely odd about their features, but they are invariably handsome, and/or hauntingly beautiful.
* Lena, a Greek teenager, of ''Literature/TheSisterhoodOfTheTravelingPants'' is told that she is beautiful but she doesn't like it because she feels like that's all anyone notices. She has long dark hair and "celery-green" eyes. The fair-skinned Alexis Bledel was chosen to play her in the movie.
* Meaningfully played with in ''Literature/SixGunSnowWhite''. Being a retelling of [[Literature/SnowWhite the classic fairy tale]], pale-skinned, dark-haired beauty is held up as the ideal. Mr. H wishes for a daughter with black hair and red lips, like his Crow wife Gun That Sings, but he also wants her to be white-skinned, like himself. Snow White comes out copper-skinned like her mother. She is still so beautiful that strange men nearly fall in love with her on sight, but her lack of white skin is a constant refrain through the story and it causes her endless grief.
* Both Coira and Arpazia in the "Literature/SnowWhite" retelling ''Literature/WhiteAsSnow'' alternate between this and EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette depending on how creepy they are at the moment. The mother's flares of temper and the daughter's talent for complete stillness and silence frighten people to the point that their beauty almost isn't worth it.
** Arpazia is black-haired and pale and acknowledged to be very beautiful — before she somehow becomes a thirty-year-old crone.
** Coira takes after her mother in appearance (black hair, white skin) and becomes beautiful as she turns eighteen and comes into her own.

* There's the princess Thayet ''jian'' Wilima of the final ''Literature/SongOfTheLioness''. "Her face-particularly her nose-was strong boned; her hazel eyes were deep-set under even brows; her chin was determined. Her mouth was naturally red, accented by ivory skin. She wore her jet-black hair pulled into a knot." She's considered the WorldsMostBeautifulWoman.

* Creator/JRRTolkien's use mixes AuthorAppeal (his wife Edith was a fair-skinned brunette) and, presumably, Celtic notions of beauty, since the ancient Celts ({{flanderized}} as {{Fiery Redhead}}s) were actually mostly dark-haired and regarded this as the ideal -- thus most of Tolkien's most important beautiful characters are dark-haired and pale-skinned, with gray eyes. For one thing, most elves look this way (or at least most Noldor,the High Elves of Middle-earth), and elves are ''always'' tall and more beautiful, more healthy, and more physically perfect than is humanly possible. Then some characters stand out for their especially emphasized dark-haired-pale-skinned beauty:

* Several of the characters from ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' sport this combination (naturally, considering that vampires have skin so white it literally sparkles). Alice Cullen is possibly the stand-out example, having explicitly black hair and delicate white skin that underscores how dainty and adorable she is, but lead character Bella Swan also has dark hair and describes herself as pale enough to stand out [[spoiler:even before she's transformed.]]

* Yennefer from ''Franchise/TheWitcher'' books. She is pale with raven black hair and wears only black and white. Like all sorceresses, she is incredibly beautiful.

%%* Chane Laforet of ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}''.

* ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'': [[BloodKnight Ryougi Shiki]] is considered a traditional Japanese beauty. In the novels, she has black hair and eyes, with beautiful pale skin. In the films, they changed it to [[AdaptationDyeJob dark brown]], but she still fits the trope. Additionally, she also has an androgynous appearance due to having both a female and male personality within her and has been described both as beautiful and handsome.

* In ''LightNovel/TheIrregularAtMagicHighSchool'', Miyuki Shiba's appearance is radically close to this ideal with raven hair and pale skin, that sometimes her own brother doubts that they are blood relatives. And even having received proof of their kinship and not seeing her as a woman, he will have to agree that her beauty is divine. This gets its explanation later, when it turns out that she was [[spoiler: genetically modified to make her an ideal magician]], and accordingly perfectly beautiful externally.

* ''LightNovel/MariaWatchesOverUs'': Sachiko is described as very attractive and elegant. She has long black hair, light skin, and IcyBlueEyes.

* ''LightNovel/OnlySenseOnline'': In the titular MMORPG where [[WorldOfTechnicolorHair fantastic hair colors are the norm]], Yun's long black hair contrasts very well with [[CrossPlayer "her"]] pale skin, accentuating [[AttractiveBentGender "her"]] already beautiful appearance, which is described as "so pretty that any man who's into big boobs would say 'this is a special case', in his heart".

%%* ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'': Yuji after merging with the Snake of the Festival. His looks make him pass for a [[TallDarkAndHandsome fine young man]].

* [[WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Snow White]] is the poster child for this trope and a fanart of her is the current page image, having dark hair, fair skin and red lips. These features are also evident in her stepmother's youthful form, though the general effect comes across as more eerie than lovely.

* Lila (Jaime Murray) from ''Series/{{Dexter}}'', Dexter's psychotic girlfriend from Season 2 has black hair and extremely pale complexion. Angel describes her as a perfect porcelain doll and says that with skin like hers, she should stay outside the beach and sunshine. Dexter's sister Debra offers a different perspective. She says Lila's pale like a fucking corpse and compares her to a vampire several times.

* Miranda Lawson in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' is much paler than most inhabitants of the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' universe, has jet-black hair, and is regarded as extraordinarily attractive. It helps that her default outfit is black and white.

** There's also Sophia[[note]] [[NamesTheSame Wrong]] [[VideoGame/Persona5Strikers Sophia]] [[/note]]. If you look closely beneath her cowl, you'll see that she has dark hair to compliment her porcelain skin, not to mention her SensualSpandex.