History Main / ArcSymbol

* The bloodstained smiley face in ''{{Watchmen}}''.

* The ''Dharma'' logo in ''{{Lost}}''

* The Blue Sun logo in ''{{Firefly}}'' was going to be this until the series was so rudely interrupted.

* The Eye of Rambaldi in ''{{Alias}}''.

* Potatoes in ''{{Portal}} 2''.

* The One-winged Eagle in ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi''.

* ''GunnerkriggCourt'' has a sigil of an eye with a line through it. It shows up on the walls of containment cells, on spirit-binding magic, and on a necklace worn by a character's mother. It's eventually revealed that the spirit-binding magic was actually [[{{magitech}} a union of magic and computing]], and the other occurrences of the symbol are remote interfaces for accessing the magic computer. Also alchemical symbols -- Antimony for, well, Antimony Carver, Mercury for Renard the Fox (or rather, for his body-snatching ability--both it and the symbol were associated with Coyote in the backstory), Lead for the Court's Protector and great SigilSpam of Bismuth for the Court itself.

* In ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'', the Order of the White Lotus secret society inconspicuously integrates their symbol into their surroundings, to denote a friendly place.

* Bequerel's face in ''{{Homestuck}}''.

* ''{{Superego}}'' has the circle and all its variations, representing each of ten protagonists and their [[spoiler: {{personality disorders}}]].

* The triskelion symbol in ''{{Threshold}}''. It's a representation of a triple helix - which is what the alien signal turns DNA into. It also shows up any place that has been exposed to the signal in any way. Partially subverted in that its significance is explained in the pilot, and the characters become very adept at spotting it.

* The triskelion symbol in ''{{Threshold}}'', which had some connection to the alien signal.

* '''TheNatural''' has lightning. It splits the tree open at the beginning of the film, is carved into the bat [[ICallItVera "Wonderboy,"]] strikes before Roy knocks the cover off the ball in his first at bat, appears on a patch that the Knights wear, and again strikes before [[spoiler:Roy hits a pennant-winning home run]]

* The Cracks in the Universe in series 5 of the revived ''DoctorWho'' appear at least OnceAnEpisode.

* The reversed peace sign in ''DeadlyPremonition''.

* ''GunnerkriggCourt'' has a sigil of an eye with a line through it. It shows up on the walls of containment cells, on spirit-binding magic, and on a necklace worn by a character's mother. It's eventually revealed that the spirit-binding magic was actually [[{{magitech}} a union of magic and computing]], and the other occurrences of the symbol are remote interfaces for accessing the magic computer. Also alchemical symbols -- Antimony for, well, Antimony Carver, Mercury for Renard the Fox, Lead for the Court's Protector and great SigilSpam of Bismuth for the Court itself.

* The dwarf rune of The Summoning Dark in ''Discworld/{{Thud}}''

* Potatoes in {{Portal}} 2.

* The Three Virtues of ''{{BIONICLE}}''

[[folder:Other / Unsorted]]
* The Three Virtues of ''{{BIONICLE}}''
* The post horn in ''TheCryingOfLot49''.
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* ''GunnerkriggCourt'' has a sigil of an eye with a line through it. It shows up on the walls of containment cells, on spirit-binding magic, and on a necklace worn by a character's mother. It's eventually revealed that the spirit-binding magic was actually [[{{magitech}} a union of magic and computing]], and the other occurrences of the symbol are remote interfaces for accessing the magic computer.

The symbolic equivalent of ArcWords or an ArcNumber. A picture or symbol appears multiple times and places over the course of a StoryArc. No explanation is given for the symbol until well after the eagle-eyed fans have noticed it and started debating its meaning. These often serve either as {{Foreshadowing}}, or tie into the [[CentralTheme theme]] of the story.

Note that this is distinct from SigilSpam, which is about organizations who put their symbol on ''everything'' they possibly can. But is possible for the two tropes to overlap: if a symbol that has been appearing everywhere since the first episode is revealed in the season finale to be the symbol of the AncientConspiracy that secretly rules the world, then it's an ArcSymbol ''and'' SigilSpam.

* GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex has the Laughing Man Symbol.

* [[TengenToppaGurrenLagann Gurren Lagann]]. Spirals. That is all.

* The bloodstained smiley in {{Watchmen}}.

* The kingdom's sun insignia in ''{{Tangled}}''. [[spoiler:Finding it hidden in her artwork is what leads Rapunzel to realize she's really the long, lost princess.]]

* Keith Roberts' ''Pavane'' stories, later assembled into a novel, are all linked by a symbol (designed of course by Roberts, who was an artist as well as an author). The symbol depicts two pairs of arrows, one converging, one diverging, within a circle.

* The dwarf rune of The Summoning Dark in ''Discworld/{{Thud}}!''
* HarryPotter: The line-in-a-circle-in-a-triangle symbol recurrs in the last book, as it symbolizes the Deathly Hallows.

* The ''Dharma'' logo in {{Lost}}
* ''{{Heroes}}'' has the eclipse, everything from a real one to an illustration by Isaac. Another is the RNA symbol, a single helix with half of some base pairs coming off of it. This is also used as the symbol for Takezo Kensei, as it is stated to be the characters for "god send".

* The eye of the Goddess in ''{{Albion}}'', kind of.

* The Operator Symbol from MarbleHornets, or TheSlenderManMythos in general.

* In AvatarTheLastAirbender, the Order of the White Lotus secret society inconspicuously integrates their symbol into their surroundings, to denote a friendly place.

[[AC:Other / Unsorted]]

* [[TengenToppaGurrenLagann Gurren Lagann]]. Spirals. That is all.

* In ''[[FiftyTwo 52]]'', the number 52 itself is used constantly as references to the main plot. It's an ArcNumber, but also symbols and concepts associated with 52 (such as card decks) are used.

* The standard of two snake heads facing each other in TheMovie of ''ConanTheBarbarian''.

* HarryPotter: The line-in-a-circle-in-a-triangle symbol recurrs in the last book, as it symbolizes the Deathly Hallows.

* The triskelion symbol in ''{{Threshold}}'', which had some connection to the alien signal.

* The eye of the Goddess in ''{{Albion}}'', kind of.

* ''GunnerkriggCourt'' has a sigil of an eye with a line through it. It shows up on the walls of containment cells, on spirit-binding magic, and on a necklace worn by a character's mother. It's eventually revealed that the spirit-binding magic was actually [[{{magitech}} a union of magic and computing]], and the other occurrences of the symbol are remote interfaces for accessing the magic computer.

* The yeti symbol in ''AliceAndKev''.

* In AvatarTheLastAirbender, the Order of the White Lotus secret society inconspicuously integrates their symbol into their surroundings, to denote a friendly place.