Putting on the Reich/Playing With

Basic Trope: The bad guys wear uniforms based on those worn by Nazi Germany's forces or some other "bad guy" group.

• Straight: The Evil Empire's troopers wear uniforms based on those worn by the Wehrmacht during World War Two. Hitler salute optional.
• Exaggerated: Everything about the Evil Empire apes Nazi Germany.
  • The Evil Empire's troopers wear exact replicas of SS uniforms, complete with swastika armbands.
• Downplayed: A few random things about the Evil Empire vaguely resemble Nazi German equivalents.
• Justified: By identifying the antagonists with Nazis, it's easy to tell the viewer/reader that they're the bad guys.
  • It's World War Two, and the heroes are fighting actual German forces.
  • The villians know the connotations of their uniforms and dress that way to make thier enemies afraid of them.
  • The villians didn't know that the Nazis dressed this way and just thought it would look cool
• Inverted: The heroes wear Wehrmacht or SS style uniforms.
  • Or the bad guys were once part of the Nazi Empire, but now are a separate enemy force. They abandon their old uniforms for newer ones.
• Subverted: The Evil Empire's troops wear generic military uniforms in the field...
  • A group is introduced whose members wear uniforms based on those worn by the Wehrmacht during World War Two. When they become important to the plot, it's as allies to the heroes.
• Double Subverted: ...but their dress uniforms practically scream Nazi Germany.
• Parodied: Uniforms include massive peaked caps, huge racks of medals, and breeches hanging down past knees.
  • Civilians wear Nazi-like clothing ("it's the latest style!") but the military's uniforms are generic.
• Zig Zagged: The bad guys wear a variety of uniforms, including German ones, but also including American or Western European style uniforms.
• Averted: The bad guys' uniforms don't rip off the Nazis.
• Enforced: Executive Meddling assumes that Viewers are Morons and won't understand who the bad guys are unless their uniforms ape the Nazis.
• Lampshaded: A recruit to the Evil Empire's army asks: "Why are we dressing like we're about to invade Poland?"
• Invoked: The Evil Empire is a successor state to Nazi Germany, so they go out of their way to call back to their roots.
• Exploited: ???
• Defied: The Evil Empire doesn't want to associate with the Nazis and does something different to differentiate themselves from their precursors.
• Discussed: "We have to fight an evil empire? Five bucks says they're all wearing uniforms that look like Nazi knock-offs."
• Conversed: "Have you ever noticed that all of the bad guys in tv look like Nazis?"

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Goosestep back to Putting on the Reich, Jawohl!