History Main / CrystallineCreature

** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaChronicles'': A smaller variant appears as an enemy near the end of Block 4, bursting out of a stained glass window in the background.

has stained glass warriors as enemies in church levels, first appearing on windows before coming to life to attack.

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaI'' has stained glass warriors as enemies in church levels, first appearing on windows before coming to life to attack.

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'': Petrosapiens are aliens made out of an organic green crystalline material. In his Petrosapien form, called Diamodnhead, Ben can [[ShapeshifterWeapon manipulate the molecular structure of his physiology at will, allowing him to form his limbs into diamond weapons such as blades and bludgeons]], [[GemstoneAssault fire crystal shards from his body]] and [[ShapingYourAttacks create constructs out of crystals]].

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'': Petrosapiens are aliens made out of an organic green crystalline material. In his Petrosapien form, called Diamonhead, Ben can [[ShapeshifterWeapon manipulate the atomic structure of his physiology at will, allowing him to form his limbs into diamond weapons such as blades and bludgeons]], [[GemstoneAssault fire crystal shards from his body]] and [[ShapingYourAttacks create constructs out of crystals]].

* ''Literature/StarWarsLegends'': The Shard are a species of living, sapient crystals resembling large clusters of quartz-like spears, pulsing faintly with the internal activity of their "brains". In their natural state, they're completely immobile and grow in colonies of thousands around their homeworld's hot springs, reproduce by growing new Shards from their bodies, and can live for centuries before succumbing to erosion. They can only perceive the world through electromagnetic reception, which they also use to keep in contact with all other members of their colony. Their electromagnetic senses and communications give them an instinctive understanding of technology, and they can gain mobility and additional senses by allowing themselves to be implanted within droid bodies.

Living creatures with a faceted, crystalline appearance. In some cases they can simply happen to have skin, scales, or similar structures that look like jewels or gems; more often, however, they're made out of living crystals. In cases where these beings are made out of a solid block of crystal, it usually isn't entirely clear how the rigid angles of their "skin" would flex as they move, but the MST3KMantra is useful here. Animators will usually find ways to fudge this so it isn't immediately obvious that the facets have to bend when the character moves. In other cases, the being in question instead resembles an assemblage of rigid but distinct crystals or gems, with movement happening at the "joints" where these meet.

* In ''VideoGame/AmidEvil'', the Arcane Expanse is home to several varieties of crystal monster, including spider-like beasts with sharp crystal forelimbs, venom-spitting crystal snakes, multi-eyed crystal sharks, and an equine PowerUpMount for the [[GemstoneAssault Crystal Masters]].

** A group of four Crystals is fought as a boss at one point of ''Videogame/FinalFantasyV''. There's also a regular enemy with the same sprite called the Crystelle that inhabits TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.
** Murussu and Tanket from ''Videogame/FinalFantasyX'' belong to Armored Mole group of fiends that are covered in crystals. Barbuta from [[Videogame/FinalFantasyX2 the sequel]] is technically the same monster with the same model.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', Crystalbug is a ChestMonster disguised as a crystal that serves as a save point. There are three of them, each of which is a different color and has different abilities to attack with.
** Cie'th are TheUndead of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'', being former l'Cie who failed to complete their focus before their [[MarkOfTheBeast brands]] progressed fully. They are effectively zombies whose twisted bodies are made entirely of crystal formations.
** All over the place of ''Videogame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'', as the Manikins, who look like crystalline [[PaletteSwap Palette Swaps]] of heroes or villains, are the main fodder.

** A group of four Crystals is fought as a boss at one point of ''Videogame/FinalFantasyV''.

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', Crystalbug is a ChestMonster disguised as a crystal that serves as a save point.

** A group of four Crystals is fought as a boss at one point of ''FinalFantasyV''.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'': Crystalbug is a ChestMonster disguised as a crystal that serves as a save point.

* ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic VIII'' has these in, you guessed it, The Great Crystal (though they also show up in prisons of [[spoiler:Elemental Lords]]. They come in two varieties: Crystal Guards and Crystal Dragons. They are some of the toughest monsters of the game and the strongest [[DemonicSpiders Ruby Dragons]] can wipe out even high-leveled parties as they have tons of health and deal Energy type of damage that cannot be resisted.

* The [[ArabianNightsDays Alin]] of ''VideoGame/RiseOfLegends'' can recruit and summon creatures made of crystal, such as golems or giant spiders as big as a car as regular units in campaign and skirmish battles. In skirmish battles a HeroUnit can temporarily summon a really massive spider, while in the campaign he summons a Glass Dragon, the ultimate unit of that faction. The Glass Dragon is recruitable permanently in skirmish battles, being so powerful that each player can have only one. During the campaign, many enemies are also glass creatures corrupted by an unknown energy you will have to find to release them.

** ''VideoGame/SpyroYearOfTheDragon'': In the Crystal Islands area, there are crystalline bears and flowers who attack Spyro.

Living creatures with a faceted, crystalline appearance. In some cases they can simply happen to have skin, scales or similar structures that look like jewels or gems; more often, however, they're made out of living crystals. In cases where these beings are made out of a solid block of crystal, it usually isn't entirely clear how the rigid angles of their "skin" would flex as they move, but the MST3KMantra is useful here. Animators will usually find ways to fudge this so it isn't immediately obvious that the facets have to bend when the character moves. In other cases, the being in question instead resembles an assemblage of rigid but distinct crystals or gems, with movement happening at the "joints" where these meet.

Crystalline Creatures often don't need food and drink like humans do, or at least not the same types -- if they feed at all, they typically consume mundane gems or other minerals. Their precise makeup also varies; most are made out of non-specific "crystal", but they may also be identified as being made up of specific mineral types or, less commonly, of other crystalline materials, such as ice, or non-crystalline but rigid, shiny and transparent ones such as glass. Regardless of type, these beings are also fairly rare, more so than "regular" masses of living inorganic matter. More often than not, they're encountered in out-of-the-way, mineral-rich places such as {{Crystal Landscape}}s or {{Elemental Plane}}s associated with earth, rock or crystals. In combat, their abilities may involve GemstoneAssault, while their crystalline bodies may be difficult or impossible to harm in most conventional ways but prone to shattering under blunt impacts or great force.

Subtrope of RockMonster, which covers all beings made entirely out of rocky materials, and GemTissue, which covers all cases where at least a portion of a living being's body is made out of or contains gemstones. This can often overlap with ElementalEmbodiment, as it's not uncommon for elementals associated with earth or crystals to take this appearance. Overlap also occurs with SiliconBasedLife when the creature is made from a silicate mineral, such as quartz or garnet.

* ''ComicBook/TomorrowStories'': In the backstory, Lapis Lazuli created a transformation ray to turn things into sapphire. A mishap led to it being fired at her, turning her into a woman made out living sapphire.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': [[OurTrollsAreDifferent Trolls]] are mostly {{Rock Monster}}s , but their [[EthnicityMonarch King]] "Mr. Shine" is made of diamond, making him much [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking tougher]] than a normal troll and also giving him the ability to regulate his body temperature and keep his brain cold enough to function efficiently.

* ''Literature/SectorGeneral'': One sapient species species, coded SNLU, are ultra-low temperature lifeforms chiefly made from crystals of frozen methane.

** Tholians resemble crystalline centaurs, with six radially-symmetrical legs, a pillar-like torso, two arms and a roughly diamond-shaped head. They also require a temperature of 404 degrees fahrenheit to feel comfortable, and freeze solid and shatter at temperatures humans can tolerate.

* ''Series/UltramanMebiusGaiden'': The citizens of Planet Aarb are living crystals which communicate using {{Telepathy}} and, despite their appearance as blocks of floating minerals, are actually fully sapient, as Ultraman Hikari finds out as soon as he steps foot on Aarb.

** ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'': The Red Wizards of Thay created gemstone golems made of diamonds, emeralds and rubies.

** Crysmals are elemental beings resembling scorpions made out of colorful crystal. They reproduce by assembling gems into new crysmal hatchlings, and take a very poor view of peoples who use gemstones as decorations.
** Crystal dragons are a type of dragon native to the Plane of Earth, and have scales that resemble a full-body coating of gems.

** Eldar Farseers slowly turn to crystal as they age due to their connection with their Craftworld's wraithbone (the psychically-active material used by Eldar for their armor, weapons and buildings). Eventually they retire to a special area of the Craftworld where their spirit joins the Craftworld as their body continues to fuse into the wraithbone.

* ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'': Amethyst men are humanoid beings made out of crystalline amethyst, and live deep BeneathTheEarth. As their bodies are made entirely out of mineral, they can be very dangerous foes: they feel no pain, cannot be suffocated, are difficult to damage due to most weapons glancing off their stony skin, can punch a dwarf to death with ease and are building destroyers. They cannot be butchered like other creatures, instead leaving behind an amethyst when they are killed.

* ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic VIII'' has these in, you guessed it, The Great Crystal (though they also show up in prisons of [[spoiler:Elemental Lords]]. They come in two varieties: Crystal Guards and Crystal Dragons. They are some of toughest monsters of the game and strongest [[DemonicSpiders Ruby Dragons]] can wipe out even high-leveled parties as they have tons of health and deal Energy type of damage that cannot be resisted.

* ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVII'': A crystal dragon appears in the Volcanic Underground, blocking the way for Rosella to get further into the volcano. It has lost its spark and is unable to make fire and, if you can retrieve one for her, she moves out of the way and grants you two key items in the form of a massive ruby and one of her own crystalline scales.

* Crystalbug from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' is a particularly annoying example, as it is a ChestMonster disguised as a crystal '''that serves as a save point'''.

* ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'': The Caustic Caverns are the habitat of creatures known as Crystalisks, huge tripedal animals with [[GemTissue valuable crystals growing in their flesh]].

* ''Fanfic/{{Petriculture}}'': As related in ''Pandelirium'', Sombra thought that the crystal ponies were living crystals shaped like ponies instead of flesh-and-blood ponies whose magic made them look crystalline at times. The difference drove him mad(der).

* ''VideoGame/{{Wizardy}} 8'' has Adamant Unicorns that look like this. There are also Golem enemies that are either your regular RockMonster or this.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': ''Film/TheLastJedi'' depicts a creature called the Vulptex, a fox-like species with a coat made of crystalline bristles.

* ''ComicBook/CrystarCrystalWarrior'' has a cast of, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin crystal warriors]].

* ''Literature/{{Cytonic}}'': Spensa encounters a pair of alien creatures known as resonants. Their entire bodies are made of crystal that they can grow at will, but they aren?t otherwise truly motile. A resonant generally remains in one place for an entire 'incarnation' which would last about fifty years, and their sex or gender may change with each incarnation, as Shiver says she is female "this time".

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': The Crystalline Entity is a giant alien that looks like a mix of snowflake and complex tree root system.

** Azhdaha is an enormous dragon made of golden crystal- an in-universe legend claims that he was originally a single massive crystal that was carved into the shape of a dragon by Morax, the patron god of Liyue.