A
signature weapon (or
trademark weapon or
weapon of choice) is one commonly identified with a certain group or, in the case of
literature,
comics, and
film, where it is a popular
trope, for
heroes and
villains to be associated with and highly proficient in the use of specific weaponry. Examples include
Robin Hood's
longbow,
Don Quixote's
jousting lance, a
wizard's wand, the
Grim Reaper's
scythe, the
Monkey King's
iron rod, a
Jedi's
lightsaber,
William Tell's
crossbow, David's
sling and
James Bond's Walther PPK. The
Colt .45 SAA and
Winchester are ubiquitous in
Westerns. Signature weapons enable viewers of
limited animation superhero cartoons,
fantasy anime and
mecha to easily distinguish between characters who are often nearly identical in appearance (e.g., the
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Signature weapons are a common feature of
role-playing games and
video games, where their acquisition usually marks a newly heightened level of martial prowess and/or aids in the creation of a unique
avatar.