When the only reptilian character in a work or the majority of the reptile-themed characters are bad guys, this trope is in play. Merely having a few bad reptiles among a majority of good reptiles does not invoke this trope. It is a pattern only visible when looking at an entire cast of characters. However, there are many favorable depictions of frogs in fiction. Salamanders are also often depicted negatively. Toads, in particular, have become heavily correlated with evil and unpleasantness due to their poisonous secretions (which is part of the origin of the word “toadstool”), association with witches, and the myth that touching one will give you warts. Indeed, the grotesque, poisonous, fire-spewing, maiden-abducting beast of Medieval lore might well be the ultimate incarnation of this trope.ĭespite the trope's name, it also applies to amphibians. Also, while this trope primarily applies to real-life reptiles or characters based on them, it can also factor into how your dragons are different. Stereotypically reptilian features such as fangs, claws, tails, visible scales, and slit pupils may distinguish villainous reptiles from friendly ones, as does the use of venom. Meanwhile, turtles and certain small, cute lizards like geckos, chameleons, frilled lizards and the like are seen as cute and harmless, and are less likely to be considered evil, while large lizards like monitors and gila monsters are basically snakes with legs. Snakes (especially venomous ones) and crocodilians tend to be the reptiles most associated with villains. This trope is not applied with equal frequency and intensity to all reptiles. And any character named "Snake", "Cobra", or "Viper" is generally a villain, a hardened criminal or at the very least a particularly cynical Anti-Hero. The trope even turns up, if only by metaphor, in non-fiction saying that someone is a "snake," "lizard," or "cold blooded" is enough to get across that you're dealing with a nasty character. Even if they have no special powers related to reptiles, they might use reptile related Animal Motifs and/or Theme Naming. They may even be able to turn into giant snakes. The villain might have reptilian pets and/or exhibit a special empathy with reptiles. Perhaps they are an Animal-Themed Superbeing with reptile-related powers. In Speculative Fiction, they might be fantastic beings such as Lizard Folk and Snake People.Įven when the bad guys are not actual reptiles, they may have some sort of reptilian theme. note We now know that birds are reptiles too. In animal stories, villains might be anthropomorphic versions of Real Life reptiles, while the heroes are cute mammals and birds. The simplest is to have reptiles that are consistently villainous. This trope manifests itself in several basic ways. Reptiles Are Abhorrent refers to the association between reptiles and villainy. Carl Linnaeus, also the epigraph of the Jurassic Park book
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