History Main / GroupIdentifyingFeature

* In ''Literature/WatershipDown'', inhabitants/slaves of the Efrafa warren have scars deliberately cut into their bodies (the location of which signify what branch they live in). Normal warrens do not require the trope, because they're smaller and less regimented.

* ''VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfMordor'' and ''[[VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfWar Shadow of War]]'' has the clear distinction of which Orcs are on the player's side versus the Orcs fighting on Sauron's side: Blue for Talion and Red for Sauron.

A RedRightHand could overlap with this trope if all villains (or all villains of a certain type) have the same Red Right Hand. TattooedCrook overlaps if the tattoos are used to indicate allegiance to a particular gang, but isn't quite a subtrope. Commonly seen on an UndergroundMonkey. See GangOfHats for the personality version. Contrast UniformityException for a feature that sets someone ''apart'' from the group. {{Unicorn}} is a sub-trope, as are PeopleOfHairColor and SlaveBrand. Also see LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine, TertiarySexualCharacteristics, PinkGirlBlueBoy, and HeroesPreferSwords. May be a MagicalSensoryEffect.

It could be on their physical body, such as PointyEars, fangs, or [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair multi-coloured hair]], or it might be something like a tattoo or a piercing or an insignia on their clothes.

* Defied in ''Website/AsexualityArchive'', which states that [[{{Asexuality}} asexual people]] don't have something that sets them apart, such as extra ribs, pointy ears, T-shirts that identify them as ace, or black rings. They look like everybody else does.

* ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'': The otherwise unaffiliated [[spoiler:50 Blessings]] operatives have one commonality in the [[AnimalMotifs animal masks]] they wear on their jobs. This is part of what clues the Russian Mafia to the fact that they are being wiped out by an organization, not individual vigilantes.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Very much common among well-known and distinct organizations from law enforcement to the military.

* In ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'', you can tell where an Oompa-Loompa works by the colour of their jumpsuit: they wear red in the edible room, black in the inventing room, yellow in the nut room, and white in the television room.
* ''Film/HarryPotter'': In the movies, you can tell what house someone is in by the colour of their scarves. Gryffindors wear red scarves, Slytherins green, Ravenclaws blue, and Hufflepuffs yellow.

->'''Benjamin Sisko''': "In the old days, operations officers wore red, command officers wore gold."
->'''Jadzia Dax''': "And women wore less."

** The Cult of Kosmos from ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey'' are recognized by their Greek drama masks and blue hooded robes.

*** In ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', red is the "generic" Starfleet uniform colour, while the command crew wear gold. In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', and ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', it's the other way round. In all of those series, science officers wear blue. Additionally, in ''The Original Series'', women wear dresses while men wear black pants.
*** In ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', Starfleet officers wear matching dark blue boiler suits. You can tell someone's division by a stripe pattern that goes around the shoulders. Like in ''The Original Series'', gold stands for command, blue stands for science, and red is generic. Starfleet officers also wear an embroidered patch of their ship and its name on their upper sleeves.

** You can tell what rank someone is in ''Next Generation'', ''Deep Space Nine'', and ''Voyager'' by the golden dots they have on their collars, which are known as "pips" or "rank insignia". Cadets don't have any, ensigns have one, junior-grade lieutenants have one, plus one hollowed-out one, regular lieutenants have two, lieutenant-commanders have two and one hollowed-out one, commanders have three, captains have four, and admirals have six (three on either side).
** Romulans can be distinguished from Vulcans by the V-shaped ridge on their heads.

* Most members of the Assassin Brotherhood in ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' can be identified by their hoods and longcoats.

* While the Fireside Girls of ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' are known for wearing uniforms with various alterations (one episode revealed they sew their own uniforms), Isabella's uniform stands out the most, being a complete PalletSwap of her everyday wardrobe, and is the only one to not have a red diamond on her beret, having it presumably covered up by her signature hairbow.

* The Seraphites in ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUsPartII'' are known as "Scars" by the WLF because they [[GlasglowGrin ritually scar themselves from ear to ear]], and wear thick brown hooded trenchcoats. Furthermore, the men [[BaldOfEvil shave their heads]], while women wear a crown braid.

!!Examples [[foldercontrol]]
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