History Main / BigBadassBirdOfPrey

* Vicious from {{Cowboy Bebop}} has a giant black bird that likes to rest on his shoulder [[spoiler: until it exploded in the final episode because Vicious fed it explosives to help him escape the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate.]]

** How about the Legendary birds?

** Pokemon X and Y also brings us [[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Hawlucha Hawlucha]], a '''luchador hawk.''' If that is not awesome, I don't know what is.
** And then there's the Legendary Yveltal, a bird that has a body size of 6 FEET.

* The eagle was used as a national symbol by Rome, countries that claimed to be its heirs (Russia, the Holy Roman Empire, Turkey, the United States), and countries which inherited the symbolism from them in turn (Austria, Prussia, Germany)

* ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory'': The match between BarackObama and MittRomney features a massive bald eagle, the symbol of the United States Of America. Is it on Obama's side? Romney's? [[spoiler:Nope! It's Abraham Lincoln, looking like he's fresh out of his match with Chuck Norris in Season One, dropping in to give both competitors a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.]]

** Hawker Aircraft made a number of [[CoolPlane Cool Planes ]]during WorldWarII including the Hurricane which was the Royal Air Force's meat and potatoes and the Typhoon which was terrifying at [[DeathFromAbove close support and interdiction]].

This trope pertains to eagles, hawks, falcons and other similar species of bird. Generally considered to be symbols of freedom, majesty, leadership etc. They often appear as guardians, guides or [[InstantMessengerPigeon messengers]]. They can sometimes also symbolize foreboding danger, although [[RavensAndCrows crows]] and [[CirclingVultures vultures]] have this association more.

Eagles, being one of the largest groups of raptor, and having associations with {{Eagleland}}, are usually seen as the Biggest and most Badass of the bunch and carry connotations of power and regality in addition to the usual traits of bird of prey. Hawks and falcons have slightly different associations from eagles, stemming in part from the sport of falconry. They are less likely to be depicted as majestic, more likely to be used as symbols of aggression. Contrasting with the image of freedom Big Badass Birds Of Prey typically carry, they may even have association with the idea of servility. A falcon trained to hunt for its falconer would be an example of the power of a Big Badass Bird Of Prey being more controlled and restrained, for instance. Even the idea of the dissolution of servitude is played with in [[TheSecondComing some works]] to represent unrestrained chaos and anarchy. Owls may be considered Big Badass Birds Of Prey at times, but they also have a [[OminousOwl trope of their own]] that overlaps with doom and foreboding of RavensAndCrows and another trope on top of that, which represents them as [[TheOwlKnowingOne a font of knowledge]].

* Played with in ''Dream Park'': when the South Seas Treasure Game party is attacked by (holographic) Big Badass Birds, they act out this trope to the letter (VerticalKidnapping included), except that instead of raptors, they're actually giant ''hornbills''.

* Rocs, Thunderbirds and [[ThePhoenix Phoenixes]] all show up in HeroesOfMightAndMagic, although the exact combination and just ''how'' badass they are depends on the game.

* In ''{{Naruto}}'' after [[spoiler: learning the truth about [[AloofOlderBrother Itachi]]]], Sasuke changes his team name from "Hebi" (Snake) to "Taka" (Hawk). He also somehow gains the ability to summon hawks.

* Stryk Redkite in the ''{{Redwall}}'' book ''Mattimeo''.
** There are several of these in ''{{Redwall}}'', but the most memorable is the osprey from ''High Rhulain''. [[spoiler: He has a HeroicSacrifice at the end of the book.]]
* The Eagles in ''LordOfTheRings''.

-->-- '''Jatayu''', ''The Ramayana''

** BW Silverbolt stands out as being equal parts eagle and [[BigBadassWolf wolf]].

* There was a giant vulture in ''IronMan The Rapture'' that is in Starkworld that [[spoiler: kept on disemboweling Tony Stark much like Prometheus.]]

* Vicious from {{Cowboy Bebop}} has a giant black bird that likes to rest on his shoulder [[spoiler: untill it exploded in the final episode because Vicious fed it explosives to help him escape the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate.]]

** And Jupiter in ''VideoGame/MegaMan5'' is this. FROM SPACE.

->"While I fly, follow me in the shadow of my wings."
-->--'''Jatayu''', ''the Ramayana''

* Clockwerk, the BigBad of first two ''SlyCooper'' games.
* Nina has to fight one in ''BreathOfFireIV'' when she's shrunken down by the fairies.

* [[IainBanks Iain M Banks]], ''Feersum Endjinn'':

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Thundercats 2011}}'' episode "The Forest of Magi Oar" GiantFlyer Viragor is atypically depicted as an ignoble, territorial monster, haunting the [[TheLostWoods titular forest]], antagonizing travellers and the forest's protectors the Wood Forgers. [[spoiler:Later it's revealed that ''he'' is the forests' ancient protector, while the wood forgers are opportunistic industrialists.]]

* The entire ''GuardiansOfGahoole'' series and the movie based on it. Mostly owls, but there are the two eagles, Streak and Zan.