Ribbon Ceremony

There are many reasons why Nakoruru stands out from her SamSho castmates. Even though the series is inherently violent, the Ainu priestess is a huge proponent of peace. She can still dish out punishment when necessary, but her intentions are always pure since she fights to protect nature itself. The folks at SNK were not expecting Nakoruru to be a popular character, as her design was intentionally modest. Gaming audiences are usually drawn to scantily-clad sexpots, so traditional girls like Nakoruru are often overlooked. The oversized bow she wears on her head accentuates her youth and her unassuming nature. Nakoruru looks out of place on a roster that includes bandits, assassins, and literal demons, and that’s one of the reasons she’s so compelling. Her iconic red bow serves as a constant reminder of her child-like innocence.

People are typically more concerned with how headphones sound rather than how they look. That doesn’t mean they can’t be fashionable, however. Runway models and Hollywood A-listers frequently wear custom headphones, and some companies have started selling fake headphones without speakers. Lucky Chloe’s pink headphones are functional and stylish. As a pop idol with a vast Internet following, Chloe’s public image is largely defined by music. In this capacity, it makes sense for her to have headphones strapped to her head at all times. Music informs her every movement, and her acrobatic fighting style could be mistaken for freestyle dancing. Her headphones also compliment the rest of her outfit. Her jacket has paw-like sleeves and her skirt has a cat tail, so it only makes sense that her headphones would be affixed with cat ears.

Trip is a naïve girl who finds herself stranded hundreds of miles away from home. That war-torn landscape is crawling with killer robots, so she wisely avoids combat whenever she can. Fortunately, her technical skills make up for her physical deficiencies, and she has all sorts of cool gadgets at her disposal. Early into her adventure, she captures a tiny robot that resembles an insect. After tinkering with it for a few minutes, she turns it into a remote camera. The “dragonfly” is used as a surveillance device, and it can also detect nearby robots and mines. Although Trip wears the dragonfly in her hair for utilitarian reasons, its wings could be likened to an elegant bow. She essentially created a graceful fashion accessory without meaning to! A person’s fashion sense should reflect their personality, and this is certainly true in Trip’s case.

Dating back to her introduction in Super Mario Bros. 2, Birdo has always been depicted with a big red bow atop her head. This bow was barely visible in the game, however, and it would be easy to overlook entirely. The size of the bow increased dramatically in the Super Mario All-Stars version of the game, and it’s been an integral part of her design ever since. Birdo’s gender has been a controversial topic from the moment she was introduced, and her trademark bow plays an important role in clearing up the ambiguity. If her long lashes didn’t make it obvious enough already, a quick glance at her magnificent bow would be enough for most people to correctly assume her gender. People often use hair accessories to accentuate their wardrobe, but Birdo’s bow is her wardrobe. It’s the only article of clothing she wears in most of her appearances.

Almost everyone on the ARMS roster is defined by their extendible arms. Various cast members have arms made out of springs, chains, and even ramen noodles. Twintelle breaks from this convention and chooses to fight with her hair instead. I’m not sure how the logistics work, but the asstastic beauty can use her curly twintails to grasp onto various gadgets. She can blow away her opponents with her elegant parasols or shock them with a bird-shaped weapon, but I’m more impressed by her sub-zero boxing gloves. The Chilla – as they are aptly known – can put any opponent on ice, and I love watching Twintelle pummel her opponents from afar while strutting around the battle arena like a fashion model. I’ve never seen someone wear boxing gloves on their hair, and that makes Twintelle the most unique entry on this list.

Bayonetta is a witch who can channel magic through her hair. Her magnificent locks can be used as a weapon, and they’re the only thing preventing her from being charged with indecent exposure. It’s not immediately apparent, but her entire outfit is actually made from her hair. This means that almost every part of her ensemble could technically be considered a hair accessory. Her trademark red ribbons provide a much-needed splash of color, and they also accentuate Bayonetta’s graceful movements. She could almost pass as a ballerina or a rhythmic gymnast when she gets going. The ribbons aren’t as innocuous as they look, however. Apparently, they were intended to bound the hands and feet of dead witches to make sure they couldn’t escape. Bayonetta using her intended restraints as fashion accessories is remarkably on brand.

In a dystopian future where humans are forced to leave their home planet, a combat android named EVE is sent to reclaim Earth from horrific alien invaders. EVE’s body looks like it was built for porn, but her actual purpose is somehow even more important. The salacious android is an expert swordmaster who can overwhelm her dreadful foes with ranged energy slashes, acrobatic spinning attacks, and blazing-fast combos. When she’s not engaged in battle, her sword folds up nicely and can be used as a ponytail clip. The retractable hair accessory is essentially a series of interlocking metallic bars, and it could be likened to a Swiss Army knife. If the situation calls for it, the contraption can function as a climbing rope ascender or a veritable surfboard! It’s not the most iconic hair accessory on this list, but it’s arguably the most versatile.

Ox horns were popular in China until the early 20th century, but no character in fiction is more closely associated with the hairstyle than Chun-Li. Although her hair buns are sometimes unadorned, she usually covers them up with silk brocades and ribbons. The white color signifies that Chun-Li is mourning her father, and this likely keeps her focused. Her intricate hair coverings are a perfect match for her blue qipao, and they paint Chun-Li as a traditional, patriotic, and elegant woman. Chun-Li’s hairstyle might give the wrong impression about her abilities as a fighter, however. She’s the strongest woman in the world, but ox horns are most commonly worn by Chinese children. The girl’s obviously more dangerous than she looks, and I love the way her brocades are juxtaposed against her spiked bracelets. Underestimate her at your own peril.

Few video game characters are more strongly associated with a single fashion accessory than Ms. Pac-Man is. The bow was one of the few things that helped differentiate her from her hubby, after all. Although the bow is certainly iconic enough to warrant a place on this list, it’s debatable whether it can be considered a hair accessory since Ms. Pac-Man is just as bald as her husband is in most outings. She has hair in some promotional art and in the Hanna-Barbera animated series, however, and her original sprite had a full head of hair before Namco’s president put the kibosh on it. A hair accessory doesn’t cease to be a hair accessory just because an individual happens to be follicly challenged. Babies and chemo patients are often adorned with hair accessories, so I see no reason why Ms. Pac-Man shouldn’t be eligible for this list.

In the interest of full disclosure, the oversized bow that Sue wears isn’t technically a hair accessory. Rather, its an unusual animal named Puffy that likes to rest on top of her head. Puffy is a loyal companion who helps out in a variety of ways. Sue can use him as a projectile and hurl him at her enemies. He also has the ability to spew fire from his mouth. Puffy even performs cheerleading routines with Sue! Even though he’s a living, breathing creature, people often mistake him for a giant bow. If Puffy’s going to act like a common hair accessory, then I’m certainly not going to rain on his parade. Sue’s adventurous spirit is inspiring and she literally travels to the other side of the world. She never goes anywhere without Puffy, however, and the two of them are inseparable.