History Main / MysteriousPurple

** Martin's watch that connects him to the The Center of paranormal investigations is colored deep purple and teal, as is most of the gadgets he uses to collect clues.

* ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'': Despite there being small hints littered throughout the series, the GainaxEnding of [[spoiler:Stocking dicing Panty to bits and revealing that she's actually a demon makes it unclear whether or not she was EvilAllAlong, did a FaceHeelTurn, or is just BrainwashedAndCrazy given her unusual eyes at the time, planting her firmly in AmbiguousEvil territory. Her ElegantGothicLolita aesthetic features black and purple striped tights and her hair is dark purple. This not only contrasts her against actual angel Panty's [[LightFeminineDarkFeminine lighter and brighter coloring]], but it also differentiates her from all other demons in the work, who are all unambiguously evil and have red skin, pale hair, and wear beige mini skirt suits.]]

** Patchouli Knowledge has lavender hair with matching robes, hat and shoes. She is also a {{Witch|Species}}, the MagicLibrarian of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and her official "job" at the Mansion is to "solve and create problems"... And in case you're wondering: [[WhatExactlyIsHisJob No, we don't know what that entails either.]]

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'': Ivy is introduced as a mysterious, AloofDarkHairedGirl with dark magenta hair who wears purple eyeshadow and purple lipstick. A LadyOfBlackMagic, much of her promotional materials positioned her to be a haughty antagonist to the main characters as the princess of Elusia. This was an intentional BaitAndSwitch: in the story proper, Ivy is at most an AntiVillain and later an example of DarkIsNotEvil, as she [[spoiler:goes on to fully oppose her father once his actions fo too far and even defects to the side of good later on, becoming a BenevolentMageRuler once her father has been defeated]].

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'': Ivy is introduced as a mysterious, AloofDarkHairedGirl with dark magenta hair who wears purple eyeshadow and purple lipstick. A LadyOfBlackMagic, much of her promotional materials positioned her to be
a haughty antagonist to the main characters as the princess of Elusia. This was an intentional BaitAndSwitch: in the story proper, Ivy is at most an AntiVillain and later an example of DarkIsNotEvil, as she [[spoiler:goes on to fully oppose her father once his actions fo too far and even defects to the side of good later on, becoming a BenevolentMageRuler once her father has been defeated]].

This trope describes when the color purple is used to characterize or code things in a narrative as mysterious, ambiguous, or enigmatic.

Compare and contrast PurpleIsTheNewBlack, both DarkIsEvil ''and'' DarkIsNotEvil, and EvilWearsBlack.

* ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'': Luong's default outfit has purple accents along with her black-dark purple hair and she toes the line between FemmeFatale and HeroicSeductress, as her penchant for sadism seems to conflict with her being on the more heroic Team Kim. Her "mystique" is even mentioned in her BattleIntro for ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXV'', where she is also [[spoiler:revealed to be a DoubleAgent, having been hired by Hein to take down Geese]]. By the end of that game, it's unclear just ''who'' her allegiance is to: Kim, [[spoiler:Hein]], or simply herself.

* ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'': Luong's default outfit has purple accents along with her black-dark purple hair and she toes the line between FemmeFatale and HeroicSeductress because as her penchant for sadism seems to conflict with her being on the more heroic Team Kim. Her "mystique" is even mentioned in her BattleIntro for ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXV'', where she is also [[spoiler:revealed to be a DoubleAgent, having been hired by Hein to take down Geese]]. By the end of that game, it's unclear just ''who'' her allegiance is to: Kim, [[spoiler:Hein]], or simply herself.

* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'': A lot of details about Jax are deliberately kept vague and mysterious as a draw for his character. While his MysteriousPast was retconned, he's still [[TheFaceless never shown his face]] or even confirmed what kind of species he's meant to be. His purple robes and skin are thus emblematic of that.

An AmnesiacHero or someone suffering IdentityAmnesia may also have a purple color motif, their unknown pasts and identity being the source of ambiguity and mystery.

The association between purple and mystery can be explained by purple's own elusive nature: purple does not show up frequently in nature, making it an exceedingly rare (and sought after) color. It also represents a part of the color spectrum the human eye is the least sensitive to. [[TechnicolorMagic Magic]] and things [[MarkOfTheSupernatural related to the Occult]] are frequently shaded purple and violet to emphasize their unknowable (to regular folks) nature, mixing this trope and PurpleIsPowerful (this does '''not''' mean, however, that every purple-colored/associated magic or otherwordly thing by default falls under this trope). Shading a night sky filled with OminousClouds and OminousFog purple to indicate the presence or coming of something mysterious (and often dangerous) for atmosphere is quite common in animation.

* ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'': The series makes use of [[LanguageOfTruth Languages Of Truth]]: for example, speech in red is '''always''' true; no falsities can be spoken using red text. Purple text is similar with a caveat: it is always true ''unless'' if spoken by someone who committed a murder. Not only does this make whether or not the speaker is a murderer ambiguous, it also makes it a mystery for the player as to whether or not the statements were 1) true statements said by an ordinary person, 2)lies said by a murderer, or 3) true statements said by a murderer.

The association between purple and mystery can be explained by purple's own elusive nature: purple does not show up frequently in nature, making it an exceedingly rare (and sought after) color. It also represents a part of the color spectrum the human eye is the least sensitive to. Magic and things related to the Occult are [[TechnicolorMagic frequently shaded]] purple and violet to emphasize their unknowable (to regular folks) nature, mixing this trope and PurpleIsPowerful (this does '''not''' mean, however, that every purple-colored/associated magic or otherwordly thing by default falls under this trope). Shading a night sky filled with OminousClouds and OminousFog purple to indicate the presence or coming of something mysterious (and often dangerous) for atmosphere is quite common in animation.

** The mysterious [[AloofDarkHairedGirl Homura Akemi]] has a purple Soul Gem and a color scheme that's predominantly purple, grey, and black. Her coldhearted nature and cryptic warnings to the main characters, coupled with her suddenly [[NewTransferStudent transferring to Madoka's school]] after Madoka [[DreamingOfThingsToCome has a dream about her]] and showing up whenever Madoka [[MysteriousProtector is in danger]] only add to her mystique. [[spoiler:She's revealed to be a GroundhogDayPeggySue continuously going back in time to prevent Madoka from becoming a magical girl or fighting the powerful witch Walpurgisnacht, since doing so will seemingly always lead to her becoming world-ending witch]].

** Come ''[[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaRebellion Rebellion]]'', Homura becomes the most morally dubious of the "Holy Quintet" as well. [[spoiler:Her ascension to "[[SatanicArchetype Devil Homura]]" comes after her Soul Gem shatters into something far more frightful, causing the [[LoveMakesYouEvil love-tainted]] contents of her soul to blanket the ''entire universe'' in a curtain of purple magic.]]

** Come ''[[Film/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaRebellion Rebellion]]'', Homura becomes the most morally dubious of the "Holy Quintet" as well. [[spoiler:Her ascension to "[[SatanicArchetype Devil Homura]]" comes after her Soul Gem shatters into something far more frightful, causing the [[LoveMakesYouEvil love-tainted]] contents of her soul to blanket the ''entire universe'' in a curtain of purple magic.]]

* ''Franchise/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': The mysterious [[AloofDarkHairedGirl Homura Akemi]] has a purple Soul Gem and a color scheme that's predominantly purple, grey, and black. Her coldhearted nature and cryptic warnings to the main characters, coupled with her suddenly [[NewTransferStudent transferring to Madoka's school]] after Madoka [[DreamingOfThingsToCome has a dream about her]], are only emphasized by her purpleness. [[spoiler:Come ''[[Film/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaRebellion Rebellion]]'', and Homura becomes the most morally dubious of the "Holy Quintet" as well. Her ascension to "[[SatanicArchetype Devil Homura]]" comes after her Soul Gem shatters into something far more frightful, causing the [[LoveMakesYouEvil love-tainted]] contents of her soul to blanket the ''entire universe'' in a curtain of purple magic.]]

* ''Anime/ZombieLandSaga'' has the Legendary Tae Yamada, a zombie that none of the other main girls know anything about save for her name. She can't talk or exposit in any way, so her past and personality are a total blank, making her a total wild card of a teammate who helps as much as she hinders. Black and purple are her signature colors; her default outfit is black and alternative outfits she wears tend to feature purple prominently.

* In ''VideoGame/TheExcavationOfHobsBarrow'', the dreams and strange visions that haunt the [[PlayerCharacter Thomasina]] as she uncovers the mystery of what happened in the village of Bewlay 25 years ago and encounters the local supernatural forces in the process of doing so are usually bathed in an eerie purple light. [[spoiler:It is also the ambient colour of the ruins beneath the titular barrow, and the signature colour of the BigBad, the EldrichAbomination known as Abraxas Rex.]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheExcavationOfHobsBarrow'', the dreams and strange visions that haunts the PlayerCharacter, Thomasina, as she uncovers the mystery of what happened in the village of Bewlay 25 years ago and has more and more encounters with the local supernatural forces in the process of doing so are usually bathed in an eerie purple light. [[spoiler:It is also the ambient colour of the ruins beneath the titular barrow, and the signature colour of the BigBad, the EldrichAmbination known as Abraxas Rex.]]

%% * In ''VideoGame/TheExcavationOfHobsBarrow'', the dreams and strange visions that the PlayerCharacter, Thomasina, has are usually bathed in an eerie purple light. [[spoiler:It is also the ambient colour of the ruins beneath the titular barrow, and the signature colour of the BigBad.]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheExcavationOfHobsBarrow'', the dreams and strange visions that the PlayerCharacter, Thomasina, has are usually bathed in an eerie purple light. [[spoiler:It is also the ambient colour of the ruins beneath the titular barrow, and the signature colour of the BigBad.]]