History Main / NoPowerNoColor

** In the ''WesternAnimation/TrollsWorldTour'', when Poppy destroys the Strings, every Troll and everything around them is rendered gray in a near-literal DarkestHour, as they believe that all music is gone with them. However, thanks to Cooper and Prince D, they then realize that [[MagicFeather music was inside them all along]] and restore their colors. The Tribes doing music together also produces some rainbow results in the Rock Arena.

* In ''{{WesternAnimation/Trolls}}'', a troll that has crossed the DespairEventHorizon will turn from their normally vivid colors to gray. This happened to Branch as a child when his grandma was captured to be eaten in front of him and he blamed himself for it. At the climax this happens to his whole village before he manages to rally Poppy to regain her hope and her color, inspiring everyone else in turn as well as himself. In the [[WesternAnimation/TrollsWorldTour sequel]], when the [[{{Macguffin}} six strings]] are destroyed, everyone and everything is rendered gray in a near literal darkest hour, as they believe that all music is gone with them. However, they realize that [[MagicFeather music was inside them all along]] and restore color, but doing it together also makes everything rainbow color.

** The faded memories in the memory dump are all dull grey as well while living memories are colored.

* In ''[[Film/WeeSing Wee Sing in Sillyville]]'', GenkiGirl Sillywhim's outfit has brightly-colored stripes, and a large flower, in all the colors of the rainbow. When the residents of Sillyville, who [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience each wear a different hue]], decide to [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything stop interacting with other groups because they're not the same color as them]], Sillywhim's outfit fades to a black-and-white monochrome to reflect Sillyville's lack of unity. Eventually, the different groups come together to help her and learn AnAesop about unity and not judging others; once they've reconciled, Sillywhim's colors are restored to their natural state.

* In [[''Film/WeeSing Wee Sing in Sillyville'']], GenkiGirl Sillywhim's usual outfit has brightly-colored stripes, and a large flower, in all the colors of the rainbow. When the residents of Sillyville, who [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience each wear a different hue]], decide to [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything stop interacting with other groups because they're not the same color as them]], Sillywhim's outfit fades to a black-and-white monochrome to reflect Sillyville's lack of unity. When the groups reconcile to help her, her colors are restored to their natural state.

* In ''Film/{{Halloweentown}} II: Kalabar's Revenge'', the magical and monstrous residents of the titular town lose all of their powers when corrupted by "the Grey Spell" and take on [[HumanityEnsues boring human forms]] instead. [[spoiler: At the end of the movie, the heroes use a reversed incantation to restore Halloweentown to its [[DarkIsNotEvil cheerfully wicked]] former state.]]

* In the season two premiere of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', the chaos god [[RealityWarper Discord]] is freed and sets out to protect himself from the [[{{Macguffin}} Elements of Harmony]] by [[TheCorrupter corrupting]] the Mane Six into the opposite of the quality they embody (making the honest Applejack a liar or the kindly Fluttershy cruel, etc.) so they cannot use their Element any longer. As he brainwashes each of the ponies, they go from their usually vibrant-selves to dull, muted gray. Tellingly, when the Mane Six are restored thanks to ThePowerOfFriendship, their magic takes the form of [[EverythingsBetterWithRainbows a giant rainbow.]]

* In the season two premiere of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', the chaos god [[RealityWarper Discord]] is freed and sets out to protect himself from the [[{{Macguffin}} Elements of Harmony]] by [[TheCorrupter corrupting]] the Mane Six into the opposite of the quality they embody (making the honest Applejack a liar or the kindly Fluttershy cruel, etc.). As he brainwashes each of them, they go from their usually vibrant-selves to dull, muted gray. Tellingly, when the ponies are restored thanks to ThePowerOfFriendship, their magic takes the form of [[EverythingsBetterWithRainbow a giant rainbow.]]

** When Anger, Fear and Disgust's ideas drive Riley to depression resulting in her running away, the control console in her brain becomes unresponsive, preventing the emotions from removing the running away idea. Then a dark sheen creeps across the console, blotting out the brightly-coloured buttons and leaving the emotions totally helpless as Riley's Greyhound bus heads for the freeway. Only the return of Joy and Sadness, and Sadness's finally being allowed near the console, that restores life and colour to the buttons and gets Riley off the bus.
--->'''Anger:''' [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Guys... we can't make Riley feel anything.]]

* In ''Anime/TransformersTheHeadmasters'', Blaster turns completely white when he dies after his final battle against Soundwave.

A SubTrope of ColorCodedForYourConvenience and GrayIsUseless).

* In ''[[WesternAnimation/Trolls Trolls]]'', a troll that has crossed the DespairEventHorizon will turn from their normally vivid colors to gray. This happened to Branch as a child when his grandma was captured to be eaten in front of him and he blamed himself for it. At the climax this happens to his whole village before he manages to rally Poppy to regain her hope and her color, inspiring everyone else in turn as well as himself. In the [[WesternAnimation/TrollsWorldTour sequel]], when the [[{{Macguffin}} six strings]] are destroyed, everyone and everything is rendered gray in a near literal darkest hour, as they believe that all music is gone with them. However, they realize that [[MagicFeather music was inside them all along]] and restore color, but doing it together also makes everything rainbow color.

* In ''WesternAnimation/Trolls'', a troll that has crossed the DespairEventHorizon will turn from their normally vivid colors to gray. This happened to Branch as a child when his grandma was captured to be eaten in front of him and he blamed himself for it. At the climax this happens to his whole village before he manages to rally Poppy to regain her hope and her color, inspiring everyone else in turn as well as himself. In the [[WesternAnimation/TrollsWorldTour sequel]], when the [[{{Macguffin}} six strings]] are destroyed, everyone and everything is rendered gray in a near literal darkest hour, as they believe that all music is gone with them. However, they realize that [[MagicFeather music was inside them all along]] and restore color, but doing it together also makes everything rainbow color.

[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]

* ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'': The 8 Pure Hearts are all powerful and colorful artifacts, and when the violet one loses its power, it gets turned into a gray stone. When the violet Pure Heart's power gets restored, it regains its color as well.

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': After expending all of his power at once in an attempt to defeat Majin Buu, Vegeta's body is left lifeless and colorless.

** ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'': In reference to Optimus Prime's death in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'', all Transformers fade to gray upon death. This is {{justified|Trope}} by the concept of Transformers having "electronic paint jobs" that let them change color at will, with the implication that their normal color schemes are such paint jobs that deactivate to reveal their real gray colors underneath when they die. After Blurr is crushed by the disguised Shockwave into a cube and handed off to be disposed of, it's noteworthy that the cube is still Blurr's powder blue coloring, hinting that [[AndIMustScream he's still alive but immobile]].

* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'': Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny''[='s=] Mobile Suits with Phase Shift Armor depend on the color of their activated armor to determine its strength and power consumption. If the armor is deactivated from the suit being on standby in a hangar or the battery running low on power, the only color the armor will have is gray and leave the machine vulnerable.

* ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'': Lillymon, whose body is normally colored different shades of pink and green, is struck by Vamdemon' Dead Scream attack, which turns her grey and causes her to fall to the ground unconscious.

* In ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'', [[MineralMacguffin Chaos Emeralds]] and other related artifacts that have been sapped of their power lose their color and turn to stone. As seen in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' however, they can still sometimes hold onto latent power and be used [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve to turn thoughts and emotions into power.]]

* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW'': "Aggressive depigmentation" is an occurrence in Transformers who suffer intense damage or death wherein the natural colors of their bodies fade to shades of gray.

* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'': Mobile Suits with Phase Shift Armor depend on the color of their activated armor to determine its strength and power consumption. If the armor is deactivated from the suit being on standby in a hangar or the battery running low on power, the only color the armor will have is gray and leave the machine vulnerable.

[[folder:Films - Animated]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'': After [[spoiler: Zhan Tiri takes away Cassandra's Moonstone]], her outfit takes on a dull grey color, compared to the imposing [[DarkIsEvil jet black]] it was before.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Films - Live Action]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'': Tornedron sucking out the energy from characters and objects turns them gray.
* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'': In reference to Optimus Prime's death in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'', all Transformers fade to gray upon death. This is {{justified|Trope}} by the concept of Transformers having "electronic paint jobs" that let them change color at will, with the implication that their normal color schemes are such paint jobs that deactivate to reveal their real gray colors underneath when they die. After Blurr is crushed by the disguised Shockwave into a cube and handed off to be disposed of, it's noteworthy that the cube is still Blurr's powder blue coloring, hinting that [[AndIMustScream he's still alive but immobile]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'': The [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie movie death]] is [[MythologyGag alluded to]] in an episode wherein Bumblebee enters Megatron's comatose mind to find a cure for a disease afflicting Optimus. Megatron is quick to sense his advantage and pressures the scout to agree to a little quid pro quo or else "Optimus fades to gunmetal gray."