History Main / UniformityException

* In ''Webcomic/ZiggyPigAndSillySeal2022'', Armadillo questions why he's in the Masters of Animal Evil, as they're all animal superbeings while he's just a guy in an armored suit. He shuts up when Ziggy mentions that [[OnlyInItForTheMoney he already cashed his check.]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': The Booted Wight stands out from his fellow Wights by having boots.
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** In ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' [=C-3PO=] is pushed into a battle droid assembly plant on Geonosis where his head is soon attached to a battle droid's body. [=C-3PO=] becomes part of the battalion of 'bots that are sent into the arena to fight the Jedi Knights. He's not really up to the task.

** In-universe, this is done in an attempt to overcome CloningBlues: the clone troopers want to show they [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman aren't just "disposable people"]] by taking on more individual traits. This is also why many of the commanders have customised armour, it allows them a chance to show off they're aren't carbon copies of each other. The only ones who wear standard, completely identical armour with no customisation are the so-called Shinies (a reference to their brand new, [[MeaningfulName shiny]] armour). As the series goes on, even cannon fodder clone troopers wear customised uniforms for identification purposes, in order to tell what unit they belong to.

Riddle me this: When is a {{Faceless Goon|s}} not a faceless goon? This trope is about characters who look similar to the resident {{Redshirt}}s, {{Mook}}s, HenchmenRace or other such group of hard-to-distinguish characters, but have some characteristic which makes them easy to pick out. This can be as simple as giving them the same outfit [[GasMaskMook minus a mask]] or nice hat, but there are other alternatives (e.g., one of the identical-looking {{Rubber Forehead Alien}}s who's picked up a RuggedScar, or a MechaMook with a [[PaletteSwap fancy paintjob]]).

* The character is a proxy for all the other members of their group. They humanise the rest by reminding the audience that they're all individuals under the masks (while avoiding the expense of making every single RubberForeheadAlien look unique). Often the result of an AntiClimacticUnmasking (the generic mook's just a generic mook, who knew?) and coinciding with HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic, NominalImportance, and BreakoutMookCharacter.

Sister trope to IdenticalTwinIDTag (who ''all'' get a unique look out of the deal), OddNameOut (where something similar is done with names), KingMook (when they're distinguished because they're more powerful), and MauveShirt (another "generic" character who gets a bit more development). Subtrope of DistinctiveAppearances (any instance of using appearance to show individuality). Supertrope to CustomUniform. Contrast NonuniformUniform (where everyone in the group looks at least slightly different), UniqueEnemy (which lacks any comparable mooks), GroupIdentifyingFeature (where members of a group have one distinguishing feature), and UndergroundMonkey (where a slight variation is itself another group of mooks).

* ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}''
** ''Anime/DoraemonNobitasGreatAdventureInTheSouthSeas'' have Ruffin, the sole pink dolphin in the entire film, and the only one [[SapientCetaceans capable of speech and communication with the human characters]]. Then again, Ruffin is a dolphin from the future.
** Nobit the [[MoonRabbit Moonbit]] from ''Anime/DoraemonNobitasChronicleOfTheMoonExploration'' resembles exactly like other members of his kind, save for his thick NerdGlasses which identifies him as the GadgeteerGenius of the Moonbit community.
* In the second ''Anime/{{Ghost in the Shell|1995}}'' movie, ''Innocence'', Batou invades a manufactory ship that is making illicit gynoids. When the gynoids swarm him, Major Kusanagi takes over one of them to lend a hand. He puts his jacket on her shoulders, a technically pointless gesture that serves both as a CallBack to the previous film and to easily distinguish Kusanagi from the dozens of gynoids that she is fighting.

* In ''ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHero'', Dr. Venom has a courier known as "Scar-Face". With his mask on, he looks like any other Cobra infantry trooper except for the two scars running down the visible portion of his face, forming a "V".

[[folder:Film — Animated]]

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]

* All of the Series [=VI=] robots from ''Film/IRobot'' are manufactured as identical and undifferentiated ... except Sonny, the one Detective Spooner suspects killed his designer, Doctor Lanning. Sonny looks exactly like any other Series [=VI=] robot, but he has a second "brain" in his thorax, which is not accessible by the central control computer [=V.I.K.I.=]. This is a critical difference when all the other Series [=VI=] robots take the ThreeLawsOfRobotics much too literally (and distinguish themselves from Sonny by glowing red when they turn hostile).
** He's also the only robot to have blue eyes - all the others have yellow.

* Nobit the [[MoonRabbit Moonbit]] from ''Anime/DoraemonNobitasChronicleOfTheMoonExploration'' resembles exactly like other members of his kind, save for his thick NerdGlasses which identifies him as the GadgeteerGenius of the Moonbit community.

** All the party members from the ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' games that are members of the various mook races Mario usually encounters on his adventures (or, in one case, a baby Yoshi) all have some sort of identifiable feature that'll allow one to tell who they are, like Goombario's blue hat, Goombella's exploration outfit, Watt's dummy, Bombette's ponytail-like fuse (and the fact that she's pink), Mini-Yoshi's underwear, etc.

* All of the Series [=VI=] robots from ''Film/IRobot'' are manufactured as identical and undifferentiated ... except Sonny, the one Detective Spooner suspects killed his designer, Doctor Lanning. Sonny looks exactly like any other Series [=VI=] robot, but he has a second "brain" in his thorax, which is not accessible by the central control computer [=V.I.K.I.=]. This is a critical difference when all the other Series [=VI=] robots take the ThreeLawsOfRobotics much too literally (and distinguish themselves from Sonny by glowing red when they turn hostile).
** He's also the only robot to have blue eyes - all the others have yellow.

Riddle me this: When is a {{Faceless Goon|s}} not a faceless goon? This trope is about characters who look similar to the resident {{Redshirt}}s, {{Mook}}s, HenchmenRace or other such group of hard-to-distinguish characters, but have some characteristic which makes them easy to pick out. This can be as simple as giving them the same outfit [[GasMaskMook minus a mask]] or NiceHat, but there are other alternatives (e.g., one of the identical-looking {{Rubber Forehead Alien}}s who's picked up a RuggedScar, or a MechaMook with a [[PaletteSwap fancy paintjob]]).

** The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Bandana Waddle Dee]], first introduced in ''[[VideoGame/KirbySuperStar Kirby Super Star Ultra]]'', can be told apart from the other Waddle Dees by the fact that he always wears his trademark blue bandana and has a body with a slightly different shade of red or orange. Possibly ''because'' of this trope, Bandana Waddle Dee has since gone onto being a recurrent playable character and ally of Kirby from ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' onwards.

** The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Bandana Waddle Dee]] can be told apart from the other Waddle Dees by the fact that he always wears his trademark blue bandana and has a body with a slightly different shade of red or orange. Possibly ''because'' of this trope, Bandana Waddle Dee has since gone onto being a recurrent playable character and ally of Kirby [[VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand in]] [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe most]] [[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheRainbowCurse recent]] [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot games]] [[VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies of the]] [[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand series]].

** Many games in the franchise do this concerning Toad and other important members of his kind (Toadsworth's mustache, Toadette's braid-cap). If he has to show up where other Toads are present, he tends to wear the classic red spots/blue vest combo while the others have one color for both.
*** The best example of this is in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' where Captain Toad is the leader of a group called the Toad Brigade and differentiates himself from the other Toads by wearing a headlamp and a backpack. Other Toads in the group also display differentiating features, such as Hint Toad's glasses. Captain Toad became so loved that he even got [[VideoGame/CaptainToadTreasureTracker his own title]], and the entire brigade got new uniforms from then on.
** All the party members from the ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' games that are members of the various mook races Mario usually encounters on his adventures (or, in one case, a baby Yoshi) all have some sort of identifiable feature that'll allow one to tell who they are, like Goombario's blue hat, Goombella's exploration outfit, Watt's dummy, Bombette's ponytail-like fuse (and the fact that she's pink), Yoshi's underwear, etc.
** Averted whenever Kamek appears- there is no way to tell him apart from a normal Magikoopa, and this has led to instances in the real world where he has been confused for a normal Magikoopa. Typically, players will have to go by if Kamek is called by his name to tell if it is him.

** He's also told apart from other Links across the Zelda series (of which two other incarnations- [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Young]] and [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Toon]]- appear as separate playable characters in the game) by his blue scarf.

** The EnsembleDarkhorse [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Bandana Waddle Dee]] can be told apart from the other Waddle Dees by the fact that he always wears his trademark blue bandana and has a body with a slightly different shade of red or orange. Possibly ''because'' of this trope, Bandana Waddle Dee has since gone onto being a recurrent playable character and ally of Kirby [[VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand in]] [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe most]] [[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheRainbowCurse recent]] [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot games]] [[VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies of the]] [[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand series]].

* The character is a proxy for all the other members of their group. They humanise the rest by reminding the audience that they're all individuals under the masks (while avoiding the expense of making every single RubberForeheadAlien look unique). Often the result of an AntiClimacticUnmasking (the generic mook's just a generic mook, who knew?) and coinciding with HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic, NominalImportance and BreakoutMookCharacter.

Sister trope to IdenticalTwinIDTag (who ''all'' get a unique look out of the deal), OddNameOut (where something similar is done with names), KingMook (when they're distinguished because they're more powerful) and MauveShirt (another "generic" character who gets a bit more development). Subtrope of DistinctiveAppearances (any instance of using appearance to show individuallity). Supertrope to CustomUniform. Contrast NonuniformUniform (where everyone in the group looks at least slightly different), UniqueEnemy (which lacks any comparable mooks), GroupIdentifyingFeature (where members of a group have one distinguishing feature) and UndergroundMonkey (where a slight variation is itself another group of mooks).

** The EnsembleDarkhorse [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Bandana Waddle Dee]] can be told apart from the other Waddle Dees by the fact that he always wears his trademark blue bandana and has a body with slightly different shade of red or orange. Possibly ''because'' of this trope, Bandana Waddle Dee has since gone onto being a recurrent playable character and ally of Kirby [[VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand in]] [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe most]] [[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheRainbowCurse recent]] [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot games]] [[VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies of the]] [[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand series]].
* In ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', a mook who seems to be about to torture [[PlayerCharacter Gordon]] asks for some privacy...and pulls of his mask to reveal [[RebelLeader Barney]] (as a nod to the fact he was based on the [[YouAllLookFamiliar generic]] security guards from the first game). He continues to wear his civil protection uniform (sans mask after the rebellion begins) for the rest of the game.

* The characters Laguna Loire, Ward Zabak and Kiros Seagill from ''Videogame/FinalFantasyVIII'' initially serve in the Galbadian army (which is the game's go-to source of {{mook}}s). They wear the uniforms, but [[HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic without the helmets]], making their faces visible.

** Averted whenever Kamek appears- there is no way to tell him apart from a normal Magikoopa, and this has lead to instances in the real world where he has been confused for a normal Magikoopa. Typically, players will have to go by if Kamek is called by his name to tell if it is him.
* The incarnation of Link from ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'' starts the game as a common foot soldier in the Hyrulian army. Because of this he initially wears the same uniform as the other Hyrule Soldiers, instead of his signature green tunic. He's also the only soldier to have a unique face (resembling the face of his other incarnations) and the only soldier seen without his helmet, allowing you to tell who he is. His standard issue sword and shield are also modified for left-handed use of the sword as he is left-handed unlike his right-handed fellow soldiers.

* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'': In "[[AnotherSideAnotherStory Separate Ways]]" scenario, one can find the [[TechnicallyLivingZombie ganado]] who stole Leon's jacket after his capture earlier in the main game. To be fair, it ''is'' a pretty sweet jacket.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'', presumably for budgetary reasons (so they only have to make one alien face):

** Averted whenever Kamek appears- there is no way to tell him apart from a normal Magikoopa, and this has lead to instances both in-universe and out where he has been confused for a normal Magikoopa, typically players will have to go by if Kamek is called by his name to tell if it is him.

** Averted whenever Kamek appears- there is no way to identify him from a normal Magikoopa, and this has lead to instances both in-universe and out where he has been confused for a normal Magikoopa.

** He's also told apart from other Links across the Zelda series (of which two other incarnations appear as separate playable characters in the game) by his blue scarf.

* ''VideoGame/StarWarsRepublicCommando'': This being a game about a squad of Republic CloneArmy commandos, canon requires that the soldiers all be, well, clones. But leading a squad of three identical characters is boring, which is why get their own unique uniforms, voices, and personalities. The game justifies this by virtue of them being trained separately from their rank-and-file brethren under expert specialists who are not clones and whose own quirks and accents rubbed off on their impressionable young trainees.

** Daleks with unusual casing colours usually indicate some kind of rank. Black Daleks and Gold Daleks are often seen leading hordes of regular grey (old series) or bronze (new series) Daleks, and are sometimes called Dalek Supreme. It's generally assumed in the Expanded Universe that the Golds outrank the Blacks, but this hasn't been established on screen, where there's usually only one or the other.

** Daleks with unusual casing colours usually indicate some kind of rank. Black Daleks and Gold Daleks are generally seen leading hordes of regular grey (old series) or bronze (new series) Daleks, and are sometimes called Dalek Supreme. It's generally assumed in the Expanded Universe that the Golds outrank the Blacks, but this hasn't been established on screen, where there's generally one or the other.