History Main / ButterflyOfTransformation

SuperTrope of ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth. Compare MacabreMothMotif.

* In ''Series/DoctorWho'', the Second Doctor compared his regeneration to a renewal like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. Which is why the ring no longer fits.

* Music/MarilynManson's Antichrist Superstar album is a narrative about a child's transformation into the antichrist (/a controversial rock star). The song cycle is broken into three parts according to the life cycle of an insect, and the album art depicts him in stylised versions of all three stages, including one with a set of wings.

* Music/HilaryDuff used this metaphor in the final page of her ''Metamorphosis'' album.
* Music/MariahCarey used a similar metaphor for her first album after her divorce from manager Tommy Mottola, ''Butterfly''.

* In the book/movie ''Film/SilenceOfTheLambs'', Jame Gumb keeps butterflies or moths, and they seem to symbolize his desire to transform [[spoiler: into a woman]].

* If one goes with the interpretation that the title of ''Literature/{{Chrysalis}}'' refers to the smooth, elongated form of the Terran's mechanical outer shell, it can then be extrapolated that [[spoiler:the Terran's destruction]], and thus emergence from their cocoon, are evocative of the rebirth of humanity [[spoiler:in machine form. The epilogue reveals the Terran was revived from their fragments and placed back into a humanoid body, as well]].

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2009-03-31 Fuschia is inspired by a butterfly as it means people can change]]. (Which she will have to do to win her love.) [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2011-04-03 Her aspirations]] [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2009-03-08 are shown by]] [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2009-02-07 her fascination with them.]]
** And when the Buddha [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2012-03-14 enlightens some Illuminati drones, they acquire butterfly wings.]]
** [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2003-02-18 Crimney reflects on the possibilities of change, and a butterfly alights on him.]]
** [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2007-06-05 Pooch watches a caterpillar start the process -- until it asks him to turn his back. Modest, you know.]]
** [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2012-10-16 The green succubus, en route to her first day of work, has butterflies]] -- she tells the drones with butterfly wings.
* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' parodies Transformers [[http://xkcd.com/1336/ by having them pupate.]]

* Groups relating to {{Transgender}} issues frequently have butterflies in their logos, and some versions of the Transgender pride flag have a butterfly on them.

* [[ComicBook/TheQuestion Vic Sage's]] FamousLastWords in ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' invoke this symbolism of butterflies. They are addressed to Renee and foreshadow her transformation into the new Question.

* In the ''[[Franchise/ShinMegamiTenseiPersona Persona]]'' series, the golden butterfly is symbolic of Philemon, the deity that allows the heroes to tap into their Personas. According to WordOfGod, in the later games in the series he actually appears as a blue butterfly with an implied similar, if lesser, function, although neither the characters nor any narrator identifies him.

* At the end of ''Disney/{{Bambi}} II'', Bambi has lost his spots, his antlers are starting to grow and most importantly, he has an improved relationship with his father. A butterfly lands on the [[HopeSproutsEternal entwined sprouts]] growing nearby.

* The ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' book ''The Departure'' heavily feature the theme of a caterpillar, and later a butterfly. It is not a coincidence that this is where Cassie meets a surprisingly sympathetic [[PuppeteerParasite yeerk]], one willing to give up her host body [[spoiler:if Cassie is willing to experience the rest of her life as a Yeerk... or the closest thing at hand: a caterpillar]]. This, along with Cassie's continued realisation that the world isn't as [[BlackAndWhiteMorality black and white]] as she thought, signifies change. [[spoiler:It also brings up the fact that natural metamorphosis can somehow undo the ModeLock of remaining more than two Earth hours in morph, something Cassie willingly did to make the Yeerk free her host.]]

* The Literature/{{Animorphs}} book "The Departure" heavily feature the theme of a caterpillar, and later a butterfly. It is not a coincidence that this is where Cassie meets a surprisingly sympathetic [[PuppeteerParasite yeerk]], one willing to give up her host body [[spoiler:if Cassie is willing to experience the rest of her life as a Yeerk... or the closest thing at hand: a caterpillar]]. This, along with Cassie's continued realisation that the world isn't as [[BlackAndWhiteMorality black and white]] as she thought, signifies change. [[spoiler:It also brings up the fact that natural metamorphosis can somehow undo the ModeLock of remaining more than two Earth hours in morph, something Cassie willingly did to make the Yeerk free her host.]]

* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel ''Discworld/MakingMoney'', Cosmo Lavish uses a caterpillar becoming a butterfly as a symbol of his own planned transformation. His sister Pucci tells him that what actually happens is a caterpillar ''dies'' and a butterfly grows out of the remains.

[[caption-width-right:350:You'll be [[CharacterDevelopment changing]], too, [[Webcomic/{{Sinfest}} Lil' E]].]]

* ComicBook/{{Psylocke}}'s telepathy is symbolized by butterflies, and her character has undergone tremendous change, having switched bodies, become Captain Britain, gained new psychic powers, and joined the X-Men.

* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': The primary ability of the Butterfly Miraculous is SuperEmpowering. Using an actual butterfly as a medium, it can transform ordinary people into superheroes... or, [[GoodPowersBadPeople in the hands of]] [[BigBad Hawk Moth]], into [[MonsterOfTheWeek supervillains]].

* A literal example in ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': [[BigBad Hawk Moth]] utilizes butterflies to feed off people's negative emotions and turn them into an [[MonsterOfTheWeek akumatized villain]].

* A literal example in ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': [[BigBad Hawk Moth]] utilizes butterflies to feed off people's negative emotions and turn them into an [[MonsterOfTheWeek Akuma]].

* In the book/movie ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'' Jame Gumb keeps butterflies or moths, and they seem to symbolize his desire to transform [[spoiler: into a woman]].

* 1st Edition ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''
** ''Player's Handbook''. The ''Polymorph Other'' spell changed a creature into another type of creature. Its material component was a caterpillar cocoon.
** ''Oriental Adventures'' supplement. The ''Force Shapechange'' spell caused shapechangers to shift to their alternate form. The spell's material component was a butterfly cocoon.

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* Butterfly symbolism is used extensively by a revolutionary group in ''VisualNovel/CulpaInnata''.
[[/folder]]