History Main / NoSwastikas

* Creator/Nintendo officially banned any UsefulNotes/{{Mii}}s named "Hitler" from being usable online in games like ''VideoGame/MarioKartWii'', though the name is still possible to be entered into the Mii Channel itself, and the words "Hitler" and "Nazi" (and various misspellings therof) cannot be entered into ''any'' software on the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch.

** The German version of ''Film/TheProducers'' has swastikas too. The musical itself was not modified but in every piece of advertisement they replaced it with a pretzel.
** Mel Brooks has stated that his intention with shenanigans like Film/TheProducers is to make Hitler [[AdolfHitlarious so ridiculous that no one can take him seriously anymore.]] Given what a LargeHam Der Fuhrer was, it's not exactly a gargantuan challenge.

* An early example of this appeared in 1936's ''Film/CharlieChan At The Olympics'', which were, of course, held in [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany Berlin]] that year; all the numerous swastikas that appear (including on UsefulNotes/TheHindenburg) are carefully [[{{Pixellation}} blotted out]].

** An especially [[PetPeeveTrope ridiculous]] example is in ''Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword'', where ''Franz von Papen'' is the leader of Germany in the European Blitzkrieg scenario, and Isoroku Yamamoto is the leader of Japan in the Pacific one. This is in spite of the fact the game [[DoubleStandard allows players to play as Chairman Mao or Stalin]].

** ''VideoGame/WolfensteinTheNewOrder'': The German release has all references to Nazis changed to "The Regime", with all Nazi insignia changed to the generic Wolfenstein logo. The European release is geo-locked to not be playable in Germany. Thankfully, every other version {{avert|edTrope}}s this.

* ExaggeratedTrope: In order to get Music/TheResidents' ''Music/ThirdReichAndRoll'' album into Germany, a censor bar was slapped onto every swastika and Nazi reference. The ploy would've worked if all of the Nazi references weren't small and scattered everywhere.

* In 1965 the UK Post Office issued a set of commemorative stamps marking the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. One showed the tail of a (presumably shot down) German bomber, complete with swastika. There were complaints that the symbol was shown alongside the Queen's face (which appears on all British stamps, though these days it's just her silhouette); however the stamp wasn't withdrawn from sale.

** This is the reason why a few Jewish groups thought that ''Pokémon'' was anti-Semitic, according to Wiki/TheOtherWiki. On the other side of the coin, the Islamic authorities in Saudi Arabia noticed that one of the energy symbols (a six-pointed star) vaguely resembled the Star of David, declared the game to contain subliminal Zionist propaganda and [[BannedInChina banned it]].

* The National Guard's 45th Infantry Division is from Oklahoma, and so during WWI its unit patch was a swastika, which was a common Native American symbol at the time.. It was changed to a Thunderbird in 1939 (before the war).

* The ''ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}'' fan/photo comic ''Abe and Kroenen'' uses action figures of said characters. One of Kroenen's figurines is from the beginning of the movie and omits the white circle and black swastika from his red armband (he gets to keep his NiceHat and BadassLongcoat).

There's a simple reason for this -- in Germany, Russia, and some other countries, the display of anything Nazi-related in public is prohibited unless it's for educational, artistic, or scientific purposes, plus a lot of other contexts. This allows for the use of these symbols in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII–set films (which are considered art -- yes, even ''Franchise/IndianaJones''). However, toys and games were not usually covered by these exceptions (at least in Germany) until August 2018, when the German video game rating bureau USK decided to allow swastikas in video games on a case-by-case basis provided they were "socially adequate", meaning they have to serve an artistic purpose (such as in ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'') or be used to represent historical events. Also, [[ANaziByAnyOtherName neo-Fascist groups have been known to appropriate various other symbols for their own ends]].

There's a simple reason for this -- in Germany, Russia, and some other countries, the display of anything Nazi-related in public is prohibited unless it's for educational, artistic, or scientific purposes, plus a lot of other contexts. This allows for the use of these symbols in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII–set films (which are considered art -- yes, even ''Franchise/IndianaJones''). However, toys and games were not usually covered by these exceptions (at least in Germany) until August 2018, when the German video game rating bureau USK decided to allow swastikas in video games on a case-by-case basis provided they were "socially adequate", meaning they have to serve an artistic purpose (such as in ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'') or be used to represent historical events. Also, [[ANaziByAnotherName neo-Fascist groups have been known to appropriate various other symbols for their own ends]].

There's a simple reason for this -- in Germany, Russia, and some other countries, the display of anything Nazi-related in public is prohibited unless it's for educational, artistic, or scientific purposes, plus a lot of other contexts. This allows for the use of these symbols in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII–set films (which are considered art -- yes, even ''Franchise/IndianaJones''). However, toys and games were not usually covered by these exceptions (at least in Germany) until August 2018, when the German video game rating bureau USK decided to allow swastikas in video games on a case-by-case basis provided they were "socially adequate", meaning they have to serve an artistic purpose (such as in ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'') or be used to represent historical events.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Forza}}'' series, which allow user creation of racing car vinyls and such, forbid any form of "notorious iconography" such as Nazi swastikas, Japanese Rising Sun flags, Iron Crosses and even Confederate flags. Even when they added Nazi-era racing cars into their roster, they wiped out Nazi references in car descriptions. And though the games namedrop ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard'' as being TheRedStapler for the 1969 Dodge Charger through its customized model the General Lee which has a Confederate flag painted on its roof, chance are you'll receive the banhammer for driving a show-accurate General Lee replica online.

* Recently, Chinese video streaming website Bilibili have their rules called "[[http://member.bilibili.com/studio/creative-treaty/q0 Creative Treaty]]" for its users. This even include the rules against terrorist flags and symbols, including the Nazi Swastikas. In a variation, while [[UsefulNotes/NonNaziSwastika non-Nazi swastikas are permitted in that site]], swastikas intended for use in Nazism are banned.

* Recently, Chinese video streaming website Bilibili have their rules called "[[http://member.bilibili.com/studio/creative-treaty/q0 Creative Treaty]]" for its users. This even include the rules against terrorist flags and symbols, including the Nazi Swastikas. In a variation, while [[NonNaziSwastika non-Nazi swastikas are permitted in that site]], swastikas intended for use in Nazism are banned.

* Recently, Chinese video streaming website Bilibili have their rules called "[[http://member.bilibili.com/studio/creative-treaty/q0 Creative Treaty]]" for its users. This even include the rules against terrorist flags and symbols, including the Nazi Swastikas. In a variation, while [[NonNaziSwastikas non-Nazi swastikas are permitted in that site]], swastikas intended for use in Nazism are banned.

* Recently, Chinese video streaming website Billibilli have their rules called "[[http://member.bilibili.com/studio/creative-treaty/q0 Creative Treaty]]" for its users. This even include the rules against terrorist flags, including the Nazi Swastika flag.

* In the adventure game adaptation of ''VideoGame/IHaveNoMouthAndIMustScream'', we learn that Nimdok was a scientist working for the Nazis during World War II. His scenario takes place in a concentration camp, but all the swastikas are changed to a stylized "AM" logo (AM being the name of the psychotic DeusEstMachina MasterComputer who's created the cruel scenario). Somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in that all of it seems purposely censored by Nimdok's guilt-ridden mind--the words "Nazis" and "Jewish" are conspicuously avoided until he remembers his past. This didn't stop them from entirely removing Nimdok's chapter from the German release, though, which made the game [[GuideDangIt almost]] {{unwinnable}}.

* The ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "The Savage Time" set during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII did exactly this, but justified it; Vandal Savage had used TimeTravel to hijack the Nazi war effort, and they used his symbols instead. Savage's later appearance in "Maid of Honor" had no problem referring to him as a "Nazi war criminal".\\
Worth noting, though, that the insignia he uses is the SS insignia (half of it, at least), Hitler's elite guard and it actually makes sense in the context of the story: An ancient symbol that arose individually in almost every basket-weaving culture and which just happened to be used in the flag of a fascist nation? BAD! A symbol for a group of soldiers from said nation who were primarily responsible for the Holocaust? A-OK!

* In the ''[[WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries Spider-Man]]'' and ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' cartoons from the 1990s, Captain America was shown in World War Two fighting nondescript Germans, there were plans from a Captain America series that would not feature any references to Nazis.
** This was averted at least one time in Marvel cartoons. In ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManAndHisAmazingFriends'', 'The Quest of the Red Skull' had the standard Nazi swastika fully visible, and some footage of Hitler with it. In one sequence, one of the Skull's thugs mistakes a similar Native American symbol for it and even salutes with 'Heil Hitler'. Likely the policy kicked in just after this was made, and the episode was notably omitted when the series was added to the Creator/DisneyPlus streaming service.
** ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'' also played this straight, but when Comicbook/{{Wolverine}} mentions that Captain America was a SuperSoldier, Comicbook/ProfessorX does ask whether this was intended as "The master race." Granted he may not have quite meant it that way but it's still a little surprising to hear.
** An episode of ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'' featured ComicBook/{{Magneto}} as a villain, and despite recapping his origins, neglected to mention that he was a Holocaust survivor. Instead, his hatred of humans was chalked up to tortures he endured while being experimented on by Weapon X.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode ''The Passion of the Jew'', Cartman starts a Nazi-like group disguised as simply a "Creator/MelGibson fanclub" to eliminate Jews. The group includes all sorts of Nazi paraphernalia, such as uniforms and flags, with the Swastika omitted. Of course, ''South Park'' [[CrossesTheLineTwice has no problem with offending people]], and indeed had used swastikas before [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pinkeye_5.png when Cartman dressed as Hitler,]] so the lack of the swastika was probably to make the group's real intentions less obvious to the people in the show.
** Although considering the obviousness of Cartman's outfit, marches, and chanting in [[strike:German]] "Aramaic", [[AdultsAreUseless one wonders if they'd have noticed]].
* The writers of ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' decided to create an alternate timeline with Comicbook/{{HYDRA}} as an enemy of the Allies during WWII, assisted by villains traditionally associated with Nazis. WordOfGod stated that this was the result of an ultimatum from Standards and Practices: they could have swastikas or [[FamilyFriendlyFirearms realistic weapons]] and they chose the latter. The head writer also tried to justify the change [[http://www.medinnus.com/AEMH/yost_01.html here]] by saying HYDRA served as merely a branch of the Nazis. In the episode "Meet Captain America", the Red Skull's SS uniform suggests the Nazis existed in this universe, but the opening newsreel only shows HYDRA taking over Europe. (As a result, viewers who have not read these WordOfGod statements tend to assume this series disregarded the existence of Nazis altogether. It doesn't help that the map depicting HYDRA's conquest of Europe shows them steam-rolling out of Russia to conquer all of Europe, Germany included.) Unfortunately, the fact that HYDRA is still pretty powerful in the present suggests the Allies failed to eliminate the threat of another Axis takeover.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'' does the same thing. Any episodes dealing with World War 2 have HYDRA as the bad guys, and neither the Red Skull nor Baron Zemo are ever referred to as Nazis.
* Played straight in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''. Baroness Paula von Gunther is a Nazi in the ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'' comics, but her affiliations aren't mentioned on the show. Her costume sports a stylized lighting bolt insignia rather than any Swastikas.

* A variation of this trope was used in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse''. Early story-boards of the episode "Giant Woman" show that originally an action sequence was going to incorporate a [[http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/thatother1dude/storyboard%20to%20finished.jpg swastika symbol into Opal's pose:]] however, [[UsefulNotes/NonNaziSwastika this wasn't a Nazi swastika]], but rather the original spiritual symbol common in eastern religions. Despite this difference, the design ultimately wasn't used.

* ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh'' briefly features Adolf Hitler's clone, who has a peace symbol on his armband instead of a swastika. It also refers to the show's premise: the clones came out totally different from the historical figures they come from.

* In the adventure game adaptation of ''VideoGame/IHaveNoMouthAndIMustScream'', we learn that Nimdok was a scientist working for the Nazis during World War II. His scenario takes place in a concentration camp, but all the swastikas are changed to a stylized "AM" logo (AM being the name of the psychotic DeusEstMachina MasterComputer who's created the cruel scenario). Somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in that all of it seems purposely censored by Nimdok's guilt-ridden mind--the words "Nazis" and "Jewish" are conspicuously avoided until he remembers his past. This didn't stop them from entirely removing Nimdok's chapter from the German release, though, which made the game {{unwinnable}}.

Contrast with NonNaziSwastika.

* In the ''TabletopGame/{{Pokemon}}'' card game, the Japanese version of the "Koga's Ninja Trick" card showed a [[NonNaziSwastika swastika-like symbol]][[note]]Actually omote manji, a good-luck symbol from Buddhism[[/note]] in the background along with illustrations of a Golbat and Ditto, which was edited to a generic Asian-looking seal on the international versions of the card.

* Buddha-Jumps-Over-the-Wall from ''VideoGame/TheTaleOfFood'' used to wear a NonNaziSwastika and actually brings up the trope in one of his lines until said symbol is removed from his design and the dialogue replaced.

* A variation of this trope was used in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse''. Early story-boards of the episode "Giant Woman" show that originally an action sequence was going to incorporate a [[http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/thatother1dude/storyboard%20to%20finished.jpg swastika symbol into Opal's pose:]] however, [[NonNaziSwastika this wasn't a Nazi swastika]], but rather the original spiritual symbol common in eastern religions. Despite this difference, the design ultimately wasn't used.

Use of the associated expressions, such as "Sieg Heil!", are also [[BannedInChina banned]]. German Neo-Nazi groups choose to use symbols of UsefulNotes/ImperialGermany instead, which highly annoys German monarchist groups. Technically, the relevant law in Germany prohibits "anti-constitutional" symbols (organizations openly seeking the overthrow of Germany's democratic system), not just far-right ones. The UsefulNotes/{{West German|y}} government initially deemed the flag of UsefulNotes/EastGermany to be a criminal symbol and outlawed it, before lifting the ban in 1969 with the normalization of relations with their East German counterparts. To this day, the flag of the former Communist Party of Germany (KPD) is banned, although the hammer and sickle is not.

Use of the associated expressions, such as "Sieg Heil!", are also [[BannedInChina banned]]. Technically, the relevant law in Germany prohibits "anti-constitutional" symbols (organizations openly seeking the overthrow of Germany's democratic system), not just far-right ones. The UsefulNotes/{{West German|y}} government initially deemed the flag of UsefulNotes/EastGermany to be a criminal symbol and outlawed it, before lifting the ban in 1969 with the normalization of relations with their East German counterparts. To this day, the flag of the former Communist Party of Germany (KPD) is banned, although the hammer and sickle is not.

German Neo-Nazi groups choose to use symbols of UsefulNotes/ImperialGermany instead, which highly annoys German monarchist groups.

Use of the associated expressions, such as "Sieg Heil!", are also [[BannedInChina banned]].

However, practically no one in English-speaking cultures knows this. Thus this trope, which often leads to censorship of swastikas in contexts that have ''nothing to do'' with the Nazis. Not only were the Nazis, well, Nazis, they were also [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking plagiarists]] (unless they were [[StupidJetpackHitler time travelers]]). When people in English-speaking countries hear that there are No Swastikas because of German censorship, this may lead to UnfortunateImplications, as an obvious conclusion is that [[InsaneTrollLogic "the Germans are trying to push revisionist history and pretend the Nazis were never in power!"]]; and it's not only them, even modern Germans may offer this suggestion as the reason for excessive No Swastikas trope use. The official explanation is, of course, the absolute non-endorsement of the symbol, which even got a politician in trouble when she used the symbol in a context of anti-Nazism (to elaborate, a fist crushing it), but for this kind of use, the symbol is alright after the German equivalent of the Supreme Court changed things for such cases. (For the record, [[UsefulNotes/ConspiracyTheories denying]] UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust is also illegal in Germany.)