History Main / DistinguishingMark

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros'': Morton Koopa Jr. has a large star-shaped birthmark on the right side of his face. Larry Koopa also has a less noticeable star marking at the back his head.

* Music/{{Seal}}'s cheek marks, the aftereffects of a condition known as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/Discoid_lupus_erythematosus discoid lupus erythematosus]], are so identified with him that he's the page image for that condition on [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]].

* TheHero Rohan in ''Series/TheMysticKnightsOfTirNaNog'' has a birthmark called the Mark of Destiny that his druid mentor and foster father takes as a sign proclaiming him to be TheChosenOne. He's right... but the mark isn't unique to Rohan. [[spoiler: His half-brother Lugad and the BigBad Queen Maeve, ''their mother'', also bear the Mark of Destiny.]]
** Ivar is in Kells hunting a thief who stole a sacred chalice from his people. He knows him only by a scar on his forehead. During a battle with Torc, Ivar knocks off the man's helmet to see the scar and realizes Torc is the thief. Torc openly boasts he drinks from that cup every night to anger Ivar who is dedicated to getting the chalice back.
* On an episode of ''Series/{{Highlander}}'', the widow of a Watcher wants to expose Immortals to the media. A newspaper publisher naturally doesn't believe her story of people who can live forever and engage in sword duels to the death. She shows him a database featuring a man the publisher knows as a powerful millionaire, noting the man's facial scar. She then begins showing photos of a variety of men over the decades, from World War II to the 1890s to the Civil War and the early 19th century. The publisher's jaw drops when he sees that, while the name, hairstyles, and clothing are different, each of these men has the exact same scar and realizes they're all the same man.
* On ''Series/{{Baywatch}}'' episode "Mirror Image," Mitch is met by plain gal Gwen and later meets her more outgoing identical twin sister Mattie (both played by Carrie-Ann Moss). He ends up drugged by Gwen and put in a flooding chamber, realizing it's the jealous Mattie trying to kill him. Mitch is confused at the switch as Mattie has the ''exact'' same scars and bruises on her leg as Gwen does...then realizes they're not twins at all but one very troubled woman with a SplitPersonality.
* PlayedForLaughs in the ''Series/{{Monk}}'' episode "Mr. Monk Takes On Manhattan", Monk recognizes a tiny mole on the perp's ear. He then spends an absurd amount of time describing the ear to a sketch artist. Later, when interviewing a suspect, Monk tries to get a peek at his ear.
* In an episode of ''Series/HotInCleveland'', a mother and son are reunited in part by the son bearing a birthmark on his wrist in the shape of a handbag.

* On ''Series/DesperateHousewives'', Bree sees a woman stalking neighbors Katherine and Adam, claiming she'd had an affair with Adam in Chicago. Adam had already told Katherine the woman had been a patient but is making up the story. When they're all trapped in a tornado, Katherine mentions how she knows the woman is lying because she talked of a snake tattoo on Adam's shoulder but Bree, having seen Adam at a pool party, knows he doesn't have one. Katherine coldly glares at her husband as she's finally realized why he was so insistent on having that snake tattoo removed as she and Katherine realize the affair was real.

* ''Series/{{Willow}}'': Scorpia recognizes Jade as her [[LongLostRelative long-lost sister]] by a tattoo on the back of her neck which they share. Their father was Kael; all his children got this as infants.

** ''Series/TheWire'': Omar Little has a long scar running across his face that he is often identified with. Notably, the scar is not fake. Actor Michael K. Williams got it in a bar fight when he was attacked with a razor blade. It ended up becoming his signature feature.

->'''Thug#1:''' He... He's got seven scars on his chest!\\
'''Thug#2:''' I heard he uses some strange kung-fu called Hokuto Shinken!\\
'''Thug#3:''' He's the guy who destroyed the Kiba family and Jackal's gang!

* The ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' book "My Hairiest Adventure" has a character with one blue eye and one green eye -- which [[ChekhovsGun turns out to be important]] after [[spoiler:she's transformed into a dog]].

* As mentioned in the page quote, Kenshiro from ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' has seven scars on his chest in the shape of the Big Dipper, which were put on him by his former friend Shin when Shin tortured him and kidnapped his fiance. [[spoiler:Kenshiro's evil brother Jagi gave ''himself'' the same scars in order to pass as Kenshiro and wreck his reputation.]]

* Princess Sally from ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' has a "royal birthmark". Espio knows where it is.

[[folder:Fanworks]]

* Hiccup in ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' has a tiny scar on his chin. In ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon2'', it is revealed he got the scar when he was clawed by a dragon as a baby. When Valka first confronts Hiccup she stops short when she recognizes his scar.

* In ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'', Mikuru's star-shaped mole on her left breast is the usual thing Kyon looks for when he wants to see if it's the "real" Mikuru. In the novels, Kyon once asked her to show it (to which she replied with a punch) and another time realized it was ''not'' her because of it.

* Jacuzzi Splot from ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'' is often immediately identified by the blue, oddly-shaped sword tattoo on his face - which is unfortunate for him, considering that he's got a large bounty on his head and more than a few enemies with an axe to grind.

* Scarlet from ''Webcomic/ImTheGrimReaper'' has an X shaped scar on her mouth. It's distinct enough for Chase to see her and immediately connect her to the near unsolvable Case X, where she, in her previous life, was a person of interest.

* A meta-example in ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'': the identity of the corpse discovered at the beginning of Curse Killing Chapter is never revealed, but an astute-eyed viewer can figure it out for themselves if they spot the DistinguishingMark -- [[spoiler:the red star-shaped tattoo on the left thigh identifies it as Rina Mamiya]].

** Saba is identifiable by the small nic on one of her ears.