History Main / IconicAttributeAdoptionMoment

* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza 0}}'': Kiryu and Majima spend most of this {{Prequel}} in different outfits than later entries (a white suit and orange undershirt for Kiryu, a full tuxedo for Majima). They finally switch to their IconicOutfit[=s=] in the last few scenes of the game, after the plot has been resolved and both have gotten back in with the yakuza.

May intersect with BetaOutfit, if the character is already involved in what they're best known for, but initially decides to have an earlier appearance before eventually getting their iconic one.

May intersect with BetaOutfit, if the character is already involved in what they're best known, but initially decides to have an earlier appearance before eventually getting their iconic one.

Compare with CanonCharacterAllAlong where this trope is used as a way to show that a character is actually one that is already in the source material. Compare FlashbackToCatchphrase.

** ''Film/CaptainMarvel'': Though Carol has her supersuit throughout the whole film, it doesn't turn into her iconic red, blue, and gold until the 3rd act, when she chooses to defect from the Kree Empire and embrace her old identity as a human US Air Force pilot.

* In ''VideoGame/UltimateSpiderMan'', Venom doesn't have the classic large white spider insignia on his chest and back throughout the game. Until the end that is, after he consumes [[spoiler:the Carnage symbiote possessing Peter]].

* In the SeriesFinale of ''Series/{{Flash}}'': [[spoiler: Eddie Thawne takes the name and appearance of Cobalt Blue, the costumed identity of his comics counterpart Malcom Thawne.]]

* The Joker in ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' initially wore a tie-dyed straightjacket with torn sleeves, but fan outcry led to him donning his iconic purple suit at the end of "Topsy Turvy", though he still retained his [[AnimeHair hair]] and [[DoesNotLikeShoes lack of shoes]].

* In the 2009 reboot of ''Film/FridayThe13th2009'', Jason wears a sack over his head like he did in ''Part II'', but after killing [[spoiler:Donnie]] he abandons it for his iconic hockey mask after finding it in an attic.

** Likewise the ComicBook/BlackCanary doesn't have the Canary Cry at first. Sara Lance (the first Canary) uses a throw-down sonic device. Her sister Laurel Lance gets a friend from Star Labs to make her a collar-worn version, but it's only when metahumans join Team Arrow that we finally end up with a Black Canary who can MakeMeWannaShout.

*** Black Manta appears in his typical costume to attack Arthur and Mera during their search for the trident, having built it himself and crafting the EyeBeams weaponry out of reverse-engineered Atlantean weaponry.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'': Ganon is introduced as Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, and his name all but gives away his status as the franchise's recurring BigBad. But his iconic PigMan form is not seen until the very end of the game when he uses the Triforce of Power to transform himself into a demon. This transformation links the human thief to the classic pig demon, and the boss subtitle even describes the monster as just Ganon, as if it's telling veteran players that this is the BigBad they all know and love from ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' and the original ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaI''.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', you start out playing as a new version of Link with a new outfit and wielding simple, makeshift weapons like tree branches and woodcutter's axes. You get the Master Sword about midway through the game, but it's not until the final dungeon that you get the classic Hylian Shield. You get a wide variety of clothes throughout the game, but it's only once you complete all the Shrines that you get Link's iconic green tunic.

*** C-3PO is shown in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' without his outer golden plating since Anakin couldn't afford any when building him. He gets dull gray plating in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' after Shmi is freed and married to someone who can give her (and by extension, 3PO) a higher standard of living. He finally gets his gold plating by ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', as he now belongs to Padmé, who is wealthy enough to afford such luxuries.

** C-3PO is shown in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' without his outer golden plating since Anakin couldn't afford any when building him. He gets dull gray plating in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' after Shmi is freed and married to someone who can give her (and by extension, 3PO) a higher standard of living. He finally gets his gold plating by ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', as he now belongs to Padmé, who is wealthy enough to afford such luxuries.

*** Obi-Wan and Anakin had different lightsaber hilt designs in the first two prequels than they had in the Originals (with Anakin's hilt in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' being a modified version of the hilt he would later use as Darth Vader), Obi-Wan is shown using the hilt that Old-Ben used in ''A New Hope'' and Anakin is using the hilt that would later be passed down to Luke.

** C-3PO is shown in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' without his outer golden plating since Anakin couldn't afford any when building him. He gets it in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' after Shmi is freed and married to someone who can give her (and by extension, 3PO) a higher standard of living.

*** After having Obi-Wan and Anakin wield different lightsaber hilt designs in the first two prequels than they had in the Originals (with Anakin's hilt in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' being a modified version of the hilt he would later use as Darth Vader), Obi-Wan is shown using the hilt that Old-Ben used in ''A New Hope'' and Anakin is using the hilt that would later be passed down to Luke.

* ''Film/SuperMarioBros''

** Creator/EwanMcGregor's young Obi-Wan Kenobi has been gradually growing up into the wise old mentor seen in ''Film/ANewHope'', culminating into his appearance in ''Revenge of the Sith'' now sporting Creator/AlecGuinness's beard and haircut.

* In ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'':
** Emperor Palpatine finally looks like [[NightmareFace his ugly, wrinkled self]], as seen in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', after Mace Windu redirects force lightning into his face. He also starts wearing his dark hooded robes publicly after becoming Emperor.
** After being brutally injured and left for dead on Mustafar, Anakin Skywalker receives his iconic Darth Vader armor at the end of the film.

** After having Obi-Wan and Anakin wield different lightsaber hilt designs in the first two prequels than they had in the Originals (with Anakin's hilt in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' being a modified version of the hilt he would later use as Darth Vader), Obi-Wan is shown using the hilt that Old-Ben used in ''A New Hope'' and Anakin is using the hilt that would later be passed down to Luke.

* In Creator/TakashiMiike[='s=] ''Manga/BladeOfTheImmortal'' film, Manji spends most of the film fighting with a standard pair of [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana swords.]] In the final duel with [[BigBad Anotsu Kagehisa]], Manji runs out of blades and has to use his iconic hooked swords (The ones that killed his sister) which serve as his main WeaponOfChoice in the source material.

* ''WebAnimation/DorklyOriginals'': The ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog'' example is parodied in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOVx2y21IrA "If Paramount Made Detective Pikachu,"]] in which Pikachu meets a human villain resembling Mewtwo (who, for some reason, already has the tail).

* ''Anime/YuGiOh'': During the Memory World arc, Priest Mahad's primary BondCreature is called Illusion Magician, which resembles an all blue, diminutive Dark Magician, with a FaceFramedInShadow. When he reveals his true strength, Illusuion Magician Evolves, and is now properly human sized with a purple outfit, though still without a face. [[spoiler: it is only when Mahad merges with it that he is renamed the Dark Magician, the Pharaoh's most trusted servant.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm'': Flashbacks in the film show Bruce starting as a vigilante but not having become Batman yet. He's able to foil a heist but notes that his methods are still missing something and ponders over how to make his crimefighting more effective (this sequence is heavily inspired by ''ComicBook/BatmanYearOne''). During this time he meets and falls in love with Andrea Beaumont, whose presence in his life leads him to consider giving up on his vigilante aspirations. When she leaves Gotham and ends things with him he fully commits to his crusade against crime. In the newly created Batcave Bruce dons his cowl for the first time and Alfred's [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness shocked response]] makes it clear that Batman has risen.

* ''WebAnimation/DorklyOriginals'': The ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog'' example is parodied in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOVx2y21IrA If Paramount Made Detective Pikachu]]", in which Pikachu meets a human villain resembling Mewtwo (who, for some reason, already has the tail).