History Main / FeatherMotif

* ''Manga/BlackButler'': [[spoiler: Angela]] and [[spoiler: Sebastian]] in their true forms. Especially [[spoiler: Angela]], since her dress looks like it's made out of feathers, or is at least designed to appear so. Oddly, [[spoiler: Sebastian]] doesn't show any wings, but that doesn't stop his Perpetual Molt.

* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' has this frequently in the anime. First off, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjp5_tGEnKg her transformation sequence]] in ''Sailor Moon R'', in which glowing feathers and wings were just part of the transformation sequence, then later in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPmveBY1eK4 her Eternal Sailor Moon]] henshin, in which real wings and feathers are part of the sequence until the wings turn to fake wings. Her [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGfkSDYrOZ0 first]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_gmmpNwMns second]] attacks in that series involve what can only be described as ''hurricanes'' of feathers. In the [[Manga/SailorMoon manga]], Eternal Sailor Moon bears real feathered wings, as does Sailor Cosmos, who also has the feather wing motif on parts of her costume and staff.

* ''Manga/BlackButler'': [[spoiler: Angela]] and [[spoiler: Sebastian]] in their true forms. Especially [[spoiler: Angela]], since her dress looks like it's made out of feathers, or is at least designed to appear so. Oddly, [[spoiler: Sebastian]] doesn't show any wings, but that doesn't stop his Perpetual Molt.
* In ''Manga/BloodyCross'', whenever FallenAngel Satsuki shows up, there is a rain of black feathers.
* ''Manga/InuYasha'': Kagura is represented by a white feather. She is a [[ElementalPowers wind]]-{{youkai}} and her power of flight manifests through her feathered hairpins. The feather becomes her symbol of her desire to be as free as the wind. [[spoiler: When she [[IDieFree dies]], her soul finally finding the freedom to become one with the wind is symbolised by a feather floating away from her [[NoBodyLeftBehind dissolved]] body and soaring off into the sky on the wind.]]
* Subverted in ''Manga/PlusAnima''. The main character, Cooru, has crow powers, but is actually not as grim and dour as the people believe upon seeing his black feathers; he is a hopelessly optimistic, sunny and cheerful IdiotHero.
* White feathers and even ''wings'' are prevalent in both the Manga and Anime versions of ''Manga/FullMoon'', mostly in regards to the main character Mitsuki. It empathizes her [[NaiveEveryGirl sweet]], [[AllLovingHero kind]] nature and [[spoiler: can be seen as foreshadowing her ScrewDestiny act in the end, when she defies her fate of dying within a year.]]
* In ''Manga/{{Aruosumente}}'', Oracles wear cloaks with angel wings on the backs, representing their ability to hear God's voice in their dreams.
* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'': Despite her fan reputation as a devil, Nanoha is often portrayed with pink glowing feathers, an attribute to her AllLovingHero nature. They always appear in her {{Transformation Sequence}}s and whenever she flies. The feather motif is one of her most defining attributes, similar to Fate's lightning motif.
* In ''Manga/BlackLagoon'', these appear in a recurring flashback to Revy's younger years as she's standing over a body. We find out eventually that it's because she used a pillow as an impromptu silencer when she killed [[spoiler:her own father]].
* ''Anime/HaibaneRenmei'' splits the difference with the Haibane having ''grey'' feathers.

* Noelle from ''Manga/BlackClover''. Her white blazer ends in frills resembling feathers, like the clothing worn by her siblings in the Silver Eagles, and on the cover of Volume 19 she's surrounded by feathers and a wing. She gradually frees herself from her family's abuse in the past and gains more confidence. When she obtains her Valkyrie Armor, which features featherlike ear ornaments, Noelle states that she feels like she's been freed from her cage.

* In the kung fu movie ''Film/FlagOfIron'', the members of the 14 Eagles Clan wear tall, plumed feathers in their hair as sign of allegiance to their clan. The leaders notably have feathers as tall as their heads.

%%[[folder:Literature]]
%%* In ''Literature/ModernFaerieTales'', the love interest Roiben wears armor made of black leather sculpted into the shape of feathers.
%%[[/folder]]

%%* The ''Distant Worlds'' ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' albums both have a feather on the cover - a black feather against a white background for ''I'', and a white feather against a black background for ''II''.

* Very common in ''TabletopGame/AnimaBeyondFantasy'' artwork, perhaps because of its heavy inspiration on ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'', and not just for characters close to [[CrystalDragonJesus the Church of Abel]].

* Balmung of ''[[Franchise/DotHack .hack]]'' sports a feather motif on his armor. This may have to do with his self-appointed name of "Balmung of the Azure ''Sky''".

* In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreed'' Altair confirms each kill by wetting a white feather with blood. Ezio has a sidequest in the second game of collecting white feathers, and the Assassins continue to use this symbol into the present day.

* At least two or three characters from ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' use a FeatherMotif in an unusual way. For [[TheEmpire the N.O.L's]] elite Zero Squadron-member Tsubaki Yayoi, a PerpetualMolt accompanies many of her powers (and is directly [[{{Invocation}} invoked]] for her [[FinishingMove Astral Finish]]). [[spoiler: Tellingly, her FeatherMotif [[FaceHeelTurn turns black]] by the end of ''Continuum Shift''.]] For [[PersonOfMassDestruction Nu]] and [[LegacyCharacter Lambda]], the fact that their "feathers" are [[FeatherFlechettes eight swords floating behind their backs]] should tell the player most of what they need to know about the mecha-angels.