History Main / AttackAnimal

* Dogmeat in the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series. Usually a stray dog, Dogmeat becomes a loyal (if [[ArtificialStupidity not smart]]) CanineCompanion who stops being helpful around mid-game as his only attacks are biting and his points are poor. The Dogmeat of ''VideoGame/Fallout2'' had allegedly died after he ran into a force field and disintegrated.

** ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has Rex, the second oldest companion in game, and only German Shepard alive past the Great War (if you choose to ignore the looks of the dogs in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}''). His companion quest revolves around him and the Courier finding him a replacement brain. ''New Vegas'' also has the Fiend leader Violet and her dogs of whom she's very protective of (and with the second level of the Animal Friend perk can lead to her death). The Fiend's head honcho Motor-Runner has two dogs called Bone Gnash and Gnash Bone that sit before his throne.

* Gilgamesh and Enkidu are a recurring example, though Enkidu's nature tends to vary between this and a humanoid friend of Gilgamesh when he appears at all.

* In ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', [[{{Catgirl}} the Kaka clan]] (and by extension Taokaka, one of the playable characters). They were created from [[spoiler: Jubei's DNA]] to combat the Black Beast almost 100 years earlier, can only reproduce (asexually) if there are less than 100 of them and can process [[TheCorruption Seifer]] naturally and use it to manifest glowing energy claws.

* In ''Film/JurassicWorld'', Hoskins wants to use Owen's ''Velociraptors'' as this in combat situations. He believes that since Owen has taught the raptors basic commands, they'll be able to function on the battlefield as assault troops who can't be hacked by the enemy. Owen points out the insanity behind this since [[MoralityChain he's the only person]] they won't kill on sight, none of their relationship is based on control, and unlike machines, raptors will eat you if they're hungry. The ''Indominus rex'' was also designed as a prototype of one of these, but one intended to be smaller and more viable in warfare.

* Creator/AndreNorton's novels ''Literature/TheBeastMaster'' and ''Literature/LordOfThunder''. Hosteen Storm was a Beastmaster who could telepathically command several animals. One of them was a sandcat named Surra who was highly effective in battle.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983''. Battle Cat is this to Prince Adam, helping to fight his enemies. On the flip side, Skeletor has his own attack cat, Panthor and his henchman, Beast-Man, can train nearly any Eternian beast to follow his commands.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats''. The Thunder-Cats' ally, Snowman, has a Snow Meow, a horse-sized white cat who serves as this as well as his trusty steed in battle.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' had this in the episode, "Hooray for Iesha", when the police dogs try to attack Penny Proud and her friends.

* The ''[[{{Literature.Leviathan}} Leviathan]]'' series utilizes this as one of the main motivators of the plot itself. The entire Allied side (Darwinists) use genetically-engineered super animals as war machines. Not to mention the living airship...
* In ''Literature/LordsAndLadies'', the long-neglected armory of Lancre Castle contains not only armaments for humans, but also suits of armor for battle-trained horses, dogs, and (thanks to a failed experimental air force) ravens.
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' skinchangers are known for this. After bonding with an animal they become able to inhabit it directly, but they can also command it to an extent. The Stark children, including [[HeroicBastard Jon Snow]], are all bonded to their direwolves, though Sansa's was killed before her abilities developed. The most common skinchangers are wargs, who bond with (dire)wolves, but we've also heard of shadowcats, eagles, bears, ravens, cats, goats, and boars.

* In the historical mystery story "The Sorrow Of Senusert The Mighty", nobles set out to hunt down 'the Drunkard', a lame lioness that's been killing peasants. Their usual hunting strategies fail when the animal ignores their spearmen and ''specifically'' targets the archers, including a noble who's recently eluded assassination. Inspection of the carcass reveals that her paw had been deliberately maimed when young, and a choke-collar used repeatedly thereafter, indicating this trope applies and she'd been trained to kill the nobleman.
* Creator/JRRTolkien [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Middle-earth_animals liked this trope]]. ''Literature/LordOfTheRings'' contains [[OurTrollsAreDifferent trolls]], [[WarElephants mûmakil]], [[SavageWolves wargs]], [[OurMonstersAreDifferent fell beasts]], etc. Apparently Morgoth originally bred [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Smaug's]] ancestors for use as living weapons as well.

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure''
** In ''Manga/StardustCrusaders'', Dio's mansion is guarded by the Stand-using falcon Pet Shop, who can [[AnIcePerson create and fight with ice attacks]]. Pet Shop will go after anyone that comes near the mansion, and usually [[{{Sadist}} kill them in the most brutal way possible]].
** In ''Manga/DiamondIsUnbreakable'', Stray Cat was a Stand-using cat that died and reincarnated into a cat-plant hybrid, with the ability [[BlowYouAway to create air bubbles to attack any treat]]. Yoshikage Kira took possession of Stray Cat and use him as an EquippableAlly for his own Stand Killer Queen, turning the air bubbles into charge bombs. [[spoiler:At the end of the series, Stray Cat is claimed by Okuyasu, and under his care it becomes much more benevolent]].

* In the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "The Prom", Andrew has hellhounds, which his brother Tucker bred and trained to attack the people at said dance. Not to mention, as Andrew will remind you, he trained flying demon monkeys to [[NoodleIncident attack the school play]].

* Alex's landlord, Jim, in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Night Terrors" has a mean dog which he uses to threaten Alex.

* The hero of ''VideoGame/EightEyes'' is a fencer and falconer. His falcon, Cutrus, can only attack other enemies when the player specifically orders it to do so.

* Dogmeat in the''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series. Usually a stray dog, Dogmeat becomes a loyal (if [[ArtificialStupidity not smart]] CanineCompanion that stops being helpful around mid-game as his only attacks are biting and his his points are poor. The Dogmeat of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}'' had allegedly died after he ran into a force field and disintegrated.
** In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', one of the Scavengers has an attack Yao Guai, and the Enclave ''tried'' to use Deathclaws in this manner. The Deathclaws had to use remote controls implants and as a safety feature they were designed to [[ExplosiveLeash detonate after a certain range]]. The Lone Wanderer can hack the terminal near them to reconfigure the targeting parameters.
** ''VideoGame/{{Fallout New Vegas}}'' has Rex, the second oldest companion in game, and only German Shepard alive past the Great War (if you choose to ignore the looks of the dogs in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}''). His companion quest revolves around him and the Courier finding him a replacement brain. ''New Vegas'' also has the Fiend leader Violet and her dogs of whom she's very protective of (and with the second level of the Animal Friend perk can lead to her death). The Fiend's head honcho Motor-Runner has two dogs called Bone Gnash and Gnash Bone that sit before his throne.

** ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' has Mutant Hounds, dogs subjected to being dipped in vats of the Forced Evolutionary Virus to become hulking green monsters just like their Super Mutant masters, who treat them as guard and hunting dogs. In ''Far Harbor'' Nate/Nora can purchase three of them to guard settlements.

* As mentioned above the Zerg race from ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}'' are pretty much the same story as the Tyranids of Warhammer.

* ''TabletopGame/IronKingdoms'': ''Hordes'' pits two [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking warlocks]] and their armies against each other. Warlocks come in many flavors, but [[TheBeastmaster all share the ability to direct and give orders]] to their warbeasts, ranging from bipedal WarElephants and lightning-fast [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent warpwolves]] to monstrous [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragonspawns]].

* The [[UsefulNotes/RomanEmpire Roman Army]] had large units of war dogs. However, unlike almost any other types of military units and weapon technology, there are no known reports that describe their tactical use in great detail. Either they were mostly for show, or the Romans [[SecretWeapon didn't want their enemies to know about them]].

* In Ancient Egypt they did this with trained cheetah and sometimes other big cats. Baboons also.

A sub-trope of LivingWeapon, BeastOfBattle and TheBrute. Sister trope to AnimalAssassin and BioweaponBeast. The [[WeaponSpecialization weapon of choice]] for TheBeastmaster and the NatureHero (although they might as easily avert this trope by making them actual characters). When everyone uses these and only has them attack one another then you're almost certainly in a {{Mons}} series. Contrast the CoolPet, LoyalAnimalCompanion and RobotBuddy, who are usually characters in their own right rather than just weapons, though they can overlap if the animal in question (biological or robotic) is also supposed to serve as a non-human warrior (especially if they're a ''military'' animal, or their master is an action-oriented {{superhero}}/{{supervillain}}) in addition to being a pet/loyal companion/friend. If they're picked up and have their body used as a literal weapon, see EquippableAlly. Related to WeaponizedOffspring.