History Main / SharedUnusualTrait

* All the clone "shatterlings" of Gentian Line in ''Literature/HouseOfSun'' have one green eye and the other a "wintery jackdaw blue", since they're all [[OppositeSexClone male and female "facets"]] of Abigail Gentian. it is noted that since they have a bit of leeway from Abigail's exact appearance, in some shatterlings the mismatched eyes are toned down so much as to be unnoticeable.

* In ''Literature/DragonBones'', there is a certain shade of blue eyes that is exclusive to members of the Hurog family. Ward, who doesn't have them, nevertheless immediately concludes that Oreg, the local FriendlyGhost and the GeniusLoci of [[PoweredByAForsakenChild castle Hurog]] must be somehow related to the family, as Oreg has the Hurog-blue eyes.

* One ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' book, ''Literature/MyHairiestAdventure'', has the main character's best friend be a girl with heterochromia. This becomes a plot point when she mysteriously disappears and he starts seeing a dog with heterochromia around the neighborhood.

* All the clone "shatterlings" of Gentian Line in "Literature/HouseOfSuns" by Creator/AlastairReynolds have one green eye and the other a "wintery jackdaw blue", since they're all [[OppositeSexClone male and female "facets"]] of Abigail Gentian. it is noted that since they have a bit of leeway from Abigail's exact appearance, in some shatterlings the mismatched eyes are toned down so much as to be unnoticeable.

* The horribly inbred Martense clan from ''Literature/TheLurkingFear'' by Creator/HPLovecraft all have this as a distinguishing mark. They have brown-and-blue eyes apparently. [[spoiler:This is the tip-off that the swarm of [[HumanoidAbomination Humanoid Abominations]] haunting the area actually consists of their offspring]].

* A plot point in ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' is that many characters share a few, if not all, of the following traits: [[TechnicolorEyes Red eyes]], [[TallDarkAndHandsome dark hair, above]] [[StatuesqueStunner average height]], [[BuxomBeautyStandard large breasts in the case of the females]], and [[FacialMarkings Z-shaped marks on the cheeks]]. [[spoiler:It's later revealed that all of these characters, includiing Ash himself, are half-siblings]].

* In ''Series/KyleXY'', one of the first things that tips Kyle off to Jesse's connection to him is the fact that neither of them has a [[BellyButtonless belly button]].

* In the first ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'' film, Dong Dong and Cha Cha, the bacteria brothers, both have miscolored eyes (two red eyes and one blue eye) because [[spoiler:they were both born from the same parents, who were from opposing factions and had to move to a remote mountain to be able to live with each other. The members of one faction have red eyes while the members of the other faction have blue eyes]].

[[folder:Fanfic]]

* One episode of ''Series/{{Forever|2014}}'' used this as a major plot point: [[spoiler: a diver that had died in the expedition to find a sunken ship had heterochromia - one green eye, one blue. This tipped off Henry to the fact that the bartender who served drinks to the victim the night of his death was the sister of the dead diver, as she had the same eyes, revealing that she had killed the man she felt was responsible for her brother's death.]]
* On ''Series/KyleXY'', one of the first things that tips Kyle off to Jesse's connection to him is the fact that neither of them has a [[BellyButtonless belly button]].

[[folder: Visual Novels]]

* Misaki Shokuhou from ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' has stars in her eyes. The same stars appear in the eyes of [[MindControlEyes those who she's using her mind control powers on]].

* A plot point in ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' is that many characters share a few, if not all, of the following traits: [[TechnicolorEyes Red eyes]], [[TallDarkAndHandsome dark hair, above]] [[StatuesqueStunner average height]], [[BuxomIsBetter large breasts in the case of the females]], and [[FacialMarkings Z-shaped marks on the cheeks]]. [[spoiler:It's later revealed that all of these characters, includiing Ash himself, are half-siblings]].

* One episode of ''Series/{{Forever}}'' used this as a major plot point: [[spoiler: a diver that had died in the expedition to find a sunken ship had heterochromia - one green eye, one blue. This tipped off Henry to the fact that the bartender who served drinks to the victim the night of his death was the sister of the dead diver, as she had the same eyes, revealing that she had killed the man she felt was responsible for her brother's death.]]

* The generational sagas by author Creator/EdwardRutherfurd often use physical genetic quirks, such as webbed digits or SkunkStripe hair, to illustrate a bloodline's continuity down through the centuries.

* In ''Literature/ReconstructingAmelia'', three related characters all have [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waardenburg_syndrome Waardenburg syndrome,]] but it manifests in different ways so it's not obvious that there's even a familial connection. [[spoiler:Amelia and Zadie respectively have differently colored eyes and a SkunkStripe, and their biological father, Jeremy, is PrematurelyGreyHaired]].

* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3'', Lady and Arkham [[spoiler:and Jester]] both have one blue and one red eye. This serves as a visual clue that [[spoiler:they're father and daughter]].

Related to FamilyEyeResemblance when the eyes show a familial relationship. See also SharedFamilyQuirks for when family members share similar behaviors or personalities, and MarkOfTheBeast when the trait is a sign of possession. When an entire tribe, ethnic group, or nation has these traits, that's PeopleOfHairColor.

Related to FamilyEyeResemblance when the eyes show a familial relationship. See also SharedFamilyQuirks for when family members share similar behaviors or personalities, and MarkOfTheBeast when the trait is a sign of possession.

An unusual physical trait that ties two characters together. The physical trait can be heterochromia, [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair unusual hair colours]], deformities or other odd traits. It could also be something that's passed down from one generation to the next. These traits can be used to identify twins, [[MarkOfTheBeast possessed people]], [[ReincarnationIdentifyingTrait reincarnations]], clones, or a once-unknown connection between two people that indicates they are related.

* Heterochromia is the mark of a ''Literature/{{Graceling}}''. Katsa's eyes are green and blue, Po's are gold and silver, [[spoiler: and before he lost one, Leck's were red and grey.]]

* Luki and Noki from ''Manga/DogsBulletsAndCarnage'' have [[MarkOfTheSupernatural mismatched eyes]] (gold with a black iris, black with a gold iris, with the actual which-eye-is-which swapped between twins). They're also both powerful cyborg {{Child Soldier}}s.

* Asuna Kagurazaka of ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' has MismatchedEyes which mostly go unnoticed, but then in the Magical World we're introduced to Princess Arika, [[spoiler:Negi's mother]], who also shares this trait. [[spoiler:While their exact relation isn't clear, Asuna is at least related to her to some degree and thus not the normal schoolgirl she thinks she is]].

* [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Nenene]] and [[HandsomeLech Toki]] from ''Manga/CodeBreaker'' both have one blue and one brown eye. This almost gets Nenene killed when fire controller Oogami mistakes her for his despised teammate Toki [[spoiler: who is Nenene's long-lost brother. Nenene does not seem to notice the resemblance, even when Toki is standing in front of her while Sakura says "This is your brother!"]]
* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' (specifically the manga and ''Brotherhood''), the fact that Ed, his brother Al, and their father Van Hohenheim all have gold eyes and gold hair (not blond, ''gold'') is an important plot point, as it [[spoiler:marks them as descendants of the lost Xerxes civilization, with Hohenheim being an immortal survivor of its destruction]].

* The Count D from ''Manga/PetShopOfHorrors'' has heterochromia, one eye being purple and the other, whom he hides under his hair, is golden. In the manga, it's explained that [[spoiler:this is meant to be representative not only for his non-human nature, but also for his inheritance: his father and grandfather have golden and purple eyes, respectively. Since each one has a very different personality, and D has personality traits from ''both'', his heterochromia symbolizes this dual nature]].
* ''Manga/RozenMaiden'': Suiseiseki has red and green eyes, and was originally nicknamed "Boatlights-chan" by fans before she became known as simply "[[VerbalTic Desu]]". Her twin sister Souseiseki, introduced later, has the same eye colors but reversed. Appropriately, they are {{foil}}s for each other.
* Luki and Noki from ''Manga/DogsBulletsAndCarnage'' have [[MarkOfTheSupernatural mismatched eyes]] (gold with a black iris, black with a gold iris, with the actual which-eye-is-which swapped between twins). They're also both powerful cyborg {{Child Soldier}}s.
* BigBad (of at least one arc) Rido Kuran of ''Manga/VampireKnight'' has one blue eye and one crimson eye, a trait that shows up in the people he possesses. This is the first clue to Rima Touya that something's [[NotHimself not quite right]] about Shiki...

* In ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'', the villainous brothers Denkibou, Umanosuke and Toube all share pink sclera (their eye whites) on their left eyes. It's arguably the only physical trait they have in common.
* In ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', some character's pupils (specifically: [[spoiler:Lord Genome, Kittan, and Simon]]) take on spiral form to indicate their mastery of the Spiral Energy.
* Misaki Shokuhou from ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' has stars in her eyes. The same stars appear in the eyes of [[MindControlEyes those who she's using her mind control powers on]].

* In ''Manga/DragonBall'', all Saiyans are born with black hair and eyes. This was one of the reasons why Vegeta didn't believe Trunks was of Saiyan blood since he had blue eyes and purple hair. Although, Earthlings with black hair and black eyes are also very common, which is why Gokū blended in so well with the Earthlings...if it wasn't for his monkey tail, an unusual trait that ''is'' exclusive to Saiyans (from Universe 7). Before revealing his identity to Gokū, revealing his tail to Gokū was the first proof that Raditz, his older brother, was connected to him. Raditz recognizes Gohan as Gokū's easily because he also has a tail like them.
** In regards to another unusual trait, the fact that Saiyans' hair and eyes turn golden/blond and green (accompanied with a golden aura) upon turning into Super Saiyans is also a distinct trait they have. When Trunks was introduced, Freeza was able to identify him as one because of that phenomenon, which by the time of the story was exclusive to Gokū. The actual color combination, however, isn't so unique with Earthlings who are born with those traits naturally, and Lunch just happened to be an Earthling whose hair and eye color change to blond and green.
* Several characters in ''Manga/FireForce'' have white pupils, including the main character, Shinra. Curiously, none of them were born like this and their eyes changed later in life. [[spoiler:It is implied to be because they are connected to the Adolla realm.]]
* in '' Literature/PsychicDetectiveYakumo'', this is initially subverted; even though the titular character's uncle also seems to have a [[MagicalEye ghost seeing red eye]] like his nephew, it's actually a contact lens he wears in an attempt to understand the pain that Yakumo has experienced. It's later played straight with [[spoiler: the red eyed man]], who happens to be [[spoiler: [[ChildByRape Yakumo's]] biological [[BigBad father]]]].

* ''Film/X2XMenUnited'': Jason Stryker has differently-colored eyes, as does the illusory little girl he creates.

* The horribly inbred Martense clan from ''The Lurking Fear'' by Creator/HPLovecraft all have this as a distinguishing mark. They have brown-and-blue eyes apparently. [[spoiler:This is the tip-off that the swarm of [[HumanoidAbomination Humanoid Abominations]] haunting the area actually consists of their offspring]].

* Heterochromia is the mark of a ''Literature/{{Graceling}}''. Katsa's eyes are green and blue, Po's are gold and silver, [[spoiler: and before he lost one, Leck's were red and grey.]]

* One ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' book has the main character's best friend be a girl with heterochromia. This becomes a plot point when she mysteriously disappears and he starts seeing a dog with heterochromia around the neighborhood.
* The generational sagas by author Creator/EdwardRutherfurd often use physical genetic quirks, such as webbed digits or SkunkStripe hair, to illustrate a bloodline's continuity down through the centuries.

* In ''Literature/TheGodfather'', Sonny Corleone has a very large penis and can only have normal sex with Lucy Mancini, who has an abnormally large vagina.
* In ''Literature/ReconstructingAmelia'', three related characters all have [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waardenburg_syndrome Waardenburg syndrome,]] but it manifests in different ways so it's not obvious that there's even a familial connection. [[spoiler:Amelia and Zadie respectively have differently colored eyes and a SkunkStripe, and their biological father, Jeremy, is PrematurelyGreyHaired]].
* In Creator/ABertramChandler's ''John Grimes'' novels the title character has an illegitimate son that inherited his very large ears. The mother had them surgically altered to hide his paternity from her planet's nobility.

* One episode of ''Series/{{Forever}}'' used this as a major plot point: [[spoiler: a diver that had died in the expedition to find a sunken ship had heterochromia - one green eye, one blue. This tipped off Henry to the fact that the bartender who served drinks to the victim the night of his death was the sister of the dead diver, as she had the same eyes, revealing that she had killed the man she felt was responsible for her brother's death.]]

* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry 3'', Lady and Arkham [[spoiler:and Jester]] both have one blue and one red eye. This serves as a visual clue that [[spoiler:they're father and daughter]].
* Iris and her twin sister, also named Iris, from ''VideoGame/RuneFactory'' both have green and red eyes. They used to be one woman but were magically split into two entities.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}'', one of Zagreus's more unusual physical characteristics are his searing, red-hot feet, a trait which he inherited from his father, Hades. It's also occasionally implied that the reason why Zagreus bleeds red like a human instead of gold like a god (and why Hades views this "weak blood" of his so derisively) is because [[spoiler:he inherited it from Hades's ex-wife, the half-human Persephone, who is such a sore spot for him that discussion of her is banned across the Underworld]].
* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'': The Red Prince of the {{Lizard|Folk}}s has distinctive blood-red scales that mark him as TheChosenOne of a Lizard prophecy and are frequently mentioned in-universe. In his personal quest, he finds the only other Lizard with the same coloration, whom he's been [[LoveBeforeFirstSight dreaming about all his life]]: the other half of that prophecy, [[spoiler:with whom he's destined to father a race of dragons.]]

* [[AuthorAvatar Christian Weston Chandler]] in ''Webcomic/{{Sonichu}}'' has heterochromatic eyes, though it's not at all striking. It's a feature of his EvilTwin (with inverted colors) and his Chris-Chan Sonichu form, too.

* ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'': In chapter ten, Heartful Punch reveals to Undine that, when they first met, she thought they might have something in common because of their shared trait of odd eyes. Typically CurtainsMatchTheWindow with Magical Girls, but HP has bright cyan eyes in contrast to her otherwise pink color-scheme, while Undine has pink pupils where everything else is blue. The exact reasons for their situations are different, but the circumstances ''do'' have similarities, as both were the result of [[BequeathedPower one magical girl's power transferring to someone else]]. [[spoiler:In Heartful Punch's case, she was born while her mother was still an active magical girl, whose color was cyan. Undine, meanwhile, got her pupils after her pink-themed friend Tessa sacrificed her powers to save Undine's life.]]

* ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'': In chapter ten, Heartful Punch reveals to Undine that, when they first met, she thought they might have something in common because of their shared trait of odd eyes. Typically CurtainsMatchTheWindow with Magical Girls, but HP has bright cyan eyes in contrast to her otherwise pink color-scheme, while Undine has pink pupils where everything else is blue. The exact reasons for their situations are different, but the circumstances ''do'' have similarities as both were the result of one magical girl's power transferring to someone else. In Heartful Punch's case, she was born while her mother was still an active magical girl, whose color was cyan. Undine, meanwhile, got her pupils after her pink-themed friend Tessa sacrificed her powers to save Undine's life.

* In one film version of ''Literature/TheHoundOfTheBaskervilles'', SherlockHolmes realizes that Stapleton is a member of the Baskerville family because both he and a portrait of patriarch Hugo Baskerville have webbed hands. (In the original novel, Holmes points out that Stapleton is facially a dead ringer for the portrait of Hugo when you block out of view the antiquated clothing Hugo is wearing.)

* In ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3'', the [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Voluntary Shapeshifer]] Dudu is missing an eye, and as a result every form he takes also has a closed eye with a scar over it.

* In ''Manga/DragonBall'', all Saiyans are born with black hair and eyes. This was one of the reasons why Vegeta didn't believe Trunks was of Saiyan blood since he had blue eyes and purple hair. Although, Earthlings with black hair and black eyes are also very common, which is why Gokū blended in so well with the Earthlings...if it wasn't for his monkey tail, an unusual trait that ''is'' exclusive to Saiyans (from Universe 7). Before revealing his identity to Gokū, revealing his tail to Gokū was the first proof that Raditz, his older brother, is connected to him. Raditz recognizes Gohan as Gokū's easily because he also has a tail like them.